Very mixed feelings about this book. VERY.

The concept behind this book is outstanding. So is the structure. It’s one of the most uniquely organized thrillers I’ve encountered. Lila is a fascinating, complex protagonist. And the pace is as propulsive as they come.

However...I really, really do not like books that preach at me. There is zero evidence of that in the first half of the book, but the second half is chock full of moralizing. I went from “I can’t wait to see what happens!” to “STOP YELLING AT ME, JUDGEY, SNEERY BOOK!” in a biiiiig hurry.

Was Lila a truly bad person? I don’t think so. Did she need to change? A lot? Yes, of course. But the groveling, pathetic tone the authors seemed to feel she needed to take on to atone wasn’t redemptive to me, it was deeply unappealing and quite frankly, gross.

Had the tone been different, Lila’s redemption probably would have gone over better, but I’ve got a real problem with this idea of “breaking” a woman to make her a better person.

I think I probably would have liked this book when I was in high school and saw the world in righteous black and white. As an adult, I just see a great concept wasted on shouty moralism and a disappointing ending. And both Lila Bennetts deserved better than that.

One last thing: When creating a character who is a law professor sleeping with a student, don’t name him the exact same thing (Callahan!) as the law professor in Legally Blonde who was also attempting to sleep with a student. It makes the character feel derivative.

So, 1 star for tone, 2 for plot resolution, 5 for structure, and 4 for concept = 3 stars.

This book is about the choices we make in our lives and the consequences of them. Meet Lila a woman who has been ruthless in pursuit of coming out on top. It is these choices that lead in 2 directions in this book. I was really hoping I would like this book but unfortunately I didn't. I felt no real connection to the main character and didn't care whether she lived or died.
Usually I can't put this style of thriller read down but this book I put down a lot and only finished it to review it. I struggled with what was happening to Lila and caring about it. I was definitely disappointed and would say in this summer of some amazing thrill rides I'd recommend a pass on this one.

This book had a lot of promise! A unique premise, a different approach to the usual domestic thriller format, that I really appreciated. The writing is light and easy to read, moves along quickly and is pretty seamless given there are two authors.
The execution is nothing new, especially in this genre. There's obvious red herrings, characters saying pointed things to guide you in the wrong direction and an ending that fits convention for this genre pretty well. But, extra points for the final few pages that wrapped the story up in a really impressive way. It was a quick, fun read, and I'll read more from this duo again.

A twist of fate befalls Lila Bennett in The Two Lila Bennetts by Liz Fenton; Lisa Steinke. This is a wonderful "time will tell" story filled with legal dramas, cheating, stealing and taking advantage of sort of book. Ifenjoyed it and couldn't put it down. The strategy of writing this story in two part; evil and not so good, had me flinging through pages to get to the next part. The story is about Lila Bennett facing her past and how her actions have made her who she is, and maybe creates her own downfall. Filled with suspense and bravado, it's a great story!

I have been a long time fan of the authors, Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, since they had their website "Chick Lit is Not Dead"- they have fought hard for a place in the publishing world and if anyone doubted they belonged, this book has sealed the deal- they do!!!
This story was unreal- in the very best way! It could have almost been 2 totally different books but merged together it was genius. I have heard a lot of people compare it to "Sliding Doors" but I never saw that so I really did not know what to expect. By the second chapter, I was completely hooked. I feel like I kept saying "OMG OMG" as each chapter progresses. With a lot of suspense reads you can start to guess where the ending is going but the way this book was set up, you had no clue! And the payoff was great. While I enjoyed reading this on the kindle with this ARC, I will be purchasing a hard copy for my bookcase!! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a creative thriller - we see the main character in a split life based on saying yes or no to a crucial decision. Would recommend this to library patrons.

This book explores the concept of how actions have consequences. It has a “choose your own adventure” feel to the book, as the story switches between two storylines: one where Lila is held captive after being kidnapped, and one where she is free, but her life is destroyed in other ways.

I found the captive storyline to be more interesting, though Lila was hard to like in either scenario. It was encouraging to see her develop a bit throughout the book. The suspense angle didn’t hook me like I’d hoped. There are a number of characters, but the reader never really gets a chance to know most of them. Some parts dragged on a bit too much for me to rate this higher. This was just an okay read for me overall.

I liked having the two different points of view of Lila based on her choices that lead her to where she ends up in each situation. I liked how some things overlapped in unique ways to each situation too. I was very shocked at the end as to who was the kidnapper, it was kind of crazy who it was and why they did it to Lila.

3 stars, interesting perspective with the 2 different storylines and I did like it. It seemed a little too neat at the end, which wasn’t awful. I did like how at first we think the captured scenario is the worst, when at the end we find the captured scenario was actually the only way she lives.

This is a fast-paced story that will have you reading into the night to find out what happens.
The story reminded me of A Thousand Doors by JT Ellison, in which several authors gave their version of what happened to a woman if she made different choices at pivotal moments in her life. Only, The Two Lila Bennetts goes into much more depth and gives two perspectives with each one shedding light on how this woman needs to change her life.

The woman is Lila Bennett, a successful lawyer. She has gotten where she is by caring only for herself and stepping over others to have what she wants. She’s a defense attorney who will stop at nothing to win. But after a time, this lifestyle begins to weigh her down and guilt sets in. She’s left many hurt people in her past and her current behavior is still set on the same path.

Readers are shown two separate scenarios as Lila Bennett is forced to come to terms with who she is and how she needs to make amends. Neither one is easy, but one of them will be fatal.

I was really impressed at how the authors resolved the ending. It’s not an easy thing to merge timelines in a believable way and they did an excellent job.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for a review! This book took a a little while to get into but once i did WOW! This story is about Lila Bennett, a flawed character who has made many mistakes in the past and wronged many people. One night she makes a choice and the books at that point splits into two storylines based on that choice. I loved how the story tackled the concept of whether a person who has made many mistakes can change. This book reminded me very much of the movie Sliding Doors. This was a great read, though a slow start. I'm glad that I got to read it and would recommend it to others.

Lila Bennett is a successful attorney who is forced to examine how her flexible morals have effected her life and everyone in it in this tense, claustrophobic thriller.

Fenton and Steinke have done a superb job crafting this cast of jump-off-the-page characters. I LOVE when thrillers are character driven versus plot driven, although the plot is just as thick and engaging as the characters. The premise is a unique look at how every decision effects our lives and shows us two possible outcomes for Lila in a dark, Sliding Doors-esque way.

I have only ONE negative; without spoiling I will say it pertains to causality and a gun. If one event didn’t happen then the next couldn’t have happened. It made my brain hurt to read and think about but this isn’t a sci-fi novel, it’s a thriller, so I let it go and surrendered myself to this fun ride.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review!

Great lessons to learn in this book. I would have thought the outcome would be the opposite for each "track." Thought she would have realized she needed to change while kidnapped vs being free and realizing hurts and past mistakes on her own. I did not guess who the kidnapper was. This book was not as suspenseful or as engaging as their last one, but definitely think it's a good read for people that maybe need to look at their actions before it's too late.

5 Reasons to Read The Two Lila Bennetts
1. This is one of those thrillers that is like NOTHING I have ever read. In fact, I still find myself mulling over it- and I finished over a week ago. The angel and devil sitting on your shoulder theme is so well executed and a true depiction of “what would have happened if I chose…. Instead.” It is sheer brilliance.
2. The title makes so much sense. At first, I thought there were going to be two people named Lila. No- this is a story of “Lila Captured” and “Lila Free”. I cannot go into too much detail without giving away the story, but let’s just say, “The devil made me do it” phrase is really taken to a whole new level. Admittedly, I wasn’t sure how the story would wrap up in a realistic way, but holy moley, it sure did and I loved every minute of that final chapter.
3. Lila Bennett is not a saint. Though she also isn’t a villain, she definitely has her flaws and makes some choices that I wouldn’t condone. Lila is a defense lawyer, and one that has defended some sketchy characters despite knowing this fact. She’s also made some sketchy life choices. This combination of qualities makes Lila an atypical character, and one perfectly suited for this thriller.
4. The character development and descriptions are so good. I was holding my breath multiple times for Lila, and I felt “both” Lilas feelings from beginning to end. And like all good thrillers, there needs to be a character twist- this one didn’t disappoint. This character twist was one I actually didn’t see coming.
5. This was a quick read. Quick in that the pacing flew by with the back and forth perspectives, and I whipped through it in a day or so because I had to know how it was going to end.

Lila Bennett’s bad choices have finally caught up with her, and one of those decisions has split her life in two. Literally.
In one life, she is taken hostage by someone who appears to be a stranger but knows too much about her life. As she’s trapped in a cell her kidnapper forces her to face the past mistakes she has done in her life or be killed. In her alternate life, she eludes her captor but is hunted by someone who is dismantling her happiness, exposing her secrets one at a time.
Her career, her marriage and her life are on the line and she must make a list of those people she has wronged and find out who is determined out to get her before it’s too late. But will she survive?

This is told in dual chapters, in one life Lila is kidnapped and the other she is free. It is very well written and easy to follow. A super story about the life choices we make and where they lead us and is very thought provoking.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for and an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This book was fantastic! Another home run for these authors! I was a huge fan of the way this book was written and devoured it in one sitting.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for this ARC!

A year ago, I read Girl's Night Out as one of my first ARC's when I joined Netgalley. I fell in love with it so hard, as well as with the authors. I was so excited to see this up for request, and even more excited when I was approved! This book did not disappoint. The writing is stellar, the story line! How unique! Refreshing and different in a world of psychological thrillers. I loved the idea of two parallel lives based off of the choices we make. A butterfly effect. Lila was an incredibly deep and likable character - despite the fact that you're supposed to dislike her in one of the timelines. I couldn't! She seemed so multi faceted. Overall, amazing ending (both ways) and a fantastic read. I would 100% recommend this!

I LOVED this book. At first I was nervous about how much I would enjoy the two perspectives. But I was hooked from the first chapter and devoured the book in less than 24 hours. I would highly recommend this book to my friends who like fast-paced thrillers. I also realized just how much I enjoy books about strong-female lawyers. I need more of those in my life!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The basic premise of the book appealed to me: The choices we make, and the consequences of those decisions, determine the path we take in life. This has the makings of the perfect psychological thriller, but somehow it doesn't quite have the oomph to lift off. It's a good, entertaining read, and well-written, but I found it impossible to get really invested in what happens to Lila - and the ending was a bit of a let-down, after all that build-up.

Wow. What an awesome book. I loved the unique storyline concept. The two different possibilities of Lila's life had me so intrigued and engaged. The writing was fantastic and I couldn't stop turning the pages. And that ending! THAT was unexpected! This will not be the last book by these authors that I read, for sure.