Fast paced read and really great story. Just the right blend and balance of drama amd strong story line that played out differently to how I pictured. Highly recommend.

Rating: 5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!!!!!!!!!

The Best of Friends was SO good. It is my favorite book to date of 2020. One of those books that make you neglect your work and read instead. It was such an emotional roller coaster. It had me in tears for the tragedy and despair the characters went through. I loved the reveal since it was something I just did not think of. This is thriller/suspense with a lot of drama that is a MUST READ of 2020. Have your tissues handy. Possible trigger warning.

Book: The Best of Friends (Release Date: August 18, 2020)
Author: Lucinda Berry
Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense/Drama

Thank you to @NetGalley @ThomasandMercer and @LucindaBerryAuthor for an advanced copy of @TheBestofFriends

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My Review:

What a perfect ending to a perfect book!!!!! I absolutely loved this book along with Lucinda Berry’s other books. I am working my way through all her books and she sure does not disappoint in any of them.

This book was about three women who were best friends who also just so happened to have three boys the same age who were best friends. All of their lives were going to soon change. One boy is dead, one boy is in a coma and the last boy would not speak a word. What were these three women to do? Do they try to find out the truth or do they try to put their life back together?

I want to start off by saying that Lucinda Berry is my new favorite author. I have read several of her books but this one tops the cake!!!!! I loved the way she wrote every character. Each of them had a deep dark secret that came out in the end and boy the secrets were juicy and shocking. She really nailed the characters and their flaws to make such a great book. I really like the plot too. Who doesn’t like a book where everyone is hiding something. I love it!!!!! Let’s talk about that ending. It was definitely a shock to my system. I had no clue that was where the book was taking me and what a roller coaster ride it was.

Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I went into this book thinking it was going to be a mystery/thriller, but this book is an emotional drama.

I was worried when I started this book because it felt like this book was going to take a political approach about gun laws, but that didn't happen. I'm not one to read political pieces. After I passed the 15% mark, I couldn't put the book down. I don't typically read drama books at all, but this book was very well written and kept my interest until the end.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for my eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Caution: child loss, emotional infidelity, child abuse, and domestic abuse.

Lindsey, Kendra and Dani had been best friends since childhood. Their husbands were also friends and they lived close to one another in Norchester, South California. The night their lives changed irrevocably began as any other; the three older boys were at a sleepover when shots were heard, then sirens followed and lives changed. One of their boys was dead, another was in a coma and the third was uninjured, but was too shocked to talk.

While the police investigated, questioning everyone thoroughly and more than once, the lives of the three friends slowly shattered. The husbands had secrets, the wives also had secrets. The loss and grief was debilitating and they wondered if they would ever recover from it. Would they find out what really happened that night? They were certainly finding out that they hadn’t known their sons as well as they thought they had…

The Best of Friends is my first by Lucinda Berry and I really enjoyed it. My only problem was the amount of characters and trying to keep who was who straight in my head. The plot was different to anything I’ve read before, and was intriguing, tragic, heart breaking and unputdownable. The Best of Friends is narrated by the three women and is a psychological thriller which is thought provoking and poignant. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story of friends & secrets. Best friends Kendra, Dani, & Lindsay are childhood friends. Their boys are also friends. Each group has their own share of secrets. Add in 3 husbands, and it was a lot to keep track of, resulting in a rating of 3.5. I enjoyed the pacing of the story & felt the characters were reasonably well-developed. It definitely kept you in suspense as secrets were brought to light. Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

This book gets a solid 4 stars! It was well written, easy to keep up with, and kept me wanting more. I personally loved the fact that I felt close to the characters by the time I was finished reading this book. Welcome to the story that will take you on a ride of emotions. One moment you find yourself in the middle of a tragedy that involves a group of teenage boys, next you will catch yourself getting angry at the parents, then within moments you will feel grief, heartache, and so many more emotions. From the minute I picked this book up until the moment I put it down, I was enthralled! I couldn't put it down, I read it from front to back in a few hours! If you enjoy a great book that makes you feel all the feels, then I promise you won't regret picking this one up!

There are one or two false notes here, but, considering the range of emotion and number of perspectives, the whole thing is handled fairly well. I could have done without the final scene.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Lucinda Berry’s latest book, The Best of Friends.

Ms, Berry can write no wrong. I love it when a book pulls me in from the first chapter until alas, the last chapter. This is one of those fabulous books!

Three women have been besties since elementary school, and were excited when they became pregnant at the same time. They each had a boy who also grow up thick as thieves. The boys are popular and play on the same soccer team. There is a bit of rivalry with one of the boys getting a soccer scholarship, but they are inseparable. Life is great.

The night that changes everything leaves one boy dead, one in a coma and the other in shock and unable to speak. The families rush to the hospital, not knowing which boy is dead.

Each chapter pivots between the POV of the mothers and reveals each family’s inner thoughts about what really happened that night, along with the ongoing police investigation. The way each individual handles their own personal tragedy and what is slowly revealed about the boys and their families is gripping and engrossing.

There is so much going on in the book but I don’t want to reveal what could be considered spoilers! There are many say whaaat?! moments throughout the book, so buckle down for an intense psychological ride. I found it helpful to write down the name of each mom and their family members to refer to, because the chapters fly by fast and at first it was difficult to remember which family had which son.

A very engaging read! A psychological thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, The Best of Friends follows three families as they deal with a terrible trauma. Each family has their secrets, lies, and drama and by the end you will be thinking of the characters as if they are people you actually know and care about!

A gripping story about three families who have their lives torn apart after a terrible incident. The three women involved were friends since elementary school. They live together in the same neighborhood, brought up their children together, and their families socialize together. Despite their closeness, they still keep their secrets.

A fictional story that is truly engaging and keeps readers guessing until the very end.

A little bit of everything made it more surface than a deep dive but very quick moving and readable. Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this authors book and this is another one to add to the list! Couldn’t put it down! Definitely recommend Thankyou for the arc!

I devoured this book like I hadn’t eaten in a week! I have read almost all of Lucinda’s books and I was delighted to get my hands on this one early. This book kept me interested and I wanted to keep reading because I had to know what happened next. I like how it was told from different viewpoints so the reader could see where everyone was coming from. This book had a modern plot and didn’t turn out the way I expected. Lucinda has a way of storytelling that has your heart pounding and you can’t believe what the character just did! I highly recommend this book to everyone!

An unbelievable tragedy hits three families hard, leaving one teen dead, one in a coma, and one unable to overcome his fear and trauma to talk. What happened that fatal night between three best friends. How will their families, a group of best friends on their own, come out the other side.

I found this book so intriguing. Each woman and family had their own quirks and troubles. Each relationship felt pure and real, between the families and within the families. I found myself having hope for each of them, I found myself cheering for them but also doubting their decisions.

I found the ending very abrupt. The big reveal seemed very rushed and sudden and not at all how I expected it to come to light. Like the author decided the book was long enough and that was the only way to end things. Besides that, it was very good. Fast paced with easy chapters, I was totally invested in the story.

An absolute terrifying act. Three mothers wondering what happened. What happened that night.

This book is going to make you do some serious thinking. So very serous crying. And bring out some serious anger. This told from the three main people affected, Lindsey, Kendra, and Dani. Each a mother who is dealing with loss. In different ways but still the same too.

After a horrible accident, which may not even be an accident, three best friends have to deal with the fallout. What happened that horrible night. Did one of their sons shot the others or was it truly a freak accident. With Sawyer dead, Jacob in a coma and Caleb not able to speak, will anyone ever know what really happened? Was a girl involved? Or was it something deeper? Or was it just truly an accident?

While I did guess totally at why one of the things happened it was still an excellent story. It was a deep story that will have you turning the pages to find out what happens next. I never guessed who did exactly what though and that was ok. Three mother's lost their sons that night. Even though one is alive they all lost them no the less. Sometimes in life you lose.

This book is told from three different POVs. You find out about each woman's life and how their families are affected when the unthinkable happens. One woman is in a very hurtful, cruel marriage. I wanted so bad for her to get out. Leave that excuse of a man. Each of these woman have secrets. Secrets that will come out. Their husbands have a few secrets also.

These families will never be the same. They won't ever get over the losses they have to face. But they can learn to be there for each other. Learn to forgive each other. Learn to forgive their boys for the crazy night that turned all of their lives upside down forever. This is a deep book. One that will make you feel so many things. Mainly the pain of loss. The emotions of what it's like to let go. One family has to make a lot of very hard decisions. One has to bury their son. One has to try and break through the wall that theirs has built around himself. This is a very painful book. But it's also good. Very realistic. But good. So so very emotional... Yet so good.

What would you do? Could you do what these mother's did? Can anyone ever go back to who they were before? I doubt that one very seriously. This book pulls at your heart in a way that no other book ever has for me. It made me cry some big ugly horrible tears. The ending really got to me. When the truth comes out, it's not that it's a huge surprise, it's how it's told. This author captured this book tp perfection. Such raw emotion.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #LucindaBerry, #Thomas&Mercer for this arc. This is my own review.

I had to give it a big 5/5 stars. It's so worth each tear. A big 5 box of tissues. A high recommend.

This was such a thought provoking story, albeit very sad. Three friends who grew up together, went through school together, and now live in the same neighborhood. Their children are growing up together, and the story revolves around three sons who are best friends...and that’s where the story begins. I can’t say anymore, as I don’t want to give anything away. You will. be drawn in by the first chapter, and it’s a fast read since you will not be able to put this book down. At first I was a little confused, as each chapter revolves around the three different women and their families., but after getting to know who’s who, it gave a very interesting perspective on how they deal with the terrible problem that has shaken up all their lives. This would be a great book club selection, and I will be recommending this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read the digital version of this book.

Kendra, Dani and Lindsey are the best of friends and that friendship is tested when a tragedy strikes their boys. What an emotional tale of loss grief and secrets,

I had to know what would happen next, I highly recommend this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Lucinda Berry for the opportunity to read her latest gripping thriller - 4.5 stars rounded up for an emotional ride!

Three women - Dani, Kendra and Lindsey - have been best friends forever. They each have a teenage son the same age who are also best friends. But one night a tragic accident happens and no one's life will ever be the same. One boy is dead, one is in a coma, and one is so traumatized he can't speak. As the police are investigating, the women themselves are desperate to know the true story behind the accident - but at what cost? Told from the viewpoint of each of these women, we see how this accident affects their life, their marriages, their other children and their relationship to each other.

This was a gripping, emotional read that I couldn't put down. It all comes to the heart of how well we can really know another person - especially as our children grow older and have lives separate from ours. Throw in social media and everything takes on a new level. Are we the type to excuse our children's behavior? Blame ourselves for their behavior or our husband? Much to think about in this book. My only issue with this book was that I had trouble keeping the characters fixed in my brain as to whose mother and wife they were and kept having to go back and double check! I love this author's work; she was a clinical psychologist who specialized in childhood trauma so she knows her stuff and knows how to write a gripping story!

This book kept me turning page after page and sucked me in. I got so invested in this story. I love a good mystery/thriller but hate when I can figure out who it was. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I feel a bit proud when I can but then I feel the author could have made the story line a bit trickier. The author here did just that. This book kept me guessing from start to pretty much finish. I couldn’t figure it out and was impressed with the story line. Highly recommend you check this book out!