I’ve been gravitating towards books with female characters for about a year now.

I especially enjoy books with female protagonists written by women.

Often I find myself identifying with one of the characters or seeing a friend or family member as one of the characters. Part way through reading I’ll have an insight about something in my life I hadn't thought about.

Jane Green includes the insights one should pick up on in conversations between characters. The insights she shares have been highlighted by many readers so you don't feel like you’re the only one who might have felt the shared sentiments.

I’m not giving the story a 5 because I had trouble starting it. I’m glad I stuck with the story.

When We Were Friends by Jane Green was a great short from Amazon Original. I got it for Kindle First Reads in September, and I read it in one sitting. This story was quick and had a twist I didn't see coming, and I was fully invested in the characters and their plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories and Jane Green for the free digital copy.

I rarely read short stories. I find myself wanting to get immersed in a world for a while, to take a journey with characters for at least 300 pages.

So, I must admit I was surprised to see myself downloading this 44 page short story. First of all, Jane Green is the author and that alone would have been enough for me.

Throw in the themes of female friendship, female identity and female roles and I was in.

I was immediately drawn into the first scene where we meet Lucy who is reluctantly out with other divorcees blowing off steam at a bar when she finds herself in need of lip gloss happily supplied by a younger woman named Elle that leads to a fast friendship.

The story moves quickly and the plot twist does give a bit of whiplash but more than the actual details of the fate of the friendship of Lucy and Elle, I will remember how Green was able to conjure my own nostalgia for early friendships with girl friends and how they are like no other. I also resonated with excavating one's relationship with oneself before one can be wholly available to relationships with others.

Overall, worth reading as it is a quick ride and for the feeling it will leave with you even after the details are gone.

a good story about knowing what you need and not letting people that don’t accept that stay in your life.


but this story itself wasn’t that great.

it all feels too rushed to be believable -or i am just a person that could never share personal things with a stranger - and not because of the age difference or even because both women clearly had some issues they should work through by themselves before pushing their stuff on others but the overall how it all came to be and how fast it all build was utterly unbelievable and unrealistic for me.

it maybe i just didn’t like the characters and because of that i had issues.

i don’t know.

i do think it’s not a bad story, but it wasn’t for me.

A short story about friendship that illustrates that female friendships can be every bit as intense and emotional as any romantic relationship. There is a lot of story packed into a short number of pages, and as a result it feels a bit rushed - and characters a bit under-developed. I would have loved more time with the characters and their shared experiences. (So when things start to turn it feels less abrupt and out of character.) Still, the emotional ride throughout this relationship feels very real and relatable. And the messages of true friendship, trust and self-love are delivered with tenderness and heart.
Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the opportunity to read this ARC .

An easy and entertaining short read about friendships gained and lost.
I enjoyed it as a quick story to read before bed.

When We Were Friends is a short story by best-selling British journalist and author, Jane Green. When Lucy, a recently-divorced mother of twelve-year-old KC, encounters Elle, quite by chance, in a hotel bathroom, she’s surprised and delighted by how rapidly they establish a rapport. Her best friend Sally is back in England and busy with husband and children. The intensity is exciting, even a little frightening, but Lucy soon discards her usual wariness and is wholeheartedly invested in their friendship. Until something changes: a shocking, unforgiveable betrayal…
A thought-provoking tale that will resonate with women with certain circumstances.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories.

this was a quick read about how friendships can be messy just like romantic relationships. i connected with lucy and the excitement she felt surrounding a new friend where they just clicked (at least at first). the story itself was predictable, though, and elle’s character was very unlikeable. thank you to netgalley and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Cute, easy to read short story!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"When We Were Friends" is an Amazon Original short story. I wasn’t entirely sure where the story was leading, but it provided a compelling exploration of the rise and fall of a friendship.

Publication date- Oct 01 2024
#WhenWeWereFriends #NetGalley

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for this advance readers copy in exchange for my honest feedback. Perfect little short story to read in between books about a friendship and how you can be friendship bombed similar to love bombing. This is a very short story but the author manages to unfold a lot of heaviness to perfection. Really enjoyed this one.

I’ve read several of Jane Green’s novels and have enjoyed them. And I love short stories, so I was excited to read this. It was good, but felt a little rushed. I think a bit longer - maybe novella length - would have suited the story better.

Honestly, I just grabbed this as part of Amazon First Reads and had NO idea going in what the genre even was! I started reading and was like, is this a romance, a thriller? Wondering which direction will this story take (because it totally could have gone either way LOL). Turns out it's like....women's fiction?

I liked the growth of Lucy's character even in the short time readers get to know her. She is described as becoming small throughout her marriage and once divorced- she gets to let her true self shine again. Her friendship with Elle wasn't my favorite aspect of the story, surprisingly.

This was well written and even though I don't like how little characterization short stories provide, I liked getting to know Lucy in this one. The ending made me feel for Lucy and honestly, the way she handled it is part of why I liked her character and liked this story.

A story of narcissism, love-bombing, and learning to love yourself as an individual and not how you are in relation to someone else. In so few pages, the author is able to immerse us into the mind of recently divorced Lucy as she navigates her new friendship with Elle, how quickly it infiltrates her whole life and how quickly it can disappear!

Thank you so much to Jane Green and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

This short story neatly encapsulates the start and end of an intense friendship. Jane Green packs a lot into 44 pages - although some of the resolution felt a little rushed, but that might be due to then limitation of the genre. I hadn't read Jane Green before, and will look out for her full length novels. I got this free from NetGalley (in exchange for an honest review), and it is also available free if you have Kindle Unlimited. It was a pleasant way to pass a lunch break. Recommend.

Jane Green just amazes me. Her books are so beautifully written. I'm always amazed how she captures you with the main character and their gripping story. This one pulled all my heartstrings. Loved it! Highly recommend.

Sometimes love is letting them go.. this story is short and cute and hits you with the feels. It's a good example to love the ones you already have near and dear and be careful who you trust. We need to try to remember to love ourselves enough to forgive and let go.

Lucy realizes she is lonely when, as a new divorcée, she goes to a bar with women who all seem to be looking for men, single or married. Instead, she finds a friend. Elle is an artist, a worker at the nearby upscale garden center and quickly becomes Lucy’s best friend. You know, the kind of best friend you meet on the first day of school, the kind you make bracelets for and plan sleepovers with. The difference is that they are grown women, grown women with their own unique personalities. What Lucy discovers about Elle will teach her much more about herself. When We Were Friends is written with Jane Green’s consistent talent, verve and insights. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories and Jane Green for this ARC.

Lucy is living well post-divorce in her dream house, but her new friendship with Elle raises questions about Elle's true intentions.

This book was short and sweet, just as I expected. As a military spouse, I understand the challenges of maintaining friendships while constantly moving from state to state every 3-4 years. It can be difficult to find new friends and start over, but it's a life I willingly chose.

I anticipated this short story would have a clear message, and it did not disappoint. It reminded me that things are not always as they seem, especially when meeting new people. Some may have ulterior motives, some may be draining, while others genuinely care and want to be a part of your life.

I dove into the story without reading the synopsis first, and I was pleasantly surprised by its focus on friendship, loyalty, and hidden agendas. This quick read resonated with me on a personal level, making it all the more enjoyable.

Thank you, Amazon Original Stories for digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Green gets right to the point. How great it feels to have a bestie to share everything with, especially post divorce.
It’s also the worst when the same bestie sticks a knife in your ribs and you’re destroyed.
I think Green used this story in a therapeutic manner since she’s revealed she’d divested herself of a really good friends.
Those we hold the closest have the greatest capacity to wound us.