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With Friends Like These
A group of Harvard alums have played a secret game for decades but as the stakes rise, deadly consequences emerge from old lies.
Harvard promised them everything... Ambitious futures, peers who pushed each other toward their absolute best, and an education that would open doors for the rest of their lives. And though they started out as roommates, Sara, Bee, Dina, Allie, Wesley, and Claudine soon became family. They had their whole bright lives ahead of them—until their senior year, when a shocking tragedy changed everything.
Twenty years later, five of the roommates still indulge in a secret tradition they’ve kept alive since their campus the Circus, a harmless elimination-style “killing” game played across the private rooms and hidden alleys of New York City. The game is a nod to their younger selves and a tribute to the sixth roommate they lost too young. But this year, Sara wants out of the game—until she discovers there is a small fortune awaiting the winner of this final round.
As the Circus unfolds, Sara begins to suspect that the others aren’t playing by the rules, and as the danger turns real and the old friends start pointing fingers, she discovers that even those closest to her harbor secrets of their own… secrets that could kill.
Harvard promised them everything... Ambitious futures, peers who pushed each other toward their absolute best, and an education that would open doors for the rest of their lives. And though they started out as roommates, Sara, Bee, Dina, Allie, Wesley, and Claudine soon became family. They had their whole bright lives ahead of them—until their senior year, when a shocking tragedy changed everything.
Twenty years later, five of the roommates still indulge in a secret tradition they’ve kept alive since their campus the Circus, a harmless elimination-style “killing” game played across the private rooms and hidden alleys of New York City. The game is a nod to their younger selves and a tribute to the sixth roommate they lost too young. But this year, Sara wants out of the game—until she discovers there is a small fortune awaiting the winner of this final round.
As the Circus unfolds, Sara begins to suspect that the others aren’t playing by the rules, and as the danger turns real and the old friends start pointing fingers, she discovers that even those closest to her harbor secrets of their own… secrets that could kill.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published November 4, 2025
71 people are currently reading
12994 people want to read
About the author
Alissa Lee
2 books24 followersAlissa Lee is the author of With Friends Like These (Simon & Schuster). She was previously Associate General Counsel, head of the Asia Pacific and Latin America legal teams, and Chief Operating Officer, Legal, at Google, and is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School. Although fiercely proud of her New Jersey roots, she now lives in the Bay Area with her husband and Rhodesian Ridgeback.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 564 reviews
July 21, 2025
I just finished reading this book, and I’m not quite sure how to describe it. I really enjoyed it, but it was different… At first I wasn’t sure what I was going to think about it, as I thought I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the characters, but once the story got rolling- it was no problem at all!
This story starts off with our main character, Sara, thinking she sees Claudine. Claudine is their college roommate who was killed 23 years ago. For the past 20 years, Sara and her friends have played a game to keep Claudine’s memory alive. This game that they play is called the Circus.
Sara doesn’t want to continue in the Circus game anymore, but this year there is a lot of money at stake. They vote to play one more year- one last game. Through this game, we learn a bit about each of the friends, which includes: Sara, Dina, Allie, Wesley, and Bee. With all the money there is to be won, can any of these women be trusted? And is there really the ghost of Claudine around town?
I honestly enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I also had it figured out early on who was causing all the confusion and unrest amongst the friends, but that still didn’t bother me.
I would definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a quick read. This book is also for those who enjoy reading about friend groups, and how they stand the test of time.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and the author for a DRC of this book in which I had the pleasure of reading.
Publication date: November 4, 2025.
Genre~ Mystery & Thrillers, General Fiction, Women’s (Adult)
This story starts off with our main character, Sara, thinking she sees Claudine. Claudine is their college roommate who was killed 23 years ago. For the past 20 years, Sara and her friends have played a game to keep Claudine’s memory alive. This game that they play is called the Circus.
Sara doesn’t want to continue in the Circus game anymore, but this year there is a lot of money at stake. They vote to play one more year- one last game. Through this game, we learn a bit about each of the friends, which includes: Sara, Dina, Allie, Wesley, and Bee. With all the money there is to be won, can any of these women be trusted? And is there really the ghost of Claudine around town?
I honestly enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I also had it figured out early on who was causing all the confusion and unrest amongst the friends, but that still didn’t bother me.
I would definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a quick read. This book is also for those who enjoy reading about friend groups, and how they stand the test of time.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and the author for a DRC of this book in which I had the pleasure of reading.
Publication date: November 4, 2025.
Genre~ Mystery & Thrillers, General Fiction, Women’s (Adult)
May 5, 2025
♥ My Overall Thoughts and Rating ♥
I found this short novella to be boring and not my cup of tea. I felt like it lacked in a lot of areas and could have been a lot better. It was not well executed and I found all of the characters in this book unlikable. I was expecting this to be very action packed, along with having mystery and thriller vibes. However, I didn’t get any of those vibes in this book. It felt like I was reading a drama book. It is about five friends from Harvard playing circus one last and final time. Just because it was not for me, does not mean you won’t like it! Be sure to read the content warnings! Overall, I rate this a 2 out of 5 stars.
♥ Thank You ♥
Thank you to NetGalley, author Alissa Lee and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
♥ Publication Date ♥
This book is expected to be published on November 4, 2025.
I found this short novella to be boring and not my cup of tea. I felt like it lacked in a lot of areas and could have been a lot better. It was not well executed and I found all of the characters in this book unlikable. I was expecting this to be very action packed, along with having mystery and thriller vibes. However, I didn’t get any of those vibes in this book. It felt like I was reading a drama book. It is about five friends from Harvard playing circus one last and final time. Just because it was not for me, does not mean you won’t like it! Be sure to read the content warnings! Overall, I rate this a 2 out of 5 stars.
♥ Thank You ♥
Thank you to NetGalley, author Alissa Lee and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
♥ Publication Date ♥
This book is expected to be published on November 4, 2025.
November 16, 2025
A short book full of lofty ideas, With Friends Like These was a stirring tale of guilt, friendship, greed, and the weight of long-buried secrets. And, oh by the way, it most certainly delivered. From the complexly nuanced themes to the ever-present sense of foreboding, I quickly fell into Sara’s harried world even if it was told through a slow-boiling narrative that consisted of a paranoia-inducing game on top of a dark academia vibe. You see, this book, while billed as a thriller, felt more like a well-written domestic drama to me. Looking at a small group of friends and their traumatic pasts, it got me thinking long and hard about how my own friendships have changed over the years. That being said, there was definitely a certain amount of low-level suspense due to the cat-and-mouse antics and complicated motives in this anything-goes battle to win.
Despite the fact that the book was far slower and less adrenaline-fueled than I was expecting, I do have to say that the twist was a *chef’s kiss* revelation. Dropping my jaw to the floor thanks to an about-face that I never saw coming, it brought the whole plot together with utter perfection. Following a close second to the twist was the perfectly wrapped-up conclusion. I can’t say why without a long list of spoilers, but just know that it left a smile on my face even if it wasn’t what I saw coming at all. Done and dusted, in spite of the fact that it took a bit to adjust to the real vibe of the novel, I happily lost track of time while reading. An intricate brew of complex group dynamics, suspicious friends, and layers of secrets, I highly recommend giving it a try. Just try to go into it with an open mind instead of expecting a fast-paced thriller full of action. Rating of 4 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Harvard promised them everything.
Ambitious futures, peers who pushed each other toward their absolute best, and an education that would open doors for the rest of their lives. And though they started out as roommates, Sara, Bee, Dina, Allie, Wesley, and Claudine soon became family. They had their whole bright lives ahead of them—until their senior year, when a shocking tragedy changed everything.
Twenty years later, five of the roommates still indulge in a secret tradition they’ve kept alive since their campus days: the Circus, a harmless elimination-style “killing” game played across the private rooms and hidden alleys of New York City. The game is a nod to their younger selves and a tribute to the sixth roommate they lost too young. But this year, Sara wants out of the game—until she discovers there is a small fortune awaiting the winner of this final round.
As the Circus unfolds, Sara begins to suspect that the others aren’t playing by the rules, and as the danger turns real and the old friends start pointing fingers, she discovers that even those closest to her harbor secrets of their own…secrets that could kill.
Thank you to Alissa Lee and Atria Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: November 4, 2025
Content warning: threatening messages, mention of: drug and alcohol abuse
Despite the fact that the book was far slower and less adrenaline-fueled than I was expecting, I do have to say that the twist was a *chef’s kiss* revelation. Dropping my jaw to the floor thanks to an about-face that I never saw coming, it brought the whole plot together with utter perfection. Following a close second to the twist was the perfectly wrapped-up conclusion. I can’t say why without a long list of spoilers, but just know that it left a smile on my face even if it wasn’t what I saw coming at all. Done and dusted, in spite of the fact that it took a bit to adjust to the real vibe of the novel, I happily lost track of time while reading. An intricate brew of complex group dynamics, suspicious friends, and layers of secrets, I highly recommend giving it a try. Just try to go into it with an open mind instead of expecting a fast-paced thriller full of action. Rating of 4 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Harvard promised them everything.
Ambitious futures, peers who pushed each other toward their absolute best, and an education that would open doors for the rest of their lives. And though they started out as roommates, Sara, Bee, Dina, Allie, Wesley, and Claudine soon became family. They had their whole bright lives ahead of them—until their senior year, when a shocking tragedy changed everything.
Twenty years later, five of the roommates still indulge in a secret tradition they’ve kept alive since their campus days: the Circus, a harmless elimination-style “killing” game played across the private rooms and hidden alleys of New York City. The game is a nod to their younger selves and a tribute to the sixth roommate they lost too young. But this year, Sara wants out of the game—until she discovers there is a small fortune awaiting the winner of this final round.
As the Circus unfolds, Sara begins to suspect that the others aren’t playing by the rules, and as the danger turns real and the old friends start pointing fingers, she discovers that even those closest to her harbor secrets of their own…secrets that could kill.
Thank you to Alissa Lee and Atria Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: November 4, 2025
Content warning: threatening messages, mention of: drug and alcohol abuse
May 14, 2025
ARC for review. To be published November 4, 2025.
2.5 stars
Sara, Bee, Dina, Wesley, Allie and Claudine were college roommates. It was a big room. No, they keep calling each other “roommates,” when I assume the author meant they were suitemates. This really annoyed me throughout for no good reason, except, say what you mean, people. Especially since y’all went to Harvard.
At their residence hall they played a “murder” game where people draw for a “victim,” “kill” that victim, then move on to another until someone wins the game. Then the girls like the game so much they continue to play it as adults, and even after the death of Claudine, who fell out of a window and died while they were in college. Apparently at least one witness claimed he saw Sara, the narrator, push Claudine, but he recanted after Bee got involved.
Now the women are playing the game one last time and there is a huge sum of money at stake for the winner. But Sara is seeing a ghost and it seems like someone might not be playing fair.
So what immediately comes to mind here is that group of men who had been playing tag for decades…there’s even a Hollywood movie about it. Both seem very odd, this seems creepier. The story had a few semi-large plot holes, and call me crazy, but I thought it was kind of easy to guess whodunit. I came away feeling like there was a better story buried in here somewhere. Deep. Way deep.
2.5 stars
Sara, Bee, Dina, Wesley, Allie and Claudine were college roommates. It was a big room. No, they keep calling each other “roommates,” when I assume the author meant they were suitemates. This really annoyed me throughout for no good reason, except, say what you mean, people. Especially since y’all went to Harvard.
At their residence hall they played a “murder” game where people draw for a “victim,” “kill” that victim, then move on to another until someone wins the game. Then the girls like the game so much they continue to play it as adults, and even after the death of Claudine, who fell out of a window and died while they were in college. Apparently at least one witness claimed he saw Sara, the narrator, push Claudine, but he recanted after Bee got involved.
Now the women are playing the game one last time and there is a huge sum of money at stake for the winner. But Sara is seeing a ghost and it seems like someone might not be playing fair.
So what immediately comes to mind here is that group of men who had been playing tag for decades…there’s even a Hollywood movie about it. Both seem very odd, this seems creepier. The story had a few semi-large plot holes, and call me crazy, but I thought it was kind of easy to guess whodunit. I came away feeling like there was a better story buried in here somewhere. Deep. Way deep.
November 4, 2025
Book Review 📖 🔪🎓
thank you so much partner @atriathrillers @atriabooks #atriapartner for the gifted ARC!
With Friends Like These
by Alissa Lee
About the book 👇🏽
Harvard promised them everything.
Ambitious futures, peers who pushed each other toward their absolute best, and an education that would open doors for the rest of their lives. And though they started out as roommates, Sara, Bee, Dina, Allie, Wesley, and Claudine soon became family. They had their whole bright lives ahead of them—until their senior year, when a shocking tragedy changed everything.
Twenty years later, five of the roommates still indulge in a secret tradition they’ve kept alive since their campus days: the Circus, a harmless elimination-style “killing” game played across the private rooms and hidden alleys of New York City. The game is a nod to their younger selves and a tribute to the sixth roommate they lost too young. But this year, Sara wants out of the game—until she discovers there is a small fortune awaiting the winner of this final round.
🎓 My thoughts:
A fast twisty read for those who love a killer game! Full of secrets and disloyalty, this is one you can binge in a sitting. I brought this on my little staycation and I was happy to have been able to finish it while still doing all the things. I’d probably call this a slow burn and although I was able to figure out the who, I still had a good time with this one and would happily read another book by Alissa Lee! If you enjoy reading books with deceit, academia, and layered stories, I think you’d enjoy this one. With Friends Like These hits shelves 11/4/25!
Happy reading 📖 🔪🎓
thank you so much partner @atriathrillers @atriabooks #atriapartner for the gifted ARC!
With Friends Like These
by Alissa Lee
About the book 👇🏽
Harvard promised them everything.
Ambitious futures, peers who pushed each other toward their absolute best, and an education that would open doors for the rest of their lives. And though they started out as roommates, Sara, Bee, Dina, Allie, Wesley, and Claudine soon became family. They had their whole bright lives ahead of them—until their senior year, when a shocking tragedy changed everything.
Twenty years later, five of the roommates still indulge in a secret tradition they’ve kept alive since their campus days: the Circus, a harmless elimination-style “killing” game played across the private rooms and hidden alleys of New York City. The game is a nod to their younger selves and a tribute to the sixth roommate they lost too young. But this year, Sara wants out of the game—until she discovers there is a small fortune awaiting the winner of this final round.
🎓 My thoughts:
A fast twisty read for those who love a killer game! Full of secrets and disloyalty, this is one you can binge in a sitting. I brought this on my little staycation and I was happy to have been able to finish it while still doing all the things. I’d probably call this a slow burn and although I was able to figure out the who, I still had a good time with this one and would happily read another book by Alissa Lee! If you enjoy reading books with deceit, academia, and layered stories, I think you’d enjoy this one. With Friends Like These hits shelves 11/4/25!
Happy reading 📖 🔪🎓
December 31, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
My last read of 2025 is a peculiar one. A group of women- all professionals who have been friends since their years at Harvard- play a kill game called " The Circus." But in the 20th year, Sara, our protagonist, wants out of the game, but the other women convince her to play one last time.
Then things get crazy.
Yeah... I read this in one sitting, but my eyebrows are raised at how crazy this entire plot turned out to be. Yes, it is fiction, and we as readers do need to suspend our own notions sometimes, but this was really out there. Had a hard time "playing" along.
Publication Date 04/11/25
Goodreads Review 31/12/25
My last read of 2025 is a peculiar one. A group of women- all professionals who have been friends since their years at Harvard- play a kill game called " The Circus." But in the 20th year, Sara, our protagonist, wants out of the game, but the other women convince her to play one last time.
Then things get crazy.
Yeah... I read this in one sitting, but my eyebrows are raised at how crazy this entire plot turned out to be. Yes, it is fiction, and we as readers do need to suspend our own notions sometimes, but this was really out there. Had a hard time "playing" along.
Publication Date 04/11/25
Goodreads Review 31/12/25
November 8, 2025
2.5 ranked down to a 2.
I really struggled with this book. The premise was good, but it really lacked in execution. It was messy, confusing, and not very clear at all. It also left many threads hanging, and you just end up feeling like everything was left unresolved. I was able to stick with it, but it was a slow read.
Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I really struggled with this book. The premise was good, but it really lacked in execution. It was messy, confusing, and not very clear at all. It also left many threads hanging, and you just end up feeling like everything was left unresolved. I was able to stick with it, but it was a slow read.
Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
October 26, 2025
There are many books about a group of friends who have known each other for decades. Some of them are quite suspenseful and intriguing, some are very good and some are… not. I’m very sorry but I had to quit reading after about 20%.
As all the women who met as students at Harvard gather together for the 20th time, we get brief, very brief, descriptions of where they are now in life. Furthermore we get to read about their memories of their student life and last but not least, we see them drink, drink and drink. It may be because I’m not from the USA but I was quickly bored by descriptions of obscure student rituals and parties. None of the characters spoke to me so I wasn’t looking forward to the rest of the book. Two stars because it’s a debut.
Thanks to Atria and Edelweiss for this review copy.
As all the women who met as students at Harvard gather together for the 20th time, we get brief, very brief, descriptions of where they are now in life. Furthermore we get to read about their memories of their student life and last but not least, we see them drink, drink and drink. It may be because I’m not from the USA but I was quickly bored by descriptions of obscure student rituals and parties. None of the characters spoke to me so I wasn’t looking forward to the rest of the book. Two stars because it’s a debut.
Thanks to Atria and Edelweiss for this review copy.
October 27, 2025
Thank you to Alissa Lee and Atria Books for my copy of this one. It was about five college roommates who experienced tragedy and stay close by keeping group traditions. The most controversial one is a yearly game where the women "kill" the others, elimination style, until only one is left standing. This year is different, because there is a giant prize and a lot more at stake than bragging rights. Someone will stop at nothing to win, even if that means hurting the other girls and hunting them down one by one.
Thoughts: This was a fun twist on an academic thriller. It was fast paced and the chapters moved quickly. It had suspense and kept me guessing, though the characters were fairly one dimensional and not very unique. I thought there were too many plot holes and the ending was not satisfying and there were things that made no sense at all. Even though it moved quickly, not much happened in the story, so it was 3 stars for me.
Thoughts: This was a fun twist on an academic thriller. It was fast paced and the chapters moved quickly. It had suspense and kept me guessing, though the characters were fairly one dimensional and not very unique. I thought there were too many plot holes and the ending was not satisfying and there were things that made no sense at all. Even though it moved quickly, not much happened in the story, so it was 3 stars for me.
May 6, 2025
I am about 60% into this one and I LOVE the writing style, the length is perfect for what my brain is craving currently, the cover is really neat too, so I am into it. I will say I wish there was a bit more action happening at this point (versus one or two small build ups) but this is a fun read regardless currently.
70% in and this definitely isn’t my favorite thriller ever, but its a fun quick read.
80% in this is sad, I don’t think this one is for me, but I am interested in reading other books by this author!
Finished. This is probably not the book for me and I do not think I am the reader for it, but I think it’s a quick thriller and I enjoyed the writing style. Just because this was not my favorite, doesn’t mean it won’t be yours!!
Thank you Net Galley for the free eARC! I am leaving this honest feedback voluntarily.
70% in and this definitely isn’t my favorite thriller ever, but its a fun quick read.
80% in this is sad, I don’t think this one is for me, but I am interested in reading other books by this author!
Finished. This is probably not the book for me and I do not think I am the reader for it, but I think it’s a quick thriller and I enjoyed the writing style. Just because this was not my favorite, doesn’t mean it won’t be yours!!
Thank you Net Galley for the free eARC! I am leaving this honest feedback voluntarily.
November 4, 2025
Last Woman Standing
A review of the NetGalley eBook ARC released in advance of the Atria/Emily Bestler Books hardcover / eBook / audiobook (published November 4, 2025).
The marketing promos did lead me to expect something more gothic and noirish in this mystery. That was due to mentions of dark academia and "secret game" and "secrets that could kill." It is more of an off-and-on again female rivalry and bonding story.
A group of 6 Harvard University students had indulged in what was called the "Winthrop House Game", a "last woman standing" game played with water guns. One of them died through accidental circumstances which were clouded by an element of suspicion. 20 years later the remaining 5 are still playing a variant of the game, now called the "Circus." The twist is that now the final prize is close to a $Million dollars due to an earlier buy-in pot of money invested towards the beginning. Despite their apparent present-day surface success, each of the women do really need the money now.
Events do take a darker turn towards the end, but this is not a sequence of fatal eliminations although injuries and dangers do occur. A ruthless culprit is still revealed in the end. This was more along the lines of chick-lit drama rather than its murderous promise.
My thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance ARC copy for which I provide this honest review.
Trivia and Links
This is author Alissa Lee's first novel. Her background at Harvard College and Harvard Law School does lend authenticity to the flashback scenes in With Friends Like These. See further information about the book and related events at her website here.
The publisher's promo for With Friends Like These notes that it will appeal to fans of Julia Bartz (The Writing Retreat (2023) a.o.) and Katy Hays (The Cloisters (2022) a.o.).
A review of the NetGalley eBook ARC released in advance of the Atria/Emily Bestler Books hardcover / eBook / audiobook (published November 4, 2025).
The marketing promos did lead me to expect something more gothic and noirish in this mystery. That was due to mentions of dark academia and "secret game" and "secrets that could kill." It is more of an off-and-on again female rivalry and bonding story.
A group of 6 Harvard University students had indulged in what was called the "Winthrop House Game", a "last woman standing" game played with water guns. One of them died through accidental circumstances which were clouded by an element of suspicion. 20 years later the remaining 5 are still playing a variant of the game, now called the "Circus." The twist is that now the final prize is close to a $Million dollars due to an earlier buy-in pot of money invested towards the beginning. Despite their apparent present-day surface success, each of the women do really need the money now.
Events do take a darker turn towards the end, but this is not a sequence of fatal eliminations although injuries and dangers do occur. A ruthless culprit is still revealed in the end. This was more along the lines of chick-lit drama rather than its murderous promise.
My thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance ARC copy for which I provide this honest review.
Trivia and Links
This is author Alissa Lee's first novel. Her background at Harvard College and Harvard Law School does lend authenticity to the flashback scenes in With Friends Like These. See further information about the book and related events at her website here.
The publisher's promo for With Friends Like These notes that it will appeal to fans of Julia Bartz (The Writing Retreat (2023) a.o.) and Katy Hays (The Cloisters (2022) a.o.).
August 3, 2025
I often feel nostalgic when I think back to my college days, reminiscing about friendships made and lost. The idea of a group of friends who remain connected intrigues me. Add in a high-stakes game, and it seems like the perfect setup for an excellent plot, provided the execution lives up to the concept.
Twenty years after graduating from Harvard, five former college friends—Sara, Bee, Dina, Allie, and Wesley—are reunited by an old tradition: the Circus, a secret, risky game of elimination they’ve been playing since their school days. Originally a carefree water gun competition, the game has evolved into something much more dangerous and deeply personal, held each year in memory of their sixth friend, Claudine, who died under mysterious circumstances during college.
As the group comes together for what may be their final round of this game, tensions run high. Secrets emerge, long-buried resentments are revealed, and the lines between loyalty and betrayal start to blur. Each participant has something to prove—or something to hide. When this year’s game takes a dark turn, it becomes evident that not everyone will walk away unscathed, and some friendships were built on shakier ground than anyone realized.
While the premise suggests suspense, the story leans more toward an emotional exploration of adulthood, privilege, grief, and competitive obsession rather than a traditional mystery or thriller. The lack of the thrill slows down the plot progression throughout the storytelling.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books.
Twenty years after graduating from Harvard, five former college friends—Sara, Bee, Dina, Allie, and Wesley—are reunited by an old tradition: the Circus, a secret, risky game of elimination they’ve been playing since their school days. Originally a carefree water gun competition, the game has evolved into something much more dangerous and deeply personal, held each year in memory of their sixth friend, Claudine, who died under mysterious circumstances during college.
As the group comes together for what may be their final round of this game, tensions run high. Secrets emerge, long-buried resentments are revealed, and the lines between loyalty and betrayal start to blur. Each participant has something to prove—or something to hide. When this year’s game takes a dark turn, it becomes evident that not everyone will walk away unscathed, and some friendships were built on shakier ground than anyone realized.
While the premise suggests suspense, the story leans more toward an emotional exploration of adulthood, privilege, grief, and competitive obsession rather than a traditional mystery or thriller. The lack of the thrill slows down the plot progression throughout the storytelling.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books.
December 17, 2025
Thank you Atria, Alissa Lee and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Unfortunately, I’ll be DNFing this book at the 73% mark because despite my hopes, it just didn’t get better for me.
The first issue I had was the inability to take the main event (the circus) as seriously as the plot needed me to. It just sounds very silly and not exactly high stakes.
The friend dynamic was also not as tense as I had hoped for and the whole mystery surrounding the dead lost friend was simply not that intriguing. I didn’t care for the whole potential ghost component as that didn’t really leave me at the edge of my seat.
I was mostly just bored and with a thriller I expect to feel suspense and find myself thinking about how it will all come to be, but with this book that never really hit.
Sadly not for me.
Unfortunately, I’ll be DNFing this book at the 73% mark because despite my hopes, it just didn’t get better for me.
The first issue I had was the inability to take the main event (the circus) as seriously as the plot needed me to. It just sounds very silly and not exactly high stakes.
The friend dynamic was also not as tense as I had hoped for and the whole mystery surrounding the dead lost friend was simply not that intriguing. I didn’t care for the whole potential ghost component as that didn’t really leave me at the edge of my seat.
I was mostly just bored and with a thriller I expect to feel suspense and find myself thinking about how it will all come to be, but with this book that never really hit.
Sadly not for me.
January 27, 2026
Review coming soon.
October 18, 2025
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Nov. 4, 2025
Alissa Lee’s debut novel, “With Friends Like These” is a dark, academic mystery about the tangled web of loyalties that exist between long-time friends.
As roommates at Harvard, Sara, Bee, Wesley, Dina, Allie and Claudine were inseparable. Every year, they participated in a game called “the Circus”, where each participant would draw a name, and the goal would be to “eliminate” their target by shooting them with a water pistol. Even into adulthood, the women continued to play every year, even though the stakes get higher as each woman had more and more to lose. Finally, the women decide to play one final time- marking the twentieth anniversary of The Circus. But as the women target each other, what started off as a fun way to reconnect turns deadly as the women become real targets of someone who is out to harm them. Sara knows that these women, who are as close to her as family, would never hurt each other on purpose—or would they?
“Friends” is a fun and fast-paced read, focusing on the complex yet intense friendships between four vibrant young women as they try to stay connected into adulthood through a nostalgic ritual. Sara is the protagonist and narrator, so we experience the other women’s stories through Sara’s eyes, however Sara seems to be the most relatable character of the group, so it makes sense that she would be highlighted. Lee’s dynamic and vastly different group of roommates are charming yet flawed in their own ways, all with different ideas of the concept of loyalty.
The mystery starts when one of the women, Bee, receives a threatening message to stop playing the game, and the story continues its pulse-pounding journey right through to the final pages, never letting up. Is one of the friend group responsible? Could it possibly be someone from their past trying to convey a message? Any of these, and a few more, are very possible, and I loved how Lee created a completely tense and unguessable mystery, which I was not able to figure out until Lee revealed it herself.
The relationship between the women is honest and heartwarming, as they try to connect with the young students they once were, and the mystery is intriguing and tense. The ending was completely unexpected but provided a perfect conclusion to the plotline, connecting all the variables and ensuring there were no unanswered questions.
“Friends” is a remarkable debut, and I look forward to seeing what else Lee has in store for us.
Expected publication date: Nov. 4, 2025
Alissa Lee’s debut novel, “With Friends Like These” is a dark, academic mystery about the tangled web of loyalties that exist between long-time friends.
As roommates at Harvard, Sara, Bee, Wesley, Dina, Allie and Claudine were inseparable. Every year, they participated in a game called “the Circus”, where each participant would draw a name, and the goal would be to “eliminate” their target by shooting them with a water pistol. Even into adulthood, the women continued to play every year, even though the stakes get higher as each woman had more and more to lose. Finally, the women decide to play one final time- marking the twentieth anniversary of The Circus. But as the women target each other, what started off as a fun way to reconnect turns deadly as the women become real targets of someone who is out to harm them. Sara knows that these women, who are as close to her as family, would never hurt each other on purpose—or would they?
“Friends” is a fun and fast-paced read, focusing on the complex yet intense friendships between four vibrant young women as they try to stay connected into adulthood through a nostalgic ritual. Sara is the protagonist and narrator, so we experience the other women’s stories through Sara’s eyes, however Sara seems to be the most relatable character of the group, so it makes sense that she would be highlighted. Lee’s dynamic and vastly different group of roommates are charming yet flawed in their own ways, all with different ideas of the concept of loyalty.
The mystery starts when one of the women, Bee, receives a threatening message to stop playing the game, and the story continues its pulse-pounding journey right through to the final pages, never letting up. Is one of the friend group responsible? Could it possibly be someone from their past trying to convey a message? Any of these, and a few more, are very possible, and I loved how Lee created a completely tense and unguessable mystery, which I was not able to figure out until Lee revealed it herself.
The relationship between the women is honest and heartwarming, as they try to connect with the young students they once were, and the mystery is intriguing and tense. The ending was completely unexpected but provided a perfect conclusion to the plotline, connecting all the variables and ensuring there were no unanswered questions.
“Friends” is a remarkable debut, and I look forward to seeing what else Lee has in store for us.
May 12, 2025
This was fine.
I did think our characters were a bit pretentious and the game a bit stupid, but I didn't actually hate any of the women and wanted to see how it would all pan out.
The *who* behind everything was painfully obvious and went back to the fact that our characters seem to spend their lives making very bad choices.
Some of the reasoning behind things was illogical...as was the game as a whole.
However, the book itself was suspenseful and the read was a pleasant enough interlude.
* ARC via Publisher
I did think our characters were a bit pretentious and the game a bit stupid, but I didn't actually hate any of the women and wanted to see how it would all pan out.
The *who* behind everything was painfully obvious and went back to the fact that our characters seem to spend their lives making very bad choices.
Some of the reasoning behind things was illogical...as was the game as a whole.
However, the book itself was suspenseful and the read was a pleasant enough interlude.
* ARC via Publisher
December 2, 2025
Sara, Dina, Bee, Allie, and Wesley have been “friends” since college. In the twenty years since graduating from Harvard, the women sporadically keep in touch with each other; some are closer—physically and emotionally—than others. When they get together for their annual game of the Circus, old rivalries, hurt feelings, and miscommunications ramp up the already heightened tension. The saying, “With friends like these, who needs enemies?” aptly describe the relationships between these women.
The main action of this book is the soul searching and realizations that our main character—Sara--immerses herself in with each character. Sara is ready to quit the Circus: the five-day cat-and-mouse game. Her marriage is suffering, and the game dredges up the hard memories of when a sixth friend (Claudine) died while playing the game.
It’s been two weeks since I finished this book (240 pages), and I can barely remember it. Luckily, I highlighted passages in the e-book and was able to skim through them to refresh my memory. I’m not too sure why I gave it three stars, but I will stick by my decision. There is much in this book that will have you turning inward and thinking of your friendships with a different eye.
I would like to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC e-book.
The main action of this book is the soul searching and realizations that our main character—Sara--immerses herself in with each character. Sara is ready to quit the Circus: the five-day cat-and-mouse game. Her marriage is suffering, and the game dredges up the hard memories of when a sixth friend (Claudine) died while playing the game.
It’s been two weeks since I finished this book (240 pages), and I can barely remember it. Luckily, I highlighted passages in the e-book and was able to skim through them to refresh my memory. I’m not too sure why I gave it three stars, but I will stick by my decision. There is much in this book that will have you turning inward and thinking of your friendships with a different eye.
I would like to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC e-book.
August 13, 2025
2.5
This had everything to be amazing, but it just wasn't. The premise is very interesting, a group of friends who know each other since college repeatedly get together to play a game of Circus and this is their 20th time doing so. It sounds like a fast paced, can't stop reading thriller but I found it boring and tiring.
The writing style wasn't my thing, the characters were uninteresting and because I didn't care about any of it the plot didn't move. It's also way less action packed than you would expect.
Unfortunately, this just wasn't for me.
Thank you Edelweiss and Atria for the ARC.
This had everything to be amazing, but it just wasn't. The premise is very interesting, a group of friends who know each other since college repeatedly get together to play a game of Circus and this is their 20th time doing so. It sounds like a fast paced, can't stop reading thriller but I found it boring and tiring.
The writing style wasn't my thing, the characters were uninteresting and because I didn't care about any of it the plot didn't move. It's also way less action packed than you would expect.
Unfortunately, this just wasn't for me.
Thank you Edelweiss and Atria for the ARC.
June 14, 2025
Adding to the mixed bag pile!
The concept is interesting, semi dark academia, a group of girls play a game where a chosen ‘victim’ gets ‘killed’ until the actual unfortunate passing of one of the girls, I thought the whole book would be set at school / school age but we actually move forward to the future when the girls are now grown up women and decide to play the deadly game one last time with high stakes and lots of money involved.
What I liked about it was that it was very fast paced definitely a one sitting read, the concept of the game was interesting if you ignore a couple of plot holes in there. What I wasn’t a huge fan of was that for a very fast paced book it didn’t feel like all that much happened, it could have been giving a lot more action and drama.
Thank you for the gifted copy!
Publishes : November 4th
The concept is interesting, semi dark academia, a group of girls play a game where a chosen ‘victim’ gets ‘killed’ until the actual unfortunate passing of one of the girls, I thought the whole book would be set at school / school age but we actually move forward to the future when the girls are now grown up women and decide to play the deadly game one last time with high stakes and lots of money involved.
What I liked about it was that it was very fast paced definitely a one sitting read, the concept of the game was interesting if you ignore a couple of plot holes in there. What I wasn’t a huge fan of was that for a very fast paced book it didn’t feel like all that much happened, it could have been giving a lot more action and drama.
Thank you for the gifted copy!
Publishes : November 4th
January 19, 2026
2.5 stars
With Friends Like These by Alissa Lee is a psychological thriller about a group of friends who play a game every year.
First, let me thank Edelweiss, the publisher Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This book was hard to rate. I enjoyed it - somewhat, but I also had problems with it.
I felt the story started really slowly, but it did pick up. As characters were added, it was hard to keep track of who was who. The teacher, the politician, the photographer, trust-fund woman, the stay-at-home mom. I was sure about Claudine --because she was the only dead one. Or perhaps I couldn't keep them straight because I just didn't care enough about them. I didn't like any of them, so I struggled to root for any of them to win the game. It was easy to pick out the perpetrator early on, and my mind didn't change throughout the book, so there was no real surprise.
On the good side, it was a fairly fast and easy read, and the writing style was good.
I think it was more drama than psychological thriller, so maybe it should have been classed differently. It lacked the excitement and suspense of a good thriller, but as a drama, it was fine. So determining what genre you are looking for will determine how much you enjoy it. Personally, I was looking for a thriller.
Anyway, until next time....
For a more thorough review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, my own synopsis of the book, and its author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
With Friends Like These by Alissa Lee is a psychological thriller about a group of friends who play a game every year.
First, let me thank Edelweiss, the publisher Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This book was hard to rate. I enjoyed it - somewhat, but I also had problems with it.
I felt the story started really slowly, but it did pick up. As characters were added, it was hard to keep track of who was who. The teacher, the politician, the photographer, trust-fund woman, the stay-at-home mom. I was sure about Claudine --because she was the only dead one. Or perhaps I couldn't keep them straight because I just didn't care enough about them. I didn't like any of them, so I struggled to root for any of them to win the game. It was easy to pick out the perpetrator early on, and my mind didn't change throughout the book, so there was no real surprise.
On the good side, it was a fairly fast and easy read, and the writing style was good.
I think it was more drama than psychological thriller, so maybe it should have been classed differently. It lacked the excitement and suspense of a good thriller, but as a drama, it was fine. So determining what genre you are looking for will determine how much you enjoy it. Personally, I was looking for a thriller.
Anyway, until next time....
For a more thorough review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, my own synopsis of the book, and its author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
August 29, 2025
2.5 - This had a lot of potential, but lacked the depth it needed to see it through. The characters act much younger than their age, and don't seem to have real friendships to each other. The main character has zero chemistry with her husband - it feels like they barely interact, and when they do, it's as if they were coworkers. The game itself didn't feel very intense, so I was confused why it was such a big, serious thing. Even the whole Claudine storyline wasn't very dark or intense. The twist wasn't very shocking. The concept is great, but this book lacked suspense and depth, which is what would have taken it to the next level.
Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the ARC.
Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the ARC.
December 15, 2025
2.5⭐️
i really wanted to like this... i went into "with friends like these" with high expectations, especially since the premise promised a thrilling mix of secrets, betrayal, and a dangerous game. at its core, the book follows a group of college friends who find themselves drawn into a deadly web of lies and manipulation, all tied to a secret game the harvard alums used to play. the game itself was intriguing; a high-stakes, morally questionable challenge that tests friendships and loyalty in dangerous ways. when the deadly consequences of the game start to unravel, the tension really kicks up, and i felt hooked in those moments.
i thought that lee did a great job capturing the ups and downs of friendships and how they all change over time, especially when trust is broken. the emotional depth is definitely there, and the characters felt real with all their flaws and complexities. at its best, the book does a great job of creating an atmosphere of suspense, and there are moments where the stakes feel really high. who can you trust when your closest friends are hiding things from you? that element kept me engaged, especially at the start.
i also liked the dark academia setting as it was definitely one of the strengths here. the atmosphere at Harvard, with its intellectual elite, shadowy histories, and pretentious charm, really sets the tone for the twisted relationships at play. you can almost feel the weight of tradition, secrecy, and academic ambition seeping into every corner of the story. it’s a great backdrop for a thriller, and lee uses it well to heighten the tension between the characters and the sense that something sinister is lurking beneath the surface.
the pacing was where I started to lose interest. the plot has some good twists and turns, but the suspense builds way too slowly. after the initial hook, the middle of the book gets bogged down in long, introspective passages and i felt that the tension that was set up early on starts to fade. for a thriller, i expected more momentum, but there were too many scenes that felt repetitive or overly focused on the characters’ inner conflicts rather than pushing the plot forward. it’s definitely an interesting read for fans of dark academia and psychological thrillers, but it didn’t hit the mark for me in the way i’d hoped.
thank you atria books for the eARC, all opinions are my own.
i really wanted to like this... i went into "with friends like these" with high expectations, especially since the premise promised a thrilling mix of secrets, betrayal, and a dangerous game. at its core, the book follows a group of college friends who find themselves drawn into a deadly web of lies and manipulation, all tied to a secret game the harvard alums used to play. the game itself was intriguing; a high-stakes, morally questionable challenge that tests friendships and loyalty in dangerous ways. when the deadly consequences of the game start to unravel, the tension really kicks up, and i felt hooked in those moments.
i thought that lee did a great job capturing the ups and downs of friendships and how they all change over time, especially when trust is broken. the emotional depth is definitely there, and the characters felt real with all their flaws and complexities. at its best, the book does a great job of creating an atmosphere of suspense, and there are moments where the stakes feel really high. who can you trust when your closest friends are hiding things from you? that element kept me engaged, especially at the start.
i also liked the dark academia setting as it was definitely one of the strengths here. the atmosphere at Harvard, with its intellectual elite, shadowy histories, and pretentious charm, really sets the tone for the twisted relationships at play. you can almost feel the weight of tradition, secrecy, and academic ambition seeping into every corner of the story. it’s a great backdrop for a thriller, and lee uses it well to heighten the tension between the characters and the sense that something sinister is lurking beneath the surface.
the pacing was where I started to lose interest. the plot has some good twists and turns, but the suspense builds way too slowly. after the initial hook, the middle of the book gets bogged down in long, introspective passages and i felt that the tension that was set up early on starts to fade. for a thriller, i expected more momentum, but there were too many scenes that felt repetitive or overly focused on the characters’ inner conflicts rather than pushing the plot forward. it’s definitely an interesting read for fans of dark academia and psychological thrillers, but it didn’t hit the mark for me in the way i’d hoped.
thank you atria books for the eARC, all opinions are my own.
July 18, 2025
With Friends Like These was Alissa Lee’s debut novel and it was fresh take on dark academia. This story followed five college friends who every year following graduation reunited in New York City to play a harmless “killing” game where each one is assigned a target and must “eliminate” them.
I haven’t read a mystery thriller quite like this one. It was peculiar, and it was also chilling, fast paced game of cat and mouse. Despite the clever setup, there were some moments of unpredictable and predictable twists. The predictable plot twists didn’t make me like this story any less. In fact, I think the gradual tension build up kept me guessing who I could trust. And, on top of that, thoughtful themes of friendship, grief, ambition, and betrayal were explored with nuance.
Aside from the above mentioned positive aspects of With Friends Like These, there were a few things that weren’t appealing to me. The characters, for one, were a bit immature at times. Being that they were in their forties, they acted very immature-as though they were still in college. This became annoying to me, and therefore, made it hard to listen to their cattiness at times. Luckily the distinct and sinister plot provided the most stimulation, and as a result, I was compelled to see how the drama fueled story played out.
All in all, Alissa Lee delivered a chilling and twisted debut. As a woman myself, there is nothing more entertaining than reading about women whose seemingly unbreakable bond unravel under the weight of secrets, competition, and long-held resentment. If you enjoy slow-burn thrillers with psychological depth, shifting alliances, and a dark academia backdrop, this book will have you hooked.
Thanks to Net Galley and Atria Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
I haven’t read a mystery thriller quite like this one. It was peculiar, and it was also chilling, fast paced game of cat and mouse. Despite the clever setup, there were some moments of unpredictable and predictable twists. The predictable plot twists didn’t make me like this story any less. In fact, I think the gradual tension build up kept me guessing who I could trust. And, on top of that, thoughtful themes of friendship, grief, ambition, and betrayal were explored with nuance.
Aside from the above mentioned positive aspects of With Friends Like These, there were a few things that weren’t appealing to me. The characters, for one, were a bit immature at times. Being that they were in their forties, they acted very immature-as though they were still in college. This became annoying to me, and therefore, made it hard to listen to their cattiness at times. Luckily the distinct and sinister plot provided the most stimulation, and as a result, I was compelled to see how the drama fueled story played out.
All in all, Alissa Lee delivered a chilling and twisted debut. As a woman myself, there is nothing more entertaining than reading about women whose seemingly unbreakable bond unravel under the weight of secrets, competition, and long-held resentment. If you enjoy slow-burn thrillers with psychological depth, shifting alliances, and a dark academia backdrop, this book will have you hooked.
Thanks to Net Galley and Atria Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
August 17, 2025
2.5 rounded up. This was pretty lackluster.
The story follows main character, Sara, and her group of college friends. Back in the day, they began the annual tradition of playing a game they call "Circus." The objective: eliminate your target, acquire a new target, repeat, until you're the last one standing. Now in their 40s, the women are back for one last round of Circus - with a lot on the line.
I think this book had way too much setup for how short it is. Things don't really pick up until about the 40% mark. Luckily, it made for a quick read, but the pacing felt off. Also, at no point did I feel really worried for the characters and invested in what the outcome would be for everyone. For me, picking up a thriller, I want something fast-paced, shocking, suspenseful, and engrossing. This failed to hit any of the boxes. I just don't think this gave off the thrilling feel readers expect when picking up a book of this genre, and the 'plot twist' was anything but shocking.
Among the many 2025 thriller releases, I think this is one that is safe to skip. Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend this to readers because there weren't many redeeming qualities. There wasn't anything objectively bad about this, but it definitely is not enough to stand out.
Thanks to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with an electronic copy of this book to review.
The story follows main character, Sara, and her group of college friends. Back in the day, they began the annual tradition of playing a game they call "Circus." The objective: eliminate your target, acquire a new target, repeat, until you're the last one standing. Now in their 40s, the women are back for one last round of Circus - with a lot on the line.
I think this book had way too much setup for how short it is. Things don't really pick up until about the 40% mark. Luckily, it made for a quick read, but the pacing felt off. Also, at no point did I feel really worried for the characters and invested in what the outcome would be for everyone. For me, picking up a thriller, I want something fast-paced, shocking, suspenseful, and engrossing. This failed to hit any of the boxes. I just don't think this gave off the thrilling feel readers expect when picking up a book of this genre, and the 'plot twist' was anything but shocking.
Among the many 2025 thriller releases, I think this is one that is safe to skip. Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend this to readers because there weren't many redeeming qualities. There wasn't anything objectively bad about this, but it definitely is not enough to stand out.
Thanks to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with an electronic copy of this book to review.
October 17, 2025
With Friends Like These by Alissa Lee
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫
2.5 stars (rounded up.)
I’ve been sitting here struggling to get this review written. Why? I don’t like to rate books less than three stars but this book just wasn’t very good. I was expecting a debut thriller with dark academia vibes. What I got was a mediocre (at best,) story filled with girl drama that carried over into adulthood.
We’ve got a close group of friends that were roommates at Harvard. They invented a low stakes (mostly for bragging rights,) game they called “The Circus.” Tragedy struck their senior year and they lost one of the group. To honor her they’ve continued to play this game every year, clear into their forties. Half the group is ready to end this tradition but suddenly there’s a large cash pot for the winner this year. They all vote to play one last time.
I feel like I read a book but…nothing really transpired. The game itself is juvenile. I guess that tracks since they made it up when they were college students but to carry on playing it every year for decades? In memory of their tragically lost roommate? Seems pretty juvenile for some middle aged women. The characters had zero depth, the story was flat, there was no rollercoaster of tension (not even a kiddie coaster!) and the mystery was not mystery’n. The whodunnit culprit was blatantly obvious early on.
This felt more like a preliminary rough draft. Something where you write notes in the margins, flesh the story out, scrap bits etc. Ultimately the synopsis promised things that it didn’t deliver. I was left unimpressed and disappointed.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the digital advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Expected publish date: November 4th
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫
2.5 stars (rounded up.)
I’ve been sitting here struggling to get this review written. Why? I don’t like to rate books less than three stars but this book just wasn’t very good. I was expecting a debut thriller with dark academia vibes. What I got was a mediocre (at best,) story filled with girl drama that carried over into adulthood.
We’ve got a close group of friends that were roommates at Harvard. They invented a low stakes (mostly for bragging rights,) game they called “The Circus.” Tragedy struck their senior year and they lost one of the group. To honor her they’ve continued to play this game every year, clear into their forties. Half the group is ready to end this tradition but suddenly there’s a large cash pot for the winner this year. They all vote to play one last time.
I feel like I read a book but…nothing really transpired. The game itself is juvenile. I guess that tracks since they made it up when they were college students but to carry on playing it every year for decades? In memory of their tragically lost roommate? Seems pretty juvenile for some middle aged women. The characters had zero depth, the story was flat, there was no rollercoaster of tension (not even a kiddie coaster!) and the mystery was not mystery’n. The whodunnit culprit was blatantly obvious early on.
This felt more like a preliminary rough draft. Something where you write notes in the margins, flesh the story out, scrap bits etc. Ultimately the synopsis promised things that it didn’t deliver. I was left unimpressed and disappointed.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the digital advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Expected publish date: November 4th
October 12, 2025
really enjoyed the concept of this story. A group of old college roommates reunite each year to play a dangerous game, but when some of them are ready to stop, they agree to one final round that could cost them more than they ever expected. The pacing was solid, though I found it to be more of a slow burn despite its shorter length. Overall, it was an enjoyable and intriguing thriller that kept me curious to see how it would all play out.
October 31, 2025
Five Harvard alumnae have played a yearly tag and kill game with each other for 20 years that has kept them connected to each other and to the memory of a roommate who died playing the game.
At the 20th anniversary reunion Wesley tells her friends that the money they had chipped in decades earlier has grown nearly $1 million…..In their minds, each woman equates the prize with freedom and soon secrets begins to emerge…….
My thoughts:
This is a very tense read that brings out the dark side of people when money is concerned. How one can be haunted by the ghost of a roommate who died, seeing her in odd places, thinking can she somehow seek revenge? Their imagination goes wild……
My feelings reading this book was all over the place and I had a very hard time getting into this story. I tried to push through it but I finally had to skip passages to reach the end, I was wasting too much time reading something I didn’t care for and of course my mind was constantly someplace else…it was time to give up and move on.
Having said this, by all means “With Friends Like These” is not a bad book. It is simply not my cup of tea but it may be yours.
I received this ARC from Atria Books via Netgalley for my thoughts: this is the way I see it.
At the 20th anniversary reunion Wesley tells her friends that the money they had chipped in decades earlier has grown nearly $1 million…..In their minds, each woman equates the prize with freedom and soon secrets begins to emerge…….
My thoughts:
This is a very tense read that brings out the dark side of people when money is concerned. How one can be haunted by the ghost of a roommate who died, seeing her in odd places, thinking can she somehow seek revenge? Their imagination goes wild……
My feelings reading this book was all over the place and I had a very hard time getting into this story. I tried to push through it but I finally had to skip passages to reach the end, I was wasting too much time reading something I didn’t care for and of course my mind was constantly someplace else…it was time to give up and move on.
Having said this, by all means “With Friends Like These” is not a bad book. It is simply not my cup of tea but it may be yours.
I received this ARC from Atria Books via Netgalley for my thoughts: this is the way I see it.
April 27, 2025
Imagine five middle-aged Ivy League educated Gen X women (normally leading moderately successful, wealthy lives except for the main protagonist) running around Manhattan for a week in January playing “tag” with real looking fake guns. It’s an elimination game and this time the winner takes home a significant pot of money. Something is bound to go wrong. In fact, something already went wrong 23 years ago at Harvard when Claudine, the 6th member of the game, called “The Circus,” died as a result of playing. So, get a grip, ladies — why are you trying to repeat the major mistake of the past over and over again?
Hubris seems to be the answer. Only Sara, who is our first person POV, a former banker turned photographer, whose husband’s restaurant is going under, and who can no longer afford the mortgage on their literally crumbling NYC apartment, is finally ready to stop. But group pressure (“One last time! In honor of first victim Claudine!”) keeps her in the game. There have been rules for two decades, but this time the “pot” will be distributed and, thanks to their Ivy League financier connections, the account has grown to nearly a million dollars. Some of the five are therefore more greedily motivated, and rules be damned.
Alissa Lee takes us for a few paranoid spins around the Big Apple, as Sara tries to “assasinate” Amex executive/suburban mom Allie first, only to narrowly miss being eliminated by orthopedist/wild woman Wesley, who is being pursued by Dina, a perfectionist Harvard philosophy professor trying to obtain (and risk losing) tenure. That leaves Bee, a district attorney and possible mayoral candidate (who, by God, must know better than to be out on the streets brandishing even a malfunctioning firearm), ready to be the star of tabloid PR nightmarish headlines like “Crazy Gang of Pre-Menopausal Ivy League Grads, Including Rising Political Star, Offed Their Roommate Years Ago and Continue to Celebrate Annually.” Well, they did “promise to live their lives unconditionally.” Wait. I forgot that Sara also thinks she sees forever-twenty-something Claudine’s ghost on the streets of Manhattan.
I was torn between rooting for Sara to win or just waiting for the obviously expected in-fighting to blow up the game and all the participants. It’s a short book, a popcorn thriller of sorts. Not really dark academia (we can only blame Harvard for reinforcing each character’s arrogant sense of being special). But I was enthralled until the end and Lee added enough unexpected twists. The meaning of true friendship is tested to a breaking point, but somehow, after twenty iterations, the former roommates still know each other so well. 4.5 stars!
Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Only blue ones are described.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO It’s January and the only flora mentioned is a Christmas tree still standing.
Thank you to Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!
Hubris seems to be the answer. Only Sara, who is our first person POV, a former banker turned photographer, whose husband’s restaurant is going under, and who can no longer afford the mortgage on their literally crumbling NYC apartment, is finally ready to stop. But group pressure (“One last time! In honor of first victim Claudine!”) keeps her in the game. There have been rules for two decades, but this time the “pot” will be distributed and, thanks to their Ivy League financier connections, the account has grown to nearly a million dollars. Some of the five are therefore more greedily motivated, and rules be damned.
Alissa Lee takes us for a few paranoid spins around the Big Apple, as Sara tries to “assasinate” Amex executive/suburban mom Allie first, only to narrowly miss being eliminated by orthopedist/wild woman Wesley, who is being pursued by Dina, a perfectionist Harvard philosophy professor trying to obtain (and risk losing) tenure. That leaves Bee, a district attorney and possible mayoral candidate (who, by God, must know better than to be out on the streets brandishing even a malfunctioning firearm), ready to be the star of tabloid PR nightmarish headlines like “Crazy Gang of Pre-Menopausal Ivy League Grads, Including Rising Political Star, Offed Their Roommate Years Ago and Continue to Celebrate Annually.” Well, they did “promise to live their lives unconditionally.” Wait. I forgot that Sara also thinks she sees forever-twenty-something Claudine’s ghost on the streets of Manhattan.
I was torn between rooting for Sara to win or just waiting for the obviously expected in-fighting to blow up the game and all the participants. It’s a short book, a popcorn thriller of sorts. Not really dark academia (we can only blame Harvard for reinforcing each character’s arrogant sense of being special). But I was enthralled until the end and Lee added enough unexpected twists. The meaning of true friendship is tested to a breaking point, but somehow, after twenty iterations, the former roommates still know each other so well. 4.5 stars!
Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Only blue ones are described.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO It’s January and the only flora mentioned is a Christmas tree still standing.
Thank you to Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!
October 31, 2025
The premise of this book was intriguing, as five former college roommates gear up for another round of the hunt, called the Circus.
The goal, to eliminate (a fake death) your assigned opponent, and gather their medallion. Get all five medallions and win.
Sounds fun! Only this group was beyond the age when I would think this game would be appropriate, imo. A game that could jeopardize their careers.
Despite the risks, this group seem to change their opinions on continuing, once they learn this "final" year has a prize. And each player has a reason for needing that prize.
I thought the story would be more intense given the high stakes game and the lengths that each player goes to get their opponent. We get some insight into how intense the game got in years past, it would have been great to have some flashbacks to those times. Instead, we only get Sara's POV, and she can't even locate her target, so the story dragged a bit. Ideally I would have liked to have some of the other characters POVs, like Dina or Bee. In the end, the reason Sara is the focus makes more sense, I just wanted insight into some of the other women's lives.
There are a couple twists that were a surprise, which ultimately help repair relationships, even as other ones dissolve. And I liked how the group moves forward in the end. Overall, while this story had potential, it fell a little short. However, I will say that the character arcs did interest me enough to see how it all played out.
*An ARC was received for an honest review.
The goal, to eliminate (a fake death) your assigned opponent, and gather their medallion. Get all five medallions and win.
Sounds fun! Only this group was beyond the age when I would think this game would be appropriate, imo. A game that could jeopardize their careers.
Despite the risks, this group seem to change their opinions on continuing, once they learn this "final" year has a prize. And each player has a reason for needing that prize.
I thought the story would be more intense given the high stakes game and the lengths that each player goes to get their opponent. We get some insight into how intense the game got in years past, it would have been great to have some flashbacks to those times. Instead, we only get Sara's POV, and she can't even locate her target, so the story dragged a bit. Ideally I would have liked to have some of the other characters POVs, like Dina or Bee. In the end, the reason Sara is the focus makes more sense, I just wanted insight into some of the other women's lives.
There are a couple twists that were a surprise, which ultimately help repair relationships, even as other ones dissolve. And I liked how the group moves forward in the end. Overall, while this story had potential, it fell a little short. However, I will say that the character arcs did interest me enough to see how it all played out.
*An ARC was received for an honest review.
December 13, 2025
With Friends Like These
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
📚 Thriller
🎶 Money Changes Everything - Cyndi Lauper
One sentence synopsis:
A group of Harvard alums have played a secret game for decades but as the stakes rise, deadly consequences emerge from old lies.
Book Review:
This was such a cool story! I haven’t read a book like it. I think for me the thing that derailed the experience a little was the fact that I listened to it on audio and there are a lot of characters. Those two things together for me usually always results of me being slightly confused the whole time, which is what happened. If you choose to read this, and I think you should, maybe don’t listen to it if you have the same issue as me. Other than that, this is a pretty solid book! I’m glad it gave it a chance.
✨Thank you @atriabooks for my #gifted copy!
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
📚 Thriller
🎶 Money Changes Everything - Cyndi Lauper
One sentence synopsis:
A group of Harvard alums have played a secret game for decades but as the stakes rise, deadly consequences emerge from old lies.
Book Review:
This was such a cool story! I haven’t read a book like it. I think for me the thing that derailed the experience a little was the fact that I listened to it on audio and there are a lot of characters. Those two things together for me usually always results of me being slightly confused the whole time, which is what happened. If you choose to read this, and I think you should, maybe don’t listen to it if you have the same issue as me. Other than that, this is a pretty solid book! I’m glad it gave it a chance.
✨Thank you @atriabooks for my #gifted copy!
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