I've been a fan of Jane Green's writing for a long time. Her books have evolved and changed over the years, but they still carry her essence. With The Friends We Keep, I felt transported back to the days of her earlier novels, such as Bookends and To Have and To Hold.

The Friends We Keep was a sweet story about friendship. I loved all three main characters and wanted to see good things happen for them. I worried when something went astray in their lives. Jane brings up the concept that life doesn't always go according to plan and it can be messy sometimes. Things weren't perfect for Maggie, Evvie, or Topher and I was interested in seeing how they'd handle the twists and turns that their lives had taken.

It was funny that Weston-super-Mare was mentioned because I had recently first heard about this town through watching 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days.

My only concern was that the main conflict came in too late and then the resolution felt rushed, as a result. However, there were other conflicts leading up to it, so I can understand waiting a bit.

Overall, this was an excellent story and I already can't wait to see what Jane comes up with next!

Movie (or perhaps TV series) casting ideas:
Evvie (college/20's): Rachel Hilson
Evvie (30-50): Zoe Saldana
Maggie (college/20's): Lucy Boynton
Maggie (30-50): Kelly Reilly
Topher (college/20's): Charlie Rowe
Topher (30-50): Tom Ellis
Ben (30-50): Scott Speedman
Lance: Clive Owen
Benedict: Christoph Waltz

Before I start with my New book Review , I would like to thank @PRHGlobal @prhinternational for Providing me with a free E-galley copy of this book for my Honest Review . Thanks a lot for giving me the opportunity to read this novel .

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"Until she started accepting herself exactly as she was, she would never be at peace"
Book : The friends we keep.

Author : Jane Green.

Genre : Fiction , Contemporary .

Rate : 5/5.

Review In one word : Heartwarming .

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An incredible tale about Friendship , forgiveness , struggles , love and humanity .  My First Jane Green Novel and definitely NOT my last . Green wrote a book that makes you live through multiple characters , feel all the feelings , cry , smile , love , hate and regret . A masterpiece and one of my 2019-favorite Books .

When I started reading this book , I wasn't expecting to love it that much , but ended up completely attached to the characters , in love with their friendship and heartbroken for their struggles . 

The novel talked about  a lot of characters lives ( as in my opinion it was Character -driven) in an amazing and satisfying way , usually when I read books that discuss multiple characters , authors leave a lot of details that I really want and need to know. Not Jane Green, she answered all my questions about them . 

I loved how we go through their lives phase by phase , how their friendship and relations develop step by step , It was realistic , heartwarming  and so beautiful to read about .

The writing style was really good , descriptive , funny , heartbreaking and addictive .

The novel was really engaging , talked about very important topics , Self-esteem , addiction and Forgiveness .

GO . READ . IT . PLEASE . Won't say anything more  . :)

Starting in 1986, three friends who vowed to keep in touch over the years. Like many promises this one fell through. There are many changes in their lives and things are not always what they seem. Now they are meeting for their 30th reunion. Can these 50 year olds find the friendship they once had to overcome today's problems. A good read with some insight into renewing ideas and dreams of the past. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! This book centers on three friends that meet in university and follows them throughout the years. I liked the way the book went back and forth between the different points of view. I felt like you really got to know each character. Very engaging, I just had to keep reading to find out what happens next!

Evvie, Maggie, and Topher have known each other since university. Their friendship was something they swore would last forever. Now years have passed, the friends have drifted apart, and none of them ever found the lives they wanted – the lives they dreamed of when they were young and everything seemed possible. Evvie's supermodel career that started off promising has been derailed, Maggie's seemingly perfect marriage is anything but, and Topher is a successful actor living with a secret that is making his chance at love harder than he imagined. By their thirtieth reunion, these old friends have lost touch with each other 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. review: Jane Green has always had a way with words and her newest book reminds me just how well she brings her readers into the story. From the very beginning I felt like all three were my friends and I was sharing in their triumphs and disappointments. I really appreciated that each character was flawed and were each battling their own demons. It felt very real to me as everyone is always dealing with something and sometimes it's hard to come to terms with those things. This book is a testament to how strong love, family, and friendship is - even when the going gets rough. A great read and incredibly engaging - you'll definitely want to pick up this one for summer! rating: 4.5 out of 5 ⭐️

The Friends We Keep starts out with Evivie, Maggie and Topher meeting at university and becoming fast friends. That is were they first meet Evil Ben. Upon graduation, they all go their separate ways. As they are all working on their careers and start to lose touch with each other, Evil Ben makes an appearance again. Maggie ends up marrying Ben and gives up her career. While in New York, Evvie is a successful model and Topher is a soap opera star. They all come together again for Maggie's wedding. Once again, they go their separate ways.

Now it's their 30th reunion and they decide to go. They all realized they have some deep dark secrets and they end up coming out. Will their friendship be able to survey after such betrayal? The Friends We Keep is a great story about true friendship, the good, bad and ugly.

http://www.seasidebooknook.com/2019/06/the-friends-we-keep.html

The Friends We Keep is a novel about friendships that span over time and how you can still stay connected to each other after major life events, betrayals and many years apart. I really enjoyed the first half of this book Evvie, Maggie and Topher meet at University in England and become close friends. The novel then spans the course of 30 years and follows each character in their personal lives and sometimes connecting them to each other.
I enjoyed the chapters about each character individually. The three friends had such different paths they went down and that was interesting. However, when they reconnected everything seemed forced and not quite believable. It was as if everything fell into place exactly how it should and at an impossible speed, Every bad thing that could happen to someone in a lifetime happened between all of them. Alcoholism, abortion, affairs, plagiarism, death from aids, depression, body image issues, abuse, etc. After awhile it was just a little overwhelming to have all that packed together.
The first 3/4 of the novel was much more enjoyable for me then the end but It still held my attention and I would recommend this to people looking for an entertaining summer read.

Let me start by saying, I am a Jane Green fan and even though I didn't completely love this one, I am still a Jane Green fan. Three friends are at the center of this book and they meet in university and then travel in and out of each other's lives for the rest of their lives.

This book was just ok for me. There were moments where I felt like the story dragged and then moments where I wanted more. I didn't get completely swept away by any of the characters. Each had a bit of drama that they needed to work through and unlike my favorite stories they almost had to be apart to grow instead of be together, they were holding each other back.

I wanted more from this book. I love stories where friendship is the center, but for me the drama overshadowed the emphasis on how friendships matter and most of the drama was about romantic relationships.

I will always read Jane Green because I love almost all of her backlist. I hope she has more up her sleeve with interesting characters that I can root for.

It just wouldn’t be a Satellite Sisters Best Beach Bag Books List without a Jane Green title. Her writing is seamless and her storytelling skills are in a league of their own. Jane transports the reader to aspirational destinations. Her latest book is no exception as we follow the characters from Uni days to post collegiate glamour in New York and London and then back to the countryside. The Friends We Keep follows three college friends over the course of three decades and the days when the perfect friendships devolve into complicated interpersonal relationships– just like real life. Headed to a college reunion this year? Looking to forgive a pal for the unforgivable? Wondering why some friend stick for a lifetime while other’s drift away? Then pick up The Friends We Keep for inspiration.

It's summer reading time and nothing screams summer more than the arrival of a new Jane Green novel. This time, we're blessed with THE FRIENDS WE KEEP (Berkley). Before even getting into the book, let's talk about Jane. I got to participate on one of her live Facebook chats. First of all, she was wearing absolutely fabulous yellow earrings. They were huge and seriously, only Jane could wear them. I also found out we have the same favorite author, AM HOMES. I didn't tell her I've met her at three book signings at the sound of be a braggard. Jane kept referring to her husband who was out of site. I know I'm not the only one who was hoping he might make a cameo! Her home looked warm and inviting and I enjoyed sharing a bit of spirits with her.

In THE FRIENDS WE KEEP, Evvie, Maggie, and Topher have known one another since college. Their friendship was something they swore would last forever. Now, years have passed, they've drifted apart and have never found the lives they dreamed of when they were young and full of possibilities.

At there 13th college reunion, they get together realizing what they lost and determined to recreate the magic. 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.

Whenever I read one of Jane's novels I pause and take a look at my own life, mainly the relationships I have with my sisters. But after reading THE FRIENDS WE KEEP I realized how I long for some of my friends that I knew for many years. We move on with our lives, families and careers and just forget some of the people who really mean a lot to us and have a place in our hearts. I plan on writing at least one letter a week to catch up with an old friend, telling them they must read THE FRIENDS WE KEEP.

Friendship, forgiveness, and finding your way in life. In Jane Green’s The Friends We Keep, three best friends are followed over decades, as they lose touch and come back together. This is a story of how best friends are still there for each other, even when they lose their way. This is the kind of book that made its way into my heart, and I won’t soon forget.

A book friend said that this story felt like it was told directly to her. I loved that description, and I instantly knew what she meant. The way Jane Green writes makes you feel like the characters are your friends and loved ones. My heart broke with theirs when they lost their way. My heart swelled when their friendships saved them in their loneliest times. What a credit to the way Green writes, to make readers feel that this story is personal for them.

And the things the characters go through—I’ll say that I think most of us will have experienced at least one theme themselves, if not knowing others who did. I did this as a buddy read with Berit and we discussed how we connected personally with these characters. How would we react in their spot? It was such a great friendship-building moment for Berit and I, and I think this is perfect to read with a book buddy or book club!

The story spans decades, and that is also one of the things that makes this unputdownable. Beginning at university the three friends meet. Evvie is so alone—a famous, beautiful actress but not someone with close friends or family. Her cat-loving, uptight roommate just seems a bit off fit-wise, but when she meets vibrant and fun-loving Maggie the same day, they quickly swap rooms and find themselves to be instant best friends. Soon after, they meet and love Topher, a seemingly asexual male who shies away from physical touch, but is a truly outstanding friend.

As the friends grow up through university, I connected with them so much. Their whole lives are ahead of them, and it's hard for them to imagine life ever not being them living with their best friends. And then they transition to adulthood. Each on their own path, we see their lives unfold. They find love. They get their hearts broken. They lose touch. And eventually, they find each other again.

And when they come together, telling each other the truth about where they’ve come—that seems to be so hard. Sometimes I do think we have the hardest time being honest with those we love the most., and Jane Green really plays with that theme here. `

My heart is so connected to these characters. I miss them, but I also felt that their stories are so satisfying. I want more but I also don’t feel like I missed anything. Truly a beautiful book, and I’m excited to share it!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.

I just finished THE FRIENDS WE KEEP by Jane Green. What a perfect novel for womens fiction day and best friends day!

THE FRIENDS WE KEEP is a story of friendship that spans 3 decades. From London to New York and back again. From first days at university to adulthood.

There's Evvie- a jamican childhood actress who is constantly searching for love and a feeling of belonging. She is beautiful but struggles with her weight and self worth

There's Maggie. A stunning redhead who is the maternal one of the bunch. She is the glue of the group. She puts on a smile and presents a perfect facade but inside she struggles.

There's Topher a handsome, funny man who is always searching for his identity- sexual and otherwise. When childhood secrets reveal more than what he is ready for when he achieves stardom he turns to the 2 people he always felt were home

Best friends who saw one another through it all but lose touch due to the man at the center of it all..Ben. Ben who was the hero to all at one point, an unattainable man to evvie and the object of Maggie's affection and eventually her husband.

All friends are separated and reunited. Theres a cute bedlington terrier Scout who connects them and the fact that some friendships do survive it all.

Loved this novel, cried and laughed. Jane Green's best since Jemima J

Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley, and Jane Green for the opportunity to read and review her latest novel - thoroughly enjoyed this book of friendship through the years.

Told in 3 different time periods - The Beginning, The In-Between Years, and Present Day - the book follows 3 best friends - Evvie, Maggie and Topher - as they meet at university and come back together for their 30-year reunion. Each of them struggles with their own secrets that they hide from each other and which prevent the close bond they swore would never end back in school. At their reunion, they have a chance to restart their friendship when one of those secrets threatens it all.

I enjoyed immersing myself in these characters and their lives. A story of friendship, secrets and second chances. Great read!

The Friends We Keep is about friendship, specifically the friendship between Maggie, Evvie and Topher over the course of 30 years. I loved the idea of following a college friendship through its initial beginnings and then through the years as the friends separate and go their individual ways. This book started with a lot of promise.

Unfortunately, as the book continued and the friends grew up, I just had a really hard time staying invested in all three stories. It was very long and a bit boring by the end. I don't think the plot was strong enough to sustain this story for so many pages...I just kept waiting for something more to happen!

So this just wasn't the right book for me, though I really did like the concept and appreciated reading about a strong friendship that stood the test of time. Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The three friends, who met in college, have withstood time. They’ve each moved on, led separate lives, and have now come back together. While keeping in touch with each other throughout the years, they kept secrets from each other. After 30 years, they are back together and reliving their lives.

The style of writing in this book is perfect. I love that it starts with a short blurb about the present and then it goes back and starts with Evvie, Maggie, and Topher meeting and moves forward from there. Knowing their past, their history helps to better understand the present. I love how open, accepting, and understanding they are of each other. They accept each other’s quirks, they are open to each other’s lifestyle choices, and they love each other entirely. Their relationships are the type that is made to last miles apart, changes in lifestyles, and forever.

Everything about Jane Green’s book is wonderful. She writes a story that pulled me in, kept me turning pages, and left me wondering what was next for these three. I recommend picking up your own copy and enjoying these engaging characters.

‘Who do we have if we don’t have each other?’

The Friends We Keep by Jane Green is an epic story of life and a friendship cemented at University between three friends from different walks of life. We met Maggie, a sweet and naïve middle-class girl, Evvie an immigrant English-American former child actress and Topher an adorable American asexual lad. The friendship these three forge felt real and relatable. Each had their own story, hang-ups and dreams. The tone of their story is quite melancholy and overwhelmingly sad at times. The issues dealt with are real life but perhaps there were just too many to truly feel the ray of light threaded through them? Despite this, the story was compelling.

‘Until she started accepting herself exactly as she was, she would never be at peace.’

The timeline jumps from the 1980’s to 2019 ensuring the reader gets snapshots from the important moments of Maggie, Evvie and Topher’s lives and their friendship, told in each characters pov. Whilst this ensured a reader connection with all three, it also in a way impacted how deep that connection ran, as despite being a lengthy book it didn’t delve into specifics. We learnt of how, but not enough of the why, except perhaps in Topher’s case. His character is the one where the deepest connection was felt. All three characters had a story to tell which was entwined in this tree leafed clover of friendship.

“We all make mistakes…”

The angst level is extreme, the subjects covered heart-breaking and realistic. Tragedy, secrets and betrayals are rife, as a strong friendship is threatened by life, actions and personal emotions. The Friends We Keep goes full circle from University days till the characters are in their fifties. It shines a light on the fact that friends are the family you chose and that these bonds can be stronger than blood. The Friends We Keep is set in both the US and UK through the years which served as a character in its own right and we loved that aspect.

‘This wasn’t high school; you couldn’t claim someone who didn’t want you, nor could you get upset with a friend for being with someone…’

We’ve been avid readers of Jane Green for many years, her writing is flawless, her stories addictive and at times compelling. Whilst we found this story hard going at times due to an almost oppressive mood, we could not put it down. Our own reading mood was perhaps an impediment here, yet there was no way we could not see how it all ended for Maggie, Evvie and Topher and we’re so thankful we went the full distance with these flawed characters, whom we ended up falling in love with. This is a story of life and everything it can possibly throw at you. It’s a story of finding the people who make the dark days better when you feel as if you have nothing else, no one else. When loneliness’ creeps in and you need that understanding comfort. A story of friendship through the ages.

“You’re going to be better than okay. We’re all going to be better than okay. We’re all going to be great. This is our second act, and it’s time. And even if we end up not being great, at least we’ll all be together.”

‘Who do we have if we don’t have each other?’

The Friends We Keep by Jane Green is an epic story of life and a friendship cemented at University between three friends from different walks of life. We met Maggie, a sweet and naïve middle-class girl, Evvie an immigrant English-American former child actress and Topher an adorable American asexual lad. The friendship these three forge felt real and relatable. Each had their own story, hang-ups and dreams. The tone of their story is quite melancholy and overwhelmingly sad at times. The issues dealt with are real life but perhaps there were just too many to truly feel the ray of light threaded through them? Despite this, the story was compelling.

‘Until she started accepting herself exactly as she was, she would never be at peace.’

The timeline jumps from the 1980’s to 2019 ensuring the reader gets snapshots from the important moments of Maggie, Evvie and Topher’s lives and their friendship, told in each characters pov. Whilst this ensured a reader connection with all three, it also in a way impacted how deep that connection ran, as despite being a lengthy book it didn’t delve into specifics. We learnt of how, but not enough of the why, except perhaps in Topher’s case. His character is the one where the deepest connection was felt. All three characters had a story to tell which was entwined in this tree leafed clover of friendship.

“We all make mistakes…”

The angst level is extreme, the subjects covered heart-breaking and realistic. Tragedy, secrets and betrayals are rife, as a strong friendship is threatened by life, actions and personal emotions. The Friends We Keep goes full circle from University days till the characters are in their fifties. It shines a light on the fact that friends are the family you chose and that these bonds can be stronger than blood. The Friends We Keep is set in both the US and UK through the years which served as a character in its own right and we loved that aspect.

‘This wasn’t high school; you couldn’t claim someone who didn’t want you, nor could you get upset with a friend for being with someone…’

We’ve been avid readers of Jane Green for many years, her writing is flawless, her stories addictive and at times compelling. Whilst we found this story hard going at times due to an almost oppressive mood, we could not put it down. Our own reading mood was perhaps an impediment here, yet there was no way we could not see how it all ended for Maggie, Evvie and Topher and we’re so thankful we went the full distance with these flawed characters, whom we ended up falling in love with. This is a story of life and everything it can possibly throw at you. It’s a story of finding the people who make the dark days better when you feel as if you have nothing else, no one else. When loneliness’ creeps in and you need that understanding comfort. A story of friendship through the ages.

“You’re going to be better than okay. We’re all going to be better than okay. We’re all going to be great. This is our second act, and it’s time. And even if we end up not being great, at least we’ll all be together.”

Jane Green’s latest novel The Friends We Keep is a beautiful and moving story about the ups and downs as we move through life and the friends we make while on the journey. It follows Evvie, Maggie, and Topher, who met during their first year of college and became fast friends. The story tracks each of them through life, from those carefree college years where the three of them lived together like one big happy family to those years after college when life just got in the way and they drifted apart. The Friends We Keep really resonated with me because of its central themes about friendship – first, the idea that no matter how far friends drift apart, they always find their way back to each other, and second, a true friend will always find a way to forgive you, even if you make a seemingly unforgiveable mistake.

All three of the main characters drew me in right away because their lives were just so messy and complicated. While their career paths (Evvie becomes a model and Topher becomes an actor) aren’t necessarily all that easy to relate to, the highs and lows they experience, the bad choices they sometimes make along the way, and the regrets that follow are all too relatable. Green writes each of their stories with an authenticity that I think will resonate with many readers, especially those with similar lifelong friendships. As I was reading about Evvie, Topher, and Maggie, I was also constantly thinking about my own best friends and how much I treasure them.

I don’t want to give away anything about the overall plot of the story or the character’s individual journeys – you can read the synopsis for more details – but I did want to talk about one final theme that resonated with me. Even though The Friends We Keep is a beautiful story about friendship, it does have its share of dark moments as the characters experience some of life’s lows and disappointments. The message Jane Green so wonderfully conveys though is that it’s never too late for a second chance at happiness or to follow a new dream if your original dream doesn’t pan out. Maybe it’s because of my age and where I am in life, but that message really hit home for me as I was reading.

I just started reading Jane Green’s novels last year but she is fast becoming a favorite of mine because her stories about family and friendships are so heartfelt and relatable. If you’re in the mood for a story about life and the true meaning of friendship, give The Friends We Keep a try.

F҉r҉i҉e҉n҉d҉s҉h҉i҉p҉. F҉o҉r҉g҉i҉v҉e҉n҉e҉s҉s҉. L҉i҉f҉e҉.

Jane Green has crafted an engaging story full of friendship, forgiveness, and finding out who you really are. Evie, Maggie, and Topher met at University where they forged a strong friendship that they swore would never end. A friendship built on love, respect, and trust. After university they all go their separate ways. Evvie does something to betray Maggie’s trust, rather than telling Maggie she pulls herself even further away from the friendship. Evvie moves to New York where she becomes a supermodel, Maggie works at a PR company, and Topher becomes a soapstar. Years later they all reunite at Maggie’s wedding to an old crush. The reunion is short as they all have their lives to live and then Evvie does something that might end this friendship forever. Fast forward and the three of them are in their 40s and they are all at a point in their lives where it makes the most sense for them to all live together. But as the three begin to get closer again, secrets begin to come out. Secret that may not be forgivable.

I love stories about friendships and that this was a friendship between two women and a man was a bit of a different twist that I found refreshing. I really liked all three of these characters even though they weren’t terribly relatable and they sure did frustrated me at times. The story spanned many decades and I Love that. It is so amazing how much we change and grow through the years. How we let go of dreams and develop new ones. That really was evident in the lives of these characters. I probably was most sympathetic towards Maggie, because I could relate to her more than the other characters. I know what it’s like to have a spouse who is an alcoholic, and if I’m being honest Maggie is a much more forgiving person than me. In oh so many ways!

This was a great read that will resonate with many. I think we all have those friends that we thought would always be part of our lives that we don’t see much of any more. Although I have to say some of the characters in this book really push those friendship boundaries, and I am not sure if I would be so ready to forgive. Jane green has a engaging writing style that kept me completely invested in the story throughout. This was another wonderful read that I encourage you to add to your summer TBR!

*** Big thanks to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book ***

JG is an auto buy author for me, when one of her books is released I always know I’m in for a treat and this was no exception. This is yet another book from her that is ideal for summer reading, it’s light and easy but also full of depth and dimension, which is the perfect combination for me in terms of a great beach read.

This begins in the eighties when Evvie, Topher and Maggie all meet for the first time and follows them over the next few decades as they navigate everything from marriage and the birth of children to loss and devastating heartbreak. All three of them are complex and fascinating individually and the dynamics between them are also complicated, each separate relationship is intriguing as well. When they reunite after mostly losing touch thirty years after they met, their lives have all taken several different and unexpected turns and they all wonder if they can manage to get back to the way they used to be.

I always enjoy following a group of characters for a number of years and experiencing all that life brings to them over the years and this story also had some downright juicy secrets and surprising turns which was just an added bonus. This was a heartfelt story about friendship and how secrets and regret can really change the course of our lives and also about how true family can come in the form of those that are not related by blood. Highly recommended by me to add to your summer reading list, especially if you enjoy books about friends!

The Friends We Keep in three words: Heartfelt, Juicy and Effortless.