Review: One Good Friend Deserves Another

One Good Friend Deserves Another

By Lisa Verge Higgins

Published: June 5, 2012

My review:

Wendy, Dhara, Marta, and Kelly have been best friends since their college days. Back then they made a list of rules to protect themselves from broken hearts after they each experienced devastating pain. Now Dhara is about to break rule #1, Choose Your Own Man, as she has agreed to an arranged marriage and the others are each struggling with the rules too. Marta has just found out that her boyfriend is married, Kelly is dating someone who once broke her heart, and happily engaged Wendy is finding herself attracted to someone else. They must rely on each other to get through the ups and downs of their relationships and the choices they face.


One Good Friend Deserves Another is not just a book about romantic entanglements. At its core is the strong bond of friendship between the main characters. I liked that the book is told through the perspectives of each of the women. It really adds to our understanding of the characters and their struggles.  Another plus for me was the age of the characters. It was nice (as someone in her mid 30s) to read about women in their late 30s who still haven't gotten it all figured out yet. My favorite characters are Dhara and Kelly. At times I was frustrated with Kelly's decisions but I thought it made her seem more real and I liked that she is an imperfect character. Dhara was easy to relate to and I enjoyed reading about her family and could understand the pressure she faced with the arranged marriage and making the right choice for herself. I liked Wendy and Marta as well though I thought the author did a better job with the chapters from Dhara and Kelly's perspectives.


At times it seemed that there was a lot going on in the story but the overall theme of friendship and support was always there. At the end of the novel, all of the characters have shown some growth and I liked that there are some open endings. I am glad that the book wasn't entirely predictable as well.  There is romance but the focus is on the friendships and how the characters have been there for each other even when it is hard to do. I would suggest this book to readers who enjoy reading books with strong female friendships and a chick lit tone.