I Thought You Said This Would Work

A Novel

By: Ann Garvin

Narrated by: Tanya Eby

A road trip can drive anyone over the edge - especially two former best friends - in bestselling author Ann Garvin’s funny and poignant novel about broken bonds, messy histories, and the power of forgiveness.

Widowed Samantha Arias hasn’t spoken to Holly Dunfee in forever. It’s for the best. Samantha prefers to avoid conflict. The blisteringly honest Holly craves it. What they still have in common puts them both back on speed dial: a mutual love for Katie, their best friend of twenty-five years, now hospitalized with cancer and needing one little errand from her old college roomies.

It’s simple: travel cross-country together, steal her loathsome ex-husband’s VW camper, find Katie’s diabetic Great Pyrenees at a Utah pound, and drive him back home to Wisconsin. If it’ll make Katie happy, no favor is too big (one hundred pounds), too daunting (two thousand miles), or too illegal (ish), even when a boho D-list celebrity hitches a ride and drives the road trip in fresh directions.

Samantha and Holly are following every new turn - toward second chances, unexpected romance, and self-discovery - and finally blowing the dust off the secret that broke their friendship. On the open road, they’ll try to put it back together - for themselves, and especially for the love of Katie.

©2021 by Ann Garvin. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Despite dealing with some heavy topics—cancer, widowhood, and the impending birth of a first child—Garvin’s (I Like You Just Fine When You’re Not Around) book is laugh-out-loud funny.” —Library Journal

“A charming exploration of female friendship and cancer’s uncanny ability to put perceived slights into perspective…[I Thought You Said This Would Work is] a testament to the power of one’s own voice and the mistruths in the stories we tell ourselves, and an introspective, heartwarming, and witty farce.” —Booklist

“Laughter, tears, and an unforgettable cast of characters: I Thought You Said This Would Work has everything I love, so it’s no surprise that I adored this novel. Ann Garvin’s latest, about three unlikely allies on the road trip to end all road trips, is the sort of life-affirming story we all need right now. I can’t recommend it highly enough.” —Camille Pagán, bestselling author of This Won’t End Well

Cute fluff

Nothing deep- but basic story of friendship and growing up” in middle age. Harmless listen.

Triggers all the emotions

This is the only book that I have cried, laughed out loud and sat at the edge of my seat. It is wonderfully written and preformed. Love love love

Funny and fun capers of middle-aged women

Enjoy the capers of three women as they rescue a friends dog and travel the country to bring comfort to a friend relapsing with breast cancer. Characters are wonderful and the trip is hilarious.

good summer read

Tge story moved along, it was entertaining and shows how tricky relationships with true friends can be

Beautiful

If you like comedy, friendship, and a big plot twist then you are going love this.