OK, maybe I've just read too many books in this genre but by 15% through I was thinking I know exactly what's happening here, surely not?... Then by 30% I was one hundred percent sure I was correct, and I was. This made the book really quite boring and I couldn't quite believe how naive the main character was and to be honest how we, the readers were meant to be so perplexed by it all, it was all just so obvious.
Fortunately, the ending had a bit of turn to it that redeemed the plot slightly but I just found it all too much in afraid.
Sadly I can only rate this 2. 5 star. Which I'll round up to 3, but thank you #NetGalley for the copy

This was a fast-paced story I was able to read in a day. The story itself is pretty obvious and even if it wasn’t, the clues set it up nicely. Even though it’s pretty clear cut, there’s a couple twists at the very end that land nicely.

The main character is (I’m assuming deliberately) kind of shallow and not really sympathetic. But also not completely unlikable. You’re not really rooting for her but you’re not rooting against her either.

It was fun and quick and easy to get sucked into.

Mia and Carrie have been through it all as best friends, they grew up going to school together, share an apartment as roommates, and they’re the only ones who know about Mia killing her boyfriend. Mia had moved on with her life, she was having fun, had a great social life and job, and even started dating someone new. So why is she now seeing her dead boyfriend walking around everywhere as if he’s alive?

Now Mia feels like she’s losing her mind, being taunted by this ghost. She has questions from doctors that she can’t answer. Rumor has it that Mia’s new guy has a sketchy past. If she can’t even trust herself, at least she can trust her one true friend in the whole world, right?

What makes this a good read is when the story can go in any direction, and just when it starts heading where you expect it to, it pivots. You won’t know who has the last laugh until the very, very end. Did fate intervene and justice prevail? You decide.

Thank you for the ARC ebook!

A good read on the whole, with a satisfying end. However it was slow going at times,, I felt the writing could have been tighter in places. Enjoyed it overall.

Thank you to NetGalley, Joanne Ryan and Boldwood Books for the ARC of this thriller.

I initially thought that the book was way too predictable and somewhat repetitive, but the ending is not entirely what you would I expect! It’s a good thriller, not the greatest, but definitely would suffice if you’re looking for a quick read.

3.5 ⭐️ overall.

I really wasn’t sure where this was going to start with and decided that it was too predictable. Predictable it was not! Just as I thought I knew how it would pan out in came the twists! Mia keeps thinking that she sees her ex Marco but how can it be him when she killed him? Mia came into a lot of money when her parents unexpectedly died and her best friend Carrie lives rent free in Mia’s apartment. I couldn’t decide whether I liked the main characters or not but thought that all the characters in this were well thought out and described. I found this a quick and easy read that picked up the pace and had enough twists to keep you guessing until the end. Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a quick read and the ending was *chef’s kiss* and I enjoyed it a lot. Leading up to the ending was a bit predictable until the very end. If you like mysteries and thrillers with twists and turns, this book is recommended! I can honest say I didn’t see the end coming.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
On a normal random afternoon Mia thinks she sees her ex-boyfriend, except it's not possible because she knows she killed him. Her best friend Carrie took care of the body for her. It appears that either her ex is actually alive and Carrie has been lying, or Mia is seeing things.

The book is slow and repetitive at times, but still suspenseful and thrilling. The main character Mia is unreliable, or is it Carrie who is the unreliable one? Unfortunately, I feel like the synopsis gave away a lot of the story line and made the plot more predictable with the clues. However, still an enjoyable thriller read. I always love a good unreliable narrator story!

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A young woman believes she killed her boyfriend and her best friend covered it up. She see him all around but it can’t be him, can it!read this to book to find out for yourself.

This book starts as a slow burn and honestly felt a bit repetitive in the first half of the book as a way to showcase the characters. About 1/2 way through is when the story picks up and boy it is a whirlwind. I did not expect the ending. Overall, an enjoyable quick thriller read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

OMG! I thought I had it worked out - and I had, but not all of it! The ending blew my mind!

Mia has everything; money, a great apartment, job and friends, and a huge secret!

Despite her being a spoiled brat, I found myself liking her and really enjoyed this fun, twisty read.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Joanne Ryan and Boldwood, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

A slow burn as it took me a number of chapters to get into the story. I'm not sure whether I hated Mia or Carrie more. This book had many twists and turns and just as you thought you had it all figured out, along came the big twist. I was totally surprised by the ending.

This was a slow burn and I wasnt sure if the whole book was just going to drag but once it all kicks off, boy does the pace pick up! I've had my head stuck in my kindle all day needing just one more page because the twists and turns in this book had me reeling. Absolutely amazing!

That s was slow going for the first little while and nothing much happened and I really wasn't interested. I nearly gave up, but I'm glad I didn't. Once the story finally go rolling it was a roller coaster ride of misleading twists and turns that will keep you guessing to the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC!

Initially I found the book a little slow to get into, but once I was hooked - I WAS hooked! Character development was great - can’t decide if I hate Mia or Carrie more though! The ending definitely took me by surprise.

Mia and Carrie have been friends since the age of twelve. Meeting at school, Mia graciously takes Carrie under her wing and shows her a new way of living. All is right until Marco, Mia's tall, brooding boyfriend, forces her to shoot and kill him in an act of self-defense in his apartment. Carrie is right there for her as always- doing the unthinkable and making the problem go away.
But Mia discovers that Marco is alive.
Is she imagining it? Is she still in shock from having to kill her own boyfriend? Maybe it was the toll of the death of her grandmother that rocked her so badly. Maybe she never left the institution she was put in after that.
Keep Your Friends Close is a story with more switchbacks and false walls than you could imagine. I thought that I had come to every possible scenario in my mind when considering the twists, but I was very wrong.
Joanne Ryan managed to wrap this messy thriller into a neat little package and left no crumbs.

Now for my personal thoughts on the book.

I thought it was good after it really got going. It didn't happen for a while, but stay with it. I think I will hate Mia as long as I think of this book, just because of her tone. I think that really played a part in how I felt reading this, but those interpretations are my own. Overall I enjoyed this book and how you're guessing right alongside Mia.

Thank you to Joanne Ryan, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to its release.

An enjoyable read….good plot although a tiny predictable at times and interesting if not naive characters
An easy read and will read more by this author

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read and review!

This book took me a little bit to figure out what was going on but I really liked this book. The twists and tins in the book were great!

Loved this!

I really enjoyed this book! What a crazy, intense story! It took me a few chapters to really get into it, but after that I really liked it. This book had so many twists! I thought I had it figured out, but I really only had one (small) part figured out. I love when I am surprised by the ending, and I definitely was here.

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.