Good Company by Cynthia D'aprix Sweeney takes a lazy, maze-like amble through two marriages—Flora and Julian's, and Margot and David's—spanning the easy beginnings, passions as they fizzle out into ambivalence, and questions of whether something ruined can be rekindled anew. The discovery of a wedding ring thought to be lost sends flora and all the relationships around her into tumult and so begins a journey through time—though this journey is by no means chronological or perspective-limited.

More often than not, I find head-switching and leaps through time unnecessarily convoluted. In this case, I felt like Sweeney created something that wasn't at any point incoherent or confused. The narrative is sure-footed; it never seems to stumble. Some perspective shifts were more abrupt than others, yes, and perhaps a little needless, sure, but I wasn't ever really mad at them.

As for the non-chronological shifts through time, I thought this choice lended the novel something almost marvelous—in terms of the marvelous real—and was a very well-executed way of endowing or revoking retroactive realizations as the narrative saw fit. It made certain revelations land more like gut-wrenching blows, and others flutter into stillness like moths.

In spite of the time leaps, the novel is more languid than it is brisk. This is likely because the narrative is character-driven, something I love in a book when it comes with readable prose and an interesting premise, all of which Good Company checked off.

Flora and Margot's early relationship is built around acting in New York City, which means, in addition to meditations on female friendship, there is plenty of theatre to sink your teeth into. This early friendship—rich with wonder, fast-paced, almost claustrophobic—is juxtaposed with later developments that tug the two best friends from the east coast to the west. New York City against LA, the brightly-lit melodrama of theatre versus clinical Hollywood acting, restlessness as it settles into the calm of late adulthood. These parts of the novel were well-researched and always interesting to someone like me, who's obsessed with narrative minutiae. For others, the info-dumping might become unbearable, particularly as relationship histories are dissected and rehashed and dissected again. There's a lot of interiority to Good Company. It's neutralized to some extent, however, by the outward—the kinesthetic—tension between both couples.

Though development is not equally distributed between Flora/Julian and Margot/David, there's a good amount to go around. The women of the novel receive the bulk of this development and are by consequence the most sympathetic characters. Flora and Margot feel fleshed-out, flawed, real and raw. Julian and David sort of fade into oblivion as a result and didn't much interest me. Good Company's greatest strengths and most pointed triumphs are its women—even little Ruby, Flora and Julian's daughter, as she blooms into a bright-eyed adult. The mother-daughter relationship is heartwarmingly excellent. Jealousy, love, and misunderstanding between Flora, Margot, and Ruby make the journey a rewarding one.

But there are also, of course, certain issues.

The developmental deficiency between the women and the men in the novel make it fundamentally flawed. We're supposed to root for these people, to want forgiveness and transformation for them, to see them as a tight-knit family of five, but Julian, for example, remains unsympathetic throughout Good Company. For the vast majority of the narrative, his mistakes are unloaded. His treatment of Flora is questionable at best, terrible at worst, and by the time revelations about this treatment have been made—that Flora has existed for most of their relationship not as her own person, but as a forced extension of him—there's no time for him to atone, to really change. Instead, we're left with the knowledge that he's made grave mistakes and has had to do little to nothing to right them, or himself. We have to buy that most of his evolution has already happened "offscreen" over the last several years, where readers can't see or track it. The result is asymmetrical. Flora feels full-bodied, tender and tear-jerking, while her husband is a shadow of her, someone I didn't want to win or even see earn flora's forgiveness.

As for David, he has so little stake in the novel that he's almost useless. Margot and him share unresolved issues that briefly flicker into view, but neither of their hands are ever forced. Because of this, the narrative ends without a resolution or even conversations about finding one. His character left me bewildered and seemed to exist to provide angst without any of the pay-off. I almost wish we'd had more time with him and Margot, to find the redeeming qualities in their marriage.

There's a lot to like about Good Company, mainly the way Sweeney sketches out the women of her world and allows them to take flight or nurse their injured wings. The novel is tender in places and bitingly bittersweet in others. My biggest issue was the amount of sadness that went to waste, and how forgiving the narrative was to Julian, without reason. Overall, I would call this a 3.5 star read, worth the journey for its detail-driven introspection and its women.

I really appreciated the writing and character development. Ruby, Margo and esp Flora are so well written that they linger after the last page.
I didn’t realize how much I missed the character driven novels where marriage plot, female friendship and fidelity are key. I got use to
the thriller read re: in vogue. I am actually glad I didn’t read The Nest because now I have something apparently amazing to read next. I’ve
always liked the concept of the importance of not rushing in to fill a perceived gap in ones experience/relationships so I appreciated the
ending. The theater bubble was fun and added to the uniqueness a slight but significant departure from the academic, Hollywood Manhattan
place cliches where introspective novels usually roost.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of Good Company by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney. This book was just ok..I found it to be slow moving and repetitive. The characters I couldn't relate to nor did I like. I had to push myself to finish it. I would neither recommend nor advise against reading Good Company.

DNF. So much backstory! After five chapters of nothing happening and the narrators constantly looking back, I started skimming. This is such a shame since I loved The Nest and think the author is talented. There just insist any forward momentum in this story. I'm sorry to say it wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Good Company.

I was pleased when my request was approved because I read the author's previous book and the premise sounded intriguing.

Overall, the writing was good, but I wasn't interested in the story or the characters.

It's not a domestic drama so much as character studies of the most important people in our lives and what makes a family; our spouse and children, our BFFs and the people that make up our social circle.

It's also about a woman named Flora who discovers the most cliche secrets of all time; her husband had been unfaithful.

But, what does this mean for Flora? Has she given up her hopes and dreams for her husband, Julian?

Has she sold out? Is this the end of her marriage?

Or a second chance?

This wasn't for me but readers interested in theater, exposition on the main and supporting characters, and a narrative based on introspection and soul searching will enjoy Good Company.

Flora Mancini has a lot going for her: talented daughter Ruby, best friend Margot, husband Julian, and steady voiceover work as a popular animated character. But when Flora discovers her husband's been keeping a secret, her life comes crashing down, and she starts to question what she's given up over the years. Can her relationships survive the truth?

Friendships between two couples are common in fiction, but Sweeney puts a nice twist on the theme here by rooting the story in Julian's small theater company, titled Good Company in memory of a well-timed fortune cookie. I enjoyed reading about the complex relationships between the characters and their changing motivations over time. Flora and Margot were both well-drawn female protagonists, and I appreciated how their actions and reactions drove the story (although their husbands were important too). I read a lot of thrillers, and it was refreshing to read a book more grounded in reality.

Thank you to Ecco for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While it was beautifully written, I was not the right reader for GOOD COMPANY. I didn’t connect with the story, but the storytelling was solid.

Set in New York and LA, among actors, this novel takes a close look at relationships, and how time can make them stronger, and wear them away.

I went in blind, only knowing how much I enjoyed the writer's last book, THE NEST. I was hoping for a more fun and lighthearted read, and that is just NOT this book!

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel!

I loved Cynthias first novel the Nest I couldn’t wait to read this one. Good Company's beautifully written characters that come alive.a story that kept me turning the pages.I highly recommend this wonderful novel.#netgalley #eccobooks

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

This book is a different social strata than her previous book, the world of NYC theatre folk of a certain age, but her sharp eye and ear remain. I winced a few times, but it was enjoyable reading nonetheless. Hits a bit close to the bone. Solid four.

I was drawn to this book for the cover but the inside is just as beautiful.
This book is about family and relationships and how they evolve over time. It's really written well and I enjoyed getting to know each character so in depth.
I enjoyed Cynthia's first book The Nest and I think this one is even better.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this book, particularly for its deep dive into what constitutes a decades-long friendship between women and how marriage complicates it. Not to be a spoiler, but the very end is worth waiting for and was tremendously satisfying!!!

I was happy to have the opportunity to read an advance copy of Good Company as I had enjoyed the author's previous book, The Nest. Once again, the author did a great job bringing the characters to life. It's a good thing, since the book is mostly about relationships: family, marriages and friendships. I appreciated that you got to know each person individually and see how each regarded the others and events over approximately 20 years. Even though there isn't a lot of action, the reader becomes intrigued with how things evolved. I think this would be a good choice for book groups; there are a lot of ethical issues which could be discussed.

Loved this book! Such a sweet and bitter mix of life, love and friendship. It will take you into the world of people you could see as your friends or your family.

This is a lovely well-written novel about a couple whose marriage takes a shocking turn after a discovery of a long held secret. I enjoyed reading this, but it is predictable and somewhat disappointing. I considered D’Aprix Sweeney’s earlier novel, THE NEST, one of the great books of the decade, so I was excited about reading this. I can still remember scenes from that book years later, but nothing here is especially memorable.

Even with my feelings of being let down, this is still a fine novel. This shows how someone involved in a marriage doesn’t know what is going on under the surface, while other people are aware of the cracks. The novel also speaks of friendships and decisions that friends might make in an effort to be helpful.

I did enjoy this book and I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

This book. Flora thinks she has a good marriage and steady reliable best friend. Then she finds something that changes how she feels about both, I would describe this book as maddening. It’s well written and the characters are believable but nonetheless maddening. I am a person incensed by lies and betrayal so I could actually feel hatred radiating off me at both the husband and best friend. Nothing happened in the book in my opinion that redeemed either person. Nothing either said made any sense either. The book has a haunting line in it...”I have always known I could never trust anyone but myself”. I found myself wondering, “Is this true, period?” Is life about reconciling flawed people? Yes. It is but it’s a part of life I am still extremely uncomfortable with doing. Deceit is a choice of truly weak individuals. Do we really have tolerate that?