When We Were Friends by Jane Green

When We Were Friends is a short story about friendship and how we view ourselves, and those around us. Lucy is recently discovered and trying to rediscover herself as a single woman, when she meets Elle, who seems to be everything she has been looking for in a friend. While this is short, it was definitely enjoyable, especially as a quick palette cleanse.

Loved this story about friendship, heartbreak and Betrayal with a fun twist ! Love the way it explores the psychology behind the loss and the way Lucy handled it.

Such good writing style, narrative voice, characters.
Happy sad poignant unexpected.
Wished were a full length read--didn't want the story/characters to end!

With thanks to NetGalley & Amazon Original Stories for this e-ARC.

Very enjoyable read!! Thank you for allowing me to read the advanced copy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Jane Green, NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Being that this was a very short story (44 pages) I was unsure as to how much I would enjoy the story. was very pleasently surprised at how quickly and efficiently the author was able to make me become attached to the two main characters and their incredibly odd yet genuine (at times) friendship.

This story is one that I feel almost all women can relate to. Sometimes we meet people we instantly connect with and their friendship seems almost too good to be true - and sadly, in this case it was.

It's been a few weeks since i read this short story and I still find myself thinking back on it from time to time - always a sign of a good book!

Brava to the author for making such a compelling and heartfelt story feel so true to life! Will definitely be keeping an eye out for her future work!

I've read Jane Green's chick-lit work before & this "short" was no exception - great if brief women's story. Many thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for the ARC

You know those instant, dizzying friendships? Lucy's friendship with Elle is one of those: despite their differences in age and experience, they just *click*, and Lucy knows she's found her person. But: Friendships are complicated, and easy doesn't always last forever.

I love stories about friendship—so many books focus on romance, and it's so nice to see ones that acknowledge how critically important platonic relationships can be. Often that means books about best friendships (as this short story is), but I'm just as happy with books about, I don't know, unexpected support from less close friends, and so on and so forth.

It's clear from early on that something is coming—I only skimmed the description before reading the story (too easy for a short story description to say a bit too much), but a story needs its climax, after all. I think I might have preferred something a little less abrupt; I've fallen out with friends in the past, but even when abrupt those times didn't feel quite so one-sided. (Not to say that it doesn't happen, just that I love me some grey area.) Still, I'd like to see more stories exploring the ins and out of platonic friendship and how devastating the loss of the friendship can be.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

This was a nice short story. It will make you laugh in a few places and leave you with a good message about love and friendship.

This story is centered around Lucy and Elle’s friendship. They become very close, quickly developing what appears to be a deep bond until something happens to make one of them question the entire relationship. Lucy faced many challenges while attempting to navigate her own personal struggles. She also learned coping skills and how to take decisive action while keeping things in perspective. This would be an excellent novel!!
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Lucy is recently divorced and trying to make new friends. She doesn't really get along with the other divorcées, who all seem to be trying to find new men to have in their lives. On a night out, she meets Elle in a bar bathroom and the two instantly connect and become fast friends. As Elle becomes a bigger part of Lucy's life, she starts to show a new side to Lucy, a side that Lucy might not like so much. This story tackles issues of divorce, female friendship, and making friends in adulthood.

This story was just fine for me. The themes were all things that I'm interested in, but I felt like there was more action in the plot than there needed to be and maybe developing the themes more would have made the story better. I also found the dialogue to be rather unrealistic and a bit too touchy feely. It would have also been interesting if Lucy had thought a little bit about why it was that she looked down on and barely got to know the divorcées who were her own age, but was so enamored with Elle, the apparently fascinating younger woman. This one will appeal to fans of stories about female friendship.

Lucy, just now recovering from her divorce, meets a younger, exciting woman, Elle, and the two quickly become best friends. But of course, there is more to the friendship than Lucy initially realized. Quick, entertaining, but not earth-shattering. The ending was way too pretty for my tastes and the charcter arc a little too predictable, but enjoyable regardless.

1.8 "thank heavens it was short short" stars !!

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for an ecopy. This is released today Oct 1, 2024.
I am providing an honest review.

Very good popular fiction prose of 3.5 to 4 star quality !!

A very boring, moderately cliche and mildly insipid story of two very needy and somewhat horrible women over-bonding with hurt and betrayal. Whatever !

You better believe I skimmed this one !

I didn’t particularly care for the characters and though the overall message is a nice one, I found myself a bit bored unfortunately.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
When We Were Friends releases October 1, 2024

Lucy is a recent divorcee and is uninterested in getting back into the dating scene.
While out at a bar with a group of newly divorced women, Lucy meets Elle, and they become fast friends after realizing they share an uncanny amount of things in common.

Is their long lost friendship too good to be true? Will ending her friendship with Elle prove to be more heartbreaking than her divorce?

I honestly thought the twist with Elle would’ve been more manipulative than it was.
From early on in the story, I wasn’t fond of how Lucy so easily discarded her actual best friend, Sally, for a younger and more lively woman, yet had no problems crawling back to Sally when everything fell apart with Elle.
Lucy being mad that Elle didn’t treat her right, yet not treating Sally right either was such a double standard that made me not care about her self-realizations which took place a year later.

I find it hard to believe that Lucy didn’t pick up on any context clues about her ex-husband’s new woman even though her 12-year-old daughter spent half her time living with him.

Bonus points for wanting to gouge my eyes out at the Kelce/Swift insert!!! Why is it impossible to escape her, even in a random 44-paged short story?! I hate it here.

It’s funny how things find their way into your life when needed most. This forty four page short story packs a punch so big and efficiently, it could be made into a movie (hint, hint). The whirlwind friendship between Lucy and Elle is amazing, heartwarming, and jaw dropping. It’s betrayal at its best - or worst - depending how you look at it. I’ve been on the receiving end of this scenario and could feel Lucy’s pain. It’s often said people come into our lives for a reason or a season and this story drives that phrase home. I’m impressed how the author packed so many emotions into so few words. The ending is fantastic, enlightening, and empowering. Put on your seatbelt and read this book.

Wow. Such a powerful story about friendship, listening to your inner voice, and staying true to yourself. Jane Green managed to write a beautiful short story encompassing the details of a very important life lesson while engaging the readers attention with captivating characters and an intriguing narrative. I absolutely adore this author and I've loved every book of hers that I've read. This story is another hit for me and a must read for anyone that enjoys books about the human connection.

I love Jane Green and I love short stories so this was a win win for me. I loved this story about a divorced woman who falls into a fast and intense friendship and things goes sideways . I love how it was such a short story but the characters were so well-developed and the details so perfectly crafted. I felt so attached to and protective of the protagonist in such a short time. I love how I didn’t see the twist coming. I want more!

I will read anything Jane Green writes, and I was super excited to spend time with this clever short story.

Lucy is recently divorced, but unlike the other divorcees in her circle, she’s not looking to get back into a relationship right away. She finally meets Elle, and they become fast friends. It’s almost too good to be true how close they become. It turns out Elle may not be at all who she seems.

In a mere 44 pages, Jane Green has delivered an all-consuming story full of emotion. Wait until the ending!

I received a gifted copy.

Jane Green, the queen of chick-lit, has packed so many emotions and feelings into her new short story.

Lucy is a forty-something-year-old trying to navigate friendship as a divorced mom. She has a handful of friends but longs for that “one” close friend to share daily life with.

As if conjured up, Lucy meets young, energetic Elle. Despite the age difference, they immediately hit it off, making a connection they both seem to desire desperately.

This short but relatable story draws you in quickly. But soon, it becomes a beautifully complex and somewhat painful picture of the dynamics of relationships, of people, really.

This hit close to home. Maybe because as I get older, through life changes, I’ve desired that close, intimate connection with a friend. And yes, I understand the pain and betrayal of those you let into your life. Yet, the story is so insightful, a bright reminder that we tend to look to others for validation - it’s time we look inside ourselves.

Available October 1st

A story of friendship, betrayal and self discovery all wrapped up in under fifty pages.
Lucy and Elle meet in a restroom and instantly become friends. Lucy is recently divorced and is happy to have found a best friend in Elle. They talk daily and Lucy confides many things to Elle. The underlying current is that this is a toxic friendship and you know and expect something is going to happen. I did not expect that twist. Beautifully written, perfect pace and so good.