I absolutely loved this book. It was so interesting, and kept me guessing every single page. It was a wonderful thriller.

This book had an interesting premise but I lost interest halfway through. The characters were a bit “blah” for me.

The book was a good pass time read… I loved the characters and their storylines and the way they were portrayed. Story was well written and the plot twist at the end was engaging…

I’d give this book a solid three stars!

This one was good, it's a well written book, and enjoyable for sure- but I had to DNF. I just couldn't connect to this one for whatever reason, but it is solely based on my own preferences. It's a good book, just not a book for me.

Sara is one of a group of five friends that plays an "Assassin"-style game every year in memory of their deceased roommate. This year, the DA is opening the case of their friend's death back up, so Sara doesn't want to play, but the winner-takes-all pot of nearly 1 million dollars convinces them all to play one final time.

This book had an interesting premise, but it was done in a very tone deaf way. It would be one thing if the characters were a little more aware of their privilege, but Sara complains frequently about how people think they're so privileged because they went to Harvard and that's not true. Except by definition, being able to attend and graduate Harvard University actually is a massive privilege. They seem vaguely aware that it's tone-deaf to be playing an Assassin game as women in their 40s, but somehow think they're victims for that fact. The characters were all so unlikable, which for a book that seems to be trying to be literary fiction, made it much less compelling. It seemed like the author was trying for some deep commentary about the importance of relationships in the conclusion of the book, but, well, the title rings true. With friends like these, who needs enemies? It didn't make sense that a big point of the book was about how valuable their friendship was when the other point of the book was that they're horrible to each other and one of them might be trying to kill everyone else. In the end, in attempting to be literary fiction as well as a thriller the book fell flat in both ways. The ending is also unrealistic. How can you be not sure if you're going to have enough money to live but also be planning to rent a house on the Cape for vacation? It would be one thing if this was attempting to highlight how irresponsible the main characters still are despite everything they're supposed to have learned, but it wasn't framed like that.

I’m not even sure this can be considered a full length book? It’s barely 240 pages. Novellas aren’t totally my thing. I do enjoy shorter books but novellas are almost too short. I need more character exploration and more storyline. Otherwise I found this pretty forgettable

A middle-aged group of Harvard students continue to play a game of “tag” years after leaving school. This year there is a cash prize, which leads to more pressure and a lack of trust in the group. I thought it was good, but I felt the game part was a little too thin and could have used more details.

I gave this title a try and made it about 25% through before deciding to pause.
It didn’t quite grab my attention the way I’d hoped, but I’m definitely open to revisiting it at a later date.

For now, I will not be finishing the title, posting a review, or tagging the author or publisher.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to check it out early, I truly appreciate it!

With Friends Like These by Alissa Lee is an okay read that has some interesting moments but didn’t fully grab me. The premise had potential, and the story touches on themes of friendship and trust, which I appreciated. However, the pacing felt uneven at times, and the plot didn’t quite build enough tension to keep me fully engaged.

The characters were relatable but didn’t stand out much, and some of their choices felt a bit predictable. The writing is clear and easy to follow, but the story lacked the spark to make it memorable.

Overall, it’s a decent book if you’re looking for a light, straightforward read, but it didn’t quite resonate with me beyond that.

Fast paced with a wonderfully convoluted plot! An interesting look at the group dynamics of 5 40-year-old college friends as the stakes in the game they have been playing annually since college suddenly become very high indeed. Wonderfully developed characters that you will love or otherwise love to hate make this a riveting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This one is a bit hard for me to rate because it’s clear the author is a talented writer, but the book fell flat for me.
I liked the premise of the book when I read the synopsis but as I got deeper into the book I wanted more. More action, more suspense. More believability.

Overall this was a twisty mystery with an interesting premise. A group of college friends are traumatized by a game gone wrong in their past but continue to play it in their adult lives. The connection between the friends in the group felt a little hard to understand and none of the characters were particularly likeable. I also struggled a bit with the pacing of the story, it felt like it lagged in places. I did keep reading all the way to the end to figure out how the plot wrapped up but I don't know that this story will captivate every reader. Maybe give it a try? Thanks to Alissa Lee, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Anything dark academia- sign me up! Friends at Harvard with great backstories. Then the fun (was it fun?) continues after graduation. A game drawing them together year after year. The last year of their game becomes the catalyst for the book. Don’t miss this one. 5 star read.
Thanks to the publisher for the early read.

Are the friends on the room with us?? This group of people were everything but friends. I concept of the book but some parts seemed to drag on forever. Maybe a little bit too wordy for my liking but still had a solid storyline that was interesting enough to hold my attention

I'm so grateful to be receiving ARCs—it’s such a thrill to read books before they hit the shelves!

With Friends Like These was next on my list, and I was in the mood for a fun thriller and this one delivered. The story follows a group of friends, now in their 40s, who reconnect years after graduating from Harvard. They’re still playing a secret game they started in college, but this time the stakes are much higher.

While the concept was great and definitely brought back memories of the games and chaos of my own college days, the execution wasn’t perfect. I gave it three stars mainly because the pacing felt uneven, and the transitions between the past and present weren’t as smooth as I’d hoped.

Still, it’s a fast, entertaining read that I'd recommend if you're looking for a quick and twisty thriller about friendship, secrets, and second chances.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of With Friends Like These.

I'm not a fan of dark academia themed novels, or whatever they're called. I always find these types of books to be immature, silly, and similar to another dark academia book I read a few months ago.

The premise sounded similar to many genre books like these; a group of friends from an elite school have a secret (the death of a friend) when they were in school) and play a game (or have a secret ritual) to honor the deceased.

The narrative lacks suspense and urgency despite the game the five friends play because the story is really about friendships and the people we are when we meet at a young age and how those friendships ebb and change over time as we change over time.

It's about high expectations and the patriarchal belief that going to an Ivy League school means you're guaranteed wealth and success which we know isn't true.

The narrative is wordy, verbose, not bad, but we're in Sara's head a lot as she navigates her tumultuous career or lack of, her fracturing marriage to her husband, Coulter (total frat boy name), and loyalty to her former friends.

I found it hard to like anyone, mainly because I didn't know them well.

Yes, they're all smart and flawed and damaged in their own way but who are they? Why should I care about them?

Despite their middle age and careers and life experience, some of the choices and comments they made were immature and irresponsible.

I had to remind myself how old they were numerous times because their tone and actions were so YA.

I also can't believe after all these years later they would still be eager to participate in a childish, immature game. Well, for the $$ I can believe.

But if there was no $$? Not happening.

The game itself, which sounds interesting, isn't; at least not the way it's described.

I thought it would be described like the movie The Game with Michael Douglas but it wasn't; it was boring, even the brief chase scenes that are described.

The pacing dragged since we're in Sara's head most of the time and she spends it ruminating about her husband, his family restaurant, their dwindling finances, her career prospects, and the 'reappearance' of her dead friend.

I did like how Sara remains loyal to her friends at the end, they didn't end up completely back stabbing one another in the back and remained loyal.

That's what the narrative is about; friendships and how vital they are to have a tribe to belong to.

It took me 4 days to get to 25% of a book with 240 pages. I was excited to read it, the synopsis pulled me in and I started reading it as soon NetGalley allowed me. But it dragged...hard!

A group of friends that have remained friends for 20 years and each year they play a game they title "Circus". A secret game of "killing" each other until the last one standing. These friends didn't seem to be real friends, even though socialized all the time. I just couldn't waste my time anymore on a book that was going nowhere.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read the book.

Friends Like These
By: Alissa Lee
Publisher: Atria/ Emily Bestler Books
Pub Date: Nov 4, 2025


Harvard has so many traditions, and these friends had their own secret traditions known as the Circus. After a tragedy, nothing will have been the same as they loose one of their own.

Power pressure continues even 25 years later as they continue this game. How will that tragedy affect each of them? When they learn money is at stake the claws come out. They had agreed if one wanted out, the game would end, but the pressure is real.

Friendships, secrets and a twisty blot make this a fun read.

This was actually not my favorite! I thought the premise was interesting enough but it just didn't work for me for some reason. I thought everyone was kind of juvenile and it was incredibly unbelievable that they cared so much about it at their ginormous ages. I also didn't really care for the mystery portion of it, or the reveal. I also felt like everyone was pretty annoying. 2.5 stars!

Twenty years these 5 Harvard roommates engage in a “game” with serious consequences. While all exceptional in their own ways, none feel like they have accomplished their dreams or lived their lives unconditionally. Their friendship is tested and almost torn apart until each realizes their worth and the importance of their friendship.