There are two types of people in this world. Those that cut corners or cheat to achieve a goal and those that don’t consider it a win unless they do it honestly. If you say you are going to run a marathon but you cut thru a park but still cross the finish line and they take your picture and give you a medal... is that a win? Some definitely feel that the end justifies the process and that’s where Lila Bennett comes in. The book sets you up to really admire and like her but then gradually reveals she is a very flawed person. She’s made decisions that hurt others but gets her the results she wanted. Some, as in my example above, will admire her for her end game but others will struggle and wonder if it’s all worth it. Another exceptional book by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke. I was so intrigued by admiring Lila and then struggling with her character. She has an incredibly tough job... defending people who may or may not have committed horrible crimes. Is it possible to change if that’s how you have lived your whole life? I love that you are left to make your own decisions on her. Very thought provoking story and I highly recommend it. #netgalley #lakeunion

A fun thriller that kept me on my toes for the majority of the book. This story is told in two concurrent story lines, as if Lila Bennetts' life has split in two. Both story lines kept me engaged and guessing, and it took me awhile to feel confident about who the villain was in this one. I also liked the progression of the characters and their depth as the story progressed.

The Two Lila Bennetts is exactly what it say...one woman two choices. When Lila, a ruthless defense attorney, is taken hostage by someone who knows about every poor decision in her life, she is forced to face her past. Otherwise, she will be killed. In an alternate life, she is able to escape her captor, but is still being forced to face her indiscretions by someone who is exposing her piece by piece. Lila isn’t sure who is behind any of this, it could be the number of enemies she’s made in court, her best friend, her husband, a past stalker, or anyone she has wronged in her life...the list is endless.

No matter which scenario she is in, captor or escapee, her life as she knew it is over. With all her secrets exposed, there is no way to go back to the way it used to be. Two choices, one outcome, although one is more different than the other.

I absolutely loved this book. I am usually not a fan when a book is written as two different scenarios with one situation, but this was done so well, I truly enjoyed it. I have to admit, I hated the character of Lila Bennett, she was selfish, manipulative, and she had hurt so many people in her life I couldn’t really blame whoever was behind all of this. At any point, I thought I had it all figured out...I KNEW who was doing this to her. Boy was I wrong! The ending will shock you, the person behind it and the outcome of each scenario are so well done. Kudos to Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke! I almost wonder if each author wrote was responsible for writing each scenario...a great question for the authors! This was not my first rodeo with Ms Fenton and Ms Steinke and certainly won’t be my last!

I would Iike to thank Netgalley, the authors and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced reader copy if this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Life can change in an instant, Lila. One decision, one wrong turn. One decision. One wrong turn. One missed opportunity. That's all it takes. And everything could be gone. So cherish it while you still can.” - Carrie, to Lila.

Lila is a successful defense attorney. She has a loving husband and a best friend, Carrie. She has money in the bank. And she is sleeping with her best friend’s husband. But Lila is at crossroads in her life. There's the Lila that loves her life the job and the money. There is another part of Lila who knows what she must change or lose what is important to her. These two “Lilas” are at odds with each other. There are two plots in this book. One is where Lila is kidnapped by an unknown person. While held captive, Lila is forced to address and atone for her past mistakes. It seems that Lila made a lot of bad decisions in her life, and hurt people. The story of Lila in captivity alternates with the story of Lila Free. In the Lila Free story, Lila is not in captivity, but Lila reflects on her life and the decisions she has made. In both plots, Lila reflects on her life and the decisions she made over the years. Lila eventually comes to her conclusions about the choices she has made. As Lila reflects on her life and her decision, a shift within Lila occurs.

Ultimately both plots collide for a dramatic ending.

This was a cleverly told story. Told from Lila’s point of view, so the reader gets to to understand her. She became more likable, despite her lies and mistakes. This was a clever book about atoning for mistakes and finding what you want in life. I think most readers will relate to Lila on some level.

I’m not quite sure what to make of this book. Lila Bennet, a cutthroat attorney and rising star in a criminal defense firm whose motto is, in essence, “guilty or not, we get ‘em off!”, married but having an affair with the firm’s senior partner, has just achieved yet another victory in the courtroom.

Suddenly she either enters a parallel universe in which she is kidnapped and held captive for no discernible reason, or suffers a psychotic break after realizing that the last guilty party she successfully defended was indeed guilty, and is derailed by the ravings of the sadly dead’s family members, who rail at her unmercifully.

How this all resolves is not for me to say lest I reveal spoilers. I’m a fan of these authors, but I can’t really say I’m a fan of the literary devices they employ to tell this particular tale. Nonetheless, there are important lessons here - when you allow your ego to define who you are, you can expect unpleasant things to happen to you.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

I’ve been on a thriller/suspense kick lately and have read some excellent books. The Two Lila Bennetts holds its weight in this genre. It kept me engaged and guessing throughout.

Not only did I love the story, but I loved the dual narrative/scenario. It was unique and made the story even more interesting.

Thank you to the authors for the eARC review copy.

Lila Bennett has lived a race up the career ladder life until now. Life as she knows it is about to implode and completely change. Dueling timelines has split her her life in two. In one life, she’s taken hostage, forced by her captor to face her inner demons and life choices. The other, she’s free and on her own to face the consequences on her own no matter what the cost. Intrigued? You should be. While the synopsis sounds like it may be confusing, it’s not, in fact it is brilliantly written and Liz & Lisa’s writing flows perfectly between timelines and kept me hostage until the very end. Loved it!!!

Thanks to Netgalley I was given this ARC to read for an honest review. I have read other books by Liz Fenton and must admit I was not disappointed. I have read many books that switch back and forth from present to past, but never following two stories of the same person at the same time.

We learn about Lila Bennett, the powerful defense attorney who stops at nothing to get her client free. But at what price? The book follows her through two different outcomes...one where she is captured and held for her mistakes; the other where she goes on with her life but comes to the realization not all is ok with her life.

So we follow back and forth her two alternate lives and come to an ending that will ... what? Well, you have to just read it and find out the secrets....place it on your TBR list for July 23, 2019 - you won't be disappointed.

Liz and Lisa have another winner with The Two Lila Bennetts. They have mastered the genre they moved into and Lila will keep you wanting more - just like their first thriller novel The Good Widow did.

Word of advise: make sure you have your calendar cleared, because The Two Lila Bennetts will keep you engulfed in the dual story (think sliding doors) long after the last word is read. Liz and Lisa will keep you guessing until the very end.

I cannot wait until more of my friends get their hands on this so I can talk to someone about this!!!!

Liz and Lisa hit it out of the park again! The Two Lila Bennetts pulls the reader in from the first page. Told alternating between two scenarios, we follow Lila Bennett as her life, one bad decision after another, unravels.

Like the skill of a Sushi Chef Artisan, this one is sliced to perfection with dueling scenarios.

The Two Lila Bennetts has been crafted by the talented writing duo of Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke. Once again, it's a literary collaboration with just the right amount of twists and turns. The authors themselves refer to a sliding door concept. Do you get on the train just before the doors slam shut? Or do you stand on the platform and decide to take a cab instead? The outcome of your life can be changed forever.

We meet Lila Bennett, a successfully ambitious criminal attorney in Los Angeles. Our gal LIla is certainly not the poster child for compassionate behavior. She's got a selfish streak a mile long. Her initials should have been M.E.. Lila is married to Ethan, a once successful novelist, who has had nothing but writer's block and depression since his one and only hit several years ago. Lila isn't one to hold hands. Lila builds relationships where there shouldn't be brick and mortar.

Back to those sliding doors..........

Fenton and Steinke have us turning a page to find Lila on the stone floor of a dark and damp room. Her hands and feet are tied tightly. No one hears her cries for help. But a masked stranger enters and tells Lila that she is being kept for a reason. Miserable and terrified, Lila's legal negotiations don't seem to be working here. These chapters will be entitled "Captured".

The flip side to this will be chapters entitled "Free" where Lila is able to go about her usual routine in life. And these "sliding doors" will be the highlight of this storyline. Are there lessons to be learned here for a wayward life? Will there be a touch of a Charles Dickens Christmas Carol triumph in buying "the fatted goose in the shop window" on Christmas morning? Or will Lila be weighed down into oblivion by her constant lies and deceitfulness? Someone may not have a good outcome.

The Two Lila Bennetts is quite the read in the hands of these creative authors. Just the ticket for a perk for your summer reading.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke for the opportunity.

Lila Bennett's bad choices have finally caught up with her and this time, she may not be able to get out of them alive. In "The Two Lila Bennetts," we see her life cleaved into two: in one, she is taken hostage by a mysterious kidnapper and forced to reckon with what she's done to those around her, and in another, she's evaded her captor but someone else is intent on destroying her life and what she's accomplished.

I sped through this book and not in a good way. I was more anxious to finish it. I could not sympathize with Lila or any of the characters. Toward the end, the plot felt like it was going off the rails and well, it was kind of messy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book is scheduled to be released on 07/23/2019.

WOW! Kudos to Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke , Authors of "The Two Lila Bennetts", for writing such a captivating, enthralling, intense, riveting, suspenseful and chilling mystery.  I was just going to check "The Two Lila Bennetts" out for just a moment, and was so engrossed I finished this in one sitting. The Genres for this novel are Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller.  This is quite a thought-provoking story and has the feel of the movie "Sliding Doors" with actress Gwyneth Paltrow , or a Twilight Zone episode on TV, or even Alfred Hitchcock.  This story can be interpreted in several ways. Is it two characters and two different universes, or one character split with mysterious purposes? In any event, I can promise you a shocking adventure while reading this book.

The author describes her dramatic cast of characters as complex and complicated. Lila Bennett is a Defense Attorney, who is aggressive and determined. Most of her clients could be guilty, but Lila has the reputation of being a winner. Lila has made poor choices in her life, and it looks like it is time for pay-back. There are a number of characters that want revenge on Lila.  It looks like in this parallel universe, Lila's life or lives will soon be over as she knows it. Who? What? How? Why? When?

I highly recommend this amazing novel for those readers who enjoy an intense, shocking and suspenseful story.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to.

3.5 stars, but rounding up to 4. It was a quick, fun read, but not quite as suspenseful or surprising at the end I was expecting. I do love these authors though and will continue to read everything they write!

This book has a very interesting concept. You get to see a pivotal moment in the protagonist's life and what the consequences are in two different choices made that affect her life drastically. I really enjoyed the concept and the mysteries of who is the one wrecking chaos in her life. Will she find redemption? Which choices are the "right" choices? Very edge of your seat type book I think many will enjoy!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ecopy for my Kindle.
Interesting plot and most of the characters will end up making better decisions, but the language could have been toned down.

This book was so good! It honestly kept me on my toes the entire time, and I didn’t figure it out until the end. This is the perfect summer page-turner, and it’s unlike any book I’ve read. I really enjoyed going through both of the lives, and it kept me very intrigued.

Thank you for the copy. I’ll be posting a review on my bookstagram
@fellinabookandcantgetup

4.5 stars, rounded up

Have you ever thought about how drastically your life could change if you had just made a few different decisions?

Lila Bennett is a successful defense attorney in LA who finds herself forced to face the decisions of her past. One evening her life splits after one particular decision and the reader sees both stories played out in alternating chapters.

This was unlike anything else I’ve read in terms of the concept. It was well-executes and was quite the page turner! There were a few areas that felt could have been developed better, but overall I definitely recommend this book and I’m planning to go back and read some of their past novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me
a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was a huge fan of other Fenton/Steinke books but for some reason I could not get into this book. After trying several times, I have unfortunately given up. Our library will still purchase the title as may partons liked the previous books. Thank you for the advanced copy.