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.

College roommates continue playing a game called circus that was started in there college days only this time money is at stake although book was well written and in the end came together I just didn't like any of the main characters and it didn't hold my interest .

I could not get into this book, unfortunately. I’m normally the target audience for a great friendship mellow drama with twists and turns but this one wasn’t for me. Thank you for the chance to try this out and I wish this author many successes going forward!

Friends Like These is about a group of friends who played an old school assassin like game in college and decided it was a great idea to honor their friend that died during the middle of the game every year with the same game.

Sounds childish. It is. But it’s also kind of fun. I love games. I like winning. And add a million dollars to this year’s prize and you better believe I’m throwing punches.

It’s starts when Harvard friends play the game as part of a college ritual. But in one of their years, Claudine, falls to her death during the middle of the game. Was it intentional? Or was it an accident?

Now 20 years later, the friends continue the tradition even though it has caused a few bumps and bruises along the way. Strained relationships, literal broken bones, and some questionable activities that can derail their future career goals. A few are ready to call the game quits until they reveal a nearly 1 million dollar prize for the final year.

Who do you root for? Sara the narrator and is a struggling photographer who’s married to a struggling restaurant owner, who could use the money to help get them both on the right track to their dreams. Bee is running for a high political position, but is running out of campaign money. Wesley is a trust fund baby. Hard to root for her, but daddy keeps her money tight and it’s held up and she’s donated more money to a struggling clinic than she actually has access too. Allie is the wholesome mom trying to get three kids through college and was just laid off. And Dina is the hopeful adjunct professor.

Things get heated when Sara starts seeing Claudine, a dead woman, around town, Bee and Wesley get threatening messages, and Dina also gets targets. Oh and the whole someone gets pushed in front of a train fiasco.

Are friendships worth a million dollars or worth shooting them in the back?

Thanks @NetGalley and @Atria Books for the Advanced Digital Copy.

Four ladies who were college roomates have a yearly game they call Circus. They went from 5 to 4 and as they have been out of college for awhile and are getting tired of the game it is suggested that they stop playing. After an interesting reveal they agree to play one last time. As weird things start happening the game becomes scary and they word to making to the end of the time line.

I did like the premise but it got a little convoluted and I find myself not really caring who won the game.

First, I want to say that this book to me (and I mean this as a personal opinion) felt more like a dramatic fiction book than a thriller/mystery. To be clear, I took so long to read this book because of the long chapters, unlikeable characters (not even one character appealed to me), and lack of thrilling moments. This book fell flat for me. However, this is just my opinion and you might enjoy this book much more than I did. Also read content warnings!

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and most importantly Alissa Lee for this Arc in exchange for my honest review. Every thought and opinion shared is my own. This book is expected to be published on November 4th, 2025.

With Friends Like These was a great novel that kept me on toes the whole time I was reading it. I loved reading a story about college roommates that had different twists and turns.

The game aspect intrigued me, but even more so when they were asked to stop playing...who would want them to stop? Their roommate who they thought was dead from college? Or someone else they haven't thought of?

I was surprised by the turns this book took and I quite enjoyed the ending!

With Friends Like These delivers a compelling premise: an elite group of Harvard alumni bound by secrets, loss, and a decades-long game that takes a dangerous turn. The novel blends past and present through the lens of Sara, who begins to question everything when their tradition—the Circus—suddenly carries real-life consequences.

The concept of a secret elimination-style game was intriguing and had strong potential for suspense. I appreciated the nostalgic yet unsettling look at how friendships evolve and how old trauma can resurface in unexpected ways. However, the characters often felt distant, and I struggled to connect with their motivations. The twists were solid, though a few were predictable, and the pacing occasionally lost momentum.

This debut has an engaging setup and touches on themes of loyalty, ambition, and grief. Fans of dark academia and thrillers involving tight-knit friend groups and long-buried secrets will likely enjoy this one. I would definitely keep an eye out for future work from this author.

When Harvard seniors start playing a game, it leads to deadly consequences. Twenty years later, still playing the game without one of their roommates who dies, one girl doesn't want to play anymore. However she learns there is a prize for the winner, and she plays, but she realizes they are not playing by the rules. This was a fun read and well-paced. I enjoyed the overall game idea, but I wish there were a few more twists because I like being kept on my toes, and I figured this one out pretty early on.

1.5 🌟

I dread giving negative reviews, especially for ARC,s but this book was very hard to get through. The premise is good and I was hopeful things would pick up once the game started, but alas, that's where it got even more frustrating. There were a lot of useless and drawn out scenes that I found myself skimming through. I'm not even really sure what the point was tbh. It was very all over the place and seemed to focus on the wrong things. I didn't really connect with any of the characters so it was hard to really care what was happening, especially towards the end. It's listed as a thriller/mystery, but certainly didn't feel like that. It would be a fun novella maybe if a lot of the unnecessary scenes were cut out and it just focused on the game, but it definitely doesn't work as is.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

I was drawn to the concept, but found the writing style to not fit my reading style at all. For a book billed as a thriller, it was short on suspense and action. The writing was very descriptor-heavy and felt overdone, like she was trying to write the way Harvard students would be expected to talk - but it just came across as clunky for me. This one wasn't a good fit.