Plays Well With Others had some moments that offered comic relief & some moments that were pretty emotional that touched on heavier topics.

When Jacquelyn “Jake” Nolan moves for a fresh start after enduring life changes that would break most people, she begins to uncover secrets from some of the new neighbors in the surrounding area. Some of these secrets were definitely jaw dropping.

I was wondering the purpose of Jake befriending some of the children in the area, but it all unfolded nicely & made sense as to why she was drawn to them.

The emotional journey of hearing Jake’s story throughout her healing journey from having a stillborn son was heart wrenching & if it’s not triggering for some, readers will enjoy.

There were some lovable & some dislikable characters, I’m unsure of who I despised more Vanessa, the neighbor that is despicable to her son or Shelby the ex best friend that betrayed Jake in the worst way. Although it took her a while to get there, I enjoyed Jake’s character development! When the opportunity presented itself to “get her lick back” she chose to use that opportunity to help others.

Favorite Quote
“She does not deserve an inch of your mental real estate, nor mine.”

Overall worth the read, 3.5 ⭐️ and I will be reading more from this author. Thank you Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS by Lauren Myracle @myraclegirl

Genre: Domestic Suspense
Format: 🎧
🌶️: N/A
⚠️: Light themes of child neglect / abuse (not graphic)
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

If domestic drama is your jam this book should offer enough to satisfy your cravings 😂

If you love a good petty revenge oriented queen then this one is for you! The fake poops where my fave m, iykyk.. however i did feel for Billy receiving all the wrath 😪

We all agree that anonymous online keyboard warriors are absolutely the worst kinds of human beings in real life, but in book and fiction format it is pretty fun to watch unfold!

You can choose for yourself which character it root for and which to defend their bad behaviour, I personally rooted for the main character and was glad she made a supportive friend with her wacky neighbour 😆

Not my typical genre but l enjoyed this book and would recommend the read! Light themes of grief, loss, found family, friendships, betrayal and divorce with a heavy side of dramaaa 🍿

Thank you @blackstonepublishing for the gifted copy!

Ugh such a great book. I literally could not put it down. For two days straight I was INVESTED. I loved the characters so much. Except Shelby. 👎 She deserves the fire.

This book was a hot mess. Let me clarify what I mean by that. If you picture a row of brand new houses and insert families, each with their own brand of drama and trauma that oozes out of their pores, you have this book. You have adult women acting like children. Taunting and bullying, grown up version. You have children that come from abusive houses and don't know how to act properly around others.

I found myself crying several times during this book because of how horrible some situations were. Broke my heart! Quite a few characters are introduced, but we get to see a first person view from most of them, including children, throughout the book. The intertwining of their lives definitely is interesting.

A dark, twisty haunting tale of fractured families and the fragile threads that bind neighbors together. Jake’s friend Shelby sleeps with her husband, upending her life and prompting a move. In her new neighborhood, she forms unlikely connections: kind-hearted Mabel, troubled Vanessa’s son Billy, and siblings Wendell and Delilah, whom live with their aunt. But beneath the surface, every household carries its own heartache, and with burdens that weigh just as heavily on the children as they do on the adults.

I went in to this expecting a thriller, what I got was a neighbourhood full of morally grey characters of all ages, lots of secrets, and interlinked stories ! It was honestly hard to put down as I was dying to know what was going to happen


My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of Plays Well with Others by Lauren Myracle.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one! I loved the different perspectives and was really invested in Jake and Mabel. The only part of the story that felt unresolved by the end was the story of Billy and Vanessa. That storyline did not come to a satisfying conclusion unlike all the other characters’ storylines.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this gifted copy!

Omg what a fast paced, neighborhood thriller. You meet Jake who’s been through hell and back who meets Mabel, other neighborhood women and children. The story unfolds and the characters become more complex. Fast paced, twisty, but with an ending I could’ve had more from. I really enjoyed this book overall.

This one was so so good I loved how the plot twist always hits you with a bang wow this was great thank you so much for this I will recommend this one

I didn’t love this book but I didn’t hate it either. I found the characters hard to connect to. It start to lose my attention but I did appreciate the ending. Overall, worth a look.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lauren Myracle, and Blackstone Publishing for the eARC. This was a gripping psychological thriller—with a strong emphasis on the psychological. The story delves deep into childhood trauma and the lasting impact it carries into adulthood, making for a haunting and emotionally layered read.

This was a wild ride of a book and I absolutely did not expect any of it. What a plot twist. I hated most of the characters but I couldn’t stop reading to find out what they would do next. This book gives big reality and crime tv vibes and I could not stop reading. I will definitely be recommending this one to friends!

Thank you NetGalley! This is a first time read for me by this author. I did not expect Plays Well with Others to go in the direction it did. It was amazing! I laughed out loud several times and totally felt the characters pain. Highly recommend!

Twists and turns, slow burn and drama? All things that make this book unputdownable! Well worth it to pick up and read, you won't regret it

I love a slow burn and when the drama hit, it HIT! Love the plot lines and twists and the well developed characters. That twist though! WOW! This book was a fun ride!

I really did enjoy how all the characters came together it’s it’s unexpected twist
Wasn’t my favorites but I really did enjoy it!
Looking forward to more from this author

thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. In exchange for my honest feedback. This was a quick domestic thriller that kept me reading by having absolutely no idea where things were going. And for that, I recommend.

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Plays Well With Others by Lauren Myracle
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Domestic Thriller
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: June 10, 2025
📖 288 pages

✨️ 3.5/5

Cheating Spouses
Social Media Tyrade
Betrayal by Bestie
Manipulative "BFF"
She Needs Revenge
Multiple POV
Found Family

Review: This book is slooooowwww. I absolutely didn't think Jake was the bad guy from the beginning even if she said some "not so nice" things in the heat of her anger. I honestly don't mind the petty payback either. It was mildly amusing watching the women fight anonymously via community website, though that's all it ends up being. Though it didn't pick up until about 85%, I liked how everyone's stories intertwined in the end.

Thank you so much, Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the digital review copy!

⚠️: cheating, stillbirth, psychological abuse

This was a very enjoyable domestic thriller for me. I didn’t know who was crazier: the adults or the kids. It made me think it could be a great tv series with all the goings-on in the neighborhood. The only thing I didn’t like was the author’s use of Hobby Lobby in the book. I do not support them.

Intense and engaging, this book was full of twists that had me forgoing sleep in favor of knowing what happened next. There is a lot going on in this book so you may be re-reading some passages but overall it was very good with excellent character development and overall atmosphere of suspense.