I really enjoyed this novel about four friends who meet at Northwestern. The book spans fifteen years, starting in 2006. It’s about the choices we make in life—the risks, the seemingly safe routes that may not be, the things we say and don’t say. It’s also about how friendships change over time in part because of these choices.
I liked and identified which each of these characters, even though technically I’m not that much like any of them.
It was fun to relive these years with these characters. When you’re talking about race and class and gender, there are obviously going to be political points, but I never felt like the author was bashing me over the head with political insights, which I appreciated.
NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel.

Dev, Rachel, Clarissa, and Nate are college roommates and best friends. The story begins the night before their college graduation and spans fifteen years, through their early post-grad stumbles, job struggles, coming out, family dynamics, addiction, and finding love.

This was such a raw and real book. I do think the cover is a bit misleading and makes it seem like it will be a light book about a group of friends, but there is a deeper story here, and some of the topics are on the heavier side. I thought this was such an interesting portrayal of the ways we hold onto friendship, or let it drift away, as we age. It will make you examine your own place in the world and your friendships. Each of these characters was flawed but relatable and I enjoyed watching them each grow up and into their own person and choices.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

TW: Sexual assault/rape, addiction, alcoholism, mention of cancer, death, grief

This book follows for friends as they graduate college and take on the real world. It captures the nuances of adulthood and friendship and left me hooked, eager to read the next page.

Based on the cover and description I was expecting this to be a lighter coming of age story but it definitely focused on more tougher subjects and realities than I was expecting. Overall I think this book was very well done and I am eager to read more from the is author!

I loved this book. It followed a group of four friends over the course of 15 years. This felt like such a genuine and heartfelt story of friendship and how it changes over time throughout different life stages. Through career changes, location changes, relationship changes and how we allow those around us to impact us, in good or bad ways. I loved watching how their lives intertwined and then would also drift. But ultimately, coming back to each other in some capacity.

“their closeness felt like a glass she had set down for only a second, then looked back to find it had been cleared without her knowledge.”

thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the digital ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

WHO WE ARE NOW by Lauryn Chamberlain is the story of four college friends, housemates who know one another inside and out from their years at Northwestern University. In the years following graduation, the four break apart, come together, flourish and flounder in the roller coaster ride that was the early part of the twenty-first century. While I was intrigued by the premise, I did not connect with any of the four characters, finding them more caricatures and stereotypes than living and breathing people I could relate to. The settings were vague for me as well. So, the premise is intriguing, the execution does not deliver what I'd hoped to read. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Hm. This was a little depressing to read at times - like when each one of the "best friends" had thoughts of jealousy of the others' successes. But we're all like that when we're young, maybe?

And the event that happened at the end seemed almost...contrived. Too contrived and, for a lack of a better word, "neat." Like something big had to happen to get the "friends" to somehow come together, and so big event it was.

But, I did read this in a day or two, so yes, I liked it well enough!

*3.5 stars*

This was a really interesting novel about a group of 4 college friends who graduate in 2006. Each chapter is told from a different character's POV, each year spanning from 2007 - 2018. The 4 friends experience love & heartbreak, friendships that change and drift and fracture, family tragedy, career success and struggle, and everything in between. I related a lot to this book because I am a few years younger than the characters, but still related to graduating college in the early 2000s and struggling to make ends meet.

The only thing keeping this from being a higher rating was the ending. I understand it, but I still don't like it, LOL! Overall, great writing and a really nostalgic book that brought back lots of college memories.

I would like to thank Penguin Group and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. It is the story of 4 people, Rachel, Clarissa, Nate and Dev, friends for 4 years at Northwest, who are now graduating and moving uncertainly into the future. There is a prologue set in 2018, which reveals a funeral, however the main action , as it were, starts in 2006.We first meet them as graduates, friends for the past four years. The book os told in third person, moving through the years between the four friends and how they cope, or not, with adulthood. The story premise is interesting, and the individual arcs are thought provoking. None of them are extremely likeable, although none are downright hateful. They and the book, are just good enough.

Stories following a group of friends over time is my weakness, and I loved the kind of take this story had. If anything, I wish parts of each character's personality and storyline were fleshed out a bit more, and the big twist at the end is a little sudden and unnecessary, but still a very immersive read!

This book was a captivating read that kept me eagerly waiting to see what would unfold. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and it introduced me to a talented new author. It was truly entertaining and left me wanting more.

The story was a delightful and heartwarming experience, akin to a sweet hug from a long-lost friend. The relatable and endearing characters, along with a well-developed plot, made it a quick and enjoyable summer read.

The book skillfully delves into the complexities of friendship and the challenges of navigating adulthood’s various phases. The author seamlessly weaves timely issues with emotions that resonate beyond the individuals directly involved, making it a truly special read.

The character development was commendable, and the writing flowed smoothly, holding my interest throughout. Lauryn Chamberlain’s warm and genuine writing style beautifully captured the essence of the characters’ experiences.

I feel that this book suffers from being marketed wrong. I picked it up because of the sliding doors trope, however it's really more of a found family book. The story itself is quite beautiful and so so realistic. Each section of the book is set in a different timeline, and within each section we alternate POVs from each one of the friends. I found this to be very interesting. I'm not a writer, but it seems so difficult to write the same scene from a different point of view, without the book becoming repetitive. This is something the author did so well. I'm giving it a four star because i did find the middle to be a little slow, but it definitely drew me back in at the end.

This was just okay for me . . . it was definitely a little slow, a little meandering and I hated the ending. Even though we knew it was coming (the ending), it still made no sense and seemed like it was just drama for drama's sake. It didn't seem to fit with the rest of the book and was just convenient to end the book. Hope you have better luck!

Who We Are Now comes out next week on August 8, 2023 and you can purchase HERE.

She and Dev had a certain lifestyle in common now, the creative work, certainly, but also the publicity, the interviews, the obligation. People always talked about timing in romantic relationships, but how much of friendship was down to timing, too? Clarissa had always believed in forming closeness through ideals and personality, but maybe adult friendship was more about circumstance.

good read that had me waiting to see what would happen. Enjoyed this story. Found me a new author to read. entertaining book.

This was really sweet, enjoyable and felt like a sweet hug from a friend you haven't seen in a while.
The characters were relatable and endearing, the story was well developed. This was a quick and summery read.

Four best friends graduate college, ready to take on the world and sure they will remain close forever. The book follows the four characters over the next two decades as they navigate their careers, romance, and family relationships, all while seeking to maintain their friendships in the face of various pressures.

This is a well written and engaging story about friendship and the pressures of navigating the different phases of adulthood.

Highly recommended!

Who We Are Now is one of those books that you can just fall into. You can let it lull you into the story, just enjoying the flow. I loved the format of Lauryn Chamberlain's latest, with each chapter being told by a different character, alternating between the four main characters. It's impossible not to get attached to Rachel, Clarissa, Dev, and Nate. This one will make you want to call your friends and then share this book with them. It gave me all the feels.

A book that details the familiar feeling of how people change throughout time and go through vastly different journeys. I didn’t particularly enjoy the slowly-moving plot with no mind-altering events, but really loved the book flowing through multiple perspectives over the course of many years. Many of the way things ended was very realistic and not in any heavy cliche, but it was just a little slow and unmoving for me overall.

Who We Are Now by Lauryn Chamberlain is a beautiful contemporary fiction.
I was so excited to jump into this novel. The way this author writes is really breathtaking and utterly addicting.
The way the author weaves relevant, of the moment issues with emotions that I am sure have been felt by more than just individuals who have directly experienced similar issues was something truly special
The author did a great job with character development and the writing was so smooth- the book flowed perfectly and held my interest the entire time.
Lauryn Chamberlain's writing style is warm and genuine, capturing the essence of the characters' experiences. The inclusion of flawed and relatable characters adds depth to the story, making it easy for readers to connect with their struggles and triumphs.
This book really had me thinking about my own friendships and personal life.
Lauryn Chamberlain's novel will keep me thinking for a long while and will no doubt resonate in the hearts of many readers.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Dutton for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Four friends and their ever-changing relationships over fifteen years. The personal and professional highs and lows and everything in between. Beautifully written. There is love, heartbreak, joyous events, tragedy, addiction, recovery, illnesses, some competition, jealousy within and other life issues that does at times create challenges to their respective relationships. I don’t know why, but I didn’t expect this to be so heavy, but it was and was a great read. There was something truly wonderful that no matter what, they were there for each other.

"Who We Are Now" follows four friends - Rachel, Clarissa, Nate, and Dev - as they graduate college and embark on their adult lives. Through the highs and the lows of each character's life, we witness how their relationships and the dynamic of their friend group changes.

My favorite part about this book is how authentic it feels. Throughout the novel, it's easy to relate to each of the characters at one point or another, and to the challenges that they face, both as individuals and through their friendships. I was hooked from the first pages. As a 20-something woman, I too have questioned my path and those with whom I surround myself, and Chamberlain captures those feelings and the struggles so well. I think just about anyone could relate to this novel.

Overall, this was a solid read. 4.5/5 stars.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the opportunity. All opinions are my own.