Review of Uncorrected Proof eBook

Mary Haywood, newly separated from her uber-wealthy [and controlling] husband, George, meets Willa at a Brooklyn park where Mary’s two-year-old son, Alex, is playing. The two women hit it off at once and Mary is pleased to have a new friend with whom she shares her darkest secrets. But a short while later, Willa ghosts Mary and vanishes.

Mary searches for a rental closer to her mother and her sister, but still close enough to share custody of Alex with George. She unexpectedly runs into Willa, but the woman claims her name is Annie . . . and she insists she does not know Mary.

And then George is murdered . . . and Mary is the prime suspect. Can she prove her innocence? And who is Willa?

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Told in alternating points of view, the narrative pulls readers into the telling of the tale from the outset. The pace is swift; short chapters keep the story moving. As the story moves along the timeline between past and present, hidden truths slowly reveal themselves and, as the story unfolds, the plot takes some surprising twists that keep readers guessing.

The Haywood men are particularly unlikable; insipid Mary often makes injudicious decisions. Nevertheless, it is interesting to see the characters develop as the story progresses. This domestic thriller, filled with deceit, lies, and secrets, focuses on relationships, friendship, trust, along with wealth and entitlement.

Readers who enjoy domestic thrillers, twisty tales, and multiple timelines and points of view will find much to appreciate here.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#KeepYourFriendsClose #NetGalley

Told in alternating perspectives, Keep Your Friends Close is suspenseful and intriguing. I love how the story was structured right down to the damaged and flawed characters.

Willa uses men for her own gain. She’s proud of it and she makes a living from it. Mary is a newly single mom who wants an easy life and easy friendships. When these two women meet on the playground, life is anything but easy..for either of them.

The fast paced nature and succinct chapters will keep you invested in this story right up to the last sentence. What a perfect ending! If you love a great thriller, I easily recommend this 5-star book. Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the advanced copy. Publication date is February 20, 2024.

3.5 stars.
Many thanks to @PutnamBooks for this free/gifted novel.

Mary is trying to leave her marriage peacefully, wanting only to have custody of her son. Unfortunately, she's seen from her sister-in-law's experience, the Haywood family doesn't let go easily, making sure you're destitute if you choose to leave.

On a trip to the park, Mary makes a new friend, who luckily has a child her son's age. Mary and Willa become fast friends, until Mary begins her move to a new town with an amicable custody agreement, when Willa abruptly disappears from her life.

In a whirlwind turn of events, Mary's soon-to-be-ex husband George is found murdered, and Mary's the police's top suspect.

In alternating Then and Now, Willa and Mary chapters, the truth behind their relationships and events surrounding George's murder come to light.

I found there to be some excess of characters, and Mary was a pushover as a main character, so it was difficult at times to root for her when she was making obviously questionable choices.

Thanks to G.P. Putnam/Penguin Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you are looking for a fast paced, twisty, domestic thriller, “Keep Your Friends Close,” is the book for you!

Told from the POVs of Mary, a mom trying to escape her rich and powerful husband with her child, and Willa, a woman Mary once thought was her best friend, both tales are equally interesting! Especially when Mary finds out Willa is not at all who she thought she was…

The chapters are short, and fast paced so I was invested the entire time. Be prepared for the second half of this book because that’s when the twists really pick up!

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read! Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lots of secrets in this set of LA moms. The book starts with the murder of the 'top dog'. The motive isn't clear. Until all the other mom's secrets are revealed. Fun read!

If you like psychological thrillers about friendship and secrets, this book is for you. It kept my attention throughout and I was just waiting for everything to come to light. I really liked the dual pov and the past and present timelines.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Penguin Group for the early copy.

Fast-paced and exciting read. Nothing is as it seems and the re-appearance of Willa provoked many questions and theories. Plot twists were somewhat predictable, however still enjoyed the read and would recommend for thriller lovers.

Mary married into the rich and powerful Haywood family, and for a while, things went quite well, with Mary enjoying experiences that her much humbler upbringing never allowed for, and resulting in a son, Alex, whom she adores. However, she saw her husband George's brother, Henry, turn on his ex-wife, Cassandra, with the backing of his family. And George has become more controlling and threatening, to the point where Mary has decided to leave him. However, she cannot push too hard, or she risks losing her son. Into this turmoil comes a new friend, Willa, a fellow mother she meets at the park. Willa is understanding and supportive, and Mary will share with her the horrible things that George has done. However, as the friendship is progressing, it suddenly ends, with Willa ceasing all contact. Months later Mary moves to Woodstock to start a new life, believing that George has agreed to joint custody. However, in Woodstock, she quickly discovers that George is still trying to get her back (he does not want to lose his possession) and is up to his typical manipulative tricks. She also sees Willa again, but Willa is calling herself Annie and pretends not to know Mary. And then George ends up dead, with Mary finding the body, and quickly becoming the main suspect. As Mary attempts to establish her innocence, and ensure the safety of Alex, she learns some of the truth about Willa's life, as well as uncovering a number of secrets. The people in her life are connected in ways she never realized, and there are deadly secrets. Is her friend a killer? Was anything about their friendship real?

This was my first Leah Konen read, and I loved it! 🥰 The characters were well written. Even those characters I should despise, I enjoyed reading. The story was fun! I liked trying to figure things out and had fun being proved wrong on several occasions. Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the pleasure of reading this. I will definitely read more Leah Konen stories!

KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE by Leah Konen is a wild ride where things (and people) are not always as they seem to be.

Mary Haywood is the mother of 2 year old Alex and so wants to do right by him in the midst of divorcing his father, wealthy George. She really wishes that she had her best friend, Willa, in her corner, however, Willa disappeared months ago, with no forewarning or forwarding address. When Mary spots her on the streets, she is told by ‘Annie’ that she must be mistaken. What? And where is her son, Jack? She used to be tight with her sister- in-law Cassandra, but she is also divorcing George’s brother, Henry and has been MIA for quite some time. When George is murdered, Mary becomes suspect number one in his slaying. As Mary goes it alone and struggles to put the pieces together, as to who killed, George, the police continue to look at her with suspicion. Is Henry stalking her and if so, why? And what of the half million dollars in jewelry that was in George’s safe but has now disappeared?

I enjoyed this book and the story kept me entertained. I enjoy Mrs. Konen’s writing style and will certainly be checking out some of her other novels.

Thank you to Netgalley and G. P. Putnam & Sons for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily .

Wow! I really enjoyed this book! Great tension and female energy. So many secrets and lies. The characters were great and kept me flipping pages long into the night.
Thank you NetGalley, Leah Konen and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read and review this book

Thanks for the free/gifted book, @putnambooks ❤️❤️

Book review of Keep Your Friends Close by Leah Konen

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This story is a great thriller read with some good plot twists. Told from two points of view and two timelines, we follow Mary and Willa.
Mary is recently estranged from her very wealthy husband George, and they are in a custody battle for their son Alex. She meets a stranger in the park and becomes instant friends with Willa. Mary and Willa get drunk, and Mary tells Willa a shocking secret. Willa then proceeds to ghost Mary. She doesn't return calls, texts anything.
After several months, Mary's divorce is almost complete, and she is trying to build a new life closer to her mother and sister with her son. She is looking for a town midway from George and her mother, when she sees Willa on the street of this small town. Willa professes not to know her and has changed her name to Annie. What is going on?
George comes to reconnect with Mary and turns up dead the next day. Now Mary is the prime suspect. Mary begins to question everything, especially her old friend, who just so happens to live in this town.
Who killed George? Who is Willa really, and what is she up to? And why did Mary get duped so easily by a friend?
I flew through this book. Grab this book on February 20, 2024. You will ❤️ it.
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A solid read! I loved the structure flipping between the past and present and the differing POVs--it kept my attention and kept the tension taut. I'm a fan of Leah Konen's other books and this did not disappoint.

I’ve read all of this author’s adult thrillers and YA contemporaries. When I saw she had a new thriller coming out, I was definitely intrigued.

This book follows Mary, who is going through a messy separation from her wealthy husband George. Mary had one friend, Willa, who she was close to for a bit but who ended up ghosting her. There’s definitely more to Willa than meets the eye and Mary is trying to find out the truth about who Willa is and why she ghosted her.

Personally, I found the pacing of this book to be pretty slow, and I think the reason for that is Mary. I didn’t like Mary at all as a character. She made a lot of stupid decisions and definitely came off as TSTL. She was very wishy washy as well. I found myself enjoying Willa’s chapters much more.

The mystery was interesting enough, but it seemed like it took forever to get going.

Overall this was a fine thriller but not a favorite.

An overwhelming MEH from me. Obvious "twists", poorly constructed characters, unbelievable situations. Not one I'll be recommending to anyone.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
How much can you trust your friends?
Mary is going through a divorce and trying to get custody of her son, She is so lonely until she meets Willa in the park and they share secrets. But then suddenly Willa disappears. When she runs into her a couple months later she has changed d her name etc. what the heck ? Later when Mary’s husband is killed she becomes the prime suspect but really? How much can you trust your friends.

This book is a mystery/thriller with different point of views from the characters and beautifully written. The timelines were also very well written.

I read this book in a day and I never looked back! The twist and the plot were pretty easy to identify but the different POV's kept me intrigued to see how everything was going to unfold. A couple of the characters were so unlikable that it made it hard to feel bad or connect with them in any way. I do wish that the ending would've given a little more, I wanted to know how the characters dealt with the aftermath.

Overall I give this 5 out 5 because it really was a great book and I will definitely read more from this Author. I enjoyed the thrill of the plot and its twists.

Newly separated Mary meets Willa at a Brooklyn playground and they become instant friends. Mary confides in Willa some of her darkest secrets regarding her marriage, and shortly thereafter, Willa disappears. While in upstate NY, Mary starts to plan for her post-marriage life, when she unexpectedly runs into Willa, who acts like she doesn’t know Mary, even saying her name is Annie. When Mary’s soon-to-be ex turns up dead, the lies start to unravel. Keep Your Friends Close is fueled by deception and misplaced trust, and the suspense is ramped up as the story unfolds from alternating POV’s, keeping the reader off balance, until the puzzle pieces start to come together. The plot flows nicely, with credible dialogue and scenarios. Breezed through this one, well done! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What does it mean to be friends? How do we know we can really trust? Leah Konen explores this in her upcoming novel Keep Your Friends Close. Mary is in a dark place. She is in the process of divorcing her very wealthy husband George and is desperate to keep custody of their son. She plans to leave New York and move to Woodstock to be closer to her mom and her sister. Imagine her surprise, when she spots Willa, a friend who betrayed her in the worst possible way back in New York, with a brand new family. Even more surprising is the presence of her almost ex brother-in-law and husband in her rented home. After a particularly upsetting incident with George, she attempts a visit to find George brutally murdered. Who can she trust when she finds herself the prime suspect? Anyone?

I enjoyed this book. I like to think I’m a bit of a sleuth, and I often think I am one step ahead of an author. I found here that when I thought I had things figured out, Konen would surprise me. The twists and turns were believable and kept me engaged until the very end. Interestingly, I didn’t like Mary all that much. While I didn’t wish her harm, I sure was frustrated by what I thought were obviously thoughtless, perhaps even dumb, decisions. I suppose that makes her human, not thinking clearly in a very difficult situation, but I’d have advised her differently numerous times. As with Rachel Hawkins’ The Heiress: a Novel, I am amazed by the lengths that the very wealthy will go to protect that wealth. Konen provided an interesting glimpse into their world.

Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for sending me this advanced readers copy in exchange for my review!
I was pleasantly surprised by this thriller. This was my second book by Konen, first one being the YA novel, The Romantics. Keep your Friends Close had a good number of twists and turns. Many of the chapters alternated between present and past and left the reader with a cliffhanger. I can definitely say it kept my attention. I would recommend this domestic thriller for fans of The Wife Between Us (Hendricks/Pekkanan) and The Last Mrs Parrish (Liv Constantine). Overall, 4 out of 5 stars!