This is a book that I might have passed on if it hadn’t been for the thoughtful card from the author included in my pitch request.
I have been reading a ton of women’s fiction lately and while so many of them are good, there are some that are just ok. And as I have been reading so many lately, I am trying to be a little more selective.
This book arrived with the coolest welcome package ever, a makeup bag full of chocolates (and not the cheap kind either!), a fun bracelet, the book (dah!), and a hand written note for Jane Green herself!
I appreciate little things like that and the effort that authors or publishers go to to make a personal connection with their readers. And it wasn’t just a ‘hey thanks for reading this book’ generic note, it was a personalized note made out to me with thoughtful words of thanks.
So hell yes I will read this book. If an author and publisher took the time to think of me to read their book, I am going to do whatever I can to fit that book into my schedule for reviews.
Summary
Evvie, Maggie, and Topher have known one another since college. Their friendship was something they swore would last forever. Now years have passed, the friends have drifted apart, and they never found the lives they wanted–the lives they dreamed of when they were young and everything seemed possible.
Evvie starved herself to become a supermodel but derailed her career by sleeping with a married man.
Maggie married Ben, the boy she fell in love with in college, never imagining the heartbreak his drinking would cause.
Topher became a successful actor, but the shame of a childhood secret shut him off from real intimacy.
By their thirtieth reunion, these old friends have lost touch with one another and with the people they dreamed of becoming. Together again, they have a second chance at happiness . . . until a dark secret is revealed that changes everything.
The Friends We Keep is about how despite disappointments we’ve had or mistakes we’ve made, it’s never too late to find a place to call home (summary from Goodreads).
Review
One of the things that stood out to me about this book, even before I read it, was the relatability of the plot. In my early twenties, I had no idea how the choices I made would ultimately shape my future. I mean I was aware of that fact, but lacked the maturity and experience to understand how impactful my decisions were. I loved the summary of this book and premise even before I read it. The scope of time and cause/effect in the plot sounded so intriguing and something so many of us can identify with.
This one had a lot of emotion wrapped up in its pages. While sometimes I felt like there was a lot going on when it came to issues the characters had to tackle (drugs, alcohol, infidelity….the list goes on), I still felt like the message of the book was important. Your mistakes don’t define who you are as a person, was the major theme of this book, except the characters all struggled with difficult themes which at times was an emotional roller coaster. I think it might have been a little easier if there was only one or two major struggles rather than so many things to work through.
Jane Green is a well known author in the women’s fiction genre and though I haven’t read any of her books before, I have definitely seen her books on the shelves. Her experience in this genre is evident and she writes strong, interesting characters and plot arcs with ease. In this book, while there wasn’t necessarily a lot of ‘action’ moving things along, I felt comfortable traversing the story with interest and read it easily in a couple of sittings.
Some reviews I read about this book were mixed, I personally enjoyed it and found it filled my afternoons with something fun to read and reflect on. I loved the secrets and betrayals and all the juicy bits. As this is my first experience with Green’s novels, I would say that I would gladly read some of her others.
Book Info and Rating
WHERE TO BUY (AFFILIATE LINKS)
The Lit Bitch 