When We Were Friends by Elizabeth Joy Arnold (2011) is one of those books I can't quite decide about. I enjoyed the book and would welcome the opportunity to read others by the same author. I guess that's the bottom line.
At the same time, I'll admit that none of the characters engaged me fully. The narrator, Lainey, had many traits that were admirable but still, she never quite got me around to really liking her. I came closer to honestly disliking Lainey's long-time friend Sydney. Sydney was a liar and a manipulator, and both characteristics were obvious from the first chapter. Actually, most of the plot was apparent very early on. Nonetheless, I liked it.