Woooweee! Amanda Eyre Ward’s latest novel The Lifeguards had me completely captivated from start to finish! Centering around a tight-knit group of mothers who pride themselves in their strong friendships with one another, well-to-do neighborhood, and amazing teenagers they’re raising. Everything is going swimmingly until tragedy touches their perfect community!

I loved that this novel is told through several perspectives—it really added so much to the storyline! I enjoyed that Amanda Eyre Ward gave us the characters current AND backstories! I truly felt like I was on the edge of seat the entire way through, the pacing was perfect and when I say perfect I mean unputdownable! The Lifeguards is a total and complete 5 star book that would make a fantastic book club selection! I look forward to reading more from Amanda Eyre Ward in the future!

I had high hopes for this book from the moment I read the description and my expectations have been surpassed! I love the perspectives from which the author writes, creating such insight from all angles. And the characters are so meticulously drawn, full of secrets, full of hope. I just absolutely loved this book!

The power of sisterhood is evidenced in this book as Liza, Annette and Whitney raise their three boys together and intertwine each other's lives into their own. At times, it seems that they are closer to each other than their husbands. However, upon the mysterious death of Lucy, who.did it and how it was caused, leads their to protect their boys interests and sacrifice the others. They may be lifeguards but they could not protect each other from drowning in guilt. The plot twist at the end is fascinating but totally understandable as it pertains to Roma. Highly recommend.

The premise of the book sounded interesting…3 diverse women pregnant at the same time become friends/ neighbors as does their 3 sons. When the 15-year-old sons find a dead woman on a greenway, it soon turns into every family for themselves. The basic story was fine and the characters seemed developed enough but unfortunately not enough for me to recommend this book.

There was a lot of name brand calling of nearly everything to assure us they were rich which was distracting and unnecessary to me. I also thought it seemed as if all the parents involved immediately assumed the boys were involved and took a defensive stance.

The ending was abrupt in my opinion and didn’t really let us know in a clear enough way what happened.

I thank NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read this book.

I expected to like this book more than I did. It started off so strongly, but I was disappointed by the ending. It was melodramatic and farfetched, although I was happy to learn that the boys seemed to be mostly still friendly after everything was resolved.

What did surprise me was the connection to my hometown. I had no idea that there would be a connection to Cape Cod, let alone Falmouth, MA. I found the part of the story that touched on this location very compelling and would really like to see a prequel based on this storyline.

I was really intrigued by the story of 3 teenaged boys who work as lifeguards discovering a body, the fact that they're best friends and their mothers are, too, and the fallout that occurs as each woman opts to protect her son. But I don't think this book quite delivered on the story's promise.

I loved The Jetsetters so I was excited to read this one. Overall, it was a little too slow for me to really get into. I didn't find myself connecting to any of the characters and I couldn't bring myself to get real invested in the story.

I was quite a fan of “The Jetsetters,” but I did not know what to expect when I had a chance to read an advanced copy of the “The Lifeguards.” Amanda Eyre Ward manages to deliver a fantastic domestic thriller that, while very different than “The Jetsetters,” is just as enjoyable.

While “The Jetsetters” focuses on a family trip gone wrong, “The Lifeguards” tells the story of three friends from a wealthy Austin neighborhood. They each have a son, the boys becoming as close as their mothers. Fifteen now, the boys get summer jobs as lifeguards a the local swimming hole, but before they can start their jobs, the three boys come across a body on the trails.

The novel revolves through the point of view of the three friends and the homicide detective, Salvatore, who has suddenly become a single dad to two kids when he suddenly loses his wife. Liza, as a single mom, and a bit of an outside, is the most relatable of the main characters, which is why her story, unlike the other three narrators, is told in first person. The setting of suburban Austin is another character-- Amanda Eyre Ward immerses the reader into the culture and sights with vivid descriptions that do not slow down the pace of the novel whatsoever.

“The Lifeguards” piqued my attention from the first chapter, and even though it takes a few chapters to introduce characters, I felt instantly engaged; there are plenty of unexpected surprises so that most thrill seekers will not be disappointed. A solid four stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing-Ballantine Books for the Advanced Reader Copy.

Three best friends, raising three boys that have been best friends from birth. All live in a rich suburb of Austin and have “perfect” lives. Or so it seems. Liza, the single mom trying to hold it all together, Annette, mom and wife with a not so happy marriage, and Whitney, real estate mogul mom of twins. Their lives are turned upside down the day their sons discover a body near their homes. But these perfect boys couldn’t have had anything to do with it, could they? These mothers will go to any length to protect their beloved sons, even at the expense of each other,..

I was very thankful to have received an advanced copy of this book because I enjoyed Ward's previous novel, The Jetsetters. From the pre-title pages, I was hype to see the novel was set in Austin, TX! Having visited Austin this summer, I loved that I could pick out all the local references- HomeSlice, Zilker Park and, of course, Barton Springs.

WHAT I LOVED:
-As mentioned above, the setting was great. Even if you haven't been to Austin, I think this book will make you want to book a visit.
-The main characters centers around suburban housewives, which all have complex backgrounds that they keep from each other. The author expertly revealed more and more about each of the characters to continuously drag us into the mystery.

WHAT I DISLIKED:
-The book ended too soon! I don't say that just as an avid reader, I truly believe the ending was rushed. When we finally got to the climax, the resolution was so short. I had a lot of unanswered questions.
Ex/ What happened with Charlie's boyfriend? Did Charlie ever come out to his mom?
What happened to Roma? She obviously needed psychological care.
What happened with the fake nanny the Detective hired?

Great book, I enjoyed it a lot but I do hope the ending gets rounded out!

This book had me curious and guessing until its final pages. It’s definitely a page turner and centers around three mothers who’ve known each other since prenatal yoga class, and their three sons (the Three Musketeers). The boys are now 15 years old and find a body at their secret swimming hole, but who dunnit? Were the boys involved and how? Can their mothers trust them? Are their parents listening to them or writing their own narrative to protect them? Each mother’s instinct to protect her own was understandable and relatable, especially as we learned how each woman’s past led her to present day.
I liked that each mother had her own troubled background guiding her actions, and that each boy represented some cross section of today's youth. I liked that the detective was flawed and at a crossroads in his own family life.

I kept forgetting which husband went with which person as far as traits, not name, but maybe I just read too fast to settle in to the details. I also thought that many facets of the story had no conclusion, which was kind of a bummer. Why the substory about the fraudulent nanny agency if it made no impact on the story? What happened in the bunker to lead to the conclusion a year later? Who ended up paying the final price and did anyone falsely accused go free? Some of this was implied but I wanted more. After reading so far into the story I wanted details on what went down. The book wasn’t long and adding pages to tie up loose ends would have been nice. It makes me wonder if I’m being set up for a sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC and allowing me to enjoy this book ahead of its release!

The story follows three friends in an Austin, TX suburb -- where things aren't always as perfect as they seem. Each lady has a different story but what brings them together is their three sons, whom have grown up together and are lifeguards at the local swimming spot. The boys come running home one night after finding a dead body on the greenbelt -- they claim they don't know her or what happened....but do they?

It's a great mystery, very in depth and will keep you trying to figure it out until the end. The ending is pretty abrupt and wraps up quickly, it would have been nicer to have fleshed out a bit after reading the whole story waiting for it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Big Little Lies vibes all over the place! Switches between narrators and follows the suspenseful story of affluent mothers and their sons. The story moves quickly and keeps you hooked chapter after chapter! Definitely a thriller to keep you on the edge of your seat. The book wasn't quite what I was looking for at the time I read, but it serves its purpose well. I struggled a bit to keep track of all of the characters though since the community is so rich and full of vibrant people.

Many thanks to Amanda Eyre Ward, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for this ARC!

I was SO lucky to receive an advance copy of The Lifeguards by Amanda Eyre Ward from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinions! I just might have done a happy dance when I was approved for this book as I absolutely loved her prior book, The Jetsetters! This book takes you on a wild ride and I promise you will not be able to put it down once you start. This is full of lots of secrets and will keep you guessing! I can't wait until April when all of my friends are able to read it! Great job Amanda Eyre Ward and I can't wait for your next book to come out! :)

Wow! What a ride! Three women from an affluent Austin neighborhood become best friends when they are all attending a prenatal class together. 15 years later, their three sons are best friends also, otherwise known as the “three musketeers”. The boys get summer jobs as lifeguards at the local swimming hole in the very upscale neighborhood where they live. On the first night of summer, the boys go to where their moms are gathered and report that they have found a dead body in the greenbelt.
The story is told by four narrators, each of the mothers, Annette, Whitney and Liza and Salvatore, the homicide detective as well as in the form of text messages, a neighborhood blog and at least one diary entry by the victim. The only perspective that we get in first person is that of Liza. The book touches on many issues such as secrets and competition between best friends, privilege that comes with wealth, relationships and communication within families and psychiatric issues and much more.
This psychological/mystery thriller covers so many issues in very unique ways. It is fast-paced, suspenseful and riveting and very difficult to stop reading until the end. The twists and turns are so unexpected and surprising that the conclusion to the story is anybody’s guess. This author is quite imaginative and very skilled In her writing style and in keeping the reader engaged. With just enough mystery surrounding the end of the story to leave the reader wanting even more.

I loved this book!! Three women who are friends and lifeguard together along with having three sons around the same age, stumble upon a dead body. While the women try to protect their sons from being suspects, people talk and soon their sons find themselves at the center. This book was such a thriller, mystery all in one full of suspense and intrigue. The ending...WOW! It definitely through me for a loop but I enjoyed how messed up it was. Highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a good read.

I found it really hard to relate to the women in this book. None of the characters drew me in. However, I thought it was interesting story and enjoyed trying to figure out what had happened. I thought the alternating timeline worked really well in this book.

Three women friends with three teenage boys who have become lifeguards together find a dead body, the families try to keep their boys out of the inevitable police investigation but ultimately each of them will have to lawyer up. I enjoyed this drama with multiple twists and the ending is quite messed up.

The timing switched so often that it was confusing. I had to push myself to get through the book because there were soooo many characters being thrown at you and it was hard to remember who was who and especially when the timing would keep changing. Too much emphasis on a cop who had such a little part in the story.

As much as I loved The Jetsetters… The Lifeguards felt like a rushed book. So many loose ends.
Three teen boys left a swimming hole one day and a dead woman was found. We’re then involved?
The book ends with twin sister Roma as a psychopath trying to kill her brother.,,what happened? Mother Whitney trying to frame Roma, friend Liza and son Charlie all down in the secret cave about to have secrets unravel.,..what happened? Charlie is coming out of the closet with Amir..,.what happened? Annette is now with her boss a year later? ….what happened?
It’s almost as if the author missed 10 chapters and decided to do an epilogue instead. Big thumbs down when I was so excited for a big suspenseful ending.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Intriguing, suspenseful, quick moving story full of secrets and thrills.