Lovers of domestic thrillers will love this one, about complicated female friendships. Lovely character development and emotions. Psychological and intriguing!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an early copy of Keep Your Friends Close. WOW JUST WOW about the who was sleeping with whom!!! SHOCKED ME and I’m pretty good at figuring out the plot. After that was revealed, the book took on a new spin and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. This was a Fantastic read and the ending for all three of the women couldn’t have ended better. LOVED IT!!!!

This book had me really sucked in from the beginning. The middle does kind of lag but I feel that is to be expected. But the ending is what kind of confused me. The killer really came out of nowhere, it seemed to be a random way to wrap up the book. I would have made it more climactic with a more well known character.

This was a fun and twisty read! I enjoyed the story and read it in less than a day--loved the concept of friends being just as dangerous as enemies 🤪

4.5/5

Another great read from Leah Konen! I look forward to reading her books whenever they come out because I can’t get enough of the upstate NY settings! This book features rich people behaving badly, which is a trope I just love 😜 thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an early review copy!

eh, this one wasn't it for me. the same old story of a con-artist marrying for money... blah blah. it was fine, i probably should have DNF

The start was slow for me but around mid point I felt it really started to pick up & I enjoyed it overall.

DNF @28%

I gave this the benefit of the doubt; from the summary I knew this was going to be a story that has been told a ton before. A woman marrying for money befriending a con woman isn't a groundbreaking plot point. I was hoping for a twist on it or super interesting characters. . But Mary as a main character really fell flat for me and I was just bored. 2024 is the year of not forcing myself to finish books that aren't doing anything for me.

Thank you Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing this ARC to me.

This took me at least to get to 40% before I started to like it. It was a VERY SLOW start for me but once it got going, it got pretty good. I'm giving it 3 stars. I didn't love any of the characters - they were just okay for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

Well, this is one of those books that makes you question who you can trust. Mary is going through a divorce from her rich, privileged husband George. She longs for a friend; someone she can share her struggles with. Then she meets Willa and the 2 become quick friends. Is it too good to be true? Since this is a psychological thriller.... probably. At some point Mary and Willa stop being friends. Then as Mary is starting a new life in Woodstock, NY, she runs into a woman that looks like Willa, but when she stops her, the woman says her name is Annie. Is Mary going crazy because she swears it's Willa?

The story unfolds through alternating chapters of the past and present. We get to see how Mary's friendship with Willa starts, and how things stand now. I like all the references to Patricia Highsmith and Agatha Christie throughout the book. There were definitely a few twists that make it a fun, compelling read.

I was not familiar with Leah Konen so I was not sure what to expect from Keep your Friends Close.

Mary is in the middle of a heated custody battle for her young son and is in need of a friend. Willa and Mary meet at the playground and an immediate friendship is formed. Many things are not as they appear and Konen keeps you guessing until the very end.

Leah Konen has written a book that is a great escape thriller. It is one of those books that you can't let yourself question if it is plausible. Just read it and have fun.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A twisty, turning, domestic thriller that will keep you on your toes!

This dual point of view story goes between Mary and Willa’s perspectives. Mary is a mother fighting to keep her sanity and the custody of her child through her nasty divorce from her wealthy husband and his controlling family. Willa, or is that even her real name, befriends Mary and then disappears after a night of drunken shared secrets. Chaos ensues when they are reconnected.

Overall I throughly enjoyed this story. I felt it got a bit slow in the middle, but it quickly picked right back up and kept me guessing. The characters are well created, some you hate, some you love and some surprise you!

Thank you Penguin Group, Putnam Sons and NetGalley for advanced copy for my honest opinion. Expected publication date 2/20/24

Sadly, this book dragged for the first third of the story. I did enjoy the multiple POV and dual timelines. Plot twists weren't really a surprise. Mary was quite lackluster, which made it hard to engage with her chapters. I preferred Willa, who had greater character development. Overall, there was nothing that will stick with me now that I've finished the book.

I’ve read and enjoyed all of the authors books, she writes fast paced and engaging thrillers with unique edges and this was my favorite by her so far. I was totally addicted to it, the questions just kept piling up and I could not turn the pages fast enough. The first half was gripping enough and then the second half had so many great twists, (big and small) that I basically flew through it in one sitting. I HAD to know what was really happening and when all was revealed in the end I was pretty damn satisfied. Try this when you want an easy, pacey and really fun domestic thriller.

Really great read! There were lots of twists and turns which kept me seeking opportunities to pick up this book again and again. And the final twist- you never see coming! Definitely recommend this book!

It took me a little bit to get into but once it started rolling, I couldn’t put it down. I did not guess the final twist but I did catch on to one before it was revealed. Overall, good book and would recommend.

This is a great thriller written in the present and the past. The plot is exquisitely twisted to keep the readers interested and turning the pages. Willa is con artist who tricks men into giving her their money. Mary is a mother on the verge of a contentious divorce. The story is told in the voice of both characters. Readers will really enjoy trying to figure out who the murderer is as they turn the pages. This is a really interesting and entertaining story.

With friends like these, who needs enemies?

"Isolated and embroiled in a custody battle, Mary needs a friend more than ever. When she meets the charming and enigmatic Willa at a Brooklyn playground, the women’s connection feels fated. Finally, she has someone on her side. During a margarita-fueled moms’ night out, though, Mary shares her darkest secret about her ex, George, and Willa simply disappears. No calls, no texts, nothing.

Two months later, Mary’s divorce is almost finalized, and she’s trying to build a new life for her son in upstate New York. On her first day in town, she runs into Willa…only Willa’s name is Annie now, and she’s got an entirely new family in tow. When George turns up dead and Mary becomes the prime suspect, she has no choice but to turn to her only friend in Willa.

Is the other woman a friend or a foe, a confidante or just a con? Mary must uncover the truth before she loses everything."

Overall this is a great book and hard to put down. I felt really bad for Mary because she's been let down by most everyone she lets into her life and after the divorce, she's trying to make a better life for her and her son. This book started off a little slow for me, but quickly picked up towards the second half with a ton of twists I didn't see coming. I found the end to be satisfying. What's not to love about a story that keeps you on your toes with murder, mystery ,divorce ,money, friendship, and betrayal. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Mary is going through a tumultuous divorce and is struggling with her toddler son. What she really needs is a friend, so when she meets Willa, she is ecstatic. Then all of a sudden Willa ghosts her and Mary is confused.

Two months later, Mary runs into Willa, but when she calls out to her, Willa ignores her. Willa goes by Annie now and has a new family. They rekindle their friendship and Mary learns Willa’s secret.

When George, Mary’s husband turns up dead, Mary is the prime suspect, but the deeper Mary digs into his death, the more the evidence adds up against Willa. Mary already knows she’s a con, but is she also a murderer?

I originally put this book down with every intention of DNF’ing it, but the next day I forgot and started reading it again, and I couldn’t put it down – I was hooked. I became so engrossed in what I was reading and I couldn’t wait to untangle the different stories and what was happening. The beginning was incredibly slow, and it was a big turn off, but, once I got past that the pace picked up, and all the pieces started coming together. There were so many twists and turns in this one towards the end, they just kept coming and didn’t let up and I loved it. I enjoyed getting the story from Mary and Willa’s point of view, and I felt connected to Mary as she was struggling with her divorce and had a young son. Willa was also a treat and was everything Mary wanted in a friend, and it was great.

If you are looking for a twisty thriller you won’t want to put down once you get into it, then grab a copy of this one.

Thank you so much to Penguin Group Putnam, G.P. Putnam’s Sons and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book through Netgalley. There was a lot of twists and turns in the book and the chapters going back and forth were sometimes hard to follow. But with that being said I enjoyed the book. I did not guess it early on and kept thinking it was this person or that one. I enjoyed the characters and the writing. Can’t wait to read another one of her books.