This is a book about a group of friends from Harvard playing circus one last time. I figured it would be more thriller/mystery vibes. They use fake guns and it's like a giant city wide hide and seek. They decide they are going to play one last time for a large chunk of money. Tensions are high and people will go to whatever lengths they can to win.
I did feel like there were little clues into who did it. Where there were some mystery vibes it didn't really scratch the itch of mystery/thriller for me.
It was well written and all the characters have quite a bit of background so you get to know them.
Thank you netgalley, Alissa Lee and publishers for letting me have the chance to read this arc for an honest review.
I would be excited to try this author again and see if I enjoyed one of her other writings more.

With Friends Like These dives into the complexities of friendship, trust, and betrayal with sharp wit and unexpected twists. As secrets unravel and loyalties are tested, I found myself completely absorbed in the tension and drama. Alissa Lee masterfully keeps you guessing until the very end. Such a binge-worthy, page-turning read! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished reading this book. The plot was absolutely fantastic! It was quite the page turner, and I could not put the book down once I began reading it. I can't wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

Sadly wasn't a huge fan of this quick thriller. I thought it was going to be more campus thriller like, but didn't really get that and felt like there wasn't much focus on the school life/ past part of things. And it was HARVARD, like come on a prime school for a little dark campus happenings. Also the
"game" these friends played just felt weird. Basically if you ever played assassins in say high school, that's what they played for TWENTY YEARS and they took it to incredibly dangerous and serious levels. I think because I literally played this in high school and it was very unserious, it felt almost immature that these grown, married with kids adults were still playing this?? Just my two cents and sadly I just had a difficult time getting invested into the se characters and the story.

3-3.5 ⭐️

This was fast-paced, solid effort from a debut author. I appreciated the dark academia nod, and the character dynamics sucked me in immediately.

Centered around a group of Harvard alumni who have been playing a game called The Circus for twenty years, Alissa Lee’s story shows us the dark and bright sides of each character. You can sense their desperation to live up to the assumed privilege of graduating from an Ivy League school, the complexities of female friendships, and the thrill of competition.

It’s not quite a 4 star read for me because I did feel that parts of it were rushed and the story wrapped a little abruptly. However, the character development and dimension was very strong. I’d definitely read whatever else she puts out, and I feel like this is a great start for what could be to come.

With Friends Like This by Alissa Lee is a fast-paced, biting debut that dives headfirst into the complexities of female friendship, betrayal, and the masks we wear to survive. From the first page, Lee nails the messy, unspoken undercurrents of long-term relationships—the simmering resentments, the performative loyalty, and the secrets that slowly eat away at the foundation. I flew through this in a day, hooked by the alternating perspectives and morally gray characters who felt both frustratingly real and deliciously unhinged. The tension builds at a steady clip, and while some of the twists were predictable, they landed with just enough sharpness to make my jaw clench. Think Big Little Lies meets Mean Girls, but darker and more desperate.

What stood out to me most was how Lee captured the way some friendships become more about history than harmony. These women weren’t likable in the traditional sense—and I loved that. They were flawed, calculated, sometimes cruel, and always compelling. If you’re someone who enjoys watching relationships unravel with a mix of voyeurism and dread, this book delivers. It’s not exactly subtle, and at times the drama borders on soap-opera levels, but honestly, that only added to the fun. I’m already looking forward to whatever Alissa Lee writes next.

I really enjoyed this book and had to finish it in one sitting. The ending fell a bit short for me, but I would still highly recommend this book!

The overall theme of this book was really interesting, it reminded me of that movie Tag. But even though it was only 200 pages, it still felt like there was a lot of filler and pieces to bulk up the pages, but actually give no help to the plot. It was dragging in some areas and I kept checking how many pages left. I think the entire story could have been told in 50 pages and told the same thing, or developed and did more things than it did. Since this is a debut author I think it’s only up from here- the overall plot was interesting just execution missing a bit.

I received this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A cohort of Harvard alumni, once united by their aspirations and camaraderie, persist in a clandestine game known as the Circus, which originated during their collegiate years. Initially innocent and playful, this game evolves into a more sinister contest as the stakes escalate to nearly one million dollars, fostering tension and the potential for betrayal among the friends. As they navigate their intricate relationships, the specter of a tragic loss hovers, reminding them of a comrade they lost prematurely.

The narrative oscillates between past and present, offering insights into the characters' college experiences and the events that have defined their lives. While the concept of the Circus is captivating, there are some deficiencies in the execution, such as the pace. For me, it was slow at times, but as I was interested in the story, I kept on. I am happy that I kept reading because I liked the book, but some may find it slow. I found that the latter part of the book was where it gained momentum and twists. I also see this novel as more of a drama novel than a thriller because of the few plot twists. In conclusion, "With Friends Like These" offers an intriguing examination of nostalgia, the impact of time on relationships, and the moral complexities entwined in friendship. While it may not fully fulfill the expectations of those seeking a gripping thriller, it presents a thoughtful exploration of how past decisions continue to influence present lives.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my review.

I requested this book because of the premise. While it didn't check all the boxes for a great read for me as there were too many plot holes and I think that was a distraction for me, but there was a nostalgic component of this book. I grew up reading RL Stine and Christopher Pike to name a few and this book reminded me of those YA thriller/suspense reads.

It was a quick and fun read for me. I look forward to seeing what's next for the author.

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.