The Best of Friends by Susan Mallery

In high school, studious Jayne Scott and wild child Rebecca Worden became unlikely best friends—atie that endured even after Rebecca fled her family to live overseas. After Jayne’s mother passed away, she became part unpaid assistant, part surrogate daughter to the wealthy Wordens. But now, ten years later, Rebecca is coming home to L.A. to cause havoc for Elizabeth, the mother who all but rejected her. And Jayne finds herself pulled deeper into the Wordens’ complicated family dynamics—especially when Rebecca’s brother, David, returns as well.David is the man Jayne always wanted and knew she could never have. But when he gravitates toward her in spite of Elizabeth’s protests, her vow to escape the family’s shadow is put to the ultimate test. And as lies are shattered and true feelings exposed, Jayne must decide where loyalty ends, and love begins. . . .

From Goodreads.com

            The Best of Friends is a beautiful story that keeps you spellbound from page one. While I’ve read numerous books by Susan, took me by surprise. The story begins with Jayne, the down to earth simple girl, whose beauty is on the inside as much as the outside picking up her best friend Rebecca from the airport. Rebecca, breathtakingly beautiful and rich, comes from a family who took Jayne in after her mother passed away. The two developed a friendship that carries the name of best friends.

            On the other hand, there is Rebecca’s brother, David, whom Jayne secretly pined for since she was a teenager. A serious of events brings the two in proximity to each other, and sparks fly. Then, the Worden family drama unravels, with ever member trying to tell Jayne how to live her life and she must come to terms with herself, finally figuring out her own life once and for all. 

            This beautiful story kept me awake late into the night. The characters are real; you can almost fancy yourself meeting these people out in the world. Jayne is a character everyone can relate to; that girl who’s looking for her own life in the big bad world. David is breathtaking! I fell in love with him almost the moment he stepped into the picture. Maybe most of us will never meet our own ‘young prince’ but David is a man every young girl (and not so young woman) can dream about. Come on, when a man says “I’m falling for you. You’re my girl,” what woman in her right mind wouldn’t swoon? The relationship developed between those two is another one you can label best friends, but on a different level.

            The problems these individuals must deal with are those people can relate to. Friendships, family issues, true love are all circumstances we encounter in our lives. Susan writes this story in a way that is heartwarming, yet at the same time she works these problems out as they should be worked out.

            Susan is a brilliant author who uses every day situations, puts a little humor in, and shows us a dream world that can be our own if we just look to these characters and learn something from them. Not one of her characters is perfect, but neither are we. Susan’s incredible writing puts us right where these characters are. If you’ve never read a book by Susan Mallery, I cant think of a better one to start with. This story will have you laughing, crying, and learning with a few twists in between. The Best of Friends is a breathtaking tale that is an enormous pleasure to read. 

Happy reading!

Valia

PS. Let me know what you think of this book! :)