Friends with Secrets

A Novel

By: Christine Gunderson

Narrated by: Sarah Naughton, Andi Arndt

In a funny and suspenseful debut, Christine Gunderson explores the myth of the perfect mother, the bonds of female friendship, and the haunting impact of secrets.

What you see isn’t always what you get.

Take Ainsley. The gorgeous mother of two lives a picture-perfect life with her husband, Ben—aspiring politician and heir to a candy fortune—in suburban Washington, DC. But in reality, Ainsley has no idea what she’s doing and is terrified someone will figure out who she really is and where she came from.

Nikki’s fighting to keep afloat as a stay-at-home mother of four, subsisting on chicken nuggets and very little sleep. She’s a mess on the outside, and inside yearns for the validation—and the paycheck—of the television news career she left behind.

When a dangerous figure from Ainsley’s past becomes a coach at her kids’ school, she fears the worst and confides in Nikki, spilling every detail of her former life.

Together, they devise a plan to expose the coach and safeguard their kids. But can they protect their own lives—and their new friendship—in the process?

©2024 by Christine Gunderson. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“With a particularly impressive blending of humor and suspense…effectively [showcasing] author Christine Gunderson’s natural and distinctive storytelling style that has created an original and fun read from cover to cover.” —Midwest Book Review

“Funny and poignant, Friends with Secrets is a feel-good book about balancing motherhood, friendship, and career.”—Liz Talley, USA Today bestselling author of Deconstructed

“Friends with Secrets is a sparkling debut novel about an unlikely friendship between two mothers who are just trying to make it through the day. A thoroughly enjoyable read full of voice and humor and a suspenseful storyline that makes it impossible to put down. Be prepared for a book hangover. Totally worth it.”—Sharon M. Peterson, author of The Do-Over

Intriguing plus likable characters!

This was an interesting multilayered story but ultimately it’s about the unlikely friendship that slowly develops between two different but fierce women. I liked how after meeting Ainsley and Nicky slowly allowed their defenses to drop and realize they wanted and needed to trust each other. A bit heavy content but also good humor. Ben & Josh are perfect spouses for these women. Anytime an author can incorporate small children humor it’s a win for the story.

Narration was really good. Each provided a unique voice and nuances to really convey their character’s story.

Loved the different points of view

Love the different people and forever friends. I can so relate to the disorganized mother, where things are all from the hip

Excellent story!

Really enjoyed the characters and the story. Kept me engaged right to the end! Truly a gem on audible

Was easy to listen to

This was a fun book, had humor, mystery and friendships. It kept my interest the whole time which is hard

interesting, relatively clean, and a unique storyline

I appreciated the engaging story without all of the foul language and graphic sceens that can be so common in these kind of novels.

Surprisingly Good!

This book had more going for it than I initially expected it would. It was a good story, well paced, with well developed characters. There were several parts there that were so almost slapstick funny, and this raised my opinion even higher!!

I can easily see a sequel to this initial book, even a series with these two women working as a team, as they worked so well together in this first book, with great chemistry between them!!
A good choice!! 👍🏼 ☺️

I liked the alternating characters focused on in alternating chapters.

fast paced.Suspense throughout. I recommend this for all mystery lovers. I couldn't wait to listen to more of it on my daily walks.

This was such a good book!

Ainsley and Nikki are different but have so much in common and were a hoot. I was upset at Ainsley for not telling her husband from the beginning about her past. Had that happened, though, there wouldn't have been much of a book. Also, I enjoyed how their friendship came together. They were exactly what each other needed.

Don’t want it to end!!

I loved everything about this book!! The characters, the story, the narration. The only thing that I did not like was that it had to end. I feel like this could be a great series of books. Give us more of Nikki and Ainsley!!

What a great surprise! And it was free with KU

Very well written, funny, great characters. I'm not a mother and could care less about kids, but the way Gunderson wrote Nikki, it was touching, funny, interesting, etc. Also a great exploration of female friendship with women ostensibly from two different socioeconomic groups. The mystery, for me, was the backdrop to a story about relationships. And fantastic audio performances.