Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

Gwen is knocked sideways when her husband unexpectedly dies and leaves her with no assets and a whole lot of debt. Reconnecting with an old friend, Nicola, seems like a good way to get a foot back into the working world. But things quickly start twisting. Nicola thinks she's got all the answers to Gwen's problems and isn't shy about pushing her agenda. Gwen starts questioning her relationship with her husband with parallel concerns about Nicola. For that part, it was a good look at how easy it can be to give up control over your own life but I was questioning Gwen and Nicola a lot well before this began. Pieces fit way too easily and I never quite got to the point where I cared about any of the characters or the outcome.

This is the first book I've read by this author. it was a fast paced but predictable read. There were no edge of my seat moments and most of the characters were unlikeable and/or annoying.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

What happens when a new friendship seems too good to be true? Newly widowed Gwen reconnects with an old acquaintance who provides her with a golden offer to help her rebuild a new life, and before Gwen knows what’s happening, her newfound friend has infiltrated every corner of her and her daughter’s life. How much help is too much help? And how to you extract yourself when the strings start to show?

This was a delightfully twisty and twisted read that was hard to put down. A good, suspenseful beach read.

Thank you Erin Flanagan, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Solid suspense novel! I liked how the story unfolds and the reader gets pieces of past and present timelines. The characters were well developed. Fun summer read!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. It didn't disappoint! Must read!!

I really enjoyed this debut! It was dark and twisted and super relatable. The characters could have been people I know. I can't wait for her second book!

After Gwen’s husband dies, she reaches out to former coworker Nicola who has risen to an executive position within the company. Nicola takes creative liberties with Gwen’s resume, scoring her a high level corporate job with the company. In return, Nicola expects Gwen to replace her best friend, Missy, who went MIA. But being Nicola’s bestie means Gwen must allow the woman into all aspects of her life or else Nicola might reveal the truth about Gwen’s resume.

I like the insidiousness of Nicola’s friendship, the way the book navigates between time periods and points of view, the evolution of the relationship between Gwen and her mother, and how Nicola’s five business rules play into the plot.

Nicola, who is referred to as “a feminist Don Draper, makes an excellent frenemy to Gwen. Her backstory nicely informs her personality and actions. Nicola is a master of manipulation distorting Gwen’s views of others. Her friendship with Gwen’s young daughter ramps up the stakes and acts as a Molotov cocktail.

Gwen’s character arc is carefully crafted. The sudden death of her husband puts her in a position where she must step out of her comfort zone to provide for herself and her child. Nicola’s help in securing a job provides motivation for looking past Nicola’s neediness.

While the book is a solid read, I would have liked to have seen more of Gwen’s unique personality as her life revolved around her husband and daughter.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.

I enjoyed this book , although the storyline was a bit difficult to believe and I found myself being able to predict what was about to happen. I did like Gwen as a character and how she developed through the book, I found myself rooting for her.
The ending was worth the read.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review .

Gwen Maner is a widowed single mom, returning to her Ohio hometown with her daughter. Nicola Kimmel is Gwen’s old colleague when they were both interns. Nicola helps Gwen get a job, rent a house, and Gwen’s daughter adores her.
Things seem too good to be true. When things start to happen and Gwen starts to question things, Gwen starts to question their friendship.
It was a slow burn. It had alternating timelines and multiple points of view. I enjoyed the twist but there was no shocking revelations and nothing keeping me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed how Gwen found herself becoming independent and confident

Come With Me by Erin Flanagan
Thomas and Mercer Publishers
Release Date August 22, 2023

Characters: 5/5
Pace: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Suspense: 5/5
Overall Enjoyment: 5/5


WOW! What a book. This is the one I have been waiting for. The one that stays with you after you finish because you want more. I have read others from Flanagan and they are all amazing. So when I saw this title, I had to read it and give a review. I am so glad I did. Just like the others, this one will NOT disappoint you. This is a story of a friendship that turns very toxic and very twisted. Very fast.

Gwen Maner’s husband dies and because she was a stay at home mother his death left her in financial peril.
She needs to find a job and quick. She once interned for a company while in college and that was all of the experience that she had. Thanks to an old acquaintance, Nicola Kimmel, she was able to get a new job and a house to start her life all over again. She and Nicola became very good friends and Gwen’s daughter really enjoyed her as well. However, something seemed off. Why would Nicola go to the lengths she had for Gwen? What was in it for her?
Gwen now feels that Nicola is just looking to get close to her because Nicola’s marriage is failing and her one time best friend walked out of her like. You will start to see how the author makes things more devious to give the reader doubts about Nicola. Flanagan starts to weave Nicola to be more bossy and in charge..The relationship becomes toxic and Gwen feels she has lost control of her life yet again. Will she pay a deadly price for this friendship? What is it that Nicola ultimately wants? You will need to read this book to find out. It is one hell of a ride.

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

This story, although not bad, didn't quite live up to my expectations. It never managed to grab my attention fully. I found myself longing for a deeper exploration of the subplots to build suspense. Even the characters, including the child, were not particularly likeable. The twist was decent, but it lacked overall depth.

Come with Me by Erin Flanagan is a great slow burn suspense story.

Flanagan has written a tense and intriguing tale of friendship but a toxic one at that.
The characters keep the story moving, and the details keep the reader guessing.
They were all well-developed and at times unlikeable.
The storyline was very interesting, as I was invested to see how this one unfolded.
Overall, I enjoyed this book.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

3.5-4 stars This was a super quick read for me, I kept finding myself picking it up to find out what would happen next. The author did a great job of building the suspense between the characters. I liked the references to the pandemic/quarantine, especially how they affected the main character’s daughter. The ending felt a little abrupt. This was my first book by this author and I am looking forward to reading more from her!

Come with me -

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this eARC.

After Gwen loses her husband,
she bumps into Nicola (someone who snubbed her years ago).

Nicola makes Gwen the job offer of a lifetime, a job she isn't remotely qualified for.

Later when Gwen's daughter breaks her arm when Nicola is taking care of her... Well, the danger warning begins to sound.

What will the price be for Gwen's amazing career advancement, and will it be too dear for her to pay?

Until next time, choose your friends carefully.

Erin Flanagan's Come With Me is a twisted and propulsive novel about a young widow who moves back to her hometown and reconnects with an old acquaintance who is determined to help her rebuild her life.

When Gwen's husband Todd dies suddenly and leaves her with very little money and even less stability, she takes her daughter Whitney and moves back to Dayton. Immediately she is offered help that seems too good to be true by a young woman who she interned with years before. Nicola finds Gwen an amazing job, a condo right near hers, and an instant friendship that quickly turns obsessive. Gwen struggles to keep Nicola at bay and her daughter and her mother safe from Nicola's dangerous games, but will she be able to save the people who she loves most... and herself? This page-turner will leave you breathless.

Gwen Maner is a recently widowed stay-at-home mom, whose husband unexpectedly died, leaving her in tons of debt. She’s desperate for a job, but has no work experience except for her college internship many years ago, which is where she met Nicola “Nikki” Kimmel as interns. Feeling like she has no other option, she reaches out to Nikki, a now successful business women in a leadership position at the company they once interned together. Nikki eagerly sets Gwen up with a great job, and excitedly rekindles their old friendship. Gwen soon finds out that Nikki’s most recent best friend, another intern from their college days, has recently disappeared without a trace. Nikki seems to be an amazing friend, always going above and beyond to help Gwen…but at what cost?

This book was a slow burn for me. I liked it just fine, but there was nothing keeping me on the edge of my seat, and keeping me from putting it down. I was over halfway through and still felt like the rising action was continuing to build up. The ending felt rushed and just didn’t flow well for me. I did like the development of Gwen’s character as she found herself, became independent and confident! Overall, an okay read.

Read if you enjoy:
👯‍♀️ rekindled old friendships
🤔 frenemies
🫢 psychological thrillers
👩🏼‍💼 widowed SAHM back to the workforce
😈 toxic friendships
⏱️ alternating timelines
🔀 multiple POVs

I read this book courtesy of @NetGalley!

Ok, first, I liked this book! But, the characters, rich and really unlikeable, didn’t fully ring true. A quick read and a satisfying if abrupt ending. I think it would play out well in a Lifetime or Netflix movie. This would be a great vacation or beach read.

I was hopeful about this book, while there were some parts of it that were interesting and made me think, overall it was too dramatic and not real for me. When there is too much going on, i no longer can take it seriously and think the points can me made without all the overdramatization. It was a quick read and i think others will like it more than i did.

After the sudden death of her husband, Gwen realizes he has hidden massive debt and a sub par career from her. Left with no other option, she and her 8 year old daughter return to Gwen's hometown for a job opportunity with an old friend Nicola. Things seem too good to be true and start to turn sinister. Gwen slowly uncovers Nicola's secrets and begins to suspect she will do anything to get what she wants....

I liked this just okay. Nothing about this ever grabbed me or made my heart race. I often was hoping the story would go deeper, explore some of the subplots to build suspense. I hoped to like the characters more, even the child was not all that likeable. The twist was not bad but again wish it had more depth overall. Not a terrible read but really hoped for a dazzler and this just wasn't quite it for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in exchange for my review.