Keep Your Friends Close

Mia sees her ex-boyfriend walking on the street. But she knows it can't be him, because she was the one who killed him, after he attacked her. Mia's longtime BFF, Carrie, is the only person that knows Mia's secret. Carrie is the one who helped Mia tidy everything up, as she always does. Mia is left to determine if she is losing her mind, or if someone is lying to her..

I really loved this book! Even though I guessed the one of the main twists, it did not take away from my like for this book! Plus, there were tons of other twists, especially at the very end! This book is full of suspense and deception. The author does a wonderful job at building up the tension, making this novel impossible to put down.

This is a fun and engaging thriller. Perfect for any thriller fans.

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an awesome book that I thoroughly enjoyed! Mia has just killed her often-abusive boyfriend, Marco and her roommate (and best friend) Carrie helped her by disposing of the body. But Mia still struggles with guilt as they are the only two who know and although she is being wooed by Sebastian, the director of the art gallery where she works, she often has "visions" and begins to think she's somehow being drugged. There are several suspects but Mia just isn't sure who she can trust as she is wealthy and of course, who doesn't love money? Kept me gasping on the edge of my seat!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This is my first book read in 2024, and it ended up being a page-turner that I finished in one sitting. The publisher reached out and said that I’d like this one, and boy, do they know me! The synopsis drew me in, as did the book itself.

The characters in this are great, as is the creepy premise. Mia killed her abusive boyfriend, Marco, in self-defense. Her best friend, Carrie, helped her cover it up. Why then, is Mia seeing Marco everywhere? She must be losing her mind…

Mia is a well-off trust fund baby who works at an art gallery, and Carrie is a frugal bookkeeper who grew up with little money. Despite their opposite backgrounds, they became best friends as pre-teens, and now live together in Mia’s apartment. Their bond over Marco only cemented their friendship, but Carrie is concerned. Mia is not in an emotionally healthy place, and this idea of her seeing the man she killed is worrisome.

This rollercoaster of a story does a fantastic job of making you think you know what’s happening, all while you’re constantly second-guessing yourself. I considered part of the ending, but I was clueless about The Big Twist, and I appreciate that! THEN, there was a second huge twist that I was not ready for, AND THEN, there was a third surprise that I never would have seen coming. AANNDD THEEEN the last few pages had me reeling and laughing at the same time. This whole book was a fun and engaging read, but the ending has me taking this from 4.5 stars, rounded down, to 4.5 stars, rounded up. Happy New Year!

(Thank you to Boldwood Books and Joanne Ryan for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on January 25, 2024.)

Wow! This was such a tense thriller, starting off with a bang and not letting up. The ending was the best part, as I had anticipated the twist in the back end of the book but not the final ones, which were so good.

Great writing without continuity or major editing errors that might take away from a reader’s enjoyment, and the end is very unique. I’ll be recommending this to readers of thrillers as one guaranteed to be a satisfying read.

Overall this was a great read, especially as I have read other books by Joanne Ryan and they pulled me in just as much as this one did.

I do love a twisted tale of friendship and Keep Your Friends Close is pure knockout.
The story centres around two friends Mia and Carrie..
Mia has it all, money, good looks and her boyfriend Marco is to die for,well not literally because unfortunately he winds up dead after Mia accidentally shots him!
Carrie comes to her friends rescue and tells Mia not to worry as she has people that will get rid of the body for twenty five thousand pounds but they can never speak of this moment again.
Forward eight months later and Mia is 'working' in an art gallery own by a very wealthy Sebastian, when Mia mentions to Carrie that they are going out on a date, Carrie is unhappy about it and tells Mia that it's far to soon after what happened with Marco.
Mia doesn't listen to her friends advice and she and Sebastian start seeing each other regularly.
But things take a turn for the worse when Mia starts to get sick and is hallucinating and is convinced that Marco is still alive and is following her.
After some blood and urine tests are done at her private doctors surgery Mia gets the shock of her life with the results.
But who would do such a thing to her and for what possible reason?

Thank you, NetGalley for my free ebook. I was so excited that I was able to read a book before it was released. It made my book loving heart so happy.

From the moment I picked this book up, I was hooked. I had a hard time putting it down. I even stayed up late reading this book.

I thought I had the twist figured out but, the author surprised me multiple times. I highly recommend this book to anybody who loves thriller books especially ones that have twists that make you yell, “WHAT?!”

Overall, amazing book, wonderful plot, and great author. I can’t wait to read more of her books.

Just wow! My first Joanne Ryan book but definitely not my last. So thrilled to find a
new-to-me author! These characters were brilliant and I was offering my unsolicited advice! Loved the style of storytelling! Packed with secrets, lies, twists and turns. And I NEVER saw that ending coming. So much about this book to love.
Thank you NetGalley, Joanne Ryan and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this cracker of a book

Such clever writing! The characters and the story really grab you in. I found myself questioning the things I was reading. Highly recommended.

Just WOW! This book has certainly got Joanne Ryan on my radar as a new favourite author!

The story is that of wealthy twenty-something, Mia. Having secured a substantial inheritance following an earlier tragedy that took her parents lives, Mia finds herself living an opulent lifestyle, working for fun rather than necessity, flirting with her hot art gallery boss, and living with long time best friend, Carrie. Mia has a skeleton in her closet, a skeleton than haunts her nightmares, and that could land her in serious trouble. Carrie is not only privy to Mia's deepest secret, she could also be considered an accessory to the crime. - yikes! The way this story plays out is seriously, and deliciously twisty! If there was ever a book that you could skip the epilogue on, IT IS NOT THIS ONE. Poor genius, and a book I will. be recommending for years to come!

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

This was a really good book. I read it in one day. It kept my attention and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. I was drawn into the book from the beginning. The twists in this book caught me by surprise. I thought I had figured out what happened and I was way off and then the ending just blew my mind.

Thank you in NetGalley and publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.