When We Were Friends was an easy read, but fairly predictable. I'm not sure this story line worked for a short story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

This short story was meh for me. About a older women meeting a younger friend at a bar and having a teenage- like friendship even with pet names. I found that rather odd.
Her new found friend isn’t who she thought she was and the relationship between them changes.

Thank you Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was a fun novella that explored what deep female friendship can feel like in adulthood. I myself have fallen into friendships before that were all consuming and have later found out that the person I thought she might have been wasn't truly her. This was a quick moving read that had me intrigued from the start. I enjoyed Green's writing style and would like to pick up one of her novel length books.

Enjoyed the quick read. Was a story of finding yourself and staying true to yourself even when you feel like you’ve been lost.

This was a little bit of a boring short story for me. The characters weren't very likeable. I knew what the "twist" would be pretty much from the start. It was just meh.

Lucy, recently divorced and raising a 12-year-old, is struggling to connect with a new group of single women who spend their time complaining about their exes and looking for new relationships—something Lucy isn’t interested in. By chance, she meets Elle, a stranger in the ladies’ room of a bar, and they quickly form a close, seemingly perfect friendship. However, things take a turn, and Lucy’s world unravels in unexpected ways.

The book captures the intense emotions Lucy goes through, from the high of newfound friendship to the devastation of betrayal, particularly during a pivotal scene at a Thai restaurant. Throughout the story, Lucy’s journey highlights the importance of mental health, showing how processing complex emotions and seeking help can lead to healthier relationships and personal growth.

A masterful novella from a writer who really understands women and how they think. Well written with memorable characters; you are sure to enjoy this.

I received an ARC of this short story from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Two women meet and become instant friends. One is hiding a secret. Life happens.

I've always enjoyed Jane Green's women's fiction, as she typically excels at capturing the intricacies of relationships and emotions, but this one fell short for me. The premise—that female friendships can be harder to recover from than romantic breakups—is compelling, but the story didn’t dive as deeply into those layers as I hoped. It felt rushed, with the emotional process of friendship loss barely explored. The main character seeks therapy, but there’s no meaningful insight or progress shown—just a quick leap to a year after the breakup, which left me feeling unsatisfied and unresolved.

The friendship dynamic itself was hard to believe, especially with the significant age gap between the main characters. The fact that she wasn’t accepted by her peers but suddenly found validation through this younger person felt forced and underdeveloped.

Additionally, there were odd, unresolved plot threads, like the shoplifting element. Was she also stealing from her workplace? This subplot was introduced but never fully explained, leaving more questions than answers.

Overall, this novel lacked Jane Green’s usual depth, and the characters didn’t get the space they needed to feel fully formed. Loose ends and a rushed resolution left me wanting more substance, and I struggled to find the friendship at the heart of the story truly believable.

This was a great short story on who can you really call your friend. 2 women meet and become fast friends. One seems to regard the friendship as stronger than the other one does, and in the end, it all becomes clear as to why. Enjoyable read.

When Lucy meets Elle they’re best friends instantly. But can Lucy trust Elle?

This book was way too short for the premise it was going for. People way overreacted on both sides, then wham💥a slap in your face then it’s over.

Thank you so much Amazon Original Stories, Jane Green, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and honestly review this book.

Cute short story about finding your voice. Love how strong the protagonist emerged after a divorce and consuming friendship.

When We Were Friends by Jane Green was a lovely short story and a great quick read if you need to get away from everything. This book was a solid story with a great lesson about life, self worth, and friendship with others.

A real lift up book.

I love Janes books, she always writes from the heart and this book was no different. I loved it. Shame is wasn't longer.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon.com for my ARC

When recently divorced Lucy meets Elle they realize that they have so much in common and form an instant friendship. The younger woman fills a hole in her life, becoming a new best friend and the little sister that she never had. Jane Green wrote an engrossing story about an intense friendship that seems to good to be true.

I love books by Jane Green, and this short story about how friendships can be toxic and how you can extricate yourself from that was very short and to the point. 3/5 stars.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot as this is a short story and a synopsis might spoil the book. I read this story in one sitting and enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was truly a gut-wrenching story, for all that was packed into these 40-some pages. The ground literally fell out from under Lucy, not to mention the readers (ie. me), in that scene towards the end. My heart just dropped, I felt so sorry about the whole situation and ultimately, for Lucy. Ultimately, I agree with Lucy, in her conversation at the end. Elle chose her actions and continued on that path. Then, to expect forgiveness just because she apologized was what got me. If she truly cared, if the apology were sincere, if she were, she would have told Lucy sometime in their friendship. Overall, I felt this was a good book on female empowerment and resilience.

Thank you for this ARC!! It was a cute, short story that lifted my spirits. If you enjoy books about friendship, this is a great read.

This is an Amazon short.

The story follows a friendship between two women and it begins well. As the relationship develops there are undertones of something being amiss and eventually it all collapses dramatically. The last part of the book was a little preachy for me.

This was a quick easy read with some good moments. Three stars.

Short story, fast read, just 44 pages. Finding new friends after a divorce can be daunting. This story details a new friendship that goes from 0 to 100, then predictably crashes and burns. This was a nice break between novels, but nothing spectacular.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon First Reads for this short story. This is my honest opinion.