This one has been on my NetGalley shelf for a long time, and man did I miss out by not reading it sooner. I was drawn in right away, immediately wanting to know what happened the night that Sawyer died (not a spoiler, you find out which boy is which right in the first few pages).

The Best of Friends reminds you that tragedy can strike at any time, no matter how perfect and safe your life seems. I definitely got emotional at points, which I take as a sign it was a great book.

Definitely a quick, engaging read.

My only complaint is that it was a little difficult to keep the characters separate at first--their families are all so similar and the narrators so interchangeable that I had to write down the names and who was whose son. It didn’t help that in a typo, Caleb was referred to as Jacob! Once I got a hang of who was who, though, the story moved quickly. I wouldn’t let the confusion stop you from finishing the book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a great read - I did not want to out this down. Clever and believable and it made me cry at the end. Thought provoking, and very true to life this is a fabulous book. I would thoroughly recommend this.

Three best friends since childhood find themselves dealing with what no mother should ever have to go through. A shocking incident has left one of their son’s dead, one in a coma and one unable to speak about that terrible night. They embark on a journey to uncover the truth and learn they may not have really known their children. Can they lean on each other or are there too many secrets that will unhinge the fabrics of their lives and friendship?

Emotional, addictive and full of secrets! I could not wait to uncover what happened that tragic night that changed the lives of these three families.

I’d like read Saving Noah by this author and loved it so when I saw she had another book coming out and had read the synopsis I was excited to read it, however, I could not get into this one at all. I didn’t like the multiple perspectives or how it felt a bit emotionless considering the subject matter. I didn’t finish this one but I have really enjoyed the author’s writing and think this one just wasn’t for me so I’m giving three stars; I’m sure there’s an audience for this that will love it.

I really enjoyed this book and was drawn in from the start.

Three mothers, defending their children - what happened that night? Is your loyalty to your child, the truth, your friendships... I totally wanted to know not only what happened, but what was going to happen next. I enjoyed the journey, not just the destination.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and Net Galley for the advance copy. This did not impact my review.

I could not put this book down. Very good read and the truth of what happened that fateful night was a shocker!!! Highly recommend this book. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

3 women have been best friends forever and have lived near each other for ages. They all 3 have sons the same age who are also best friends. Then there was that dreaded middle of the night phone call.

The 3 sons- one dead, one in a coma, and the other not speaking after a night returning home from a party.

Questions and blame threaten everything these women hold dear, including their friendship. They just want to know what happened that night with the boys.

For the first half of this book I was so confused, trying to keep up with the characters- who’s son is who’s, etc.

The ending was heartbreaking but almost predictable. Twisty, intense, and devastating... you won’t be able to put this down.

Almost too many secrets in this one! I like books about teenagers but am an adult so sometimes it's hard to find a good escapist book that isn't YA. This one delivers drama in both the adult side of things and in teenager-land. It was a little implausible at times but the plot at the center--an accident where one child died--was realistic enough to hold it together.

Book Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved how unique and original @ books are. I also think it is amazing to learn that she writes what she knows.

I loved the dynamic between our three main character’s and how they each have their own kind of struggles. Although I found it hard to keep up with who was who within the story, I loved how everything played out and the big reveal.

I would definitely pick up a book by this author and I would recommend this or The Perfect Child.

This was the first book I've read by this author, and I will definitely read more of her books. It was a quick read that kept me guessing throughout the story.

We all see people who we believe to have a perfect life, and may wonder what goes on behind their closed doors. In this story, those doors are cracked wide open and we get a well-layered glimpse into the best friends' lives. Lindsey, Kendra, and Dani have been best friends since their youth, and so have their three sons... or so they thought. After a horrible, tragic night where one of their sons is dead, another one hanging on by a thread in the hospital, and the third one is mute with grief.

We find out their nothing-near-perfect lives have husbands with their own "issues" and the friendships are not built on trust but instead insecurities and secrets.

It's a great insight into the many layers we all have that make up our personalities, decisions, and relationships. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this exciting read!


READING PROGRESS

I really liked the story. The connection between the three women, who had been best friends since early childhood, was fascinating to me. It reminded me a lot of having sisters and the reactions that occur when one sister criticizes or blames one of the other's children. There has never been an unspeakable tragedy like this in my family but it was very relatable to me and interesting to read the thoughts from each woman's perspective. I'm not sure I would describe this as a thriller but it was intensely dramatic and gripping from the first page.

This is my second book by this author and I must say I enjoyed it way more the previous title.
This book reminded me of Picoult’s A Spark of Light, in the sense that there are multiple POVs and each character has serious consequences from the plot’s events.
I deducted a star because I was unsatisfied with the ending.

This book is good - it's nothing special, but it was an easy read. I felt like the writing and the characters were a bit too simplistic, but the premise in itself was interesting. I wasn't too shocked about any of the twists, as the book is quite predictable. The final twist I *should* have seen coming, but didn't for some reason - though it made sense. All in all, I just felt like this story could have been a lot better - Berry's writing is too simple, the characters lacked serious development, and the way she constantly switched POVs made it difficult to follow at times (and it shouldn't be) because there were so many names to keep track of. Because of all this, I just ultimately found it difficult to connect to the story. But like I said, the premise was good. I just wish it had been a more cohesive book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Best of Friends by Lucinda Berry chronicles a tragedy that affects three teenage boys as well as their families, especially their mothers, who are best friends. Dani, Kendra and Lindsey have their world turned upside down when a sleepover goes completely awry, leaving one boy dead, one in a coma and one struck silent from the shock. The trauma reverberates through the three families, including the siblings. I looked forward to reading this thriller but I have quit after several hundred pages. I found that the many family members were confusing due to the numerous side stories of each person in all three families. I realized that I had lost interest in the characters and was not involved in the book enough to want to know how the story ended. The author, Lucinda Berry, is a trauma psychologist, which could account for the novel reading like therapy notes. Please know that this is only my opinion and I am positive that many will enjoy The Best of Friends. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this as an eARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for giving me access.

This thriller was everything! Can I have a sequel? I know this was a standalone.....but there could definitely be a second potential story and I am here for it!

Lucinda Berry kept me guessing the whole time. Was it an accident, was it suicide, was it murder? I DON'T KNOW. And now, now I do know and I didn't see it coming. I had my suspects about what happened, but I wasn't close at all.

Gotta end this now because I need more Berry in my life. *Cue the suspenseful music.*

Disturbing, fast paced, mystery & thrill. I couldn’t connect with the book and it triggered all kinds of things in me. I’m still unsure how I truly feel about this one. Thank you for letting me read it.

this is a real trip of a book, I really enjoyed the mystery and getting to know the two sets of friends. I'd look forward to more from the author.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* ah what a sad book :0 was really good but wow, sad

I'm not sure why it took me so long to get around to The Best of Friends by Lucinda Berry, but once I did start it, I couldn't put it down. The Best of Friends is the story of three women who have been best friends since high school, each settling down in suburbia with seemingly picture perfect lives, marriages and families. All three women have sons the same age, and they grow up to also be best friends. All is Insta-perfect, until one fateful night and a tragic accident (or is it?) shatters life as they know it. The book takes readers back and forth perspective wise to each of the women in the fall out from the "incident" - Kendra, Dani and Lindsey. As they try to unravel what happens on that night (no spoilers), their perfect lives are rocked by hidden secrets uncovered and realizations that their perfect suburban lives were not what they seemed. I feel like for any Moms of teenage boys this could hit pretty hard. But I found it really engrossing, twisty...and it leaves you with a giant, didn't-see-that-coming moment in the very last sentence. The Best of Friends for me was more like - one of the Best of Ends. Enjoy!

Real feel: 3.5

How well do you know your children?

A major tragedy from a sleepover that went all the wrong ways will plant the seed of doubt in Lindsey, Kendra, and Dani's hearts.
One of the kids is dead, one ended up in a coma, and the third one doesn't want to retell what exactly happened.

Unable to solve the situation, the three women start a silent war between them, and this is the point when each of them starts digging up the dirt.

The blurb of The Best of Friends reminded me of Moriarty's books. And, believe me, I love that kind of books, where drama meets mystery and suspense, and all things seem messy and tangled.

It really was that kind of a novel, where family secrets get to see the light of the day, and even the best friends start questioning their friendships in an instant.

But I couldn't feel it, it was impossible to connect with these women because something was missing.

The chapters were too short. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE short chapters and fast-paced books. But sometimes, it's better when all things are slow. The short chapters didn't leave me enough time to process the story and when someone chooses a topic such as this, things NEED to take time.

But although this book didn't work its magic on me, I can't say that I didn't enjoy it. It is a fine read that will feed even the most curious souls.


Many thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC, in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.