I really wanted to love this book. Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney is a lovely writer and I have enjoyed her previous works, but - while the story is well written - it just didn’t keep my interest.

Life can be messy. Good company explores the ups and downs of friendships and marriage. I’m not sure why, but I just never really connected to any of the characters.

Good Company is the story about friends and lovers and progresses through the years of actors and actresses in the theatre and Hollywood. It is the story of success and not so successful, but is probably a pretty true portrayal of thousands of performers that eke out a living and some kind of life without the audience ever knowing their names or faces. The book held my interest not just because of the characters, but because of the reality of the story.

I really enjoyed The Nest so I was happy to see that Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney had published a new title.

This story kept me engaged and sometimes it was hard to put the book down! I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and how it did not make the book lag when switching from one character to the next.

I wanted to like this so much more than I did. The book is all about how Julian cheats on Flora and hides it for over a year! The careless way he keeps loosing his wedding ring was so heartless, I don’t know how Flora didn’t stand up for herself. She clearly knew something was going on, but didn’t want to acknowledge it. It only got worse when she found out Margot knew. I made it to the end, but I didn’t really enjoy this book.

I posted a mini review on my stories, and I got an ARC copy I’ve linked below.

I wanted to like this so much more than I did. The book is all about how Julian cheats on Flora and hides it for over a year! The careless way he keeps loosing his wedding ring was so heartless, I don’t know how Flora didn’t stand up for herself. She clearly knew something was going on, but didn’t want to acknowledge it. It only got worse when she found out Margot knew. I made it to the end, but I didn’t really enjoy this book.

I posted a mini review on my stories, and I got an ARC copy I’ve linked below.

I was so excited to dive into this book after loving the author’s previous book The Nest. I was rather disappointed in this book though, the author has great story telling skills but this book didn’t interest me as much.

Flora and her husband Julian both work in the theatre industry and have a daughter named Ruby. Everything seems to be going great in Flora’s life until she learns her husband might not be as loyal as she thinks.

I like how this book also delved into Flora’s best friend Margot’s marriage also and all the strains that they were going through as a couple also. But I feel like this story lacked so much. It had a lot of unlikable characters that made me frustrated at times with the choices they were making.

It was a well written novel but overall it wasn’t a great one for me. I’m giving it 3 stars mainly because of the author’s writing style is still something I enjoy reading, even if I’m not fully enjoying the story.

*Many thanks to Ecco for the free copy for my honest review*

This story centers around Flora and Julian, and also Flora's best friend Margot. When Flora stumbles upon on envelope containing her husband's wedding ring, which he claimed he lost several years ago, she questions her seemingly perfect marriage and relationship with her friend. All the relationships have their challenges and burdens and I was reminded that not everything needs to be perfect to be good.

Flora and Julian's daughter is about to head off to college and they are planning the next phase of their lives. As actors who started their careers in New York theaters and moved on to the film world in LA, the possibilities are endless.
They seem to have the perfect marriage
or do they?
The author takes the reader through all the twists and turns of long term relationships between husbands and wives, children and parents, and friends
in an interesting way.

Let's start this review by admitting that I didn't like Good Company. While the book's premise is interesting and gives me "Marriage Story" with Adam Driver vibes, the book is jumbled and long-winded, which made reading it feel like a chore. I found all the characters interesting on the surface, but that's as far as the character development went. In particular, Flora and Margot are incredibly self-involved and obnoxious people who couldn't really connect to each other yet they were being marketed as good-hearted, fascinating best friends throughout the novel. Initially, the book started off strong, but it fell apart and became repetitive after about 40 pages. I'm not sure if it's because I didn't vibe with the writing style or what, but reading this book did nothing but annoy me. Needless to say, I would pass on reading Good Company.

This one unfortunately was not for me. I did have a hard time staying engaged with this story and connecting with the main characters. They touch on some intriguing topics, and it was refreshing to experience a writer not shying away from sensitive topics. I would recommend this to other readers though!

This novel is one of the deepest human emotions, but sadly, I felt that Sweeney never got there completely. It seemed that the characters were not unique enough, not memorable enough. This book was fine, but will fade into the background.

Oh the feels in this one killed me! Very well written. I loved the surprise of it all. thanks you to NetGalley and the publisher!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read Good Company by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney. I have to be honest…I really struggled with this one. I loved the writing and the characters (though it took me awhile to keep track of who was who). But this book hit way too close to home for me in more places than one, and I spent much of my time reading mixing my own story in with the actual plot which was confusing. And it didn’t feel good. That is all on me. Clearly, I’m not healed from my past and I couldn’t separate myself from the fiction.

This was a very interesting read and I enjoyed this book from Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney.

Flora and Julian are married with a daughter named Ruby. They live in NY and are just barely making it. Julian has a theater company named Good Company and Flora is a voice over actress. They have been married for Ivey 20 years when Flora finds Julians wedding band that he claimed he lost several years earlier.

Flora begins to question everything in her life including her best friend Margot, a successful actress in Los Angeles. Will their move to Los Angeles be a good opportunity??? What will Flora find out about her husband??? Hey best friend??

I believe my favorite part of the book was the relationship between Flora and her daughter Ruby. A lot of relevant themes in this book especially that life is not always easy...it can be very messy!!!

I received an early digital copy,

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Good Company by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney. I wasn't a big fan of her first book, The Nest, however I really enjoyed Good Company. This story centers around married couple, Flora and Julian and also Flora's best friend Margot. Flora stumbles upon on envelope containing her husband's wedding ring, which he claimed he lost several years ago, making her question many things about her marriage. As you read this story, you learn about Flora and Julian as newlyweds and also Margot as she rises to fame as a television star and how their stories remain intertwined. I do recommend this book if you are a fan of domestic dramas.

A very wise and compelling story of marriage, friendship, and motherhood. Sweeney has a great ability to capture the nuances of mid-life and long relationships and draws characters that are clearly flawed but quite real. Her previous novel The Nest was a good read, but Good Company has more depth and subtlety.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Thank you to Ecco Publishing and NetGalley for an E-ARC of this novel, available everywhere now].

"Good Company," the latest novel from the author who wrote "The Nest," is a well-written, character-driven novel tackling lifelong relationships. Flora Mancini has been married for more than 20 years when she stumbles upon an envelope containing her husband's wedding ring - the one he claimed he lost 15 years ago. She begins to question the life they built together and all the roads not taken because of her loyalty to him, loyalty that has not been reciprocated.

I thought it was an enjoyable, albeit slow-paced, read, and I appreciated the way the writer dove into the messiness and complications of all sorts of relationships. That said, I didn't find the characters particularly engaging or sympathetic. It is a testament to the author's writing that I kept reading, curious about how things were going to unfold. The ending was bit of a letdown but in the same respect, I imagine it's also true to real-life in our society.

Overall, I am glad I gave this novel a try. Fans of domestic drama should add this one to their list.

"Good Company" by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney is a terrific novel that is more slow-paced than her winning debut "The Nest". I think one of her winning attributes as a writer is that she can find the nuances in every day life that lead to terrific insight into marriages, families, and friendships. In "Good Company" it starts with the discovery of a ring and what that means for a marriage that looked, if not perfect, seemingly unblemished. Following more discoveries that are less thriller/suspense and more introspective, Sweeney paints another winning portrait of life that turns into something else when that perfection is looked at a little bit closer. A great selection also for "Read with Jenna".