This story was slow going in the beginning and took a bit for it to take off and get into it. And before it became known I know who the bad one was so I saw that coming too soon. It got better during the Circus part beginning but it ended on a slow note to me also. Wasn't a horrible book just a bit slow for me.

I'm very grateful for a chance to read this book early! I thought it was a quick read. Not as twisty as I like, but it'll get you out of a slump!

This book was an okay book for me. The summary drew me in and the first few chapters really had my attention, but then the rest of the story was lacking. As the book went on, the chapters seemed to ramble on and get longer; 25-30 minutes for a single chapter?? This novel was listed as a thriller and I have to disagree with the genre selected, there was more emphasis on the drama aspect than then thriller aspect. Sure, there were a few twists and turns, but the main twist didn’t happen until 86% the way thru the book. That’s way too late for me. Having a twist that late in a book is like having an easy way out and tying the book with a bow.

I also found I really didn’t like any of the characters and the writing style just didn’t work for me. Over all this book was decent; 3/5 stars total. I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks for the advanced reader copy from Netgalley!
This book kept my attention and I enjoyed the authors writing. I would read more by them.

This was a compelling enough narrative, though I agree with other reviewers that it's a bit heavier on the drama than the thriller component. The writing didn't always work for me, and it was by no means an immersive, propulsive story, but I'd read from this author again.

Adding to the mixed bag pile!

The concept is interesting, semi dark academia, a group of girls play a game where a chosen ‘victim’ gets ‘killed’ until the actual unfortunate passing of one of the girls, I thought the whole book would be set at school / school age but we actually move forward to the future when the girls are now grown up women and decide to play the deadly game one last time with high stakes and lots of money involved.

What I liked about it was that it was very fast paced definitely a one sitting read, the concept of the game was interesting if you ignore a couple of plot holes in there. What I wasn’t a huge fan of was that for a very fast paced book it didn’t feel like all that much happened, it could have been giving a lot more action and drama.

Thank you for the gifted copy!

Publishes : November 4th

I received an ARC through Netgalley and the author. This book was just ok. I was very intrigued by the first few chapters, and was hopeful this book was going to keep my attention. Instead it did not. It felt dragged on, the characters were underdeveloped and the whole premise of “The Circus” was boring. I barely made it through this one, but pushed myself to get it done just to have something to help me review it.

There’s something undeniably compelling about a story centered on long-standing friendships—especially when that bond is forged by a group of gifted, intelligent women. With Friends Like These delivers on that premise with a fresh concept: a yearly tradition that brings this tight-knit group back together again and again. It’s unique, even if a bit far-fetched at times.

Alissa Lee’s writing is solid—clean, clear, and engaging without feeling overwritten. The pacing moves steadily, and the character dynamics are believable in their warmth, tension, and history. That said, the story as a whole felt just slightly underwhelming. It had the bones of something truly standout, but never quite pushed far enough emotionally or plot-wise to fully stick the landing.

Still, this is a thoughtful debut about the complexities of friendship, the passage of time, and what we owe the people who’ve known us the longest. A nice weekend read, especially for fans of character-driven contemporary fiction.

This was almost a DNF for me, but in the end, I’m glad I stuck it out. The setup is compelling: a secret game among Harvard alums, a mysterious tragedy in their past, and a high-stakes final round decades later.

But here’s the thing: I still don’t understand the point of The Circus. Like… what exactly made this game so important, so emotionally charged, so worth killing (??) for? The characters believed it was everything, and the book asks you to just go with that. Which is fine, but it kept me feeling a bit detached.

That said, the second half picked up steam, and the shifting loyalties and long-buried secrets did deliver enough twists to keep me turning the pages. I was curious how it would all shake out, and I do think the ending landed better than I expected.

If you love messy friendships, toxic nostalgia, and morally questionable Ivy League drama, this might be your jam. It wasn’t a perfect fit for me, but it was an intriguing ride.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review—and honestly, I’ll be steering clear of any friend groups with “elimination-style games” in their group chat.

There was a movie several years ago with a similar type of plot of college friends meeting up once a year to play an epic game. This book gave me that vibe with a twist. It also reminds me of that Assassin style game I see high school kids playing all the time now on TikTokk. The writing was just okay. The story was okay as well, nothing memorable but not awful.

No disrespect to the author but I am just struggling to enjoy yet another story of Harvard students doing bad things. You just can’t get me interested in a plot like this. A Harvard lawyer writing a novel these days just can’t appeal to me, I am sorry. These are wrong times.

"With Friends Like These" is an engaging read that reminded me of the movie Tag. While it wasn't a full-fledged thriller, the story managed to keep me hooked with its twists and turns. Although I saw part of the twist coming, half of it still managed to surprise me. The characters felt like they were written to be much younger than their actual ages, which was a bit distracting.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was...........fine. The summary really had me excited to read this, but I found the execution a bit lacking. The plot was very lumpy and I hated most of the characters (and not in a fun way).
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC!

Just finished this ARC and I have thoughts. I ate this book up, and I truly enjoyed every minute of this book - however, I also felt like something was lacking?
It was a ‘‘whodunit” that gave me like film noire vibes, which I loved. I enjoyed the narration/POV from the FMC - she was relatable and introspective which I liked. I loved learning about the different characters and enjoyed how different they all were. I just sort of wish that the scene where the antagonist is discovered was longer with more intensity and description. I would have also loved to see a few more escapades play out as I found these to be the most enjoyable parts of the book.

All and all - I recommend!

With Friends Like These had a slow start that made it tough to get into at first, but eventually it did catch my attention. The premise was what ultimately caught my attention and interest, and I was curious to see how it would all unfold.

The characters were likeable but I often found myself arguing with them. That said, I found the pacing uneven. The story didn’t always move forward as smoothly as I would have liked.

While there were definitely some intriguing moments, overall it just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Still, worth a try if you’re into twisty friendships and suspense!

This was another "new to me" author and unfortunately, this book just was not for me. The storyline focuses on 5 women who were roommates at Harvard 20 years ago. They each have separate lives in various different fields, yet they get together once a year to continue to play a game that they used to play when they were at Harvard. Here is where the problems begin. Why? Well, just that premise had me thinking, "What.....why?" I mean, grown women still playing a college game...hmmm?

On top of that, the story is told in a weird way, we go back and forth from the present to the past and it just FELT like the author was trying too hard to throw in things that were supposed to create drama. There is the entire storyline of a roommate who "died" while they were at Harvard. That was drawn out for the entire book until the very end when we finally learn what happened - that was a major let down.

Then there is the whole premise of the game - which they called the "circus". I can honestly see it being a fun game when you are a young college kid, but to continue to play a game that has each woman being handed a toy gun (I think it was a very realistic "fake" gun) in today's environment where they have to then attempt to "kill" their target - it just didn't work for me. Especially when the characters are a New York prosecutor, a New York Mayoral candidate....really? And supposedly, they would break into homes, hide in businesses and sneak up on their targets (with a gun....? ) Yeah, nothing bad could come of that.

Then there was just more stuff. The characters all just felt flat and one dimensional. They continually made VERY bad decisions and while I didn't hate them, I definitely didn't LIKE them. The weird thing was that I kept waiting for some kind of twist, or something to change the game, but unfortunately the surprise attempts felt forced.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books / Emily Bestler Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. This book will be out for publication on November 04, 2025.

A group of Harvard alums finds themselves haunted by a tragedy of years past. In college, a group of friends played a 'murder' game but one of them died their senior year. Now twenty years later, they still play a version. One of the women Sarah is hoping to win money this year but is haunted by a ghost.

I thought this premise was interesting, but oh boy the characters were so unlikeable. Like almost hard to read unlikeable. It also was pretty obvious the who behind everything, which maybe would have redeemed some of the character problems. This just didn't live up to my expectations.

With Friends Like These is a suspense novel that is a page turner. It just goes to show you can go to Harvard and not be guaranteed to be a success. Each of the 5 friends has a lot to lose as they play The Game - a faux assassination for a large amount of money. The money tales the 20th annual version of this game over the top as each skirts literal death and secrets.

This is the perfect length for a thriller!! No fluff, just an amazing story. I loved it and read it in one sitting!

“With Friends Like These” is by Alissa Lee. While this book is listed as a thriller, I don’t feel that that is quite the right genre - maybe drama instead? Anyway, this book follows five so-called friends (former college flatmates might be better … as would be that they’re now more acquaintances) in the twenty years since leaving college. They’ve gotten together to play one last round of what they call Circus, what I’d call a faux Assassination game, that is played yearly. The main character, Sara, wants to end the game - but when everyone gathers and the prize is revealed, she decides “one last time.” I had a number of issues with this book - the main one being that puzzled out who was actually hurting everyone pretty early on. I also found the fact that women nearly 40 (maybe slightly over?) were making poor decisions and, basically, not acting like, well, nearly 40 year olds. For me, this book didn’t quite hit the mark - the description made it sound a lot more interesting than it was. However, it was a quick read and as the game actually started, it became interesting. So, if drama with some mystery is your jam, this might be one to pick up.