Bad Friend - by Michelle Elman (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

'So many people need this book' HOLLY BOURNE
'Insightful, wise, compassionate'LOUISE O'NEILL
'This book is your new best friend' SOFIE HAGEN
'Truly game-changing. A book we should ALL read' LOUISE PENTLAND

Society's message is loud and clear: romantic relationships matter more than friendship. But when we have an average of twenty-nine platonic relationships in our lifetime, compared to just seven-to-ten romantic relationships, why is the conversation on love far greater than friendship? Life coach and broadcaster Michelle Elman is determined to fix this.

If the conversation on friendship is quiet, the one on friendship break-ups is non-existent. This is despite research showing that only six friendships stand the test of time, which means that the average person experiences the ending of twenty-three friendships. As someone who has gone through a dozen of them, Michelle began to think she was a Bad Friend.

Have one too many friendship break-ups and people start questioning what's wrong with you. But what if you aren't the problem? What if the problem is how we think about friendship break-ups?

Introducing Bad Friend, a ground-breaking masterclass in friendship that makes space for every conversation you have never been allowed to have. Bad Friend will make you question everything you've been taught about friendships, and removes the stigma from friendship break-ups. This is for you if you've ever been hurt by a friend and, most importantly, reassures you that you're categorically not a bad friend.

'It's time for a new narrative around platonic love. I can think of no better person than Michelle to show us the way' MEGAN JAYNE CRABBE

'Female friendships can be core of a healthy, happy, fulfilled life. Their complexities are so often overlooked, but not anymore. Michelle Elman has perfectly summarised their complicated importance. Bravo' ANNA WHITEHOUSE

'The world would be a much better place if every woman read Bad Friend and learned to communicate as clearly and directly as Michelle teaches us to. A game-changer which made me feel a million times better about friendships that have gone wrong in the past, while arming me with the tools I need for the future' ELLIE MIDDLETON

'The guide to friendship breakups we all so desperately need. We've needed this book for years - I'm so happy it finally exists!' SOFIE HAGEN

'This book is a must-read for anyone who's ever questioned a friendship, felt the sting of outgrowing someone, or wondered how to be a better friend themselves' SHIVANI PAU

'This is a long overdue conversation about friendship: the joys, the break ups, the frustrations, and the tricky points of conflict that we all navigate over the course of time' ABIGAIL MANN

'Michelle's writing is my emergency contact - I always come away with pluck in my step and a plan of action' LEENA NORMS

'Michelle's ability to share her wisdom with wit, honesty, and heart - whilst tackling subjects often untouched - is a testament to her generosity and fearless spirit. With a wicked sense of humour, confidence and an uncanny ability to connect with people at every level, Michelle is truly one of a kind' MICHELLE ZELLI

'Michelle is the queen of boundaries' KATIE PIPER

'One of the 50 most influential women in the UK' THE SUN

Review Quotes

Insightful, wise, compassionate. This book is going to help so many people

--Louise O'Neill

Friendship breakups are so painful and so many people need this book. Our broken platonic hearts are in such safe hands with Michelle's expert advice and insight--Holly Bourne

Michelle's ability to share her wisdom with wit, honesty, and heart - whilst tackling subjects often untouched - is a testament to her generosity and fearless spirit. With a wicked sense of humour, confidence and an uncanny ability to connect with people at every level, Michelle is truly one of a kind--Michelle Zelli

Michelle's writing is my emergency contact - I always come away with pluck in my step and a plan of action--Lenna Norms

The world would be a much better place if every woman read Bad Friend and learned to communicate as clearly and directly as Michelle teaches us to. A game-changer which made me feel a million times better about friendships that have gone wrong in the past, while arming me with the tools I need for the future--Ellie Middleton

This book is a must-read for anyone who's ever questioned a friendship, felt the sting of outgrowing someone, or wondered how to be a better friend themselves--Shivani Pau

This is a long overdue conversation about friendship: the joys, the break ups, the frustrations, and the tricky points of conflict that we all navigate over the course of time--Abigail Mann

This is a truly game-changing book highlighting the importance and complexities of female friendships. It's a brilliantly researched book, and a book we should ALL read--Louise Pentland

Female friendships can be core of a healthy, happy, fulfilled life. Their complexities are so often overlooked, but not anymore. Michelle Elman has perfectly summarised their complicated importance. Bravo--Anna Whitehouse

It's time for a new narrative around platonic love, and to heal from the wounds those heartbreaks have left. I can think of no better person than Michelle - who loves deeply, heals phenomenally and is truly a great friend - to show us the way--Megan Jayne Crabbe

Michelle is the queen of boundaries--Katie Piper

This book is your new best friend. The guide to friendship breakups we all so desperately need. An incredible, no-bullshit, kind and warm guide to navigating the difficulty of friendships ending. We've needed this book for years - I'm so happy it finally exists!--Sofie Hagen

About the Author

Michelle Elman, also known as the 'Queen of Boundaries', is a life coach, author, broadcaster and public speaker. Michelle is often praised for her straight-talking approach and has appeared on ITV daytime show, This Morning as their resident life coach. Along with her three bestselling books, Am I Ugly? (2018), The Joy of Being Selfish (2021) and The Selfish Romantic (2023), Michelle's debut children's book, How To Say No (2023), sparked a crucial conversation for teens about boundaries. Michelle's popularity continues to grow with her books being sold in 16 countries and amassing an online following of over 250k on Instagram and 200k on TikTok. A firm media favourite and core industry spokesperson, Michelle is celebrated by the likes of Glamour, Stylist and Grazia, with Cosmopolitan naming The Joy of Being Selfish as one of the best books to read on mental health.