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What My Best Friend Did
When Alice meets Gretchen for the first time, it feels a bit like falling in love. Life's got a bit boringly grown-up of late: weekends at weddings and baby-showers, celebrating friends' transitions to a life she isn't quite up for yet, and, at home, a sweet-and-stable boyfriend she suspects she's outgrown. Gretchen Bartholomew, with her air of impulsiveness and intuitive style, is that rarest of things: a proper, new friend who knows how to have fun. Even the added complication of Gretchen's gorgeous brother, Bailey, might actually be just what Alice needs. Before she knows what's hit her, Alice's brilliant new best friend is turning her world upside down.
But Gretchen has a dark secret, which - like a time bomb ticking in her hand - won't stay hidden for ever. The explosion may teach them both more than they ever wanted to know about how female friendships can go wrong.
But Gretchen has a dark secret, which - like a time bomb ticking in her hand - won't stay hidden for ever. The explosion may teach them both more than they ever wanted to know about how female friendships can go wrong.
279 pages, Paperback
First published March 19, 2009
111 people are currently reading
1296 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Dawson
26 books658 followersLucy studied Psychology at Warwick University before becoming a children’s magazine editor. Her first bestselling book – His Other Lover – was published in 2008. Since then she has published four other novels and her work has been translated into numerous other languages. She lives in Exeter with her husband and children. Lucy finds writing in the third person uncomfortable.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
June 24, 2020
this book is fine. i feel bad giving it 2-stars instead of my default "well, i didn't hate reading it" three stars, especially since the author is here on goodreads.com (hi, sorry!), and i'm not here to ruin anyone's day. but there was a lot about it that just flat-out disappointed me.
first of all—the overuse of the word "random" is unforgivable.
there are more.
it's pretty inexcusable, but more for the editor than the author. well, both, but this makes me shake my fist at the sky and say "let me fix things for you, please! there are so many more appropriate words!!"
the story is a pretty weary trope: straight-laced young woman befriended by a beautiful, successful woman, getting sucked into her orbit whilst she tries to keep up with her speed and lifestyle and spontaneity. it turns out this carefree woman suffers from a mental disorder which was featured, more darkly, in this book i just read (it is only a spoiler alert if you click the link.) so that provides an interesting twist on the story, but what follows is a bunch of twisted head games that never quite make sense.
pretty major spoiler here:
and even apart from that sort of unconvincing psychology, there are any number of situations where people behave...oddly. i mean, it makes the story go where the author wants it to go, but your suspension of disbelief muscles had better be honed, brothers and sisters.
and what is with the sudden switch to the doctor's POV for a couple of paragraphs at the end?? to prove that she can write in a male voice? that scene is only there to show
so there are a lot of things like that. missed opportunities, slightly sloppy characters. but it's a perfectly good diversion. it is a book like the tale of halcyon crane: it will pass the time, you don't need to think too hard, but it won't change your life or anything. but some people are perfectly content with their lives, and don't want to be changed. this book is for them.
come to my blog!
first of all—the overuse of the word "random" is unforgivable.
—My coffee was accompanied by two teaspoons balanced on the saucer and a completely random blueberry muffin.
—I'd have been lying on the sofa crying at ASPCA adverts, eating a whole package of cookies and then randomly shouting at Tom for no apparent reason.
—She'd been very ill when she'd randomly turned up and put her foot in it, not in her right mind.
—So, instead of going home, where they'd all apparently gone mad, I spent most of the day on-off crying in bed, which wasn't quite the start to the rest of my life i would have chosen, and then discovered a random bottle of peach schnapps under the kitchen sink at about 5 p.m.
there are more.
it's pretty inexcusable, but more for the editor than the author. well, both, but this makes me shake my fist at the sky and say "let me fix things for you, please! there are so many more appropriate words!!"
the story is a pretty weary trope: straight-laced young woman befriended by a beautiful, successful woman, getting sucked into her orbit whilst she tries to keep up with her speed and lifestyle and spontaneity. it turns out this carefree woman suffers from a mental disorder which was featured, more darkly, in this book i just read (it is only a spoiler alert if you click the link.) so that provides an interesting twist on the story, but what follows is a bunch of twisted head games that never quite make sense.
pretty major spoiler here:
and even apart from that sort of unconvincing psychology, there are any number of situations where people behave...oddly. i mean, it makes the story go where the author wants it to go, but your suspension of disbelief muscles had better be honed, brothers and sisters.
and what is with the sudden switch to the doctor's POV for a couple of paragraphs at the end?? to prove that she can write in a male voice? that scene is only there to show
so there are a lot of things like that. missed opportunities, slightly sloppy characters. but it's a perfectly good diversion. it is a book like the tale of halcyon crane: it will pass the time, you don't need to think too hard, but it won't change your life or anything. but some people are perfectly content with their lives, and don't want to be changed. this book is for them.
come to my blog!
November 20, 2016
It would have earned 4 stars but for the ending!!! The ending was VERY disappointing. What happened to Tom, Gretchen and Alice? The story left too many loose ends.
October 17, 2018
Another cracking read from Lucy Dawson. This one is less of a whodunnit and more of a whydunnit. The characters fizzle with realism, and I couldn’t look away from their blurred judgements and toxic relationships.
Basically you just can’t go wrong with a book from this author if you want a book to make you think about where you would draw a line in your ethical decisions. And a as a bonus you also get a full-on-throttle-speed pace and lots of character depth, all delivered in a lovely witty writing style.
Recommended for fans of Sophie Hannah, Lucy Clarke and Lisa Jewell.
Basically you just can’t go wrong with a book from this author if you want a book to make you think about where you would draw a line in your ethical decisions. And a as a bonus you also get a full-on-throttle-speed pace and lots of character depth, all delivered in a lovely witty writing style.
Recommended for fans of Sophie Hannah, Lucy Clarke and Lisa Jewell.
September 10, 2019
I really loved His Other Lover by Lucy Dawson, it was a fave. It was smart and took you subtly down a dark road without even realising you were going there.
I’ve had WMBFD on my book shelf for about 5 years since, and other than the unappealing cover (I know we’re not supposed to judge those, but let’s be honest, that red belt hasn’t aged well) the only reason I haven’t picked it up is the fear that it wouldn’t be anywhere near as good, even if I hoped it would.
The fear was right. Fucking hell. 210 pages in (the book is a total of 279) and still nothing was happening. What started as a bit of backstory just ended up being an entire book full of back story and absolutely no fucking plot. We got through about a hundred pages and all that happened was the two girls bonding. Honestly. I kept picking it up thinking ‘yay now we’re far enough in that the action will start’ and then another hour of reading would pass and... nothing.
Now let’s talk about this “twist”. Actually let’s not, because it’s all so dense that if I start I’ll never stop again. But apparently, Gretchen really did plan everything in her life to destroy Alice, for um, no reason at all. And apparently Alice just didn’t tell the paramedics or ANYONE the truth about what happened in the flat because she, um, promised she wouldn’t. My eyes are rolling into the back of my head just thinking about it.
The use of mental illness as a tool to make someone ‘evil’ is just so abhorrent I don’t even have words.
Speaking of Alice, I usually LOVE an unlikeable protagonist. It must mean I’m unhinged but I love the shitty ones the most. Unreliable narrators come at me. But not Alice. Alice was an annoying brat with literally no self awareness, and other than a few funny bits of dialogue, I could not like her. She was irritating to be in the mind of. BYE ALICE.
It didn’t just disappoint me at the end, it disappointed me all the way through. At page 250 I physically yelled ‘GET TO THE FUCKING POINT’ at the book. Which is weird, I know, to do that in my own home, yell at an inanimate object. But fuck, 30 pages from the end and Alice is still waffling on about garbage that has nothing to do with anything.
I read this book really fast, as fast as I could, because I wanted really badly to move onto something else. That’s not a good wrap. Should have read His Other Lover again instead. That was a very good one.
I’ve had WMBFD on my book shelf for about 5 years since, and other than the unappealing cover (I know we’re not supposed to judge those, but let’s be honest, that red belt hasn’t aged well) the only reason I haven’t picked it up is the fear that it wouldn’t be anywhere near as good, even if I hoped it would.
The fear was right. Fucking hell. 210 pages in (the book is a total of 279) and still nothing was happening. What started as a bit of backstory just ended up being an entire book full of back story and absolutely no fucking plot. We got through about a hundred pages and all that happened was the two girls bonding. Honestly. I kept picking it up thinking ‘yay now we’re far enough in that the action will start’ and then another hour of reading would pass and... nothing.
Now let’s talk about this “twist”. Actually let’s not, because it’s all so dense that if I start I’ll never stop again. But apparently, Gretchen really did plan everything in her life to destroy Alice, for um, no reason at all. And apparently Alice just didn’t tell the paramedics or ANYONE the truth about what happened in the flat because she, um, promised she wouldn’t. My eyes are rolling into the back of my head just thinking about it.
The use of mental illness as a tool to make someone ‘evil’ is just so abhorrent I don’t even have words.
Speaking of Alice, I usually LOVE an unlikeable protagonist. It must mean I’m unhinged but I love the shitty ones the most. Unreliable narrators come at me. But not Alice. Alice was an annoying brat with literally no self awareness, and other than a few funny bits of dialogue, I could not like her. She was irritating to be in the mind of. BYE ALICE.
It didn’t just disappoint me at the end, it disappointed me all the way through. At page 250 I physically yelled ‘GET TO THE FUCKING POINT’ at the book. Which is weird, I know, to do that in my own home, yell at an inanimate object. But fuck, 30 pages from the end and Alice is still waffling on about garbage that has nothing to do with anything.
I read this book really fast, as fast as I could, because I wanted really badly to move onto something else. That’s not a good wrap. Should have read His Other Lover again instead. That was a very good one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2012
***SPOILER ALERT***
I intend to discuss this book as if all readers have read it. If you have NOT read this book and think you will sometime down the road, I would stop here. SERIOUSLY.
This was a rough read, folks. The book has some issues, the characters have issues, the editing has issues... I'm reminded of a line I once heard by a comedian, something along the lines of "Let's get them a magazine rack - they've got a lot of issues." That would definitely apply to this book.
OK, the book/plot first. I am not a fan of the present story framing the past story. Dawson does a good enough job of making it clear what time period we're in, which is good. However, it still feels "jumpy" overall, leading to some of my displeasure. Also, the book starts off with Alice at the hospital, the emergency with Gretchen, the angst of trying to reach others (Tom, Bailey) - then goes back to when Alice first met Gretchen. We, the reader, don't even know what exactly has happened to Gretchen when the flashbacks begin, only that it must be something terrible, possibly life-threatening, for the opening to be so dramatic. Once we go back in time to that fateful meeting, the story starts dragging, becoming the typical "I'm comfortable with my life but boy I wish something would happen" sort of tale. We're properly introduced to Alice and Tom, and immediately we find out that Tom sees their relationship as long-term: buying a place together, getting married, possibly even having children. Alice freezes up, realizing that while she loves Tom, she's not ready for that sort of commitment, and why, oh why, must he try to have this sort of conversation right before she leaves for the States?
The back and forth continues as we see Alice's friendship with Gretchen blossom at a rapid pace. Perhaps the only thing I did like was the reaction of Vic, Alice's best friend who moved to Paris to be with her handsome love, Luc; Vic is naturally a bit jealous of Alice's "new best friend", feeling a bit off herself in a foreign land with no new best friend herself. Of all the characters in this limp moral tale, I liked Vic - and she's the only one. That's problem #2 - character development. Honestly, these people are rather harsh, almost none of them likeable, and often not what I would consider to be fully-developed. I will grant the author that there are a lot of characters on the canvas, but still, wouldn't it have been more interesting if Paolo, flatmate to Tom and Alice, has been fleshed out a bit? As it stands, he's merely the hot roommate who happens to have sex with Gretchen at crucial moments. Also, I thought Bailey needed to be more than the guy that lured Alice away from Tom (not hard to do, grant you, but still...). There is some back story given by him during a scene with Alice, one where he describes the first time Gretchen goes off the meds and tries to hurt herself. I knew I was supposed to pick up on the fact that he feels responsible for her, but wouldn't it have been better to have him tell me that? And to see it more than once? Again, I would have been much more invested in his blossoming love affair with Alice with more development of his character, or at least, I think I would have.
Then there's Alice herself. This novel is told from the first-person perspective, so everything we know is from Alice's POV. That is, until chapter twenty-nine, when the author suddenly shifts and has different scenes from a third-person POV. Here's Gretchen's doctor coming in to work, amazed that the "overdose girl" is still alive. Suddenly we go back to Alice's first-person POV, then we're watching Bailey as he wakes and gets ready to go to the hospital (everyone had left to get some rest, reassured that they had time before Gretchen "woke up"). Then we see Tom, then it's back to Alice, and oh my - I'm getting dizzy. Anyway, back to Alice. Even while she was getting to know Gretchen and gushing to Vic about how wonderful it is to have someone to hang out with again, I didn't like her. There's just something off about her; maybe it's the way she doesn't want to take responsibility for anything that's happening to her (her wanting to lie to Tom about being attracted to and kissing Bailey, for instance, even though it's clear she sees no future with Tom), maybe it's because it's obvious from the start that she's hiding something major from everyone at the hospital. In any case, at one point I was really hoping she'd get her comeuppance, and I don't know that that's what the author was going for.
I also had a hard time with how mental illness was portrayed in this book. What could have been a very touching, yet difficult subject comes across more as a simple plot device. Yes, Gretchen and her brother both explain to Alice what it's like for Gretchen, how scary it is to be "ill", and I thought the author did a great job in the scenes where Gretchen tells Alice how she feels when she's on her lithium, and off it. There could have been much more said on this subject. What really bothered me was Dawson's decision to have Gretchen be a completely manipulative witch, one who seems to blame her illness for her actions. Instead of a frank look at manic depression, we get something more along the lines of a bad movie plot. I think it would have been brilliant if Gretchen had explained why she pretty much stole/destroyed Alice's life; was Gretchen doing it because she couldn't stand to see someone be happy? Or did she do it because she wants that sort of life so badly herself?
Finally, there are some editing issues that will seem nitpicky to a lot of readers. But keep in mind, anything that basically pops you out of the story is bad, be it editing or character development or whatever. In this case, it was quote marks - specifically the use of double quotes within double quotes. I would have written it off as some British thing, or perhaps a peculiarity of the publisher, but half-way through the book, the correct way to quote someone within dialog started showing up, the old single quotes within double quotes. To this reader, it was like nails on a chalkboard. And it had me wondering - with tighter editing (which not only includes basic grammar and such, but also spotting plot holes, character weakness, etc) would this have been a better book? Possibly. We'll probably never know.
Now, having said all this, here's the weird thing: I found myself racing through the last 50 pages or so to find out how this would end. Not in a skimming-so-I-don't-have-to-read-it-all way, but in a biting-my-nails-because-I-can't-wait-to-see-how-this-ends kind of way. I know, right? How did that happen? I honestly don't know. I can say that when I finished the last page, I was sort of glad at how it ended, and also a bit disappointed as well. It's one of those books that leaves you hanging, as you'll never really know what happens. Sigh.
I intend to discuss this book as if all readers have read it. If you have NOT read this book and think you will sometime down the road, I would stop here. SERIOUSLY.
This was a rough read, folks. The book has some issues, the characters have issues, the editing has issues... I'm reminded of a line I once heard by a comedian, something along the lines of "Let's get them a magazine rack - they've got a lot of issues." That would definitely apply to this book.
OK, the book/plot first. I am not a fan of the present story framing the past story. Dawson does a good enough job of making it clear what time period we're in, which is good. However, it still feels "jumpy" overall, leading to some of my displeasure. Also, the book starts off with Alice at the hospital, the emergency with Gretchen, the angst of trying to reach others (Tom, Bailey) - then goes back to when Alice first met Gretchen. We, the reader, don't even know what exactly has happened to Gretchen when the flashbacks begin, only that it must be something terrible, possibly life-threatening, for the opening to be so dramatic. Once we go back in time to that fateful meeting, the story starts dragging, becoming the typical "I'm comfortable with my life but boy I wish something would happen" sort of tale. We're properly introduced to Alice and Tom, and immediately we find out that Tom sees their relationship as long-term: buying a place together, getting married, possibly even having children. Alice freezes up, realizing that while she loves Tom, she's not ready for that sort of commitment, and why, oh why, must he try to have this sort of conversation right before she leaves for the States?
The back and forth continues as we see Alice's friendship with Gretchen blossom at a rapid pace. Perhaps the only thing I did like was the reaction of Vic, Alice's best friend who moved to Paris to be with her handsome love, Luc; Vic is naturally a bit jealous of Alice's "new best friend", feeling a bit off herself in a foreign land with no new best friend herself. Of all the characters in this limp moral tale, I liked Vic - and she's the only one. That's problem #2 - character development. Honestly, these people are rather harsh, almost none of them likeable, and often not what I would consider to be fully-developed. I will grant the author that there are a lot of characters on the canvas, but still, wouldn't it have been more interesting if Paolo, flatmate to Tom and Alice, has been fleshed out a bit? As it stands, he's merely the hot roommate who happens to have sex with Gretchen at crucial moments. Also, I thought Bailey needed to be more than the guy that lured Alice away from Tom (not hard to do, grant you, but still...). There is some back story given by him during a scene with Alice, one where he describes the first time Gretchen goes off the meds and tries to hurt herself. I knew I was supposed to pick up on the fact that he feels responsible for her, but wouldn't it have been better to have him tell me that? And to see it more than once? Again, I would have been much more invested in his blossoming love affair with Alice with more development of his character, or at least, I think I would have.
Then there's Alice herself. This novel is told from the first-person perspective, so everything we know is from Alice's POV. That is, until chapter twenty-nine, when the author suddenly shifts and has different scenes from a third-person POV. Here's Gretchen's doctor coming in to work, amazed that the "overdose girl" is still alive. Suddenly we go back to Alice's first-person POV, then we're watching Bailey as he wakes and gets ready to go to the hospital (everyone had left to get some rest, reassured that they had time before Gretchen "woke up"). Then we see Tom, then it's back to Alice, and oh my - I'm getting dizzy. Anyway, back to Alice. Even while she was getting to know Gretchen and gushing to Vic about how wonderful it is to have someone to hang out with again, I didn't like her. There's just something off about her; maybe it's the way she doesn't want to take responsibility for anything that's happening to her (her wanting to lie to Tom about being attracted to and kissing Bailey, for instance, even though it's clear she sees no future with Tom), maybe it's because it's obvious from the start that she's hiding something major from everyone at the hospital. In any case, at one point I was really hoping she'd get her comeuppance, and I don't know that that's what the author was going for.
I also had a hard time with how mental illness was portrayed in this book. What could have been a very touching, yet difficult subject comes across more as a simple plot device. Yes, Gretchen and her brother both explain to Alice what it's like for Gretchen, how scary it is to be "ill", and I thought the author did a great job in the scenes where Gretchen tells Alice how she feels when she's on her lithium, and off it. There could have been much more said on this subject. What really bothered me was Dawson's decision to have Gretchen be a completely manipulative witch, one who seems to blame her illness for her actions. Instead of a frank look at manic depression, we get something more along the lines of a bad movie plot. I think it would have been brilliant if Gretchen had explained why she pretty much stole/destroyed Alice's life; was Gretchen doing it because she couldn't stand to see someone be happy? Or did she do it because she wants that sort of life so badly herself?
Finally, there are some editing issues that will seem nitpicky to a lot of readers. But keep in mind, anything that basically pops you out of the story is bad, be it editing or character development or whatever. In this case, it was quote marks - specifically the use of double quotes within double quotes. I would have written it off as some British thing, or perhaps a peculiarity of the publisher, but half-way through the book, the correct way to quote someone within dialog started showing up, the old single quotes within double quotes. To this reader, it was like nails on a chalkboard. And it had me wondering - with tighter editing (which not only includes basic grammar and such, but also spotting plot holes, character weakness, etc) would this have been a better book? Possibly. We'll probably never know.
Now, having said all this, here's the weird thing: I found myself racing through the last 50 pages or so to find out how this would end. Not in a skimming-so-I-don't-have-to-read-it-all way, but in a biting-my-nails-because-I-can't-wait-to-see-how-this-ends kind of way. I know, right? How did that happen? I honestly don't know. I can say that when I finished the last page, I was sort of glad at how it ended, and also a bit disappointed as well. It's one of those books that leaves you hanging, as you'll never really know what happens. Sigh.
March 22, 2020
What was that ending!?
Review to come.
Review to come.
December 6, 2009
Photographer Alice is plodding along in her career and with live-in boyfriend Tom, but all that is about to change. When she goes on a photoshoot to LA, she meets TV presenter turned model Gretchen and is quickly swept up in the whirlwind that is Gretchen’s life.
The pair become close very quickly, but soon things start to change and Alice isn’t too happy. Gretchen’s secret is becoming more of a problem and she knows it isn’t going to stay secret for much longer.
How far will the pair go before there are devastating results that affect not only them but their loved ones too? And is Alice going to be able to stop Gretchen before its too late?
I really was not at all impressed with Dawson’s first novel “His Other Lover” – she had written weak characters, an unsatisfying story and a dreadful ending so I was hoping that things could only get better with her second offering. The plot was again a look at the darker side of relationships, this time a platonic friendship between 2 women who meet on a whim and form a friendship without really knowing each other. It had similarities with Dawson’s first book in that there is a bit of a mystery running throughout, but luckily for me and Dawson’s other readers, the writing, characters and story are far better and makes a really good read!
The book starts off with a pretty explosive start and left me totally hooked, eager to find out what had caused the circumstances that the book began in. I think this was a good device by Dawson, leaving us desperate to read more and I was also intrigued to read the background to the characters as well, especially Alice who was quite interesting. I really liked the lead character of Alice who started off as quite a normal woman happy with her boyfriend and business, but is changed a lot by her new friend. As the reader, we can see how Alice changes and the effect it has on all her relationships but she herself can’t see it which makes the dynamic of the book interesting. I disliked Gretchen from the off, I can’t put my finger on why but she just seemed very unlikeable and this worked well with likeable Alice, making the readers emotion stir up enough to keep reading.
There were really only 2 male characters in the book, Alice’s boyfriend Tom who wasn’t actually present in a lot of the book, and Gretchen’s brother Bailey, a bit more a presence than Tom and another likeable person. Dawson has definitely improved with her character writing because all the characters were believable as people and helped the story develop in a good way which worked well in the scope of the story. The issues covered by the author regarding the characters are well tackled, and the relationships chop and change well with these problems, adapting as necessary and this was really well done by Dawson. Gretchen and Bailey’s relationship is particular was quite touching and written with a real sensitivity of the situation and for this, Dawson deserves real praise.
The thing I enjoyed most about the book was the way the author has approached the telling of this story. It starts off with a shocking start, and this is slowly revealed as the book progresses through alternate chapter flashbacks and eventually leading up to the present. When Dawson took me back to the past, I was sometimes wishing she would hurry up a little and get to the crux of the issue so I could find out why it was all happening as it seemed to drag in parts but it soon picked up pace again when we sent back to the present time and Alice’s dilemmas were being uncovered. Dawson really did keep me guessing, and there were quite a few twists and turns along the way that surprised me and I liked that Dawson was able to do that. I thought it was going to be predictable, but it certainly wasn’t, and I really was guessing right up until the last few pages.
If you like “chick-lit” with a bit of a difference, then ‘What My Best Friend Did’ just might be the book for you. It is a vast improvement on the author’s debut novel and I thoroughly enjoyed the read. For a novel, it is quite short at just under 300 pages but it is a packed book full of twists, turns and a really good story. I didn’t want to put it down of an evening because I was desperate to find out what was going to happen next, and I think all credit is due to the author for this. I am pleased Lucy Dawson made such an improvement in this book, and it really is such a good read I would most definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the genre, you’ll be gripped!
The pair become close very quickly, but soon things start to change and Alice isn’t too happy. Gretchen’s secret is becoming more of a problem and she knows it isn’t going to stay secret for much longer.
How far will the pair go before there are devastating results that affect not only them but their loved ones too? And is Alice going to be able to stop Gretchen before its too late?
I really was not at all impressed with Dawson’s first novel “His Other Lover” – she had written weak characters, an unsatisfying story and a dreadful ending so I was hoping that things could only get better with her second offering. The plot was again a look at the darker side of relationships, this time a platonic friendship between 2 women who meet on a whim and form a friendship without really knowing each other. It had similarities with Dawson’s first book in that there is a bit of a mystery running throughout, but luckily for me and Dawson’s other readers, the writing, characters and story are far better and makes a really good read!
The book starts off with a pretty explosive start and left me totally hooked, eager to find out what had caused the circumstances that the book began in. I think this was a good device by Dawson, leaving us desperate to read more and I was also intrigued to read the background to the characters as well, especially Alice who was quite interesting. I really liked the lead character of Alice who started off as quite a normal woman happy with her boyfriend and business, but is changed a lot by her new friend. As the reader, we can see how Alice changes and the effect it has on all her relationships but she herself can’t see it which makes the dynamic of the book interesting. I disliked Gretchen from the off, I can’t put my finger on why but she just seemed very unlikeable and this worked well with likeable Alice, making the readers emotion stir up enough to keep reading.
There were really only 2 male characters in the book, Alice’s boyfriend Tom who wasn’t actually present in a lot of the book, and Gretchen’s brother Bailey, a bit more a presence than Tom and another likeable person. Dawson has definitely improved with her character writing because all the characters were believable as people and helped the story develop in a good way which worked well in the scope of the story. The issues covered by the author regarding the characters are well tackled, and the relationships chop and change well with these problems, adapting as necessary and this was really well done by Dawson. Gretchen and Bailey’s relationship is particular was quite touching and written with a real sensitivity of the situation and for this, Dawson deserves real praise.
The thing I enjoyed most about the book was the way the author has approached the telling of this story. It starts off with a shocking start, and this is slowly revealed as the book progresses through alternate chapter flashbacks and eventually leading up to the present. When Dawson took me back to the past, I was sometimes wishing she would hurry up a little and get to the crux of the issue so I could find out why it was all happening as it seemed to drag in parts but it soon picked up pace again when we sent back to the present time and Alice’s dilemmas were being uncovered. Dawson really did keep me guessing, and there were quite a few twists and turns along the way that surprised me and I liked that Dawson was able to do that. I thought it was going to be predictable, but it certainly wasn’t, and I really was guessing right up until the last few pages.
If you like “chick-lit” with a bit of a difference, then ‘What My Best Friend Did’ just might be the book for you. It is a vast improvement on the author’s debut novel and I thoroughly enjoyed the read. For a novel, it is quite short at just under 300 pages but it is a packed book full of twists, turns and a really good story. I didn’t want to put it down of an evening because I was desperate to find out what was going to happen next, and I think all credit is due to the author for this. I am pleased Lucy Dawson made such an improvement in this book, and it really is such a good read I would most definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the genre, you’ll be gripped!
November 7, 2019
Ok, what the hell kind of ending was that?! I have so any unanswered questions 😩😭😭 I don’t even know how to rate it now.
The narrator was amazing, 10/10 for her. I enjoyed the storyline, I liked all the characters.
But I don’t think I can forgive the author for that ending!
The narrator was amazing, 10/10 for her. I enjoyed the storyline, I liked all the characters.
But I don’t think I can forgive the author for that ending!
September 2, 2018
Never read a book by Lucy Dawson before, was not disappointed it was a good book and kept me guessing how it would end
November 16, 2022
Una lettura breve ma intensa!
Ottima per chi non ha tanto tempo a disposizione e vuole comunque immergersi in una storia ricca di colpi di scena.
Devo ammettere che ho trovato alcune scene confusionarie e poco comprensibili. Ciononostante, la trama in generale è davvero carina ed interessante! ✿
Ottima per chi non ha tanto tempo a disposizione e vuole comunque immergersi in una storia ricca di colpi di scena.
Devo ammettere che ho trovato alcune scene confusionarie e poco comprensibili. Ciononostante, la trama in generale è davvero carina ed interessante! ✿
October 23, 2021
Disappointing end! I really enjoyed the book until it abruptly stopped.
March 22, 2020
Having read a couple of Lucy’s newer books, I was very keen to read/listen to some of her earlier books, which I have done and have found the, to be really good but sadly this one ‘What my best friend did’ just didn’t hit the spot completely.
I liked the story well enough, was engaging, gripping in each measures and majority of the characters were well written and developed, however what let it down for me, was the ending. I did not like the ending as all, as felt like it was missing something, plus there was no clear picture as to what happened to Alice, Gretchen and Tom. I’m guessing it was the authors intention to let her readers come to their own conclusions as to the ultimate outcome of those three characters, which fair play to the author, a lot of readers will like that take on it, but for me, I just felt lost and empty and would have preferred a more appropriate concrete, more clear cut conclusion, no assumptions needed.
However with that said, it hasn’t put me off reading more books by this author, simply because I know that I have already had the pleasure of reading some of her other books in the past which I did award 4 & 5 star reviews to them.
I liked the story well enough, was engaging, gripping in each measures and majority of the characters were well written and developed, however what let it down for me, was the ending. I did not like the ending as all, as felt like it was missing something, plus there was no clear picture as to what happened to Alice, Gretchen and Tom. I’m guessing it was the authors intention to let her readers come to their own conclusions as to the ultimate outcome of those three characters, which fair play to the author, a lot of readers will like that take on it, but for me, I just felt lost and empty and would have preferred a more appropriate concrete, more clear cut conclusion, no assumptions needed.
However with that said, it hasn’t put me off reading more books by this author, simply because I know that I have already had the pleasure of reading some of her other books in the past which I did award 4 & 5 star reviews to them.
May 31, 2019
Audio version of this book 📚- Really enjoyed this book , but disappointed at the ending left you wanting to know what happens, great narration.
August 30, 2021
One more chapter. Just one. Or an epilogue. That’s all this needed to be a very good story about the choices we make and broken friendships. Listened to the audiobook with a great narrator. I was gripped from the start but the ending seemed cut off prematurely. Whereas years ago this approach was edgy and the fodder for book club discussions, it seems an all too common practice now. I watched the timer count down and anticipated that there would be unresolved storylines. I don’t want to work out my own endings. Would have loved to see what happened next to Tom, Gretchen, Alice and Bailey; in fact the next scene would have been a great climax with everyone having to face the consequences of their actions in a great ICU showdown.
I really enjoyed this book, just wanted a touch more. Would recommend.
I really enjoyed this book, just wanted a touch more. Would recommend.
November 26, 2019
I was completely on board with this book, even though the main character was a bit of an idiot and the best friend was clearly a self-absorbed cow, I was on board because it was easy to read and they were all mostly relatable.
Well that is until the ending arrived. What the actual fuck?
I’m going to write a book where I decide every characters next move using a magic 8 ball and I guarantee those characters actions would still make more sense and be less “random” then the characters in this book.
Somebody who loved this book is honestly going to have to explain to me a few things, like why wouldn’t Alice just tell everyone what Gretchen did? Or if not wanting to expose her, why wouldn’t Alice just deny it or say she was in shock? As if anybody would doubt her. Why the fuck would any of them have even called Alice in the first place?
Secondly and really most importantly, why wouldn’t Gretchen just have an abortion? Instead of hatching such a ridiculous half baked plan. We’re supposed to believe on the one hand she’s capable of planning all these elaborate and complex schemes but on the other not able to do basic problem solving?!?
Having bipolar affective disorder (hello editor, that’s the actual name of the illness she supposedly suffered by the way!) doesn’t make you hyper manic a day after stopping lithium. That’s not how it works.
OMG and then it just stops, midway through Alice telling Tom everything. Why? You’ve come this far with the lunacy, you may as well finish the job. I feel very ripped off.
Well that is until the ending arrived. What the actual fuck?
I’m going to write a book where I decide every characters next move using a magic 8 ball and I guarantee those characters actions would still make more sense and be less “random” then the characters in this book.
Somebody who loved this book is honestly going to have to explain to me a few things, like why wouldn’t Alice just tell everyone what Gretchen did? Or if not wanting to expose her, why wouldn’t Alice just deny it or say she was in shock? As if anybody would doubt her. Why the fuck would any of them have even called Alice in the first place?
Secondly and really most importantly, why wouldn’t Gretchen just have an abortion? Instead of hatching such a ridiculous half baked plan. We’re supposed to believe on the one hand she’s capable of planning all these elaborate and complex schemes but on the other not able to do basic problem solving?!?
Having bipolar affective disorder (hello editor, that’s the actual name of the illness she supposedly suffered by the way!) doesn’t make you hyper manic a day after stopping lithium. That’s not how it works.
OMG and then it just stops, midway through Alice telling Tom everything. Why? You’ve come this far with the lunacy, you may as well finish the job. I feel very ripped off.
August 11, 2021
If it wasn't for the last 2 pages, I would've given this book 4 stars. I have never been so disappointed with an ending. It's as if the author was typing away, needed the bathroom and made a hasty exit, and completely forgot to finish the book.
Read
September 9, 2012Great book, with unexpected ending. Definitely a recommended read.
November 9, 2015
Fantastic, gripping and intense. I was hooked from start to finish. Reminiscent of "The Girl on the Train" in so many ways and I enjoyed it just as much.
April 21, 2019
Was ok not the best. Was quite confusing going from past to present.
December 5, 2024
Tentei ler esse livro diversas vezes (no mínimo 3), em várias épocas e anos diferentes. Apesar do enredo despertar minha curiosidade, achei o início extremamente maçante, não conseguia prender tanto minha atenção assim. Então, apesar de curioso, não era interessante o suficiente. Hoje, depois de tê-lo terminado, acredito que seja por conta de como a nossa protagonista narra os fatos. Não achei que teria tanto pra falar sobre esse livro, porque achei que seria uma leitura bem casual e simples, mas fiquei pensando muito na protagonista e alguns personagens da história.
Conforme fui lendo o livro, fui me encantando com o que estava sendo narrado ali, nossa protagonista parece ser uma personagem comum, como qualquer outra mulher (e eu gosto muito de livros "comuns" assim), mas logo conforme o livro vai passando, eu pude ir percebendo que ela é uma pessoa um tanto... egoísta. Acredito que todos somos passíveis de errar; termos desejos "vergonhosos"; pensarmos coisas que não compartilharíamos com mais ninguém, nem mesmo nós mesmos em voz alta; cair, levantar e aprender, enfim, viver. Então tentei ser o menos crítica possível, apesar de discordar de MUITA coisa que a Alice faz. Mas pra mim foi um tanto impossível ignorar o quanto ela é um tanto egocêntrica e se acha a vítima/centro do universo em todas as situações e relacionamentos em que ela está inserida. Mas, ao mesmo tempo, quem não o é dentro da própria cabeça? Então fui lendo meio que justificando ela própria pra mim mesma.
Para mim, ela usou muitas pessoas ao redor dela e sempre se irritava quando alguns precisavam dela (e que não ofereceriam nada em troca, por exemplo, já que pra Gretchen tinha não só a conexão, a chance de viver "outra vida" e também o irmão dela) ou nem o mínimo fazia (Achei a Vic uma SANTA, sempre ouvindo e aconselhando, mesmo sem a própria Alice fazer algo em troca). Não acho que a gente tenha que sempre fazer algo pelos outros esperando algo em troca, mas relações completamente unilaterais também não dá.
Enfim, acredito que a gente pensa muita coisa que outras pessoas se horrorizariam se as externássemos, mas no fim do dia quem somos é ditado pelas nossas ações, então escolhemos como vamos reagir às situações que nos acontecem. O problema é que a Alice, por diversas vezes, é um tanto inconsequente e acaba caindo sempre no ciclo vicioso de deixar as emoções dela guiarem-na. Não me entendam mal, eu acho que a Gretchen é bem manipuladora e fico contente que a Alice percebeu o jogo dela, mas não acho que tenha sido por astúcia, e sim por raiva, paranoia, revolta de ter perdido tudo da vida que ela sempre quis, que agora era controlada como ela bem queria, e meio que buscar um único culpado disso tudo, que não fosse ela mesma (apesar de ela ter, em parte, culpa, sim do que aconteceu).
É um livro que retrata personagens BEM humanos, apesar de tudo. Consigo facilmente ver isso acontecendo com um conhecido de um conhecido de um conhecido de um amigo meu que está me contando isso em algum encontro.
Conforme fui lendo o livro, fui me encantando com o que estava sendo narrado ali, nossa protagonista parece ser uma personagem comum, como qualquer outra mulher (e eu gosto muito de livros "comuns" assim), mas logo conforme o livro vai passando, eu pude ir percebendo que ela é uma pessoa um tanto... egoísta. Acredito que todos somos passíveis de errar; termos desejos "vergonhosos"; pensarmos coisas que não compartilharíamos com mais ninguém, nem mesmo nós mesmos em voz alta; cair, levantar e aprender, enfim, viver. Então tentei ser o menos crítica possível, apesar de discordar de MUITA coisa que a Alice faz. Mas pra mim foi um tanto impossível ignorar o quanto ela é um tanto egocêntrica e se acha a vítima/centro do universo em todas as situações e relacionamentos em que ela está inserida. Mas, ao mesmo tempo, quem não o é dentro da própria cabeça? Então fui lendo meio que justificando ela própria pra mim mesma.
Para mim, ela usou muitas pessoas ao redor dela e sempre se irritava quando alguns precisavam dela (e que não ofereceriam nada em troca, por exemplo, já que pra Gretchen tinha não só a conexão, a chance de viver "outra vida" e também o irmão dela) ou nem o mínimo fazia (Achei a Vic uma SANTA, sempre ouvindo e aconselhando, mesmo sem a própria Alice fazer algo em troca). Não acho que a gente tenha que sempre fazer algo pelos outros esperando algo em troca, mas relações completamente unilaterais também não dá.
Enfim, acredito que a gente pensa muita coisa que outras pessoas se horrorizariam se as externássemos, mas no fim do dia quem somos é ditado pelas nossas ações, então escolhemos como vamos reagir às situações que nos acontecem. O problema é que a Alice, por diversas vezes, é um tanto inconsequente e acaba caindo sempre no ciclo vicioso de deixar as emoções dela guiarem-na. Não me entendam mal, eu acho que a Gretchen é bem manipuladora e fico contente que a Alice percebeu o jogo dela, mas não acho que tenha sido por astúcia, e sim por raiva, paranoia, revolta de ter perdido tudo da vida que ela sempre quis, que agora era controlada como ela bem queria, e meio que buscar um único culpado disso tudo, que não fosse ela mesma (apesar de ela ter, em parte, culpa, sim do que aconteceu).
É um livro que retrata personagens BEM humanos, apesar de tudo. Consigo facilmente ver isso acontecendo com um conhecido de um conhecido de um conhecido de um amigo meu que está me contando isso em algum encontro.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2022
Honestly I'm not sure how I feel about this book at all. The first half I genuinely really enjoyed it. The book was cheesy to read, but the characters were being filled out well and there was good progression to show the two timelines and how they were going to meet. At this point I couldn't put it down.
But then I reached about 60% in the book and things started to change. You were made to start disliking Gretchen, maybe? I think you were supposed to. She had her issues and you were made to feel bad for her, but things started to spiral and her personality sucked. Then Alice became even more whiney and irritating too, of course Bailey (boring), and what was Tom thinking?
Then the big twist happened. And I really despised every character. I couldn't feel bad for any of them and suddenly I was really angry with them all. I wasn't sure if I wanted to carry on reading.
But I did and the story didn't get much better. The random passage from the doctors POV painted NHS staff in a really bad light and it was totally random. And then not long after it just suddenly.... ended. I kinda needed a little more for me to feel.... well "free".
Like was there consequences, how did everyone take it, did Alice still have to go. I'm confused.
This is a bit of a rambling review and I'm still getting over the plot. In summery it got me captivated, and made me feel alot of emotions which not all books do. A quick easy read. Just be aware that you'll probably be dissapoiinted with the end.
But then I reached about 60% in the book and things started to change. You were made to start disliking Gretchen, maybe? I think you were supposed to. She had her issues and you were made to feel bad for her, but things started to spiral and her personality sucked. Then Alice became even more whiney and irritating too, of course Bailey (boring), and what was Tom thinking?
Then the big twist happened. And I really despised every character. I couldn't feel bad for any of them and suddenly I was really angry with them all. I wasn't sure if I wanted to carry on reading.
But I did and the story didn't get much better. The random passage from the doctors POV painted NHS staff in a really bad light and it was totally random. And then not long after it just suddenly.... ended. I kinda needed a little more for me to feel.... well "free".
Like was there consequences, how did everyone take it, did Alice still have to go. I'm confused.
This is a bit of a rambling review and I'm still getting over the plot. In summery it got me captivated, and made me feel alot of emotions which not all books do. A quick easy read. Just be aware that you'll probably be dissapoiinted with the end.
March 9, 2020
Good book in any case, I know the author made Gretchen out to be a crazy manipulative witch but I don’t see it. I think Alice is more selfish, manipulative and more of a grand liar than Gretchen is. At least Gretchen can blame it on her mental illness... what’s Alice’s excuse? Alice is sober and of sane mind and had absolutely no reason for all the lies & deceit she propagated. she denies her boyfriend at important turns in life and yet claims Tom is the most important person in her life. I can’t see it. She tries to seduces Tom just because she can and again lies to his face about wanting him above any other. she cheats on him and is about to dump him but is upset that Gretchen tells him she’s a lieing cheat and expects an apology because someone else wants him.
Even if Gretchen did arrange things so they would break up, she didn’t make Alice fall for & kiss her brother, Or deny she had a serous boyfriend nor did Gretchen tell her to lie to/keep her boyfriend in the dark about her true feelings for bailey. I mean, she had no backbone, principle or morals as far as I could read and she acts like she was the victim in all of it.
I absoluteLy couldn’t stand Alice. she should remain single and alone at the end while Gretchen should get real help and stay with Tom (who appears to have a thing for manipulative women and refuses to move beyond the perimeters of his bedroom to find love)
Even if Gretchen did arrange things so they would break up, she didn’t make Alice fall for & kiss her brother, Or deny she had a serous boyfriend nor did Gretchen tell her to lie to/keep her boyfriend in the dark about her true feelings for bailey. I mean, she had no backbone, principle or morals as far as I could read and she acts like she was the victim in all of it.
I absoluteLy couldn’t stand Alice. she should remain single and alone at the end while Gretchen should get real help and stay with Tom (who appears to have a thing for manipulative women and refuses to move beyond the perimeters of his bedroom to find love)
December 24, 2024
If there is a textbook for "How to Write a Suspenseful Novel," then Lucy Dawson has surely read it. Her book opens on a suspenseful scene of Alice calling an ambulance for Gretchen, who has apparently tried to commit suicide by drinking and taking pills. But the reader is clearly not getting all the information. After a couple of chapters that build the suspense of what really happened and whether the truth will out, the action jumps back to when the main characters met. Chapters describing how the relationship among the various characters developed are intercut with continuing scenes from the hospital where Alice watches tensely to see whether Gretchen will wake up and tell everyone the truth. In the flashbacks, hints of the ultimate reveal are placed at exactly the right moments to ratchet up the tension, and the reveal itself is pitch-perfect.
So if technically good pacing appeals to you, you'll like this book. But there's one other problem: I think Dawson didn't quite make it to the end of her text. Although the secret itself is surprising while also being believable, and all the characters react realistically and consistently with how they've been described, the resolution is terribly disappointing. It's as though Dawson followed all the steps laid out in the textbook, but couldn't quite muster the imagination to bring it all together.
So if technically good pacing appeals to you, you'll like this book. But there's one other problem: I think Dawson didn't quite make it to the end of her text. Although the secret itself is surprising while also being believable, and all the characters react realistically and consistently with how they've been described, the resolution is terribly disappointing. It's as though Dawson followed all the steps laid out in the textbook, but couldn't quite muster the imagination to bring it all together.
April 20, 2020
Rating somewhere between a 2.5 and a 3.
This is the third of Lucy’s books I’ve read, the other two I believe are later releases, and they were ones I really enjoyed and led me to purchasing more of her books.
This story was quite intriguing, but the ending - well there just wasn’t one, no outcome at all. The only character I actually liked was Tom although he was a bit gullible to all the other characters.
In short, to start with there is a couple, where the male of this relationship starts thinking practically- buying a house, getting married etc, albeit not offered in a very romantic way. The female in the relationship is having second thoughts about her relationship, falls in lust with her new (strange/unstable) best friend’s brother, the best friend actually has a thing (supposedly or may be a jealousy thing) for her best mate’s bf now ex boyfriend and there starts some fun and games.
It was an easy read, but for me a disappointing last couple of pages, I may be different or old fashioned even, but I like a fairly neat tidy ending. As I said earlier, I think this author has gone on to produce some really good stories, so this one not quite meeting the mark in my opinion will not stop me buying and reading more of her psychological thrillers.
This is the third of Lucy’s books I’ve read, the other two I believe are later releases, and they were ones I really enjoyed and led me to purchasing more of her books.
This story was quite intriguing, but the ending - well there just wasn’t one, no outcome at all. The only character I actually liked was Tom although he was a bit gullible to all the other characters.
In short, to start with there is a couple, where the male of this relationship starts thinking practically- buying a house, getting married etc, albeit not offered in a very romantic way. The female in the relationship is having second thoughts about her relationship, falls in lust with her new (strange/unstable) best friend’s brother, the best friend actually has a thing (supposedly or may be a jealousy thing) for her best mate’s bf now ex boyfriend and there starts some fun and games.
It was an easy read, but for me a disappointing last couple of pages, I may be different or old fashioned even, but I like a fairly neat tidy ending. As I said earlier, I think this author has gone on to produce some really good stories, so this one not quite meeting the mark in my opinion will not stop me buying and reading more of her psychological thrillers.
March 20, 2020
As usual, very flawed character, to the point where you are never sure if you should like them or not and if you should hope for them or not.
Jessica was probably one of the most complex characters by this author. She was def not a good person, not completely at least, and what she did is not justifiable. However... Gretchen is exhausting and can drive someone up the walls. I know bc I was raised by a bipolar person and it is so, so complicated. On the one hand you know it's a disease and that they have no control over it but on the other hand we also know that they skip medications and stop therapy and then bam, lives in turmoil again. Also, I've met lots of other bipolar people in my life and they where nothing like the one who birthed me, which leads me to the conclusion that beyond the illness, the character of the afflicted person plays a huge part.
So why only 3 stars? The ending, or perhaps it's best to say the lack of one? After all that we are just left there, hanging, never knowing what Tom did, if he believed Jess or not, and if Gretchen will have the help she need.
Jessica was probably one of the most complex characters by this author. She was def not a good person, not completely at least, and what she did is not justifiable. However... Gretchen is exhausting and can drive someone up the walls. I know bc I was raised by a bipolar person and it is so, so complicated. On the one hand you know it's a disease and that they have no control over it but on the other hand we also know that they skip medications and stop therapy and then bam, lives in turmoil again. Also, I've met lots of other bipolar people in my life and they where nothing like the one who birthed me, which leads me to the conclusion that beyond the illness, the character of the afflicted person plays a huge part.
So why only 3 stars? The ending, or perhaps it's best to say the lack of one? After all that we are just left there, hanging, never knowing what Tom did, if he believed Jess or not, and if Gretchen will have the help she need.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2020
I like Lucy Dawson's writing - she grips the reader from the first page. Her characters are relatable, human, realistic, with all the emotions and verbal expletives we all have experience of.
I don't like to give anything away when I write a review - the synopsis on the back cover gives the reader a good idea of what is to follow. What I will say is that although the storyline gripped me and I completed the book in a weekend - Lucy Dawson has a habit of feeding the reader small morsels on every page (very clever!) - I felt quite let down by the ending, leaving me trying to make up my mind as to what will happen next in the lives of the people affected by Gretchen.
I did enjoy the book, read in a weekend, gave it 3 stars. Lucy's other books I have read - just as quickly consumed - "The Memory" and "Everything you Told Me" were, in my opinion, much better reads. In fact I thought they were quite brilliant.
I will continue to read all of her novels as I enjoy reading about her characters, the backstories, the plots and the explosive finale she is so good at writing.
I don't like to give anything away when I write a review - the synopsis on the back cover gives the reader a good idea of what is to follow. What I will say is that although the storyline gripped me and I completed the book in a weekend - Lucy Dawson has a habit of feeding the reader small morsels on every page (very clever!) - I felt quite let down by the ending, leaving me trying to make up my mind as to what will happen next in the lives of the people affected by Gretchen.
I did enjoy the book, read in a weekend, gave it 3 stars. Lucy's other books I have read - just as quickly consumed - "The Memory" and "Everything you Told Me" were, in my opinion, much better reads. In fact I thought they were quite brilliant.
I will continue to read all of her novels as I enjoy reading about her characters, the backstories, the plots and the explosive finale she is so good at writing.
March 8, 2017
Alice has a job, an apartment with her boyfriend, Tom, and a great job as a photographer. The story begins with Alice calling for an ambulance for her best friend, Gretchen, who has apparently attempted suicide by pills and booze. The story proceeds to tell how they got to be best friends. Gretchen is a self centered kids TV show host who is very recognizable in wealthy circles and has a very high opinion of herself. Alice is hired to photograph her and they become fast friends. It turns out that Gretchen is bipolar and has gone on and off her meds many times. Even has attempted suicide many times. Her brother, Bailey, is seemingly the only one of her family members who truly cares about what happens to her. Alice remains loyal to Gretchen even though Gretchen tells Tom, Alice's boyfriend that Alice has a crush on her brother Bailey. Tom and Alice break up and Tom moves to New York. Alice soon finds herself involved with Bailey for several months and falls deeply in love, until Bailey breaks up with her. Alice is devastated and finds out that Gretchen and Tom have been dating in New York. Alice feels very betrayed by Gretchen and Tom and lashes out at them. Anyway, in the end, you find out that Gretchen was in a bad way and Bailey calls Alice to go and check on her. When she gets to Gretchen's apartment she finds that Gretchen is very drunk and Gretchen tells Alice that she is pregnant and doesn't know who the father is so she wants to fake a suicide attempt to get rid of the baby. Gretchen tells Alice to wait several minutes after she takes the pills to call the ambulance, but Alice tries to talk Gretchen out of it. In the meantime, Gretchen tells Alice that She planned the whole Tom relationship and that she told Bailey to break up with Alice because she refused to share her men. Alice was pissed and hesitated before she called the ambulance. Gretchen does not die but falls into a coma and Alice is afraid that if she wakes up she will report her to the police for not calling the ambulance right away. Then the shocking ending. The last paragraph basically tells us that Alice is done with all three of them because Gretchen will always be a liar and a drama queen. I was so disappointed, thought I missed something so I went back and read the ending again. I really liked this book for the suspense and story line. I did not really care about the characters, though and that ending made me wish I hadn't even read the book.
November 6, 2018
This is a book about a complicated friendship and what one person's actions and behavior can make another person do. Alice is a simple, sweet girl with a good life as a freelance photographer and a steady boyfriend called Tom who is as sweet as they get. On a job Alice meets Gretchen a sort of celebrity, presenter... somewhat famous. Completely different from herself and yet they become friends, even quite good friends, but from then on out things in Alice's life start changing and not necessarily for the better. The story jumps back and forth between now where something has happened to Gretchen causing her to be in a coma and all days, weeks, months of their friendship leading up to that night.
I really liked Alice although I didn't agree with all choices she made and I sure didn't get on the Gretchen fan train, but it was still a good read.
I really liked Alice although I didn't agree with all choices she made and I sure didn't get on the Gretchen fan train, but it was still a good read.
December 7, 2022
Lucy Dawson wove her magic with this story about two women, Alice who is a photographer looking to do more serious work and Gretchen, a children's performer. Our secondary characters are Tom, the faithful but boring boyfriend and Bailey the fun-loving but caring brother.
Alice and Gretchen hit it off with a Alice trying to give the impression she is as fancy free and up for anything like Gretchen when they meet at a photoshoot in New York. Once back in the UK the two meet up again, both looking to use the other's connections when Alice takes a liking to Gretchen's brother.
Let's just say the story turns much darker but not in an outlandish way as the two women find out quite how far they will go to get what they want.
For anyone who wants their reading tied up with a big red bow, you will be disappointed, but personally, I liked the ending.
Alice and Gretchen hit it off with a Alice trying to give the impression she is as fancy free and up for anything like Gretchen when they meet at a photoshoot in New York. Once back in the UK the two meet up again, both looking to use the other's connections when Alice takes a liking to Gretchen's brother.
Let's just say the story turns much darker but not in an outlandish way as the two women find out quite how far they will go to get what they want.
For anyone who wants their reading tied up with a big red bow, you will be disappointed, but personally, I liked the ending.
December 26, 2017
I SOOOO wanted to like this book !! It had so much potential !! but after the first few chapters where we are introduce to this dilemma and circumstances and my mind was going OMG what happened?? what can have possibly happened ?? ! I finished it more out of curiosity than anything, I wanted to see how good or bad the end was going to be. It was bad ! I really liked where the story was going, or where I thought it was going , the first pages got my attention but as the chapters went on, I felt at times, I was reading a book wrote by a complete different person, the excitement of the first pages were lost as I went on , I push through trying to understand why things went the way the did , but I got more and more lost and bored. very disappointing !
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