This book made me feel anger and frustration toward a couple of characters and to end in a way that made me go, “no way?!” means it was a great read in my book.⁣ A slow-burn read for me has to be written in a way that it keeps my interest throughout, and this book did that. Since Jules did her own investigation via a vlog, some of the chapters were broken up using the dialogue from the vlogs she’d post, which I liked. I was frustrated because the whole book started with Jules not being able to remember anything due to her being blackout drunk. You’d think she’d learn from that, but she kept on drinking – excessively. And her dad! Don’t get me started on him and how much he angered me. I kept going back and forth trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, but what he did was unacceptable, which ultimately led to…well, I really can’t say because I don’t want to give anything away.⁣
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Let’s just say the ending was NOT what I expected at all. Far from it actually. It left me really thinking, which is why it’s taken me a while to write this review. At first, I was angry and sad, but then as I thought about things, I realized it made sense.⁣ Overall, a great read and I recommend it to all my thriller readers out there!

“When Jules’s wallet’s found next to a dead man, she becomes the prime suspect in his murder. Sure of her innocence, Jules is desperate to clear her name. But there’s one problem: she was blackout drunk when the murder took place and can’t remember what happened. Unsatisfied with the police’s handling of the case, Jules embarks on her own gin-fueled murder investigation through a vlog that pushes her into the public eye. It’s not long before the ordeal forces Jules to confront her demons, including her turbulent childhood and excessive drinking. The deeper Jules digs, the more dirt she uncovers about the murder and herself. Unexpected truths pile up until she’s buried so deep even finding the killer might not be enough to set her free.”⁣

Thank you @vanessalillie pub and @netgalley for sending me this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review

Pacing is one of those elusive elements that can make or break a novel. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all optimum pace. Some novels require a slow, methodical storytelling method, while others benefit from having a more frantic tempo serve as a foundation for the plot. In addition to that, the way an author manipulates pace has countless permutations as well. For example, chapter length, volume of dialogue, placement of action set-pieces, and vocabulary choices can all affect the reading rate. Fortunately, whether the intention is a meandering rumination or a rollercoaster race to the end, readers can often sense when the pacing is handled successfully, even if it is challenging to pinpoint the true reason. Take for example, Vanessa Lillie’s new novel, For the Best. It will not take crime fiction fans long to realize that even though the book has a typical page-length for this style of suspense tale, for whatever reason this is a novel that begs to be read at breakneck speed, and is written by an author with the technical skills to capitalize on this instinct by ratcheting up her technique in order to make that desire reality.

When Terrance Castle, an advocate for restorative justice, is found murdered after a huge fundraiser for The Poe Foundation, the police quickly put their crosshairs on Jules Worthington-Smith. Not only was she responsible for getting Dr. Castle entwined with the Foundation, but eyewitnesses place her in the bar with him shortly before his death. Couple this with the fact that her wallet was found next to the body and things are not looking good for Jules. It certainly does not help that Jules was blackout drunk the night of the murder and has no recollection of anything related to that evening.

The police and general public are more than willing to view Jules as their prime suspect, after all, her father was once responsible for the death of another innocent victim, so it just goes to follow that his daughter would have no concept of the true value of life either. But Jules is convinced that she would never do such a heinous act and decides to launch a true crime vlog in order to conduct her own investigation while eliciting help from her viewers.

Vanessa Lillie leverages the vlog format to surprising heights given that this is a novel and that platform is strictly a visual one. By interrupting her prose narrative with sections that convey in script-writing style the content of Jules’ vlog posts, other television reports, and police interviews, readers are privy to the knowledge they need to draw conclusions about the case.

Some readers will no doubt approach For the Best hesitantly, given that there have been many novels which rely on the actions of a drunk narrator to cause confusion and mystery to their plot. The difference with Jules Worthington-Smith is that she is aware of the complications this causes for her life and never tries to justify her addiction – even when there are times that the reader will understand. Once the investigation gets underway, there are more than enough potential suspects to keep readers on their toes trying to figure out what occurred outside the bar the night Dr. Castle was murdered.

Vanessa Lillie populates her story with a diverse cast of characters without ever calling attention to this fact. Just as in life, people from all backgrounds mingle and interact, never feeling like token representation in order to follow trends. This is refreshing for readers and makes the novel feel all the more believable. When the truth is finally revealed, it successfully straddles the line between surprising and inevitable. Readers will appreciate that Vanessa Lillie never takes the expected route to this conclusion and refuses to deflect the difficult positions she has placed her characters in. Murder is a devastating act and For the Best never downplays the long-term effects for those left behind.

With both Little Voices and now For The Best pleasing readers, Vanessa Lillie has quickly established herself as a name to trust in the crime fiction genre.

How I feel about a main character definitely affects how I feel about the book overall. This was certainly the case here.

Jules is the main suspect in the murder of a male co-worker. Jules knows she didn't do it, but since she was black-out drunk when the murder occurred, she has a hard time proving her innocence. Jules decides to take matters into her own hands and with the help of her reporter ex-boyfriend and her equally disgraced father turned conspiracy theorist, Jules investigates the murder. She publishes her findings online in a v-log called Rhode to Justice.

All of these plot elements are extremely interesting and a huge reason why I requested this ARC. The part that was a total turn-off was that despite that Jules is facing a murder conviction that occurred while she was drinking, she continues to drink heavily throughout the novel and puts alcohol before her family. Her career and her reputation seem to be the only things that kind of matter. And I know alcoholism is a disease, but it was just really hard for me to sympathize/empathize with Jules or her situation.

Although this has a great premise, was fast-paced and had an interesting ending, I just couldn't connect with Jules, which affected my overall feelings for For the Best.

TW: alcoholism, infidelity, murder, drunk driving⁣
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Thank you to netgalley and Thomas&Mercer for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ⁣
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I am currently revamping my rating system and will post the criteria I use to inform my opinion. Until then, I am using my star system despite recognizing that it is highly subjective. On that note, this book wasn’t for me. I felt very meh throughout. I was rapidly turning pages, looking forward to the end, for all the wrong reasons.⁣
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Jules is accused of murder. The nightmare is only made worse by the fact that she can remember nothing. Sure of her innocence, she starts a true crime vlog seeking information about what happened that night and more about the victim. As she pursues Justice, Jules is confronted with truths about herself and others that she may have been better off not knowing. ⁣
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It’s not that this book didn’t have any unexpected twists. It did. But I was so bored by the time I got to them, that I felt annoyed. I needed that life inflated into me earlier. Books need to be about more than just the ending. While a surprise ending is a step in the right direction, the whole reading experience should be valuable. This one hung it’s hat on the ending, but the journey to get there was mediocre, at best. ⁣
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I thought I was going to love this one but it was just alright. The premise is a good one and the beginning starts off pretty strongly - I was hooked at first. As I progressed on, the story became repetitive and I got a little frustrated with that. I'm all for an unreliable main character but something about Juliet didn't sit well with me. I couldn't bring myself to like her. She is a selfish mother and judges her father for being an alcoholic when she is just as bad. The ending didn't really shock me either, I kinda saw it coming but still wasn't sure how I felt about it. This wasn't a bad read or anything I just thought the repetition should've been removed and would've liked Juliet to have been a better character. I would probably check out Vanessa Lillie's future novels as well.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and to the publisher for sending me an arc of this book!

Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “For the Best” by Vanessa Lillie, Thomas & Mercer, September 8, 2020

Vanessa Lillie, the author of “For the Best” has written an intense, intriguing, captivating, and suspenseful thriller. The genres for this novel are thriller, mystery, and suspense. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The author describes her dramatic cast of characters as complex, complex, and dysfunctional. There are secrets, and betrayals. I like the way Vanessa Lillie brings attention to the use of media in solving crimes.

Jules Worthington-Smith has a loving husband and son and soon hopes to be at the top of her career. Jule’s wallet is found next to the body of a dead man, that Jules knows quite well, making her the prime suspect. Unfortunately, Jules was drunk, and had blacked out, and doesn’t remember anything.

Jules is determined to find the actual killer and using her phone, starts to make vlogs, interviews other people who were involved that night to see what really happened. The more Jules attempts to do, the more damage and danger she makes. Secrets from the past keep surfacing, that could destroy people.

I highly recommend this edgy, intense, novel with twists and turns for other readers.

Protecting your family is something that most people would do but at what cost and is it really your family you are protecting? The dark motives of some of the characters along with the stubbornness of others combine to make for an action packed, suspense filled, with a twist of a book and I loved every minute of it. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author.

This one is so hard to review because on one hand I loved the premise and I couldn't put it down. On the other hand, the pacing was a bit on the slow side. It may be that I've just read too many thrillers, but the story felt very anticlimactic. Perhaps that's why it was hard to put it down. I really wanted there to be just a little more.

The writing was great, though! I really look forward to more books by Lillie.

I've never read anything by this author but was so intrigued by this storyline. Short-term memory loss and being at a murder scene where some crazy stuff happened? Sounds like a perfect psychological thriller set-up!
I really liked how the author used social media/youtube to help uncover clues and in a unique way.

I enjoyed this storyline and how the author develops the characters. I felt surprised by different moments in the book and how I missed some of the clues. I will say, I struggle with the "woman with a drinking problem as the unreliable narrator" which this was, but I still enjoyed it. It was a great, quick read and I would be interested in reading other books by this author.

Jules wakes up hungover and to the sounds of a doorbell after hosting an event the night before for a foundation where she is the CEO. The police have found her wallet next to a dead body. The deceased was with her after the event, but she was black out drunk and can’t recall much. She becomes the only suspect so starts investigating the murder herself and sharing her findings via a vlog.

Top notch thriller! Characters are flawed but relatable. Plot is understandable and keeps you guessing until the end.

I enjoyed this quick, engaging read. I found it a bit slow at the beginning but it did pick up eventually. I didn't quite connect with Juliet and I would have liked to see her acknowledge her issues a little sooner. The story itself was interesting and kept me reading to the end to find out what actually happened in that dark alley.
Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Ms. Lilley for a copy of For The Best in exchange for an honest review.

Another interesting book by Vanessa Lillie. This was a great suspense book with a main character that I didn’t really like but still hoped for the best for her. Juliet becomes caught up in a murder case when her wallet is found by the victim. She becomes the prime suspect and is unable to completely defend herself as she was black out drunk the evening the murder happened. There is no dispute she had been with the victim around the time of his death. Juliet sets out to defend herself as she tries to piece the night together. The story unfolds and the confusion about who the killer is intensifies. I raced through this book in one day to find out how it all would resolve. Another great book by this author.!

Jules is the CEO of a charitable organization and after celebrating their big gala event she goes out to a bar and gets extremely drunk.
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The next morning she wakes up and has a very foggy memory of the previous night. When the police show up at her door to tell her that her colleague is dead and some of her property was found next to the body she becomes the number one suspect.
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Jules life is turned upside down and it’s up to her to prove her innocence.
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Firstly, I want to thank the author for this wonderful ARC. The cover is fantastic and after reading her first book I was super excited to read this one. There was no sophomore let down here as I found the story really unique and suspenseful. There was a number of unpredictable twists and turns which I loved. The writing was also different as in between chapters there would be transcripts of conversations Jules had with potential witnesses or suspects. If you are a thriller book fan I think you will enjoy this one.

This book was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for me. It’s a thriller about Jules, who well let’s put it bluntly, is a serious alcoholic. She is accused of murder after her wallet is found near the body of a man she was seen with at a local bar. Jules takes upon herself to find the real killer and begins a vlog as she partners with an old flame to clear her name.
Why I loved this book- not only is this book a thriller but for me it also really delves into the subject of family dynamics and how victims and perpetrators can find healing. The characters are vivid and I felt dislike and sympathy for them all at the same time. I really enjoyed the ending. I don’t want to say any more and give any part of this wonderful book away! Do yourself a favor and grab this one for a September read!! You’ll be glad you did!! I received this book from the author and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

Last year I read Vanessa Lillie's debut novel, Little Voices, and absolutely loved it. I knew without a doubt I would be reading anything she wrote and could not wait to get my hands on her next book. Well, let me just say...she once again delivers a strong, completely binge-worthy thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end.

Right from the very start, I was captivated by the story. I felt Jules was such a complex character and while she wasn't always the most likeable of characters, I found her to be deeply flawed and honest and that kept me going. I needed to know what was going on with her - what would cause to to get so black-out drunk that she could not remember anything from the night in question.

I loved how determined she was to clear her name, yet even though she was black-out drunk, she never once decides that maybe she should stop drinking. And as we dig deeper into her family, a family that is riddled with dysfunction, we find Jules isn't the only one that uses drinking as a crutch.

I also loved the mystery within a mystery concept. This was so unique and really kept me hooked as we dig not only into what happened that fateful night that Jules is trying to uncover, but also about other secrets that have such huge repercussions. The use of the vlog kept the story fresh and was a great way to break up the story, including the actual transcripts. I felt that there were always mini cliffhangers that we were left with, whether from a discovery during the vlog taping or preparation for one.

This book kept me glued to the pages and I loved all the twists that came along. I did not see any of them coming. I loved how Vanessa incorporated so many issues into this book - never did it seem forced, but rather it all works together so seamlessly that by the time that end rolls around you are left breathless. I loved this book and it absolutely shows that Vanessa Lillie has staying power. I cannot wait to see what this very talented author comes up with next!

I finished this book in a day and let me tell you...it is such a binge worthy read. This story begins with Jules waking up completely hungover with sore bloody knees and no idea how she even managed to make it home. However she doesn’t have long to process anything because soon there’s a knock on her door with police officers waiting outside. When Jules opens up the door they begin asking her if she recently lost her wallet which she admits she may have but has no recollection of last night. She soon learns they have found her wallet next to a dead body in an alley outside of a local bar.

Jules presses the officers for more information and upon learning who the deceased person is, she realizes she is definitely going to become a suspect. After all she spent the evening with this individual and plenty of witnesses can place them at the bar together. She knows she needs to get ahead of this and control the narrative so she begins a vlog to track down the truth of what happened that night.

This book gripped me from the first page and I absolutely couldn’t put it down until I knew what really happened and who was responsible. The events of the night are revealed perfectly and gave the reader just enough to keep you utterly captivated. This was such a great thriller and one I definitely recommend picking up.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for this advance reading copy.

I know that I cannot be the only person out there who has blacked out after a night of drinking and woken up the next day saying, "I WILL NEVER DRINK AGAIN," or found mysterious and unnerving cuts or bruises on their body. But ... I CAN guarantee that those nights didn't lead me to be the prime suspect in a murder I know nothing about! Goodness gracious, Vanessa ... talk about putting your main character into an anxiety induced downward spiral😂!

This one was fun to read ... and I absolutely adored that she incorporated VLOG intereviews as chapters ... I love an author who can rely on present day technology and social media in a creative way to add some spice to their novel. Another amazing element was how much the reader could feel Lillie's pride to live in Rhode Island ... I have followed her for many months and gotten a sneak peek into some of the locations/houses that she used for inspiration and I feel like her descriptions made the reader feel like they were there. She did a fantastic job of bringing the details together and forcing us on rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish. I must go back and read her first novel because I enjoyed her storytelling and keen eye for psychological suspense. Thank you so much for letting me be an early reader for this book ... so proud to know you :)

Gripping Thriller !!! Yes indeed !!

“For The Best” was a phenomenal mysterious novel that kept me on the edge of my seat wondering who-dun-it..... all the way up to the last chapter.

Vanessa Lillie has many unexpected and complex twisted situations throughout this novel that kept me wanting to turn the pages.

The ending was truly brilliant and I did not see it coming.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for fair and honest review.

I had heard a lot about the author's debut novel, Little Voices right before I was approved to read her next book, For The Best. The book description sounded intriguing, a woman drinks too much, blacks out, and the next day the police are at her door wanted to speak to her about her dead colleague Terence. I am thinking, what could go wrong with this scenario!
All the evidence points to Jules. Her career and her entire life are ruined and it seems as if no one is on her side. It is now up to Jules to put together the puzzle pieces and figure out what happened that night. Helpful hint Jules, you should probably refrain from drinking! Look at where that got you!
This one was a slow burn mystery that kept me engaged until the end. I didn't burn up my Kindle furiously flipping pages which were a relief, how many Kindles can you buy. As the story progressed I got more involved and wanted to know all of Jules's secrets and of course if she was a killer. I will look forward to Vanessa Lillie's next book and Little Voices is now on my TBR pile.

Juliet Worthington Smith is the CEO of the Poe Foundation in Rhode Island. After 15 years working her fingers to the bone she has reached the pinnacle of her career. The highlight for her is the gala function being hosted by the foundation to launch the new Genius Program which Juliet developed in conjunction with the renowned Dr Terrence Castle - a staunch advocate of restorative justice. But Juliet has a drinking problem, a quite serious drinking problem and on this night of nights she is quite obviously drunk. Terrance is not happy with something and stalks out of the party. He agrees to meet Juliet at a bar later to discuss their differences.

In the morning the police are at the door. There is a dead body in an alley behind the bar where Juliet met with Terrance. It is Terrance and he is dead and Juliet’s wallet was found at the scene. Naturally the police have questions but Juliet cannot remember anything after leaving the function as she got fall-down drunk by the end of the night, she can’t even remember getting home. Never mind that though, she is not happy about being the only suspect and doesn’t feel enough is being done to explore other options. So, she starts a vlog (video blog) and calls for witnesses and information declaring that she wants to find the truth. This leads to some interesting revelations.

I didn’t like Juliet. Actually I didn’t like any of the characters but Juliet took the cake. She made no attempt to control her drinking. She was entitled and selfish and made everything about her and how this drama was affecting her, and she treated some of the other people in Terrance’s life rather badly. Finally, as the truth started to come out, the story went in an interesting direction and it finished strongly but I can’t say that I loved this book. The theme was about guilt, justice and making amends but it took too long with an unpleasant protagonist to get there. Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer and Vanessa Lillie for providing a review copy. My opinions are my own