When We Were Friends is a short story by best-selling British journalist and author, Jane Green. When Lucy, a recently-divorced mother of twelve-year-old KC, encounters Elle, quite by chance, in a hotel bathroom, she’s surprised and delighted by how rapidly they establish a rapport. Her best friend Sally is back in England and busy with husband and children. The intensity is exciting, even a little frightening, but Lucy soon discards her usual wariness and is wholeheartedly invested in their friendship. Until something changes: a shocking, unforgiveable betrayal…
A thought-provoking tale that will resonate with women with certain circumstances.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories.

this was a quick read about how friendships can be messy just like romantic relationships. i connected with lucy and the excitement she felt surrounding a new friend where they just clicked (at least at first). the story itself was predictable, though, and elle’s character was very unlikeable. thank you to netgalley and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Cute, easy to read short story!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"When We Were Friends" is an Amazon Original short story. I wasn’t entirely sure where the story was leading, but it provided a compelling exploration of the rise and fall of a friendship.

Publication date- Oct 01 2024
#WhenWeWereFriends #NetGalley

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for this advance readers copy in exchange for my honest feedback. Perfect little short story to read in between books about a friendship and how you can be friendship bombed similar to love bombing. This is a very short story but the author manages to unfold a lot of heaviness to perfection. Really enjoyed this one.

I’ve read several of Jane Green’s novels and have enjoyed them. And I love short stories, so I was excited to read this. It was good, but felt a little rushed. I think a bit longer - maybe novella length - would have suited the story better.

Honestly, I just grabbed this as part of Amazon First Reads and had NO idea going in what the genre even was! I started reading and was like, is this a romance, a thriller? Wondering which direction will this story take (because it totally could have gone either way LOL). Turns out it's like....women's fiction?

I liked the growth of Lucy's character even in the short time readers get to know her. She is described as becoming small throughout her marriage and once divorced- she gets to let her true self shine again. Her friendship with Elle wasn't my favorite aspect of the story, surprisingly.

This was well written and even though I don't like how little characterization short stories provide, I liked getting to know Lucy in this one. The ending made me feel for Lucy and honestly, the way she handled it is part of why I liked her character and liked this story.

A story of narcissism, love-bombing, and learning to love yourself as an individual and not how you are in relation to someone else. In so few pages, the author is able to immerse us into the mind of recently divorced Lucy as she navigates her new friendship with Elle, how quickly it infiltrates her whole life and how quickly it can disappear!

Thank you so much to Jane Green and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

This short story neatly encapsulates the start and end of an intense friendship. Jane Green packs a lot into 44 pages - although some of the resolution felt a little rushed, but that might be due to then limitation of the genre. I hadn't read Jane Green before, and will look out for her full length novels. I got this free from NetGalley (in exchange for an honest review), and it is also available free if you have Kindle Unlimited. It was a pleasant way to pass a lunch break. Recommend.

Jane Green just amazes me. Her books are so beautifully written. I'm always amazed how she captures you with the main character and their gripping story. This one pulled all my heartstrings. Loved it! Highly recommend.

Sometimes love is letting them go.. this story is short and cute and hits you with the feels. It's a good example to love the ones you already have near and dear and be careful who you trust. We need to try to remember to love ourselves enough to forgive and let go.

Lucy realizes she is lonely when, as a new divorcée, she goes to a bar with women who all seem to be looking for men, single or married. Instead, she finds a friend. Elle is an artist, a worker at the nearby upscale garden center and quickly becomes Lucy’s best friend. You know, the kind of best friend you meet on the first day of school, the kind you make bracelets for and plan sleepovers with. The difference is that they are grown women, grown women with their own unique personalities. What Lucy discovers about Elle will teach her much more about herself. When We Were Friends is written with Jane Green’s consistent talent, verve and insights. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories and Jane Green for this ARC.

Lucy is living well post-divorce in her dream house, but her new friendship with Elle raises questions about Elle's true intentions.

This book was short and sweet, just as I expected. As a military spouse, I understand the challenges of maintaining friendships while constantly moving from state to state every 3-4 years. It can be difficult to find new friends and start over, but it's a life I willingly chose.

I anticipated this short story would have a clear message, and it did not disappoint. It reminded me that things are not always as they seem, especially when meeting new people. Some may have ulterior motives, some may be draining, while others genuinely care and want to be a part of your life.

I dove into the story without reading the synopsis first, and I was pleasantly surprised by its focus on friendship, loyalty, and hidden agendas. This quick read resonated with me on a personal level, making it all the more enjoyable.

Thank you, Amazon Original Stories for digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Green gets right to the point. How great it feels to have a bestie to share everything with, especially post divorce.
It’s also the worst when the same bestie sticks a knife in your ribs and you’re destroyed.
I think Green used this story in a therapeutic manner since she’s revealed she’d divested herself of a really good friends.
Those we hold the closest have the greatest capacity to wound us.

When We Were Friends by Jane Green

When We Were Friends is a short story about friendship and how we view ourselves, and those around us. Lucy is recently discovered and trying to rediscover herself as a single woman, when she meets Elle, who seems to be everything she has been looking for in a friend. While this is short, it was definitely enjoyable, especially as a quick palette cleanse.

Such good writing style, narrative voice, characters.
Happy sad poignant unexpected.
Wished were a full length read--didn't want the story/characters to end!

With thanks to NetGalley & Amazon Original Stories for this e-ARC.

Very enjoyable read!! Thank you for allowing me to read the advanced copy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Jane Green, NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Being that this was a very short story (44 pages) I was unsure as to how much I would enjoy the story. was very pleasently surprised at how quickly and efficiently the author was able to make me become attached to the two main characters and their incredibly odd yet genuine (at times) friendship.

This story is one that I feel almost all women can relate to. Sometimes we meet people we instantly connect with and their friendship seems almost too good to be true - and sadly, in this case it was.

It's been a few weeks since i read this short story and I still find myself thinking back on it from time to time - always a sign of a good book!

Brava to the author for making such a compelling and heartfelt story feel so true to life! Will definitely be keeping an eye out for her future work!

I've read Jane Green's chick-lit work before & this "short" was no exception - great if brief women's story. Many thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for the ARC

You know those instant, dizzying friendships? Lucy's friendship with Elle is one of those: despite their differences in age and experience, they just *click*, and Lucy knows she's found her person. But: Friendships are complicated, and easy doesn't always last forever.

I love stories about friendship—so many books focus on romance, and it's so nice to see ones that acknowledge how critically important platonic relationships can be. Often that means books about best friendships (as this short story is), but I'm just as happy with books about, I don't know, unexpected support from less close friends, and so on and so forth.

It's clear from early on that something is coming—I only skimmed the description before reading the story (too easy for a short story description to say a bit too much), but a story needs its climax, after all. I think I might have preferred something a little less abrupt; I've fallen out with friends in the past, but even when abrupt those times didn't feel quite so one-sided. (Not to say that it doesn't happen, just that I love me some grey area.) Still, I'd like to see more stories exploring the ins and out of platonic friendship and how devastating the loss of the friendship can be.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.