Don’t we all have those decisions we wish we could undo? A path that would could have taken and wonder what could have been? Liz and Lisa explore this dichotomy in this novel but give it a twist with domestic suspense.

Lila Bennett has made some questionable choices and one of those choices gets her kidnapped and locked away. Unfortunately for Lila, there’s a huge list of people who might want to harm her. Her career as a high profile criminal defense attorney doesn’t help nor do the personal life choices she’s made.

My question is will Lila really change? And should she change who she is? Maybe how she approaches things and coming at decisions differently but I don’t think she should change her drive and ambition. That shouldn’t be the message.

I liked the dual storyline and see which one would play out and if all her truths would come out.

The way this story is told is one that I have not read before, giving two different outcomes. I really enjoy the way these authors write and keep you guessing!
This novel tells the story of a woman whose series of bad decisions have finally caught up with her. I found the main character, Lila, hard to like which made it hard to feel compassion towards her misfortune.
The book started off fast paced but slowed down immensely thereafter. The climactic finish felt rushed and seemed thrown together.

The choices we make lead us down different roads.

Lila Bennet’s choices have her life split in two. In one life, Lila is kidnapped by someone who know all of her dirty little secrets. In the other, she escapes from an attacker but all of her secrets are exposed.

I really enjoyed this story. I loved that we were walked through two different circumstances that were based on the decisions that Lila made. The identity of the kidnapper really surprised me. I definitely didn’t see that coming. Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke did a great job.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 stars! I just finished The Two Lila Bennetts and my head is spinning. I started reading this book 2 days ago and I was consumed from the first chapter. I found myself constantly switching between loving and hating the main character Lila Bennett. I don’t want to say too much about this story because I feel like it’s best to just go into this book blind and enjoy the crazy reading ride. I was jaw dropped by the ending. I predicted about 10 other scenarios but the actual ending was not one of them. I could not put this book down. I highly suggest adding The Two Lila Bennetts to your summer reading list. This was a complex thriller and I was all for it.

Thank you to the publisher & NegGalley for the ARC of this book.

This book has got to be one of the cleverest thrillers I have ever read. Sure you may think you figured it out, I even had my list of usual suspects, but you won’t get it right. Something about your prediction will be completely off. Which is what happened to me. Damnit, Liz and Lisa have done it again.

I have been a fan of Liz and Lisa’s books from the beginning. Anyone who knows me was forced to read The Good Widow and become instant fans because L & L wrote it SO WELL. Yea well, guess what? Get ready for another because they have knocked it out of the park with The Two Lila Bennetts.

This book is told in a dual narrative, but not in the way you might think. Two different time periods? Eh, not really. Two different people? Yea, still not really. You are provided a glimpse into a dual reality situation and are taken along for the stomach-dropping ride. In one, Lila is kidnapped. In the other, she is forced to see her faults. In both scenarios, one person knows all of her secrets and won’t stop until everything she loves is gone. Let’s be honest, Lila is kind of an asshole. She’s not nice, she’s pretty selfish, though you do actually see a heart in there somewhere. Eventually. The first chapter I thought… I don’t like her. This is not a likable person.

Here’s the thing, you’re not supposed to. That’s the point. And someone else doesn’t like her either. Enough to tear her world as she knows it apart. How’s that for a premise?

I received an advanced copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

Thank you!
I overall enjoy this book.
It started slowly for me but eventually, I became more and more interested in the story.
I loved the way it alternated and how things could fluctuate.
Perfect if you love mystery!
Lisa and Liz write amazing books this is my second by them!

Twisty and fun!

Okay, fine - it's a strange hallmark of my personality that I find suspense "fun." But The Two Lila Bennetts doesn't get all that dark or scary (read: upsetting), so it really was a fun reading experience for me.

I'm endlessly impressed that this book was written by two authors - I don't know how Lisa and Liz come together to so seamlessly tell a story. But they do, and it really works here.

Lila Bennett is a criminal defense lawyer and maybe not quite one of the "good" ones - she's made some bad choices leading up to our introduction to her, and she tells lies with impunity. Yet...and this is where their good writing comes into play...I totally rooted for this flawed, multi-faceted character from the get-go. The story splits early on into two narratives, which also was done so well. Both the length of the chapters and the amount of action felt well-managed. (I've read books like this where I only wanted to follow one of the storylines, or got annoyed by the precedence given to one of them, but that didn't happen here.)

I call this book "twisty" not because there's a ton of action, but because it was less predictable than most of the thrillers I've read recently. Not knowing exactly how everything was going to play out was such a treat. Go ahead: inhale this one!

(Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for a free e-arc of The Two Lila Bennetts for review, and thank you to Lisa and Liz for a free hard copy arc.)

This was a great book! The characters were developed well and there was enough twists to keep me interested and entertained.
I also liked how the two stories would tie together at some points. That was very interesting.

Entertaining! Lila is not the nicest or best person in the world. She has a lot of warts and some secrets in her life. A defense attorney, she's been around the block a few times. When she decides to go for drinks one night, her life splits in two. In one thread, she's being held by the mysterious Q. In the other, she's being blackmailed by someone who knows about her affair- and other things. This will keep you guessing and while you might prefer one scenario over the other, both maintain the tension til the end. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I initially hadn’t planned on reading The Two Lila Bennetts at all. It was my Netreduction group on Instagram who started a buddy read and convinced me to join. And, I have to admit, I am so happy that I did. The Two Lila Bennetts by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke ended up being one of my favourite books of the year so far.

The idea behind the book is very creative. It shows us how your life can change drastically according to one small decision. Lila decides to break off her affair in one storyline, and continues it in the other. What happens afterwards are like two stories from different worlds. There’s a side of drama that involves making amends with friends and family, and there’s a side that is just plain mystery and thriller with a high dosage of whodunit. Almost like you’re reading two different books from two distinct genres at the same time.

The one thing that kept haunting me while reading was the thought of how my life would look if I had made different decisions. When realising that one small choice can have such a large impact, I really didn’t even want to consider it anymore.

I received a free e-copy of The Two Lila Bennetts by Liz Fenton from NetGalley for my honest review.

Lila Bennett is a well known and ruthless defense lawyer in LA. Lila does whatever it takes to win and get what she wants and needs.

Then, one evening after a victorious court win, her life is split in half. She has two choices; go out for a drink with someone higher up or the other go home and be with her husband. From that night on, her life was split in two.

In one In one she is kidnapped by someone who knows all her secrets and wants her to funner for them. and in the other she is free but it being hunted by someone.

A very exciting and engaging psychological thriller that will not disappoint.

Wow! What an unexpected surprise! The Two Lila Bennetts is one of the best books I've read this year.

Fenton and Steinke's book introduces us to a successful defense attorney, Lila Bennett. Lila finds success professionally because she isn't afraid to play dirty to get what she wants even if it includes hurting those that she loves. The book is told in two different plot lines - one shows Lila being abducted because of who she is while the other one shows her realizing her flaws and trying to correct them.

This book had me hooked from the moment I opened it until the very end. I both loved Lila's character and despised her at the same time. It also, like Lila, made me want to see my own flaws and correct them (or else...). The book was just that good!

This is a definite must read! You won't regret it! Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book. I loved every second of it!

Lila Bennett is strong, determined and successful. These are not the traits that endeared her to me, though. Rather, I loved her for her flaws. She is a good person who’s made some bad decisions. Some REALLY bad decisions.

Fenton and Steinke have masterfully written this novel in a ‘Sliding Doors’ format which I’ve not come across before.

Lila finds herself at a moral crossroads. Turn left or turn right...either way there are consequences.
From page one I was totally invested in Lila’s moral dilemma. The alternating chapters, which I had originally thought may be confusing, were executed perfectly and I really enjoyed following Lila’s two lives.

I’d like to thank NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book which will be published on July 23.

This one’s a winner!

I feel like I read a different book than the rest of the world. The writing was good, it kept my attention, never dulled, and was an enjoyable read. But I was able to pick up on the plot, so it wasn't a shock to me to finally find out who was torturing Lila Bennet, and I'm usually blind to those types of clues when I'm into a book. I feel like I'm usually the main character and typically don't see the whole picture until they do. But, this one didn't do that for me. I never felt truly vested in Lila and I felt like the ending lacked an actual outcome.

Sure, it worked out for her, personally, but what about her husband and her beat friend. How did that end after the capture and all her secrets were out? Were they hurt and willing to walk away from their lives as they knew it before her capture and exposure? That was the real ending to me and I didn't get it.

But most of all, I was disappointed in how these two Lila Bennets didn't connect. Why was there two? Was it because there were two authors who both liked their ideas for a main character so they both wanted to tell the same story, more or less? I was waiting for a moment where the two sides wrapped together and finally connected, making sense of why we needed two different lives and two different scenarios of the same events. But I never got that. It doesn't make sense. One Lila would constantly feel the dejavu of the other Lila's life or dream about it, but there was no actual connection. I needed one life to be a dream or something at the end. Anything, really, that could have made this make sense to me, even if it was flimsy.

Had this book wrapped up the two opposing lives into one, I could have enjoyed it much more. I just feel like it's lacking as it is and like it isn't finished. It needs another chapter or two and then I would be able to sit back and say, yes. I enjoyed this.

Lila Bennett is a criminal defense attorney at a high-powered firm. She has stepped on a lot of bodies to get where she is, and made a lot of mistakes..... the biggest one being cheating on her husband with her boss, who is also the husband of her best friend. There are always paths to choose, crossroads where we can choose what path to take. The question is, when you have gone so far down the wrong road, is it possible to get back to where you started?
This book was told in alternating chapters, each in a different path that Lila's life could take. At some points the paths have eerie similarities. This is reminiscent of those choose-your-own-adventure stories, only it was more choose-your-own-thriller. This story kept me captivated from beginning to end, and I think it will for you as well

Sometimes there are two sides to every story... but in the case of Lila Bennett - there just might be two stories to every side.

In a Sliding Doors-esqe type narrative - this thriller shows how Lila, a criminal defense attorney, has made so many bad choices in life that they are finally catching up to her. But they are catching up to her in two completely different stories. In one - she is captured and held hostage. In another - she's being followed and blackmailed.

It's a race against time while Lila tries to figure out who is behind both of these riveting situations - who is determined to make her pay for all the wrongdoings of her life. The problem? She's cheated so many people she's not even sure where to start. And even if she does figure out who is trying to expose her secrets - will she even survive? And would it even be worth surviving - if she ends up losing everything she cares about?

So. Much. Unpredictability. I pointed fingers. I yelled. I was pretty darn terrified for Lila at some points. She's as much an unlikable character as she is quite relatable and human. The tale is cleverly woven and full of suspenseful psychological surprises and the suspects are aplenty - which leaves for a surprising hell of a twist at the end that I never saw coming! Not from a mile. A thrilling and FUN summer read!

Lila Bennett is a powerful attorney known for helping the bad guys goes free. She has an amazing husband who she has neglected and put her job and her extracurricular activities before him. Lila knows things need to change but she doesn’t know how, and she’s aware when the truth comes out she will lose at least one person she loves. The day finally comes that she makes a bold decision, one that literally splits her life in two directions. If she makes one decision she will be kidnapped and all of her dirty laundry aired and out in the public eye. Every terrible decision, every client she’s defended, every friend she has hurt, her affair…everyone will know. Will she even get out alive? If she makes a different decision she will be free, but at what price. Nothing with stay the same no matter which direction things go. Lila Bennett is not a good person and someone or something will force her to realize everything she’s done and move forward.
I am a self proclaimed Liz and Lisa fan. I enjoy their books and have the good fortune of calling them my friends. If you haven’t seen one of my reviews previously let me tell you my most favorite thing about this amazing duo. From the moment I met them I was so impressed by their hard work and dedication to their fans. They’re by far the most appreciative authors to bloggers I’ve yet to meet. (And I’ve met a lot of authors!) Being a book club leader I enjoy getting to pick books I think my group will enjoy, and sometimes we get lucky and get to invite the authors to our meetings. Liz and Lisa were our first authors to attend and the girls were won over immediately. Very funny, personable, you will feel like they’re one of your girlfriends! I was excited to get a copy of their newest book The Two Lila Bennett’s a few months ago and was trying to hold off reading it until the week of publication, but I just couldn’t wait any longer. Now that I’ve finished it I can tell you, it was so so so good!!! This is by far their best book yet and you need to go preorder your book right now. Go! Go order it! Right Now!
I had never heard of the movie Sliding Doors, or writing a book with a sliding doors concept so I was intrigued. Essentially if we make any one decision it can change the course of our lives. If I take this job my life will head in this direction, but what if I stay where I’m at, my life will go a different way. The Two Lila Bennett’s is written in one chapter how things would’ve gone had Lila not made any changes, and the next chapter what happens if she does just one thing different. I really enjoyed the concept and the book flows seamlessly. It was so well written I was sucked in and found myself reading under the covers late night so I could finish!!! I can usually predict a book midway through, and I was nearly done and hadn’t a clue who the bad guy was. Now that’s impressive.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Have you ever wished you could know what would happen if you had taken a different path? This book explores exactly this. Lila Bennett, a lawyer, is kidnapped in one stream of the story and in the other she manages to escape an attempted kidnapping. What follows are the reasons why she is the target, an examination of her enemies and allies and the consequences for her actions.

The writing is fast paced and skillfully written by two authors who say that writing this story “mended”them. This book will make you wonder who did it but also what’s the message behind the story as you are reading it. Both of these facets are well developed.

Thank you to @netgalley @lisaandliz and #lakeunionpublishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book was AMAZING! I typically don't enjoy a book that bounces between two perspectives however this was a winner. The telling of The Two Lila Bennetts followed along in real time on both sides. It was easy to keep up and not get confused as to what was going on. This was full of suspense! Even though Lila has her issues, the biggest being trustworthy to the ones she loves you find yourself rooting for her. I can see this being a summer hit and will be all over social media!

Heart pounding, intense and amazing!

Have you ever thought about how your past choices impact your future? Could it mean life or death? The Two Lila Bennetts will take you on a roller coaster ride and leave you thinking about it long after the book is over.

I absolutely loved The Two Lila Bennetts. I was captivated by this story from the first page to the last. I highly recommend this book!