Psychological thrillers are not the normal genre that I lean towards, so when reading/reviewing these books, I try to keep an open mind. I'm a pretty easy to please reader, and this story did flow with a lot twists and turns. The book is engaging from the start - and I couldn't put it down once the main conflicts started to occur. It is a story of two best friends, and following the death of one of the husbands and the actions surrounding that following story. I did figure out the ending early one, but that didn't dissuade me from enjoying the book!

A very good book by "debut author" Margot Hunt (the pseudonym for a chick lit author who is branching into thriller/mysetery). It had enough twists and turns to keep me reading, and the ending was a surprise.

Do you have a best friend? Do you tell them EVERYTHING? Do you always tell them the truth? Kat and Alice have been best friends for a few years and when a police officer ends up on the front door or Alice's home, she is left wondering if she really knew all that went on with her best friend Kat.

I absolutely adored this book. It was the perfect mixture of mystery/thriller and women's fiction. The plot worked so well and the book was put together so well, I loved how it switched back from the current investigation to the past where the relationship was coming together. And the characters. I don't want to give too much away, but the way they developed and the journey they went on was amazing. It just did everything right!

This was my first Margot Hunt read and because of how much I loved this one, it will most definitely not be my last! If you are hesitant to read the mystery/thriller genre, I would challenge you to read this one, it had just the right amount of eeriness mixed with great plot and characters.

Characters were a little hard to like, but the mystery was well worth it. Keep reading for the twist at the end.

Whoa! What an ending!!!

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER by MARGOT HUNT is an intriguing, enjoyable, fast-paced, and intense psychological thriller that had me totally engaged and interested right from the very first page. I was totally immersed in this tale about the relationship between two best friends and the suspicious death of one of their husbands. I had fun trying to figure out what was going on here with what was real and what wasn't with their friendship.

MARGOT HUNT delivers a well-written, suspenseful, and interesting story here with some surprising twists and turns along the way to make this quite the exciting book to read. The story is told solely from Alice's point of view which flips back and forth between the present and three years prior when she first meets her best friend, Kat.

To sum it all up it was an entertaining, enjoyable, quick and easy read that was extremely hard to put down with an ending that will surprise you! Would recommend!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Margot Hunt for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

Whew. This book was a thrill ride from start to finish. It sort of reminded me of an episode of "Real Housewives," but with murder and mayhem in addition to the cocktails and catfights.

The book opens in the middle of the action and explains things as the story progresses: Alice is making breakfast when the police arrive to question her about the recent death of her best friend's husband. Apparently, they don't believe it was just a drunken accident - and with Kat MIA, Alice is left wondering how well she really new her glamorous, but perhaps manipulative, bestie.

I really enjoyed this one. It has all the makings of a great escapist read: mystery, sex, money! Oh my! And it has a great sense of foreboding that really grows throughout the book- as things become clear, the tension really grows and explodes. There's enough twists and turns that kept me guessing that I didn't put all the pieces together until it was revealed. There were also some scenes/scenarios I did not see coming that really shocked me.

And the ending is quite a little explosion of revelations. I really didn't see all that coming. That's about all I can say without giving anything away.

I really would like to see these characters again in the future, possibly. Or maybe a prequel or something that gives us more of a look into their world. I would definitely be open to reading more about these people - I was totally sucked into their world and I want more!

I am also excited to see more from this author in the future, no matter the characters. I'm sure there's more stories brewing that will keep us entertained for a long time!

Best Friend Forever is an intriguing psychological thriller that will keep you hooked from beginning to end. The characters are complex and there's a toxic friendship at the center of the plot. The story is filled with twists and turns, leaving readers guessing until the very end. I look forward to reading more from Margot Hunt in the future. Highly recommended to readers of psychological thrillers.

Opening with a scene of contemporary domestic life, we are introduced to Alice Campbell before we ever meet Kat, wife of the deceased, and that’s appropriate, because most of this novel is from Alice’s point of view.

I really liked Alice’s internal commentary, the way she kept biting back her initial responses (something she learned from a marriage counselor) but more than that, I liked that even though she didn’t always like the choices she’d made during her life, she owned them.

Overall, this novel was a really satisfying read. I liked that the two female protagonists, Alice and Kat, were both mature adults with families, not wide-eyed ingenues, or still-naive newlyweds. I liked that their friendship was formed organically – a chance meeting – rather than in a PTA.

As to the story, Margot Hunt’s style kept me interested from the first page to the end, and she truly surprised me with a couple of her plot twists. Her voice is contemporary and fresh, very readable, and her descriptions are cinematic. I could totally see Best Friends Forever as a Lifetime movie (though I’d rather see it as a Starz limited series.)

Interesting, truthful characters, not just Alice and Kat, but also Alice’s husband Todd, and the two investigating officers, really grounded this novel in reality, while the tightly-woven plot really sang.

When I read the blurb to this book I knew I was going to love it and I’m rarely wrong but this is one time I was wrong.

I had a really hard time connecting with Alice and Kat. I couldn’t find myself liking either characters. The plot had a lot of promise but it fell flat for me. I made it to the 30% mark and I had to DNF it. I wanted to love this book and maybe I would have on a different day. I’m going to table it for now and go back to it later. I’m hoping I just wasn’t in the right mindset to read it.

If you’re looking for a super fun, engaging thriller that’s on the lighter side with no graphic descriptions and gruesome murders, Best Friends Forever is the book for you! It was a fast read that kept me totally interested and while I predicted a few things, there were enough surprises that I was left satisfied.

This is told solely from Alice’s point of view and it goes back and forth between the present day and three years prior when she first meets her BFF, Kat. The two have an unlikely friendship, Kat is wealthy and glamorous while Alice is an average stay at Mom and wife, but they both need a friend and bond over typical marriages woes. I liked Alice, I had the most in common with her and felt like she would be the type of woman I would befriend.

This had an easy, Chick Lit vibe with an edge, it’s still very much a thriller but Hunt’s writing style was just so effortless that reading it was a breeze. I said earlier that I had sussed out parts of the resolution but not every last detail and the stuff I didn’t see coming? Fantastic and really chilling, it definitely gave the book an edge for me. This would be the perfect book to take on vacation, ideal for a weekend read!

Best Friends Forever in three words: Entertaining, Fluid and Sly.

Favorite Quotes:

Kat wasn’t just wealthy. She came from capital-M Money.

She never eats. She lives on a diet of wine and bitterness…

No one liked Howard… Not to speak ill of the dead, but he was an asshole. If everyone who thought he was an asshole was a suspect, they’d have an overly large number of people to consider.

If insanity was a side effect of Botox, every Floridian over the age of forty would be nuts.

My Review:

I was captivated by this gripping story and was totally unprepared for the chilling and gasp-worthy ending. The writing was superb and cunningly clever - quickly setting an intense and thrumming sense of intrigue while constantly pricking at my curiosity and luring me in with enticing characters, expert storytelling, and a perplexing mystery. I was beguiled yet not fully trusting of the lovely and vivacious Kat. The storyline was brilliantly crafted and sharply honed and kept me riveted to my Kindle through all the twists and turns. I had speculated and cast out various theories but would never have anticipated or come close to Ms. Hunt’s ingenious plotting. She has mad skills and my utmost respect, although she also scares me a little…

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

When I saw this on Netgalley, I immediately requested it. It just sounded so good. And the opening- I loved it.

Alice is a logical person- she does not let passion, emotions and all that jazz get in her way. She writes logic books for crying out loud!

Kat, on the other hand, is the friend who has it all on a silver platter. She’s smart, beautiful and happy in her life- except for her marriage.

These 2 become friends- unlikely friends at first, but soon grow close and the kind of friends that you can tell anything to. Until Howard dies and the friendship changes.

What I liked:

I reallllllllllly liked how Margot Hunt set the story up.

I loved the cover.

And the ending. Because when it’s all revealed- it makes sense.



What I didn’t love:

Honestly- Kat and Alice. I didn’t hate them, but I never found myself rooting for one or the other and I REALLLLLLY wanted to strangle Alice- when your friend stops talking to you, all of a sudden, after her husband dies- logically, she may be grieving- BUT step carefully, dear lady- because I would take those odds to Vegas that she’s setting you up.



Bottom line: Enjoyable. Worth reading. A great vacation book!



*This book was sent to Traveling With T by MIRA Books. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*



Happy Reading and Bookishly Yours,

T @ Traveling With T

Alice Campbell and Katherine "Kat" Grant met three years ago at JFK airport on their way back to Florida after the holidays. A chance meeting due to a delayed flight became a life-line friendship for both women. Kat is unhappily married to Howard, a man that she admits routinely cheats on her, is reportedly an alcoholic, and has at times physically abused her but she refuses to divorce him because she has all the money and there was no prenuptial agreement. Kat also thinks she will be seen as the poor, battered divorcee in the wealthy circles she mixes in and she simply can't have that be the image of her in people's minds, so she stays unhappy. Alice is dealing with a different set of issues, namely monetary. Her family was uprooted from Miami and moved off of Palm Beach for her husband's job, but the promised promotions never came nor did the raises. Things might not be so bad if their credit cards weren't maxed out, if they weren't behind on their mortgage payment, behind on their children's private school tuition, and her husband hadn't lost his job -- their sole income. Alice has never seen Kat as a "cash cow" and has never asked her for money, but when she's told her children will be expelled from their school if their tuition isn't paid the next day she doesn't know what to do. Thankfully, Kat offers to pay the tuition and doesn't think twice about it. Or does she...because not soon after that she approaches Alice with a request that most people would consider horrifying? Soon after that Howard winds up dead, Kat is safely alibied by being out of the country, and Alice is arrested for his murder. Alice has clear logical answers for everything that happened but even she's beginning to wonder if she really knew what was going on between Kat and Howard? Is it possible we can ever really know another person? Can we truly tell when we are being manipulated and lied to? Is Kat lying to and about Alice or is Alice lying to and about Kat?

Best Friends Forever is a taut psychological suspense thriller and one that I found to be a rather fast-paced read. I enjoyed the way Ms. Hunt presented the contemporary storyline and then went back in time to present the past building up to the present. That helped to build the tension between not only Alice and Kat, but between Alice and her husband Todd, and Kat and everyone else. By the time I was halfway through the story I began to realize neither Alice nor Kat were wholly reliable narrators and that provided this reader with a dilemma because the story is being told primarily from Alice's perspective. Alice comes across as a somewhat disgruntled stay-at-home mom trying to do anything she can for her family (true to a certain extent). Kat comes across as somewhat manipulative and a needy (also true to a certain extent). As we learn more about each character the author provides little clues that help the reader fine-tune their presumptions about each person. Best Friends Forever is a story about friendship, but it is also a story about being realistic in that we can never truly know another person. We know people by what they say, what they reveal in their actions, and by our assumptions, but these can all be tainted and manipulated if the person is highly skilled. So in this story someone dies and yes, it's revealed that is a murder. The questions become who did it and why. And no I will not be telling you the answers to either of those questions, read the book to find out for yourself!

In Best Friends Forever, Alice is taken in for questioning about the suspicious death of her best friend's husband. The police think it may have been a homicide and suspect Alice or Kat know what really happened. This was supposed to be a thriller, but in the end it was just an OK read for me.

The book is quick read, but it still felt like it kind of dragged in places. The story goes between the present and scenes during the three years of friendship between Alice and Kat. I never really warmed up to Alice and she never struck me as a reliable narrator. I didn't get the sense that she was truly upset over the whole ordeal. Even when she finds out some truths about Kat, she wasn't very mad. There are a couple of twists. The main one I saw coming a mile away, but the other one did take me by surprise. So, that is one thing I did end up liking about the book. It's not a bad read, it is well written. It's just wasn't the thriller I was expecting.

I received a free ecopy of this book from #Netgalley and Harlequin Books. I really enjoyed this book. I thought I knew how the book would end but it took a giant turn in the last chapter. Great job by the author. Alice and Kat become best friends after meeting by chance waiting for a plane. Alice is a stay at home mother of modest means. She was a professor of math before having her children and now she has become an author of logic books for children. Kat on the other hand is rich, very rich. She is the daughter of a wealthy home developer and she runs an art gallery. Both women have some marital difficulties. They become very close - telling each other everything. Or so Alice thinks. The book begins with the police coming to Alice’s door to question her about the death of Kat’s husband. Alice soon becomes the prime suspect in the death as it is now being classified as a murder. The book is told in the present and going back and forth to when their friendship began and moving forward. The style of the book worked well. You could really get a good sense of the characters. This book kept me engaged the whole time. Looking forward to more by this author.

What a great read that was so hard to put down!! I was hooked immediately into the story. From the book description I knew there was more to the story that what it seemed, but I still didn't see the ending coming. I remember looking at the number of pages left and wondering how things were going to wrap up, and then, wow! I spent the whole book trying to figure out who the killer was and the ending totally surprised me. The writing style was fantastic--I liked how the author wove elements from the past into the story to help you learn more about Alice and Kat's relationship.

I've really gotten into psychological thrillers lately and this one did not disappoint! And of course, that COVER! Best Friends forever is a perfect read to devour while drinking a glass of wine (my pick is an Oregon pinot noir). You won't be able to stop reading this one!

I have been on a roll with the psychological murder mysteries lately. They seem to be checking off everything on my reading list. This one was no exception.

Alice meets Kat at an airport while she is tired and struggling with her two kids. They strike up an instant friendship and Alice is swept into the big moneyed world of Kat. Kat is very unhappy with her husband. And then one day, he seems to have fallen off the balcony. Kat was out of town and suddenly Alice is a suspect. Does Alice really know the real Kat?

As we read about Alice’s interrogation, she flashes back to all the time with Kat leading up to the murder. It was interesting to see the manipulation because it is all there in black and white. It moves at a very fast pace which was really an asset to the story. I felt like it all happened so fast anyway that it worked perfectly. Alice is a very interesting character, you think you have her figured out. She was a true friend to Kat. But this book definitely answered a question of “how well do you know your best friend”. And then there was the little one two punch at the end. I have to say I have enjoyed all the books lately that have that little afterthought that sticks in your head for days. This is one of them.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Harlequin Mira and this review is simply my own humble opinion.

Alice and Kat are the best of friends, even despite their differences - Alice is a struggling stay at home mom, and Kat is an extremely wealthy socialite. Alice thinks nothing can shake their friendship, until one night when Kat's husband Howard falls to his death from the second floor balcony of the home he shares with Kat. 

Howard was an alcoholic, and all around jerk. Alice has never been a fan of his, especially when Kat confides in her regarding their marital problems, so she's not devastated to hear that he drunkenly fell off of a balcony. What initially looks like an open and shut case quickly turns south when a witness claims they saw Howard pushed off of the balcony. Investigators soon start looking at Alice, and Kat has done dark - no calls, no texts, and Kat's family tells Alice to stay away. What really happened to Howard, and who was behind it all? 

After reading the premise for Best Friends Forever, I knew I had to read it! This domestic thriller had it all - friendship, secrets, lies, and betrayal, and I ate it up! The book begins in the present day, shortly after Alice finds out about the death of Howard, and then alternates chapters between the past and present, so the reader witnesses the development of Alice and Kat's friendship from day one, which I loved. 

I also really enjoyed that we saw the struggles of Alice's marriage, especially as her friendship with Kat developed. Being friends with someone so rich and glamorous is intoxicating, and Alice's husband doesn't like how she's changed over the course of her friendship with Kat. This domestic thriller does a great job at capturing the ups and downs of marriage as well as the intricacies of friendship and secrets.

I had my suspicions early on about how the book would end, and I was correct, but there was one twist that I didn't see coming which left me with my mouth hanging open at the end of the book, and I love it when that happens! Despite the plot not being the most original for those who read tons and tons of thrillers, the book was engrossing and entertaining, and I read it in a matter of a few hours, and didn't want to put it down! There was actually a point where I was walking around my apartment with my nose in the book and ended up stepping on my cat's tail because I was so focused! (My cat is okay, don't worry!) 

If you're looking for a domestic thriller that will grip you from page one, this will be a great choice for you! Fans of books that feature ongoing investigations where a character is trying to prove their innocence, such as Dangerous Girls, will love this one! I rated this one 5 stars, and highly recommend it! I'd like to thank Netgalley, Margot Hunt, and MIRA for an advanced copy of the book. It was my pleasure to provide an honest review.

"You can tell me anything, " she said.  "You and I will always keep each other's secrets safe."
Alice ~

Average stay-at-home mom of two
Lives in Jupiter Florida
Not "unhappily" married to architect, Tom
Struggles financially
Her kids mean everything to her
Meets Kat in airport ~ instant BFF's
Kat ~

Owns an Art Gallery
Also lives in Jupiter Florida
Father is a million dollar construction business owner
Unhappily married to Howard
Howard ~ not biological father of daughter
Gets her way no matter what
For three years after meeting in an airport while their flight was delayed, Kat and Alice became instant friends!  Kat buys Alice a martini, maybe two, they talk extensively about their lives, and hit it off immediately. One day while preparing breakfast for her children, she hears a knock at the door.  She quickly learns that it isn't a social call! The police are standing in her doorway demanding that Alice come to the station to answer questions about the suspicious death of Kat's husband, Howard!

"Because, it was the truth," I said.  "And once you're caught telling a lie, no one will completely believe anything you say ever again."

Over the years, Kat and Alice confide in each other about many things; money, marriage, future, desires...After learning that Kat's husband is an unfaithful drunken jerk, Alice is insistent she leave him. But Kat tells her over and over again...if she leaves him, he will get half of her fortune! (not going to happen)  So, the questions is...did Howard die accidentally? It seems that Howard was not the most liked person and you didn't have to look hard to see who had a motive!

"I wish he'd just die," she said through clenched teeth.  "That would solve everything."

And..what is up with Kat completely ignoring Alice after her husband's death? Didn't all of those years of friendship and secrets passed between BFF's mean anything? Alice is starting to wonder if Kat is really who she claims to be?

"I see people," she finally said.  "I see them for who they truly are.  It's my one true gift in life.  Although, to be honest, sometimes it feels more like a curse.  I have to admit, you weren't the easiest person to read.  Not at first."

Serious fans of authors like Louise Jensen, K.L. Slater, Karin Slaughter, Hollie Overton, B.A. Paris, Alice Feeney, Laura Marshall, Ruth Ware, and Mary Kubica (only to name a few) will ABSOLUTELY need to put Margot Hunt at the top of your list of authors to read and follow!

"You can tell me anything, " she said.  "You and I will always keep each other's secrets safe."
Alice ~
Average stay-at-home mom of two
Lives in Jupiter Florida
Not "unhappily" married to architect, Tom
Struggles financially
Her kids mean everything to her
Meets Kat in airport ~ instant BFF's
Kat ~
Owns an Art Gallery
Also lives in Jupiter Florida
Father is a million dollar construction business owner
Unhappily married to Howard
Howard ~ not biological father of daughter
Gets her way no matter what
For three years after meeting in an airport while their flight was delayed, Kat and Alice became instant friends!  Kat buys Alice a martini, maybe two, they talk extensively about their lives, and hit it off immediately. One day while preparing breakfast for her children, she hears a knock at the door.  She quickly learns that it isn't a social call! The police are standing in her doorway demanding that Alice come to the station to answer questions about the suspicious death of Kat's husband, Howard!
"Because, it was the truth," I said.  "And once you're caught telling a lie, no one will completely believe anything you say ever again."
Over the years, Kat and Alice confide in each other about many things; money, marriage, future, desires...After learning that Kat's husband is an unfaithful drunken jerk, Alice is insistent she leave him. But Kat tells her over and over again...if she leaves him, he will get half of her fortune! (not going to happen)  So, the questions is...did Howard die accidentally? It seems that Howard was not the most liked person and you didn't have to look hard to see who had a motive!
"I wish he'd just die," she said through clenched teeth.  "That would solve everything."
And..what is up with Kat completely ignoring Alice after her husband's death? Didn't all of those years of friendship and secrets passed between BFF's mean anything? Alice is starting to wonder if Kat is really who she claims to be?
"I see people," she finally said.  "I see them for who they truly are.  It's my one true gift in life.  Although, to be honest, sometimes it feels more like a curse.  I have to admit, you weren't the easiest person to read.  Not at first."
Serious fans of authors like Louise Jensen, K.L. Slater, Karin Slaughter, Hollie Overton, B.A. Paris, Alice Feeney, Laura Marshall, Ruth Ware, and Mary Kubica (only to name a few) will ABSOLUTELY need to put Margot Hunt at the top of your list of authors to read and follow!
Follow Margot Hunt on Twitter
Buy Best Friends Forever