My Ride or Die

February 1, 2021

"Did you know that in French, the term 'bachelorette party' means 'the death of a young girl?'" This is the question Sophie asks her best friend, Amanda, not long before leaving her fianc� at the altar. For Sophie, marriage would feel like part of her was dying. And looking for the perfect man to spend the rest of your life with is exhausting. Sophie and Amanda have been in almost constant contact for 10 years, one always there for the other--and they wonder: Why must love trump friendship? They resolve to enter into "an alliance," each being the other's partner forever but in a nonsexual way. No more disappointment, wasted time, or struggle to find their male soul mates. They can date men as they please, but each promises never to leave the other. Their arrangement works beautifully--until it doesn't. Sophie and Amanda learn that life can waylay even the most strategic plans. VERDICT Millennial fans of women's fiction will love Cohen's (This Love Story Will Self-Destruct) witty tale of friendship, love, and the surprises the universe throws our way.--K.L. Romo, Duncanville, TX

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February 15, 2021
Can two friends have all the benefits of marriage--lifelong companionship, reliability, someone to make sure you don't choke on your snacks--without any of the cons? It will come as no surprise that Sophie, a free-spirited aspiring artist who compares her bachelorette party to a "funeral," ends up leaving her fiance at the altar. What is surprising is the arrangement that she proposes to her best friend, dissatisfied corporate lawyer Amanda: "What if we formed some sort of alliance?...What if we eliminated the task of vetting every guy we dated for marriage? What if we could just live life together?" This lifelong commitment involves a few ground rules: They will buy an apartment together, they are still allowed to date and even fall in love with men, but no moving in with anyone else, and definitely no marriage. Cohen seems to gloss over some of the finer points of this arrangement, and after Amanda eagerly and immediately agrees, the women's initial hurdles involve little more than apartment hunting and convincing skeptical friends. But when Amanda reconnects with a man from her past and Sophie starts actively pursuing a career in the arts, the friends begin negotiating their conflicting feelings of loyalty to each other and a desire to pursue their own paths. Cohen's writing is strongest as she depicts this downward spiral, when the boundaries of Amanda and Sophie's love for each other, as well as their differing needs in companionship, get exposed. An exploration of the expansiveness and constraints of female friendship.

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March 1, 2021
Amanda and Sophie are polar opposite besties: Amanda's a tightly wound lawyer and Sophie's a visual artist allergic to establishing roots. Inseparable since college, they navigated their twenties as an inimitable team. Now both women are in their thirties and disillusioned with the quest to find a marriage-worthy mate. All of their romantic relationships seem doomed to fail once cohabitation enters the chat. So they hatch a plan: live together as platonic partners in life. They buy an apartment, fix it up to their liking, and begin a quest to transcend domestication. They casually date and even fall in love with others, but never live with or marry anyone else. The experience has its advantages. They lean on each other through career changes and evolving goals. But friction ensues as Amanda gets serious with a hookup and Sophie itches to flee the country in pursuit of creative growth. Cohen's (This Love Story Will Self-Destruct, 2017) second novel is a sweet and sprawling tale about unconditional friendship and all the beautiful, unique shapes commitment can take.

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