Good Company audiobook

4.5 stars Flora, happily married to Julian for 20 years,  is  lucky. She’s watched other marriages disintegrate but her marriage is strong and stable. Sure they’ve had challenges and ups and downs, but it only made them stronger. You never know what truly goes on behind closed doors, but Flora knew what went on behind HER door. Until she finds Julian’s wedding ring hidden away in a file cabinet (not a spoiler, the book opens here). The ring he claimed to have lost years ago. What had truly happened all those years ago? Suddenly, everything she thought she knew about her life and marriage is in question.From here we go back in time and explore how Flora and Julian met, their careers, the theater life, parenting their daughter, and the close friendship Flora has with Margot. Margot, unlike Flora, has wealth and privilege that complicated the dynamics of their friendship, but they remain best friends. Margot has challenges of her own, an incident which left her husband David so very different than the man she had married.   “It was stupid, she now understood, to think that privilege translated to protection. To mistake privilege for grace.”I loved how this novel explores the ups and downs of marriage and friendship. Life is messy, and never goes as planned. Bad things happen. How do we move forward when life as you thought you knew it is turned upside down? When there’s a betrayal from those you trusted most?  Do you forgive? Are some things unforgivable? “forgiveness is a choice. It doesn’t arrive on fairy wings; it doesn’t descend from the sky for you to take or leave. Forgiveness is an action.” If this sounds like the same old plot you’ve read many times, I assure you it isn’t. From the synopsis, if you think you know what happened with the wedding ring, you are wrong. The truth is more complicated.It required a bit of patience in the beginning but by the 30-50% mark, the story is riveting, because I enjoy introspective novels that delve into complicated relationships. The author writes beautifully with depth and nuance. She gets people, their inner lives,  and what makes them tick. It’s a book that makes one think, a book that begs to be discussed. The kind of book I love most. A picture  truly is worth a thousand words.  Picture a photo of the same people, taken years apart. The same people, yet not the same. They’ve been broken, damaged, and evolved. How they navigate the in-between years was a thoughtful exploration of complicated lives. One to ponder. I found the author’s first book, the Nest, an ok read, but loved this one. It made a terrific buddy read, as it’s one with a lot of issues and themes to discuss. It’s one both Marialyce and I enjoyed and recommend. * I received a free digital copy from NetGalley  and Edelweiss. * publication date 4/6/21 by Ecco

Good Company is the latest book written by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney. I read The Nest several years ago and enjoyed the author's character development and writing style. When I saw this was available for an early read, I wanted to get a copy, so I did... finished it this week and am glad it worked out. Overall, I prefer The Nest to this one, but it's still a well-written book I'd recommend.Flora and Julian have been married for almost twenty years, just as long as they've been best friends with David and Margot. While David is a doctor, the rest are actors; they've lived in NYC and LA for most of their lives, minus a few years in London. Flora and Julian have a high school daughter, Ruby, and shortly before her graduation party, a surprising revelation comes out about an incident that happened fifteen years earlier. It leads to several awkward moments, job changes, and questions about love, commitment, trust, and the future of their lives. What happened?One of the aspects I most enjoy about the author's writing is the POV changes throughout the book. Each chapter focuses on someone different, but the previous chapter builds the stage for the new character's voice. There are less than 10 characters, but it's a rising step situation where you need to read them in order to understand why the new character is important; in the beginning of the chapter, it's unclear. By the end, you have your aha moment. Transitions are seamless and flowing. All the characters are well developed. The plot, while not major, is enough to have something to hold on to with a curious hope.Where I struggled was the ending. After the big reveal and the subsequent impacts... you feel the drama and pain between characters. You watch as they slowly repair and rebuild. But in the end, things are left open-ended and casually addressed in terms of a wrap-up. I don't mind endings like this, but there must be something to learn from it. Instead, this felt like a very detailed excursion into a specific twenty-year period of four characters' lives, and then a cliff where you kinda just stop. I didn't need to know the full details of their future, but when someone lies to you or misleads you, and you don't really get a full circle ending on it in a book, it's disquieting. I wanted a comeuppance for someone, or at the very least, a sense of how to repair the future. Then again, life can be like that, so perhaps the author was simply commenting on reality.I'm glad I read it. I will continue to read more from the author, as the world-building is very strong, especially since both books focus on NYC for a big piece of the timeline. But if you want a closed-door type ending, this isn't the right one. Vague notions of next steps will be your final moment, and that can be in itself, an analytical way to leave a reader.

"Good Company" by Cynthia D'Aprix is a story of a marriage and a family.Flora's had been married for more than 20 years to Julian when she discovers his wedding ring hidden and sealed in an envelope. She remembers Julian telling her he lost this ring the summer their daughter Ruby was five. Why did Julian lie to Flora? Flora has always taken so much pride in her marriage to Julian. Now everything is in question. Are there other secrets Julian is keeping from her? What happened that summer so many years ago?I love how this story takes the reader through the entire marriage. It's a full circle encompassing everything with details and memories, some happy and some painful. The early financial struggles, the slow road to success and what happens after Flora finds Julian's wedding ring. It's a deep dive into their relationship, their careers, their close friendships and their family life with Ruby. Sweet, sweet Ruby! I listened to the audiobook narrated by the fabulous Marin Ireland. If you've ever listened to her voicing skills you will always be drawn to her skills as a narrator. I enjoyed this story of an invested marriage suddenly at risk and I recommend this book to other readers who enjoy walking alongside well-developed characters struggling through the messiness of what's most important in their lives.3.5 stars rounded up!

Cynthia D’Apix Sweeney, author of the wonderful novel, ‘The Nest’, unleashes a collision of universal forces: love, sex, marriage, parenting, friendships, ambition, jealousy, desire, infidelity, careers, social chronicles of turbulence, economic rivals and seductive pursuits, in “Good Company”.It’s a story about grownups and growing up...from New York to California. Page turning - women’s fiction - the story deals tenderly and honestly about adult life - shifting dynamics and tensions between two couples....and one daughter. Flora is a voice over actress. Her husband Julian started his own Theater Company called ‘The Good Company’.Margot plays a physician on a popular soap opera series. Her husband, David ‘is’ a physician (pediatric surgeon). The characters are all seriously real. When unexpected adversity descends upon Flora....she must navigate a discovered secret and betrayal.The fragility of marriage— complicated by friendships— and parenting is profoundly humane.....reflecting the unease that life can be....Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney imbues human flaws with generosity of spiritand observed intelligence. She’s a natural storyteller....but where ‘The Nest’ is more animated in scope—‘Good Company’ warrants a more quiet introspective contemplation. .....A moment of peaceful beauty....(a simple ‘excerpt’ I experience at my house, too): “When Flora walked outside into her yard, which always left her breathless....she loved the smell of “the bitter morning air perfumed with eucalyptus, saw the hummingbirds darting in and out of the flowering bougainvillea and the tiny yellow finches eating seeds from the wild rosemary”. Thank you Netgalley, Ecco, and Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

Spring is officially here! As we welcome much-anticipated warmer weather, I am excited to recommend the perfect book to take to the park and read outside. “Good Company” by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney is filled with charm, humor and grace. I was captivated by the way the author writes intimately about human connection including the ties between mothers and daughters, husbands and wives and friends.The story begins when 20 years into her happy marriage, Flora Mancini discovers an envelope containing the wedding ring her husband claimed to have lost years prior. Early in their marriage, Flora and Julian Mancini were struggling husband and wife artists living in Manhattan, making just enough to raise their daughter, Ruby, and keep Julian’s theater company afloat. The family's move to Los Angeles brings stability and success as they reconnect with their long-time friend turned Hollywood star, Margot. When Flora discovers Julian's ring, everything she thinks she knows about herself, her relationship with her husband and her best friend, Margot, is flipped upside down. Watching the characters continue to evolve and change, even late into adulthood, will feel very relatable for many. The book demonstrates how despite our best efforts, life can get in the way of the relationships we share with others.You may think you know what happens, but this is not a predictable read. It will be a very fun story to discuss. I can’t wait to hear what the book club thinks about Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s marvelous book.

I was wondering how Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney would follow up her excellent debut novel The Nest. I'm happy to say her sophomore effort is just as entertaining, but in a quieter, deeper and more absorbing way.While The Nest focused on an actual family, Good Company examines the kind of families you form through friendship and work; additionally, some of the book's characters are involved in the worlds of film and TV, where many of the passions, struggles and resentments in real families are played out in rehearsal or on set. The book's main character is Flora Mancini, a voice actor living in L.A. with her TV actor husband, Julian, and their gifted daughter, Ruby. On the day of Ruby's high school graduation, Flora stumbles upon Julian's wedding ring hidden in an envelope in an old filing cabinet. He had claimed to have lost it 13 years earlier. Why is it here? This symbol of commitment and fidelity leads her to think back on her life, and whether her marriage has been based on secrets and lies. As in The Nest, Sweeney offers up various third-person narrators, getting us deep into their psyches. Besides Flora, Julian and Ruby – who goes off on a trip to Spain with her boyfriend and his family right after graduation – we meet Margot, a famous actress from a nighttime medical drama (and Flora's best friend), and her husband, David, a former paediatric brain surgeon who had a stroke and is now working at a desk job in a medical clinic. With the big narrative questions planted firmly in the present – what happened to that ring, and who knew about it? – Sweeney expertly fills in the histories of everyone involved. The story of how David met Margot – and, by extension, Flora and Julian – is lovely, and I won't give away any details except to say it will charm anyone who's been to the Delacorte in Central Park. Gradually, we come to know and care about all of these characters, and others, even minor ones. There are no villains, just sometimes people acting on their impulses – which at times defy logic. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that there are many unresolved things at the end, but this felt true to life. Sweeney captures the energy and enthusiasm of off-Broadway rehearsals and fast-moving TV sets with telling, authentic details. (One especially hilarious scene features the makeup artist on Margot's TV show.)New York City and L.A. emerge as distinct settings, almost like characters themselves. And in some ways this book is about artistic fulfillment and people finding a sense of home and family in these contrasting cities. (The book's title refers to a small, independent New York City theatre company co-founded by Julian.) There's also a bucolic East Coast summer theatre that comes into precise focus.Despite the occasional cliché ("thick as thieves"), Sweeney's prose is evocative and swift-moving. There's a minor reference to a Virginia Woolf novel at one point, and at her best, Sweeney probes as deeply and as honestly into human behaviour as Woolf. I'm not exaggerating.I can't wait to see what she writes next.

I listened to the audiobook of Good Company by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney through Netgalley. It was read expertly by Marin Ireland and ran for 8 hours and 59 minutes. Good Company was character driven and the plot was told in alternating time lines. Part of the story was told in present time and part was told in the past. Good Company was a Read With Jenna book pick for the month of April. Flora and Julian had a good marriage. They were envied by many for their obvious love they easily displayed for each other through their body language and small gestures. They respected each other and were best friends as well as lovers. In the beginning of their marriage, they struggled financially. They were both actors and earning good salaries was difficult but they always made things work. They had one child, a daughter named Ruby. She was their light, their everything and they spoiled her even though they tried not to. Julian ran a small theater company with a partner called Good Company. As financial security became harder and harder to obtain, Flora and Julian were left with no choice but to move to Los Angles where more opportunities awaited them. In Los Angeles, both Flora and Julian finally found success in their careers. Their careers took off and they became more secure financially. They were also reunited with their long time friend, Margot, who had become a successful soap opera star. By this time, Flora and Julian had been happily married for over twenty years. On the morning of their daughter Ruby’s graduation from high school, Flora decided that she wanted to give Ruby a particular photograph for part of her graduation present. She would put the photo in a frame and give it to Ruby after her graduation ceremony. The photo represented a really happy time in all their lives. Unable to find the photo in all the places Flora thought she would find it in, Flora went to the garage to look for it. While rifling through a draw in the garage, Flora stumbled upon an envelope that not only held the photo but also contained Julian’s long lost wedding band that he had supposedly lost in the lake more than ten years ago. Flora was in disbelief. Julian had never lied to her or had he? Flora began to question her marriage and all she thought she knew about herself, her husband and her best friend, Margot. Would Flora’s marriage be able to survive what she was about to discover? What had really happened all those years ago and why did Julian think he had to lie to her? Would her friendship with Margot remain intact or would it suffer from the repercussions of this discovery, too?This was the first book that I have read by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney. It was about marriage, friendship, motherhood and secrets. The complicated bonds that existed between husbands and wives, friends, lovers, parents and children were explored. I enjoyed listening to Good Company and recommend it highly.Thank you to Harper Audio for allowing me to listen to this advanced copy of Good Company in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4 solid starsCharacter driven plots are something that I’m still acquiring a taste for. One thing I really appreciate about them is how you get an in-depth look at what makes each character tick. You learn these people inside and out and it’s all done in 300 pages - oh and there is a story that’s being told too! I think the psychology of books like this is what makes for a great book club discussion. In Good Company, Ms. Sweeney captures the nuances of the relationships between her characters beautifully. These are flawed people who are all struggling in one sense or another and demonstrates the reality of what people perceive life to be versus what it actually is. Each chapter and narrative switch, builds off of the events prior to it. Sometimes you don’t quite understand how they relate, but by the end of the chapter you do. That always kept me going because I was invested in the outcome of the singular event that tied everything together. Overall, it’s best to know what you’re going into with this one as to know if you would like it. I'm really glad to have read it and I look forward to Ms. Sweeney's next book!Thank you so much to Ashlyn Edwards at Ecco Books and the author for the gifted arc in exchange for an honest review!Review Date: 04/27/2021Publication Date: 04/06/2021

After more than a year of social distancing, who isn’t craving some good company?If that’s still a few months away for you, Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney has the next best thing: Her new novel, “Good Company,” is a story about the profound joy (and heartache) of family and friends. It’s an affecting reminder that no matter how comfortable and settled things feel, life is always about change — changing places, changing careers and even changing loyalties.Sweeney’s comic debut, "The Nest,” was a breakout success in 2016. To hilarious effect, it focuses on four siblings bickering over their late father’s trust fund. “Good Company” is a sweeter novel, gentler all around, though the stakes are higher than the disappointments of a few middle-aged leeches.Also, "The Nest,” is very much a novel about living in New York, while “Good Company” is about having left it behind for Los Angeles. Sweeney made the cross-country transition herself in 2009, so she knows how questioning that decision can remain a haunting compulsion. Her new characters — actors of various kinds who have moved to L.A. — are still judging their commercial productions in La La Land against artistic endeavors in the Big Apple. For most readers, though, “Good Company” will resonate as a story about those rare choices that define life by cleanly dividing it into. . . . To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...

Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date: April 6, 2021 After the success of “The Nest”, Cynthia D’Aprix-Sweeney returns with “Good Company”. Flora Mancini has a seemingly perfect life; with her handsome and talented actor husband, Julian, beautiful and intelligent daughter, Ruby, and a great relationship with her best friend, Margot, Flora feels blessed. But when she discovers her husband’s wedding ring in a well-hidden envelope (a wedding ring he claimed to have lost), she begins to question the stability of her relationship. When confronted, Julian admits to a life-altering event that happened years ago and what’s worse- Margot knew and didn’t say anything about it. Now, everything Flora thought she had is turned on its head, and she needs to decide what’s worth fighting for, and what needs to be let go. Sweeney has a way of writing character-driven, emotionally-charged family dramas (as was evident in “The Nest”). The plots aren’t full of action or gripping suspense (in fact, not a whole lot happens) , the characters and their interactions with each other form the entire plot of the novel. Yet “Company” is still able to draw a reader in, and pull at the heartstrings. Julian, Margot and Flora are all actors (on stage, screen and voiceover work respectively) , and their theatre troupe “Good Company” meets yearly at a piece of property in the country, where they direct and stage their own productions. The wild, creative souls that meet here add flavour to the background of the deeply-rooted emotional connection that our three protagonists share. The story is told from the perspective of Flora, primarily, with some Margot (and even a little bit of Ruby) thrown in. It takes place both in the past and the present, and although I see why Sweeney chose this method, I found it confusing, as the time frames did not stand out, and it took me a few pages to determine if I was reading about “now” or “then”. I loved the heartbreaking relationships that D’Aprix-Sweeney explores, and the life-changing consequences that can spurn from a single choice. Fans of “The Nest” will definitely connect with this novel, and even after only her second published novel, it definitely seems that Sweeney has found her niche.

QUICK TAKE: fair warning, I'm a bit biased as I am a huge fan of the author's previous book, THE NEST. And I love a good, messy family drama. And sure enough D'Aprix Sweeney delivers again with GOOD COMPANY, this time the story of a complicated marriage on the rocks when the wife discovers her husband's missing wedding ring, a sign that he might have strayed in the relationship at some point. The book is complex and soapy, with interesting characters and a story that kept me guessing where it was going. It does read a bit rarified and "white people problems", but ultimately I really enjoyed this one and recommend it to anyone who enjoyed THE NEST.

This is a novel about family, marriage, motherhood, friendship, secrets, and more. I loved the author’s previous novel (The Nest)and was looking forward to reading this one. The story dragged in some sections but overall was ok.

Ein gelungenes Familiendrama um Flora und Margot, die beide von Ihren Höhen und Tiefen berichten. Ich fand insbesondere die Charakterentwicklung von Flora und Margot gut, beide wurden sehr einfühlsam und detailliert dargestellt. Es geht um das Eheleben und wie Frauen in einer Ehe mit(oder ohne) Kind sich selbst finden können. Insgesamt ein spannendes und schönes Thema, leider fand ich den Anfang etwas zäh. Die erste Hälfte hätte kompakter und konzentrierter erzählt werden können, ab der Hälfte ging es dann bergauf. Das Ende hat mir auch besonders gut gefallen. Es waren Nuancen und Gesten, auf die die Geschichte eingegangen ist. Allein schon bei der Wahl des englischen Titels "Good Company" kann man schon sehen, dass die Geschichte auf verschiedenen Ebenen arbeitet. Die Geschichte hätte viel mehr sein können: Die Liebe zum Kind, die Freundschaft und Eifersucht zwischen Freunden fand ich wunderbar erzählt, aber leider gingen dann andere Dinge etwas unter. Zum Beispiel hätte Floras Wandel an Gefühlen noch intensiver erzählt werden können. Die Geschichte hat mich etwas an "Marriage Story" erinnert, wer solche Geschichten mag, ist hier genau richtig. Außerdem hat es mir Spaß gemacht über das Leben von Schauspielern und deren Problemen zu lesen. Das alles gibt es natürlich schon, aber trotzdem war es charmant erzählt. Ich gebe 3,5 Sterne aufgerundet auf 4.** Dieses Buch wurde mir über NetGalley als E-Book zur Verfügung gestellt **

I enjoyed this drama and I'm so glad I took the time to read it. I recommend grabbing a copy. its a fast read.