I listen to two or three audiobooks each week, and I've discovered that it can be challenging to transition to a new audiobook after being immersed in the captivating world of a great story. Because of this, I’m always eager to give a new audiobook a fair chance before deciding it’s not for me.

I've realized that while a narrator can be truly exceptional, sometimes the story they’re conveying simply doesn’t resonate with the listener. Unfortunately, that was the case with this particular audiobook.

Thank you opportunity to listen to this audiobook

I went into Plays Well with Others expecting a mystery or psychological thriller, but it ended up being more of a domestic drama. While the writing was solid and some of the emotional dynamics were interesting, it didn’t deliver the suspense or twists I was hoping for.

I did enjoy the short chapters and the use of multiple POVs — it kept the pacing quick and gave insight into each character’s mindset. The beginning started with a bang and really pulled me in, but unfortunately, that opening storyline didn’t carry through the rest of the book. It felt like it lost momentum and never quite followed through on its initial promise.

One thing that also pulled me out of the story was the kids — their ages didn’t match their behavior. They were written with a level of maturity and insight that just didn’t feel believable for how young they were supposed to be. It made a few scenes feel off and harder to connect with.

Overall, it’s not a bad book if you’re in the mood for something more character-driven and emotional, but just be aware it leans much more toward drama than suspense. Not quite what I was looking for, but others might enjoy it more depending on expectations.

This was my first book by this author and it took me a little while to get into the storyline. I enjoyed the audiobook and thought the narrator did a good job

This was chaotic, petty, and full of unhinged women making terrible decisions. I devoured it!

We follow Jacquelyn (Jake), who’s been through hell: her baby passed away, her husband left her for her best friend, and that same “friend” destroyed her reputation online and in their tiny Colorado town. A year later, Jake is trying to start over in a new neighbourhood, where she meets her eccentric neighbour Mabel, who has secrets of her own and a serious taste for revenge.

What starts as a neighbourhood drama with nosy mums and passive-aggressive feuds soon turns darker and much more emotional than I expected. There’s betrayal, trauma, and so many suburban secrets simmering beneath the surface. While it’s darkly funny and unexpectedly heartfelt in places, the story does cover very heavy topics, including domestic violence and child abuse.

If you enjoy stories about messy women, revenge plots, and the dark side of suburbia, definitely add this to your list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ALC.

4.25 stars

Reading challenge category - 2025 Hoffbensen: Kirstin - tragedy/loss

Jake (short for Jacqueline) is starting over after she had a stillbirth, her husband cheated on her with her "best friend," and said "best friend" altered her emails and posted them online to make her look like a villain. Having moved to her new bungalow, she meets her neighbor, Mabel. Mabel quickly becomes a friend and confidant. Jake also spends time with Mabel's stepdaughter Bethany, and her neighborhood friends, Billy, Delilah, and Wendell. We get points of view from Jake, Mabel, and Billy, for most of the book, with flashbacks included.

I liked the beginning and the storyline involving Jake, her ex, and her ex best friend. I did not care for the randomness of Mabel's story, or the storyline with the kids. It felt like 2 or 3 different ideas for separate books that the author tried to meld into one. I also saw the "twist" with the ex best friend from jump. That should have been the plotline; and I'm sorry, how do you not do anything after learning about that?

Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.

I went in to this expecting a thriller, what I got was a neighbourhood full of morally grey characters of all ages, lots of secrets, and interwoven stories ! It was honestly hard to put down as I was dying to know what was going to happen
I loved Mabel and I thought the narrator did an amazing job voicing her - all the characters really, but especially Mabel who just came to life for me .

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Audio rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I don't know what to say about this one. I like Jake and Wendal. I did not like anyone else really .It was just toxic. I was interested enough to listen until the end and I loved the narration though.

So there wasn't really a plot description for this ARC and instead of looking further into it, I decided to go in blind, assuming it was a thriller. A thriller it was not. Imagine my surprise to find myself in the middle of a heartbreaking story about grown women making poor (and generally childish) choices and a whole LOT of child abuse. Oooof.

I often had no clue what I was reading with this one.
I feel like it chaotically shifted from a dark comedy to a sinister thriller, and I wasn’t always prepared.
I also struggle with emotional abuse in books, I especially struggle when the abused is a child.
This book had some wicked and twisty plot lines.
Jake has nothing. She tragically lost her baby, her marriage fell apart, and now she’s lost her job.
When she makes friends with another mom in the neighbor hood drama ensues.
This was a weird one. It was different, but not sure I liked that.

Thank you netgalley for the listen.

It just wasn’t for me. I can’t even really pinpoint what I didn’t like. It was just one of those books I didn’t vibe with.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 Stars (Excellent)
Setting: A charming but drama-filled neighborhood on Sweetwater Lane
Genre: Dark Comedy; Domestic Drama; Contemporary Fiction; Psychological Suspense

This book surprised me—in a good way. At first, I thought I was stepping into a lighthearted revenge rom-com with a quirky cast of suburban misfits, and while that’s not totally wrong, Plays Well with Others has more bite than fluff.

Jake Nolan is a character I couldn’t help but root for. After being humiliated in the most public, soul-splitting way, she’s been knocked all the way down—and still has the grit to get back up, brush off the dust, and try again. I liked how she was messy but self-aware. Her new friendship with Mabel (who quickly became one of my favorite characters) gives the story a fresh sense of fun and freedom. Their playful revenge pact starts off like something out of a grown-up Girl Scout handbook gone rogue, but once other neighbors start airing their own dirty laundry, things escalate fast.

There’s a real undercurrent here about how easily hurt can turn to hate, how grudges fester, and how even the best intentions can veer off course when we’re acting from pain. And yet, there’s humor, too—dry, dark, occasionally silly humor that kept me turning the pages.

One small gripe: the tone sometimes teetered between sharp satire and sincere emotional unpacking, and I wasn’t always sure which side of the seesaw I was supposed to sit on. But overall, I was invested. It’s juicy without being mean-spirited, smart without being too self-important. And there are just enough twists to keep things from feeling predictable.

A little wild, a little wise, and totally readable.
#netgalley #playswellwithothers #booked_this_weekend

I wasn't sure if I liked Jake at first or if I really believed the premise-- even in the days of social media, is it that easy to cancel someone? But I ended up liking Jake a lot and I got invested in her story.
Maybe she should have moved far away after she had a miscarriage and her best friend married her husband, but she's hiding in plain sight and makes friends, including neighborhood kids. There were several twists, but they seemed reasonable at the time, and I ended up wishing for more, which is my favorite way to end a story.
Thanks to NetGalley I listened to the audiobook, which was well done and engaging.

4.5 stars. What a fun read! Thrilling, lots of unexpected twists, and dare I say heartwarming at the end? I am beyond impressed with this debut novel, and I cannot wait to see what this author comes up with next!

Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for making this audiobook available.

I really enjoyed this one! I loved the different characters and the way their stories weave together. The author has a fantastic writing style, I will definitely be reading more by them in the future. Highly recommend!

Plays Well With Others, by Lauren Myracle and narrated by Kelli Tager, was completely addictive from the very first chapter. Listing to the initial press clipping- I thought, there's no way I will connect with Jake Nolan. Boy, was I wrong. I loved her and Mabel and sweet little Wendell (hopefully I spelled his name correctly- I'm guessing because: audiobook). This novel was sometimes fun & lighthearted, but other times genuinely sad. Definitely an entertaining and emotional ride. Highly recommend!!!

I'm a big fan of domestic thrillers and this new, to me, author Lauren Myracle has written a fast paced thriller which includes a failed marriage (hello loss of a child and a scheming best friend), a new neighborhood with lots of drama and, of course, a new best friend who is a little.....off.

For some this will not be easy - trigger warning for child loss. Typically I would not choose this in a book, but Myracle manages to make the awful situation manageable and fills the neighborhood with plenty of other distractions. As an audio book the story flowed and was well done.

I really enjoyed the narrator for this audiobook. She did an excellent job keeping the pace of the story flowing nicely. The voices for the characters were just different enough, but not so different they were distracting.

The novel itself was fast-paced and thrilling, and I enjoyed the plot progression. I think all of the characters were fairly believable, and some definitely more relatable than others. I enjoyed the novel and would read another by this author .

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Jacquelyn (Jake) is licking her wounds, trying to recover from the death of her baby and her husband, Adam, leaving her for her best friend Shelby. Add in that Shelby made sure Jake became a social pariah by dragging her out on social media as a hater of people with cleft palates, when Jake started a charity to address just that. In her new neighbourhood, Jake meets Mabel who has some strange secrets of her own. Naturally, Mabel decides it is time for revenge.

This is a fast paced, domestic drama with characters that have been tragically traumatized. While there is an abundance of secrets, trauma, and absurd antics, underneath the chaos is a story about hurt, loneliness, broken friendships, and the fragile mask of suburban perfection. This is a fast read that I really enjoyed!

This was a wild ride of a book and I absolutely did not expect any of it. What a plot twist. I hated most of the characters but I couldn’t stop reading to find out what they would do next. This book gives big reality and crime tv vibes and I could not stop reading. I will definitely be recommending this one to friends!

Plays well with others is such an intense , sad book. The young boy story was almost too much for me. These characters are so tragic. Do not read if you are not in a good mental place