Leah Konen’s Keep Your Friends Close opens on a murder, but we don’t know who has been killed or by whom. The novel then proceeds through a series of chapters written in the first person, alternating between past and present and two narrators. One, Mary, is in the process of divorcing her rich husband George, who threatens to keep her in line by seeking sole custody of their two-year-old son. The second, Willa, we come to learn, seeks out rich men with kids for her security,

Willa and Mary become friends after meeting in a park where Mary takes her son to play. After a drunken night, Mary confides her marital problems to Willa, who subsequently ghosts her. Mary later
runs into Willa in Woodstock, where she now goes by the name of Annie and is living with another rich man and his daughter.

The pace picks up substantially after Mary’s husband George is murdered, and she becomes the prime suspect, leaving her with only Willa/Annie to turn to. Wise decision or big mistake? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

My problem with the novel is not its pacing. It’s a quick read and holds your interest. Rather, my issue is with the characters and their lack of depth. The three women in the novel (Mary, her former sister-in-law Cassandra, and Willa) are all dislikable as they share the trait of being wholly dependent on the rich abusive men in their lives, whether for financial or psychological reasons. As for the men, (Mary’s husband George, his brother Henry and Willa’s boyfriends) are all one-dimensional jerks. While there are inklings of female empowerment that occur towards the end of the book, the transformation happens way too easily to feel genuine. 3.0 out of 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary eARC of this book.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’m backlogged with my ARC’s but working diligently to get caught up. This book felt like one deception after another! The story is told mainly for the two female characters points of view and definitely had unreliable narrators at points. As sad as it is, much of this book felt very realistic, I wish I could say my personal experience of most people has been completely different. If you’re thinking about making new mommy friends, you might think twice after reading this! I would recommend to anyone who likes domestic thrillers/psychological thrillers!

This was an okay book and dealt with a lot of secrets, lie, and deceit. But it was also boring at times. I was hoping for more and it just felt like every other book I have read in this genre.

How well do you truly know your friends?

Mary is recently separated from her husband and working to make a life for her and her young son after getting out of an unhealthy relationship. Unfortunately, Mary and her previous best friend and past sister in law, Cassandra had a falling out and she is feeling a bit like she would like a friend again. She often takes her son to a park close to her old house with the husband she is separated from, and that is where she meets Willa. Willa quickly becomes a close friend and although hesitant she eventually confides in Willa, maybe a bit too much. From there it all goes downhill.

I liked the story and the development of the main character, Mary. I enjoyed the twist at the end as well. I mostly enjoyed Mary and Willa’s friendship because it was natural and fun, effortless and easy!

A windy, twisty whodunnit with multiple time lines and multiple POV's - this is my kind of book. Story centers around Mary who is in the middle of a divorce from a husband with a very well to do family with a small child caught in the middle. Mary meets Willa at the playground one day and thinks she has found a new friend...but has she?? One day Willa disappears and Mary has questions. As Mary gets on with her life and moves forward she winds in a small town upstate and sees Willa...but is it Willa? Things get twisty and turny, there is a murder with multiple suspects. Worth the read.

I loved this book! This was my first book by this author but I will gladly read more by her. The book kept me on my toes the entire time! Bravo to this author. 5/5

I always love reading a novel by Leah Konen and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Keep Your Friends Close. At times it moved a little slow for me, but I was still invested in what was going to happen and I couldn't wait to get to the end. There are dual narrators between Mary (my name!! Not particularly common for MCs) and Willa and the story is broken into parts as well. Little by little our two timelines/narrators connect in an interesting way, and we find out exactly what is going on with these women with some surprise twists along the way. While I did at times feel sorry for Mary, she still wasn't my favorite character, and I did not think anyone was all that likable.

I loved the audiobook, and Reba Buhr & Karissa Vacker did a wonderful job with Willa and Mary respectively. I had to listen to it on a 2x speed due to the publisher's app and while that is normally pretty slow for me these days, it ended up being just fine. Buhr and Vacker each had their pacing spot on, and there were no awkward pauses or weird speech issues. I would highly recommend listening to Keep Your Friends Close if you enjoy audio. There is a lot of rich people drama, backstabbing, and friendship faux pas going on here, to say the least, and it made for an entertaining read. I was perfectly satisfied with the ending on all counts, and I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys popcorn thrillers, slow-burn drama, and plenty of tension!

Keep Your Friends Close was my first book from Leah Konen - and wow, immediate fan. This book pulled me in from the very beginning, with relatable scenes of motherhood and commentary on what it means to be a woman in a man’s world. All the boxes we have to check, spaces we have to fill, mental loads we have to carry. I cannot wait to read the author’s backlog.

Keep Your Friends Close is a fun popcorn thriller that kept me guessing. Even when I thought I figured it out, I was wrong! I love when that happens.

Read if you like:
•rich people behaving badly
•bitter divorce battle
•dual POV
•multiple timelines
•whodunnit

This was the first novel I’ve read by @leahkonen and it definitely will not be my last.

Thank you NetGalley for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book and gobbled it up in one setting. It was a unique plot and gave me old school horror movie vibes. I enjoyed the multiple POV and how the characters intwined. I have recommended this book to so many people since I finished it and will be reading more by this author.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review*

Wild and twisty thriller - most definitely had me on the edge of my seat. Good book!

Thank you NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my free and honest review. Wow, this book is amazing! Suspense filled and an elaborate web of absolutely believable scenarios. What an outstanding author!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

Remember to Keep Your Friends Close...Don't Turn Your Back.

So many suspects, it could be anyone. This one kept me guessing.

Even though this book is like others, I did enjoy it.

Read Completed 3/20/24 | 3.5 stars, rounded down based on vibes and feelings
I was super excited for Leah Konen's latest after really loving her book YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME last year. I couldn't wait to see what her next release was all about! Thank you to Penguin Random House for sending me a paperback copy of this book to read, review, and feature if I so wished! This did not affect my experience reading this book.

KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE was a little different than I expected. For one, I didn't know that this was a "rich people" thriller trope, which I don't usually enjoy. I liked the concept of the story, but it didn't quite turn out the way I thought it would. Obviously I didn't write the story and I don't get to make that choice, but I was hoping for a bit more suspense surrounding Willa and the question of her identity as well as a few other plot points that got revealed along the way. There were multiple little reveals that were interesting but nothing really grabbed me like I had hoped it would.

The main characters felt like they could have used a little more depth. Mary was fine but she was just a bit blah. Willa was also fine, but I think I would have liked it better if we didn't have her POV and Mary was figuring out everything as the reader does, to add more doubt and suspense. Granted, Willa could still be anything in the book even with a POV, but I don't know. It just took something away for me instead of adding.

The ending was okay! Some things I didn't see coming but nothing was really quite shocking. It was a solid read with a concept that we see all the time in thrillers but a story that still felt different. I still really enjoy Leah Konen's style and her books but I hyped it up a little too much for myself and I let myself down again. I'd probably still recommend it to other readers but this one just kind of fell in line with other thrillers instead of being the stand-out read I hoped it would be.

Mary has been living the dream life of many until she realizes how awful it actually is. Every moment of her day is dictated including how she dresses, decorates her house, foods that she eats, everything. Mary is now separated from her husband and finally getting to live how she wants to without his family's influence. The problem is that it is not just her. Her son Alex has been pulled into the center of it by her husband George. His family is rich and powerful and has the means to make sure she ends up with nothing. It has happened before, to Mary's best friend, and also sister-in-law, Cassandra. Mary has seen how terribly the family she married into will treat someone on the outside. Mary starts a blossoming new friendship with a woman she met at the park. They become fast friends and Mary finally has a support system close by. Until her friend suddenly goes silent on her and is no longer around.

I really enjoyed the way the plot progressed in this book. The characters were intentionally vague which was fantastic for building up the thrill. I really enjoyed how fast-paced this book was to read.

I couldn’t put this thriller down! It was a book where you KNOW shit’s going to hit the fan, and then it does…and it doesn’t hit how you expected, but better.

I was completely invested in Mary’s story, and was DYING to know Willa’s backstory. I was definitely suspicious of her motives throughout, but was surprised by her twist. I was also surprised by the last twist! I love a good rags-to-riches story, and have a total love-obsessed-hate relationship with the 0.1%. Which continues to hold up throughout this book.

My only critique (and it’s small!) was that I wish we learned more about life AFTER. I would have loved more epilogue details. But all-in, this was a book I read in one sitting and hated even getting up for a snack!

I loved the idea of this book, but it just did not quite deliver.

We get that she married rich, we get that she lived comfortably because she married rich, we get that it would be easier to go back to him because he is rich, we get that he doesn't listen to you because he is rich this is how he was raised...are you starting to get my point?

Ending became rushed then suddenly all is forgiven, yay...

I could not put this book down!!! Sometimes thrillers are hard for me to get into so I was scared to start this. But after the first chapter I was captivated. Leah Konen takes you on a wild ride full of twists and turns that you will never guess are coming!
In this dual POV, shocking, gripping thriller, Konen shares the thoughts and perspectives of Willa and Mary. Two best friends..... or ex best friends. The night after Mary spills her drunk secrets about her failing marriage to Willa, Willa disappears. No calls, no texts, no warning. When Mary arrives in Woodstock, New York a couple months later, she is shocked to see Willa there with a whole new family and a whole new identity. And when Mary's ex husband turns up dead she becomes the prime suspect. She turns to Willa for support but begins to question her. Who really is Willa? Did she kill George? What other secrets is she hiding?
I was itching for the next page and next chapters. I felt like I was apart of the story. If you think you know how it ends then you are completely wrong!!!!!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity!


I love this author’s books. Leah Konen has a unique perspective and can write great mysteries. So when i see this i was really excited.
This was such a mind blowing experience honestly. It was nothing like I’ve read before. You expect one thing and then it hits you with a completely different thing. You can’t trust anyone, literally anyone. So obviously i loved it. It was a heart racing reading experience.