Title: Friends Like These

Author: Sarah Alderson

Publisher: Mulholland Books

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Cover:

Summary:

Lizzie hasn’t thought much about Becca since the accident.

She remembers the blood though. She can see how you wouldn’t be the same again after something like that. No one was surprised when Becca didn’t come back to work.

And Lizzie’s different these days too. She used to be the one in the shadows, stalking Becca’s perfect life online, but a lot has changed since then.

So when Becca’s ex shows up on Tinder, Lizzie swipes right. Why not? Doesn’t she deserve a chance at happiness as well?

Becca will have moved on. There’s no way she’d even remember Lizzie, no way she could know anything about her life – is there?

She’s about to find out that with a friend like Becca, she doesn’t need enemies…

Review:

I always enjoy a book that delves into how the obsession with social media has impacted today’s society and Friends Like These is no exception. It follows a young woman who becomes entangled with a former colleague after she accidentally sends her a message meant for someone else. I absolutely devoured this book. I read it in just 48 hours because I had to follow every twist and turn through to the end. It’s an intense, well-paced read that genuinely surprised me several times.

The main character, Lizzie, is not overwhelmingly likeable but I do think she’s the sort of person that readers will quite easily relate to and understand. I think readers will also recognise the character of Becca in their own lives. She’s that person on instagram whose life seems like a constant stream of beautiful clothes, places and people. Both of these women represent the power of social media in different ways. They show the envy and insecurities it can generate and they also show how possible it is to airbrush your way to a picture-perfect life. I found both these characters fascinating and I loved the different voices the author created whilst writing from each of their perspectives.

The story in Friends Like These is hugely addictive and unpredictable. There were several twists that I totally did not see coming and also some clever red-herrings that kept me on my toes whilst reading. I think one of the strongest themes in this book is the question of how well you can ever really know someone. It’s a question made all the more relevant by the emergence of so many different kinds of social media because people put so much of their lives and personality out there for the whole world to see yet it is never quite the full story. In Friends Like These, nothing is as it seems to be at first and no one is totally innocent.

I love psychological thrillers and this is a fantastic one. The writing is snappy and smart and the story is as compelling as the characters. If you are looking for a fun, twisty read that feels current then Friends Like These is an excellent choice. Also please do check out the other stops on the blog tour!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Friends Like These by Sarah Alderson, Mulholland Books eBook, publication 13 December.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. My review is my own honest opinion.