When We Were Friends

When We Were Friends 

When We Were Friends is the latest short story to be checked off my to be read list. It was first introduced to me via Amazon First Reads, and it got pushed down on my to be read list, until now. I’ve been going back in my to be read list to check things off that have been there for a while.

I’ll be the first to admit that stories in the marriage and divorce category are not my usual reads. But it was free, and I’ve never passed up a free short story. So here I go with something new and different. 

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“Good. That means you’re a good person, which is always a relief when you’re meeting a stranger for tea after a five-minute bathroom chat. You’re not a secret serial killer, are you?” 

Jane Green, When We Were Friends

Have you read ​​When We Were Friends? Come on in and let me tell you about it! 

About When We Were Friends 

From New York Times bestselling author Jane Green comes a riveting story about a friendship that turns ugly when a woman realizes her new best friend is not what she seems.

By all accounts, Lucy’s handled her divorce well. She’s finally in the cozy, plant-filled house of her dreams. And although she doesn’t fit in with the other divorcées—all busy looking for their next ex—she’s excited to get down to earth and savor the small joys of life.

When Lucy meets Elle, a hip younger woman who shares her same passions, their connection is instant. Taking a chance on kismet, Lucy forges a friendship that fills her days with meaning. She and Elle are inseparable, from sunup to sundown, enjoying the immediate ease and familiarity of each other’s company.

But as Lucy introduces Elle to her circle, a new side of her friend appears. And try as she might, Lucy can’t ignore her misgivings. Who is Elle really? And can their all-consuming friendship survive closer inspection? 

Thoughts on When We Were Friends 

“Nobody warned Lucy that a friendship breakup, that this friendship breakup, could be harder than a divorce. Nobody warned her that a female friend could break her heart into smithereens, that it would take months before she felt like herself.” 

Jane Green, When We Were Friends

When We Were Friends is a short story, at a whopping forty-four pages, and can be read in less than an hour. Which always appeals to me to both start and end my day with stories like this. If you’ve ever played the “just one more chapter” game in a full novel, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. 

I also really like that Amazon has been supporting short stories by well-known authors, as it can be a great introduction to their writing. I loved Evidence of the Affair for this reason, as it introduced me to Taylor Jenkins Reid and her writing, and she has become a repeat author in my blog and reviews. I had high hopes going into this one the exact same way, and hoping that I would be introduced to another great author and I would want to read more of her writing. 

Let me start with saying that I’ve been married to my husband since 2008, and divorce has never even crossed my mind. Homicide, maybe, but never divorce. Which also means that I’m not a fan of how all men are characterized as being narcissistic by Jane Green. There’s a difference between being an asshole and a narcissist. Lumping every male into the narcissistic category didn’t sit well with me. So I can’t say I had high hopes for this story when I started. 

Next up, I can’t quite imagine meeting something in a public bathroom and forming a friendship. Like, that isn’t a story you hear everyday. Does it really happen? Do people admit this is a thing? I have questions! So from this standpoint, the story seems a little bit unbelievable. But, it was also kind of amusing. 

The story was relatable in the sense that a friendship and bond was quickly formed, only to go straight to hell in a swiftly moving handbasket. We’ve all been there and done that. I’m remembering a friendship similar to this, where the longer I spent with this woman, the less I wanted to. Because she reminded me of the old me, that I was busy fighting to be free of and become my best self. I’m sure you can think of friendships similar to this yourself. 

I think my biggest complaint here is that it was short, and moved quickly around, and almost felt like it was pointless. This might have been a good sub-plot in a full novel. But it just didn’t work for me as a short story. I also struggled at the end where our main character goes to therapy. Like, this friendship was far too short to be that devastating, in my opinion. 

Yes, we’ve all had high hopes for a friendship to really stay and be part of our story and not just a chapter. I totally get that, and it hurts when you realize it was only a chapter. But you move on, and keep right on going forward. Our main character had so many great things ahead of her, that she should have been able to look on the bright side, learn, grow, and keep right on going. It almost felt like it was mocking the true need for therapy to me. 

It is a good reminder that we don’t need other people to be happy in our lives. Learn to be happy alone, and grateful for what you have, as you still work toward goals and forming friendships and romantic relationships. But you need to be happy alone first. Get to know yourself, especially after a big life change like a divorce. 

I am choosing to see the positive message in the story, and not just the little things that annoyed me in it. But there is definitely a combination of both, and I wanted to love this story a lot more than I actually did. 

Final Thoughts on When We Were Friends 

“Well, I’ll be here to remind you that you deserve the best. You deserve to be respected and appreciated and loved, whether it’s by a lover or a friend. I’ve seen a real change in you over the past year, Lucy. You’re trusting yourself, and cliched as it sounds, you seem to finally like yourself.” 

Jane Green, When We Were Friends

This is the first writing from author Jane Green that I have ever read, and I can honestly say that it will be a good long while before I pick up any of her full novels. 

I’m calling When We Were Friends a three star read. I didn’t totally hate it and there was nothing egregiously wrong with it. But I didn’t love it either. If I’m being totally honest here, and the main reason it is three stars, is that I will likely have forgotten it by the time I’m done with this review and moved on to another story that is better. 

If you are bored and need a way to spend an hour on a cold rainy afternoon without investing anything into the characters and the story, then this is the one for you! If you want something memorable, move on to another story, as this isn’t where you will find it. 

Discussion 

Have you read When We Were Friends or any other writing from author Jane Green? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

About the Author 

Jane Green is the New York Times bestselling author of one cookbook (Good Taste), and nineteen novels, including the huge hits Jemima J., and The Beach House. With over ten million books in print in over twenty five languages, she is credited as being one of the founders of the genre, “chick lit”.

She has had her own show on BBC Radio London, is a current storyteller for The Moth, was a correspondent for ABC News for the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton, and is a regular guest on radio and television.

She has been featured in People, Newsweek, USA Today, Glamour, The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph and Cosmopolitan amongst others, and lives in Connecticut with her husband, six children, 2 dogs, 5 cats, and 6 chickens.  

Purchasing When We Were Friends 

If you are interested in buying the audibook version of When We Were Friends, click here.

Click here for the Kindle version.

Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

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