This was an intriguing story I was so invested in. Secrets unfurled and twists shocked me at every corner. This was a fast-paced read I couldn't put down.

This book was okay. Initially, I enjoyed all the Colorado and Fort Collins references—it was fun to see familiar places pop up in the story. But as the book went on, the constant local mentions became a distraction. It made me wonder if I just tune out these kinds of details in other books, and I found myself hyper-focused on them here instead of the story.

As for the plot, there was a lot happening. With so many characters and intertwining storylines, it sometimes felt overwhelming. That said, I was invested enough in the characters to see how everything played out, and I did finish the book. But overall, it didn’t fully win me over.

If you like domestic thrillers with messy friendships, neighborhood drama, and a touch of revenge, this one might be worth picking up. But be prepared for a crowded plot and an abundance of location shoutouts if you're familiar with Colorado!

Plays Well With Others - Lauren Myracle, Author

4.5 stars

Secrets, intrigue, revenge, twists, and deadly consequences.

When I started this book I wasn’t sure it would grab me, but it took hold and didn’t let go. I read straight through from the middle to the ending in one sitting to discover what happens.

I’ve always loved reading and my favorite books have well-developed characters, a compelling storyline weaving plot elements together, twists/turns, and beautiful/intricate prose. This author manages all deftly.

Wendell is my favorite character; He melts my heart. No spoilers. You’ll see what I mean.

Favorite quotes:

"I agree with what you said on the playground, about how you shouldn't kick hornets," he says.

"Honeybees die after they sting you," he goes on. "But hornets just keep stinging."

“For the first three months of their lives, babies are "obligate nose breathers." Billy knows this from a nature show. They breathe through their noses because they use their mouths to suck milk from their mother's breasts.”

“..Some people, lots of people, choose to help someone not for praise or status or likes, but because that's what humans do. We help each other."

There are a few triggers in the book; all central to the storyline:

• Infidelity
• Miscarriage
• Domestic violence
• Physical/mental abuse
• Arson

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC I received and the opportunity to read and review this book. This is my honest, thoughtful and voluntary review.

Plays Well With Others follows the perspectives of multiple characters including Jake (who was betrayed by ex-friend Shelby), Mabel (Jake’s neighbor), Billy (lives in one of the bungalows next to Jake and near Mabel), and Wendell (a boy who was injured by his father and lives across the street).

The main story centers around Jake, whose ex best friend posted bits of their correspondence on social media which caused Jake to be canceled. Things aren’t as rosy as them seem in the little neighborhood and Jake and Mabel team up to take on others in this dangerous game of revenge.

I really enjoyed this book. Well drawn characters and interesting twists kept me well engaged in the storyline. Four stars for this exciting thriller.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

This thriller pulled me right in and kept me turning the pages-- I found myself staying up late to read because I couldn't put it down! Myracle's writing style is smooth, readable, and thoroughly enjoyable, with a captivating voice and fun bits of humor. She keeps the tension and curiosity high throughout, bringing in secrets, revenge, betrayals, and grudges, while heightening the stakes and culminating in an explosive ending that I didn't see coming.

I loved how layered the story felt, more so than most thrillers I read, with real depth to the characters (both children and adults), especially the main character, Jake (a woman), who has been through the past trauma of a still birth-- I felt deeply for her heart-wrenching experiences. I also felt for her because of the betrayals she suffered from her husband and best friend, and I was rooting for her to create a fulfilling new life and fresh friendships in her new neighborhood. I appreciated some of the larger societal themes that the story grapples with, including the far-reaching consequences of child abuse, as well as the devastating harm resulting from unjustified attacks on social media.

If you're looking for an engaging, emotional story with the genre-blending depth of a Liane Moriarty novel and the twists and tension of a page-turning thriller, this is the book for you!

This is the first non-YA book I've read by Lauren Myracle, and it did not disappoint! Jake moves into a new community after being cancelled on the internet by her best friend and former husband. Not only does she seek some revenge, there are strange things going on with her new neighbors. Jake begins to snoop with her new friend and neighbor to figure out what is going on behind the closed doors of her cul-de-sac. I really enjoyed this one! Looking forward to more.

1 star.

Jake (a woman. I was confused at first.) was married to Adam. They had a baby who died then not too long after that Adam left Jake for her best friend, Shelby…but not before Shelby was kind enough to make Jake a pariah both online and in Fort Collins, Colorado by posting comments on social media showing Jake denigrating those with cleft palates (this makes sense in context.) I guess the silver lining is at least we know Adam and Shelby are perfect for each other, amirite?

Jake licks her wounds for a year then moves to a new neighborhood where she meets Mabel and tells all. Mabel also has a nemesis, someone on the Good Neighbor app (read NextDoor please don’t sue me) who always goes after her online. Then Jake finds out something about that person and Mabel thinks the two of them need to get revenge. Oh, and there are also the neighborhood kids who have issues.

I think Myracle may be a YA writer and you can see that here. The whole thing is childish in the way it’s set up and with its ridiculous coincidences. Plus there’s a shout out to Hobby Lobby which is not a friend to women, so no thanks there. I think I rolled my eyes so many times one of them is permanently stuck. So now I’m a freak until someone gives me a hearty smack on the back. Thanks, Lauren Myracle.

Amazing book loved it so much! I couldn't stop turning pages, sucked me in and finished it within 2 days. I cannot stop thinking about it, love books like this

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing this book, with my honest review below.

I found Plays Well with Others to be the most surprising book I’ve picked up yet in 2025, and I do mean that in the sense that it went far wider and deeper than I expected - the best way possible.

Jake has gone infamously viral after saying the worst things possible about babies with cleft lips and palates in an email to her best friend - seemingly caught up in her fury at said friend after Jake discovered her affair with her husband. In reality, Jake’s email was doctored by said supposed friend, and Jake was also mourning the death of her unborn baby with said husband. The cards fell where they will, though, and the world thinks of Jake as a monster with no input from her exposing what’s occurred, Jake quietly retreating to a new home post divorce to watch a bit too closely as her husband and her ex best friend play house.

I was sure from this opening that the mystery and thriller element would be Jake joining forces with another women to take her exes down, going too far. And I wasn’t wrong in some ways, but this is so much more. We learn about Jake’s upbringing and why she’s not advocated for herself through this trauma and how that’s colored by her experience with past trauma. We also learn about her friend, Mabel’s, own skeletons. And finally, at times sweetly but unexpectedly, we have a third mystery with the kids in Jake’s new neighborhood, all having dealt with or dealing with their own forms of trauma. All of these plot lines marry together well, never getting to be too much but all making sense in the broader scheme. And for those that expect it given how Jake’s been wronged, there’s also some healthy and unhealthy revenge at play, though it’s secondary to the larger drivers in the story.

As mentioned, I was incredibly surprised by the robust story I ended up completely absorbed in. This is more than a mystery thriller, with plenty of heart and anger but, really, all the emotions across the spectrum. Recommended for all, this book has something for everyone.

Wow, this books was AND wasn't what I expected, if that makes sense. First of all, there were parts of it that were genuinely sad- especially the parts concerning the children, Billy and Wendell. I so badly wanted everything to turn out well for them, and there were times I considered not finishing the book because I was afraid things would turn out the absolute opposite of "well". It was heartbreaking to see how adults behaving badly hurt the children in the story so deeply. Aside from all of that, though, this book was actually much better than I had expected. I cannot think of a genuine complaint, unless you consider what I wrote about the trauma the children went through a complaint. (I don't). The story was richly layered and well-written; characters were fully fleshed out; aside from a few sad parts, the characters who deserved karma were served their karmic retribution, and the characters who deserved their happy ending seemed on their way to having one. There wasn't really a thing that I didn't like about this book, and although it is my first time reading anything written by Lauren Myracle, it certainly will not be my last! I'll definitely be recommending this to our customers and my friends and family alike, of course. It's 100% a must-read!

4.25 stars

This was an excellent debut (if I’m not mistaken). I was completely captivated and couldn’t put this one down. Every time I thought I could take a break I needed to know more. I ended up reading it over the course of a day. And wow is all I can say. The tension was perfect and the characters, lol, all troublesome but in the best of ways.
I can’t wait to read more by Myracle

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I was really really impressed with what I think was Myracle’s adult debut?? Read it in two sittings. After Jake is publicly humiliated by a social media scandal involving her ex-husband and her former best friend, she just wants to lay low with a new group of neighbors who have no idea of her history. But she just can’t help seeking revenge on those who have wronged her, spurred on by new friend Mabel. Also part of the cast of characters are neighbors Billy and his horrible awful mother and siblings Delilah and Wendell, who end up with their aunt after a horrible accident. I was confused for a while about what the point was of sharing all these different storylines, but they dovetailed so perfectly. Juicy and suspenseful!