I used to think character-driven novels weren’t for me. I was delightfully mistaken. Good Company follows the messy lives of two married couples over decades. Flora believes she has a thriving marriage with her husband of twenty years, Julian. When she stumbles upon Julian’s wedding ring that he claimed to have lost 15 years ago, Flora is bewildered. She finds herself questioning the foundations of not only her marriage, but her lifelong friendships with Margot and David. How will Flora move forward? Good Company is a novel with heart that deftly explores marriage, friendship, parenthood, and the complicated ties that bind.

The story unfolds in multiple timelines between the ruthless acting scenes of NYC and LA. Flora and Margot are single in the big apple, striving to land their big break on Broadway. When they meet their husbands, the foursome become inseparable with intertwined lives as the years progress. By middle age, each person finds themselves disillusioned by the course their life has taken; secrets, betrayals and the unceasing search for true happiness were not part of the plan.

The novel shines in its nuanced portrayal of the characters. Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney masterfully crafts people who make very hurtful mistakes. Despite this, I was able to muster slivers of grace because I cared for them. While I did not condone the wounds inflicted, I could understand motivations and offer forgiveness for the decisions that were made. To me, that is a sign of fantastic writing. It turns out that well-written family dramas are for me after all.

A big thank you to Netgalley and Ecco for providing me with an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited when this was released as a Book of The Month add on!! So happy to have a copy to keep and share.

Like many other readers I was a huge fan of Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s debut, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘴𝘵, so was eager to jump into her sophomore novel 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐘. This is the story of Flora and Julian, a voice artist and an actor. It’s the story of Flora and her best friend Margot, also an actress, and her husband, David It’s the story of Ruby, Flora and Julian’s daughter who’s beloved by all. It’s the story of a lost wedding ring, found in the most unexpected way. Told from multiple points of view, and moving back and forth in time, Sweeney delivers a story of remarkable friendships, and a single secret that topples them all. While I enjoyed listening to 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺 very much, I think it lacked some of the intensity of her previous book. It was an easy book to listen to, beautifully narrated by Marin Ireland. I always appreciate that, but I wish I’d cared just a little more about the characters. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫⁣
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Many thanks to Ecco Books for this free copy of Good Company..⁣

“‘The only way through is through’ was a thing she used to blithely say to people who were facing a rough spot. What terrible advice! She didn’t want to go through; she wanted to turn back...” ~Flora

Multi layered story of friends, couples, parents and and a precocious daughter named Ruby. Each character becomes multi dimensional as their story is told. Sweeney writes each chapter like it’s a nesting doll for the reader to open; one thing leading to the next. When the chapter ends, she goes back to the original doll and new layers are revealed. Sometimes it was difficult to follow but I found it clever.

Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley.

*This review can also be found online at https://bibliophilebookreviews.tumblr.com/post/647394521044451328/good-company and on Instagram @BibliophileBookReviews
**This review will not comment on typographical or grammatical errors.

I was really excited to read this novel, much in the same way that I was excited to read Sweeney’s first novel, The Nest. And, similarly, Good Company fell just a little flat for me, though I did enjoy it better than The Nest.

Here’s the spoiler-free premise: On the day of her daughter’s high school graduation, Flora is searching for a treasured family photo from the summer Ruby turned five. She manages to find it -- and also discovers her husband’s wedding band which Julian claimed to have lost that same summer when Julian and his friend’s theater group Good Company had been producing a play at a country house. Meanwhile, Flora’s best friend Margot is a well-known (and well-loved) actress on a television hospital drama, but she’s got her own marital, career, and personal issues. None of them thought their lives were perfect, especially not while they were struggling in New York’s theater world, but their current struggles have taken them by surprise. The two couples (and Ruby) consider their lives, past and present, and contemplate the future, culminating in one more Good Company summer play.

As always, I’d like to start with what I liked. In general, this was fairly light and decently paced. It did have a slow build, but I was immediately interested in the story and it picked up in the second half of the book. I also liked that though the novel has an omniscient narrator, each chapter focuses on a different character -- kind of like scenes in a play or TV show and much in the same style as The Nest but not illuminating the same moment in time from the various characters’ perspectives; rather, those chapters provided lots of background info and let us into the character’s innermost thoughts. Finally, and this is a mini-spoiler, I loved the metaphor of Ruby’s hemlock tree and the climactic ax-cutting.

There are really only two things that I didn’t like about this book. First, Sweeney again used a few words that I felt were slightly out of place (which I excused in The Nest because a couple of characters were studying for the SAT) and I noticed that she also -- again -- used some words repetitively. Second, while I didn’t feel like the ending was rushed (but was surprised to discover I was at the end) it still left a lot open and unresolved. I’m guessing that was the point but I felt like I knew so much about the characters’ lives up to that moment and yet I had no idea what was next for them. Also, Ruby was immediately my favorite character and we really didn’t get enough of her, and David, Margot’s husband, all but disappeared completely towards the end.

Overall, I would say I enjoyed Good Company -- it wasn’t predictable or overly cheesy, and it was generally pretty realistic. (I did find one semi-important element a little convenient, but I can let that slide.) I don’t generally like to compare books, but in this case, I feel it’s warranted because if you enjoyed The Nest, I can imagine you’d like Good Company. And if you didn’t enjoy The Nest, I would still recommend that you read Good Company; in my opinion, this is the better of the two novels. It was not only shorter than The Nest, but also I thought Sweeney did a great job of weaving the story together. I just wanted more.

I loved this book! The writing is deft and light, filled with gentle humor and raw, complicated emotions. Sweeney explores themes of loyalty, betrayal and forgiveness within the web of these characters and their connections to each other prove to be strong. The chapters alternate between their points of view and it was a privilege to peek inside each of their heads. I was able to find things in each character that I related to and I recognized the deep commitment and love between friends-who-are-family. I enjoyed this book even more than her debut novel (The Nest) and can’t wait to read what she writes next.

On the morning of her daughter’s high school graduation, voice over actress Flora Mancini searches through old photographs and postcards only to find her husband’s old wedding ring, a ring Julian told her he lost fifteen years previously.

That summer, the family of three lived in upstate New York working on a play with mostly unemployed actors, including Flora’s best friend, Margot, for Good Company, Julian’s small theater group.

Since then, Flora and Julian who spent years worrying about work, finally got regular jobs and joined Margot, star of a 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘺‘𝘴 𝘈𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘺-type hospital drama, in Los Angeles. Finally enjoying stability, the discovery of the ring threatens to upend not just their marriage but also their relationships with their friends and daughter.

I sat down to read this, and suddenly, I was through! It’s my favorite kind of writing—lyrical, contemplative, and fresh. The perspective shifts between different characters, and their various voices combine to provide a layered version of events while giving access to their secrets.

Fans of literary fiction, particularly by Ann Pachett and Celeste Ng will enjoy this book!

As someone who greatly enjoyed The Nest, I was very keen to get my hands on Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney's sophomore offering " Good Company" and I am pleased to say that it did not disappoint. The book is an examination of marriage and friendship and spans a period of about twenty years. The basis of the story is the friendship between Flora and Margot, who met in New York when both were aspiring actresses, and while their careers may have taken divergent paths, their relationship has remained strong. Flora met her husband Julian, another actor, at a party that Margot encouraged her to attend, and it was love at first sight. The pair have a daughter together Ruby,. who is on the verge of leaving for college. Meanwhile Margot chose career over children and is lead actress on a successful tv show, while her husband David , a former doctor has faced some health issues of his own . All seems relatively well in their world until the chance discovery of Julian's wedding ring, declared missing years ago, causes Flora to question her husband's fidelity , and throws their relationship, and her friendship with Margot into jeopardy.
One of the things I really love about this author is her ability to create such well rounded and believable characters that really come to life. Her characters have moral ambiguity, none are entirely without fault or flaw and so the reader is really engaged in their choices and the outcomes of their decisions as well as the dynamics between th4e various members of the quartet, The writing is polished ,as I would have expected from this author , and once again I found my self gripped by what could seem to be a pretty simple story.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney is such a gifted writer. I loved her first book, The Nest, and recommended it widely, so of course I requested an advance readers copy of Good Company.

This book is just as beautifully written and insightful, but it's less absorbing than The Nest. Perhaps there's less dramatic potential in a friendship between two couples over a 20-year span. Sweeney's powers of observation and expression are still keen, and I found myself bookmarking passage after passage.

One couple, Flora and Julian, must navigate his infidelity. The other couple, Margot and David, are both rocked by career setbacks. And the daughter that they have virtually shared between them is launching into adulthood -- so, a great deal of soul-searching and loss.

Perhaps summing up the entire theme, Flora wondered whether "her life -- as she'd always thought -- had been a series of carefully considered choices or, in light of this new information, a series of unfair accommodation?"

Three of the four adults are actors, and Sweeney incorporates their professional lives smoothly and affectingly into the narrative. Although I really enjoyed meeting the two families, there was a lingering thought of "First World problems: as I finished the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for the ARC.

Good Company is the story of Flora Mancini, who thought she was happily married for 20 yrs until she stumbles across an envelope containing her husband's lost wedding ring. Her life is thrown down a new life path. Good Company deals with, trust and relationship issues, family, love, and loss. I just felt like it was hard to follow at times and I had a difficult time staying engaged with this novel. There are many points of view and a variety of flashbacks that I thought felt a bit choppy. I think some readers will really enjoy it just wasn't my favorite. #netgalley

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one at 23%.

There was too much rambling and flashbacks, and while I'm sure it builds the story up and all comes together later, I didn't care enough to persevere.

I was a HUGE fan of Sweeney's first book, The Nest, and was hoping to be awed by this one as well, but it didn't work out that way for me.

I received a free advance digital review copy from Ecco via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was eager to read Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney's new book, Good Company, because I really enjoyed her debut, The Nest, and I was intrigued by Good Company's premise, where a woman discovers her husband's wedding ring, supposedly lost 15 years earlier, hidden at the back of a filing cabinet in their garage. From there, it's not surprising that the plot revolves around marital infidelity, lies, and betrayal. The book is very well written, and the story kept me turning the pages. What I loved about The Nest was that it felt like a fresh new twist on the trope of family members disagreeing about a will. That was missing for me in Good Company. It may be enough for some readers that the wronged wife realizes that, although she could not control her husband's infidelity, she does have a choice about whether to continue on in her marriage now. But, I found myself wanting to be left with a more resonant message after reading about so much pain and deception, something that would stay with me after reaching the end.

Julian and Flora live in Los Angeles and are celebrating their daughter Ruby’s high school graduation before she leaves for college in NY. While searching for a photo to include in a gift for Ruby, Flora finds Julian’s original wedding ring, which he lost years ago, making her question everything.

Good Company explores the relationship between a husband and wife, a woman and her best friend, Margot, and parents with their daughter. It’s not a fast-paced novel but character driven, and jumps around from present day back to NY, when Margot and Flora were aspiring actresses, to when Flora and Julian were a new couple, trying to make ends meet and support Julian’s theater company, to when Margot began her relationship with her husband, David, and to the secret Julian has kept for years.

As in The Nest, Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney writes so well about people and their characteristics, good and bad — I enjoyed unfolding the complicated family and friend dynamics in this story.

I had read The Nest and really liked it, so when I saw the author had another book coming out, I though I should check it out. I am glad I did. I found the story interesting and could not wait to see how Flora's husband was going to explain the ring. The book is about past and present relationships and what they can and cannot overcome. Having had my own relationships circumvent bumps, it was very relatable. Having the main characters involved with TV and theatre which I love made it even more interesting to me.

This story just sucked me. Quick and easy read.
Flora and Julian have it together- gorgeous daughter graduating from high school, a strong marriage, both have steady acting jobs.
Then Flora finds Julian's wedding band at the bottom of their filing cabinet. The one he claimed was at the bottom of a pond.
Julian confesses to an affiar - over many years ago. But Flora doesn't know if she can move past it.
And her best friend, Margot, knew.
Great story about reevaluating, pausing to look around and really ask - after all this time, what do I really want?

Good company

I was lucky enough to read Good Company by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney before it officially debuts on 4/6/21. After reading and loving The Nest I was excited for Sweeney’s follow up, and it did not disappoint! Once again, Sweeney creates characters that feel like friends and a world that you become fully immersed in. Good Company is a thoughtful page turner that is excellently paced. I loved getting an intimate glimpse into the lives of these friends through alternating perspectives and fully realized characters. I highly recommend this novel for anyone who likes to become emotionally invested in characters. This author is a master of storytelling and the reader is immediately hooked from the first compelling page.

One sentence review: If you liked Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story, you’ll probably like this book.

I should really double-check that I liked an author’s first book before requesting an ARC of her second…

While browsing on Netgalley for a new book to read, I recognized the author’s name and hit request. When I first started reading, I was immediately reminded of why I didn’t particularly like The Nest. Sweeney manages to meticulously develop characters that you don’t like and can’t relate to while also crafting a detailed plot that doesn’t really seem to go anywhere.

What saves this book, and perhaps her first as well, is the quality of the writing. It’s not fun reading, and you find yourself frustrated often, but it’s undeniably written with a skilled hand. It’s clear she can write the heck out of pervasive family drama; drama that gives me severe anxiety, and I’m not even experiencing it first-hand. There’s a scene towards the end where one of the main characters is watching his wife and daughter at the playground so vivid and poignant that you are THERE with him. What should be a beautiful and happy moment is ruined by his choices and gave me literal chills.

One other minor gripe, and it’s possible this was a deliberate choice but: there is almost no character development or depth for her male characters. The two women, Flora and Margot, are fleshed out in all of their hideously flawed glories, but the men are shells, caricatures of good and evil.

Overall, I’m happy that I read it (although perhaps not for a light vacation read, ouch!), but I don’t think I’d read another book by this author. I’ll go 4 out of 5 stars just for the writing alone.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Ecco for sharing a digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This is such a good read from start to finish. The Nest was such a good book that this would have to be a strong read to measure up, and trust me it does.

Julian and Flora and David and Margot are two couples who have been friends since forever. All but David is involved in acting and the theater and David is a doctor. Friendship is of course explored but so is marriage in a big way. 15 years ago Julian lost his wedding ring in the bottom of a lake...or so Flora thought. When going thru a filing cabinet searching for a photo Flora finds his ring in an envelope. Thus begins an amazing journey of learning how this foursome became friends, how they've sustained those friendships, and delves into their two marriages. Looks are definitely deceiving and we find that relationships aren't always what they seem.

This is an amazing escapist read you'll tear thru on a hot summer day. Five stars and easily one of the best reads this summer!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s follow-up to her best selling debut novel The Nest, is worth the the long wait. The Protagonist Flora is the center of this story. When we are introduced to her, her daughter Ruby is graduating from college, and while searching a photograph for her, she finds her husbands lost wedding ring from many years ago in a file cabinet. This find opens a can of worms that nobody was expecting.

Flora and Julian have somewhat of a tumultuous relationship battling lots of demons and have persevered through their marriage. Their closest friends Margot and David, have always seemed to have an idyllic marriage. One thing that they share is their love for Ruby.

In the course of one summer all of there lives are upended by secrets, lies and life changing events. Sweeney writes a thought provoking novel, with a lot of reflection and what would you do scenarios. I really loved being immersed in this world. It is not pretty at times, but Sweeney gave us a real portrayal of people with all the good, the bad and the ugly. If you loved The Nest, I think you will be very happy with this sophomore novel.

Thank you NetGalley and Ecco Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Flora Mancini has been married to her husband, Julian, for over twenty years and she feels that they have a successful, happy marriage. They have a daughter, Ruby, that is about to graduate from high school and head off to college soon. She feels that life has been good to her -- that is until she discovers Julian’s wedding ring hidden in an envelope in a filing cabinet. Years ago, Julian had told Flora that he had lost the ring so what is it doing in the cabinet? After Ruby’s graduation, she confronts Julian and gets the truth of what happened with that ring. Learning the truth also brings about another betrayal when she discovers that her best friend Margo knew what happened with the ring and never told her. What does she do with the truth now that she knows it??

My thoughts: I enjoyed the story overall. I found the majority of the characters likeable with the usual human foibles and I think the author did a good job of fleshing out Flora’s emotions and feelings when dealing with this crack in her marriage. I also had to laugh at the character of Ruby and the accurateness of the teenager thinking that everything that happens is about them. I gave this book 3/5 stars on Goodreads.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ecco Publishing for a digital copy of this book along with Harper Audio for the audiobook version in exchange for an honest review. The narrator of the audio book is Marin Ireland and this is not the first audiobook that I have listened to where she was the narrator and once again, she did a fantastic job with this book. If you are interested in reading Good Company, I recommend the audio book.

With respect to this author, I read her first novel, The Nest and I loved that book. I found it so interesting because intellectually it was about trusts (the financial kind) and I dealt with estates and trusts for many years of my working life so it was a very relevant story to me but at its heart it was a family drama. If you haven’t read The Nest, I highly recommend it.