Friends with Secrets: what you see isn't always real

Friends with Secrets by Christine Gunderson is a story about the idea that what you see isn’t always real. Nikki Lassiter is an emotional wreck with four children and desperate to return to the job she loved and had a sense of purpose. Ainsley Bradley is the picture perfect wife of an aspiring politician and a mother of two children. But deep down, she hides a secret that would tear apart everything she has. A secret about who she really is and where she came from. When a dangerous figure from Ainsley’s past becomes the coach at their kids’ school, she confides in Nikki about her past. Together, they devise a plan to expose the coach and protect their kids. As they put their plan in motion, they place everything they hold dear in danger. Can they protect their lives and their new friendship in the process? 

An Amazon First Reads book touted as a “funny and suspenseful debut” that explores “the myth of the perfect mother, the bonds of female friendship, and the haunting impact of secrets,” I was highly anticipating a laugh out loud adventure of female friendship and motherhood. However, what I got was a story of two mothers and a friendship I could not relate to. Though I couldn’t relate to the women, I wanted to continue the story with the hopes it would get better. The final straw for me was the constant product/store name dropping. The long list of make and models of cars they drove, the clothes they bought and from which stores. I felt as if I was reading an episode of Desperate Housewives. Overall, this story wasn’t my cup of tea. However, if this book sounds right up your alley, I recommend checking out Friends with Secrets. 

Friends with Secrets is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook