Frenemy

Dark Hearts #1

by Maria Frankland

She wants to be with you. She wants to be you.

Lou has known Donna for years. They've been through thick and thin, yet the rougher the time, the tighter their bond.

Some friendships stand the test of time but this one is tested far beyond that when Donna grows increasingly jealous of every aspect of Lou's settled life whilst her own spirals out of control.

All Donna wants is what Lou's got. Surely that isn't too much to ask?

Genres: Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Ebooks, Psychological, Suspense, Fiction

334 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2022

About the author

Maria Frankland has a dubious internet search history and a very worried mother-in-law. However, neither of these things can stop her writing gripping psychological thrillers in which you’ll never find a happy-ever-after.

Her novels are mostly set in Yorkshire where you’ll hear the accent through all her characters. These are people you could live next door to, or closer still… don’t say you haven’t been warned.

Maria’s novels are fast-paced, down to earth and realistic. You never know what’s around the corner…

Find out more about Maria at https://www.mariafrankland.co.uk. Whilst you’re there, you can download your free novella – The Brother-in-Law.

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

I felt like I was misled by the title, as I thought a frenemy was something like Archie and Reggie, or Betty and Veronica, and this is a far different situation.

A teacher, who appears sane, and has her life together, has a friend who is the complete opposite, and is very clingy. When the teacher finds a man, and begins a relationship, the friend gets very jealous, and takes steps.

I can't say I really bought the twist at the end, but all in all, and entertaining book.

[Donna Mallery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reviewing all three of the books in this trilogy. You must read them in order! In the first book, Frenemy, it is full of action and emotion. There is a huge reveal that is so depressing, but it boosts the series along. I enjoyed all of these books. I read all of them back to back, and I can’t believe how quickly I read them! There is certainly evil throughout as well as tragedies. You will be glued to the pages! Wow, I can finally breath again! I really like this author and this trilogy is a win!

[Sarah Bloomfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was kindly sent an advanced reader copy of this book from the author 😀

Frenemy is a fast paced psychological thriller that'll keep you on your toes! I loved the character development throughout and what an ending!

I have read some of Maria's previous books and have enjoyed them all.but I think this is one of her best yet 😊

If you enjoy gritty psychological thrillers I'd highly recommend you try these books.

[Ali O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frenemy by Maria Frankland
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is an exciting and intense domestic/psychological thriller story! The book is filled with twists, turns and surprises. I was sucked into the plot quickly, as there is lots of action and suspense!

A longtime friendship between Donna and Lou isn’t all that it’s made out to be. There’s jealously, and betrayal too!!
I like the way Maria Frankland tells stories. I find her books to be engaging and descriptive.

I listened to the audio version and I really enjoyed the narrator.

This is a 3 book series, and I’m excited to move on to book 2!

Dark Hearts Series:
1) Frenemy
2) The Fall Out
3) Nemesis

[George Stenger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads free book.

The primary characters are two so called best friends. Lou is a single mother of a 13 year old girl and has a good job. Her "best" friend Donna is extremely needful and relies on Lou for everything. Donna goes through men constantly and shames Lou into helping her. I had a hard time believing that Lou would let someone (especially her supposed best friend) constantly manipulate her.

I didn't like Donna at all and was disappointed the Lou let herself to be used by her friend for so long.

The ending was quite a twist but not believable IMO.

I hope other readers enjoy this more than I did.

[Pheadra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a compelling read which earned it an extra half star but alas it lost a full star for two equally annoying main characters one(Donna)of whom I was hoping would fall flat on her face but not for things for which she is not resposible, which lost the story a star. I don’t like law enforcement being painted as inept. The other character(Lou) should evoke sympathy in the reader but actually left me not caring about what happened to her with the phrase 'stupid is as stupid does' coming to mind. She irritated me beyond belief. She is a Stage Foundation Manager at a school and mother of a teenager but has the intelligence of a gnat permitting herself to be abused by Donna and her common sense is even lower, which lost the story a further star. While at school years earlier she is bullied and Donna stands up for her. Not in any remarkable way but nonetheless for this reason Lou feels beholden to her and puts up with her outrageous, needy, jealous and completely implausible behaviour henceforth. 3 and a half stars

[Barbara Fields · Rating 2 out of 5]

I waited a bit after I finished this book to write my review, because honestly, I disliked this book from the very beginning, but against my better judgment, I finished reading it anyway. Big mistake because I hated the ending most of all.

Two friends, Lou and Donna, have been friends since their school days. Lou is the sweet, do anything for you type of friend, and Donna is the horrible, selfish, and self-centered friend who took advantage of Lou's friendship from day one.

Donna wants everything  Lou has, and let me say, she doesn't have much to covet. She has a kid that is very disrespectful,  an ex-husband that cheated on her and offers no help financially, and she works for a pittance. What about Donna? Seriously,  where to begin. I hated Donna, and I mean I hated everything about her from her personality to her looks, I couldn't stand Donna. But the fact that Lou actually put up with all of  the BS Donna dished out made me intensely dislike Lou, too.
Everything about the story seems so farfetched. It is hard for me to believe that anyone would have put up with this type of friendship for a day, let alone for years and years.  What type of individual, would let someone who's supposed to be a "friend"
take  advantage of them year, after year after year?  You won't even know how truly awful Donna has been throughout their friendship until the end. I didn't like any of the characters,  and I absolutely hated the end more than everything else I hated about the story put together.

Let me just say there is a violent death at the end of the book (yes, that's how it ended), and boy, did the author go the wrong way. There are follow-up books to this one that I will never read based on the ending of this book. I'm not sure I'll ever read another book by this author.  Actually,  I know I won't.  Any author that can end the book the way she did tells me she is definitely not an author for me.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good book
Apologies to Maria Frankland on her publication day. I have just accidentally deleted my original review when I was trying to copy and paste to Amazon.

[Caroline 'relaxing with my rescue dogs' · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good - I have read a lot by this author and this I have to say for me was her best yet. It was just so addictive, really well written. I cant say anything as I dont want to spoil it for you, but do fully recommend, it was one that you just had to read the next page.

I was given an advance copy by the author but the review is entirely my own.

Audio review

I always enjoy books by this author . The story itself is just true Matia Frankland you can never know who to trust.

This was my first listen by this narrator. It didn't disappoint, the different characters were clearly defined and the accents worked.

[Oksana DS · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read it in one sitting because I had to know how it ends…honestly, personally I’m very disappointed how the author decided to end things…if you prefer happy endings, justice, resolution and all those reasons I enjoy reading books…this one is NOT it!

[Eva Edge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frenemy by Maria Frankland is a masterclass in the "slow-burn" psychological thriller. While it earns a full 5 stars from me, I can see this being a divisive read because of its unique structure. The book is a tale of two halves: a gruelling, toxic "climb" followed by an exhilarating, unpredictable "slide."

The first part (roughly 65% of the book) is told from Lou’s perspective. It isn't a thriller in the traditional sense; instead, it's a suffocatingly toxic relationship drama between two "best friends." I use that term loosely because Donna is the kind of friend I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy! This section tests your nerves and features plenty of those "blood-boiling" and "gasping out loud" moments where you just want to scream at the characters. It is a long, solid build-up—like climbing a snow mountain, heavy and hard, step by step.

But then, Part 1 ends with a total "jaw on the floor" shocker, and we transition into Part 2 from Donna’s point of view. This is where the story transforms into a true psychological thriller. Dealing with the aftermath of the first half, we are hit with a series of unexpected, carefully calculated, and clever twists. As someone who reads a massive amount of thrillers, I can honestly say I did not see this ending coming!

If you are a reader who needs action from page one, you might struggle with the slow build. However, if you have the patience for deep character development and a truly irritating protagonist-villain dynamic, the payoff is spectacular. You go from a heavy climb to a slide so fast you won't know where you’re going to land. A must-read for fans of toxic psychological drama!

[Holly Cerutti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book pulled me in from the start and ended with a twist I never saw coming. I felt a deep sense of frustration and sadness for Lou, who remained loyal to a friendship that had long since become toxic. Donna was never the friend Lou believed her to be.

The story traces their relationship back to a defining moment in Lou’s childhood, when Donna stepped in to defend her from bullies. That act created a bond Lou felt obligated to honor for years. As adults, however, Donna’s true nature emerges—she is jealous, entitled, and constantly chasing what belongs to others, including the men in Lou’s life.

When alcohol lowers Donna’s inhibitions, her selfishness is impossible to ignore, forcing Lou to confront the reality that their friendship cannot continue. Yet Donna predictably lands herself in trouble once again and expects Lou to rescue her, just as she always has. Driven by guilt and a sense of debt, Lou agrees, believing it will be the last time—a decision that proves to be a serious mistake.

Donna craves attention and validation, consistently seeking it from the worst possible sources and never seeing fault in her actions. She believes she deserves everything she wants, but she truly deserves nothing.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was such a frustrating book to read. Honestly, Louise, Grow A Pair! She kept taking it and taking it and taking it, letting Donna walk all over her when time and time and time again she showed Lou that she was not a good friend to her. She used her and abused her and
ultimately killed her after setting herself up as a Louise wannabe, ready to step into her life. I could barely read the second half of the book, not wanting to spend time from Donna's p.o.v., but you could see what was coming from miles away.

I wish the author had not killed off the character of Lou, and instead it would have been good to have her be in a coma, with Donna on her toes with anxiety about whether Lou would come out of the coma, whether she would have memory loss and whether she would remember it was Donna who attacked her. That could have been a great second half of the book, rather than having Lou gone.

The only good thing about the ending was that the cops caught on to her game, didn't let her get away with it.

But otherwise, it was a depressing and frustrating read.

[Milena Carrera☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le doy 4.5 estrellas (Aunque goodreads no da la opción me marcarlo).

"Falsos amigos" es el segundo libro que leo de esta autora. El primero fue "el invitado indeseado", que me dejó un sabor agridulce.

La autora logra algo en ambos libros que no es nada fácil: incomodar. Leer Falsos amigos fue una experiencia emocionalmente exasperante, pero efectiva. Definitivamente la pasé mal leyendo. No porque la historia sea mala, sino porque está hecha para hacerte sentir atrapada en una relación amistosa tóxica, de esas que te drenan lentamente y que, desde afuera, parecen “normales”.

Donna es, sin dudas, el personaje más difícil de soportar. Egoísta, manipuladora, siempre corriendo el límite de lo imperdonable y aun así escudándose en la palabra amistad. Cada una de sus decisiones me hizo querer abandonar el libro, y creo que ese es uno de los grandes aciertos del libro: no suaviza la toxicidad. La muestra tal como es y eso me encantó.

A cada página que leía deseaba que Lou le diera un cachetazo, le gritara, o algo más. Donna se lo merecíaaaaa. En fin, esta autora me encanta.

[Gary Dowden · Rating 5 out of 5]

30-somethings Donna and Lou have been close friends since their teens and while they've had ups and downs, Lou now has a 13-year old daughter, a great job and is a few months into a new relationship while Donna has an ability to cause destruction to herself and others and often relies on Lou to help her out, however things are about to turn very dark!!
Another cracking domestic thriller from Maria Frankland featuring one of most needy, annoying and toxic characters I've read about in ages, although most characters in the book have major faults and issues but that's what makes it so real and readable! Lou has incredible patience with her friend to the point that you want her to stand up for herself more, however just when I was wondering how the storyline was going to progress, in comes a major curveball!!
A great story about ordinary people, a toxic friendship and how low some people will stoop to get what they want. Highly recommended.

[Tina A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frenemy is book 1 of 3 in The Dark Heart series written by Maria Frankland whose captivating writing creates such a unique story with unforgettable, vivid characters.

Donna and Lou have been best friends since childhood. Donna is an attractive woman, but very needy, and Lou has everything in life that Donna wishes she had and thinks she deserves. Charlie, Lou’s teenage daughter, looks up to Donna as a fun mother-like role model. And Donna is getting needier and inserting herself into almost every aspect of Lou’s life. After Lou notices Donna flaunting herself in front of Lou’s boyfriend, she wants to draw some clear lines for Donna. That’s when the plot starts to thicken, twist after twist occur and revelations come to light in this highly addictive novel that keeps you invested through this lively cast of characters and shocking cliffhanger. Frenemy brilliantly sets up part 2 in The Fall Out, so you’ll want to be ready to jump right into it!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Frenemy (Dark Hearts book 1) of the trilogy by Maria Frankland.

Lou's friend Donna is so jealous of what Lou has achieved by having been married and has a lovely daughter Charlie that at every chance she gets she tries to sabotage any of Lou's new relationships by flirting with her new boyfriends and a lot more too.

Lou is tired of having to drop everything for Donna who is literally suffocating her by clinging and needing reassurance all the time that she would love to cut all ties to Donna once and for all but feels obligated to her as they had been close friends for many years.

Lou's ex husband has a new wife Liz who would much rather have Darren Lou's ex husband all to herself and not have to contend with Charlie at all.

Who will become a murderer, survivor, and prisonor?

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

ODD…

Tbh this book was just odd. (I give it a 3.5 stars. ) I kept hanging on thinking something remarkable was going to occur but (Spoiler) the main character was killed off about halfway through. Which I hated. Then you’re left with other characters telling the story. None of which was great or noteworthy. To top it off, I’ve read a lot of British author’s book but this one had such a thick accent and used only what I can assume was British slang so I was stuck trying to look words up - if it didn’t make sense in the context - to try and understand what I was reading. I’m sure I will NOT be reading another of this authors books. Otherwise the story line was readable. That’s the best I can say. I feel like a 3.5 is very generous.

[SKP · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am working my way through this author’s books, reading 3-5 per month, and this series is what I plan to read this week. It shouldn’t be a problem since I just devoured this one in less than 24 hours, and am about to start the 2nd one. I loved her “Dark Waters” series, so I was glad for another of her series to dive into and get completely caught up in it as well. As is the case with most of her books, there was a few characters I hated (one more than others though), and at least one that I wanted to shake some sense into because they couldn’t see what was right in front of them. I suspected the end twist, but I honestly wasn’t sure until the big reveal. The author is really great at throwing a twist in after you thought all the twists were out of the way. On to Book 2!

[Ann Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

this trilogy had me shocked and I couldn't believe how cold and calculated one person could be. all 3 of this trilogy had me captivated. I couldn't wait to wake up in the morning and grab my kindle to read. in between chores etc. I would read. after about 3and 1/2 days I finished it. Liz was a psychotic killer. she had no morales, she didn't care who and it was so sad that Charlie went through so much. I've said before all your books are so good but this was the topper. the best. I cant wait to tell my sisters julieanne and cathy I've finished it. I know they both haven't read it. Maria your are an amazing author. I cant even imagine the nights and days you sat writing this. it made me envy never being a writer. But i could never be as good as you.

[Mrs T J Giles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frenemy Dark Heart Series book 1 by Maria Frankland, what a gripping read, Lou and Donna BFFs, or is Donna just getting a bit too much, jealously, love, betrayal, trust. The story gallops you through their relationships, love, hope, dreams. BUT there is so much more. A true page turner twists and turns and heart wrenching moments. Couldn't put it down, I needed to know more. Such a brilliant story leading you one way and throwing you a curve ball. Great characters even the horrible ones. I will be reading book 2 The Fall out. Kindle 5*. This story so deserves the 5* review. Even has book club discussion questions. Brilliant addition.

[Bob Fendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frenemy, what an absolutely brilliant thriller by the very talented author Maria Frankland. I could not put this book down. I love the descriptive writing of Maria, of her characters and their surroundings, visioning everything in detail in my minds eye. Incredible suspenseful thriller of a read, with plenty of twists, turns and suspects that I was totally thrown off course with the unexpected ending. I honestly loved Frenemy and recommend it as a must read. Now off to read the second in the Dark Hearts series as I suspect there's more to this.

[Kathryn Pharis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Hearts is right!

I thought about giving this book four stars - or 4-1/2 if it were possible - because I didn’t like any of the characters in this story except the daughter, but she really didn’t have much of a part in this story. The main character was unbelievably naive and gullible when it came to her so-called best friend. However, the plot had quite a few twists and turns which is why I kept reading. I have to say I didn’t see the end coming. I would read another by this author in hopes that I find one character I can like.

[Sharon Rimmelzwaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read so many of Maria Franklands books I always think that her latest release can't be a patch on the rest of them. I soon realised I was wrong.

A psychological thriller that's fast paced and so excellently written. With characters that are well developed and not all likeable, this book definitely keeps you on your toes! Well, it did me.

Once again I was captivated by Maria's writing, characterisation and well plotted story. I really am looking forward to the next book.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a free book from Goodreads.

I have liked Maria Frankland's books in the past, and had hopes for this one being another five-star. I was disappointed in the first half of the book, as the plot seemed to drag on longer than necessary, and it was obvious to me who the "villain" would be. I did enjoy part 2 of the book more, it seemed faster paced and was more satisfying, even if I had already guessed the conclusion. It was definitely worth reading, though!

[Mary Walder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frenemy

This book was a quick read I really read in almost one night, I only had 3 chapters left to finish today. This was a great book if you look books that relate to girls claiming to be your friend but actually are extremely jealous of you and purposely put you in situations/sabotage you. I'm looking forward to checking out another book from this author. Lots of twists just wish some things were more drawn out

[Alessandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartbreaking

Can I just say that Lou honestly did not deserve what happened to her and it was absolutely infuriating to see how Donna was treating her so called best friend and I feel like she got what she deserved to be honest. I couldn't put this down until I finished it, it was captivating with definitely a twist I didn't see coming

[Marcia Nass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Way beyond 5 stars

This is one of my favorite thrillers ever. Well rounded characters you love and others you love to hate. Twists beyond belief. I didn't see a big one coming or even some little ones that totally shook me up. Beyond brillant. Maria Frankland ranks up there with the very best.

[Barbara Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so unreal

Talk about being stabbed in the back. Not just once or by just one person but many, many times over. From an outsiders view the main character seems to be a pushover, a door mat yet very forgiving. This was tremendously written and the end is the most shocking. Yet it leaves things open ended and almost sick to your stomach.

[Denisele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was quickly sucked in to this book. Several twists were different than what I expected. I also wanted so badly to hate the original narrator for putting herself in these situations, but I just kept reading. I wanted it to be highly unbelievable at times.. and hopefully it is. Overall a quick and enjoyable read.