Keep Your Friends Close

By: Paula Daly

Narrated by: Colleen Prendergast

Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Natty and Sean Wainwright have a rock-solid marriage and family. When their younger daughter falls ill on an overseas school trip, Natty rushes to her side. Luckily, Natty's best friend from college, Eve Dalladay, is visiting and offers to stay with Sean to lend a hand in the Wainwright household. But Natty returns home to find that Sean has fallen in love with Eve. Natty attempts to start anew, but Eve is there to knock her down again. Then Natty receives a mysterious note that says Eve has done this before and the consequences were fatal. On a mission to reveal Eve as a vindictive serial mistress, Natty must navigate through a treacherous maze of secrets and lies that threatens her life and the safety of her loved ones.

©2014 Paula Daly (P)2014 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Emotional Rollercoaster

Although I did not care for the ending, this story had a very emotional jerking story line. Good read.

Tragic and delicious

Was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. The ending was a bit unexpected and some of the threads never got sewn up, but it was an interesting story. Love the flawed characters, and the narration was done well. Would have liked a little (more) variation in the voices, but overall it was a fun book. Hoping for a sequel!

A really great book...

I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did. The narrator was great, and the plot held my attention right up until the very end. I have this awful habit of not finishing my audiobooks about a half-hour from the end, because I know exactly how they're written and what happens, and usually by that point I'm bored. But I listened to this one right up until the very last second -- and oddly enough, the ending was a bit stunted and abrupt. Yet still good! I recommend it... terrific mystery and suspenseful drama.

Keep your friends close review

loved it! surprising to the end! It relaxed me on my drive home every night. It was a great way to unwind before coming home. It was not cliche in the story plot it had surprising twists and turns and kept my interest to the end.

Guilty pleasure

Would you listen to Keep Your Friends Close again? Why?

This book is extremely entertaining. I listened to it over a weekend. The author manages to engage the reader with a simple and less than original story line (15 year old marriage ready to go into crisis is pushed headlong into it by sexy friend of the wife's). It is the slight twists to the story that keep the reader "turning pages". The central theme of the story is this marriage; all the characters are imperfect...and sometimes just a little bit less than likable. Although I really enjoyed the book, it is not the kind I feel to read again.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

This is not only the story of a marriage but a crime story as well...I think this book would have been even better if the characters involved in the "crime" part of the plot would have been developed further. I think I said elsewhere in this review that the characters in it were not particularly likable...that is not quite right...the two cops we get to meet are very likable...i wish we would have seen more of them. One particular character in the book turns out to have a long criminal background that we only get a glimpse of...I remained curious about those events...

What does Colleen Prendergast bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator is excellent. I believe that she adds dimension and humanity to the characters

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, it was. Where the author succeeds with this novel is in keeping the reader/listener wanting to know exactly what happens next.

Any additional comments?

This is light, entertaining fair. I recommend it. Just don't get hung up on the cliches. The characters are interesting because even those who we are supposed to like are not at their best under the circumstances....and hence not so likable but very human.

Excellent book!

Kept me on the edge of my seat! Awesome book! Can't wait to read another book by Paula Daly.

Intriguing Frenemy

Alluring start then gets a little slow as it sets up, but once it picks up it keeps going. I enjoyed the changes between first and third person. I wish there wasn't quite so much "adult language" only because I personally prefer less of it. It wasn't persuasive language though. R-rated if it was a movie. Sex scenes are explicit but not graphic. Mystery of the Frenemy's past is intriguing and well developed. The Frenemy, Eve, is not a like able character at all, she's just interesting the way she's so selfish and diabolical. This story reminds me a little of a movie from the 90's called The Hand That Rocks The Cradle only Eve is driven by selfishness rather than vengeance. Good read. I recommend it.

Great story and narration

Well written with really good characters. Eve is one of the best literary villains I've come across in a while - I absolutely hated her! I couldn't stop listening.

Decent Listening

Good listen but....... Too many unanswered questions. I am glad I have a vivid imagination.

ok till the end

the story was good the ending was a bit abrupt though I would have liked a bit more of an ending.