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.

I'm sorry but this book was middle of the road for me. I struggled to care about any of the characters. For the most part, they didn't have many discernible traits. I gave three stars because I liked some of the twists and the premise was good.

In Keep Your Friends Close, for me part two was my favorite part of the book. I liked that in that section readers are given both perspectives of Mary and Willa, which I thought moved the story along quick. Some things in the book were predictable, like Willa’s motivation, but with the way Konen wrote the story, it didn’t bother me. The reveal to who the killer was did feel a bit out of left field and like it was done to really throw the reader off.

I wish half stars were a thing because while this is solidly a three star read, it doesn't feel like a full four star to me. This book had two big features that I enjoy - dual POV and Then/Now structure.

Exploring the tangled relationship between Mary and Willa was entertaining. As different layers in their relationship were revealed, the reader was able to predict how things might have escalated along the way. I think domestic thriller readers will be intrigued by this puzzle.

On another note, I'm getting a bit tired of reading thrillers that vilify the wealthy and/or focus so much on children. This seems to be quite the trend lately and I I do not find it entertaining or anything I can relate to. This is another factor in why I can't push this to a four star read.

The blurb of this book really was astounding and I just had to have it! As far as domestic thrillers are concerned the is she an enemy or a friend trope isn’t my usually read, but this was just so intriguing and after having read it it didn’t disappoint.

You go into this book knowing that something is up with Willa but of course you don’t know what that is. There were tons of secrets, twists and the book as a whole was a very well-thought out puzzle that I enjoyed putting together.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

3.5 stars rounded up

I received an ARC of this book from Penguin Group via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. I found the book entertaining - it was quick to read and kept my interest. As a mother of a toddler living in the general vicinity where the book takes place, I found those aspects relatable.

Some aspects were a little unbelievable, and the reveal of a villain, though surprising, didn't quite leave me satisfied.

I can't remember reading anything with a similar premise, so that is always a positive. And I did enjoy the very end when we learn what happens to the two main characters.

I liked the first half of this story better than the second. The build up was solid as it went back and forth between present and a few months prior. You’re trying to puzzle out what happened to her friendship with Willa along with her.

I found her actions in part 2 and 3 to be a little frustrating. And the investigation aspect a little unrealistic and I don’t think it added much to the story.

The last section became easier to put together and not really very shocking. But all in all, it was an entertaining read.

A super quick read that felt a tad bit off-center? I would have liked it more I think if it was primarily Willa's POV

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

Although a promising premise, I was disappointed with this latest by a recent favorite author. I had a difficult time connecting with any of the characters, with the female leads leaning a bit hard on the victim card. I found too much emphasis on pity parties and the grouping of all men into the greedy/power tripping/lord over women trope. It all resulted in a plot that was a tad too unrealistic and predictable all at the same time.

Mary is freshly separated from her wealthy husband, George. George comes from old money and has been making this separation very difficult by threatening to take their young son. Mary has been staying in one of the apartment's that his family owns and she has no one to confide in, all of her friends were part of his world. She was at the park with her son and she met a woman name Willa. She was open, funny, and so unlike all the other moms in the city. Mary and Willa became fast friends, but out of no where Willa begins to ghost Mary. Mary discovers that Willa and George have their own secrets. Will she figure them out before its too late?

This novel about female friendships and relationships is by an author I haven’t read before. Mary and George are divorcing with no agreement in sight regarding their young son Alex. Their lavish home in Brooklyn will be George’s, his parents status and wealth will see to that. Mary is planning on moving closer to her family near the Catskill Mountain area. Mary had made a new friend at the park where all the mothers, nannies and children gather. She felt they were very close and she’d shared many personal struggles with her. When Mary arrives in Woodstock she’ll be getting a rental and trying to reestablish her journalistic career. Meanwhile her son is staying with the in-laws. When she thinks she spots her girlfriend in the area, looking completely different, she calls out her name. No response or recognition – is it her? Is Mary mistaken? From this point forward nothing I thought I’d guessed was close to the crazy twists to come. Warnings! Be careful who you trust, who you tell your secrets to and who you think will have your back in a pinch.
Some of the characters are dark and ruthless, some are naïve, weak and vulnerable, a few are sympathetic, but most aren’t very likeable. I didn’t care for the back of forth between past and present time periods. There were revelations I didn’t expect. The theme of women’s friendship is well portrayed and worthy of exploration.
A digital advance reader copy of “Keep Your Friends Close” by Leah Konen, publishers G. P. Putnam’s Sons, was provided by NetGalley. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without any compensation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the advanced copy!

I really enjoyed this one - con artists impersonating rich people falls squarely in my interests, and I thought this had a lot of twists and turns as the story unfolded in the latter half. At parts, it was a little unrealistic, but not to the point of taking me out of it. In general, it was a solid domestic thriller and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes the genre!