3.5 stars. Liked this one, didn't love it despite really wishing I had! I think Jane Green took on a big challenge when she wrote a book spanning 30ish years from three perspectives- there would be big time jumps, and I felt like we missed huge and possibly important parts of characters lives because it was impossible to have every detail from each of them in that amount of space and time. Because of this, I felt like we sometimes got shorted on bits of character development that would make some of the characters' choices and reactions make more sense or be more meaningful.

I am normally a huge Jane Green fan but this book was a bit off the mark for me. It was missing some of that emotional pull that her books usually have. While I liked all of the characters for the most part, I found myself skim reading through large parts of the book. The book spans from the friends college years up until they all 50. The book jumps view points to give us glimpses into everyone’s lives. While I understand the need for the multiple POV’s here I also felt like it was part of the reason I kept losing interest while reading it. Also toward the end of the book something happens that I just found to be completely unbelievable. There is no way that the other characters wouldn’t have found out sooner! I won’t say anymore because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone but once that happened I had a hard time with the rest of it.

This is a story of a group of friends who evolve and change over the years. I have to admit this is one of my favorite tropes. I always love seeing how people grow together and apart over the years. Also, I really want to live in Maggie’s house. It sounds so wonderful although in real life it would probably be too cold for me. This was a sweet book and I enjoyed it.

Jane Green, Author of “The Friends We Keep” has written an intense, memorable, emotional, unpredictable and thought-provoking novel. Without thinking, I just went to my contact list and started to look up my college friends. The Genres for this Novel are Fiction and Women’s Fiction. There is also Romance and Suspense in this wonderful story. The timeline for this story ranges over thirty years and goes to the past or future when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. Jane Green describes her colorful characters as complex, complicated, confused, and having their own set of problems.

Evvie, Maggie, and Topher have known each other since college. There was a time when they shared their dreams and hopes with each other. They also kept secrets from one another. This story reminds me of the special friendships that I made in College, and how I want to re-connect and communicate with some of the people I somehow lost touch with. In this story, there is an edgy feel at times, and there are twists and turns as time goes on.

The three friends meet for a thirtieth reunion with many ambivalent feelings. Is it possible the dark secrets can jeopardize the future? I appreciate that the author discusses forgiveness, second chances, self-worth, growth, the importance of friendship, family, love, and hope. The author also mentions loyalty and betrayal, and friends bringing out the best in each other. I would highly recommend this thought-provoking novel.

This reminds me of One Day In December but concentrates on the friendships more and the love story less. It jumps forward in time similar to One Day in December. Evvie, Maggie and Topher become fast friends in college but all go in different directions after graduating. They joke about all living together one day again when they are fifty. Their friendships dissolve over time but they reunite at a 30 year reunion. Will their friendship survive or will a secret tear it apart?

"Perhaps we all needed to go through the stuff we went through to bring us here today."

"I feel like I've lived fifty lifetimes, and none of them fit me, none of them have felt right, until this one."

I've been a fan of Jane Green since my own college days, back when my roommate introduced me to her books! Her newest release is always a must read for me. I'm happy to say The Friends We Keep is one of my all time favorites of hers! I absolutely loved this wonderful story of lifelong friendship. I particularly loved that the trio of friends included 2 females and one male--I loved each of them--Evvie, Maggie and Topher. This book beautifully illustrates the bond of best friends--how you can pick up right where you left off despite time or distance between you.

Typically, Jane Green's books focus on romance, which of course I love, but it was so refreshing to see the focus on friendship here. Of course there is romance and relationship issues in this book, but the heart of this story is true, lasting friendship. If you're looking for a feel good read that will make your heart happy, this is the one for you. A perfect weekend read you won't be able to put down!

I love all of Jane Green's books and this one didn't disappoint. Her style and tone are lovely and make me get sucked into the story straight away. I loved how all the stories interconnected in a pleasing way, plus the gentle way she tackled the hard subject of alcoholism was really well done. Another great book from Jane!

I am a big fan of Jane Green and was very excited to read this title. Unfortunately, this book was just not for me. This novel follow Maggie, Evvie, and Topher though college in the 80s, after college in the 90s, and then again at present day. While it was well written, I found that I just couldn't relate to the characters as much as I tried and found myself skimming vs really really. Still, moments were enjoyable and I enjoyed the Topher character the best.

The Friends We Keep didn't go in the direction that I anticipated, and that made it an enjoyable read. This is not my usual genre, but it had been a long time since I had read a contemporary, and even longer since I had read Jane Green, so it was a welcome change of pace.

Maggie, Evvie, and Topher end up roommates at college in England. I think the opening chapter, the only one from Ben's POV, had me going in a certain direction for the plot. He only refers to "my wife," so you don't really know which of our three main characters to which that refers.

We get points-of-view from each of the three as they navigate their lives during (beginning in 1986) and after college, ending in 2019. They grow up, they grow apart. They follow their dreams, they make mistakes. They have (big) secrets. They end up reuniting.

I enjoyed their journeys. Each character was relatable. I guess my minor complaint is some repetitiveness--mostly about the winey "woe is me" situations they find themselves in.

I did want them to end up together and happy. Ultimately, The Friends We Keep is a feel-good, happily ever after story. But there is a rocky road to travel until they get there, and the journey is entertaining. A good summer "fluff" read that explores the meaning of friendship. Appropriate for teen readers, Green fans will definitely want to pick this up.

I was given this ARC by NetGalley. My opinions as I have written them are my own.
I loved this book. A summer isn't complete without read one of Jane Green's newest releases.
I highly recommend it.

Really enjoed this book, Jane Green is a favorite of mine, and she didn't disappoint. Great writing and character development.

The Friends We Keep by Jane Green is my type of book. It follows three friends over the course of more than 30 years through good and bad decisions that end up impacting them all. Set in both America and England we really get to know Maggie, Evvie, and Topher as they navigate through their adult lives and all of the baggage that comes with it. A perfect summer tale! Read and enjoy!

The Friends We Keep by author Jane Green will be released by Berkley Publishing Group on 06/04/19. When I saw the cover on NetGalley, I knew I had to read the story!

This story follows the lives of Evvie, Maggie, and Topher. They met at university and spent their years there inseparable. Evvie becomes a supermodel, only to derail by sleeping with a married man. Maggie marries Ben, her dream man from university and has to battle the problems his drinking causes. Topher becomes a well-known actor, but his childhood haunts him and prevents him from building good relationships.

They reunite at their 30 year reunion. Having lost touch over the years, they attempt to rebuild their lives together. When a terrible secret is brought to light, these 3 must decide if they are strong enough to overcome it together.

This book was so easy to identify with. From the fears of what comes after university to the struggle of being in your 30s and feeling like you've failed, I was so invested in Evvie, Maggie, and Topher. Each one of them had a characteristic I could understand. It made me think about my long time best friends, the ones I've know for 15+ years...the ones who have seen the worst and best parts of me. Each character was flawed in their own separate ways, and they all seemed so down to earth. Each person had a problem, and they truly did need to reconnect and get that support back to deal with them.

This is going to be another great summer read. It made me really value the Evvies, Maggies, and Tophers of my own life. I could not even imagine dealing with the secret that plagued them. I could understand the fat shaming Evvie went through in the supermodel world. I could understand Maggie's stress of being with someone with a substance problem. I could understand Topher's need to build walls as a form of protecting himself. The main thing that this book shows you is that you can't live a life of stress and difficult decisions alone, and you shouldn't have to. You need that circle of friends who can bring you back to your comfort zone, and who will love you no matter what.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go buy several copies of this book and send it to my closest girlfriends! Make sure you pick some up for yours on 06/04/19! 💙

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 stars

I have been reading Jane Green‘s books for years! She’s a great author and I enjoy her stories. In The Friends We Keep, she focuses on the theme of friendship, how we change and the secrets we keep. If you haven’t read Jane’s books, you will probably love them as she is a wonderful author.

Evvie, Maggie, and Topher have known each other since university. Their friendship was something they swore would last forever. Now years have passed, the friends have drifted apart, and none of them ever found the lives they wanted – the lives they dreamed of when they were young and everything seemed possible.

Evvie starved herself to become a supermodel but derailed her career by sleeping with a married man. Maggie married Ben, the boy she fell in love with at university, never imagining the heartbreak his drinking would cause. Topher became a successful actor but the shame of a childhood secret shut him off from real intimacy.

By their thirtieth reunion, these old friends have lost touch with each other and with the people they dreamed of becoming. Together again, they have a second chance at happiness… until a dark secret is revealed that changes everything.

This is warm, funny, and just a lovely novel. PreOrder here.

The Friends We Keep is just one of those amazing friend sagas. We follow Maggie, Topher and Evie from college all the way to their 50’s, watching them change, grow, make mistakes, make more mistakes, grieve and love. It’s basically Beaches, or Steel Magnolias or Just As Long As We’re Together all grown up because it isn’t a tragedy.

Maggie is the practical one, Evie the hip one and Topher is the free spirit for sure. After college, they all pursue their own high-powered lives, one as a successful executive, one as a super model and another as a soap star. But even though life takes them in different directions, they always have time for each other. Well, mostly.

Because, as with any story, real or imagined, things happen as we age. And unfortunately, everything isn’t all pretty tied up in a bow. But I think that’s where Green shines in her writing. She is able to write characters that don’t do everything right. She is able to write defeat, embarrassment and all the real emotions.

For me, Maggie, Evie and Topher didn’t just exist on the page. They came to life. I read their stories and now I will carry them with me. That’s one of the best things about books–the friends we make or keep.

Of course I recommend this one to Jane Green fans, Jennifer Wiener fans (I equally love her) and anyone who loves these types of friendship sagas. Special thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for an e-galley in exchange for my review. This one is available June 4, 2019 and would make a delicious beach read! This review will be published on my blog, Women in Trouble Book Blog on May 24, 2019,

Evvie, Maggie and Topher meet when they are first year university students. They become fast friends not knowing they are forming the relationships that will last the rest of their lives. As with similar friendships, life causes ebbs and flows that take the three on individual journeys but they find their way back to each other a few times over the decades. A thirty year school reunion brings them back one more time and the three friends decide it’s time to make a change. Can it possibly be as good as they imagine?

Jane Green tells her story in three parts: The Beginning (1986); The In-Between Years (1990s); and Present Day (2019). It all adds up to what I call a good beach read. Meaning it has compelling characters, a juicy plot (featuring betrayal and over-the-top drama), and a story that keeps me turning the pages. Kind of like the soap my dorm mates and I would watch when we were in college. Recommended to fans of the author and novels about friendship, growth, and forgiveness.

This was a book that was always bring you into the characters lives and you wanted to know more. They had a close relationship but the distance and time kept them apart. When they came together in later life it felt like a true friendship that could last for all time. Thanks for letting me read another great story from Jane Green.

Family and home can mean different things to different people, but time and secrets can drive a wedge between even the closest of friends. Life doesn't always turn out the way we hope, and then we turn back to the friends who are our family.

I was super excited to get approved for The Friends We Keep by Jane Green... With that being said, I just couldn't get into it. I felt completely disconnected from the characters. I didn't particularly like any of them. I'm giving it three stars because the writing was well done. But the story itself was severely lacking in my opinion.

Wow, Jane Green has outdone herself in this novel of three University friends, Maggie, Evvie and Topher, as they make the choices and mistakes inherent in living a full life. As each character’s story develops, we learn more about the foibles that can occur to impact friendships, marriage and all relationships. Friends become family, and you I’ll not want to miss this one. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.