Wow where do I even start. This book was so emotional. Three families have three children who are best friends. Their mothers have all been friends since elementary school. One night while the 3 teenagers are together, a terrible accident happens. Sawyer is dead..Jacob is in a coma and caleb is so distraught over what he witnessed he is in a psychiatric hospital unable to sleep..talk...or eat. What happened that night. ? Was this an accident or on purpose. How did 2 kids end up dead..one in a coma and one completely uninjured??.. this was a devastating and sad story but I love this book and I love this author as I read many books by Her before.

Wow! This is an incredible book! Read it in a day. This is probably the most real, honest and human book I have ever read.

Best friends since grade school Lindsey, Dani and Kendra have stayed close into adulthood and were so happy that their older children, all boys, became best friends too.

When an unthinkable accident happens, leaving one boy dead, one in a vegetative state and one so traumatized he cannot speak, the three women try to figure out how and why the incident happened, and realize that they did not know their sons as well as they thought.

There is so much more to the story, as it delves deep into the women's lives and marriages and relationships with their other children. I cannot say enough good things about this book. If you are in doubt, just buy it!

**5 Stars**

Three close friends who go way back to primary school in Southern California suffer an unthinkable tragedy. Their three high-school-aged sons who all play on the soccer team are involved in a gun-related incident, one that has claimed one of the boy's lives, put one in a coma, and left one traumatized to the point they cannot speak about what happened that night. Lucinda Berry's The Best of Friends is a twisty who-done-it thriller that looks at what caused one, possibly two, and maybe even three best of friends to harm each other.

This was my first Berry thriller and I was very impressed with her ability to build and sustain suspense. The book is told from the perspectives of the three women whose lives have been irrevocably altered. Each mother is in search of answers as to what happened that terrible night. The three women - Dani, Kendra, and Lindsey - are well off and assumed that their boys, were the best of friends. But the bonds between mothers slowly unravel as they discover the truths about themselves, their husbands, their other children, and their sons. 

One mother has developed close friendships with the teenage boys that the other two mothers don't know about. Another mother has been secretly slipping Adderall to her son without telling her husband and friends. And the third mother is in an abusive relationship with her husband that she hides well, one that may have contributed to what happened that dreadful night. 

What caused two boys to be shot? Are the parents somehow involved or responsible for this horrific incident? Could it have been prevented? 

I found the parts about the mothers' extraordinary grief really gripping and heartbreaking - it is exactly how I imagine feeling if, God forbid, something happened to one of my children. 

This was a solid thriller that kept me turning the pages. It was one of those books I looked forward to reading and had a hard time putting down. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, Lucinda Berry, and Thomas & Mercer for an advance reader copy of The Best of Friends!

Lifelong friends Kendra, Dani, and Lindsey find themselves in a volatile, nightmarish situation amid their otherwise (seemingly lovely--keyword seemingly) lives. After a single night, one has a dead child, one has a child on life support, and one has a child traumatized to the point of becoming mute. As we go on a gut-wrenching journey with the trio and their families, many emotions, revelations, and secrets are revealed. The Best of Friends by Lucinda Berry is a quick-read, full of suspense. However, there is not a big payoff. If you expect nothing less, this book is not for you. If you enjoy reading about the intimacies of friends in good times and bad, then you should sit down with this unique and startling book.

Rating: 5 page-turning stars
Format: Ebook*, pub. 8/18/20
Synopsis: A trio of grownup childhood best friends try to figure out what happened the tragic night that left one of their teenage sons dead, one in a coma, and another too traumatized to speak.
POV: This is the first Lucinda Berry novel I’ve read, and it won’t be my last. It’s been a long time since I got sucked into a story that made me want to stay up late to finish it. There was something about the structure that reminded me of a Liane Moriarty book. The chapters jump between the three well-drawn female characters, and it’s compelling to be the insider getting to know the secrets they don’t even share with their friends. The subject matter could be very difficult for some, with teenage children suffering major trauma (including death), but people who love the type of books where a central “what really happened???” question drives the plot will get more than their money’s worth. Oh, and that epilogue!
Recommended for: Thriller readers looking for a page turner who aren’t triggered by stories about children (teenagers) suffering through a tragic event.
*I received an Advanced Readers Copy from #NetGalley & #ThomasandMercer in exchange for an honest review.

I love Lucinda berrys books and this is no exception. The best of friends is a great novel that explores grief, trust, friendship and family. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it’s many POVs. Highly recommend.

I didn't get very far with this one before setting it aside. It felt very cliched, very tired. I wanted to like it, but it didn't hold my attention.

The Best of Friends was brilliant. It is a heavy book to me. Lucinda Berry wrote a beautiful story about love and hate, loss and heartbreak and friendship.

This book tells a story about 3 teenage boys Sawyer, Jacob and Caleb grown up and become best friends and their mothers who also grown up as childhood best friends. The Best of Friends talked about many things and the focus is more on to test the friendship between 3 mothers Kendra, Dani and Lindsey after the incident that happened to their children.

As the story started with the tragedy happened which gun shots have been fired at a sleepover and left one of the boys dead, one of them is in coma and the other was in trauma and he so traumatized to even speak up about what had actually happened that night. Detective Locke tried to investigate and solve the case and piece by piece they learned new things about their children and husbands but they are hiding about it with their best friends. What are they hiding? Why would they hide? They started questioning their marriages as well as their friendship.

All the characters felt real to me and it was like watching a god thriller film and it really was amazing I couldn’t put the book down. The surprises will shock you and you couldn’t expect what’s coming. This book contains a strong message and it really was an amazing read for e. Such a powerful book.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for sharing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be available on August 18th, 2020.

Another beautifully written story on friendship, jealousy, domestic violence, leading double lives. The characters are plain and real, easy to connect with. It also emphasises on parenting and talking to your children which is very important. The detective could have been given more weightage. Excellent and highly recommended book for children and parents. Want to give more than 5 stars.

Riveting. Heartbreaking. Intense.

This was a beautiful read. I was hooked from the very beginning and quite literally could not put it down, and not to mention I sobbed multiple times. I genuinely got irrationally upset at my family members when they would ask me to do something, because all I wanted to do was finish devouring this book!

The writing was simple but got the job done. The plot was riveting and kept me on my toes. I admit there were aspects that were predictable, but strangely that didn't take away from the story at all. The sub plots in this were so intricate and complex I'm honestly amazed at how there were practically no loose ends or plot holes by the end. The talent is clear in Lucinda Berry, and I'm very interested to read what she puts out next.

The characters in this were incredible. They were real and raw and you could physically feel their pain while reading. I was rooting for everyone even though I trusted no one, and I was constantly throwing guesses and accusations around in my head. My one main complaint with this book was that the names and families were very hard for me to keep track of and I often had to stop reading and trace back in time to remember who was who's kid and so on. I feel like that confusion could have easily been cleared up if the chapter/POV headers were a little more informative.

I absolutely adored how this novel dove into human psychology and how everything felt so real and genuine. The themes of grief and domestic abuse and trauma were expertly dealt with, and although I found the discussion of sexuality lacking, I found little to complain about in the thematic department.

I adored all of the character development that took place in this novel, and for a mystery thriller, there was a lot of depth to everyone, and it was refreshing how each character had their own unique voice. None of them blended together for me at all.

I would highly recommend this book, and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy as soon as it comes out. All in all, a solid 4.5 star read.

Also, thank you NetGalley for this arc! It was a real treat.

The Best of Friends, by Lucinda Berry, explores the dynamics between and among a group of teenage boys (who are best friends) as well as their three mothers (BFFs forEVER) when a terrible tragedy occurs.

Written by a trauma psychologist (yikes), the story is told from various perspectives and (TBH) at first I had to actually draw out a sort of org chart for the three families. Once I got them straight, it was a fun read. Since the author lives in LA, she was able to perfectly capture the sort of quintessential wealthy southern California suburban community, which the families are just sure is the perfect place to safely raise their perfect children…

The three women are Dani, Lindsey, and Kendra, and their teenage sons are Caleb, Jacob, and Sawyer, respectively. One night an accident happens (or was it?) leaving one boy dead, one in a coma, and the third so traumatized he can’t speak.

As the mothers investigate the incident, they discover things that they didn’t know and reveal things they have chosen to deny or avoid. At the same time, the police are investigating, including a detective known to them…well, sort of: “He doesn’t even have a Facebook profile. What kind of a person doesn’t at least have that?”

Dani is married to Bryan, a real dog (“Alcohol turns him into a special kind of monster”). and they are the parents who might be seen as obviously at fault, since (mini spoiler alert) it was their gun. Lindsey, Jacob’s mom, is a special kind of shallow, describing the details of her home in terms of how she picked out her furniture thinking about the effect she wanted it to have. For her, it’s all about how things LOOK. Of the three, she is the only one who “didn’t move up” to the nicer neighborhood, so maybe she is insecure about that…in any case, she spends a lot of time in pursuits such as worrying about her new couch: “…I never expected people to sleep on it.” They live right behind Kendra and Paul, parents to Sawyer and their other son Reese, who seems pathetically forgotten as the drama unfolds.

As things are revealed, all three women come to realize their idyllic life is really just a façade, there is no safe place, and the image they present to the world can be shattered in a heartbeat. This was a quick read, and raises many issues around topics including image vs. reality, jealousy, parenting, domestic abuse, and trauma. Great for book clubs.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing a copy in return for this honest review. Four stars.

This is not my first lucinda berry book. Ive enjoyed her style of writing in each of the books ive read and the best of friends did not disappoint.
The story centres around 3 lifelong friends and their 3 boys and a terrible gun accident that leads to one son dying, one in a vegetative state and one who refuses to talk. Who shot the gun? Why? What lead the boys to be in that situation on that awful night?
As a parent this story broke my heart as no parent should ever have to lose a child in their lifetime.
Lucinda captures your heart in this story of pain, betrayal and shock. Its full of twists and turns and its so hard to put down because you will want to know what happens next.
Massive thanks to netgalley for allowing me to read this brilliant book from the equally brilliant Lucinda Berry

This is a fantastic domestic drama that focuses on the mother's of three teenage boys involved in an incident.

It had me intrigued from.the very first page, and I did not want to stop reading.

I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy reading this genre; It's a great one.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this ebook via Netgalley.

Three lifelong friends, Kendra, Dina, and Lindsey, face tragedy when when there’s an incident between their teenage sons’ who have grown up together as best friends, just like their mom’s planned. One son is dead, another is on life support, and one is left a shell of himself and refuses to talk. As they search for answers to find out what happened that fateful night their friendship is tested to the limit and secrets start coming out.
This book captivated me from the very beginning and had me in tears right from the start. It’s a heartbreaking, gut wrenching read that is beautifully written. As a mom of teenage boys it made me want to go hug them and grill them at the same time. This is my Lucinda Berry novel and I will definitely be reading all of her others!

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.