I have a list of several authors whose books I know will always be a good read, Jane Fallon is one of those and her latest offering Faking Friends does not disappoint.
Amy and Mel have been friends since childhood, sharing a love of acting. Amy is the more successful of the two and has landed the part in an American crime series set in New York which means leaving her fiance, Jack, back in London.
When the character she plays is killed off Amy makes a surprise return to London for a party that Mel is holding. It's then that she discovers that her best friend and her fiance are an item.
We then follow Amy as she exacts her revenge on them but she is dealing with a person who is as clever at it as she is, Mel.
Flashbacks to Amy and Mel's earlier lives alternate with the present time giving us their backstory.
A great read about relationships, friendships and rivalry, and just how far we can go to get our own back.

Thanks to NetGalley and to Penguin for providing me an ARC copy of this novel that I freely chose to review.
This is the first time I read one of Jane Fallon’s novels, and I’ve realised she has quite a following, and this is not the first novel she writes about revenge.
In this case, we have an actress, Amy, (not a big star, but an actress who has struggled from bit-part to bit-part until she managed to get a regular role in an American crime series. Well, or so she thought) who goes back home to surprise her childhood-friend Mel for her birthday, and she is the one to get a nasty surprise when she discovers her fiancé, Jack, is having an affair and somebody has taken her place. It does not take her long to discover that her supposed best-friend has stabbed her in the back, and rather than confronting both, her fiancé and her friend, she decides to try and get a new life and show them that she can make it on her own, before letting them know she is aware of their betrayal. This creates many awkward and difficult situations and a complex net of lies and deceit that will keep readers turning the pages.
The book is narrated in the first person, mostly from Amy’s point of view (who alternates what is happening in the present with the story of her friendship with Mel), although towards the last third of the novel we also have a few scenes when we follow Mel’s point of view, and that gives us some insight into her plans (more than her feelings, that we don’t know in detail, other than her wish to give Amy’s her comeuppance) and a different perspective on Amy’s relationships. (Sometimes both points of view might alternate in a single chapter, although it is easy to tell them apart).
Amy is a likeable character, although her reaction to the betrayal and her insistence in carrying on with her revenge plans for months and months and dragging others into it (including her friend Kat and Kat’s husband, Greg, two great characters, and Simon, a new love interest she meets when she moves back to London) make her less so at times, and she appears immature and too dependent on Mel’s friendship. Although both, Mel’s current behaviour, and what we learn about the history of their friendship, shows Mel in a very negative light (she is full of herself, self-aggrandizing, self-centred, vain, shows clear narcissistic personality traits, and is jealous of Amy’s good fortune, never giving her any credit and ruining her other friendships), sometimes, when Amy fights fire with fire, she goes so far that we have to wonder if they are not as bad as each other. Eventually, though, Amy has some scruples and there are lines she won’t cross, and it is easy to see that her friendship with Mel has made her doubt herself and lose her confidence. When a friend dismisses everything you do and only uses you to make herself feel better, she is not a friend, as Amy discovers.
There are a number of other characters (university friends, relatives, love interests, agents, etc.) that create an interesting and varied background, and London also provides a realistic setting for the story, from the difficulties of finding an affordable apartment, to the landscape, shops, food, and transportation. I particularly enjoyed the insights into the acting career (that the author has good knowledge of), that go beyond the glamor and big successes we are used to in films and books. Amy is a working actress who has to fight tooth and nail for tiny parts (woman in park, woman in pub), who is no longer young, and who has dedicated plenty of time to the career because she loves it, not because she thinks she will become famous and make it big (most of the time she can hardly make a living out of it). The fact that Mel, who also wanted to become an actress, and who was the more attractive and popular of the two when they were younger, never made it is a particularly nice touch.
The novel is enjoyable, full of lies, deceit, and twisted individuals, but it is a pretty light fare. There is some suspense, but it is not difficult to guess some of the events; there are some pretty funny moments, and some cringe-inducing ones too. Although the book exemplifies a toxic friendship, it is not a treatise in psychology and it is not a guidebook or a serious treatment of the subject (there are true memoirs and books written by experts if you are interested in the topic), but a light revenge novel, whose final message is a hopeful and positive one. Although the character goes through much heartache during the book, she learns from the experience, and she discovers who she really is and who her true friends are. (And, to be honest, she seems to be much better off without Jack, as there does not seem to be much love lost or chemistry between them).
Fallon’s style is fluid and the novel is easy to read and moves at good pace, although I don’t think the main characters will stay with me for long. A solid chick-lit book, set up in the world of acting, and one I’d recommend to those of you who enjoy revenge stories (and might have fantasised about your own).

I was looking for something light to read as I seem to spend my time reading psychological thrillers and this certainly filled the bill. I was really rooting for Amy to get her revenge but perhaps I didn't expect her to take it so far. It made me wonder about friendships and what they mean.

Really enjoyable read.

Struggling actor Amy has finally had a break, she has a small role in a US drama and life looks great. The it all comes crashing down, her role is axed and she has to return to London where she discovers that her fiancee has been unfaithful and worse still, it is with her so-called best friend Mel. Amy decides to take action and get revenge but before things are resolved the player also gets played and discovers what friendship truly is.

I am not a fan of chick-lit at all but I make an exception for Jane Fallon. She has a way of writing witty, entertaining stories that are more age-appropriate and just on the fantastical side of believable - this is no different. There are times when I felt the storyline plunged into morally ambiguous territory, I felt the loss of Jack's job offer and the passport theft crossed a line. I also thought the ending was a little twee - friends who have not seen each other for 20 years suddenly reunite and everything is great. However they are minor niggles in what was a wonderfully indulgent read.

I loved this,book. Read it in one weekend. You find yourself rooting for Amy as she rebuilds her life and seeks her revenge.

When Amy has a surprise visit home to her fiancé Jack her life literally falls apart when she discovers the other woman in the triangle is her best friend, Melissa. So how she reacts will have you laughing out loud as she tries to suggest she is still the successful actress another continent while she is in reality living first with friends and then in an appalling flat. The twists and turns of the story are beautifully written and how Amy survives is beautifully e pressed. A witty well written tale!

Loved, loved this book! Well done Jane Fallon! The characters were complex and interesting. I found myself fully absorbed in their tangles lives. A fantastic read - loved it!

Really enjoyed this. I was looking for a lighter read after my last book & this gave the perfect escapism. Story of holding onto friendships that I'm sure a lot of us can relate to alongside the inevitable deception. Nice happy ending - No real surprises but overall an enjoyable read.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Penguin UK-Michael Joseph and Jane Fallon for the opportunity to read this book subject to my honest review.

Thoroughly enjoyable and the first time I have read this author but will now be seeking more titles from her. I found it difficult to put down as I wanted to know what would happen next.

Great read from the opening scene where Amy is losing her New York based acting job and decides to attend her 'best' friend's 40th birthday party as a surprise. Her fiancé doesn't know she is returning to London either and here is where it starts to get complicated.

There is a mixture of incredulity and drama as the story unfolds with Amy unable to shake off the toxicity of her relationships as she stumbles along. The acts of revenge are clever and the switching of the narrative kept me on my toes..

Recommended.

Amy is an actress living in America where the tv show she is in is being filmed, travelling back to London to surprise her fiance and best friend. She arrives at the flat she is sharing with her fiance but notices its very clean and things seem different, she spots a suitcase with womens clothing in her bedroom and notices a perfume scent that she recognises but can't place. Hiding out in a hotel nearby she surprises her fiance, Jack and together they go to her best friends birthday party where it clicks, the scent and clothing belongs to her best friend, Melissa.

Throughout the rest of the book, we follow Amy, and see her plotting her revenge against Jack and Mel, whilst also trying to get on with her life. You root for Amy as she gets some payback, until Mel clicks on that Amy is back in London and not a part of the American tv show anymore and starts firing back at Amy. Some parts of the book are told from Mel's perspective but it is mostly from Amy.

This book was an enjoyable read and it was a happy ending for Amy and I guess for Mel.

Great concept, so many twists and turns, maybe could have done with a few less but great pace to the book nonetheless. I couldn't see what was coming and that always brings excitement to a book. Felt quite a few people could probably relate to the situation, friendship circles can contain some people who are there just because they always have been, but should they be there? Are they good for us? Would it be better for you to cut ties? Etc....

This multiple character viewpoint novel was a very satisfying read! If you've ever had the bad luck to realise a friend is actually a frenemy then this is the book for you. If you've never had to endure a frenemy then read this to find out how lucky you are.

“Ive realised that once you find your real friends you have to hang onto them”

This is a fantastic piece about female friendships; rivalry; and chasing your dream career.

Jane Fallon perfectly voices the thoughts of all women who have ever been in a toxic friendship. I, for one, found myself connecting with the protagonist and cheerleading for her through her lowest lows and feigning for her victory through her highest highs. Such a perfectly noted novel; I was wonderfully surprised.

Rating 4.5/5

This is my second Jane Fallon book and I wasn’t disappointed. I have to admit at the start of this one I nearly had to put it down not because of the book itself, more the storyline, it hit a little close to home. Although I reminded myself that there are many of us who have had a toxic person in their life, and just got on with it. I’m very glad I did.

It is a tale all too common that Amy comes home to find that her fiancé has been having an affair, unfortunately, it happens to be with her best friend. In a completely brilliant turn of events instead of confronting them and having a screaming match, she decides to play the long game and find a way to get back at them first.

I loved the deception in this, which does sound strange to my own ears, but the devious moves that Amy makes to counter what has happened to her just made me ridiculously happy. The storyline is brilliantly put together, every time Amy made a comment to show that she had a new idea I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what it was.

The story is mostly told from Amy’s perspective, with an occasional flashback to when she and Mel were younger, however, there is an added perspective in the second half of the book and whilst it helped the story along it came a bit too out of nowhere. Maybe it was a quirk of the proof copy but it very quickly switched with no hint that it had, so much so that I thought the story had gone from a kind of upbeat chick lit revenge story to an uneasy psychological thriller type. It totally threw me and kind of upset my reading mojo but after I had figured out what was happening it was all good again.

What I loved the most about the book though was Amy, for all that she was doing her best to get back at them was still lovely and never, in my opinion, took it too far. She knew when she had crossed boundaries and had a lot of moments for growth, as she realised where she had gone wrong both with Mel and with the people that she found herself relying on.

I have to say that Mel, even though I hate her, was written perfectly. I could feel her smug pretention pouring off the page, she definitely crawled under my skin.

Faking Friends has the strange ability to be uplifting, fun, make you cringe and break your heart a little whilst also making you at points deliriously angry, and keeping you gripped the whole way through it. A great story with some wonderful characters and an ending that will leave you with a smile on your face and a spring in your step.

I selected this book to read after reading a lot of crime thrillers and feeling the need for a bit of a change. I loved the synopsis and wanted to know more about how the story would unfold.
I was hooked from the first few pages and couldn’t wait to find out what Amy would do next; would she exact revenge? And if so how? I loved Amy more and more as I continued to read the book and would just love to have a friend like her.
I had never heard of Jane Fallon and I was surprised to learn that she was the award winning producer on two of my favourite shows from the past ‘This Life’ and ‘Teachers’ (she has a real talent for spotting good tv drama as well as being an excellent author!).
Although this book may be marketed at women I would not class it as ‘chic lit’ I would say it is contemporary fiction that would be enjoyed by both men and women who like a good easy read.
Highly recommend and I will be reading other Jane Fallon books now I have, somewhat belatedly, discovered her and realised she has already written seven books!
Thank you so much to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first of Jane Fallon’s books that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a fast, fun and pacy read with excellent twists - I was open-mouthed at one! I like the way the second half switches between Amy and Mel’s viewpoint and the first half is firmly in Amy’s. This works well and puts us on Amy’s side. It would be hard to side with Mel although the author has created a convincing character here. Mel is completely self-absorbed and it takes Amy a while to realise just how toxic the friendship is. I liked the theme of friendship and how it changes as life moves on, how some friendships mature with age and others become stale. There was so much to enjoy in this book and I found it a perfect read for dreary January. Friends have been recommending Jane Fallon. I can see why and am looking forward to catching up on her other novels. There were some wonderful feel-good moments in this novel. I loved it!

Loved this book - I liked the characters and cared about what happened to them. The writing moved along at a good pace, and it wasn't predictable at all.

Amy is an up and coming actress. When she returns home from New York for a surprise visit she discovers that her fiance has moved another woman into their flat and that it is none other than her so-called best friend, Mel. With best friends like that who needs enemies?

With a very likeable heroine, a hateful but strangely vulnerable villainess and its fast moving plot, 'Faking Friends' is a very entertaining and satisfying piece of Revenge Lit. I loved reading it.

Many thanks to Ms Fallon, to Penguin/Michael-Joseph and to Netgalley for letting me review an advance copy.

From start to finish I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read it in a couple days and couldn't put it down. It tells the story of Amy, an aspiring actress, who is engaged to Jack. She then finds out Jack is having an affair. Soon Amy discovers that Jack is having an affair with her best friend Melissa. Rather than confronting them right away, Amy decides to take some revenge. This book is about so much more than revenge though. It is about re-evaluating friendships you thought were genuine. About people who you didn't think would be there for you, suddenly step up. About realizing true friends can be genuinely happy for your success. I would highly recommend this book. It was a engrossing and fabulous read.

I enjoyed ‘Faking Friends‘ even though it is labeled to be women’s-fiction and I’m, obviously, NOT in the target group 😉

Full of twists, betrayal, love and throwing up questions about friendships (are you a good friend?) Fallon puts down a story about love and friendships gone wrong in a downward spiral of revenge and betrayal while keeping up appearances towards others.

Fallon hasn’t fallen into the chick lit trap, which she could have done easily, but produced a book which is very enjoyable to everyone!