I hate to say it, but this one really fell flat for me. I loved the premise, a more sinister version of hide and seek, old college friends, long held secrets/grudges, but unfortunately I didn't end up caring about any of them. The characters felt very two dimensional and there was a whole lot of nothing happening with the plot. By that I mean that time and events passed, but it was hardly noticable because it was so slow. I would read another by this author because I don't like to judge based on only one book I've read and because the plot as an idea had so much promise!

Thank you to Atria for pre-approving me to read an advanced digital copy of With Friends Like These by Alissa Lee.

What started as a fun game for a group of kids to play in their college dorm ended in an unintentional death. Years later, one group of girlfriends has opted to continue playing the game for one week every year both as a way to let loose and a way to remember their suite mate that died. The rules are clear, if one person wants to stop playing, the game ceases. As these friends are all at a point in their life where getting caught playing the game could have disastrous consequences for their careers and futures, a couple want to quit playing, but the rules are clear - they have to play one last time, and winner takes all - which they've only just learned is almost one million dollars.

I honestly didn't know what to expect going into this book. I love a good academic setting, so hearing about a secret game these Harvard grads have opted to continue for 20 years sounded just up my alley. When it comes down to it, these friends are playing a game of Splash, but the water guns look real and there's nothing they can wear for protection. That being said, I really enjoyed seeing the development of the friendships these women have had over the years and their reflection now that the stakes are higher. The game of cat and mouse that these characters had going, cavorting all over the city and state was wild and downright outlandish but it clearly helped to build up the paranoia that existed during the weeklong game.

3.5 stars ⭐️ This is a quick thriller read. I loved the premise but I feel like it needed more action.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own 🫶🏼

The novel tackles themes such as the enduring impact of past traumas, the complexities of adult friendships, and the facades people maintain. Lee's writing style is characterized by its focus on character development and the psychological underpinnings of interpersonal relationships.

Six college friends develop a game to play among themselves called the Circus. In the rules of the game, each person draws a target name to eliminate by using a fake nerf like gun. One the friend has eliminated their target, their target’s name becomes theirs until only one girl is left the winner. Now twenty years later, the woman get together to play their annual game of Circus, but Sara has declared she is not playing their annual game anymore. That is until Wesley announces that she had been secretly investing their winnings for over the twenty years and has grown to over a million dollars. As the woman start playing their annual game game for money and not just status, the game takes a darker turn pitting friends against friends.

Not enough action. Slow-paced. I couldn't feel connected to any of the characters nor take them seriously. Too predictable. I think there's also a lot of dragging uninteresting subplots.

What started as six college roommates creating a game that would continue to challenge them physically and emotionally through the years takes a twisted turn this year.

For twenty years they have been playing their elimination game coined the Circus, where they silently stalk and “kill” one another until one is left standing. This year, instead of going in and telling them she doesn’t want to anymore, Sara is surprised (as well as the rest of them) that there is actually quite a lot of money riding on this year’s game. Perhaps one final Circus before they can end this game once and for all. They are all tired. They all have life pulling them in different directions. But the payout at the end has them all on the same page. So the game beings…

We follow Sara through the whole book, which I didn’t mind. There was already so much happening, yet nothing happening at the same time and having multiple pov would have been a lot!

We follow these full grown women as they skulk through the city, chasing each other. Lines are crossed, bonds are tested… This was interesting, but it felt so pointless. There was no real serious conflict. There feels like there is a couple times, like finally - this is what this is all about… only to remain ultimately ineffectual. There is a bigger mystery going on, yes… but even that was slightly mundane.

I enjoyed the journey, but it didn’t really go anywhere.

I wanted so badly to like this book, however it felt a little dull to me. This book tried to be so intense, but it really boils down to a bunch of grown women playing a game of tag with fake guns. There were some interesting plot points, but it all felt a little predictable and just way less intense than it was trying to be.

I think the overall concept is fantastic and really has some potential!

This is a solid drama but there wasn't enough action. The story moved a bit slowly and honestly, I didn't find any of the characters particularly enjoyable. Thank you!

I loved the female relationships in this story! I also thought the overall premise was original and kept my interest. While I figured out the twists about halfway through, the intricacies and evolution of the female friendships kept me super interested nonetheless!

This was such a tense, clever read. A reunion of childhood friends goes sideways when they start playing a dark little game they used to call “Circus”—a game that gets a bit too real. I loved the dual timelines and how each reveal made me question every character’s motives. There’s something so delicious about thrillers that mine old friendships for hidden resentments, and this one nails it. It had me side-eying my own group chat.

If you enjoy twisty, character-focused thrillers that explore loyalty, memory, and buried secrets—yes, pick this up.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)

I agree with the reviews that say this book could have been executed better. I love a good college mystery and the Harvard setting is always a good one. I like the guessing game type mystery thriller, when you never know who actually did it and I am usually bad at guessing honestly. But their was some unnecessary plot points and I didn’t like Sara as the protagonist that much.

I am a sucker for college-oriented books, and With Friends Like These did not disappoint! Although the plot was a little far-fetched, I think the author did a great job ratcheting up the suspense and keeping the reader guessing about what was really going on. She was able to keep a lot of balls successfully juggling in the air, and I look forward to seeing what she'll do next!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an emotionally driven novel following a group of college friends. I liked that the author kept me guessing not only about what was happening in the current Circus but also about what happened at Harvard twenty years prior. Each roommate seemed to have her own issues that made her a suspect, and Sara as the protagonist was at times questionable. I found Wesley to be the most unlikable and least developed character.
I am still not sure why the Winthrop House game is now referred to as The Circus (?)(maybe a Harvard in-joke?), but I did enjoy the buildup and action that the game brought to the story.
I was kept guessing throughout, and though I'd figured out the twist before the reveal, I think that the author did a good job of providing twists and turns.
Thanks to Net Galley for the book to review.

A great concept with a notsogreat execution.

Following Sara 20 years after she graduated from Harvard, on the heels of one her her roommates tragically falling to her death.
Sara and the remaining 5 roommates have spent the last 20 years honoring their friend by playing a fake murder game called Circus. This year Sara is looking to stop, until its revealed that if they play for one last game there is now prize of almost 1mil to the winner (due to a wise investment made during graduation)

what follows SHOULD HAVE been a cat mouse game while these friends run around new york city trying to get each other out, while an assumed unknown party was targeting them.

instead what I got was the occasional mention of the Circus activities, and a lot of domestic drama i didn't care about.

Unfortunately i do not recommend this, but I do think Lee has promise as the ideas presented here were interesting it just missed the mark for me in execution.
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A group of college friends get back together to play their annual game "Circus" . Since group has grown and matured, they decided that this will be their last time. So what can go wrong???

This book had a great beginning and list of promise. However, for me it fell short. For some reason it just did not keep my attention & and I had to force myself to finish.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC for an honest review.

Friends return to their alma mater to participate in a long standing tradition of a harmless elimination game. But when it seems others aren't playing by the rules the harmless game turns deadly. Friends start to turn on each other and no one can be trusted. Will they all make it out alive?

With Friends Like These is about a group of college friends who have played a game called the Circus every year since they met. One week where you try to take out your targets and be the one to have all the glory. However, this year is the last year they are playing and the stakes have increased since there's careers and relationships on the line.

This book is marketed as a thriller but I found it to be closer to Women's Fiction since there's a lot more content of betrayal and navigating relationships instead of thrilling action sequences. I still did enjoy it to a degree but it wasn't what I anticipated. 3.5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thriller lovers, watch out for the next one! With Friends Like These by Alissa Lee was a great read!

A group of college friends get back together to play a long-running tradition game called "Circus" - what could go wrong? Welp, someone ends up dead. THAT'S what went wrong.

I feel like this had a lot of potential, but the pacing and writing style kind of just dragged along - I'm not sure if it was the word choice or maybe the sentence formation, but I just couldn't get into this one. The setup and the characters were likable enough, but nothing was developed deeply enough for me to be that invested; by the time the "twists" came into play, I wasn't into it enough for it to be really shocking. That being said, the ideas were solid and I'd like to see what Lee could come up with with more background and development! Thank you for the ARC!