Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney's sophomore book, Good Company, is a decent (albeit unrelated) followup to The Nest. Much like The Nest, it's full of family drama, though often times the "family" in question is a found family in the form of theater company actors. The characters are generally likeable. I enjoyed the read but am not sure if it is one I will rave about. If you like Sweeney's past work, you'll likely enjoy this one too. 3 stars.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Truthfully I just could not get into this book. I had such high hopes for it but. I unfortunately was left feeling let down. The characters and the setting didn’t grab my attention and keep it.

An interesting study in the nature of relationships and friendships and the changes they make over time. I liked this story but I wasn't blown away by it. Overall, I found it to be an enjoyable read but not one I couldn't pause and put down periodically. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I read "Good Company" compulsively in a day and a half, reading in every spare minute and late into the night. It's a book of messy relationships, just the way real ones are. Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney has the ability to write about characters and put the reader inside of their heads and feeling their emotions. It was a difficult situation when Flora found the ring that she was told had been lost. Secrets and deception are so addictive. Then we just go on that journey with her as she finds out who knew what and when. The betrayal is horrible and maybe it's a little like a train wreck, but I just had to see what happened next. The people didn't act the way I expected them to, so every turn of events was a surprise. I found all the personalities interesting, fascinating, really. While I don't like to read about infidelity, the events had happened years back and the husband obviously wanted to stay married. My only regret is that the book ended. I'm hoping I don't have to wait so long for the next like I did after finishing "The Nest." I met D'APrix Sweeney at her book signing in L.A. for her debut and have followed her since. Some authors just know how to spin out a story to entertain and hold your interest. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which I literally started immediately. I've continued to think about some situations, which is one sign of a good book.

So for a book about a pretty well-worn subject matter (I think you can probably guess what the book's really about by reading the blurb) this was quite enjoyable. It's well-written, tightly plotted, and nicely paced. It also has some really interesting side plots (mainly about acting), and it's these, I think, that ultimately make the book as enjoyable as it is. Because, again, the main subject matter here is very run-of-the-mill, and when the book succeeds it does so in spite of that.

I do think this will appeal to a lot of readers though, particularly those who are looking for a lighter read that's not 100% fluff. And if you enjoy reading about marriage dynamics and married couples as friends then you will definitely eat this up.

Flora, Julian, and Margot met while pursuing acting careers. They all worked in Julian’s fledgling theatrical group Good Company. Together with Margot’s husband David, they relocated from NYC to LA to pursue careers in entertainment. Now Julian works on tv, Margot does cartoon voiceovers, and Margot has a large role on a tv medical drama. Flora and Julian have been married for twenty years. Their daughter Ruby is graduating from high school. In her search for a family photo from many years ago, Flora finds Julian’s wedding ring which was “lost” many years ago. This sets off a chain of events which are told from multiple perspectives and multiple time frames. My problem with this book was that nothing significant happened. The characters weren’t especially likable and the ending left me hanging. Perhaps this just wasn’t the right time for me for this book. Thanks to Ecco Publishing Nd NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

I loved that this book focused on women of a certain age (late 30s/ early 40s) and all the ups and downs of entering that stage of life. There isn't much out there about middle age -- so I appreciate it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing house for providing a review copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was such a big fan of, “The Nest,” so I couldn’t wait to dig into the latest from Sweeney.

This one is very different from her first and, dare I say, I enjoyed it even more?

Any book with a good theatre plot is always a winner for this former thespian.

This follows the story of two couples that have been friends since their very early days of dating and marriage.

Flora has always considered her marriage to be one of her strongest assets and has never had reason to question the relationship or their love for each other…that is until she finds the wedding ring that her husband claimed he had lost one summer.

It's this shocking discovery that causes Flora to abandon her friendship with her best friend, Margot.

These discoveries force Flora to focus on these fractured relationships and how they came to be while discovering if there is really space for forgiveness.

This was a satisfying novel that might not have had huge plot twists, but I loved how beautifully flawed and fleshed out these characters were.

The cover and the synopsis and the author draw you in, but unfortunately I found the actual story to just be "meh". It wasn't bad, it just wasn't memorable and I kept having to force myself to go back to it to finish.

"Good Company" is a story of a marriage, and a story of a friendship, that spans several decades and two coasts. Many fans of "The Nest" may be let down by the slow burn of this story, but the characters are richly drawn and developed. The plot itself is not complex but instead tells the story of the slow unraveling of a secret, decades later. I liked, but did not love the book and thought it would be a great summer read.

I enjoyed the world that D'Aprix Sweeney explores in her new novel, Good Company. Her cast of characters either work in the arts/entertainment industry or are adjacent to it. Flora, Julian, Margot, and David are a solid friends group. They had each have fun meet-cutes and lived a hard but enviable NYC actor lifestyle (though David is a surgeon) until an incident lead Margot and David to move to LA where Margot accepted a TV job that turned into a 10-year gig. Flora and Julian soon followed with their daughter Ruby and now, on the precipice of Ruby's high school graduation, Flora finds Julian's long-lost wedding ring in the back of their family filing cabinet revealing old secrets.

D'Aprix Sweeney crafted a fun story. The audiobook was expertly narrated by Marin Ireland, who's narration is just as impressive as her acting and perfectly encapsulates these adults (and one teen) during this turbulent life period. All five characters get their perspectives told (as well as a few stragglers) and we get a full picture of how the group navigates collectively and individually throughout their lives and in particular, this specific period of strife. Good Company was a well written, entertaining story and I enjoyed the character driven intention. However, I didn't enjoy the culmination of the plot and felt that there were too many additional perspectives outside of the friend/family group included.

I enjoyed listening to this audiobook a lot and it probably elevated my personal experience. The story itself felt incomplete and too quickly wrapped up but gave me a few solid hours of distraction which is all you can really ask of a good book! This book is great for fans of character driven novels and reminded me of Emma Straub and Meg Wolitzer.

This was my second Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney novel (the first being The Nest) and enjoyed it. I can see why Jenna Bush Hager chose it for her book club for April.

Just like in The Nest, I enjoyed seeing the complicated family and friend dynamics unfold between Flora, Julian, Margot, and David through flashbacks and present day conversations. When I read character driven books, I find that the dual timelines really help move the plot along with the tie ins between the present and the past.

Good Company is based on a simple point, when a lie is discovered, what will happen to the couple and friends involved?

Best for: reading on the weekend and reading by the pool

For lovers of: contemporary fiction, character driven books, stories that take place in NYC and LA, stories involving actors, and domestic fiction

I highly recommend!

Courtesy of Netgalley I received the ARC of Good Company by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney. This tale, set in the New York theater world and in California's film environment, is about friends, families, marriage, and parenthood. The relationships become strained and are told from different points of view, encompassing secrets and lies. As the story unfolds and then barrels towards the end, the characters gain awareness and insight into their situations. Well written!

Good Company is an absorbing novel that follows four intertwined lives and the lives of those around them. The title refers to an acting company in which some of the protagonists are involved and, of course, also could refer to who enjoys spending time with whom.

Flora and Margot met when they were both starting their careers. They know a good deal about one another but there is also at least one big secret waiting to be revealed. Margot, for much of the novel, is a doctor on a long running tv series, while Flora has opted to spend more of her time doing voice overs so that she can spend more time with her precious daughter Ruby.

Flora is married to Julian an actor and one of the company managers. Margot is married to David. His medical career was upended and reinvented.

The novel covers a number of years and moves back and forth seamlessly. The story unfolds on both coasts and also in Europe for a bit.

As the blurbs for this book note, Julian’s wedding ring takes on a great deal of importance in the novel. Its history and whereabouts becomes a theme that involves the primary characters.

This novel offers a well told story and nuanced characters. The lives of the actors, their choices and stresses, feel authentic. I definitely recommend this title.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

This book is just rather lackluster. Flora thinks her marriage is strong and stable until she discovers her husband’s wedding ring in an envelope in the back of a file cabinet. She feels deceived by two of the people closest to her. The story kind of stumbles around in time going back and forth from the past to the present. The women characters were mostly interesting but the men seemed more one dimensional, especially David, who just seems thrown in so Margot could have a husband. I enjoyed the theater settings/backdrop which added to the story.

Thank you for the opportunity to read Good Company. Unfortunately, I could not get into this story and had to DNF about halfway in. I couldn't connect to the characters and wasn't engaged with either timeline.

I loved The Nest and was looking forward to reading this book, but I was really disappointed. The story didn’t grab me, It was really hard to like any of the main characters and I didn’t love the way the book ended either. The story is about Flora and Julian, their daughter Ruby, and their best friends Margot and David who are like family to them. They move from Manhattan to L.A. to pursue their careers. There’s just nothing about their story to remotely hold my interest the way The Nest did. I don’t understand why Read With Jenna made this a book club pick. Thanks to #netgalley and #ecco for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. #Good Company

Flora & Julian have been married for years when Flora discovers Julian’s wedding ring hidden away in a sealed envelope. Years earlier Julian had confessed he ‘lost’ the ring...so why is it hidden away in a sealed envelope? Margot (Flora’s best friend) has something to do with the missing ring...but how she is involved was not necessarily my first guess.

Can we as women forgive our best friend for keeping a potential life altering secret from us? Can we forgive our husband? That’s what Flora needs to decide.

This was a good read but the ending left me hanging & fell flat for me. I wanted some sort of closure for Flora but there really wasn’t anything there. Maybe the author wanted us to formulate our own ending for Flora...but I like a distinct ending.

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the ARC!

As someone who generally goes for more plot driven narratives then character driven ones, I was not sure I would like this. But seriously, I LOVED this book! I loved the back stories, and the beautiful writing. I loved that the strength of the main character Flora was tested, and showed a realistic portrayal of a relationship over time and through obstacles. I have read Cynthia's highly acclaimed book, The Nest and am happy to say this one is equally amazing if not better! I know I actually enjoyed this much more. Best of luck to her! :)

Good Company by Cynthia D’Apix Sweeney is a cataclysmic collision of many life forces: love, marriage, parenting, infidelity, friendships, ambition, jealousy, desire, infidelity, careers, social mores, and economics.

This, for me, is definitely page turning fiction. The characters are very real and extremely well crafted. The author deeply and honestly describes a couples adult life and the tensions that arise between them. There are two couples and one daughter. The author explores the fragility of marriage. She also explores the complicated relationships between long time friends.
It is a novel about a women and her relationship with her husband, her daughter and her best friend. The book was so consuming that I read it in two sittings.

Ms. Sweeney is a gifted storyteller. This book makes the reader contemplate much about the characters and their situation. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and will anxiously await the next novel from Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney. Well done.

I would like to thank the author, Ecco Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.