Book Review: I Thought You Said This Would Work by Ann Garvin

I Thought You Said This Would Work by Ann Garvin is an uplifting story about love, friendship, and acceptance.

Available on Kindle Unlimited.

My Overview

This story narrowed down to one word: love. It’s the love between friends, the love between spouses, the love between mothers and their children, and the chance at new romantic love that make this story special.

Samantha, Holly, and Katie were best friends in college. As middle-aged women, Samantha and Holly are no longer friends; both are friends with Katie. Now, Katie’s cancer has returned and both Samantha and Holly are there for her at the hospital. Katie’s one request is for Samantha and Holly to take a road trip from Wisconsin to California, to pick up her dog for her. She longs to see the dog her ex-husband has been keeping from her. Begrudgingly, Samantha and Holly agree. As if the road trip isn’t challenging enough, along barges Summer Silva into their lives and they can’t seem to shake her off.

As the road trip continues, the story takes one through a journey of friendships (old and new), terminal illness, and self-acceptance. Essentially, this was a life changing road trip for these women. It’s also a good reminder for the rest of us, as I think their situations and journey are relatable.

This book lived in my Kindle for a long time, so I’m glad I finally read it. Did I like it? Sometimes. The book felt unbalanced and at times the humor fell flat for me. There are also some character inconsistencies, and a certain amount of ad hoc preaching about various issues. Even so, this is an endearing story about love, friendship, and women building each other up.