With Friends Like These

May 24, 2010
Koslow (The Late, Lamented Molly Marx) lifts a potentially trite story of friendship to a knowing, sharp-edged chronicle of ambition and acceptance that's smart, raw, and achingly real. Chloe, married to a Wall Street striver, and Talia, hitched to a teacher with a trust fund, share a copy-writing job while raising preschool boys. Ambition drives them apart, and devotion to each other, to their kids, to their less-than-perfect husbands—brings them back. Quincy and Jules, the childless women in the quadrangle of friends, are the cool ones until New York real estate comes between them. These imperious women are a handful by themselves, but a solid cast of husbands and lovers hold their own: Arthur, the oddball middle-aged lothario who adores Jules; Tom, the trust-fund scion who prefers to remain safely ensconced in an educational ivory tower while letting Talia get down and dirty in the real world; Xander, the ruthless hedge fund hotshot married to beautiful but insecure Chloe; and Jake, the anchor of Quincy's stormy life. Koslow packs a trove of wit and wisdom into a slick pink package.

October 25, 2010
Koslow's novel—a pleasant if unremarkable story of four friends navigating marriage, careers, and friendship—is elevated by Amanda Ronconi's witty and engaging performance. Ronconi differentiates all the characters, including husbands, children, and relatives; it's always immediately obvious who is speaking, and her highly entertaining narration alone is worth the price of admission. Best of all is her take on sarcastic Staten Islander Jules, whose sharp dialogue combined with Ronconi's perfect timing and delivery is worthy of a standup comedy routine. Also memorable is the voicing of Talia's mother: she's described in the text as having a "Zsa Zsa Gabor accent," and Ronconi delivers. This is a perfect example of how a sparkling audiobook performance can enhance humdrum material. A Ballantine hardcover (Reviews, May 24).