The Best Books That Foreground Female Friendship
Lovers may come and go, but friends are there for the long haul—through every messy breakup, major milestone and late-night meltdown. Enter Galentine’s Day, the Valentine’s Day alternative that celebrates female friendship in all its glorious forms. The lucky among us have the lifelong confidante who’s been by our side since childhood, the soulmate who appears whenever we need her most, the college roommate who has evolved into family and more.
The titles on our list of the best books that [something something] capture the emotional architecture of women’s friendships, the way they bend, stretch and sometimes break under pressure, only to reforge stronger than before. On their pages are rivalries, reckonings and hard-won reconciliations, as decades-old bonds are tested by time, circumstance and change.
You’ll meet characters thrown together by fate, bound by memory and buoyed by shared chaos. Some are unlucky in love but lucky in loyalty, supported by a crew who knows exactly when to show up with wine, wisdom or both. And if you think meet-cutes only belong in love stories, think again—some of the best are between friends.
Valentine’s Day is all about red roses and whispered promises, but Galentine’s Day is for the women who’ve seen you at your worst and stayed anyway—the ones who remind you that being known is the deepest form of love.
- ‘Galentine’s Day’ by Rebecca Anderson
- ‘The Widows’ Wine Club’ by Julia Jarman
- Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding
- ‘Someone Else’s Shoes’ by Jojo Moyes
- ‘The Weekend’ by Charlotte Wood
- ‘The Good Mothers’ by Caitlin Weaver
- ‘So Thrilled For You’ by Holly Bourne
- ‘City of Girls’ by Elizabeth Gilbert
- ‘My Brilliant Friend’ by Elena Ferrante
- ‘Love by the Book’ by Jessica George
‘Galentine’s Day’ by Rebecca Anderson
This novel has been described as a love letter to female friendship, and it’s the perfect way to kick off this round-up. The story follows three women—Alicia, Marnie and Hannah—who start a Galentine’s Day sleepover tradition at age 18 and continue it through 13 years of twists, triumphs and growing pains, all the way to 2026. It hasn’t been easy: life has tugged them in different directions, and their bond has faced real strain. Now that they’ve reached their 30s, they must decide whether the tradition still fits who they’ve become—or whether the connection they’ve built is too meaningful to let go. If you’re drawn to books that mix laughter, emotion and highly relatable friendships, this one’s for you.
‘The Widows’ Wine Club’ by Julia Jarman
The Widows’ Wine Club is the first novel in a series that follows Janet, Viv and Zelda—a trio of women in their sixties who meet through a bereavement group and decide grief shouldn’t cancel joy. What begins as a somber gathering quickly evolves into a spirited offshoot fueled by laughter, new experiences and plenty of wine. United by loss but determined to reclaim their lives on their own terms, the women dive into hobbies, forge new paths and even explore modern dating. When things take a turn, it’s the strength of their friendship that sees them through. Expect heartache, poignancy and a generous pour of humor.
Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding
While this infamous novel is often remembered for its romantic entanglements and Bridget’s hilariously awkward attempts to shed her single status, it also highlights the enduring power of friendship. Through all the emotional turbulence caused by the maddening behavior of suitors Darcy and Cleaver, it’s Bridget’s friends—Jude, Shazza and the ever-loyal Tom—who remain her constant. Always just a phone call away, they serve as both comic relief and emotional ballast, ready to lift her up whenever she stumbles.
‘Someone Else’s Shoes’ by Jojo Moyes
Sometimes friendship begins with common ground—but sometimes, it arrives through sheer accident. In this novel, Sam—a middle-aged woman stretched thin by the demands of a depressed husband, a moody teenager and a seriously ill friend—accidentally grabs the wrong gym bag and ends up wearing the Louboutins of Nisha, the polished wife of a wealthy American businessman. The shoes don’t just change her outfit—they start to change her life. When Nisha confronts her to reclaim what’s hers, friendship seems out of the question. But as Moyes shows with charm and insight, life has a way of defying expectations, and what begins with a mix-up becomes a lesson in empathy.
‘The Weekend’ by Charlotte Wood
When friendships stretch across decades, the bond can feel unshakable—until it isn’t. In The Weekend, Sylvie, Jude, Wendy and Adele have spent a lifetime woven into each other’s lives. But when Sylvie dies, her absence leaves more than grief; it unsettles the foundation the other three relied on. Hoping to reconnect, they gather at her old beach house for one last holiday together. What follows is far from tranquil. As tensions rise, visitors appear and a storm barrels in, the question becomes whether this weekend will heal their fractures—or expose them beyond repair. With too much wine and years of unspoken resentment, the reunion is anything but peaceful.
‘The Good Mothers’ by Caitlin Weaver
Good friends come in many forms, but the real test is who shows up when everything falls apart. In this suspenseful novel, Lacey is newly separated and struggling to raise her son when she stumbles into a communal house filled with other single mothers. What begins as shared childcare, family-style dinners and emotional support soon feels like the stability she’s been craving. But when her future is thrown into doubt, Lacey faces a harrowing choice. One housemate proposes a risky plan that could secure everything she’s worked for—or destroy it. As alliances shift and trust is tested, this gripping thriller asks just how far we’re willing to go for the ones we love.
‘So Thrilled For You’ by Holly Bourne
The friends we make in early adulthood often feel like forever companions—but what happens when adulthood gets in the way? Nicky, Lauren, Charlotte and Steffi first met at university and swore they’d stay close, but more than a decade later, their lives have diverged. Motherhood—or the struggle to reach it—has become a fault line, and tensions are mounting beneath the surface. As they gather for a baby shower on an oppressively hot summer day, resentments begin to simmer. Emotions are fragile, the air is thick, and somewhere nearby, smoke is rising. In this gripping exploration of female friendship under pressure, the bonds that once felt unbreakable are pushed to the edge. The question is: can they hold, or will everything go up in flames?
‘City of Girls’ by Elizabeth Gilbert
Sometimes friends enter our lives at the exact moment we need them—even if our parents would disagree. In spring 1940, Vivian is sent to New York in disgrace after dropping out of her Ivy League college, only to find herself swept into a dazzling world of theater, sequins and independence. Living at her Aunt Peg’s playhouse in midtown, she meets Celia Ray—a glamorous showgirl who quickly becomes her guide to a wilder kind of education. Surrounded by Celia and her friends, Vivian sets out to squeeze every drop of pleasure from life, even if it means breaking a few rules. But when the glitter begins to fade, she must reckon with the consequences of her choices. Through triumphs, missteps and friendships that challenge everything she thought she knew, Vivian discovers that the women who shape us can be just as transformative as any great love.
‘My Brilliant Friend’ by Elena Ferrante
The first in a four-part series by Italian author Elena Ferrante, My Brilliant Friend follows the lifelong bond between Elena and Lila, two girls growing up in a working-class neighborhood in 1950s Naples. Life in their community is harsh, marked by poverty and violence, but their friendship offers a rare sense of safety, purpose and defiance. Sixty years later, the story opens with Elena receiving a phone call: Lila has vanished without a trace. As Elena searches for clues, she is forced to revisit their shared past, tracing the joys and rivalries that shaped them. Through shifting fortunes and a rapidly changing Italy, the novel explores how a singular friendship can both define and complicate a life.
‘Love by the Book’ by Jessica George
When we pick up a love story, we expect romance, fireworks and maybe a few grand gestures—but Love by the Book by Jessica George focuses on the quieter, often overlooked love between friends. Remy finds herself increasingly isolated as her three closest friends drift away—one moving to New York, the others consumed by relationships and motherhood. Just when loneliness begins to settle in, fate keeps placing Simone, another solo soul, in her path. What starts as a string of chance encounters becomes an opportunity: if Remy is brave enough to let someone new in, she might find the kind of connection she didn’t even know she needed. This tender, insightful novel explores how the friendships we welcome later in life can be just as transformative as the ones we’ve always known.