Your Preview Verdict: Your Friend and Mine by Jessica Dettmann

Buy a copy of Your Friend and Mine here.

Read some great reviews from our Preview readers here:

Sometimes, you just read the right book, at the right time! ‘Your friend and mine’ was the exact book I needed right now! I was left feeling like a little piece of me was lighter. It was funny, heartwarming and thought provoking all at the same time. Highly recommend. Susan, WA, 5 stars

Your Friend and Mine has one of the most intriguing openings I’ve read for a while. It immediately grabbed my attention and I stayed hooked throughout this fabulously relatable read. When Margot receives an email from her best friend Tess who has been dead for twenty years, it’s a bit of a shock. However, when she gets the chance to travel to London, a trip that her and Tess never had the chance to do, it’s the catalyst for Margot to reassess her life and whether its all that she had dreamed. This book is exactly the kind of story I love to read. A woman in her forties, taking time away from the everyday and heading to the other side of the world solo. Your Friend and Mine is a thoroughly unique take on the midlife journey of self discovery. I also loved the addition of the letters from Tess, with Margot learning things about her friend that she never suspected. Your Friend and Mine explores themes of friendship and what it means to be a true friend. It’s an incredibly emotional read with moments of humour and joy sprinkled throughout. Brooke, VIC, 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading Your Friend and Mine by Jessica Dettmann. The story focuses on Margot and her friend Tess who died 20 years ago and send Margot and her friend Leo on a journey from the grave. I loved the little messages sent to reflect on and the journey of discovery for Margot and Leo. At times it seems far fetched but that’s what I love about books is the chance to lose ourselves on others stories. Your friend and Mine is this type of book…heart warming and reflective a great read. Sally, NSW, 5 stars

Margot receives an email containing a message from her friend Tess who died 20 years ago. Tess has arranged for Margot to go to London, a trip they’d always planned to do together. Once there Margot receives letters and instructions that Tess had left with her lawyer. What follows is an interesting and emotional story which makes the reader think about the plans we make when young adults, following our dreams, etc. I loved this book! Denise, QLD, 5 stars

Jessica’s books are all brilliant and this one is just as good. The premise of the story was really interesting and I was hooked from the start. Jack, QLD, 5 stars

A really engaging storyline, heartfelt about love life and loss with lots of adventure and fun travels along the way, relatable with families involved and keeps you page turning to see what Margot is requested to do next, well written, descriptive locations feels like your on the journey with them. Julie, NSW, 5 stars

Jessica Dettman’s Your Friend and Mine takes us on a scavenger hunt tour around London directed by Margot’s long dead best friend Tess. Along the way Margot discovers a lot not only about Tess, but her own life and relationships. Both heart wrenching and heart warming, desperately sad and hilarious, it is a fascinating reflection on life, chance and relationships of all kinds. Plenty of great characters fill the pages, my favourite being Margot’s son Augie. I thoroughly enjoyed the armchair travelogue of London and its juxtaposition on the familiar Australian scenes. I would highly recommend Your Friend and Mine to anyone who enjoys quality Australian fiction. Imogen, VIC, 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book it was easy to read and had a thought provoking storyline that I felt didn’t end how you would expect. It was nice to read a story about 40 year olds that had some life experience. I enjoyed it and would read the authors other stories. Taryn, SA, 5 stars

This is such a heartwarming story that reminds us life is messy, grief is complicated and friendship is everything. I could not put this book down and it is definitely one of my favourites! Jenny, VIC, 5 stars

After a blast from the past we are taken across the world, time zones and fractured relationships for a sliding doors moment of what could have been. It gives you pause to think of the decisions you make when young and how they shape your life. Tess throws challenging questions at her friends without the knowledge of how they have lived the past 2 decades and hits a few nerves Margot reflects on all she has left behind and returns to Sydney to uncover an uncomfortable truth. Tina, QLD, 5 stars

I enjoyed this book. The story line is different and curious but it works and kept my interest all the way through. Margo lives in Sydney and runs a restaurant with her partner Johnny, they have one son Augie. Out of the blue Margo receives an email from her friend Tess. But Tess has been dead 20 years! She remembers the time she spent with Tess over 20 years ago and was really sad when she died of cancer 20 years ago. Tess’s solicitor had sent the email as in Tess’s will she had left money and letters for Margo to enable her to go to England on a trip they had planned doing over 20 years ago. She was to meet Leo, Tess’s childhood friend and the 2 of them were to carry out Tess’s last wishes. This novel is like 2 stories one of Margo’s life and one of Tess’s life. Can choosing the path not taken in the past deliver the answers you need in the future. Read this story and find out and you will enjoy a book that has wisdom warmth and is witty. Lyndsay, QLD, 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from the very first page, it gripped me until the very end, I read it in two days. I loved the premise of this book, how Tess, after twenty years dead, sent her friends Margot and Leo an email and on a journey to scatter her ashes but with some stipulations. These stipulations captured my imagination and took them around London, doing a trip that Tess and Margot wanted to do twenty years ago. (also lots of memories of when I lived in London too) This book is definitely a 5 star read, and I thoroughly recommend to everyone. Dorothy, VIC, 5 stars

One page in and I knew I was going to love this book and I wasn’t disappointed. I really felt like I was there in England with Margot and Leo on their adventures, some quirky and humorous which had me laughing out loud, others that saddened me and brought me to tears. This is a valuable reminder that if we’re not careful, one day we’ll wake up to realise we’re not so young anymore and that our youthful hopes and dreams have never eventuated. Margot proved that it’s never too late to turn things around. Thoroughly recommend. Deanne, VIC, 5 stars

Upon beginning this book I was hooked, an engaging storyline set in London and surrounds. Margot sent on an adventure with Leo through letters left behind from her good friend Tess. Hard to put down, heartfelt, you really absorb into the read. I really recommend, you really feel a part of the story line, loved it! Julie, NSW, 5 stars

Jessica Dettmann’s Your Friend and Mine is an engaging and refreshing read that effortlessly balances humour, depth, and heart. The novel’s well-crafted characters bring the story to life, making it easy to connect with their journeys. The writing flows smoothly, making for an enjoyable and accessible read. One of the book’s strongest qualities is its originality—Dettmann weaves a storyline that feels fresh and unpredictable. Just when you think you know where it’s headed, unexpected twists keep you hooked, leading to a conclusion that defies expectations. This element of surprise adds to the book’s appeal, making it more than just a lighthearted read. Overall, Your Friend and Mine is a delightful novel that offers both entertainment and insight. With its unique narrative, memorable characters, and surprising turns, it’s a book worth picking up. Sharon, QLD, 5 stars

Love how quickly the relationship between Tess and Margot bloomed and the impact it had long term. Such a beautiful concept for a book and mighty easy to read! It’s a great lesson in how well we know the ones we love… There are always things to discover! Melissa, QLD, 4 stars

One moment this story was making me laugh and the next it left me with tears in my eyes. What a heartfelt journey we were taken on. I loved the ending – it had the potential to end in a dramatic way with huge impacts to their lives, but this wasn’t the case and it was just kept very real, which was so refreshing. This is the first book that I have read by this author and it won’t be my last. Nikki, SA, 4 stars

I absolutely loved this book. What a great concept of getting letters from 20 years in the past and having to challenge your current life with how you thought things might have worked out. I loved the relationship between Leo and Margot and how they really grew together through completing the tasks that Tess had given them. This book was heart warming and really makes you think back on your own life and the choices that you have made along the way. This is not my first Jessica Dettmann book and it certainly won’t be my last. I look forward to seeing what comes next. Rebecca, ACT, 4 stars

An enjoyable read with humour, grief and midlife crisis. The story is a believable novel which has a series of posthumous messages for Margot to follow. The European adventure she now takes is one that she was meant to embark on 20 plus years ago with her friend who died 20 years ago. Margot confronts her past and the life choices she has made and eventually comes to terms with the life she chose. I would recommend this novel. Helen, TAS, 4 stars

I loved the concept for this novel- if you really knew what your best friend thought of your life choices, would you change them? Or be too busy being offended to explore their view? This book gives Margot that chance to review her life, through her deceased best friends’ lens. I also would have been touched and felt very special to have received an email from a ‘deceased’ friend on the 20th anniversary of their death- how lovely to have been so important to someone that they wanted to send you on a self discovery adventure to see what might have been! Along the way, as well as examining her own life, and learning more and more about Tess, Margot gains the strength to realistically decide if her life is the one she wanted. It turns out that yes, it is, it just needed some tweaking to ensure she didn’t totally lose herself. And Margot’s view of things was skewered by her fear of never quite measuring up, but Tess was wise enough to see that she truly was one of the special people, as was her step brother Leo. Insightful, imaginative, fun. Kathy, VIC, 4 stars

I loved the way Tess wrote letters to lure Margot to London and got Leo involved. Still meddling . The tasks were hilarious and quite funny. The ending took me by surprise, I found the book funny, sad and exciting all at the same time. I love a happy ending. Also the description of London and its history made the book extremely interesting to read. I loved the way the words in the book described their travelling adventures, the language used was easy to read and follow. I liked reading the book and will pass on the my friends to read as well. Irene, NSW, 4 stars

Your Friend and Mine is the story of friendship, love and reflection on life. Margot is a mum and the manager of a fairly successful restaurant when she’s goes to London to fulfil deathbed requests from Tess who died 20 years ago. Tess is the exciting, spontaneous friend who literally, sadly, never grew up. Through letters from Tess, Margot meets Tess’s friend, Leo, and they reflect on life and love, find out more about their madcap friend who died too early and see a bit of London. I thought the story was going to try-to-be-clever, but be predictable. I’m glad it wasn’t that predictable but had that great resolution that feels inevitable. It’s a comfort story that relies heavily on compelling characters and your interest, generally, in questions of relationships, both romantic and friendships. Margot, Tess and Leo all have problems with relationships and think about how they might do better. I questioned some of the ideas here (such as whether revenge is the best way to deal with a situation) but ultimately it was a good story for thinking about how to deal with the decisions you make with your life. Rebecca, NSW, 4 stars

A story of old and new friendships, discovering secrets from long ago and embarking on an adventure of a lifetime. A story that makes you question your life and if you are living your best life or just getting by. Raelene, QLD, 4 stars

A nostalgic look at lifelong friendships from an astute judge of character that has since passed. Tess relives tales of the past and hopes for the future for her 2 best friends in letter form the she penned before her passing. The reader gets an understanding of both Margot’s and Leo’s “sliding doors” moments in life and how Tess just wanted the best life possible for both of her cherished friends. A story of friendship, love, history and what may have been. Julie, QLD, 3 stars

Twenty years ago Margot from Sydney and Tess from London were best friends and a trip back to Europe was planned. But Margot fell in love with Johnny, opened a restaurant, and had a baby and never made it to London. Tess died from ovarian cancer. When Margot receives an email from Tess twenty years after her death with an all expenses paid trip to London to have the trip they never had together, Margot accepts with stipulations that the tasks must be done with Tess’s childhood friend, Leo. Margot takes a look at her life now and who she has become. Jessica Dettmann’s novel was intriguing, awkward, sometimes fun but very puzzling and questioning why and what next in the plot. The characters were made to do some very strange, different and unusual things that were at times surprising and a shock when reading the novel. A lot of Jessica Dettmanns plot and the dialogue of the characters was not needed for the storyline. The novel was bizarre, strange and weird. It was very different to any other novel with heartwarming bits but also some very awkward parts. Overall, the novel was okay to read. Arrisarne, VIC, 3 stars

People talk of having close friends that they don’t get to see due to distance. This novel takes that concept to the extreme. Margot receiving a letter from her long deceased best friend starts a journey sparking memories, emotions and secrets that can be hard to shoulder so long after the fact. This journey also separates her short term from her partner and son, which creates its own problems for both Margot and her partner. But when you spend day in and day out with someone, no matter how much you love them, a little break is good, right? This novel will challenge beliefs on friendships and how much a friend should share their thoughts both on your life and your life choices. Would you listen to advice from a long-lost friend, or trust that you and you alone know what is best for how you choose to live your life? Jessica Dettmann certainly gets you to think while reading to the point that you may start placing your own thoughts and memories into Margots life, or hers into yours. Suzanne, VIC, 3 stars

This book is not in a genre that I usually read, so definitely something different for me. I wasn’t particularly hooked from the start, and I think that since I am not in the age group of the characters, it loses the relatability it could have had. Overall, I think that I was not quite the correct target audience for this book, so it wasn’t quite the right book for me. Jemma, SA, 2 stars

Buy a copy of Your Friend and Mine here.