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.

I thought this was a good overall thriller but felt slow in some areas. It didn't capture my attention as well as other thrillers, however I still enjoyed the plot and reading this book.

Sadly, this was a miss for me. I was expecting thriller and got more of a drama, and a slow moving one at that. The characters are all super unlikeable and that added a layer of not caring about what was going on.

A group of friends who were roommates together at Harvard had played "Circus" (basically sounds like Assassin) while going to school but continued it as adults as a way to stay connected and remember another friend who fell out of a window and died during the game. Being that this was a novella, I think the author didn't really have the time/space to get in a little deeper in terms of building suspense and back story. I'm guessing I'm probably around the age of the characters and had a hard time picturing myself playing the same game. This made it a little hard to believe and connect with, though I did enjoy seeing how it all came together in the end. I'm not sure it's one I'll remember for a long time, but it was a fun, quick read. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A group of college friends reconvene every year to play a dangerous game and to remember a friend they lost.

This was a quick thriller read. I didn’t get too invested in any of the characters, sadly, which made me finish the book quickly without any feelings involved. Hearing about a group of adult women who are supposedly so close yet know next to nothing about each other sounded so false to me, as someone similar in age to the main characters. There were a lot of side stories going on and not all were wrapped up. If you want a fast read, this is it, but don’t expect it to go deep.

I really loved the concept With Friends Like These, but it didn't fully deliver. I think I went in expecting something a bit more twisted that what we got.

This book started off strong with a very interesting premise, but the more I read, the more I realized that rating this book would be a bit tricky.

Yes, it was entertaining and yes, I saw it through to the end. The pace was decent so it managed to keep my attention and it had enough action that I was eager to see what would happen next. However, I found the plot a bit jumpy, I found that I didn't really care much about any of the characters. I feel that my reason for that is that they continuously made stupid decisions. They were basically playing an adult game of tag with fake kills in order to obtain a large sum of money at the end of it. I was expecting a thriller and it was definitely more of a suspense. I will also say that the end and some parts leading up to it were quite predictable.

So to sum up...this book was entertaining enough and certainly had potential. But it just didn't quite deliver in the way that I wanted it to. But if you're ok with suspending belief a little bit and you like dark academia, then this might be a good choice for you.

With Friends Like These
Alissa Lee
Publish Date: November 4

This was such a good book! Immediately the writing pulled me in and I ended up abandoning other current reads to finish this in a day!

The premise is friends who went to Harvard together are playing a game for 20 years, and it hasn’t aged well. On the 20th reunion they agree it will be their last. The winner receives almost a million dollars.

If it gets out to the public what they’re doing, careers and life’s work are on the line. As the game begins, nefarious things start happening pointing at someone committing some sabotage .

The main character, Sara was engaging. She had a good pacing of personal development through the game played with her friends. This book also does a great job of highlighting the complexities of adult friendships for women.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books and Alissa Lee!

This thriller follows five former Harvard roommates who reunite for their sinister annual tradition—“the Circus,” a deadly elimination game originally started in memory of their lost sixth friend. The premise is undeniably gripping: old friends, old secrets, and a game that’s supposed to be harmless—until someone breaks the rules .

What I liked
• The setup is strong and compelling—friends harboring secrets, a ritual tied to shared trauma, and the tension of whether this year could go too far .
• Lee’s writing style is readable and engaging; the pacing keeps things moving, especially early on .

What didn’t quite work
• The middle section drags; the build-up promised more payoff than the twists eventually delivered .
• Characters feel more irritating than sympathetic at times, which makes it harder to stay emotionally invested .
• While there are moments of suspense, the climax fell flat—some reveals lacked impact and left me wanting more punch.

Final verdict
A solid concept with potential, but With Friends Like These doesn’t quite reach the heights it teases. If you’re in the mood for a character-driven thriller with a touch of psychological tension—but don’t need your mind blown—this might just do.

Please note that this ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m having a hard time articulating why, but this book tell a bit flat for me. It felt like there were a lot of moving pieces (the Circus, the “ghost” of Claudine, and 5 women’s lives/path after Harvard. Perhaps it was too many plot lines or perhaps it was just simply that I didn’t really find any of the characters very likeable.

It certainly wasn’t a bad book, but it was not my favorite.

My thanks go to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an advance review copy. Although this novel doesn't conform to traditional thriller conventions, the circus setting and storyline were engaging and unpredictable. The pacing was inconsistent, with slow periods and moments of intense interest. While I enjoyed aspects of the book, it didn't quite meet its full potential. I am interested in seeing how this author grows and develops in the future. Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to review this book. Will also be reviewed on B&N under Girlmomma2224.

Actual Rating 1.5

This book is listed as a thriller first and a mystery second. Sadly, neither genre felt right. It's much more of a general fiction with a very light mystery included, but I think it's fair to say it's 0% thriller or even suspense. This was largely due to how it was written.

The text is extremely exposition heavy, and there are some long, long paragraphs included. While this isn't in itself a bad thing, the way it was used made it negative in this case. The text would go from the primary plot in one paragraph to pages of memories starting in the next paragraph with no transition or separation. This not only drastically slowed down the "mystery/thriller" plot, it also made the small amount of action that was shown feel inadequate as well as feel like info-dumping was constantly occurring in relation to the character's histories. The plot was painfully slow, with the plot mentioned in the blurb not really starting until 25% through and even after that it's often buried.

The characters weren't well written either. They're bland, unlikeable (but not in a compelling way), and not in the least memorable. On top of that, these best friends felt nothing like friends to me. There were no surprises with the plot, the game wasn't interesting and just felt awkward, the stakes were low, and the whole read was unfortunately quite boring.

I can't recommend this to anyone. My thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

At 240 pages, this is a fast read. I liked the premise of the Circus assassin game and the mystery, but this is not a thriller. You will be disappointed if you go in thinking it is a thriller. I enjoyed the mystery and the reappearance of their dead roommate. I wish the book was told in a multiple point of view format and not just Sara's point of view. I wanted to know what the other women were thinking. I did not guess who the perpetrator was, but I usually never do, which I think makes the story more fun and interesting. If I guessed all the time, then mysteries and thrillers would not be fun to read for me and mysteries and thrillers are my favorite genres to read. They are my escape.

This was very hard to get into. I feel like the premise was ok but the story fell flat. I could actually see it being made into a movie.

This is a story of middle aged women who compete in a yearly assassination game. One starts seeing their dead friend from 20 years ago. The friends meet up for their yearly get together, half don't want to play the game and the others decide to all play 1 last time for a huge cash prize. Friends start getting hurt and paranoid.

Personally I'm not a fan of this story. These are women in their mid to late 40s. It was not believable behavior and was quite annoying. I can totally see this being played out still in your 20s, but not with old women.

A secret ‘killing game’ between Harvard alums turns real, and the whole thing has dark academia meets messy adult thriller written all over it.
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It’s twisty, fast-paced, and the setup is SO juicy. But I needed more depth from the characters—and a few of the reveals didn’t quite land.
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Still? I couldn’t stop reading. 3 stars for vibes and suspense.

It took me weeks to get through the first half of this book, but only three days to consume the second half. While I felt the beginning was a bit slow, the twist at the end was beautifully executed and I started getting emotional during the final chapter. In good conscience, I have to give this book 5 stars because it made me feel something, contained a message that I feel I needed to hear, and also made me question my own writing ability (in a good way! Alissa is very talented).

I'm very glad I got to read this book.

These college friends play a dangerous, adult version of "tag". Their friendship is tested during the game. I found the premise interesting and somewhat familiar. The backstory provided a mystery element. I think this story could play very well in audio.

Thank you to Atria Books and Alissa Lee for the opportunity to read this advance copy. The views expressed are my honest opinions.

This debut thriller offers a gripping, tense exploration of friendship, secrets, and betrayal among a tight-knit group of Harvard alums. The clever premise of a decades-old “killing” game, combined with the richly layered characters and escalating stakes, keeps readers hooked from start to finish. The blend of nostalgia and suspense builds an atmospheric, twisty narrative reminiscent of Julia Bartz and Ruth Ware’s best works. While a few plot turns feel a bit predictable, the book’s strong pacing and psychological depth make it a compelling and satisfying read.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and the author for the chance to read this early.