I am a sucker for a good domestic suspense novel, and Erika Raskin did not disappoint. Compelling. Intense. Phenomenal. Must read!

slightly dragging crime book that is pretty good but could have been better if it would have been overworked one last time and the sections edited out that felt as if they where only in the book to make it longer instead of actually bringing anything to the story. I love my crime and thriller books a bit more snappy and fast paced overall.
still it was a nice read overall.

Thanks to #NetGalley for this copy!

I've really appreciated this book. First of all, Marti's character is realistic and it's really easy to feel very close to her. As a social worker in a hospital and an unsatisfied wife, she sees her marriage falling into pieces and, at the same time, all her life following it in this downward spiral. Mother of a son and two daughters, she perfectly knows what it means to care about someone else. This is what she does every day of her life. Still, when there is a malpractice case in the hospital she works in and her client's daughter dies in a mysterious way, she finds herself accused with murder. While her life completely goes down, she has to be strong in order to fight in the courtroom and to come back home to her sons. All characters in the book are psychologically well characterised. I particularly love Marti's best friend, Colby, and her boss Win. They help her going through the tragedy her life has become, and to see the light at the end of the road. Probably the last chapter is a bit too fast and I would have liked something more to be said in the end. Still, this is really a good book and I definitely suggest it.

I thought this book was excellent.! I have no idea why people are not talking about this one. I loved the complex characters and I was completely drawn in to the plot of the darker side of medicine and politics. The story was fast paced and compelling and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I honestly could tell by the writing of the first 2 chapters that it wouldn't be a good fit for our box and had to put it down. I may read it again in the future!

A unique story that gives a gritty insight to health treatment, and litigation, in the US. I found this book detailed, well written and engrossing. An absolute gem.

Marti’s Husband Elliot is an OB-GYN working many hours and finding less time to spend with his family. As their youngest starts school Marti decides to take her career as a social worker off of hold and takes a job trying to help young vulnerable women who are often in need of assistance due to unfortunate living situations. Such is the case with Tonya, pregnant and in need of a friend and mentor. Marti becomes her birthing coach and is there with her when she gives birth in the same hospital where her husband works. Something goes terribly wrong and Marti finds herself in legal trouble as her marriage crumbles as well. This is an interesting look at hospital politics, the training procedures of interns, and cover-ups when mistakes are made. You’ll have to read this book to find out the ending. I found this book full of compassion as well as secrets of the medical world of hospitals uncovered and exposed. Very interesting read.

The story of Marti Trailor - daughter of a US congressman who is happy to return to work in the same hospital as her husband, he however, doesn't feel the same. From the start, we know she's on trial but for what?

At the start of the novel we know that Marti Trailor is in trouble. Something has happened that her career, her family and her freedom is in jeopardy and through the pages we learn about how a caring social worker ended up in such a fraught situation.

Marti has been the good wife who has put her career on hold to help raise her children and support her husband’s career as he becomes a successful obstetrician. Elliott is always on call and/or too busy but she knows that one day, things will change and it will all have been worthwhile but when he cancels yet again on a party they were supposed to attend, Marti’s vulnerability starts to shine through. Her good friend Colby is there to help her but ultimately it is a timely meeting that will make a difference in her life.

While hoping and waiting that Elliot shows up she strikes up a conversation with the head of a program for new moms, which ends up being a great opportunity for Marti, after all didn’t she do her thesis on Obstetrics and Infant Mortality rates. Now she could have the chance to help underprivileged women get the right help to raise their babies.

Marti’s re-entrance in the workforce isn’t easy as her husband doesn’t seem as supportive and then there are the issues of how to navigate the different classes the hospital caters to, after all there is a VIP wing but only for those with money and shouldn’t all mothers have the same care? But Marti takes it all in stride and thinks she’s making a difference and she is until one day, one of her clients gives birth and has to make a heartbreaking decision. Did her client receive the right care and did she have any choice?

I was totally caught up in this medical drama because I think the story raises some very interesting points about the differences in our access to healthcare. We also know how doctors and nurses are continually asked to work extra hours to cover shifts but what are the consequences to that and ultimately it is the patient who will have to suffer. If your book group is looking for a great novel to discuss, this might be the one!

BEST INTENTIONS follows the story of Marti Trailor, whom Amazon sums up as "social worker on hold, mother of three, wife of a successful obstetrician, daughter of a Congressman." When she decides she is ready to go back to work and is offered a job working with a new mothers program at the same hospital as her husband, he has some reservations about her taking the position in the same hospital as him.

Marti finds herself questioning whether she's blurring the lines of her professionalism with her clients on several occasions, growing particularly close to one of her clients in particular. She also continues standing up for the residents, having a unique perspective on their struggle from being overworked by having been the wife of a resident once.

But then something happens, and Marti's life seems to hang in the balance because of it.

My favorite thing about the book was Raskin's style of writing it. Each chapter began with a flash of present time, and then a look back at the events leading up to the present. Basically snip bits of the story leading readers to know that there is something big coming in Marti's life without giving away what that is. Yet it's done in such a way that a reader will not be confused about the timeline of events (I've found some authors cannot quite get there when they try this style).

I've read some very good domestic suspense novels lately. After reading the description for "Best Intentions", I thought it sounded like another novel that I might enjoy....and I was right!

As the book opens, Marti Trailor is wondering how she ended up where she is. All she wanted was to make a difference. She feels like she's walking on a tightrope that's swinging out of control, but if she doesn't look down, then she'll be fine. If she doesn't think of "the case" or words like, malpractice, adultery, class, race, and murder, then she won't lose complete control. As someone who hates being scrutinized by the public, it's now common to hear her name on the nightly news, or from Nancy Grace.

We are aware that something has happened...something bad. But we don't know what it is. Marti is in trouble but we don’t know why. I was anxious to find out what she had apparently done.

Marti tells us it all began the year before at an annual medical function. The "Spring Fling" was supposed to be a celebration of the start of her husband, Elliot's career as an obstetrician. Finally he was done with training. This was supposed to mean he would be more involved with their family. But as usual, her husband is late to the party. He tells her he'll meet her there, barely concealing his impatience and irritation at the fact that she is upset. Marti remembers the early days of marriage and Elliot's career. How exciting it was. But now....all of the emergencies, training, and meetings only meant that Elliot was never home and never available to her or the children.

As she waits for her husband, Marti heads to the bar where she meets Win Phillips. Win is also a social worker. He tells her about a "New Moms" program he's going to be running at Richmond Medical (where her husband works). The program will offer counseling, job-training, among other things. Then he asks her if she’d like to help him get the program off the ground.

Who knew that this offer of employment would change Marti’s life so drastically?

This was an intriguing story-line; one that grabbed my attention from the beginning. The story alternates between past and present. I did wish that the chapters had headings as there were times I wasn’t sure which time-frame I was reading.

Reading about the aspects of social work as well as hospital politics was very interesting. Social work is obviously extremely difficult. You have so much responsibility but lack of resources. There are so many tragic stories. There were things that may never have crossed my mind. For example I know that diapers are expensive, but I didn’t really think about what that not being able to afford them could mean....

Expensive diapers = trying to use less diapers=diaper rash=baby crying= increased family stress=possible abuse

Although this is a fiction novel, things like what happens in this book do happen. It’s scary to think about. There is so much we don’t know. How easily mistakes can be made when most of the nurses and doctors are exhausted. It was interesting to read what might happen when medical mistakes are made.

“Despite good intentions there are honest mistakes. And systemic ones. And just gross incompetence.”

Marti is great at advocating for her patients but will she be able to stand up for herself when she needs too?

This was an emotional read and it deals with a lot of current issues but also had a strong story-line. This was a story of loyalty, betrayal, compassion, family and so much more. Well written, with well-developed and interesting characters, “Best Intentions ” was a compelling and fascinating domestic suspense novel. I’m excited to read more from Erika Raskin.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an advanced readers copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.

Best Intentions is an entertaining, engrossing novel of domestic suspense. A perfect summer read! Raskin's writing is vivid with well-developed characters. The story has good pacing and really fulfills that need for drama and mystery. There is everything from hospital politics to a court trial to family drama. All in all, there is plenty to make this story quite the compelling tale.

Marti Trailor has it all. She is the daughter of a New York congressman, the mother to three and married to a successful obstetrician. But she is tired of being an over worked stay at home mom so when she is giving the opportunity to return to her social work job she jumps right in. She is super excited minus the one small little detail….. the hospital is the same hospital her husband works at and for some reason he isn’t very happy about it.
Erika Raskin writes a telling tale that captivated me from 1% to 100%. The story enfolds a gripping tale of how she witnesses something that she can’t unsee. She feels the need to do the right thing but the right thing to do comes with a heavy cost. WOW what a storyline right? Pass GO and head right over to Amazon and one click the book!

As the introductory blurb says, Marti Trailor is a stay at home mum, who goes back to work. By doing so in her husband's hospital she runs the risk of discovering secrets she didn't know he had. But also carving out a new life for herself with new, interesting friends who see her as more than Marti, the wife and mum. I'm not sure what I thought of how the book was composed - we know Marti is on trial, we don't know what for. Then we know the crime but not the detail. It jumps from a bit about current day and the legal case, to the events that brought us to this point. Peripheral characters become integral to the denouement of the story. I wanted to get to the bottom of things, I was rooting for Marti, I laughed (mainly at the things the children said and did) and I cried at points in the story, and I was desperate to finish it to find out what happened.Although Marti's dad was important to how she was viewed, we see less of him than I expected. A good, gripping read with a real main character, one who shows her human frailties and acknowledges her own weaknesses and above all who does what she thinks is best, and speaks up for people.

3+ stars. I feel like it's time to be a bit more discriminating in my book choices, especially when it comes to mysteries, thrillers and lighter reads. I'm on vacation and have been purposefully reading a few lighter books but am reminded about how hard it is to find something truly satisfying. Best Intentions sounded promising and it wasn't a dud, but it could have been much better. Marti is a social worker, and she works in the same hospital where her husband works as an obgyn. From the beginning, we know that Marti has been charged with a crime, but the plot moves back and forth in time slowly revealing the circumstances leading up to the charges, and concluding with the trial. I liked the concept and the story actually draws on interesting issues surrounding how hospitals are run, but it felt like the plot and characters were missing some substance. For example, from the beginning, we know that things are rocky between Marti and her husband but he never comes through as three dimensional character. Also, Marti's father is a senator, yet very little of the plot plays on this fact. And I could name a few more misses. Promising but not entirely satisfying. Time to move on to something more serious -- although I know I'll be back to try to find an engrossing lighter read soon. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

Marti Trailor is a beleaguered mother of three young children, struggling to hold on to any pieces of her own self as she takes care of her household and family while her husband, Elliot, works endless hours as an obstetrician. When her youngest daughter starts kindergarten, Marti, a former social worker, decides to go back to work. She gets a job, which, coincidentally happens to be in her husband's hospital--something he doesn't seem too thrilled about. Once there, Marti realizes just how overworked many of the doctors are. She also can't help but get a little too involved in the lives of her clients. It's while helping a client--and skirting that precarious line between social worker and friend--that Marti sees something horrible happen at the hospital. This event will change the course of her life forever and threaten everything she holds dear.

This was an interesting novel, to say the least. I was immediately drawn to it, as the author apparently lives in Charlottesville, my hometown. This book is set in Richmond, VA, and she certainly captures the area and the state quite well.

The book is told entirely from Marti's perspective and it takes a little while to fall into the pattern of reading, as present-tense and past-tense are presented together in the chapters without any break (at least they were in my ARC), leaving you a bit confused at first. The back and forth can be a little awkward and jarring in the beginning, though once you get used to it, it's a pretty compelling device. The novel isn't exactly exciting in a thriller-type way, but there's a fascinating element to it that keeps you reading.

There's a lot going on in this book--marital issues, a discussion on hospital policies, Marti juggling work and motherhood, investigative journalism, discussion into Richmond politics, etc. Sometimes it seems a little too much: did Marti really need to be the daughter of a Congressman, for instance?

Still, Raskin is a descriptive writer, and her prose is fairly easy to read, and again, as I mentioned, it's a hard-to-put down book. She had me from nearly the beginning, when she described one of the characters as "Tommy Lee Jones in his heyday cute." (She gets me, she really gets me, I thought!)

As the novel progresses, I found it almost Jodi Picoult-esque. There's a strong emphasis on character development, courtroom drama, and plot elements designed to make you think. Sure, the characters are drawn a bit black and white--Elliot bad, Marti good, but it works: Elliot is just so awful you cannot help but like Marti even more. Did I find the novel quite as persuasive and enjoyable as Picoult in her heyday? No. But that's pretty hard to do.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. It's descriptive, oddly compelling, and was a nice change of pace from the thrillers I've been reading lately. Definitely worth a read. I'd go with around 3.75 stars, rounded up to 4 here.

When I started reading Best Intentions, by Erika Raskin, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I hadn’t heard very much about this book. Now that I have finished, I must say, this one became the surprise hit of my summer. I cannot believe more people are not talking about this book!

The way Raskin chose to narrate the novel and roll out the plot was absolute literary brilliance. The novel opens with Marti, our narrator, looking back on the events of the story. Something bad has happened. She is facing charges. Her world has been torn apart. And, at this point, the reader has no idea why. Needless to say, I was hooked. Told through a back and forth type of narration, the reader is able to see how the events played out and the repercussions. At about the 60% point is where the reader is finally privy to the events that led Marti to her situation and I was actually shocked with how things played out; I had my suspicions and I had my theories but Raskin does a phenomenal job at leaving small breadcrumbs so the reader stays in the dark.

Marti was a complex and likeable character, a social worker and mother of three; she is living the “semi-perfect” life with her OBGYN husband. When she heads back to work and starts working at her husband’s hospital, she is hesitant but eager to share her enthusiasm counseling young women as they prepare to give birth. As she gets closer to her patients and becomes involved emotionally, she finds herself caught up in the darker side of medicine and politics.

When I think domestic suspense, I usually find myself thinking of books like Behind Closed Doors by B.A Paris or The Couple Next Door by Shari Lepena. I was pleased to find that Raskin chooses to weave a completely different tale under this genre; a tale that looks at the high stakes of hospital politics, court proceedings, pressures of family life and balancing career and family and also the consequences of trying to do the right thing.

I absolutely loved Best Intentions; fast paced prose, complex characters and a plot that left me thinking, I would highly recommend this book to lovers of Jodi Picoult. It is up that same alley. 5/5 stars from me!

This is just the sort of novel you need when you're looking for. book to engage you and get you thinking about relationships, family, and the law. Marti is a terrifically complex and understandable character who gets wrapped into something she never saw coming. Beware that there is a shifting time line, which I found very effective because it keeps you guessing as to what's going on (no spoilers) and what the outcome will be. Should she be vilified or not? Wait till you meed Leland, who. is just the attorney you'd want to represent you in these circumstances. Hospital politics are much the same as politics in any workplace but much more intense because there are lives involved. I very much enjoyed this and thank Netgalley for the ARC. Recommend this to fans of Jodi Picoult and other works of "domestic" fiction.

I cannot express how much I loved this book. The characters and story were perfect, and it was just so enthralling. I can't wait to read more by Erika Raskin.

I received this ARC from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

Marti Trailor is a mother of three, wife of a successful obstetrician, and ready to go back to work as a social worker. The perfect job presents itself except it's at the same hospital where her husband works. A terrible tradegy occurs and she is accused of murder.

The beginning of the story was alot of background, almost too much. It started to gain momentum half way through, maybe that is where the story should have begun. Overall, the book was okay but with too much filler.

3.25 ☆