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Keep Your Friends Close
Shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel of the Year
From breakout thriller writer Paula Daly, the story of a husband and wife and the devious best friend who comes between them.
Natty and Sean have a rock-solid marriage—with two daughters, a successful business, and a beautiful house, they are a model family. When their younger daughter falls ill on a school trip, Natty rushes to her side. Luckily, Natty’s best friend from college, Eve, is visiting and offers to stay with Sean to lend a hand in the household. But Natty returns home to find that Eve has taken to family life a little too well: Sean has fallen in love with her. With no choice but to put on a brave face, Natty attempts to start anew—yet no matter how hard she tries to set herself upright, Eve is there to knock her down again. Then Natty receives a mysterious note that says Eve has done this before—more than once—and the consequences were fatal. On a mission to reveal Eve as a vindictive serial mistress, Natty must navigate through a treacherous maze of secrets and lies that threatens her life and the safety of her loved ones.
From breakout thriller writer Paula Daly, the story of a husband and wife and the devious best friend who comes between them.
Natty and Sean have a rock-solid marriage—with two daughters, a successful business, and a beautiful house, they are a model family. When their younger daughter falls ill on a school trip, Natty rushes to her side. Luckily, Natty’s best friend from college, Eve, is visiting and offers to stay with Sean to lend a hand in the household. But Natty returns home to find that Eve has taken to family life a little too well: Sean has fallen in love with her. With no choice but to put on a brave face, Natty attempts to start anew—yet no matter how hard she tries to set herself upright, Eve is there to knock her down again. Then Natty receives a mysterious note that says Eve has done this before—more than once—and the consequences were fatal. On a mission to reveal Eve as a vindictive serial mistress, Natty must navigate through a treacherous maze of secrets and lies that threatens her life and the safety of her loved ones.
335 pages, Hardcover
First published March 13, 2014
246 people are currently reading
5359 people want to read
About the author
Paula Daly
15 books816 followersPaula Daly is the acclaimed author of six novels. Her work has been sold in sixteen countries, shortlisted for CWA Gold Dagger award, and developed for the ITV drama, DEEP WATER, starring Anna Friel. She was born in Lancashire and lives in the Lake District with her family.
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September 29, 2014
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS (MUCH LIKE THE SYNOPSIS) - BUT I’M DOING YOU A FAVOR BY SAVING YOU FROM READING A GIANT CRAPFEST
Sometimes it’s perfectly A-okay to judge a book by its cover. The cover of Keep Your Friends Close should have been my first clue that I would not end up raving about the high quality of the story contained inside. Oh well, live and learn.
The remainder of this review is brought to you by
Seriously. This book was like the worst of the worst of Lifetime movies . . . or maybe an episode of Sally Jesse Raphael back in the 80s. Only on those programs are you told of the story of a happily married couple who receives a visit from an old college pal only to have said friend look for the soonest opportunity possible to drop to her knees and “pleasure” her bestie’s hubs in the kitchen with such prowess he IMMEDIATELY falls in love with her, kicks the old ball and chain to the curb and lets the new bimbo grift the shit out of him.
And guess what else? She might have done it B – E – F – O – R – E - ! ! ! ! !
The only good things I can say about Keep Your Friends Close? It was short and I read it fast. This is my second attempt at Paula Daly and I’m pretty certain it will be my last . . . Unless I have an exceptionally bloaty-feeling, mood-swinging couple of days and opt to crack open a book rather than watching movie classics such as “Death of a Cheerleader” or “Co-Ed Callgirl”.
WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS (MUCH LIKE THE SYNOPSIS) - BUT I’M DOING YOU A FAVOR BY SAVING YOU FROM READING A GIANT CRAPFEST
Sometimes it’s perfectly A-okay to judge a book by its cover. The cover of Keep Your Friends Close should have been my first clue that I would not end up raving about the high quality of the story contained inside. Oh well, live and learn.
The remainder of this review is brought to you by
Seriously. This book was like the worst of the worst of Lifetime movies . . . or maybe an episode of Sally Jesse Raphael back in the 80s. Only on those programs are you told of the story of a happily married couple who receives a visit from an old college pal only to have said friend look for the soonest opportunity possible to drop to her knees and “pleasure” her bestie’s hubs in the kitchen with such prowess he IMMEDIATELY falls in love with her, kicks the old ball and chain to the curb and lets the new bimbo grift the shit out of him.
And guess what else? She might have done it B – E – F – O – R – E - ! ! ! ! !
The only good things I can say about Keep Your Friends Close? It was short and I read it fast. This is my second attempt at Paula Daly and I’m pretty certain it will be my last . . . Unless I have an exceptionally bloaty-feeling, mood-swinging couple of days and opt to crack open a book rather than watching movie classics such as “Death of a Cheerleader” or “Co-Ed Callgirl”.
March 16, 2018
Please skip my review if you're offended by bad language.
Hmmmm... I’m very torn on this one.
This is the story of Natty and Sean, a couple whose marriage is torn apart by the Natty's best friend who isn’t exactly who she says she is. Eve will go to any length to get her man, then she’ll move on to the next one, but Natty wants a little revenge when she finds out the real story of Eve.
It was a fun read, everyone in it is pretty much batshit crazy or just plain unlikeable, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just that the plot required such huge leaps of disbelief.
I have a massive issue with Sean. We are told at the very start of the book that this is a devoted father and husband, the nicest guy you’ll ever meet, who’ll do anything for his family... so are we really expected to believe that when his wife is out of the country, tending to his very sick daughter and his other daughter is two weeks away from her GCSE exams, that he’d leave his wife for her best friend because...
She’ll give him a blowjob.
She’ll swallow too.
Yup, that’s all there is to it, folks. You’ll lose your Husband if another woman offers him a BJ. 🤬
Bloody hell, I don’t know who this sexist pigeonholing is more insulting to, but it’s just ridiculous.
Anyway, I shan’t rant on any further, I’m very busy today ensuring that my female friends keep away from my Husband, because who knows what’ll happen if I leave the room?! Perhaps I’ll just get rid of all the swallowers. Be vigilant, ladies, the threat is very real. 😂🤣
Hmmmm... I’m very torn on this one.
This is the story of Natty and Sean, a couple whose marriage is torn apart by the Natty's best friend who isn’t exactly who she says she is. Eve will go to any length to get her man, then she’ll move on to the next one, but Natty wants a little revenge when she finds out the real story of Eve.
It was a fun read, everyone in it is pretty much batshit crazy or just plain unlikeable, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just that the plot required such huge leaps of disbelief.
I have a massive issue with Sean. We are told at the very start of the book that this is a devoted father and husband, the nicest guy you’ll ever meet, who’ll do anything for his family... so are we really expected to believe that when his wife is out of the country, tending to his very sick daughter and his other daughter is two weeks away from her GCSE exams, that he’d leave his wife for her best friend because...
She’ll give him a blowjob.
She’ll swallow too.
Yup, that’s all there is to it, folks. You’ll lose your Husband if another woman offers him a BJ. 🤬
Bloody hell, I don’t know who this sexist pigeonholing is more insulting to, but it’s just ridiculous.
Anyway, I shan’t rant on any further, I’m very busy today ensuring that my female friends keep away from my Husband, because who knows what’ll happen if I leave the room?! Perhaps I’ll just get rid of all the swallowers. Be vigilant, ladies, the threat is very real. 😂🤣
August 27, 2015
The novel, "The Mistake I Made", by Paul Daly, comes out Sept. 2015. I'm excited to see people reading it when the book hits the stores.
I've enjoyed every book by Paula Daly. I like the pyschological suspense stories she writes with characters that feel 'All-American'...people with struggles.
In "The Mistake I Made" --the story 'reminds' me (a little) of the theme in the movie, "Indecent Proposal" with Demi Moore and Robert Redford. (but not exactly)
In this book, "Keep Your Friends Close", the story reminds me (a little), of "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle". (but not exactly)
Natty and Sean have been married for many years. They married young. Their two daughters are Alice and Felicity.
Felicity is on a school trip in France when the school calls to say she is in the hospital in critical condition. (a burst appendix)
Natty and Sean run a hotel in the English Countryside together....so Natty catches a plane as fast as she can. Sean is at work when the call came in. Natty will stay in communication with him by the phone --begs him to stay put --as 'somebody' needs to keep the business going.
Eve is Natty's best friend from college --just happened to be in town -from the United States visiting Natty. They have been friends since College days.
--Eve volunteers to stay at the house, (she does not need to rush back to America), and look after their other daughter --so that Sean can keep their business running....and Natty can give Felicity her full attention at the hospital.
From here on out....
Questions enter the mind of the reader.
Does natty do something in France she doesn't want Sean to know about? Does Sean do something in England -he doesn't want Natty to know about?
Is Eve a possible sociopath? Who is keeping secrets? Will there be unexpected turns? OF COURSE!
Paul Daly created some interesting characters. She has us look at the question..."do we ever really know someone?".
A damn fun 'page-turning', Pala-Daly-enjoyment-ride-to boot!!!
My GO TO....'fun reading' author!!!
Do NOT forget that "The Mistake I Made" is due out in DAYS!
I've enjoyed every book by Paula Daly. I like the pyschological suspense stories she writes with characters that feel 'All-American'...people with struggles.
In "The Mistake I Made" --the story 'reminds' me (a little) of the theme in the movie, "Indecent Proposal" with Demi Moore and Robert Redford. (but not exactly)
In this book, "Keep Your Friends Close", the story reminds me (a little), of "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle". (but not exactly)
Natty and Sean have been married for many years. They married young. Their two daughters are Alice and Felicity.
Felicity is on a school trip in France when the school calls to say she is in the hospital in critical condition. (a burst appendix)
Natty and Sean run a hotel in the English Countryside together....so Natty catches a plane as fast as she can. Sean is at work when the call came in. Natty will stay in communication with him by the phone --begs him to stay put --as 'somebody' needs to keep the business going.
Eve is Natty's best friend from college --just happened to be in town -from the United States visiting Natty. They have been friends since College days.
--Eve volunteers to stay at the house, (she does not need to rush back to America), and look after their other daughter --so that Sean can keep their business running....and Natty can give Felicity her full attention at the hospital.
From here on out....
Questions enter the mind of the reader.
Does natty do something in France she doesn't want Sean to know about? Does Sean do something in England -he doesn't want Natty to know about?
Is Eve a possible sociopath? Who is keeping secrets? Will there be unexpected turns? OF COURSE!
Paul Daly created some interesting characters. She has us look at the question..."do we ever really know someone?".
A damn fun 'page-turning', Pala-Daly-enjoyment-ride-to boot!!!
My GO TO....'fun reading' author!!!
Do NOT forget that "The Mistake I Made" is due out in DAYS!
July 17, 2017
"It is perhaps just as well that handguns are illegal in the UK. Because if I had access to one, if I had it hidden in the wardrobe, kept in a box beneath the bed in case an intruder should break in during the night, I'd have already taken that gun and put it to Eve's head. I'd have blown her pretty skull wide open in front of whoever happened to be nearby. Probably blown apart her stomach, took her kneecaps off too while I was at it."You'd think the speaker of the above words is a murderous psychopath, the antagonist in the story. Would it surprise you that the speaker is actually the victim? Yes...that's how much Eve, the villain impacts those around her. As a reader, I didn't quite find those dark intentions floating in my thoughts, but I was surprised by the expletives that came out of my mouth while reading. You're forewarned. Eve is a two-faced, fixated, psychotic b*tch and she will make you absolutely crazy.
"I pull out the honyaki knife from it's case and examine the steel. I paid a lot for this knife. It's a chef's knife, it cuts through steak like butter. And as I hold it in my hand, feeling the weight of it, I can almost hear the sound it will make when leaving Eve's chest. It's the sound of a child slurping warm tea. The rush of air across a wet surface."
Keep Your Friends Close is a standalone novel written by author: Paula Daly. This story encompasses components from many genres: psychological thriller, suspense, crime, drama, a light mystery, even some women's fiction elements. The combination created an entertaining depth that I just couldn't put down.
My favorite part of this book was the ending (which will remain spoiler-free), but the awesomeness of it couldn't have happened without the characters and all the build up that created a perfect storm of emotions to make the ending both subtle and jaw-dropping. All of the characters are written in a way that allows you to feel incredibly invested.
I loved this book and I am so excited to have found a new author to loyally follow. Check out the book synopsis and see if it's a storyline you'd like. Just keep your emotions in check while reading so you don't appear to be the unhinged one ;)
Note: This is the second book I have read by this author and I'm loving her storytelling. With both of her novels I have read, I must note though that they took a bit for me to really feel engaged. The writing seems slow-moving in the beginning but once it gets going, it really gets going!!! Just hang in there :)
My favorite quote:
"If you didn't already know it, you can count up your real friends on the fingers of one hand. Everyone aside from these people are mere acquaintances, not to be relied on in a crisis, nowhere to be found when you really need them.
09/28/2015:
Oh My Freakin' God!
Review to come...
August 15, 2022
“If you bungle raising your children,’ she said, ‘I don’t think whatever else you do well matters very much.”
― Paula Daly, Keep Your Friends Close
I almost never give ones but..
I seriously disliked this book.
SPOILERS:
I really did try. Thought it wold be more dialogue driven and have actual plot twists that made sense. No such luck. Here is why I did not like it.
I hated Eve
I did not believe the story
I disliked Eve
I found the whole story distasteful.
I could not stand Eve
I was to angry at many of the characters to give the book a chance
I disliked Eve
I finished it in silence..and then vowed never to read it again.
I disliked Eve.
Sorry but..I finished it and sort of wish I hadn't. This was a miss for me although I have friends who read this and really dug it.
― Paula Daly, Keep Your Friends Close
I almost never give ones but..
I seriously disliked this book.
SPOILERS:
I really did try. Thought it wold be more dialogue driven and have actual plot twists that made sense. No such luck. Here is why I did not like it.
I hated Eve
I did not believe the story
I disliked Eve
I found the whole story distasteful.
I could not stand Eve
I was to angry at many of the characters to give the book a chance
I disliked Eve
I finished it in silence..and then vowed never to read it again.
I disliked Eve.
Sorry but..I finished it and sort of wish I hadn't. This was a miss for me although I have friends who read this and really dug it.
May 12, 2014
I rarely quote from books in my reviews, mostly because I'm just too lazy to transcribe, but this sentence so clearly sums up the thesis of this Fatal-Attraction-esque novel that I couldn't resist:
I read this book, as you can imagine, with a sort of delighted horror. Could someone, in this day and age, write this book with no sense of humor, no nod to the idea that not only is this a completely played-out storyline, it's also been rather smartly eviscerated by Susan Faludi (see: Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women)?
Yes, ladies. Yes, she can. The main thrust of the book seems to be let a woman like this into your home, and she will begin a ten-part plan to steal your man, starting with some leopard-print underwear (that our narrator refers to disapprovingly as "frankly burlesque") and ending with arson.
And who is this husband, with the power to create such chaos? We readers can only imagine the delights he must offer a woman! We learn that he likes beer and blow jobs (the latter enough to make him leave his wife, children, and job). Occasionally he appears in a "crisp Armani suit," or later, while under the care of the HOMEWRECKER, with "visible five o'clock shadow" and "drinking lager directly from the bottle." He truly is an enigma!
One star may suggest to other readers that they should stay away from this book, but depending on your mood, you might want to give it a chance just for the laughs.
and if you don't give marriage the attention it needs, cracks appear, and there's sure to be some ruthless woman in the wings, willing to put her integrity to one side, willing to take what's yours in a heartbeat.
I read this book, as you can imagine, with a sort of delighted horror. Could someone, in this day and age, write this book with no sense of humor, no nod to the idea that not only is this a completely played-out storyline, it's also been rather smartly eviscerated by Susan Faludi (see: Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women)?
Yes, ladies. Yes, she can. The main thrust of the book seems to be let a woman like this into your home, and she will begin a ten-part plan to steal your man, starting with some leopard-print underwear (that our narrator refers to disapprovingly as "frankly burlesque") and ending with arson.
And who is this husband, with the power to create such chaos? We readers can only imagine the delights he must offer a woman! We learn that he likes beer and blow jobs (the latter enough to make him leave his wife, children, and job). Occasionally he appears in a "crisp Armani suit," or later, while under the care of the HOMEWRECKER, with "visible five o'clock shadow" and "drinking lager directly from the bottle." He truly is an enigma!
One star may suggest to other readers that they should stay away from this book, but depending on your mood, you might want to give it a chance just for the laughs.
April 16, 2014
Before I even start this review, can we just talk about the cover?? Um….
It might be a good idea to judge Paula Daly’s “Keep Your Friends Close” by its cover. Seriously, it goes to crazy town. And not the good crazy town of “Gone Girl,” but more like the half-baked realm of Lifetime. Honestly, this actually would have probably made for a better Lifetime movie than novel (though, I guarantee they already have a film with this exact plot).
Hard-working mother who is focused on success career loses track of her marriage, husband is seduced by her shady “best friend,” life falls to pieces, blah blah. How will she fight back to expose the truth and get her life back? You know the story, and you can probably figure out how it is going to play out. Though the plot may have been a little far-fetched, if Daly had focused on building out realistic characters and created any sense of urgency, the book would have been OK. Instead, what you get is soggy and so predictable that it’s really not much fun to read.
A few spoiler-related thoughts that you are going to have to click to show below:
I am totally fascinated by the positive reviews that exist so far for this book and am concerned that maybe I read something else, eek?
Disclaimer: An advance copy of this book was provided to me for the purpose of review via the Publisher.
It might be a good idea to judge Paula Daly’s “Keep Your Friends Close” by its cover. Seriously, it goes to crazy town. And not the good crazy town of “Gone Girl,” but more like the half-baked realm of Lifetime. Honestly, this actually would have probably made for a better Lifetime movie than novel (though, I guarantee they already have a film with this exact plot).
Hard-working mother who is focused on success career loses track of her marriage, husband is seduced by her shady “best friend,” life falls to pieces, blah blah. How will she fight back to expose the truth and get her life back? You know the story, and you can probably figure out how it is going to play out. Though the plot may have been a little far-fetched, if Daly had focused on building out realistic characters and created any sense of urgency, the book would have been OK. Instead, what you get is soggy and so predictable that it’s really not much fun to read.
A few spoiler-related thoughts that you are going to have to click to show below:
I am totally fascinated by the positive reviews that exist so far for this book and am concerned that maybe I read something else, eek?
Disclaimer: An advance copy of this book was provided to me for the purpose of review via the Publisher.
March 10, 2017
Another clever tale from Paula Daly! She kept me guessing right to the end. I listened to the audio version, and the narrator was very good. I would have liked just a bit more info on some of the characters at the end of the story. This isn't to say that there were any loose threads, but I did want to know what happened to certain people. A "six months later" chapter would have possibly bumped this up another star. But I really liked it, and I definitely recommend this book and her other one, Just What Kind of Mother Are You?! Thanks, Betsy and Sheila for another fun buddy read! :D
August 27, 2015
A special thank you to Grove Atlantic, for a complimentary copy, in exchange for an honest review. (I also purchased the e-book as could not wait. Well worth it)!
Paula Daly’s KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE is an addictive, intense, and riveting suspense of marriage, family, obsession, betrayal, lies, and dark secrets . . . keeping you glued to the pages of this psychological thriller.
Set in England’s Lake District, Natasha (Natty) Wainwright is married to Sean, with two teenage daughters, (16 yr. old Alice, and 14 yr. old Felicity). They live a good life, owning and managing a busy hotel, with busy lives. However, Natty finds herself focused on making sure the hotel is running properly. A type A personality, perfectionist, overseeing everything at the hotel, (which is all consuming, as have been involved in the hospitality business for years), to ensure the best guest experience, and of course the perfect and loving mother, and employer. She has little time life over for her husband’s needs. Her mom died at an early age and she helps take care of her dad. Her mother-in-law is not one of her biggest fans.
Enter, Eve her best friend from college, glamorous, sophisticated, now newly divorced, visiting from the US, a successful psychologist. The day she arrives for a visit, Natty receives the frantic phone call, her daughter has a ruptured appendix in France. (She is there studying for school). Being the good mother, she sets off to tend to her daughter, leaving behind her husband and daughter. What she does not consider is Eve. Does she really know Eve? By the time she returns home with her daughter, manipulative and evil Eve, her supposedly best friend, has taken over her life, her husband, and her home.
What follows is a series of events which lead down a dangerous path. Natty wants revenge; however, one act of car ramming, spirals out of control. When Eve turns the tables on Natty, turning her family against her, as Natty is arrested, and Eve continues to spin her a web of deceit and slowly takes everything from Natty.
Natty seeks desperately to find information about the real Eve, and comes up empty handed, with no identity for Eve. This is when all paths lead to a woman who has done this before and has many secrets in her past. Who is this crazy woman? Has anything she has said in the past been true?
Natty is racing against time to save herself, her family, and her life from the clutches of this evil dark woman, who appears to be poised and calm on the exterior. In the meantime, Natty has a secret and Eve knows the secret and will use it against her. No spoilers here. Yummy, you have to read it! Note: never tell a friend a secret, as you never know when it will come back to haunt you-found this out the hard way.
Having read Daly’s debut novel, Just What Kind of Mother Are You, could not wait to read her follow up novel, which does not disappoint! It was even better (if that is possible).
Told in alternating voices, Natty (1st person), Joanne (3rd), for an absorbing novel, masterfully crafted, femme fatale Eve, with a mixture of humor, intrigue, drama, psychological aspects, and suspense - coming at you with twists and turns, keeping you turning into the wee hours of the morning to learn the fate of these well-developed characters.
If you read Just What Kind of Mother Am I, (highly recommend) then you will enjoy hearing from a familiar character, Joanne Aspinall, the female cop with the big boobs, and boy, oh boy, are you in for a treat with her aunt, Mad Jackie. She is a total riot, as hoping Natty would sick Mad Jackie on wacko, Eve. Loved Natty, and totally disliked Sean, as he definitely is not thinking with his head, but other body parts.
I was dying when I got to the last page, even though a brilliant ending, I kept hitting the page, wishing it could go on. If you love family dramas, suspense, mysteries, and psychological crime thrillers, this book is for you! Keep them coming Daly, as would love a sequel here, as want to see Natty getting revenge, and more from Mad Jackie, and Joanne! What I missed was the British accent from the audiobook from last book, as was not available yet on audio, as could envision her performance.
Daly is a powerhouse writer to follow. She knows psychological, family dynamics, and strong mother characters-grabbing you from page one and never lets go!
JDCMustReadBooks
Be sure and add this one to your 2015 Must Read List: THE MISTAKE I MADE Coming 9/8/2015 (US) Scandalous!
Paula Daly’s KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE is an addictive, intense, and riveting suspense of marriage, family, obsession, betrayal, lies, and dark secrets . . . keeping you glued to the pages of this psychological thriller.
Set in England’s Lake District, Natasha (Natty) Wainwright is married to Sean, with two teenage daughters, (16 yr. old Alice, and 14 yr. old Felicity). They live a good life, owning and managing a busy hotel, with busy lives. However, Natty finds herself focused on making sure the hotel is running properly. A type A personality, perfectionist, overseeing everything at the hotel, (which is all consuming, as have been involved in the hospitality business for years), to ensure the best guest experience, and of course the perfect and loving mother, and employer. She has little time life over for her husband’s needs. Her mom died at an early age and she helps take care of her dad. Her mother-in-law is not one of her biggest fans.
Enter, Eve her best friend from college, glamorous, sophisticated, now newly divorced, visiting from the US, a successful psychologist. The day she arrives for a visit, Natty receives the frantic phone call, her daughter has a ruptured appendix in France. (She is there studying for school). Being the good mother, she sets off to tend to her daughter, leaving behind her husband and daughter. What she does not consider is Eve. Does she really know Eve? By the time she returns home with her daughter, manipulative and evil Eve, her supposedly best friend, has taken over her life, her husband, and her home.
What follows is a series of events which lead down a dangerous path. Natty wants revenge; however, one act of car ramming, spirals out of control. When Eve turns the tables on Natty, turning her family against her, as Natty is arrested, and Eve continues to spin her a web of deceit and slowly takes everything from Natty.
Natty seeks desperately to find information about the real Eve, and comes up empty handed, with no identity for Eve. This is when all paths lead to a woman who has done this before and has many secrets in her past. Who is this crazy woman? Has anything she has said in the past been true?
Natty is racing against time to save herself, her family, and her life from the clutches of this evil dark woman, who appears to be poised and calm on the exterior. In the meantime, Natty has a secret and Eve knows the secret and will use it against her. No spoilers here. Yummy, you have to read it! Note: never tell a friend a secret, as you never know when it will come back to haunt you-found this out the hard way.
Having read Daly’s debut novel, Just What Kind of Mother Are You, could not wait to read her follow up novel, which does not disappoint! It was even better (if that is possible).
Told in alternating voices, Natty (1st person), Joanne (3rd), for an absorbing novel, masterfully crafted, femme fatale Eve, with a mixture of humor, intrigue, drama, psychological aspects, and suspense - coming at you with twists and turns, keeping you turning into the wee hours of the morning to learn the fate of these well-developed characters.
If you read Just What Kind of Mother Am I, (highly recommend) then you will enjoy hearing from a familiar character, Joanne Aspinall, the female cop with the big boobs, and boy, oh boy, are you in for a treat with her aunt, Mad Jackie. She is a total riot, as hoping Natty would sick Mad Jackie on wacko, Eve. Loved Natty, and totally disliked Sean, as he definitely is not thinking with his head, but other body parts.
I was dying when I got to the last page, even though a brilliant ending, I kept hitting the page, wishing it could go on. If you love family dramas, suspense, mysteries, and psychological crime thrillers, this book is for you! Keep them coming Daly, as would love a sequel here, as want to see Natty getting revenge, and more from Mad Jackie, and Joanne! What I missed was the British accent from the audiobook from last book, as was not available yet on audio, as could envision her performance.
Daly is a powerhouse writer to follow. She knows psychological, family dynamics, and strong mother characters-grabbing you from page one and never lets go!
JDCMustReadBooks
Be sure and add this one to your 2015 Must Read List: THE MISTAKE I MADE Coming 9/8/2015 (US) Scandalous!
June 8, 2020
Natty and Sean are a successful young couple with two daughters, and a beautiful upscale hotel near Lake Windermere. But they are so constantly busy attending to the needs of their business that they have little time for each other. Natty's college buddy, Eve, visits them during a lecture tour. During the visit Natty receives word that their younger daughter has been hospitalized during a school trip to France, and she immediately rushes to her bedside. Unknown to Natty, Eve is a chronic liar with a history of seducing men with money.
"Keep Your Friends Close" is a psychological thriller where secrets are uncovered from both Eve's and Natty's pasts. Eve is cold and calculating, while Natty is hurt, volatile, and vengeful. Emotions escalate, and lives are endangered. Sean is unbelievably calm through it all. Chapters told in Natty's voice are interwoven with chapters featuring the savvy detective Joanne Aspinall. The book kept me turning the pages and ended with a twist. 3.5 stars.
"Keep Your Friends Close" is a psychological thriller where secrets are uncovered from both Eve's and Natty's pasts. Eve is cold and calculating, while Natty is hurt, volatile, and vengeful. Emotions escalate, and lives are endangered. Sean is unbelievably calm through it all. Chapters told in Natty's voice are interwoven with chapters featuring the savvy detective Joanne Aspinall. The book kept me turning the pages and ended with a twist. 3.5 stars.
September 20, 2015
Open the book and meet the rather intimidating, controlled woman who is Natty Wainwright whose marriage is so successful she runs an upmarket hotel with her husband Sean. Married young, the couple have two teenage daughters, Alice and Felicity and an enviable lifestyle completed by a beautiful home and expensive cars.
Dr Eve Dalladay; beautiful and always perfectly dressed she is also successful psychologist with her own practice is one of Natty’s oldest friends. Eve is visiting when Natty gets the phone call which changes everything; Felicity is in hospital in France. Eve generously offers to stay and help the couple out by keeping an eye on Alice for a couple of days while Natty makes the trip to care for her youngest daughter. By the time Natty returns Sean has fallen in love and Eve is ensconced at the hotel. It isn’t long before she receives a letter stating that Eve has done this before.
Sorry to scatter this review with clichés but this book is a real page-turner and an absolute compulsive read so that each time I came to the end of a relatively short chapter, I had to read ‘just one more!’ I wanted to know how both Natty and Eve would play their respective hands and Natty’s realistic reaction to being told that her best friend and her husband were an item made me root for her throughout the book despite the fact that she clearly wasn’t some perfect woman who’d never done anything wrong.
Paula Daly has created a book made up of flawed characters including some wonderful secondary ones; my favourites being the Policewoman Joanne Aspinall and her aunt Jackie as well as Natty’s father Ken. These true to life people served to add another layer of enjoyment to the story. The only character who appeared a little indistinct was Sean, but without giving any spoilers by the time I had read to the end I think that maybe the author was trying to show us just how insignificant he was to the drama…
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book from the publishers Random House UK in return for this review.
Dr Eve Dalladay; beautiful and always perfectly dressed she is also successful psychologist with her own practice is one of Natty’s oldest friends. Eve is visiting when Natty gets the phone call which changes everything; Felicity is in hospital in France. Eve generously offers to stay and help the couple out by keeping an eye on Alice for a couple of days while Natty makes the trip to care for her youngest daughter. By the time Natty returns Sean has fallen in love and Eve is ensconced at the hotel. It isn’t long before she receives a letter stating that Eve has done this before.
Sorry to scatter this review with clichés but this book is a real page-turner and an absolute compulsive read so that each time I came to the end of a relatively short chapter, I had to read ‘just one more!’ I wanted to know how both Natty and Eve would play their respective hands and Natty’s realistic reaction to being told that her best friend and her husband were an item made me root for her throughout the book despite the fact that she clearly wasn’t some perfect woman who’d never done anything wrong.
Paula Daly has created a book made up of flawed characters including some wonderful secondary ones; my favourites being the Policewoman Joanne Aspinall and her aunt Jackie as well as Natty’s father Ken. These true to life people served to add another layer of enjoyment to the story. The only character who appeared a little indistinct was Sean, but without giving any spoilers by the time I had read to the end I think that maybe the author was trying to show us just how insignificant he was to the drama…
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book from the publishers Random House UK in return for this review.
September 8, 2014
I read What Kind of Mother are You? by this author and was blown away. Truly, I was hooked.
So when this book came up for me to read and review as a complimentary book I took it with both hands and started reading it almost right away.
I can honestly say that this book is just as good as the one I read before. It had the same gripping effect on me, I was truly quite moody when I had to put my Kindle down when I had things to do. It was like interrupting me in the middle of a movie!
I will be following, no, stalking, this author, she is one of my top favourites in the thriller department now. I love psychological thrillers that keep your brain clicking over.
What makes a good thriller like this to me is that each plot that comes forward, each event that happens, each character that is flawed, each 'normal' person in a book is portrayed, you are always held in doubt of if what you are thinking is right.
Paula Daly has a unique way of holding me in the palm of her hands as she writes, gasping with my tongue out to what is going to happen next.
The twist at the end of this book was.............yes! yes! just desserts!
Just loved it.
Would I recommend it? Yes, yes and yes.
I was given this book as a complimentary advance read by Random House UK, Transworld Publishers via Net Galley
So when this book came up for me to read and review as a complimentary book I took it with both hands and started reading it almost right away.
I can honestly say that this book is just as good as the one I read before. It had the same gripping effect on me, I was truly quite moody when I had to put my Kindle down when I had things to do. It was like interrupting me in the middle of a movie!
I will be following, no, stalking, this author, she is one of my top favourites in the thriller department now. I love psychological thrillers that keep your brain clicking over.
What makes a good thriller like this to me is that each plot that comes forward, each event that happens, each character that is flawed, each 'normal' person in a book is portrayed, you are always held in doubt of if what you are thinking is right.
Paula Daly has a unique way of holding me in the palm of her hands as she writes, gasping with my tongue out to what is going to happen next.
The twist at the end of this book was.............yes! yes! just desserts!
Just loved it.
Would I recommend it? Yes, yes and yes.
I was given this book as a complimentary advance read by Random House UK, Transworld Publishers via Net Galley
December 17, 2015
This book grabbed me from beginning. The characters are great. Paula Daly writes the protagonist and antagonist so well! You root for the victim and detest the villain. The author is also clever with the twists and turns weaved throughout. I wanted more from the ending but alas, I’m not the author. Still a great book! 4.75+ stars rounding to 5!
March 28, 2014
Having read and favourably reviewed Paula Daly’s first novel. Just What Kind of Mother Are You? last year, it was with a great sense of anticipation that Keep Your Friends Close dropped into my lap. And remained there for the course of one night- and early hours of the morning- as this wonderfully warped tale of familial loyalty, and twisted friendship, kept me reading…and reading…and reading…
I think what Daly achieves with this book is the sense of how ordinary and humdrum domestic life, with its inherent frustrations and tensions, can be so easily undone. Set again, in the beautiful location of the Lake District, the ordinariness of people’s struggle to earn a living, in such a seasonally-dictated to environment, looms large within the book. Her portrayal of the mind-numbing routines of most people’s families, and the petty insecurities and jealousies that can arise is brilliantly depicted, along with the differing needs and wishes of those in a marriage, that can come to the fore by the insertion of an outsider into the mix. Sean and Natty are a typical couple, both working long hours with two teenage daughters and their lives redolent of the tensions and strains, that their striving for something better, brings to bear on a relationship. Theirs is an ordinary marriage, until the arrival of Natty’s friend Eve, a glamorous, and as it turns out, exceptionally scheming woman, who puts more than a cat among the pigeons with her seduction of the hapless Sean, when Natty has to leave the home temporarily to deal with a family crisis. Okay- so fair enough- Sean’s head could easily be turned a woman who is the polar opposite of his wife- but what Daly achieves so well in this book, is the slow reveal of the determination that Natty has to usurp this woman, and how little they all know about the real Eve….
I think the joy with Daly’s writing is the sudden explosions of surprise that she pops into the plot, be it blunt humour, bad language, unforseen violence and so on. You’re reading along quite happily- or as happily as you can in the tension of this psychological thriller- and then boom, something looms up in the text that either makes you laugh out loud, or shudder. The book is punctuated by moments like this- hence the ease of reading this in one sitting- and a fair scattering of surprises as these two women take on the likeness of fighting lionesses in order to remain within, or regain the power, in this family. Yes, there were a couple of twists that I found a little too far-fetched, but I can’t say that they spoilt my enjoyment in any way, as the plot swiftly moved on to new revelations, and an ending that literally made me say- well I wasn’t expecting that!
A novel of moral and emotional complexity, that to my mind crosses the boundaries between crime and mainstream fiction, but ticks all the boxes in terms of suspense and how easily the humdrum ordinariness of domestic life can be uprooted so easily. More importantly though, a compelling psychological thriller that will keep you gripped.
I think what Daly achieves with this book is the sense of how ordinary and humdrum domestic life, with its inherent frustrations and tensions, can be so easily undone. Set again, in the beautiful location of the Lake District, the ordinariness of people’s struggle to earn a living, in such a seasonally-dictated to environment, looms large within the book. Her portrayal of the mind-numbing routines of most people’s families, and the petty insecurities and jealousies that can arise is brilliantly depicted, along with the differing needs and wishes of those in a marriage, that can come to the fore by the insertion of an outsider into the mix. Sean and Natty are a typical couple, both working long hours with two teenage daughters and their lives redolent of the tensions and strains, that their striving for something better, brings to bear on a relationship. Theirs is an ordinary marriage, until the arrival of Natty’s friend Eve, a glamorous, and as it turns out, exceptionally scheming woman, who puts more than a cat among the pigeons with her seduction of the hapless Sean, when Natty has to leave the home temporarily to deal with a family crisis. Okay- so fair enough- Sean’s head could easily be turned a woman who is the polar opposite of his wife- but what Daly achieves so well in this book, is the slow reveal of the determination that Natty has to usurp this woman, and how little they all know about the real Eve….
I think the joy with Daly’s writing is the sudden explosions of surprise that she pops into the plot, be it blunt humour, bad language, unforseen violence and so on. You’re reading along quite happily- or as happily as you can in the tension of this psychological thriller- and then boom, something looms up in the text that either makes you laugh out loud, or shudder. The book is punctuated by moments like this- hence the ease of reading this in one sitting- and a fair scattering of surprises as these two women take on the likeness of fighting lionesses in order to remain within, or regain the power, in this family. Yes, there were a couple of twists that I found a little too far-fetched, but I can’t say that they spoilt my enjoyment in any way, as the plot swiftly moved on to new revelations, and an ending that literally made me say- well I wasn’t expecting that!
A novel of moral and emotional complexity, that to my mind crosses the boundaries between crime and mainstream fiction, but ticks all the boxes in terms of suspense and how easily the humdrum ordinariness of domestic life can be uprooted so easily. More importantly though, a compelling psychological thriller that will keep you gripped.
February 3, 2014
Coming March 2014 from Bantam Press
Thank you to both author and publisher for the Advance Reading Copy.
Natty and Sean Wainwright are happily married. Rock solid in fact. So when Natty’s oldest friend, Eve Dalladay, appears – just as their daughter collapses on a school trip in France – Natty has no qualms about leaving Eve with Sean to help out at home.
This was one of those times – Last year I read Paula Daly’s first novel “Just What Kind of Mother Are You” and I loved it – in fact I would say it was one of my favourite debuts of 2013. So as usual for second novels I did approach it with some trepidation. Every reader (and probably every writer) knows that second books can be a bit hit and miss…sometimes they are equally as good, sometimes better, and often disappoint. In this case it took me about 10 pages to realise that THIS second book was going to be superb.
So we have Natty and Sean. Life is good for this pair, even if perhaps a bit mundane – that thing where you are comfortable together mostly and slip into life routines, having gone past the first flush of romance – but seemingly solid as a rock. When their daughter is hospitalised in France, Natty is relieved that she can leave things in her friends capable hands and be at Felicity’s bedside. While she is away however, things take an unexpected turn.
My favourite kind of tale this, a twisty turny maze of goodness with manipulative characters, things that are just not as they seem and that sense of something not quite right that you can’t exactly put your finger on. The story flows along at a terrific pace as we see Natty struggle to cope with an untenable situation, watching as her life falls apart around her. As with her first novel, Ms Daly has created some truly compelling characters here – and asks that age old question – do we ever really KNOW someone. I love it when a book pretty much says “What would YOU do?” Frankly I’m still deciding.
A top notch pyschological character driven thrill ride, beautifully written with a great sense of place, this definitely comes highly recommended. To quote The Guardian “Fiendishly Addictive”.
Happy Reading Folks!
Thank you to both author and publisher for the Advance Reading Copy.
Natty and Sean Wainwright are happily married. Rock solid in fact. So when Natty’s oldest friend, Eve Dalladay, appears – just as their daughter collapses on a school trip in France – Natty has no qualms about leaving Eve with Sean to help out at home.
This was one of those times – Last year I read Paula Daly’s first novel “Just What Kind of Mother Are You” and I loved it – in fact I would say it was one of my favourite debuts of 2013. So as usual for second novels I did approach it with some trepidation. Every reader (and probably every writer) knows that second books can be a bit hit and miss…sometimes they are equally as good, sometimes better, and often disappoint. In this case it took me about 10 pages to realise that THIS second book was going to be superb.
So we have Natty and Sean. Life is good for this pair, even if perhaps a bit mundane – that thing where you are comfortable together mostly and slip into life routines, having gone past the first flush of romance – but seemingly solid as a rock. When their daughter is hospitalised in France, Natty is relieved that she can leave things in her friends capable hands and be at Felicity’s bedside. While she is away however, things take an unexpected turn.
My favourite kind of tale this, a twisty turny maze of goodness with manipulative characters, things that are just not as they seem and that sense of something not quite right that you can’t exactly put your finger on. The story flows along at a terrific pace as we see Natty struggle to cope with an untenable situation, watching as her life falls apart around her. As with her first novel, Ms Daly has created some truly compelling characters here – and asks that age old question – do we ever really KNOW someone. I love it when a book pretty much says “What would YOU do?” Frankly I’m still deciding.
A top notch pyschological character driven thrill ride, beautifully written with a great sense of place, this definitely comes highly recommended. To quote The Guardian “Fiendishly Addictive”.
Happy Reading Folks!
March 28, 2016
Natty, her husband Sean and daughter Lily lead a wonderful life. Natty and Sean have a rock solid mariage and life is ideal. But how solid is solid? Sometimes it doesn'matter how things seem, they can be broken, enter Natty's long term friend Eve. Lily becomes ill in France and Natty leaves to be with her, leaving Sean at home with Eve. What could go wrong? Eve is not a nice girl, she knows what she wants and she goes after it. This really was a page turner, full of suspence, a very satisfying read.
September 16, 2014
2.5 Started out strong but quickly became an overwrought and over done cliche. Something with the writing did not resonate and the characters remained very one dimensional. Loved her first boo, will read her again but hope for a better offering than this one.
ARC from NetGalley.
ARC from NetGalley.
April 16, 2015
Keep Your Friends Close – Seriously Twisted Seriously Brilliant
Keep Your Friends Close by Paula Daly is one seriously twisted seriously brilliant psychological thriller that hits all the right buttons so close to the real world it is frightening. There are more twists and turns than on your average mountain path with just as much danger that keeps you on edge throughout the book. Paula Daly hits a nerve early in the book with an seriously ill child on a school trip, every parents nightmare, from there the darkness continues a pace even at the end.
Natty Wainwright and her husband have very busy lives running a popular hotel on the banks of Lake Windermere, in the Lake District along with bringing up their two children, Alice and Felicity both teenagers. Natty loves and devotes every waking hour to the girls and when they are at school every other hour to helping in the running of the hotel.
Natty is looking forward to the arrival of her friend from University now working over in America, Dr Eve Dalladay and catch up with all the gossip. After she arrives Natty receives a call that all parents dread, Felicity, on a school trip in France is in hospital and she is seriously ill, it is decided Natty will go out to France. Eve volunteers to help Sean out with Alice while she is away, as it ill not be too long before she is home.
While Natty is with Felicity, Eve makes a move on Sean all part of a plan to have some fun and she sets about snaring Sean, and she knows no boundaries. When Natty gets back she finds she is now relegated to being the ex-wife and Natty cannot believe how her world is falling apart. Whereas Eve sets about her plan to make Natty look like a parnoid ex-wife who will go to any lengths to be a danger to herself and others.
Natty is alone bewildered and angry while being psychologically tortured by someone who she thought of as a friend she feels as if she is having a break down. Natty is determined to find the truth about Eve but what she does not realise is there may be collateral damage along the way.
The reader is taken along with Natty on her fight for her family and her future and the way it is written you feel what Natty feels and the anger that Eve can stir within the reader is unbelievable. This psychological thriller will make you seriously worried for Natty and willing for the best for her but you cannot help yourself.
Paul Daly really knows how to write a psychological thriller and how to Keep Your Friends Close and she knows how to speak that fear all parents have about their families. What stands out for me is that not only is this book seriously twisted at times it is also seriously brilliant to read that will envelop the reader. Some how Paula Daly knows how to get under the skin of the reader, she is uttlery twisted and does psychological torture well, I like her!
Keep Your Friends Close by Paula Daly is one seriously twisted seriously brilliant psychological thriller that hits all the right buttons so close to the real world it is frightening. There are more twists and turns than on your average mountain path with just as much danger that keeps you on edge throughout the book. Paula Daly hits a nerve early in the book with an seriously ill child on a school trip, every parents nightmare, from there the darkness continues a pace even at the end.
Natty Wainwright and her husband have very busy lives running a popular hotel on the banks of Lake Windermere, in the Lake District along with bringing up their two children, Alice and Felicity both teenagers. Natty loves and devotes every waking hour to the girls and when they are at school every other hour to helping in the running of the hotel.
Natty is looking forward to the arrival of her friend from University now working over in America, Dr Eve Dalladay and catch up with all the gossip. After she arrives Natty receives a call that all parents dread, Felicity, on a school trip in France is in hospital and she is seriously ill, it is decided Natty will go out to France. Eve volunteers to help Sean out with Alice while she is away, as it ill not be too long before she is home.
While Natty is with Felicity, Eve makes a move on Sean all part of a plan to have some fun and she sets about snaring Sean, and she knows no boundaries. When Natty gets back she finds she is now relegated to being the ex-wife and Natty cannot believe how her world is falling apart. Whereas Eve sets about her plan to make Natty look like a parnoid ex-wife who will go to any lengths to be a danger to herself and others.
Natty is alone bewildered and angry while being psychologically tortured by someone who she thought of as a friend she feels as if she is having a break down. Natty is determined to find the truth about Eve but what she does not realise is there may be collateral damage along the way.
The reader is taken along with Natty on her fight for her family and her future and the way it is written you feel what Natty feels and the anger that Eve can stir within the reader is unbelievable. This psychological thriller will make you seriously worried for Natty and willing for the best for her but you cannot help yourself.
Paul Daly really knows how to write a psychological thriller and how to Keep Your Friends Close and she knows how to speak that fear all parents have about their families. What stands out for me is that not only is this book seriously twisted at times it is also seriously brilliant to read that will envelop the reader. Some how Paula Daly knows how to get under the skin of the reader, she is uttlery twisted and does psychological torture well, I like her!
June 25, 2015
Another really good read from the pen of Paula Daly. I enjoyed her first book Just What Kind Of Mother Are You and equally enjoyed this one.
A book about a mother of two girls who works herself into the ground to keep up the facade of perfection. Everything has to be just so, from the girls, her place of work to her house. However, the one thing she sometimes puts on the back burner a little is her husband which as is turns out is going to be a big downfall. Enter stage left, Eve, a supposedly good longstanding friend of Natty's (main protagonist) who has been there for her since Natty's days at university. And this is where the story begins, I won't go into too much detail, only to say the book centres around the impact Eve makes on the whole family like a whirling tornado, tossing everything that was steady and rock solid into the air.
It's very much a character driven tale focusing on the interplay between them all. The characters themselves I didn't much like at all. Natty's snobbery and her drive for perfection was equally fascinating and irritating. I would dearly have loved to have told her to take a 'chill pill!!' Her husband, Sean, a bit of a wet lettuce at the best of times who was too easily beguiled but whose heart was in the right place. And then we have Eve, a classic psychological naughty girl who will go to great lengths to get what she wants and didn't care who got in her way.
Some of it I did think was a tad far fetched, especially some of Natty's reactions to certain events, I'm not sure many would have played it the way she did, but I was prepared to put that aside and enjoy the story for what it was. It was an easy character driven psychological twisty turny read that I think many would enjoy.
Thank you to Netgalley, publisher and author for the advanced reader copy. Much appreciated.
A book about a mother of two girls who works herself into the ground to keep up the facade of perfection. Everything has to be just so, from the girls, her place of work to her house. However, the one thing she sometimes puts on the back burner a little is her husband which as is turns out is going to be a big downfall. Enter stage left, Eve, a supposedly good longstanding friend of Natty's (main protagonist) who has been there for her since Natty's days at university. And this is where the story begins, I won't go into too much detail, only to say the book centres around the impact Eve makes on the whole family like a whirling tornado, tossing everything that was steady and rock solid into the air.
It's very much a character driven tale focusing on the interplay between them all. The characters themselves I didn't much like at all. Natty's snobbery and her drive for perfection was equally fascinating and irritating. I would dearly have loved to have told her to take a 'chill pill!!' Her husband, Sean, a bit of a wet lettuce at the best of times who was too easily beguiled but whose heart was in the right place. And then we have Eve, a classic psychological naughty girl who will go to great lengths to get what she wants and didn't care who got in her way.
Some of it I did think was a tad far fetched, especially some of Natty's reactions to certain events, I'm not sure many would have played it the way she did, but I was prepared to put that aside and enjoy the story for what it was. It was an easy character driven psychological twisty turny read that I think many would enjoy.
Thank you to Netgalley, publisher and author for the advanced reader copy. Much appreciated.
August 10, 2015
After reading & loving Just What Kind of Mother Are You, I couldn't wait to read this latest release. Keep Your Friends Close is a brilliantly written psychological drama, I was drawn into the story from the first page and totally gripped throughout.
If you're looking for a gripping, unputdownable read and also enjoy psychological page-turners, I can highly recommend this book.
I have read some superb books in this genre recently and this is my favourite to date. I can't wait for the next book by this great author.
I received an ARC of this book, thank you to the publisher.
If you're looking for a gripping, unputdownable read and also enjoy psychological page-turners, I can highly recommend this book.
I have read some superb books in this genre recently and this is my favourite to date. I can't wait for the next book by this great author.
I received an ARC of this book, thank you to the publisher.
February 28, 2016
This book was wicked fun. It had betrayal, lies, adultery, a sick child, death of a father; it was packed with so much and grabbed me right away. This is my second book by Paula Daly and this one was even better than the first. It reminded me a little bit of Liane Moriarty in the way that it combined humor and serious topics. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
July 2, 2014
How I Came To Read This Book: I received a free copy for review from the publisher.
The Plot: Natty and Sean Wainwright have an idyllic life; they run an extremely successful inn, live in a massive home, and have two wonderful children, Alice and Felicity. In fact, they've basically been able to prove everyone wrong that was aghast when they announced they were pregnant at 19. Just as Natty's old college mate Eve Dalladay shows up for a visit, Natty is torn away to resolve a family crisis elsewhere. When she returns, she's stunned to find Eve has inserted her life a little too well. Suddenly, Natty is fighting for her family, her sanity, and possibly even her life, as she wonders what else she didn't know about her so-called friend.
The Good & The Bad: Well...okay. This book was FUN to read. It was a silly escape, and good beach reading (which is why I okayed reading this in the first place) because it was so over the top in so many ways. It's interesting to have read this in the same general timeframe as reading Miranda Beverly-Whitmore's Bittersweet because they are both about soapy family secrets, but yet come off completely different. I think it's because Bittersweet really create this eerie, tense feeling throughout every page, one that brought this twisted family and their not-so-pleasant paradise to life. In contrast, everything about Keep Your Friends Close feels a bit trite and surface-y. The twists are barely foreshadowed and in the end, don't have too much impact on how things all turn out. The characters are pretty two-dimensional - I wish Paula Daly had felt more comfortable with presenting Eve and Natty as more blurry. She definitely had the POTENTIAL to make them both a touch more grey - given Natty's complex history (which also had little bearing on the climax of the book) and Sean's sudden undying commitment to Eve, but instead they were both painted broadly as 'hero' and 'villain'. I think the story would have been more successful if A) Natty more seriously questioned her sanity and b) Eve didn't have the chance to provide perspective at all (the story is primarily told through Natty's first person narrative, but there are many passages and chapters told from the third person, which gets primarily into Eve and Joanne's heads, but gives a few snippets of insight from other characters as well). Eve was just comically overdone in terms of being a sociopathic homewrecker, and Natty's incessant need to continually blurt out her secrets and act indignant were a bit much.
To that end, Sean was a hugely muddled wanker that really did nothing for the story. Eve's motivations in going after him were flaky at best, and Natty certainly zeroes in on how ridiculous Sean is really being, especially as he comes round by the end. The trouble with this book is it all hinges on Eve being able to not just seduce, but completely entrap Sean - but everything we learn about Sean through Natty's eyes is counter-intuitive to his actions within the story. Playing at normal with Eve when his life already was normal is just mind-boggling. Natty girl, file for divorce no matter what happens, you deserve better.
I'll also note that the ending is a touch abrupt. I'm sure that's mostly intentional if you read the story as 'girl vs girl', but I was curious to see where Natty would go from here. I just had a lot of questions throughout - how *did* Eve manage to pull off everything that she did prior to what Natty encounters within the plot? And even during the plot? - but they won't be answered within this book's framework. A little disappointing, but anyone looking for a good ol' fashioned revenge fantasy novel, well, I did genuinely have fun reading this over-the-top, straightforward thriller.
The Bottom Line: Offers little in the way of character development and suffers from perhaps a too straightforward plot (seriously, Natty, learn to keep a damn secret), but is ultimately fun reading for the summer season.
Anything Memorable?: Nope.
60-Book Challenge?: Book #32 in 2014
The Plot: Natty and Sean Wainwright have an idyllic life; they run an extremely successful inn, live in a massive home, and have two wonderful children, Alice and Felicity. In fact, they've basically been able to prove everyone wrong that was aghast when they announced they were pregnant at 19. Just as Natty's old college mate Eve Dalladay shows up for a visit, Natty is torn away to resolve a family crisis elsewhere. When she returns, she's stunned to find Eve has inserted her life a little too well. Suddenly, Natty is fighting for her family, her sanity, and possibly even her life, as she wonders what else she didn't know about her so-called friend.
The Good & The Bad: Well...okay. This book was FUN to read. It was a silly escape, and good beach reading (which is why I okayed reading this in the first place) because it was so over the top in so many ways. It's interesting to have read this in the same general timeframe as reading Miranda Beverly-Whitmore's Bittersweet because they are both about soapy family secrets, but yet come off completely different. I think it's because Bittersweet really create this eerie, tense feeling throughout every page, one that brought this twisted family and their not-so-pleasant paradise to life. In contrast, everything about Keep Your Friends Close feels a bit trite and surface-y. The twists are barely foreshadowed and in the end, don't have too much impact on how things all turn out. The characters are pretty two-dimensional - I wish Paula Daly had felt more comfortable with presenting Eve and Natty as more blurry. She definitely had the POTENTIAL to make them both a touch more grey - given Natty's complex history (which also had little bearing on the climax of the book) and Sean's sudden undying commitment to Eve, but instead they were both painted broadly as 'hero' and 'villain'. I think the story would have been more successful if A) Natty more seriously questioned her sanity and b) Eve didn't have the chance to provide perspective at all (the story is primarily told through Natty's first person narrative, but there are many passages and chapters told from the third person, which gets primarily into Eve and Joanne's heads, but gives a few snippets of insight from other characters as well). Eve was just comically overdone in terms of being a sociopathic homewrecker, and Natty's incessant need to continually blurt out her secrets and act indignant were a bit much.
To that end, Sean was a hugely muddled wanker that really did nothing for the story. Eve's motivations in going after him were flaky at best, and Natty certainly zeroes in on how ridiculous Sean is really being, especially as he comes round by the end. The trouble with this book is it all hinges on Eve being able to not just seduce, but completely entrap Sean - but everything we learn about Sean through Natty's eyes is counter-intuitive to his actions within the story. Playing at normal with Eve when his life already was normal is just mind-boggling. Natty girl, file for divorce no matter what happens, you deserve better.
I'll also note that the ending is a touch abrupt. I'm sure that's mostly intentional if you read the story as 'girl vs girl', but I was curious to see where Natty would go from here. I just had a lot of questions throughout - how *did* Eve manage to pull off everything that she did prior to what Natty encounters within the plot? And even during the plot? - but they won't be answered within this book's framework. A little disappointing, but anyone looking for a good ol' fashioned revenge fantasy novel, well, I did genuinely have fun reading this over-the-top, straightforward thriller.
The Bottom Line: Offers little in the way of character development and suffers from perhaps a too straightforward plot (seriously, Natty, learn to keep a damn secret), but is ultimately fun reading for the summer season.
Anything Memorable?: Nope.
60-Book Challenge?: Book #32 in 2014
August 27, 2014
Wow, what did I just read? I won this book as part of a Good Reads giveaway and was eager to give it a shot based on it's overall, decent reviews. But this book was just insane! It's the story of Natty and Sean Wainwright; a couple who have been together forever. They co-run a hotel in town and are parents to two, teenage girls. Early on in the story, two major plot catalysts occur- one of the daughter gets deathly sick while away in France and Natty's old college friend, who is in the midst of a crumbling marriage, Eve comes to visit. The two things seem unrelated, but stay with me here.
Right after Eve arrives Natty and Sean get word their daughter is sick. Fittingly, there is only ONE ticket available on the last minute flight to France, So Natty convinces Sean he should stay behind and take care of the hotel while she attends to their daughter. Besides, Eve is there, too so there's an extra set of hands to help out. Once again the timing here is convenient albeit, a little *too* convenient. This, by the way, was the first thing that majorly bothered me as it really would have made sense if Sean had gone and Natty stayed with her dear friend she hadn't seen in years, but I digress.
So Natty is gone ten days. Did you read that carefully...TEN DAYS...when she returns home with her recuperating daughter in tow. Within moments of her arrival Natty knows something is up with Sean and with very little prodding, he admits he's managed to fall in love with Eve. Now when I'm watching a GOOD romantic comedy I'm all about throwing time constraints out the window and giving way to the fantasy. But when it's a novel that isn't even a 100 pages in and something this major occurs I know this train is going off the rails.
Mind you there is VERY LITTLE character development up until this point. We know that Natty is overworked and Sean is undersexed, but that's IT. There are no major fights between the two. And then there's the matter of the mysterious Eve. Natty has apparently known her since she was eighteen and yet has NEVER questioned her character, at least never enough to second guess leaving her husband alone with him for a little over a week.
Heck, I've waited for some packages longer than that!
From here, the ridiculousness escalates quickly. First, Sean tells his daughters (one of which who was on the verge of dying a few days ago) that he's leaving their mom. Then all these things come out about both Eve and Natty that, quite frankly, don't paint either of them in the best of lights. And that about sums up with Keep Your Friends Close irked me so much. There was no one to root for! I guess the author wanted us to be on Natty's side, but given the events that unfold, I honestly couldn't relate to either of these women. And Sean? He was depicted as a cowardly idiot who only answers to his libido.
Needless to say, I feel Keep Your Friends Close is the exact opposite of what you want to do with this novel.
Right after Eve arrives Natty and Sean get word their daughter is sick. Fittingly, there is only ONE ticket available on the last minute flight to France, So Natty convinces Sean he should stay behind and take care of the hotel while she attends to their daughter. Besides, Eve is there, too so there's an extra set of hands to help out. Once again the timing here is convenient albeit, a little *too* convenient. This, by the way, was the first thing that majorly bothered me as it really would have made sense if Sean had gone and Natty stayed with her dear friend she hadn't seen in years, but I digress.
So Natty is gone ten days. Did you read that carefully...TEN DAYS...when she returns home with her recuperating daughter in tow. Within moments of her arrival Natty knows something is up with Sean and with very little prodding, he admits he's managed to fall in love with Eve. Now when I'm watching a GOOD romantic comedy I'm all about throwing time constraints out the window and giving way to the fantasy. But when it's a novel that isn't even a 100 pages in and something this major occurs I know this train is going off the rails.
Mind you there is VERY LITTLE character development up until this point. We know that Natty is overworked and Sean is undersexed, but that's IT. There are no major fights between the two. And then there's the matter of the mysterious Eve. Natty has apparently known her since she was eighteen and yet has NEVER questioned her character, at least never enough to second guess leaving her husband alone with him for a little over a week.
Heck, I've waited for some packages longer than that!
From here, the ridiculousness escalates quickly. First, Sean tells his daughters (one of which who was on the verge of dying a few days ago) that he's leaving their mom. Then all these things come out about both Eve and Natty that, quite frankly, don't paint either of them in the best of lights. And that about sums up with Keep Your Friends Close irked me so much. There was no one to root for! I guess the author wanted us to be on Natty's side, but given the events that unfold, I honestly couldn't relate to either of these women. And Sean? He was depicted as a cowardly idiot who only answers to his libido.
Needless to say, I feel Keep Your Friends Close is the exact opposite of what you want to do with this novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2014
I was sent a copy of this novel by Alison Barrow, publicist for Transworld in exchange for an honest review as part of Paula Daly's Blog Tour.
Where do I begin wow!! I truly loved this book it was gripping from almost the first page, so much so that I felt bereft when it had finished. I took this book away with me for the weekend and found it difficult to put down. I hadn't read Paula's first novel but now have it on my kindle ready to devour when I know I have a free afternoon. If it's anything like this book an odd hour here and there would not suffice - I'd have to read it in one sitting.
Natty and Sean have a good life, happy home and family - everything seems just perfect, except it's not! It's easy to take your eye off the ball in a relationship when you are comfortable with each other and Sean is feeling a bit neglected - something g Natty is completely oblivious to.
When Natty has to run to the bedside of her youngest daughter who's on a school trip to France she thinks nothing of leaving her husband and eldest daughter home with her best friend Eve from Uni - big mistake.
This is a superb psychological thriller that takes us on a journey of love, hurt, anger, manipulation, trust and respect to name just a few of the emotions on display. Each of the characters were portrayed perfectly and I was fully engaged with them - I don't think I've felt such strong emotions for fictional characters in a long time.
I wanted to slap Eve, shake Sean and sit in a corner rocking with Natty. Paula's portrayal of each of them was just right - I really felt an emotional attachment to Natty and watching her shrink from being a strong, organised person with clear direction to a gibbering wreck who couldn't think beyond the next five minutes and was being so cleverly manipulated was heart breaking to read. I just wanted to take her by the shoulders and shock her into calming down so she could think clearly. I pitied Sean - how weak was he? I disliked him almost as much as I disliked Eve. As for her - 'bitch'! I really hated her! Hate isn't a good feeling and it really isn't a strong enough emotion for the way I felt about her.
This book was gripping and made for compulsive reading - I read faster and faster, always a sign of a good book. I lost myself totally in this book and the fact it was set in a location I know well added extra depth and vision to the book for me - it really brought it alive. It also made me look closely at my own relationships - do I take my husband and family for granted - probably! Don't we all! Would I leave my husband home alone with my long standing friend? Yes, I would without hesitation.
I would highly recommend this book and have done so already - thank you Paula for hooking me in so well, I've definitely found a new author whose work I shall follow closely.
Where do I begin wow!! I truly loved this book it was gripping from almost the first page, so much so that I felt bereft when it had finished. I took this book away with me for the weekend and found it difficult to put down. I hadn't read Paula's first novel but now have it on my kindle ready to devour when I know I have a free afternoon. If it's anything like this book an odd hour here and there would not suffice - I'd have to read it in one sitting.
Natty and Sean have a good life, happy home and family - everything seems just perfect, except it's not! It's easy to take your eye off the ball in a relationship when you are comfortable with each other and Sean is feeling a bit neglected - something g Natty is completely oblivious to.
When Natty has to run to the bedside of her youngest daughter who's on a school trip to France she thinks nothing of leaving her husband and eldest daughter home with her best friend Eve from Uni - big mistake.
This is a superb psychological thriller that takes us on a journey of love, hurt, anger, manipulation, trust and respect to name just a few of the emotions on display. Each of the characters were portrayed perfectly and I was fully engaged with them - I don't think I've felt such strong emotions for fictional characters in a long time.
I wanted to slap Eve, shake Sean and sit in a corner rocking with Natty. Paula's portrayal of each of them was just right - I really felt an emotional attachment to Natty and watching her shrink from being a strong, organised person with clear direction to a gibbering wreck who couldn't think beyond the next five minutes and was being so cleverly manipulated was heart breaking to read. I just wanted to take her by the shoulders and shock her into calming down so she could think clearly. I pitied Sean - how weak was he? I disliked him almost as much as I disliked Eve. As for her - 'bitch'! I really hated her! Hate isn't a good feeling and it really isn't a strong enough emotion for the way I felt about her.
This book was gripping and made for compulsive reading - I read faster and faster, always a sign of a good book. I lost myself totally in this book and the fact it was set in a location I know well added extra depth and vision to the book for me - it really brought it alive. It also made me look closely at my own relationships - do I take my husband and family for granted - probably! Don't we all! Would I leave my husband home alone with my long standing friend? Yes, I would without hesitation.
I would highly recommend this book and have done so already - thank you Paula for hooking me in so well, I've definitely found a new author whose work I shall follow closely.
May 29, 2014
Great story. I read Paula Daly's first novel and enjoyed it immensely. This one as well. It kept me riveted and reading intensely to the last page. And while I feel I should be horrified by Natty's last act of revenge, I found myself smiling and elated that Eve would finally get what she was due.
After all, do we really know how far we would go to protect our family, how far we would go to hurt or react to someone who you knew but couldn't prove was evil? And you were the only one that believed it? I can't imagine the frustration. I really wanted to slap Sean, I mean really, so natty didn't put out as often as he liked but otherwise things are good and it only takes two weeks for him to fall in love with Eve and abandon his marriage? I eagerly anticipated the falling of Eve, clearly she was not who she claimed to be. But she and natty were friends since university, natty thought she knew her. When really she knew nothing. I felt relief and was glad when everything started to unravel and the truth was coming out but I could never has anticipated such a delicious ending. Great writing. I can't wait for her next release.
After all, do we really know how far we would go to protect our family, how far we would go to hurt or react to someone who you knew but couldn't prove was evil? And you were the only one that believed it? I can't imagine the frustration. I really wanted to slap Sean, I mean really, so natty didn't put out as often as he liked but otherwise things are good and it only takes two weeks for him to fall in love with Eve and abandon his marriage? I eagerly anticipated the falling of Eve, clearly she was not who she claimed to be. But she and natty were friends since university, natty thought she knew her. When really she knew nothing. I felt relief and was glad when everything started to unravel and the truth was coming out but I could never has anticipated such a delicious ending. Great writing. I can't wait for her next release.
April 1, 2014
Another excellent novel from Paula Daly. I hugely enjoyed 'Just What Kind of Mother Are You?' last year and was keen to read her second psychological thriller. I'm delighted and relieved to say that I hugely enjoyed it. The tension built gradually at the beginning of the novel and then BAM! I couldn't put it down.
Daly has a wonderful narrative voice, so different to other authors in the genre. There's a wry wittiness to her main character Natty. She's not your typical defenseless victim; she's uptight, judgemental and more than a little acerbic but you still root for her, flawed as she is. What impressed me most about this book was how deftly Daly played with my emotions. I was, by turn, nervous, shocked, jubilant, anxious, heartbroken and then, at the very end of the book,highly amused. The ending is very clever and I didn't see it coming. Kudos to Daly, that rarely happens.
Daly has a wonderful narrative voice, so different to other authors in the genre. There's a wry wittiness to her main character Natty. She's not your typical defenseless victim; she's uptight, judgemental and more than a little acerbic but you still root for her, flawed as she is. What impressed me most about this book was how deftly Daly played with my emotions. I was, by turn, nervous, shocked, jubilant, anxious, heartbroken and then, at the very end of the book,highly amused. The ending is very clever and I didn't see it coming. Kudos to Daly, that rarely happens.
July 7, 2014
Natty the mc is horrible, whiny, and way more evil than the supposed evil best friend. At no point in the book did I sympathize with her or any of her irrational decisions. Natty was the conductor on the crazytrain. I would have no problem with Natty being unsympathetic or an unreliable narrator if that was the vibe the author was going for. Sadly, I fear the author wanted us to like her and think her actions were correct. Bad book.
March 8, 2016
This is probably the best book I have read so far this year. It was very exciting right up to the very last sentence. I recommend it for everyone and plan to read her other book as soon as I can get it.
February 26, 2021
Such an addictive book!! A nice easy read after a lot of factual books recently. I finished it within a few days and loved the drama of it all!!
August 9, 2015
Many reviewers compared this book to a bad Lifetime movie but I totally disagree. This kept me on the edge of my seat, reading late into the night, wanting to know what crazy Eve was going to do next to ruin Natty. Although there were some sudden leaps into action that probably wouldn't happen in the real world and both women had reactions to each other's behavior that was over the top, you have to remember that the book is about a woman (Natty) whose college friend (Eve) drops in from a visit from the states with news of a divorce from her husband, when Natty's daughter (Felicity) falls ill in France while on a school trip. Eve says she will stay with the family while Natty rushes to Felicity's side whose appendix has burst. While Natty is away, Eve, who is known to the reader as a crazy serial mistress gone wild, schemes her way into Natty' husband's, Sean, pants. When Natty and her daughter return, Sean announces he is in love with Eve and leaving Natty. Yes, all this is far fetched and quick but it sets up the book, and remember it's FICTION NOT REAL LIFE, for the rest of the book which is about the length Eve will go to to take down Natty and her family. It sets Eve up as a true narcissist almost borderline personality and let's the author run with all of the craziness that Eve does, which is truly appalling but has probably happened before to some women because people like Eve do exist in this world. This book shows, in a fictional way, just how messed up a nut job like a Eve can be when she sets her sights on something she wants and it doesn't matter who or what stands in her way.
There were so many shocking events and reveals that I didn't, COULDN'T, stop reading! I had to know if Natty was going to find her way out of each problems Eve had manipulated. I didn't like Sean at all! I just couldn't see how he didn't see for himself that he was being duped. And for him to just drop everything and leave his wife and kids because Eve could give him a good BJ while his wife was busy not only raising their daughters but managing the high end hotel they owned together. He definitely was a man who couldn't see that his wife was a very good wife and took care of everything and just because she couldn't drop everything to go to bed with him made him look like a selfish idiot for leaving his family for Eve.
So basically, I don't agree that this was a bad Lifetime movie. I accepted that this was a fictional mystery/ psychological thriller that was very entertaining and kept me reading. It had a fantastic ending that was mind blowingly vengeful and I loved it! I wanted to cheer! If you have read this author before, it reads like her other novels. If you can accept that this is a fictional book that is very thrilling and keeps you on the edge of your seat I think you will enjoy it greatly. However, if you expect Jane Austen....look elsewhere. But that doesn't make this book anything less than 5 stars in my book!
There were so many shocking events and reveals that I didn't, COULDN'T, stop reading! I had to know if Natty was going to find her way out of each problems Eve had manipulated. I didn't like Sean at all! I just couldn't see how he didn't see for himself that he was being duped. And for him to just drop everything and leave his wife and kids because Eve could give him a good BJ while his wife was busy not only raising their daughters but managing the high end hotel they owned together. He definitely was a man who couldn't see that his wife was a very good wife and took care of everything and just because she couldn't drop everything to go to bed with him made him look like a selfish idiot for leaving his family for Eve.
So basically, I don't agree that this was a bad Lifetime movie. I accepted that this was a fictional mystery/ psychological thriller that was very entertaining and kept me reading. It had a fantastic ending that was mind blowingly vengeful and I loved it! I wanted to cheer! If you have read this author before, it reads like her other novels. If you can accept that this is a fictional book that is very thrilling and keeps you on the edge of your seat I think you will enjoy it greatly. However, if you expect Jane Austen....look elsewhere. But that doesn't make this book anything less than 5 stars in my book!
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