Oh boy, oh boy. Oh boy. Did I say, “oh boy” already?

It took me a bit to get into this Lucinda Berry read, I’m not going to lie. I found myself losing track of characters, losing track of what was going on, and at one point I even lost interest in all honesty. However, once I decided to give it an honest try and dive in completely I did enjoy it. The plot was what drew me in, with promises of drama and mom-club cattiness turned violent. I was left wanting more ultimately.

Give it a go, though. All in all, I would recommend it!

I had no idea what was happening for a lot of this, but in a good way. I kept up with each chapter but new things were revealed and twisted pretty often, and I didn't know who was responsible until the end.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

There are secrets between friends and there are SECRETS! I was shocked by the way the secrets unfolded at the end of this book!

I felt like it was a rather slow moving story after the shock of the death in the beginning of the book and then bam, wham! Kiersten is found dead in her pool at the end of a party for the mom's club. Brooke tries CPR but Kiersten is already dead. The police discover it wasn't an accident but foul play and now the moms are all suspects. They were the only ones there. We then have a slow boil as Brooke starts to lose it after the women all believe she did it and her ex-wife takes their baby away. Whitney was Kiersten's BFF and she doesn't know what to do without her, they were so intertwined in each other's lives. Jade has a sick daughter and is hiding another big secret that will tear the friends apart. But hey, they all had big secrets.

Thoroughly enjoyable murder mystery with a twist. It was hard to put down and that ending!

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for a copy of this book for review.

Wow. I don’t even know how to put this book into words!

At first, I wasn’t sure how this was going to play out into a thriller. I LOVE all of the different POV’s of the characters, it really helps get into the story. About halfway through I just couldn’t stop reading. Lucinda is probably the queen of twists, I’ve yet to be disappointed by any book of hers that I’ve read!

Keep Your Friends Close is a fast paced, twisted and edge of your seat style read. The multiple POV's and quick, short chapters keep your heart racing and give you lots of breadcrumbs to follow while keeping you in the dark all at the same time. Highly recommended for all fans of thriller and mystery - Lucinda's fans will love this one.

Thanks to NetGalley & Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy. Keep Your Friends Close is available now.

Another author whose books are all four and five stars is Lucinda Berry. You know you’re up for a good time when you dive into her novels. Keep Your Friends Close was excellent, as I had hoped it would be! I was into it from the first chapter and am now looking forward to her next novel! If you haven’t read any of her books yet, start with The Perfect Child which is chilling in the best way.

Plot:

When Kiersten McCann, president of the West Hollywood Moms’ Club, turns up dead in her own pool, it quickly becomes clear this wasn’t an accident. And the party guests―all members of the exclusive club―are now key suspects in her murder.

Accusations fly, and three mothers find themselves at the center of the investigation. Whitney, Brooke, and Jade all have heavy secrets to bear…and possible motives for their friend’s murder. But as the police look closer, more secrets, betrayals, and sinister plots are revealed than the women could ever imagine.

With everything at stake, deceit threatens to shatter their illusions of the perfect life. West Hollywood will never be the same.

Lucinda Berry is a must read for me! This book did not disappoint. She can always be counted on to provide excellent characters. This book was fast paced and packed a punch from the first page!

Keep Your Friends Close is about an exclusive club for new Moms. On the surface all these women have it all - perfect lives. But when one of them is found dead in a swimming pool at a party this all changes. It wasn't an accident and the secrets these women are all keeping just start spilling out. One after another! You just can't stop reading this until the very end!

This reminded me of the real housewives of beverly Hills. I love a story filled with drama, especially with rich people behaving badly.

I’ve read a few of Berry’s books now and I have come to expect her very clever writing style, getting into the minds of our protagonists. This one is no exception.

When Hollywood Mom’s club president is found dead in the pool at the latest club party, it becomes a ‘whodunnit’ mystery.

Told through multiple POV’s we slowly uncover secrets, lies and betrayals. While not my favourite of hers, it was a fun and entertaining read.

Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an advance dreading copy.

"Desperate Housewives" meets the "Real Housewives of LA" in this scandalous tale of deceit, infidelity, and murder. When Kiersten, president of the prestigious West Hollywood Mom's Club, is found deceased in her pool during a booze-filled party, suspicion is immediately cast on the fellow moms at the party. Whitney, Brooke, and Jade are close friends of Kiersten, and have now also become suspects in her death. Each of the three ladies finds herself at the center of the investigation, trying desperately to prove their innocence, while also simultaneously trying to keep their individual secrets hidden. Which of the three women has a secret damaging enough that they might be willing to kill in order to keep it hidden forever?

Lucinda Berry is the queen of the psychological suspense novel. She has the ability to delve into the minds and psyches of her characters, exposing mind-blowing motives and plenty of twists and turns. "Keep Your Friends Close" takes a closer look at the dark side of wealth, privilege, and lust. This is a must read for any fan of Berry and her work.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC.

This book centers around a group of "friends" who are rich, new moms and the fallout that happens when one dies at a party. There are plenty of secrets, plenty of drama, and numerous twists. A few I didn't see coming for sure!

I found this to be so binge-worthy and really loved it. Although I hated legitimately all of the characters - good grief. A solid 4 stars.

When the President of a Hollywood moms club is found dead in her pool people soon realize that it’s not a accident. and it looks suspicious and they are right. Soon the murder is under investigation, and all the ladies lives, and Secrets are about to be revealed.
Author Lucinda Berry takes us on a twisty ride that intertwines with secrets and lies until it’s revealed who murder her.
What a murder mystery and the lies and secrets of all the characters made this book a intriguing read.
Thank you netgalley

Lucinda Berry brings us another thrilling read! Keep Your Friends Close shows us that even the closest friendships have the deepest secrets… from each other. I love how the book is written from different character perspectives. You get the inside thoughts of each character which is equally frustrating as it is satisfying. The only frustrating part… I want more! This book shows us how things aren’t always what they seem up until the very end. Every title by Lucinda Berry is a must read. I can’t wait for the next one!

Title sure fits this book! I have been in a reading slump and finished this book in a few days. Super fast read and the type you want to keep reading a few more pages to see what is happening next. Definitely will read from this author again. This was like a housewives show x10.

The characters can make you want to roll your eyes or scream at them but that says a lot about the author. Great job!!

I love Lucinda's books! The author always mixes drama with suspense that leaves you waiting to discover the ending, this one was no different. I was curious to know what had really happened to the character. I highly recommend it! Thanks to NetGalley!

I have read many of Lucinda Berry's books and other than Perfect Child, which I gave a 4 star, I have been somewhat disappointed. I just find them to be fast reads with a few twists added at the end, but nothing mind blowing. I'll continue to read her books, though, because I do like them, I just don't love them.

I really liked this one! Lucinda Berry does a fantastic job creating characters that you love to hate. This book kept me hooked from the first chapter and left me guessing until the very end. Berry does a great job not only creating a captivating plot but also a setting that draws readers into the story. Each book of hers that I read I can picture the people and the location the stories are set in. I will say that 3/4 of the way through I thought it was almost wrapped up and I felt disappointed that there weren’t any big Lucinda twists, but man was I wrong! The last quarter of the book left me shocked and I just love how Berry can throw you off just to create an even more twisted ending!

When the moms club of Hollywood has a moms night in and Kiersten ends up dead, the secrets they are keeping from each other threaten to unravel them as they try and get to the bottom of the murder. Sex, lies and scandal propel the plot as the moms try and navigate their way out of a murder investigation while pointing their finger at any one who isn’t themselves.

It took me a little bit to get into Keep Your Friends Close mostly because I couldn't keep the characters straight in my head. None of them are likable with the exception of Brooke whom I just felt so bad for. The ending is just... kinda wild. No way could I have guessed that. I didn't even know such a crime was possible!

Once again, Lucinda Berry does not disappoint. Her story leaves you on the edge of your seat, anticipating each character's next move. With every page turned, Berry has you asking, "How messed up can this story get?" Her words resonate with your worst fears and lead you down a deep and twisted saga between friends that you hope you never experience. I couldn't put this story down.