She Treads Softly: The Toxic Friend

Saturday, May 30, 2026

The Toxic Friend

The Toxic Friend by Nicole Trope
6/26/26; 286 pages
Bookouture

The Toxic Friend by Nicole Trope is a recommended psychological thriller. To enjoy, know you will have to set all disbelief and doubts aside and just go with the action/story line. Trope is known for churning out a high volume of fast-paced, entertaining popcorn thrillers with soapy plots full of secrets that will hold your attention to the end.

Victoria, married to Ed, and Reese, married to Nick, have been best friends for over 20 years, experiencing many ups and downs along the way. Camilla used to be a third member of their friend group, but they all had a falling out many years ago. Now Victoria and Reese have both individually received a text from Camilla threatening to expose their big lie. Apparently pictures are also being taken of the two and their families. What is the big secret, the lie from years ago and why would it matter so many years later?

The narrative has an uneven pace at the beginning and the plot unfolds through the point-of-view of all three women and chapters are presented from in both the present and the past. The present chapter show what is happening now to Victoria and Reese, both is their family lives and through Camilla. Past chapters tell the background of the three women, along with their interpersonal interactions and struggles. It is clear that they have a history but have come to some taciturn agreement to forget the past. Remember to keep setting that disbelief aside.

The pages move quickly and the page count is low, so this is a fast read, however, it wasn't a favorite for me. It felt a little too formulaic for most of the novel until the big twists hit later. Parts were also too predictable. Additionally, at least four character have green or hazel eyes. Come on already. As someone with green eyes, they aren't that common.

The Toxic Friend is a good choice if you are looking for a quick popcorn thriller. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.