Best friends Lindsey, Kendra, and Dani endure every parent’s nightmare when a tragic accident befalls their teenage boys, leaving one dead, another in a coma, and a third too traumatized to speak.

Reeling from the worst night of their lives, the three mothers plunge into a desperate investigation of the bizarre incident. How could something so horrible happen in their wealthy Southern California suburb?

They soon discover that the accident was just the beginning, and troubling discoveries lead to chilling questions: Do they really know their children? Do they even know each other? As more secrets surface, a fog of doubt and suspicion threatens to poison their families, their friendships, and the whole community.

With the illusion of happiness and safety long gone, these women must now confront the hazards of heartbreak, the consequences of jealousy, and the dangers of living double lives.

Ahhh, I wanted to love the book. Hard to rate it. I seemed to put it down often. Hard to connect with the story.I did finish the book. It was good in the end.

I personally love all of Lucinda Berry’s books. She is one of my go to authors as she never writes a bad book. Although this is not a typical Lucinda Berry book it was still amazing. I don’t think there is a reader that wouldn’t be able to connect with these characters and feel their pain, loss and grief. Although this is not based on a true story it sure feels like it is. Extremely well done!!! This will be one of the best books of the summer. A must read.

<b><I>”She’s not the only one with secrets.”</I></b>

I will always always always read a new Lucinda Berry book. She paints the perfect picture and knows exactly how to write a thriller that keeps you on your toes.

This book hit me a little different than her others. Being a mom to boys myself, it hit close to home. I was surprised at the amount of emotion I felt, the sadness, the grief. This book is LOADED with that till the very end.

<b><I>”The thing nobody tells you about grief is that time moves on.”</I></b>

There’s a death. And another that’s almost just as bad. Not a death but just as damaging. Who did it? What happened? Things get very rough for the mothers’ friendship as the friends for decades start to turn against each other to get the bottom of what really happened that night. Lies, secrets, jealousy. It’s all going to come out.

The last couple of pages were probably my favorite. The perfect little jaw dropping twist to an epic mic drop of an ending.

Bravo, my friend! Thanks for another great read!

I absolutely loved this book! The author created a beautiful story about love, loss, anger, heartbreak, and hate that will touch many people because the characters and situations are so highly believable.
What makes this book different from all others, and why should anyone care?
This book is different from others because it tells the story of 3 teenage boys who have grown up best friends, as well as their 3 moms who have also grown up as childhood best friends. The focus is equally on the friendships between the women and the friendships between the boys. It’s easy to relate to the characters in different ways, and it’s even easy to understand some of the decisions they make-even if you don’t agree. The author brings the characters to life, and the events are so true to life that it feels like you’re there with them. The secrets, lies, and truths between best friends that emerged in the aftermath of the tragedy will keep you hanging on to every word.

Plot information: Right from the beginning the author grabs your attention. Gun shots have been fired at a sleepover the boys were having that left one of the boys dead, the other critically injured and in a coma, and the third so traumatically disturbed that he can’t speak anymore. Piece by piece, each of the moms learn new things about their sons and husbands...and are reluctant to share with their best friends. What would you do for your best friend? What do you hide from your best friend? Is there anything your best friend could do that would make you want to kill them? Does 3 really make a crowd where one is left out more than the other two? The tragedy causes all of the women and their husbands question their marriages, as well as the friendship between the 3 moms, and how well they did-or didn't- know their sons.

The author did an incredible job making the characters and events realistic. She also made the storyline so well developed that it is completely believable. All too often people are accidentally killed or injured by guns, so the emotions and actions between the close knit characters are much like those would be in real life. Not only does everything make perfect sense, but surprise after surprise will shock you until you just can’t even begin to expect what’s next. Once you think you’ve figured it out, you will be thrown off again all the way until the last page. What a powerful book with such a strong message, but also a book that you just can’t put down! I did have to reread a few pages at the beginning just to remind myself of who was married to who and who the parents of each son were, but that isn’t meant as criticism. It is a must read 5+ star that I highly recommend. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to preview this book. My review is voluntary and honest, and I am grateful the author allowed me to read it! I’m a big fan now!

This book centres around 3 women who have been close friends since childhood and their sons who have been close friends since birth. A shooting occurs leaving one son dead, one son on life support and the remaining son non verbal. The ensuing investigation opens all sorts of issues.

Many twists and turns and secrets right up until the very end. The secrets just kept getting deeper and deeper. Nothing is never as it seems.

This book has tons of promise but for me it fell a little flat for the simple reason that it was hard the keep the families separate. Which son belonged to which mother. Whose son was dead or whose son was on life support. I had to go back to previous chapters to check who was who. The names were not similar, I’m not sure why this happened. I will assume that it is my problem, not a problem with the book. But, it took away some of the enjoyment of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for a review.

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book.

It was about a terrible " accident" among three best friends that were the sons of moms that had been best friends since childhood. So the story was very intertwined and went back and forth between the friendships with the moms and also with the 3 boys. Initially, I thought here we go another story about an entitled family. But really is was much more than that and worth the read. You want to know if it was an accident, or if there was more involved. And what price the parents pay as a result of their child's mistakes? I want to mention the husbands play an important role in this too. There's a lot going on, no question. However, it's worth your time to pursue and find out the truth.

The Best of Friends grabbed me from page 1. The action starts in the very first sentence and doesn’t let up from there. I was captivated, wanting to know what happened, to whom, and why.

Three best friends grew up together, married, moved close to each other and had kids.Their sons become best friends. Life was good-except that it wasn't. There were secrets in all the families that didn't surface until one boy dies. The parents are grief stricken and looking for answers. Working with the cops, they start to have their eyes opened to things that have been buried for years.

The surprise at the end I never saw coming. There was so much to this story and I loved how the author tied everything together. I really loved this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced ebook copy.

Such a good book!

Lindsey, Kendra, and Dani endure the most horrific tragedy a parent must ever come to terms with - their three teenage boys get into an accident. The consequences that manifest from the accident leave them reeling. They have so many questions.. so many questions left unanswered. What will they discover about the accident?

This was a very readable book. I flew through it and had a hard time putting it down. I also felt extremely connected to the three mothers, Lindsey, Kendra, and Dani. They were emotive and raw. In addition, I felt that this was a plot that could happen to any person.. which made it terrifying.

Exceptional plot. pacing, and characters. Would definitely handsell and recommend!

I have no doubt that this will be on my top 10, maybe even top 5 list of BEST BOOKS OF 2020.

I was gripped by this story of Kendra, Dani and Lindsey, who have been best friends forever! Now they have children of their own, and each of their teens are best friends to each other. One night, a horrific event takes place while the teens are hanging out. One ends up dead from a shotgun wound, another is in coma due to a shot to the head, and the other is alive but seemingly unable to talk and explain what happened. This creates a domino effect in the lives of the three women and their families.

This is an unputdownable drama that doesn't stop pulling you until the very last page, which has a surprising little twist. The beautifully smooth and descriptive writing by Lucinda Perry makes a great reading experience and very difficult to set the book down. I absolutely loved THE BEST OF FRIENDS, and can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, author Lucinda Berry, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Best of Friends is a heart-wrenching, visceral story of friendships, dark secrets, and tragedy that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. Three teenage boys, who’s mothers have been best friends since they were kids, are involved in a tragic sleepover that leaves one of them dead, another in a coma, and another in a catatonic state. What follows is the unraveling of decades-old tensions between the mothers, family secrets, and powerful teenage emotions in a story that is told brilliantly through narratives by each mother in alternating chapters. This is a book full of tension and suspense, as one mother relentlessly tries to learn what happened that night. Powerful 5 star read.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book is based on the secrets that people carry. Three long time female friends find plenty of secrets when their three sons face a catastrophic incident that leaves one son dead and another brain dead. What happened with their sons? What secrets were they carrying? What secrets are the friends carrying?

This is a challenging book to read as a mom, particularly as a mom to a teenaged boy but a good one to make you think about what you don't know.

The families of 3 best friends are forever changed when a terrible accident takes the life of a high schooler. As everyone tries to come to terms with what happened they start to wonder if it was really a tragic accident, or if there is more to the story.

This book held my attention from the very first page. I read half of it in one sitting. After the first half I could kind of tell where the story was going and figured out one of the "twists", but it was still an entertaining read and one I definitely recommend. Since 3 families were involved it took a little bit to get them straight, however once I did there were definitely ones I was rooting for and ones that were extremely unlikable. This is my first book by Lucinda Berry and I will be reading more from her.

This book kept me up half the night! It was so good and I had to find out what happened at the end. I keep wondering if the title "The Best of Friends" refers to the moms or the teenage boys. In either case, it fits the bill. I was not able to predict the ending and reading all the details was captivating.

The Best of Friends wasted no time in grabbing my attention. The action starts in the very first sentence and doesn’t let up from there. I was captivated, wanting to know what happened, to whom, and why.

Kendra, Lindsey and Dani have been best friends since they were children. They grew up, married, moved close to each other, and had children. Their sons, Sawyer, Jacob and Caleb also became best friends, and life was pretty good for everyone. Except that it really wasn’t. There were secrets in each family that just didn’t seem that important, until one of the boys dies from a gunshot wound, one is left on life-support, and one is intensely traumatized. What happened?

The parents, grief-stricken and looking for answers, find their worlds spinning out of control. As they work with the detective to get to the bottom of that horrible night of the shootings, other problems in their lives start to become important, and their eyes are opened to things kept buried or never known until now.

I was intrigued with this story from beginning to end, as the author, Lucinda Berry, releases only small tidbits throughout to let you know what might or might not be the answer to the what, who, and why of everything. I was never able to figure out exactly what happened until she made it clear, and even when I finally learned the truth, there was one more surprise at the end that I never saw coming.

There were so many pieces to this story, and the author tied them together skillfully, never losing my attention. What a gripping tale!

My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Friendships can be tricky, especially in a group of three and this book illustrates that perfectly. One person always feels left out; two are always talking about one; two are always closer with each other, and there's always a bit of competition for attention. I really enjoyed all the sub-stories that gave more depth to the main story as well.

The Best of Friends by Lucinda Berry is another pulse-pounding domestic drama from an author who has cemented her place on my must read list. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Ms Berry's work, and this latest is no exception.

On a tragic night in Southern California, three teenage boys are involved in an unfathomable tragedy. Left to deal with the fallout are their mothers, who also happen to be lifelong friends. Told from the alternating perspectives of each of the women, Lindsey, Kendra, and Dani, secrets begin to emerge from behind the closed doors of each devastated family. How well do we ever really know our closest friends or, in many cases, those who share our homes?

This is a heart-wrenching read that I tore through over the course of a single afternoon. Its weighty, gripping subject matter will linger long after the final page has been turned.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for this ARC copy.

Expected Publish date is August 18th, 2020.

This was my first book by this author and I cannot wait to read her other work! She is an amazing writer and brilliant story-teller.

I love playing detective! And this book gave me an outlet for this vice. There is a suspicious tragedy and throughout the whole book I was trying to guess what happened and who was at fault– and my opinions and guesses were always changing!


I loved the layout of the book. We get various POVs and I appreciate when books have different aspects to them, especially thrillers and mysteries. It helps with the whole essence of the book. The only thing I found confusing at first was remember the POVs and who belonged with which family (can’t explain too much — don’t want to give away too many spoilers in case you read!).

The dynamics of all the characters were great as well. I felt like they were very raw and real to a typical situation. It seemed like what you would see in a typical real-world scenario and I loved all the drama within the families. There were so many secrets and so many levels and folds of secrets — it was so great!!

This would make such a great Netflix show! And I think when you can visualize books, that goes to show how great they truly are! I’m serious. This would make for a great limited series. You watch — it’ll happen.

THE ENDING!!! THE LAST FEW PARAGRAPHS!!! Bomb dropped. That’s all I will say! And if the author usually does this in all of her books — she is gold. I definitely need a follow up story for what she left us with.

TW: spousal abuse, gun violence, alcohol/drug abuse
There's nothing quite like a "they look perfect but aren't" story. After getting past the confusion of who's married to whom and which child belongs to which mother, this was a book I couldn't walk away from. The chapters are short enough to be read in snippets, but fast-paced enough to warrant you reading until the early mornings.
I enjoyed the family dynamics, but felt too much of the friendships and relationships relied on "we've been friends forever" lines instead of actual scenes demonstrating their relationships. The ending was both satisfying and heartbreaking (but I wish there could have been more development on the "why" there).
Remind me never to move to the suburbs...

I chose to read this book after hearing so much about the author! I've always been into psychological thrillers, and this book received its label for a good reason.
I have to be honest, I was eager to give this book 3 stars because I didn't feel like the climax was powerful enough, but after reaching 99% of the book and after reading the last line, my world got smashed! I just didn't expect what happened next!
I am going to give this book 4 stars only because it was quite hard for me to get acquainted with the characters. At first, I thought there were too many, and after 6 chapters, I finally understood which one was related to whom.
I will post a more detailed review of this book near the publication date on my website. Keep an eye on!

An advance copy of this book was provided to me free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review. The Best of Friends by Lucinda Berry creates the premise of three women whose sons are adolescent best friends in the same suburban neighborhood and an unimaginable tragedy occurs among the three young men. The remainder of the book deals with the fallout from this tragedy.

I wanted to like this book; one of my favorite genres is domestic noir involving legal entanglements. However, I was continually pulled out of the story by the unnecessary descriptive background scenes. Additionally, I found the male characters to be flat and shallow, essentially foils upon which the primary female protagonists could react. The primary characters' actions were so over the top that the characters themselves were not believable or relatable.

The idea behind this novel is excellent and thought out well. I would have loved to see the characters' underlying motivations realistically portrayed.