The premise for this one sounded promising but for me it felt predictable and mediocre. I wasn't really enthralled by the writing and i found the game to be juvenile and dumb. This felt like a teen version of The Skulls. I just wasn't into it.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Parts of it were interesting and other parts dragged on. We learn so much about the past life, while the main game of the book got lost to me. The twist I didn’t see coming. Overall it was enjoyable but it felt like something was missing.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Harvard promised them everything.

Ambitious futures, peers who pushed each other toward their absolute best, and an education that would open doors for the rest of their lives. And though they started out as roommates, Sara, Bee, Dina, Allie, Wesley, and Claudine soon became family. They had their whole bright lives ahead of them—until their senior year, when a shocking tragedy changed everything.

Twenty years later, five of the roommates still indulge in a secret tradition they’ve kept alive since their campus days: the Circus, a harmless elimination-style “killing” game played across the private rooms and hidden alleys of New York City. The game is a nod to their younger selves and a tribute to the sixth roommate they lost too young. But this year, Sara wants out of the game—until she discovers there is a small fortune awaiting the winner of this final round.

As the Circus unfolds, Sara begins to suspect that the others aren’t playing by the rules, and as the danger turns real and the old friends start pointing fingers, she discovers that even those closest to her harbor secrets of their own…secrets that could kill.

DNF @ 18% - I fear the premise yanked me in and did absolutely nothing to fulfill 😶 from the blurb, it sounded like a perfect dark academia book to get me on the mood, but it spent way too much time on painstakingly going through the relationships and drama with the characters (that felt very over descriptive & unnecessary at times). I just don’t think the writing style worked in this case and would have benefitted from a POV change!! but a huge thank you to atria for the advanced copy!

Five friends have played a game every year for 20 years since they were roommates in college. This year, though, a few of them think it's time to quit, but a surprising revelation entices them to play one more time. This time there are some surprises in store for the women that may have tragic results.

I liked the premise, but didn't really like any of the characters, so I found it difficult to care. They are all wealthy & privileged (with one exception). This game has created all sorts of issues for the women, yet they continue to "play". Frankly, I didn't really understand why any of them remained friends, much less why they continued to play this stupid game. However, I could not put it down. It was a bit like watching a train wreck or a car accident. I couldn't look away. I suppose others will find it an intriguing suspenseful story, but I had figured out the "shocking" part pretty early on. Just not great, in my opinion.

NOTE -- I read this just after I had finished the first season of "My Friends and Neighbors" on Apple streaming. Many of these women reminded me of the self-centered, obnoxious, annoying women in that series. Perhaps that's why this book didn't appeal to me.

Oof, this book really missed the mark for me. Firstly, the characters were all super annoying and it was impossible to connect with any of them. I also would not classify this as a mystery or a thriller. There was no suspense, action, or thrill. It was a chore to get through this book and I found myself skimming just to be done. Really drawn out and all over the place.

It also really felt like the author was trying to do too much and trying to throw in too many things. It did not work at all.

Thank you Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book from Alissa Lee and I'd definitely read another—I had fun reading it!

This was definitely a different kind of read for me! I really enjoyed getting to know all of the characters and learning about the background of The Circus. I was super curious who the culprit was. I kept switching between suspects, but somewhere near 60% I figured it out!! I wish we had gotten more background on the Circus and how it originated, but the book overall was a fun college society mystery with deep lessons of friendship and the journey of life sprinkled throughout.

This was a good and interesting book. It might not have been the easiest book to read, but it got better as I moved along in it. The story was interesting, and the character development was strong. The mystery was good, and the twist at the end surprised me!

3.5 rounded to 4 stars

I loved the premise of this and I wish we got to see more of the circus actually being played. I guessed a few of the twists a few chapters before they were revealed (including the major twist about Coulter) but I still overwhelmingly enjoyed the book and its message on friendship and how they change over time

This book was full of mystery and intrigue. If followed a group of friends who played a killing game every year. During their 20th game, tragedy strikes again forcing them to turn on each other. The book while for me predictable at times, told a good story weaving together past and present times. Would recommend, it's a interesting and easy read.

Not a likable character in the book so I really didn't care much what happens to any of them. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Synopsis:
A group of Harvard alums have played a secret game for decades but as the stakes rise, deadly consequences emerge from old lies. An unputdownable debut thriller for readers of the suspenseful novels of Julia Bartz and Ruth Ware.

Harvard promised them everything.

Ambitious futures, peers who pushed each other toward their absolute best, and an education that would open doors for the rest of their lives. And though they started out as roommates, Sara, Bee, Dina, Allie, Wesley, and Claudine soon became family. They had their whole bright lives ahead of them—until their senior year, when a shocking tragedy changed everything.


Thoughts:
This book was okay. It was well-written and the mystery was well executed. But I felt very disconnected from all the characters. There wasn’t enough information about them for me to be invested in the outcome. However, I still think it’s worth reading for the mystery.

I definitely can see the appeal of this novel, I just may not have been the right audience. I felt as if it was dramatic and predictable. The premise was fun and exciting but the game felt childish…yet everyone took it SO seriously. I am not big into the world of academia or the lore there, so I’m sure I’m just missing some vital explanation there. Our main character’s romantic relationship pissed me off right from the start. It never made sense to me and only got worse as the book went on. The friendships felt forced up until the very end. It was a relatively straightforward read that was easy to digest, however.

With Friends Like These by Alissa Lee is a delightfully feminist romp packed with wit, emotional depth, and unforgettably sarcastic banter. Lee’s dynamic characters leap off the page, making for a page-turner that’s both laugh-out-loud funny and deeply moving. A fierce, modern take on friendship and identity.

3.5/4 ⭐️ This was my first read by Alissa Lee, and it was a solid one! I wasn’t completely shocked by the outcome, but it kept me entertained the whole way through. Definitely curious to check out more of her books. Loved getting the chance to read this as an ARC — curious to hear what everyone else thinks!

A close group of friends decides to come up with a game they call "The Circus" while they are undergrads. This game of cat and mouse has dire consequences when one of the friends passes away. Flash forward 20 years, when the group of friends decides to play the game one last time and for a huge prize. This novel takes a turn when it seems like someone outside of their close circle knows about the circus and will do everything they can to destroy the friends. This book will keep you guessing as you wonder who will betray who for the ultimate prize.

An intriguing idea - play a game, so to speak, each year with your college friends to continue the tradition you started in college. These five successful, ambitious women compete every year with the stakes ever increasing. Fast approaching is the twentieth anniversary of their game, but someone doesn’t want them to play and brings to light secrets emerging from old lies. Sara decides she wants out, until the stakes are revealed, the stakes for the very last game. College friends get hurt, lie and will keep their own secrets until the very end .. but is it worth it? Great debut novel, Had a hard time putting it down as the writing style was easy and the plot was intriguing.

This sounded like it was going to be such a great thriller but it just didn’t deliver for me. The characters were not very likeable and it seemed like they didn’t even like each other but were supposed to be friends. I felt like this was just an adult version of tag. It was suspenseful in places but I think it was easy to figure out which was disappointing. I also felt like there were a lot of plot holes.

A group of women who found friendship within each other @ Harvard are now in their 40’s and aren’t as close as they once thought they were. But every year they come together to play against each other in memory of their old friend. However, Sara, Bee, Dina, Wesley, and Allie are at a cross roads about playing against each other but are convinced when they realize they’re playing for half a million. Secrets/ claims from their past are coming back and nothing scares them more than when they see their old friend. An old friend that’s supposed to be dead… so now they’re not sure if they can even call each other friends.

💭: I loved the idea of this book, it gives dark academia as well as hunting for sport vibes. And the writing had me turning each page to see what was gonna go down next. However, I will say that some of the characters fell a little short. It was very fast paced that it felt like the character arcs weren’t fully fulfilled? But I did enjoy it and for a debut, it’s not bad. I’m honestly looking forward to this authors next book bc I see her vision and potential. So big thank you to @atriabooks, @netgalley, and #emilybestlerbooks for this e-arc, you ✨spoil✨me bc this is my first auto-approve. How cool is that?

With Friends Like These - Alissa Lee.

An intriguing idea - play a game, so to speak, each year with your college friends to continue the tradition you started in college. These five successful, ambitious women compete every year with the stakes ever increasing. Fast approaching is the twentieth anniversary of their game, but someone doesn’t want them to play and brings to light secrets emerging from old lies. Sara decides she wants out, until the stakes are revealed, the stakes for the very last game. College friends get hurt, lie and will keep their own secrets until the very end .. but is it worth it? Great debut novel, curtesy of NetGalley. Had a hard time putting it down as the writing style was easy and the plot was intriguing.