One of my GR friends made an astute comment earlier this week. She opined that the proof of a great author is not their first book, but their second or third. So, Good Company was my chance to put that idea to the test. I loved The Nest, Sweeney’s debut book.
The story here covers the Fletcher family - the parents, Flora and Julian, both actors, and their daughter, Ruby, along with their close friends Margot and David. The story wanders all over the place. Flashbacks to when the adults were young, present day in LA after they have achieved various degrees of success.
The supposed flashpoint of the story is Flora’s discovery of Julian’s original wedding ring hidden in a file cabinet, a ring supposedly lost in a pond years earlier. The story covers a variety of topics - marriage, parenthood, the acting life, friendship, success, adultery. It’s life in all it’s messiness. Unfortunately, what it’s not is riveting. It’s sweet, the characters are realistic, but it’s just ok. I just couldn’t get engaged in their lives.
Marin Ireland, the narrator, did a decent job. She tried to impart emotion into the telling of the story, but she wasn’t given a lot to work with.
My thanks to netgalley and Harper Audio for an advance copy of this book.

This is a story of marriage, friendship and what happens when you find out that what you’ve believed in for the last twenty years is built on a lie. You’ve found out out that your husband years has been lying to you for most of your marriage, you’ve been terribly betrayed by your best, oldest and dearest most trusted friend who selfishly chose to protect herself and rather than you, you’ve been fired from your job and your daughter is getting ready to leave for college. Friendships and relationships tested. We meet 2 couples who have been friends forever and helped each other through everything or so Flora thought. She realizes that she is truly alone and has no one to turn to or trust. It is somewhat slow paced journey for Flora to figure out what is next for her. How to deal with her marriage, her best friend and career. Are any really worth saving? It’s a little slow at times, but worth the listen as we walk along side Flora on her journey to moving forward to the next chapter of her life. I enjoyed this book, but did at times find it a bit slow moving, but still well worth the listen.

Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s The Nest was one of the best novels I read in 2016, so I’d been looking forward to reading the author’s follow-up ever since. I jumped at the chance of listening to the audio for her new release “Good Company” before publication, and I’m very pleased to report that it lived up to my high expectations. A novel about family, friendship, secrets, and life in general. I really enjoyed listening.

The novel follows three friends: Flora and Julian, who are married, and also their best friend Margot. All of them start out as actors in New York. Flora and Julian struggle for longer than Margot, but have found a level of success with their most recent ventures all of them in LA now — sometimes feeling guilty about having “sold-out” by pursuing television and voice-over work, rather than sticking with their (far less lucrative) love for the theatre and musical theatre.

All of the hallmarks that made The Nest such a good read — the attention to detail, the fully-realized characters, excellent prose — are on display again in Good Company. The author does a wonderful job, writing these characters and their interconnected relationships. The alternating perspectives was very well handled, and used to present the different interpretations of events — either reinforcing or contradicting others. We learn of each character’s worries, their blind-spots, and more.
In all I was reminded of Amy Poeppel‘s „Musical Chairs“ which I listened to and enjoyed last summer ...

Marin Ireland narrated this book wonderfully and did an amazing job with each character's personality. Her narration added to the story in the best possible way !

Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for and ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Flora, a voice actress has been happily married to her stage actor/play producer husband Julian for 20 years. They have a daughter, Ruby, about to graduate high school and they are finally in a comfortable spot in life. Until their happiness is thrown into a tailspin when Flora finds Julian's original wedding ring that he "lost swimming in a pond" when Ruby was 5. The appearance of the ring also upends Flora's relationship with her best friend, TV star, Margot.

Good Company is the story of friendship through the years, friendships through the good times and the bad. It is the story of life's choices, highs and lows and second chances.

Unfortunately, for me this book seemed to drag on without fully engaging me. About halfway through the book I was ready for it to wrap up, I continued through to the end, but it never really seemed to pick up and "hook" me. Overall the book was "fine". For me it wasn't a hit, but others may find it endearing and connect with the characters on a deeper level.

The chapters narration hopped around between different characters POV as well as chronologically. Some transitions were a bit more sudden than others, but overall it still flowed. I enjoyed the POV shifts to get the larger picture but it was a bit inconsistent of who or when would be with each chapter and some I wanted to hear from more.

For audiobook lovers, Marin Ireland narrated this book beautifully and did an amazing job with each character's personality.

Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for and ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The expected US publication date is April 6, 2021.

I enjoyed this book but definitely felt like something was missing. The acting parts were pretentious and precious. However the parts that looked at the marriage and relationship between Flora and Julian were very striking. The commentary about intimacy was spot on. I think there were also some good insights about intimacy with decades long friendships. Ruby was an annoying and spoiled character. I would read more books by this author
Thanks to NetGalley for the enjoyable audio book edition

Good Company explores what happens when things you have held true, change suddenly overnight and explores how one woman deals with the aftermath and reminiscing on the steps that led her to this place. When Flora finds an errant piece of jewelry while searching for something else, she is suddenly questioning much of her life and marriage. This novel follows her along on this journey. In addition to her story, her best friend Margo is on her own journey that complements and distracts from the story. I found that helpful because all the issues and stories here are real and at times heavy, so it was nice to have Margo as a bit of relaxation though she certainly had her own share of struggles from the past. This novel explores marriage and mid-life in such a refreshing way that makes you things about the tough questions yourself. The ending was a perfect landing of really bought the book together.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration and the narrator. She added to the story in a way that keeps me engaged and to follow along as viewpoints/characters changed.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this title.

I liked how the reality of sacrifice and compromise was written into the story on Flora’s account. And how in the last few chapters Julien was written to push through and be there for his family (as it feels sometimes these storylines solely put the pressure on the Mother to do that). The role of Margot’s character felt a little vague. Didn’t really vibe with how the female comradery between her and Flora was written; if felt like betting woman-against-woman. The ending was definitely worth the read though!

I rate this book 3.5 stars. The author is an excellent writer. The plot was interesting. The problem for me was that I just didn't like any of the main characters. Flora, her best friend, and her husband met as young actors in New York. Later, all three ended up as successful television actors in Los Angeles. Flora and her husband seemed like the ideal couple until the time of their daughter's high school graduation, when a discovery reveals secrets that cause the marriage to unravel. The story moves back and forth from present day LA to earlier times in NY. In the beginning, Flora was so insecure and whiny that I had a hard time understanding why her husband chose to marry her. Later, as Flora searched for the truth, she grew more confident and assertive. I liked and was surprised by the ending. I think the book would be a good book club selection--the ending could lead to an interesting discussion. I listened to the audiobook; the narration was excellent.

Good Company by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney recounts the relationships/lives of two married couples who have remained close friends through adulthood from their 20s to their 40s. Flora & Julian: voice actor/mother and actor/director. Margot & David: TV star and former pediatric surgeon. They all met and married in NYC around the same time and moved to LA about 10 years later for different reasons. Early on, they formed a small theater company. Since then, they have all lived different lives.

The characters are fascinating though they're not always likeable. Sweeney skillfully reveals the story and relationships by going back and forth between present day and past. Sweeney does a wonderful job illustrating how romantic relationships and friendships change over time because of children, life events, and job changes. I liked how Good Company makes you think about your own relationships and forgiveness. I listened to the audiobook which was deftly narrated by the actress, Marin Ireland.

Thank you Ecco / Harper Audio and NetGalley for providing this ebook and audiobook ARC.

A somewhat engaging story, but I didn’t feel passionate about any of the characters one way or another - i.e. I neither loved nor hated them, so I wasn’t fully invested in finding out what would or had happened to them.

Excellent book. Marin is also my favorite narrator! This book was exactly my style and will go down as a top favorite. I can't wait to suggest to friends. My heart broke for Flora but the ending left me with a feeling of hope.

Follows the lives of two married couples and their relationships through their years of being in the entertainment business.
Everyone is set in their place in life or so they think until circumstances arise that has the potential to change everything.

3.5 stars

I’ve always been drawn to books that crack open and delve into intimate relationships like a marriage or parent/child bond. This story is a powerful exploration of a woman’s relationship with her husband and best friend. What starts out as new, exiting and somewhat volatile, Flora’s relationship with Julian becomes easy, comfortable and a backbone in her existence. After getting married and having their daughter Ruby, Flora and Julian fall into a familiar existence with Julian running a theatre company and Flora taking a step back from her acting career to raise Ruby and focus on her family. In the center stage throughout it all is. Flora’s best friend Margot, a successful actress married to a surgeon named David. The four of them become close with Margot and David treating Ruby as one of their own since they never had kids. Margot and Julian are Flora’s world until the day she accidentally finds Julian’s original wedding ring in an envelope hidden away. The one he told her he lost in a pond while the two families were vacationing together years ago. But what’s it doing tucked away? Why did he lie? What comes out is an emotional account of history, mistakes and long buried secrets that shatter Flora’s world and idyllic life.

This is a fantastically written character study. The characters are carved out three dimensional beings. We feel their emotions and are drawn into their stories. It is a slower paced in depth exploration of betrayal. How it happens. What it feels like. And it’s devastating impact. If one enjoys thoughtful character driven literature, this may be a good fit. I personally found the pacing a little too slow and the background focus of acting not all that interesting. However, it was still a solid read that kept me engaged. I listened to the audio and enjoyed the narrator’s performance.

A gracious thank you to Harper Audio and Netgalley for an advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

After celebrating a decade together and five years of marriage with my husband this past year, I’ve grown more and more interested in stories of marriage, what makes a good one, the struggles couples face and what can ultimately bring them down. Where I used to be drawn more to coming-of-age narratives now I find myself looking for a reflection of my own life in stories of motherhood and building a life with someone, come hell or high water.

Good Company by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney (author of the wildly successful The Nest) was exactly my cup of tea, delivered lukewarm. It centres around Flora Mancini and her best friend Margot and the men they marry, build lives with and eventually come to know more differently than they could have anticipated. For Flora, it begins with the discovery of her husband Julian’s “lost” wedding ring deep in a filing cabinet of their lives’ paraphernalia. But why would he lie and say he lost it when it was here the whole time? This innocuous discovery unravels everything she knows and believed about Julian and her marriage, and the one person she might turn to, Margot, is implicated as well.

I found Good Company, an enjoyable, if somewhat anticlimactic read. All the characters are in various places of their acting careers and there’s a lot of time spent with the titular theatre company Julian founds with a friend and its trials and tribulations which honestly, didn’t hold a lot of interest for me. However, where D’Aprix Sweeney excels is the family dynamics that she did so well in The Nest, also on display here, through alternating perspectives of Flora, Julian, their daughter Ruby, and Margot. I love how she wove their stories through college years, to present middle age, how they all found and lost themselves in the friendships they formed with one another. I love a narrative that explores friendships that become family and the forming and breaking of intense bonds with people who know you and grow with you from a young age. Sometimes the stories of a friendship and how we betray and fail each other against our best judgments and despite our keen efforts are like a marriage without the vows. That’s where I think Good Company had the most promise and ultimately fell short. Although I did enjoy this book very much, it stayed surface level when I would have liked a deep dive into the dark, blind places where love and friendship meet and decay. If there’s a betrayal I want to feel it. This was more akin to a good story arc on a prime time drama, with little staying power. There will be something more interesting, more dramatic, drawing more ratings next season, and we’ll remember this one like a fleeting blip.

Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, author of The Nest, has written a novel that once again proves that she is a talented writer. Sweeney writes about marriage, friendship and motherhood in the book Good Company in way that will resonate with readers. Relationships are fraught with landmines of pain, but also come with a depth of love that makes the pain worth every minute. Can you count on your best friend? Your husband? Your family? Or only on yourself? Good Company is a tour de force and not to be missed.

Phenomenal book. I am new to this author and was impressed by the gripping nature of the story. Told in multiple points of view, the way the story unfolded was exceptional. I cared about each of the characters. I couldn't wait to find out what had happened, and yet I was invested in every scene--it's essentially a book told in flashbacks, woven together and it really works to create a layered, deep look at complex issues. I can't wait to read her first book now!

5 enthusiastic stars for this book-- Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney does it again. Follow the trajectory of two couples, Flora and Julian and also Margot and David as they transition through 20+ years together. The accurate portrayal of life, marriage, careers and parenting's ups and downs left me sinking into the complexities of relationships. Sweeney's writing was reflective, witty and beautiful-- so much so that I'm going to pick up The Nest for a re-read so I can visit her talent again.

Upon finishing this book, the synopsis is rather misleading. It states "But everything she thought she knew about herself, her marriage, and her relationship with her best friend, Margot, is upended when she stumbles upon an envelope containing her husband’s wedding ring"....Really? EVERYTHING she thought? Good Company is a novel about a bunch of white people, ranging from famous and comfortably wealthy to wants-to-be-famous and dirt poor. The husband cheated. The end.

The writing is fine and clear, the characters are distinct enough to tell them apart, but they're rather uninteresting otherwise. I didn't care what was happening or what was going to happen. If I am going to invest time in a contemporary novel, I expect to learn something-anything! I didn't get anything out of this book. There's no underlying message about relationships, friendship, family, a place, a historical event, acting, theatre....Nothing.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for a copy of this in exchange for my honest review.

Good Company is a delightful story of the marriage and friendships of two couples. Four individuals are each grappling with their own, yet related, midlife challenges. Julian and Flora are getting ready to navigate life as empty nesters while also dealing with questions revolving around a recently found wedding ring. A ring that's been missing for nearly 15 years. Margot and David are trying to find their footing after a life-changing medical event. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book and found myself missing the story once it was over. Perfect for fans of character-driven stories with an emphasis on family dynamics. 

Thank you to Harper Audio, Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney and NetGalley for an advance copy of this audiobook.

Some of us are lucky enough to fall in love with someone who has the same goals and values that we have. Unfortunately, others fall in love and feel the betrayal of a partner who does not value monogamy. Good Company by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney explores marriage and the friendships which bind us.

Flora has been married for the past twenty years to Julian. The first years of their marriage were financially challenging as each tried to make a living in New York’s theatre world. Eventually, Julian opened up Good Company, his own theatre company while Flora raised their daughter Ruby and did voiceover work. Flora’s best friend Margot is also an actor, married to David, a paediatric brain surgeon. When Flora discovers her husband’s wedding ring in an envelope, she begins to reflect upon not only her marriage, but her friendship with Margot.

This book is character driven and is told from multiple perspectives in multiple time frames. It discusses infidelity, trust and the ability to forgive. I appreciated the character development in the book, but felt I really could not connect to the characters as much as I wanted to. I contribute much of this due to the non-linear nature of past events in this book. These reflections felt random in nature and I was distracted by them. While I was entertained by the book, it was a struggle at times to maintain my focus. This is likely due to a mismatch between the book and reader and I appreciate that many others may not feel this way.

I listened to the audiobook version of the book which was narrated by Marin Ireland who provided an excellent performance. I appreciated the articulate and sweet tone to her voice and it was a pleasure to listen to her. I listened to the book at my usual 1.25x speed which provided me a comfortable listening experience.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Audio for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for the honest review provided here.