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With Friends Like You: A Novel
From a New York Times bestselling author comes a gripping debut that defies all expectations—a story of feverish obsession, new motherhood, and a friendship pushed to the edge
Emily is unmoored as a new mother in Manhattan—exhausted, broke, and slipping away from her well-meaning husband. She becomes fixated on finding the one person who ever truly understood her: her college roommate Daisy who vanished years ago after dancing at a seedy strip club off campus.
In her desperate search for Daisy, Emily tumbles from new-mom message boards into a world of porn, secrets, and a high-end escort service for global billionaires, hitting one dead end after another—until the unthinkable happens: Daisy suddenly reappears.
Daisy infuses Emily’s life with newfound purpose and community as the two launch a new mothers’ group in a vacant luxury skyscraper (matcha on tap, vibrators on offer). But the joy of their reunion soon fades, revealing deep cracks in their friendship. Is Daisy the key to Emily’s happiness—or is she unraveling her world? And where has Daisy really been all these years?
Emily is unmoored as a new mother in Manhattan—exhausted, broke, and slipping away from her well-meaning husband. She becomes fixated on finding the one person who ever truly understood her: her college roommate Daisy who vanished years ago after dancing at a seedy strip club off campus.
In her desperate search for Daisy, Emily tumbles from new-mom message boards into a world of porn, secrets, and a high-end escort service for global billionaires, hitting one dead end after another—until the unthinkable happens: Daisy suddenly reappears.
Daisy infuses Emily’s life with newfound purpose and community as the two launch a new mothers’ group in a vacant luxury skyscraper (matcha on tap, vibrators on offer). But the joy of their reunion soon fades, revealing deep cracks in their friendship. Is Daisy the key to Emily’s happiness—or is she unraveling her world? And where has Daisy really been all these years?
1 pages, Audio CD
Published August 4, 2026
About the author
Amy Chozick
4 books110 followersFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/amychozick
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amychozick/
Amy Chozick is an author, screenwriter, and journalist who has covered major stories in politics, business, and media for The New York Times.
She is the creator and executive producer of the HBO Max original series The Girls on the Bus, inspired by her New York Times–bestselling memoir Chasing Hillary. Her debut novel, With Friends Like You, will be published by Dutton in July. She is currently adapting the novel into a feature film with Brad Weston — the producer of several Oscar-winning films — and Fifth Season. She also has multiple television projects in development at Netflix and Apple.
Amy’s writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Vogue, Vanity Fair and other
publications. At The New York Times, Chozick served as the lead reporter covering Hillary
Clinton during the 2016 presidential election. Most recently, she conducted an exclusive
interview with Elizabeth Holmes.
Prior to joining the Times in 2011, Chozick spent eight years at The Wall Street Journal,
including as a political reporter covering Barack Obama and as a foreign correspondent based in
Tokyo.
She served as a consultant on the Netflix political drama House of Cards and Greg Berlanti’s USA series Political Animals.
She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amychozick/
Amy Chozick is an author, screenwriter, and journalist who has covered major stories in politics, business, and media for The New York Times.
She is the creator and executive producer of the HBO Max original series The Girls on the Bus, inspired by her New York Times–bestselling memoir Chasing Hillary. Her debut novel, With Friends Like You, will be published by Dutton in July. She is currently adapting the novel into a feature film with Brad Weston — the producer of several Oscar-winning films — and Fifth Season. She also has multiple television projects in development at Netflix and Apple.
Amy’s writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Vogue, Vanity Fair and other
publications. At The New York Times, Chozick served as the lead reporter covering Hillary
Clinton during the 2016 presidential election. Most recently, she conducted an exclusive
interview with Elizabeth Holmes.
Prior to joining the Times in 2011, Chozick spent eight years at The Wall Street Journal,
including as a political reporter covering Barack Obama and as a foreign correspondent based in
Tokyo.
She served as a consultant on the Netflix political drama House of Cards and Greg Berlanti’s USA series Political Animals.
She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
July 14, 2026
With Friends Like You by Amy Chozick. Thanks to @duttonbooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Emily is a new mother in Manhattan and having a hard time adjusting. She starts to look up her old roommate from college, Daisy, who vanished after starting stripping at a seedy club.
I loved this dark humor look at motherhood and mental health. The story is very entertaining and flips a few times unexpectedly. I really enjoyed it. It’s hard for me to say more at risk of spoilers but it’s a great read!
“We were witches, wild and drunk and together and so, so alive.”
Read if you like:
-Stories about motherhood
-Friendships
-Unexpected twists
-New York City settings
With Friends Like You comes out 7/21.
Emily is a new mother in Manhattan and having a hard time adjusting. She starts to look up her old roommate from college, Daisy, who vanished after starting stripping at a seedy club.
I loved this dark humor look at motherhood and mental health. The story is very entertaining and flips a few times unexpectedly. I really enjoyed it. It’s hard for me to say more at risk of spoilers but it’s a great read!
“We were witches, wild and drunk and together and so, so alive.”
Read if you like:
-Stories about motherhood
-Friendships
-Unexpected twists
-New York City settings
With Friends Like You comes out 7/21.
June 28, 2026
I think this will catch a lot of people by surprise. The storytelling and writing was so fast paced, humor witty and raw. This is 100% the modern day moms’ Fight Club. The writing style and inner monologue also reminded me so much of reading Fight Club. I loved how the author made it her own and ended in a very satisfying way. Highly recommend this read! Thanks to Dutton and NetGalley for this ARC.
Did Not Finish
April 10, 2026this book got way too graphic about child-birth for me to enjoy it
August 7, 2026
Oh man, this book made me so mad. How is this marketed as litfic?! I was intrigued in the beginning, but the twist is SO dumb and lowkey fucked up. What an offensive and frankly stupid representation of personality and mood disorders. The Freida McFadden girlies would love this one, tho…
May 15, 2026
2.5 it just didn’t work for me. Felt like way too much build up but also the ending was rushed for me. I did like the twists, I think they weren’t executed well enough though. There’s a stretch of 4ish chapters that end with something along the lines of “until the bad thing happened dot dot dot” and I was getting very upset at that just write better. Also “Virginia Woolf was wrong. A woman doesn’t need a room of one’s own. We just need three hours with no one asking us for a snack.” That’s literally exactly what Virginia Woolf meant 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I got so mad at that line I took a photo on the plane to put in this review like please be serious
July 25, 2026
Emily is a new mother who is beginning to unravel. Husband, Roman, is working all tje time and baby, Holden, seems impossible to satisfy. Having come to terms with a horrific birth and post partum depression, Emily wants something more.
She begins a search for her college roommate, Daisy, who made her feel like the best version of herself. But her desperate longing for Daisy will lead her to some dark places. And when she finally finds her, the offer of a fabulous new way of living may not be quite everything it appears to be.
It took me some time to get into this novel. Emily is not the most sympathetic of characters - she is quite selfish and incapable of recognising when others are struggling.
However I continued reading but the end was, for me, the biggest disappointment. What an anticlimax.
I have seen other reviews which have praised the end. I cannot say why, for some, it will be marvellous and others will simply think "oh that" because it would ruin it.
I would recommend this book if you like a psychological novel that focuses heavily on the exhausting life of new mothers - it is easy to see why Emily took the easy way out.
However, if you have read one certain book then you may feel let down by the end. I did.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Dutton for the digital review copy.
She begins a search for her college roommate, Daisy, who made her feel like the best version of herself. But her desperate longing for Daisy will lead her to some dark places. And when she finally finds her, the offer of a fabulous new way of living may not be quite everything it appears to be.
It took me some time to get into this novel. Emily is not the most sympathetic of characters - she is quite selfish and incapable of recognising when others are struggling.
However I continued reading but the end was, for me, the biggest disappointment. What an anticlimax.
I have seen other reviews which have praised the end. I cannot say why, for some, it will be marvellous and others will simply think "oh that" because it would ruin it.
I would recommend this book if you like a psychological novel that focuses heavily on the exhausting life of new mothers - it is easy to see why Emily took the easy way out.
However, if you have read one certain book then you may feel let down by the end. I did.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Dutton for the digital review copy.
June 11, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
February 21, 2026
This book feels like a fever dream in the best way. The writing is sharp, fast, and completely driven by Emily’s inner dialogue, and it is so witty. It has that spiraling, slightly chaotic energy that makes you feel like you’re inside her head the entire time. I loved it.
Emily, a postpartum mom, becomes determined to track down her old college roommate Daisy, someone she hasn’t spoken to in years. What starts as curiosity, or maybe unfinished emotional business, turns into something much more consuming once she finds her and gets pulled into Daisy’s world.
There is a major plot twist. It briefly crossed my mind at one point, but the way it actually unfolds is so much better than I expected. Even if you start to suspect something, the execution makes it feel very satisfying.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the ARC.
Emily, a postpartum mom, becomes determined to track down her old college roommate Daisy, someone she hasn’t spoken to in years. What starts as curiosity, or maybe unfinished emotional business, turns into something much more consuming once she finds her and gets pulled into Daisy’s world.
There is a major plot twist. It briefly crossed my mind at one point, but the way it actually unfolds is so much better than I expected. Even if you start to suspect something, the execution makes it feel very satisfying.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the ARC.
August 3, 2026
I always enjoy books centered around female friendships. They’re some of my favorite relationships to read about because they’re often just as complex and compelling as any romance. Going into this one, I expected more of a psychological thriller or a story about a toxic, obsessive friendship. The title and synopsis gave me the impression that things would gradually spiral out of control. Instead, the novel took a very different direction. At its core, it became a story about female solidarity, teamwork, and women supporting one another. I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about that shift. I think part of my hesitation comes from my own expectations. I’m so used to stories about female friendships ending in betrayal or obsession that I kept waiting for this one to do the same. When it didn’t, I found myself slightly caught off guard. That said, I did enjoy the book. It just wasn’t the story I thought I was picking up. Looking back, I think my expectations, shaped by the synopsis and the title, had a bigger impact on my reading experience than the novel itself.
July 20, 2026
3.5 rounded up for GoodReads. This book tells the story of new motherhood. It depicts the challenges and loneliness and how you often feel like you lose a part of yourself. I thought the author did a good job of illustrating motherhood. Daisy and her story was a little much for me at times and I didn’t love all the description of her life and line of work. I thought the way it depicted mental health issue was eye opening but also was confused by how the last part played out, especially with her husband. I think it was a good book, but maybe not for me. A different audience may like it a lot more.
August 6, 2026
I wasn't really into this at the start but the plot twists got me goooood
August 10, 2026
WOW that was actually insane super impressed
July 29, 2026
I hated the ending. Absolutely despised it. My heart sank as it neared and I could sense where the author was going. I kept whispering to myself, “No, no, no, no. Please don’t go there.” Unfortunately, she went there. In my opinion, it’s been done before, and actually quite overdone to the point where it just makes me mad. It felt lazy to me. Okay, that’s all I’ll say about that.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
𝘈 𝘧𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨-𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯’𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺, 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘮𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘰𝘻𝘪𝘤𝘬. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦.
With that said, I did enjoy the story itself. The first three quarters of it was solid and included various themes that I love such as motherhood, female friendship, complex relationships, and mental illness. There’s a constant air of mystery that gave off some great thriller vibes, so that was much appreciated as well. New motherhood in the modern world and the postpartum experience is greatly explored, so if you’re into that, then this new release would be a great option for you.
Sadly, I need to dock off some major points because of the conclusion. It simply ruined the book for me. I really wish the author took a different route. Bummer.
3/5 stars for WITH FRIENDS LIKE YOU! It’s out now!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
𝘈 𝘧𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨-𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯’𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺, 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘮𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘰𝘻𝘪𝘤𝘬. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦.
With that said, I did enjoy the story itself. The first three quarters of it was solid and included various themes that I love such as motherhood, female friendship, complex relationships, and mental illness. There’s a constant air of mystery that gave off some great thriller vibes, so that was much appreciated as well. New motherhood in the modern world and the postpartum experience is greatly explored, so if you’re into that, then this new release would be a great option for you.
Sadly, I need to dock off some major points because of the conclusion. It simply ruined the book for me. I really wish the author took a different route. Bummer.
3/5 stars for WITH FRIENDS LIKE YOU! It’s out now!
July 22, 2026
4 ⭐️ 1.5 🔪
This was a twisty, character-driven suspense that kept me hooked from start to finish. Emily’s obsessive search for her missing college roommate slowly unravels into something much darker, and I loved how the mystery unfolded alongside her messy, complicated inner world.
If you enjoy unreliable narrators, toxic friendships, and slow-burn psychological suspense with a satisfying twist, you’ll probably love this.
This was a twisty, character-driven suspense that kept me hooked from start to finish. Emily’s obsessive search for her missing college roommate slowly unravels into something much darker, and I loved how the mystery unfolded alongside her messy, complicated inner world.
If you enjoy unreliable narrators, toxic friendships, and slow-burn psychological suspense with a satisfying twist, you’ll probably love this.
August 6, 2026
I have never been so shocked with a book as I was this one. After almost every chapter I found myself screaming “what?!” with my jaw to the floor.
Nothing could have prepared me for this book’s ending.
I don’t want to say much out of fear of spoiling it, but let’s just say if I could give this book more than 5 stars I WOULD.
Truly a masterpiece that depicted motherhood in its realest and rawest form.
You will not be able to put this book down.
Nothing could have prepared me for this book’s ending.
I don’t want to say much out of fear of spoiling it, but let’s just say if I could give this book more than 5 stars I WOULD.
Truly a masterpiece that depicted motherhood in its realest and rawest form.
You will not be able to put this book down.
August 17, 2026
the first 80% felt like an over-researched debut and the last 20% was kind of insane. i wouldn’t necessarily recommend, but i like it has some positive redemption arcs that kept me engaged. so far i’m not sold on eli rallo’s bookclub because of this.
July 30, 2026
This was bonkers - the perfect mix of suspense and satire. It won’t be for everyone but it certainly was for me. Best to go in relatively blind - would recommend if you likes Yesteryear, Yellowface and/or All The Other Mothers Hate Me.
August 14, 2026
i don’t know. this book tried to do a lot but then did so little. i didn’t really enjoy the personality disorder portrayal, it seemed sensationalized. the whole thing also felt like an ad for luxury baby brands.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2026
could have been 100 pages shorter also on the back so many quotes were talking about how it was funny, it was not
April 24, 2026
I was obsessed with getting an ARC of this and it didn't disappoint!! I appreciated all of the characters, even the smaller ones from the Juju Bean mom group and its portrayal of the bored and lonely NY city elite mother.
- loved: notes on new motherhood, a good ole friendship arc, that twist!!! & I actually think it has a cute love story line.
- meh: there were about 60 pages in the middle i thought didn't add much and just slowed down the plot and made it harder to get through.
the ending was so good and learning all about emily and daisy was so worth it. thank u NetGalley for the arc 🩷
- loved: notes on new motherhood, a good ole friendship arc, that twist!!! & I actually think it has a cute love story line.
- meh: there were about 60 pages in the middle i thought didn't add much and just slowed down the plot and made it harder to get through.
the ending was so good and learning all about emily and daisy was so worth it. thank u NetGalley for the arc 🩷
July 30, 2026
This book tried to do a lot but ended up not doing any of it particularly well.
April 7, 2026
You think you’re reading one thing but it turns out you’re actually reading something else.
I realized early on that I had absolutely no idea where this was going, which kept me engaged and turning pages. And where it went, I never would have expected from the description (which still was accurate). I want to read this one again but more closely.
Thank you Dutton and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.
I realized early on that I had absolutely no idea where this was going, which kept me engaged and turning pages. And where it went, I never would have expected from the description (which still was accurate). I want to read this one again but more closely.
Thank you Dutton and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.
August 1, 2026
3.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ rounded up
Oh my what a ride! This book was not what I expected but it certainly was a wild time! I have some mixed feelings on it but I will say I was glued and had to know where it was going to go!
Emily is a new mother and journalist in manhattan and she’s trying to figure out who she is after having a baby. She starts remembering her good friend and roommate Daisy from college who ended up dropping out and stripping then disappeared. Emily now wants to find out what ever happened to her friend and it takes her on a wild ride into high end escort services, porn, and billionaires. When Daisy shows back up into her life, the two start up something in a vacant luxury building that makes Emily wonder if their friendship is really healthy or not.
I would recommend going into this one blind. There were some really interesting parts to this book. I loved the twists and the investigation portion. But my critique is that it was really trying to both do too much and yet did too little to really make it the book I was hoping for. Once Daisy comes back into Emily’s life the venture they begin together feels a bit far fetched. I had a hard time suspending my disbelief and the thing is the rest of the book is so well researched and very real world. But, I still enjoyed this one and I’d like to see more from this author! I was glued and also I really enjoyed the humor.
Thank you Dutton for the gifted copy, all thoughts are my own.
Oh my what a ride! This book was not what I expected but it certainly was a wild time! I have some mixed feelings on it but I will say I was glued and had to know where it was going to go!
Emily is a new mother and journalist in manhattan and she’s trying to figure out who she is after having a baby. She starts remembering her good friend and roommate Daisy from college who ended up dropping out and stripping then disappeared. Emily now wants to find out what ever happened to her friend and it takes her on a wild ride into high end escort services, porn, and billionaires. When Daisy shows back up into her life, the two start up something in a vacant luxury building that makes Emily wonder if their friendship is really healthy or not.
I would recommend going into this one blind. There were some really interesting parts to this book. I loved the twists and the investigation portion. But my critique is that it was really trying to both do too much and yet did too little to really make it the book I was hoping for. Once Daisy comes back into Emily’s life the venture they begin together feels a bit far fetched. I had a hard time suspending my disbelief and the thing is the rest of the book is so well researched and very real world. But, I still enjoyed this one and I’d like to see more from this author! I was glued and also I really enjoyed the humor.
Thank you Dutton for the gifted copy, all thoughts are my own.
July 28, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, author Amy Chozick, and Dutton for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
Disappointed! I've heard a lot of buzz about With Friends Like You and was really excited to read, until I actually started it. I think the audience will be there for this book, just not me this time. I was hooked by the premise, and honestly the premise is what kept me reading, but I had major execution issues all throughout. So many interesting ideas that I felt were half-heartedly developed (for example, I would have loved to see more about Emily and Daisy actually launching and developing 547 North) and skipped over for just lots of Emily ruminating and running back and forth. Picky note here as well, but I went to Texas A&M, and the brief time at college mentioned for the girls was wildly inaccurate (anyone who has been to College Station knows there's not a Benihana there lmao) and bothered me greatly, which is weird because the Houston parts were extremely accurate (I live here currently). There is a massive twist towards the end that did greatly surprise me and elevated the book for me, but again, it felt haphazardly explained with lots of loose ends. It was the most interesting part of the book and yet it felt kind of thrown in with no real development! I see the potential for this book, but I think Chozick's writing wasn't for me.
Disappointed! I've heard a lot of buzz about With Friends Like You and was really excited to read, until I actually started it. I think the audience will be there for this book, just not me this time. I was hooked by the premise, and honestly the premise is what kept me reading, but I had major execution issues all throughout. So many interesting ideas that I felt were half-heartedly developed (for example, I would have loved to see more about Emily and Daisy actually launching and developing 547 North) and skipped over for just lots of Emily ruminating and running back and forth. Picky note here as well, but I went to Texas A&M, and the brief time at college mentioned for the girls was wildly inaccurate (anyone who has been to College Station knows there's not a Benihana there lmao) and bothered me greatly, which is weird because the Houston parts were extremely accurate (I live here currently). There is a massive twist towards the end that did greatly surprise me and elevated the book for me, but again, it felt haphazardly explained with lots of loose ends. It was the most interesting part of the book and yet it felt kind of thrown in with no real development! I see the potential for this book, but I think Chozick's writing wasn't for me.
July 24, 2026
I listened to this on audio all in one day because I simply could not look away from the crazy, new motherhood cult that was unfolding before me throughout this book. I never could’ve imagined where it would go. So much of the commentary in here is what I was expecting Yesteryear to have, but this was so much better. Definitely recommend this one over that, though of course no “1800s” elements here.
August 13, 2026
The story could’ve used a bit of tinkering and it’s not entirely unpredictable, but it’s full of unexpected moments and is plotted well. Has things to say about the infinite joy and sacrifice and awful realities of motherhood, about identity and agency, about the complexities of relationships, and so much more.
The writing and character work and themes are superb, so bumping the stars up on this one.
4.5 stars
The writing and character work and themes are superb, so bumping the stars up on this one.
4.5 stars
July 24, 2026
this was well-written and interesting, the middle part dragged a little bit as the author was trying to make some points and I suspected what was going on but overall good
August 7, 2026
Wow, an amazing plot twist! I was addicted to this book the whole way through!
August 11, 2026
I did love the pace of this book. It’s not for everyone though. Parts of it felt dragged out. A tad predictable but I enjoyed the characters and the perspective of new moms and female friendship.
August 17, 2026
Crazy end wow
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