Pub date: 2/20/24
Genre: thriller/suspense
Quick summary: Mary is desperate to escape her ex George, and she doesn't think much about venting to new friend Willa...until she runs into Willa, now calling herself Annie, and George winds up dead.

I love cat and mouse games, so this description sounded perfect! The book was a little bit of a slow starter, but about halfway through, I found myself really invested in Mary's story as she tried to figure out who Willa really was. George's family is far wealthier than Mary, which opened up plenty of opportunities for him to behave badly and cause drama. I was thinking this would be a 3 star reading, but the ending 10% was super twisty, and I loved that I had no idea where things were going. I do think this book could have been punchier with a little editing, but it's a good option for winter reading on the couch!

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.


This book was a great thriller read. They have been all I have been reading lately and the ending of this book definitely surprised me. I loved the back and forth, everything about it!

Keep Your Friends Close by Leah Konen is a quick, fun read. This is a book suitable for anywhere you want to be engrossed, be it the beach, an airplane, or a cozy couch during a snowstorm.

Mary is a New York mom who has just separated from her ultra wealthy husband. She meets Willa at the playground and feels an instant affection for the younger mom, and she immediately feels comfortable telling Willa everything about herself and her life. But is Willa who she says she is? And does she have anything to do with the fact that Mary’s husband has now been found murdered?

The plot of this one was suspenseful, but not necessarily fast paced. I enjoyed the time changes between chapters, which worked with the flow of the story, but did slow down the action a little. I liked how the plot all came together in the end, but maybe would have liked some more of the Cassandra story line.

The characters were pretty well done, though Mary was a bit weak, though I see how that was a stylistic choice for her ultimate character development. I just didn’t really like her much. Willa was much more intriguing to me, and I liked how her ending was ambiguous. I think she would definitely go back to the type of life she was leading. Again, give me more Cassandra, I didn’t really believe in her as a whole person. She seemed more of a plot device.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, and give it ⅗ stars.

4.5⭐️ rounding up to 5⭐️

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do if your closest friend turned out to be someone else? More specifically... what would you do if they turned out to be a con artist?
Wow this book was great! Full of lies, deceit, drama, murder... my kind of book. This was my first Leah Konen novel and I definitely want to read more!
The writing was so detailed for a thriller. We got to see glimpses into the lives of these characters - past and present. The way the author was able to make me feel certain emotions towards certain characters... loved it.
Being a thriller, there are twists and turns. I did not find the twists to be particularly shocking, but they made sense and I was happy with them. There was one twist (the one where Jack ended up being the person to kill George) I wish could have been done differently since the connection to the plot seemed a little muddled, but overall, no complaints.
I liked that this story was unique. I had never read a domestic thriller quite like this one, where we get to see the workings of a con artist. But it's also so much more than that.
Overall, great book. If you're looking for a more unqiue thriller, definitely give this one a try.

I love a good twisty tale and this book delivers that. it is told through two POVs and keeps you fully engaged the whole time. Super-fast read but because the book is soooo good. Highly recommend checking this one out. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to the publisher for my arc!

I actually really enjoyed this. Told in multiple perspectives we follow Mary who has just left her husband and meets Willa a young mom at the park with her son until one day Willa dissappears only to pop up 2 months later but under a new name.


This was fast paced and kept me engaged and guessing who was really telling the truth. Highly reccomend!

Keep Your Friends Close by Leah Konen seems like a fairly straightforward story about a woman (Mary) who is going through a divorce. She meets a woman (Willa) at the playground where both of their toddlers are playing together and they become friends. They decide to meet up for drinks without the kids and share stories about life.

After becoming closer, Mary starts giving the real “dirt” to Willa, who is very interested in ALL the details. Mary’s husband, George, comes from an old-wealth family and so it is hard for many people to understand what Mary’s complaints could be. She is not taken seriously by her husband, he belittles her and does things that many women could deal with to live the lifestyle. Not Mary. She also did not want her son to become a replica of his father. Her sister-in-law Cassandra was the same. She divorced George’s brother even before Mary decided she could not live that life. Cassandra was cut off from everything and cut out of the family like she never existed. She asked for Mary’s help to get her jewelry, which caused problems between Mary and George. Cassandra got nothing when she left and neither will Mary. But George is not going to give up his son.

It all becomes a rather tangled mess, and Willa is ready to soak up all the details until one day she disappears without so much as an explanation. Keep Your Friends Close has an apt title, the end is twisty and surprising as well as suspenseful. It is spellbinding and could possibly be a cautionary tale to those who are paying attention.

Keep Your Friends Close
by Leah Konen
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group for the opportunity.
What an excellent book! It had everything one needs. This book also had suspense, intrigue, murder, mystery, and lies and the POVs of the women were a plus. I LOVED this one.

This book had my glued to the edge of my seat. Cleverly told through the POV of two women who cross paths, it was so hard to put this one down once it got going. The writing was smart. The women were easy to cheer for. The plot was original and twisty. Highly recommend! Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC!

4 ⭐️

This was a very fun and twisty read!! As I was reading this, I kept thinking that if this was made into a movie, Blake Lively would be perfect for the role.

This story centers around Mary, a mother that is going through a very messy divorce with a very rich & powerful man, George. She’s ready to be far away from him and his controlling family. While caring for her son, Mary frequents the local park where she meets Willa. Willa is fun, care-free and not like the other moms! Mary felt an instant connection and soon they became good friends.

While out on a night together, the girls were talking about Mary and George. Willa was angry at how he treated Mary and couldn’t believe the injustice. Later that night, Mary made a confession to Willa that she would soon regret. Even more so when her husband turns up murdered!

I loved this one so much. It was fast pace and the characters were likable as well. I kept guessing whodunit. Overall, a great book and I highly recommend.

Keep your Friends Close by Leah Konen tells the story of Willa and Mary with each POV with each chapter. There is a then and now timeline. Mary is separating from her wealthy powerful husband. Willa meets her at the playground and become friends. There’s much drama in this story. The ending left me unsatisfied. I felt the murderer was given that role to make the ending unexpected. But it didn’t go over well for me. Thank you NetGallery and GP Putnam for letting me review this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thoroughly readable and enjoyable novel about female friendships and trust. A solid thriller with memorable characters and a person to root for. Leah Konen is a nuanced writer and the book flows well with various twists and turns. Recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was an okay psychological thriller about female friendships and wealthy entitled men. The story held my attention but was ultimately fairly forgettable.

A quick fun read. Mary, recently separated from her rich husband is glad to make a new friend, also with a young child. But is her friend really who she says she is. Lots of twists and turns, could have been tightened up towards the end to make it stronger, but still entertaining

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

The book was a little slow for me. It was a twisty tale. The only really god male in the story was 2 year old Alex. Mary was betrayed by a lot of people.she was a little slow in learning who to trust. Willa was an interesting character. I’d recommend the book though as it was an interesting tale. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through Net Galley.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for the opportunity.

"Isolated and embroiled in a custody battle, Mary is desperate for a friend. So when she meets the charming and enigmatic Willa at a Brooklyn playground, their connection feels fated. But during a margarita-fueled moms’ night out, Mary shares her darkest secret about her ex, George, and the next morning 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 now Annie, 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 town: Willa. As coincidences—and evidence—pile up, Mary begins to wonder whether Willa had something to do with George’s death. Is the woman a friend or a foe, a confidante or just a con? Mary must uncover the truth before she loses everything."

Typically I do not read novels having children in them finding them tedious; simply a personal preference. Keep Your Friends Close focus is on the adult relationships and how their lives are intertwined. Interesting cast of characters from the wealthy Portman family, to Mary questioning her life and relationships, to Willa and her way of life. Keep Your Friends close has some great plot line turns and an unexpected ending.

Thank you the ARC @putnambooks!

This book was so fun and twisty, with short chapters and so intriguing.

I couldn’t put it down and was reading way past my bedtime.
Well developed characters, super quick read, and kept me guessing until the last chapter.

It was a great book, go request your copy now!

Thank you #Samantha Bryant for the invitation to read this book, also @netgalley and @putnambooks for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Coming out 02/20/2024.

Thank you #NetGalley and #PENGUINGROUPPutnam, #G.P.Putnam'sSons for the chance to read this book early.This book was so good that it kept me guessing until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and
PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC of Keep Your Friends Close by Leah Konen.

This book absorbed me, containing thriller characteristics that I enjoy: Multiple POV, short chapters, twisty and mysterious characters.

Who is the friend and who is the enemy?

This book was ultimately about female solidarity bordering on (imo, justified) misandry, though we do not fully know that until the satisfying ending.

The women are ultimately all sympathetic characters. The men, not so much.

The story also contains class envy, a favorite trope of mine. The power imbalance of have and have-not is a factor in their female angst and anger.

Four stars for a propulsive twister that kept me guessing until the satisfying ending.