One Good Friend Deserves Another by Lisa Verge Higgins

Title: One Good Friend Deserves Another by Lisa Verge Higgins
Publisher: Hachette Book group/Grand Central Publishing
Imprint: 5 Spot
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: A

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher

Summary:

HOW MANY OF THESE DATING RULES HAVE YOU BROKEN?

1. Choose Your Own Man
2. Make Sure Your Friends Approve
3. No One-Night Stands
4. Trust Your Instincts
5. Never Make the Same Mistake Twice
6. After a Break-Up, Wait Six Months Before Dating Again.

Dhara, Kelly, Marta, and Wendy have been the closest of friends since college. So close, that after a series of romantic disasters, they bond together to create Rules of Relationships to keep their hearts safe.

Years later, the rules seem to have worked . . . until Marta discovers that her hot boyfriend is married, Kelly begins a risky love affair, Wendy inches closer to a pre-marital infidelity, and, most shocking of all, Indian-American Dhara suddenly agrees to an arranged marriage.

Hearts are about to be broken and the bonds of friendship are tested. Is it possible to find true love, when you’re breaking all the rules?

The Review:

One Good Friend Deserves Another by Lisa Verge Higgins is an absolutely captivating story about four very different women from completely different socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds and the friendship that keeps them grounded as they are faced with potentially life altering decisions.

Dhara Pitalia, Kelly Palazzo, Wendy Wainwright and Marta Sanchez forge a close friendship in college that endures the passage of time and all of life’s ups and downs. Indian/American Dhara’s sudden agreement to an arranged marriage comes as a huge shock to Kelly, Wendy and Marta. As her friends stage an intervention and remind her of dating rule number one, Dhara comes face to face with Cole Jackson, the first man she loved. Through flashbacks, Dhara relives her tempestuous relationship and finally confesses to her friends what eventually destroyed their romance. Will Dhara go back to the man she loved with all her heart and soul? Or will she honor the agreement between the Pitalia and Bohara families and marry Desh?

Wendy is a from a wealthy and socially prominent family. Desperately trying to live up to family expectations, she has conformed to their idea of an acceptable life. She is overwhelmed with her upcoming wedding preparations and finds herself at odds with her mother and fiancé over some of the arrangements. With her unexpected attraction to artist Gabe Teixeira, Wendy must decide if family acceptance is worth compromising who she really is.

Kelly is from a working class background. She is a computer genius who is socially awkward and clueless when it comes to social cues. When she is danger of breaking rule number five, her friends immediately stage an intervention. Kelly is well aware of the risks involved but she is more than ready to take a chance on love. Will she find everlasting love? Or will her romance end in heartbreak?

Marta has a life plan and she is carefully sticking to it. Having achieved her career goals, she would like nothing better than settle down and raise a family. In the aftermath of her break-up with Carlos, she is guilty of breaking rules number four, five and six. Brutal honesty and an intervention might be the only hope for Marta as she frantically pursues her happily ever after.

Lisa Verge Higgins has an engaging writing style that quickly draws you into this beautiful portrayal of love, family and friendship. It is a heartwarming journey for these four close friends. Each of the women in the story discovers their inner strengths and a stronger sense of who they are as they work through their difficult decisions.

One Good Friend Deserves Another is a charming and compelling story that I highly recommend.