Good Company by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney : 🎧 Book review

This upcoming novel from the well-known author of The Nest, is about two married couples, a friendship, a daughter, and their careers & ties to the theatre. First, loved the narration by Marin Ireland. Second, this book is what I’d classify as a “soothing” audiobook, for me anyway.
Plot wise, not much happens. We’re following two couples, we learn about the current state of their lives and the background is filled in as points of view jump around throughout the novel. There is real emotion though, and I was fairly invested in what was going on. These upperclass actors with fairly mundane trials: a daughter on the cusp of adulthood leaving for university and changing the dynamics between the parents; a ten-year+ career on a medical drama ending and wondering what’s next; an affair coming out of the woodwork years later.
Overall, it was an interesting look at relationships- how they change over time, what they mean at different points in time, how they bloom and wither. I was just carried along into the inner workings of these characters and then it was over. As I said - soothing. Wrapped up in other people’s drama for a bit with some thoughtful moments along the way.
I’d recommend this for people who like character studies. If you liked The Nest, you’d probably like this too. I think this was well written but not overly exciting. An enjoyable audiobook.
Thank you so much to Harper Audio, Netgalley & Harper Collins Canada for an ALC of this lovely book. All opinions are my own. It publishes April 6 2021!

3.8 ⭐️ OVERALL
5.0 ⭐️ NARRATION

🥀 Genre🥀 Literary Fiction

🥀 Premise 🥀 Flora Mancini questions her marriage and her longest friendship when the wedding band her husband claimed was at the bottom of a pond reappears.

🥀 Narration 🥀 Excellent. Perfect pairing with the story.

🥀 Thoughts 🥀 A leisurely paced character-driven plot that explores the intricacies of enduring relationships.

🥀 Thoughts 🥀 It has a perfect open-ended conclusion that is realistic and gratifying.

🥀 Listen or Leave it? LISTEN 🥀

Special thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for an audio copy to listen to and review.

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #bibliophile #instabooks #igreads #readersofinstagram #goodreads #bookreview #bookrecommendation #bookstagramfeature #bookgram #instaread #audiophile #audiobookstagram #audiobookreview #audiobookrecommendation #bookoftheday #bookish #bookishgirl #desiinfluencer #bookstoread #readingchallenge #bookishfeature #bookstagramcommunity #bookishpost #booksofinsta #booksofig #booklovers #booknerd

D'Aprix Sweeney is back and better than ever. What readers loved about the complicated family and sibling relationships in her novel The Nest they will find easily translated to complicated chosen family and friend relationships in this novel. Told with a love of entertainment from movies, television, Broadway, and even voice acting, the struggles of artists are told with grace and intellect without compromising emotional depth.

Narrator Marin Ireland does a fantastic job with the different characters. The narration is clear and consistent throughout.

Very much enjoyed listening to this audiobook! Would not be surprised to see this one on the summer "beach reads" recommendation lists. I loved the details that make this book come to life. The author does a great job of looking at life when the things you counted on turn out to be different than what you'd originally thought. Like real life, her characters are flawed, but they're also strong. Flora is facing the same questions many women at that stage of life do, and the author handles it beautifully.

I think this author writes well and does a decent job developing her characters. I just wish there was a little more plot going on. It also got a bit confusing when she switched from describing events that took place in the past to the current time. Still an enjoyable read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this story and the way Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney crafts characters and tells stories. After enjoying The Nest when it came out a few years ago I was excited to get my hands on Good Company.
If you did enjoy her previous novel you'll definitely appreciate this dissection of relationships - marriages, friendships, parent/child dynamics are all examined, as well as how we see ourselves in the world.
Flora, the main character is definitely one you'll feel for, but all of the minor players were so richly written any one of them could have had a story of their own.
The audio version of the book was fantastic. Marin Ireland is one of my favorite narrators, so anything she's involved in is a no-brainer. She was perfect for all these characters and for drawing readers into the story.
Thanks to HarperAudio and NetGalley for the advance copy!

This will be a book that I choose to read in physical form, after listening. While I liked the narrators and was drawn in to the story, I think there will be more for me after holding the book in my hands and reading it.

The characters were pleasant and the dynamics and plot were good. But it didn't blow me away and I honestly didn't feel any spark or redeeming spirit behind Flora and Julian's relationship.

Maybe a second-go-round will be enlightening.

I loved "The Nest" so was super excited about "Good Company" and I wasn't disappointed. A functional dysfunctional family is always a must read for me. Flora and Julian remind me a lot of "Marriage Story" what a narcissistic couple! It worked though and the story flowed really well.

I listened to this on audio and can't wait to get my hands on a "real" copy so that I can read it again.

On the day of her daughter’s high school graduation, Flora, discovers her husband’s wedding ring hidden in a file cabinet. Some years earlier he had told her he lost it swimming in a pond. So the question is why did he invent a story when the ring wasn’t lost?
.
I really enjoyed this book. It would be a good choice for a book club selection. It’s a quick, engaging read. There are many layers of life to dissect. Marriage, infidelity, illness, women in the workplace, children, growing older, and probably a few more I’ve missed.
.
Thanks to @netgalley and @harperaudio for an advanced copy. The book will be released on 4/6/21.

"Good Company" was very pleasant listen on audio. The book was about the character, Flora, coming to terms with realizing her 20 year old perfect marriage may not be what it seems. While she is navigating her relationship with her husband, add in turbulence with her best friend, Margot. Sprinkle in a starving actress looking for work, a hormonal teenage daughter, a failing theater company, and a bunch of lies.... you get the perfect concoction of hurt and struggle. While the novel works through these speed bumps, "Good Company" does a good job of intertwining the past and the present to paint the picture of growth and second chances.

Overall, I liked the writing, but I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. They were all in different points of their lives - and none of them were relatable to me. However, that does not mean I didn't appreciate and learn from what they were going through. I still was investing in what was going to happen, and I was happy with how the ending wrapped up - hence the 4 stars.


Thank you, Netgalley, for an audio arc of this book by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney. I look forward to reading more of this author in the future!

Good Company takes us on a journey of life, love and friendship. Readers are given a glimpse into the lives of actors, as the story is based on the members of the Good Company acting group. Good Company spans the decades with realism and honesty. However, the story itself deals with friendship, marriage, and betrayal. Good Company was a great book for me to just relax and enjoy.

A story unfolds as the reader gains insight into the characters’ relationships with each other and themselves. Intricately developed with a sense of purpose.

Meh. I really couldn't get into this one. This book reminded me of an Emma Straub novel--very character driven, detailing regular, mundane middle-aged life. I just didn't feel like anything happened. I was no further involved in the characters' lives on the last page than I was on the first. I also thought the storyline of Julian's missing/found wedding ring to be fairly weak and undelivered. Just all around meh.

Many thanks to the author, Harper Audio, and NetGalley for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback.

A story that is character driven. This is not a deep book, but one that is meant to be enjoyed for what it is; a notch above a beach read. I liked the narrator, which is hugely important for an audiobook. If you liked “The Nest”, you will enjoy this. Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. I received both the kindle and audio versions.

I listened to this audiobook on NetGalley.

I really enjoyed the authors' book The Nest. This book is very different and not as intriguing.

This is a fairly classic story about marriage and friendship. Flora finds the ring that her husband supposedly lost in a lake many years earlier and an old secret is revealed. I found myself angry for Flora as she had been happily sacrificing her career for years to find out about her husbands' infidelity.

Who enjoys a good domestic drama? I love messy family stories, so when I saw the synopsis for Good Company I was excited to dive in. Marin Ireland has quickly become a favorite narrator.
I haven’t read The Nest, but had only heard great things about the novel. I listened to this and thoroughly enjoyed this novel exploring marriage and family. I was thoroughly engrossed in the two couples, the friendships, their past and where this ended up. I’m so excited to go back now and read Sweeney’s previous book. Loved this.

The story follows Flora who discovers a family secret, her husband Julian, their daughther Ruby, and their long-time friends Margot and David. The story displays life in all it's messiness through flashbacks as Flora reflects on marriage with Julian, motherhood, her career (acting), and her friendship with Margot. Although slow at times, Marin Ireland is an excellent narrator. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.

I really enjoyed the audiobook version of Good Company. The narrator did an exceptional job! The cover is beautiful and really catches your eye.

Great book with lots of complicated relationships . The author doesn't solve problems but allows the reader to draw conclusions.
Nice follow up to The Nest.

This was ok. I didn’t love it. I think I ruined it for myself by waiting for something major to happen, and it’s just not that sort of book. This is a somewhat meandering exploration of relationships as they evolve throughout a lifetime. From carefree students and on again off again relationships to adults with adult kids and all that happens in between. It particularly focuses on the power dynamics between husband and wife and how those vary as a function of career trajectories and illness, this was quite an interesting and unusual take on the classic relationship drama. The narration in the audiobook was great. Despite this I found it a little difficult to follow what was going on because the timeline jumps around quite a bit. Perhaps in the print version there is some stylistic landmark that lets the reader know where they are in time, past or present. This was lacking in the audio book. Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the free copy!