The main character, Lila Bennett, is someone who I was able to dislike due to her bad choices she has made that conflict with what I deem is moral and because of this the story flowed perfectly in the different emotions it was able to evoke throughout the journey. There was a few twists throughout the story and I figured out part of the twist at the end.

This story is told through the Captured Lila Bennett and the Free Lila Bennett, either way her life will be changed forever. A real creative page turner and well worth the read.

The Two Lila Bennnetts by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke - wow! This is a book that I had seen a lot around the book world and was looking forward to reading. I have read previous books by this duo and knew that I was in for a fun read. And it certainly was. I read almost half of this book in one sitting.

In this sliding doors style story we meet Lila Bennett - a lawyer who gets the bad guys off, who works too hard and is having an affair with her boss and best friends husband. She has made some bad decisions in her life. And with one decision we see 2 ways that her life could go. In one scenario he is taken hostage and locked up by a stranger who seems to know a lot about her. She is forced to confront her life errors and make good on them. In her other life she is free, and life carries on. A story about making choices and how they impact not only yourself but those around you.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

Wow! I just read most of the Two Lila Bennett’s today. Once I got started I couldn’t stop. I’m always a little nervous about books with one character and two potential timelines, but this was extremely well done. I’m a big fan of this duo, but I think it might be their best yet.
This follows a free Lila and one that is kidnapped as she comes to terms with many of the clients she’s defended and the decisions she’s made. It was interesting to see the differences between her two timelines and trying to figure out which one was really happening. This also kept me guessing the whole time about who Lila’s kidnappers were. This was a highly addictive read and I definitely recommend it!
This was a 4.5 star review for me.
My review will be posted on my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/reading.is.my.happy.place/ right before July 23rd.

This book was just ok. It kept my interest but the ending felt rushed and lacking closure. But I would still recommend.

Wow! Such a clever concept. It follows a dual narrative where the protagonist is kidnapped in one and free in the other and it all boils down to the choices she makes in her life.
I loved the concept and I think the execution was very good. It was a well-plotted and intriguing story which keeps you hooked till the end.
The authors have mentioned the movie, Sliding Doors and this book is exactly that. What happens when you make certain decisions. Do only the big decisions count in life? Can one decision spiral your life out of control or is it a sum of many? This book is not only a good psychological thriller but at times thought-provoking as well.
A great story of remorse, regret and reckoning.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Recently, I had read Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins-Reid, which is about a woman who has two different outcomes based on a decision she has made. Liz and Lisa took this Sliding Doors formula to write a captivating and suspenseful thriller.

Just like the heroine in Maybe, Lila is faced with a decision. If she chooses one way, she ends up getting kidnapped and forced to face her demons. If she chooses the other way, life goes on as usual, but she still has to face her demons. Either way, she doesn't know who is out to get her or what they want from her.

This is my favorite of Liz and Lisa's thrillers. It kept me guessing the entire time. I thought I knew the answers and was still proven wrong. I was so drawn in by the story that I was even reading it while I was out shopping with my parents and sister. (They could shop to their hearts' content, for all I cared!) The novel made me think a lot about the impact of one's decisions and actions. (And not just because of the one that splits Lila's life in two.)

There are definitely some questions that I was left with as I finished. I won't ask them here, as to not spoil the story. All you need to know is that you're in for a wild ride, so hang on tight!

Movie casting ideas:
Lila: Lake Bell
Ethan: Dave Annable
Chase: Miles Heizer
Sam: Ed Quinn
Carrie: Marley Shelton

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book. My reviews can be read on my GoodReads account here: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1335387-kelly

Wow - really enjoyed this book! Was totally able to follow the back and forth, and couldn’t put it down! A really unlikable character, but still couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen!

I just couldn't get into this one. Though the concept was clever and intriguing, there was just too much baggy prose in between the action.

Lila Bennett is a strong, hard ass attorney known for helping the “bad guy” get away with it. One decision, however, sets her life of two very different paths. In one world, Lila has been kidnapped and it being held in a concrete cube. Her captor forces her to look at her wrongs and start to make amends. In the other option, Lila manages to escape her kidnapping, but it doesn’t stop her tormentor from giving her loved ones the information that will ruin her life. This is the story of each path and how her decisions changed the direction of her life.

I found the two storylines of this book absolutely fascinating. I loved watching Lila grow and learn how her mistakes had effected those around her, and seeing how she changed her ways. The different timelines kept the story so interesting and unique. It was amazing to watch two different stories, that both led to Lila wanting to become a better person.

Thank you to netgalley and lake union publishing for allowing me to read and review this book in advance!

Thank you to NetGalley, Liz Fenton, Lisa Steinke and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.

I have loved pretty much every single novel that Liz and Lisa have written and this was no exception. Lila is such a great character, and I loved how the story is told as being free and being captured. The villain in the story is shocking, but amazing. I loved everything about this novel, and cannot wait to read more by this awesome duo.

Wow, an excellent mystery! A story of a successful, ruthless attorney, when consequences and karma finally catches on to her. Cleverly written as a parallel universe, with two closely related scenarios, this book was very hard to put down! Thank you NetGalley for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Imagine your life taking two different paths. In one, you are captured and held hostage by an unknown assailant who seems to know all of your secrets. During this time, you are forced to admit your life’s wrong doings and record public apologies to the people effected. All the while, not knowing who has arranged your abduction and unaware of your outcome. Your other path allows you to get away from your attacker but also leads to life-changing consequences. This is exactly what happens to Lila in this dual plot psychological thriller. This one did not disappoint. I couldn’t put it down and flew through it! It should definitely hold a spot on her summer TBR!

This book was sooooo good. I didn’t want to stop reading this, and when I did I wanted to get right back to it!
Imagine how one choice could change your life. This book tells two different stories - one about the life Lila Bennett would have if she made one choice, and one about her life if she made another choice. It was so interesting to think about how just one choice can change your life so drastically. Filled with mystery and suspense, it will keep you guessing until the end!
I just really, really loved this book!!! Read it now!!!!!

Thank you #LakeUnionPublishing #TheTwoLilaBennetts #NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!!!

I received a copy of The Two Lila Bennett's from Net Galley for my honest review.

Lila Bennett's life has literally been split in two.

The dual plot lines were well crafted and I enjoyed all the twists and turns this psychological thriller offered up.

This is another homerun from Lisa and Liz.

Lila Bennett is a prominent LA defense lawyer. She is good at her job, and has an “in it to win it” mentality. But her choices in life have finally caught up with her.

One night after a victorious win in court, Lila is faced with a choice: go out for a drink with her superior, or go home to her husband. 

Lila’s story from that point on is split into two narratives. In one, she is “captured” by an assailant whose partner desperately wants her to suffer. In the other, she is “free,” where she evades her captor but her life quickly unravels.

This wasn’t your average psychological thriller. The authors explore this juxtaposition of, on one hand, Lila being pressured by her firm to take on cases that basically let the bad guys off, and the consequences that pressure leads to. On the other hand, Lila battles with a startling revelation about her deceased father and how at present that affects her choices about work and family. Lila isn’t a saint, but she isn’t a villain either. In both scenarios, certain variables remain the same.

I’m super critical of thrillers. They tend not to hold my attention and I can almost always predict where the story will lead. This was so NOT the case with this story!! I grew attached to Lila and how human she was. Good people make poor choices for various reasons, even if they make poor choices often. And holy crap, I did NOT see that end coming!

The Two Lila Bennetts comes out July 23. This is absolutely a must read for the summer!

The Two Lila Bennetts was unlike anything I've read before, and I totally loved it.

Lila has made a series of bad choices in her life. As we get into the book, she makes a decision and that decision literally splits the book into two.

Told in alternating chapters of "captured" and "free," we see how Lila deals with the choices she's made in her life and the consequences she now has to deal with.

It was one of those reads where I felt like I simultaneously judged Lil and sympathized with her. Because I really think that while she made those decisions, she didn't truly think about the longterm affect they could have on her life and others. And maybe she thought she had considered them more closely, but from an outside standpoint it's easy to see that she didn't.

And I realize this review is fairly short, but I don't want to give too much away, because there's a lot that happens and this is one of those books I feel like it's best to read without having a ton of details.

I will say, I read this book in one sitting because I couldn't put it down and I needed to know what happened. And it was interesting to see how the two Lilas converged and how it all concluded.

If you love thriller/mystery reads, definitely check out The Two Lila Bennetts!

Another page turner from this Duo. This book is completely different from anything I’ve read. While I don’t think this book will be for everyone, I thoroughly enjoyed the originality. Fast paced story that alternates between two scenarios. Once I figured out what was happening, I couldn’t put it down.

Lila Bennett is a criminal defense lawyer, making quite the name for herself...not necessarily in all good ways. She is doing what she wants, not worrying about anyone else, making many bad choices. Until her life becomes split in two. She must atone for her sins. In one scenario, she is kidnapped and kept in a concrete cell. Her kidnapper knows everything she’s one, but he’s a stranger to her. Or is he? The other scene, she is escapes being kidnapped but is hunted and must face her sins one at a time. Lila makes quite the transformation, but is it too late for her? Life as she knew it is over, but what is worth saving? Lila needs to decide, come clean with those she hurt but at what cost.

Lila, although not lovable, is somewhat likable even with all her faults...and boy does she have them. The cast of characters are a mixture of good and evil. The chapters move fluidly between captured and free...as the stories move forward, overlapping with little nuances which make you think. I didn’t want it to end when it did!

I received an ARC of this book. Opinion is mine alone.

A hot-shot attorney is living two lives. And we see all of it. The Two Lila Bennetts goes between two narratives. Before Lila is captured by an unknown person....and during her captivity. While she may be a good attorney, she seems to struggle with personal relationships. Her marriage is a mess. She's having an affair with her best friend's husband. All these things come to a head, and then she is taken. What happens now?

This book was your typical page turner. I wanted to know what was gonna happen next. I really wanted to know if Lila was going to escape, and how. The author did a great job of intertwining two versions of Lila. As horrible as Lila seems, is she still someone the reader even wants saved?

I guess you'll have to read it to find out!

4/5 Stars