Have you ever let your ambition, your busyness, and your quest to reach your goals gradually fill up your life and not leave room for friends, faith, fun, and laughter? I'll Bring the Chocolate: Satisfying a Woman's Craving for Friendship and Faith by Karen Porter is a wake-up call for every woman who's forgotten the sweetness and strength found in deep friendships with other women.

Karen was a busy and ultra-successful executive who admits that she "swapped the need for friendship with the allure of accomplishment...I didn't mind stepping on others to climb the ladder of success." After a while, she discovered that work is no substitute for the beauty and nourishment of friendship, and she decided to seek out new friends as well as repair the damage done to existing friendships using a hard-earned collection of nine important ways to survive life's difficulties and enjoy its pleasures...with friends.

I love the chapter formats in I'll Bring the Chocolate--each starts with a little story from Karen's life, then folds in layers of biblical principles and wise morsels of advice, then finishes with discussion questions, a prayer, and a luscious chocolate recipe. A chocolate theme holds everything together, and as I read I was thinking what a wonderful book this would be for a women's group study, complete with a chocolate dessert at each meeting! Some of my very favorite stories included the Ugly Cake, the Chocolate Truffle friend (best one in the box!), and the Rescued Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise.

But most of all, I love Karen's transparency, humility, and willingness to unwrap her own shortcomings on her journey to learning how to be a good friend. I learned so much and identified with so many of the stories...and yet they are shared with love and empathy. A delicious book, and well worth reading more than once.