Title: MWF Seeking BFF: My Year Long Search for a New Best Friend

Author: Rachel Bertsche

Publisher: Ballantine Books 2012

Genre: Nonfiction - Memoir

Pages: 347

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nerdy Nonfiction - Relationships; Blogger Recommendations; Women Authors; Mount TBR

How I Got It: I won it

When Rachel Bertsche first moves to Chicago, she’s thrilled to finally share a zip code, let alone an apartment, with her boyfriend. But shortly after getting married, Bertsche realizes that her new life is missing one thing: friends. Sure, she has plenty of BFFs—in New York and San Francisco and Boston and Washington, D.C. Still, in her adopted hometown, there’s no one to call at the last minute for girl talk over brunch or a reality-TV marathon over a bottle of wine. Taking matters into her own hands, Bertsche develops a plan: She’ll go on fifty-two friend-dates, one per week for a year, in hopes of meeting her new Best Friend Forever.

I won this ARC over a year ago. I kept meaning to read it, but somehow just never picked it up. I finally did and found myself underwhelmed. I thought the premise was interesting as I am in fairly the same boat Bertsche was. But I quickly tired of the long drawn out observations and scientific research. It made the entire endeavor feel a bit too forced. I kept wanting to ask why Bertsche felt it necessary to reach the 150 total friends. Why can't you be happy with a couple of great friends, a few casual friends, and some acquaintances? I also tired of the comparisons to a Sex and City type friendship. That was a television show, not real life. Adult women with family and job responsibilities can't just lounge around all day for brunch or shopping. We need to be more selective in how we use our time. I just couldn't get behind the whole book.