Wow!!! This was an intense read!!

Lucinda Berry is one of my favorite authors . Every book she writes tells an extremely believable tale that grips you in from the very beginning. The Best of Friends was no different. A highly dramatic read that will play all your emotions.

Once again Lucinda Berry has written a book that will easily make it to the top reads of the year!

I enjoy books that make me question myself and what my core values are. This book did just that. A tragic event, secrets and the overwhelming drive to protect and keep the family together at all costs. How far is too far to go? How far would I be willing to go ? The characters show emotions we all feel at one time or another but rarely express. Like Lucinda Berrys’ other two books this one is a gem not to be passed up.

Lindsey, Dani, and Kendra are best friends. Now married with children of their own, they are thrilled when three of their sons, Sawyer, Jacob, and Caleb become friends. Until the night something goes wrong leaving one boy dead, one in a coma, and one too traumatized to speak. Why did they have a gun and what could have sparked this tragedy?
As the police investigate, Kendra, Lindsey, and Dani struggle with their grief. Did these women know each other and did any of them know their children? Be prepared for secrets and lies to be revealed amongst the adults as well as the children. A heartbreaking tale that races to a shocking conclusion. Those that are left standing will never be the same.
It took me a bit to remember who was married to who and who each child's parents were, but after a few chapters, everything became clear to me. A truly horrific night that made me wonder if anyone could have intervened and altered the outcome. There is certainly plenty of room for book discussions. I will be looking for Lucinda Berry's next book.

Description:
An unthinkable tragedy forever changes a group of teens and turns family against family in this edge-of-your-seat thriller that begs to be read in one sitting.

Yeah, just the first line of the description hooked me and I was sucked in. It's the story of three best girlfriends from childhood that happened to have boys at the same time and were also best friends. Ever heard of the phrase "twos company threes a crowd?" Well the girls survived it growing up but the boys didn't sadly.

This book honestly terrified me slightly because of the ages of the boys being in the teenage years and having secrets from their parents, considering that I'm heading into the high school phase with my own daughter. However, that did not stop me, I couldn't put this one down, with one secret after another coming out between the parents and the kids. I'd definitely recommend it.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and #NetGalley for an advanced readers copy.
Pub Date 18 Aug 2020
#TheBestofFriends

#TheBestOfFriends#NetGalley
This is a new author for me. I will seek out more of her books. The Story starts with three boys who are in a accident. The parents are all friends and looking for answers, one of the boys has died, one seriously injured, and the third boy is so traumatized and cannot speak. You cannot put the book down as you also want answers. Secrets come into play in friendships and marriages, twist and turns. It will be emotional as you the reader can see this happening to you or people you may know. What do we really know about our children? It becomes personal and emotional if you have teen age children. Great read. Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This book to me was a little, out of character, so to speak for Dr. Lucinda Berry. I anticipated much greater twists and turns, like in her previous novels. This novel was less dramatic, and more emotional. She really captured true raw emotion and made it feel so real. Made it feel as if you are part of the story, feeling the hurt, grief, anger, shame, right along with them.

This story follows a group of 3 friends. Three wives and three husbands. And their children. The woman are best friends, and lucky for them, their husbands get along well. They vacation together, they live close to each other, their lives intertwined. Their children have grown together, none a stranger at the others house. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes the group. Cuts through the very core. The accident, as they refer to it, affects each family differently. One son dead, another in a coma, one so traumatized he cannot speak. As each family tries to navigate their new normal, try to adjust, they try not to implode from within as well.

Besides dealing with the tragedy that stuck their family, they are searching for answers. What happened? Why? How did it come to this? Each family wants the answers to these questions. Some more so, than others. The women learn a lot about their children that they did not know. Some they knew and turned a blind eye too. As if dealing with tragedy is not enough, they have marital problems to deal with. Will they ever get to the bottom of the truth? Can their friendship survive the tumultuous storm? I know the answer, but I will not give it away.

Dr. Lucinda Berry has written a hit once again. She has such a way with words, that she sucks you into the story and her hold does not let go until the very last word. The Best of Friends is a 5-star hit for sure. If not for the suspense, then for the sheer emotional connection alone.

I want to thank the writer, Dr. Lucinda Berry, the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, and Netgalley, for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book, wow was just so readable and relatable. The story starts of with 3 teenage boys in an accident. one has died, one is in a comma, and one can't tell them what happened. With their moms being best friends, they struggle together and apart to find out what happened that night. The boys lives come to veiw and the led up to the "accident" . Not everything is what is seemed.

I couldn't stop reading, couldn't put this down. It is a heart breaking, all to real read. All the secrets that are held that lead up to this event. I just really wanted to know what led to these 3 best friends ended up where they did. small bits of why and how are dropped through the story, had me constantly engaged. I don't know how to tell you more of how I feel about this book without spoiling, so I won't! Go read it!!!

I really liked this one and I'm keen to read more from this author. It was engrossing, good plot but the ending felt a little rushed. Overall, a solid 3.5 star read for me. Looking forward to picking up some more of Berry's books.

This book kept me gripped throughout. Really enjoyed the narrative changing between 3 characters each chapter. This format allowed the secrets and lies between friends, children and parents, and husbands and wives to creep up on the reader and really kept me hooked. Some characters were more likeable than others but really enjoyed this book and loved the ending! Would definitely recommend.

3.5 🌟 The story is told from the point of view of three mothers whose sons are involved in a devastating incident. Kendra, Lindsay and Dani have been best friends since childhood and their son’s become best friends too. Outwardly their lives appear perfect but they all have their secrets. The incident leaves one boy dead, one critically ill and one alive but unable to speak due to the trauma. The story is intriguing from the beginning as the author slowly revels their secrets. There was a lot going on with each character and I struggled a bit to remember who was who for quite a while as the book slowly develops the characters. I got there eventually though and the author does pull all the story lines together well by the end. This did detract a bit for me hence the 3.5 stars but overall an enjoyable read! Not as good as Lucinda Berry’s precious offering ‘perfect child ‘ though - see my older reviews for that one 😊 Thanks netgalley and Lucinda Berry for the advance copy!

I’ve previously read this authors novels and I think I enjoyed this one the most so far. Three teenager boys, the best of friends until one night one of them is dead, one is seriously injured, and the last is too traumatized to speak, I couldn’t get to the end fast enough to find out what happened that night and was pretty surprised. Definitely recommend this book!

Friendship means different things to everyone. The ups and downs, the secrets, ebbs and flows and typical motherhood busyness can really affect each friendship in different ways. How well do you REALLY know your friends? This book was extraordinary with twists and turns that have you second guessing your own theories. A slow burn that picks up the pace in a few spots makes for a book you can’t put down. I love the authors writing style with an emphasis on trauma and an in-depth look at what happens when tragedy takes its toll on friendship, marriages, teenage drama and everyday life. Each character is intertwined and the different viewpoints of each set of relationships makes you question your own friendships. What would you do if a tragic accident took the life of someone in your circle? Who would you blame? In the end, everyone has their own agenda and the way each person in the book is truly affected by actions of another are fascinating. 5 stars!!! I want more, I need to read more from this author!

Thank you #netgalley, Thomas Mercer and Lucinda Berry for the ARC of #Thebest of friends.

Three best friends have their lives shattered as a terrible tragedy befalls them. One son is dead, one is in a coma and one is so traumatised by what happened that he refuses to speak. Will Kendra, Dani and Lindsey ever find out what truly happened that fateful night?

Wow, what an emotional rollercoaster! This book had everything, twists, joy, sadness and hope mixed with jealousy and hate. Sometimes I felt myself feeling sorry for one person only by the end of the chapter feeling the exact opposite! It was great like that and the author knew how to keep my guessing.

My only thoughts about it were I wouldn't classify this as a psychological thriller, more a domestic family mystery. Especially compared to all the thrillers I've read previously. But that doesn't stop this from being an excellent quarantine read! I will be buying this when it becomes available 😊

I was happy to get #TheBestofFriends from #Netgalley to review. This story about three best friends and the tragedy that happens to their sons (who are also best friends) is a perfect quick summer read. It’s well written and will keep you turning the pages to find out what really happened between the boys. The untangling of the complex relationships between the moms and their spouses is also interesting. It’s a great quarantine book.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Wow! What a rollercoaster ride! I could not put it down. It was a little confusing at the beginning as the story is told by three people and getting the names straight and which family each belong to. Three young guys have grown up together since preschool and in one night of drunkenness, one ends up dead and one in a coma. The only boy who can talk about what really happened, Caleb, has not spoken since the accident.

As teenage best friends Caleb, Sawyer and Jacob find themselves the center of a tragedy, their moms, who are also best friends, enter into a whirlwind murder investigation that tests the limits of their friendships as well as their family relationships. As happy as Dani, Kendra and Lindsay were that their sons were best friends, it’s the secrets behind each relationship that they never saw developing that cause them to question who the real victims are. As the secrets to their marriages unravel, so do the secrets of the friendships formed, and they’re never sure they will find out who pulled the trigger and why.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lucinda Berry and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC.

This story grabs you right from the beginning, and doesn't let go until that shocking ending. I really enjoyed this book, even though the subject matter could be triggering to some people. The only negative I have is about the three different narrators. At times, it was hard to differentiate between who was telling the story - Kendra, Lindsey or Dani. It read like one person telling the story, not three.

Overall, this was another great book by Lucinda Berry.

Thanks to the author Lucinda Berry and Netgalley for giving me the ebook. I've read all of the author's books and it couldn't be different, perfect book.
She always writes books that make us reflect on our motherhood and how we raise our children. I loved it so much.

It’s no secret how much I love all of her books. I love how she walks that line between education and entertainment so well.
This one focuses on trauma, grief, suicide, loss, guilt, betrayal, and so many other things all rolled into one story.
Which is hardest- losing a child completely and suddenly, having a child hang in life/ death limbo, or your child possibly murdering others? Is it easier to think your child was murdered by a best friend or shot by their own hand?
This story navigates generational friendships and secrets and doubts and fears.
It really was a heart breaking story (as most of hers are) that sucks you in and keeps you hooked from the first page to the last.
Thank you so much to @netgalley and @lucindaberryauthor for the arc.

*My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Publish Date: August 18, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐ - This was a rough one, folks, but not in the way you'd think.

The Best of Friends is a harrowing tale of family, secrets, and the circumstances surrounding the death of two teenage boys and the silence of one. Jacob, Caleb, and Sawyer have been friends since birth, and their mothers before them. From the outside, they all had perfect lives. But when Sawyer is shot dead, Jacob into brain death, and Caleb terrified into absolute silence, their mothers desperately try to piece together what could have happened while the illusion of perfection falls down around them. Secrets are dragged kicking and screaming to the light and one thing becomes clear: They did not know their children as well as they thought, and that they weren't the only ones keeping secrets.

First I must attest to Lucida Berry's ability to move a story along quickly. I started this at about 9:30pm and finished at 12:30AM. That's fast even for me, but it wasn't for lack of information. The story is told from the inter-changing POVs of the boys' grieving mothers, who had also grown up together since little kids. Their families were always very close, but now with one child dead and another on the way they start quickly pointing fingers at each others children while trying to navigate the horror of the case to find out what really happened that night.

Each family held an entire cache of secrets, some worse than others, and that most definitely sent the pace of the book into breakneck speed as you attempt to figure out how that secret could have affected the boys actions in a way that led to their careless use of a gun. When the seeds were dropped about certain motives pertaining to Jacob and Sawyer in particular, there was no way I could stop until I found out for sure, and of course, by then, my heart was shattered. This book will definitely make you feel things. It is not lacking in emotion in any respect.

I'm not sure if this was intentional, but I did not enjoy the parents. At all. I found them each to be cruel in their own ways, whether to their remaining children, each other, or their husbands(when they didn't deserve it), and it reminded me of why I stopped reading adult fiction. There is a pervasive attitude that adult relationships are nothing but bitter. Full of cheating or divorce or violence or flat out mistrust and that message ripples into our perception of the world and what it is like to be in relationship.( TLDR: Are the straights okay??? I mean honestly? Can we stop this? ) Now, I understand that the particular disfunction in these relationships were absolutely plot necessary, so I find no fault in that. But it definitely speaks to the fact that I was not as surprised by any of it as I probably should have been.

This book isn't for the faint of heart. It delves deeply into the grief of losing a child and the complicated emotions surrounding it. It speaks about abuse in marriage and in the home. There is some concerning language triggers (though they are not used against anyone as much as they are repeated for information's sake). It will throw you for a loop or two, but it was not entirely hard to find out a lot of the twists. Really, what kept me going was the absolute visceral need shared by the three mothers to find out exactly what happened that night. And it was. A lot to process. I cried my eyes out. So, if you are looking for that kind of twisty, fast-paced read centered around family, you'll wanna pick this up.