Lila Bennett is living two different lives - one in which her life continues seemingly as normal, and one where she is taken hostage. Lila is a prosecutor who defends those that have done the worst, and when she is taken hostage, she assumes it is an angry family member of someone who's murderer she defended. Lila is just coming to the realization as this book begins, that she has been living her life wrong, and she wants to be a more righteous, caring person, but it is too late.

This book follows both of the ways Lila's life could have gone, but both felt pretty similar and lots of really similar threads strung through it. At times, the book felt like it didn't have enough action and we were just adding a little more confusion to the mix. The concept was really cool, and I generally really enjoy Liz & Lisa - this just one of my favs.

That being said, Lila is a very relatable character who is trying to right her wrongs, and in doing so, she finds herself in a love triangle many book characters, and even real life individuals, find themselves in. And she is trying to get her old life back.

Thank you, NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I really liked how there were two storylines and the ending was thought-provoking for sure. The main problem was I did not like Lila at all so it made it hard to be engaged in what happened to her. I finished it because I wanted to know how it ended, but I probably would not read it again or recommend it.

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Thank you @netgalley for an ARC of this book. I just this very second finished it and I am still shaking! I hadn’t intended to read all afternoon, but I could not put this book down. It is a thriller told in two parts! I am glad it is early evening right now so I will be able to hopefully sleep tonight! Great read and page turner. I just love this writing duo!

"Maybe our mistakes are what make our fate" ~ Sarah Jessica Parker

Lila Bennett is not a bad person, she's just a person who has made a lot of bad choices.  Lila is a smart, confident, highly sought after criminal defense lawyer.  A rising star, she knows what to do to get the job done even if it means hurting others.  This reputation has made her a lot of enemies.  When Lila gets her latest client acquitted from murdering his wife, it does not feel like a victory.  Defending the rich and ruthless has taken a toll on her conscience.  Feeling the need to be better after wronging so many people, Lila makes a life altering decision that splits her life in two.
The chapters begin alternating between captured and free.  In captured, Lila has been kidnapped by Q, a man who seems to know everything about her.  He begins to force her to right all her wrongs.  Soon discovering that Q is not working alone, Lila is left alone for hours at a time in a cell block trying to survive and figure out who Q's boss is.  Is it someone she has wronged in her past?  Will she live through this or die trying?  One thing is for certain, life as Lila Bennett knew is over.
In free, Lila feels like she is being followed, but is she just paranoid?  An unknown stranger is also leaking her secrets one by one forcing Lila to come face to face with the choices she has made.  With everything out in the open, Lila begins to right her wrongs.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book!  It reminded me of the choose your own adventure books I read as a kid, but way more suspenseful and full of twists and turns!  I've read other reviews comparing this story line to the movie Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow, so I may need to check it out!  If you have seen it, and enjoyed it , you're in for a treat with this fast paced read! This is my first book by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, and it will not be my last!

Book Rating: 4/5

What I loved most about this book was the different perspectives of the two Lila Bennetts. It was refreshing to see if this had happened instead of that, would we still get to the same outcome, eventually? There was so much to love about this book. Which perspective really happened? Can Lila stop lying and straighten out her life? You got to see how some people know you better than you know yourself. Can you really trust your friends, husband, co-workers, ex-clients, etc.? Who would want to hurt you and make you pain for your sins?

It seems that Lila is a very easy character to dislike. She has made some bad choices in her life and her job helps make her seem heartless. After all criminal lawyers are setting murderers free, right? I enjoyed seeing Lila start to battle the "bad" voice in her head and try to make a change. I loved the mystery and the ending.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing. Thank you to both for allowing me to read this fantastic book!!

This is my first book by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinbeck’s,a d I really enjoyed their collaborative writing style. The Two Lila Bennetts reminds some readers of Sliding Doors; I got vibes of Dark Matter. Either way, this book takes readers into the psychological thriller world with a twist.

Lila Bennett is no humanitarian. She’s convinced herself that defending wealthy (and potentially guilty) clients is all part of her job, but she leaves scorched earth in her wake. After an abduction, Lila shares her story from parallel tracks: trapped Lila and free Lila. These alternating viewpoints leave readers wondering 1) will she survive and 2) will it matter to the quality of her life if she does?

Many thanks to the authors, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

#NetGalley #TheTwoLilaBennetts

Lila Bennett is an ambitious, successful criminal defense attorney, who will stop at nothing to win. She just won a high profile case for her client, which calls for celebration, but for once, Lila's victory seems bittersweet. After work, Lila is presented with two options: 1) head home to her husband, who appears to finally be working his way out of his depression; or 2) head out and celebrate with her mentor, who toes the line professionally. The Two Lila Bennetts shows Lila's life depending on what choice she makes.

In one life, she’s taken hostage by someone who appears to be a stranger but knows too much. As she’s trapped in a concrete cell, her kidnapper forces her to face what she’s done or be killed. In an alternate life, she eludes her captor but is hunted by someone who is dismantling her happiness, exposing one secret at a time.

Liz and Lisa absolutely nail this one! Told in alternating perspective between the hostage Lila and the free Lila, The Two Lila Bennetts examine how far a person is willing to go to get what they want -- and at what cost. The narrators (albeit the "same" person) had different perspectives on similar situations, which made it all the more enjoyable to read. I simply could not put this book down!

Wow what did I just read !! This was a stunning book and different from anything I have read before, a totally unique plot that has your head spinning and so damn clever as the chapters alternate between two different scenarios in the lives of Lila, in one captured and the other free and it’s just brilliant the way it’s done. It’s told in parallel time with plenty of background into what just what makes Lila what she is and how her decisions have shaped her life until it split into two and this is what makes the book so different. It’s a brilliant, addictive and wonderful read and I still cant stop thinking about it and just how much I loved it, a massive thank you to Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke for giving me so much pleasure in reading the book.
Highly recommended and as many stars as I can give for this not to be missed book.
My thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Defense Attorney, Lila Bennett, makes very poor choices.

She sometimes believes she’s a good person...she felt guilty about winning her last case, right? But, deep down, she knows she can (and should!) do better. However, the day she chooses to embrace her conscience, the world starts crumbling down around her. Switching between two narratives, a la ‘Sliding Doors,’ we find ourselves watching Lila’s mistakes destroy every single aspect of her life.

Once I started this book, I could not put it down – I finished within 24 hours. Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke are masters at instantly pulling their readers in, keeping them hooked with twisting storylines & strong characters, and, in the end, bringing it full circle while our mouths are left hanging open.

I am a sucker for mind-bending books with unusual timelines...and this one did not disappoint! You will absolutely want it with you at your window seat destined for vacation or tucked in your beach bag along side your sunscreen and wine.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this digital copy to read and review!

My first book by these authors, and I loved it!

It was like one of those choose your own adventure books when you were in school! The story line alternated between 2 options of how the story could end up. It was very interesting!

This was such an intriguing concept, and I loved that it seemed like the free Lila had some feeling about what was going on in the alternate timeline. Lila Bennett is a crappy person, and when she’s kidnapped (in one timeline) and attacked in another by someone intent on exposing all her bad choices (in the other) she has a pretty big list of who might hate her enough to do this. She starts to question her own choices up until now, and wonders if she can change.

I had already figured it out, but I was pretty far in, and I thought the reveal was well-done. Especially with so many people who all seemed to have their own reasons to hate her.

The Two Lila Bennetts by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke is another compelling and successful collaboration from this dynamic writing duo. Fast-paced, full of twists, and working from a unique premise, this is one that will make you think long after the final page has been turned.

Lila Bennett is a criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles and has made many questionable decisions in both her personal and professional lives. The novel is based on a 'sliding doors' premise, and the reader is witness to how a single decision by Lila ultimately leads her down two separate, and very dark, paths. Presented in dual timelines, and alternating between 'free' and 'captured' scenarios, we see Lila begin to reevaluate some of her poor choices, and recognize the need for a reset of her moral compass. Although Lila has made many unsavoury decisions, I found that I did not dislike her, which kept me fully and emotionally invested in her story. Each path that Lila is on ultimately leads to a very different, and surprising, outcome.

This was an interesting read that kept me engaged throughout, and also led me to reflect on the importance of seemingly minor decisions, and the impact they can have on the larger picture. Any novel that stirs this type of introspection is a winner for me. Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.

The Two Lila Bennetts by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke

Betrayal. Drama. Suspense. Everything I love in a book and then some! Liz and Lisa masterfully crafted this book about the universe righting wrongs and the impossibility of escaping karma.

The decisions we make in our lives have the power to result in life-changing advantages or life-altering consequences. No one learns that lesson more than Lila Bennett.

Lila Bennett is a young, successful criminal attorney working at a prestigious law firm in Los Angeles. She is wealthy, married to a bestselling author, and recently succeeded in having her client acquitted of murdering his wife, making her one of the most sought-after attorneys in L.A. However, you don’t achieve that level of success by following the rules and without making enemies along the way.

A heartbreaking truth about her late father sets Lila on a self-serving path filled with poor decisions and zero consideration for others. She has everything she’s ever wanted and constantly justifies what she had to do to get it. Until one night, when she is forced into a situation that threatens to end her life. Lila has no choice but to deal with her past in order to uncover who hates her enough to seek revenge. She soon learns that no good comes out of choosing to ignore that voice inside of you.

Anyone that has ever lied should read this book. Regardless of how good a person you are, you will relate to Lila Bennett in one way or another. I know I did and in more ways than I care to admit here. Fantastic read! And if there is a better word for fantastic, insert it here. These amazing authors are without a doubt, a force to be reckoned with!

Now, excuse me while I go and try to get amnesia so I can read this book again.

I couldn’t wait to read The Two Lila Bennetts by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke! Their book, The Good Widow was an excellent novel so I was thrilled to get a sneak peek at their new book.

Lila Bennett’s bad choices have finally caught up with her. And one of those decisions has split her life in two. Literally.

In one life, she’s taken hostage by someone who appears to be a stranger but knows too much. As she’s trapped in a concrete cell, her kidnapper forces her to face what she’s done or be killed. In an alternate life, she eludes her captor but is hunted by someone who is dismantling her happiness, exposing one secret at a time.

Lila’s decorated career as a criminal defense attorney, her marriage, and her life are on the line. She must make a list of those she’s wronged—both in and out of the courtroom—to determine who is out to get her before it’s too late. But even if she can pinpoint her assailant, will she survive? And if she does, which parts of her life are worth saving, and which parts must die? Because one thing’s for certain—life as Lila Bennett knew it is over.

Told in alternating chapters of Lila’s possible two different lives, it shows how years of bad choices can affect a person down the road. Two possibilities are explored, one is that she is kidnapped and put in a concrete cell, the other timeline where she is free but someone is after her.

The authors managed to keep the quick pace of the story through the different timelines and I was curious how everything was going to come together. I love the idea of seeing how two realities can play out. Do you ever wonder if you made different choices, where you’d be right now? That’s kind of this book. Except Lila is not a good person.

Due out July 23.

3.5 ⭐️

I loved the last book by these two authors but this one didn’t work for me as well. Lila Bennett as a character was just annoying at times, and although the concept of the two parallel lives was quite interesting, I found it a bit repetitive at times because of that. I also found the ending a bit disappointing ... the “captured” Lila’s story seemed to end a bit abruptly- maybe an epilogue or something would have been nice.

I absolutely loved this book!! I'm always fascinated by "Sliding Door" type books and this one DID NOT FAIL. Lila is broken without realizing it. She has a great career, husband and seemingly life is good, but as most adults understand, there's a "go left or go right" decision that we wish we knew what happens if we chose the other direction.

This book shows both directions. What I loved is that I could relate with the realism of how things play out. It's not so cut and dry - that one way is 100% great and everything works out, while the other way is 100% bad and the total incorrect choice. There are just shades of gray in life. All decisions will have both positive and negative extensions.

In life you just have to make the best decision for you at the time based on the situation and be prepared to adjust and stand by your choice. Rarely is there a "do-over".

I truly appreciate Liz Fenton, Lisa Steinke and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to preview this ARC for an honest review. I look forward to the next read. I actually wouldn't mind a follow-up to Lila's story!

"Maybe all we are is a sum of our choices, each one leading us down a different path, each with its own unique outcome. The notion that each decision holds that much power is overwhelming..."
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The Two Lila Bennets was absolutely fascinating. I read it all in one fell swoop and enjoyed the hell out of it. This book, put simply, was a mindfuck of the highest order. We have a dual timeline going in this book, with two stories, both starring Lila, going at the same time. In one, she is doing her job working as a lawyer, trying to stop her personal life from falling down around her ears. In the other, she is kidnapped and trying to think one move ahead to outwit her captors and get home. In both timelines, she does change - but is it for the better or the worst? And is it too little, too late - or has she changed in time to make a difference? Read to find out!
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I liked this book a lot. Each day and timeline is labelled at the top, so you know exactly what you're looking at when you read it. The chapters are short, but long enough that you don't feel gypped. And the end is satisfactory, albiet a little confusing. The fact that I had to reread the last chapter or two made me take a half point off in my rating...so this book gets a 4.5 instead of the 5 the writing deserves - but because the writing was so good I'm rounding up to 5. Congrats on anothet great book!

Read this in one delicious sitting. A sliding doors inspired novel , this book bounces between two realities as we see a character on the precipice of defining who she will be. This is an absolute must read and I am so grateful to the authors for sharing this via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a ride this book was. I really enjoyed the character of Lila and the realization that every choice we make, good or bad, will lead us on our path through life’s journey. Can one small decision shape the whole outcome of our life, or is it never to late to change ourselves and that outcome? My mind played tricks with me on this one, and I enjoyed reading from two different timelines. As always, Liz and Lisa make an unstoppable writing team.

Makes you rethink every possible scenario in life which you have missed or crossed unknowingly with each decision !

Right, let's jump into the plot. Lila Bennett is a bad-ass lawyer on a high after her client is acquitted in his wife's murder trial. Lila doesn't feel too happy about the win, since she is not 100% sure that her client is all that innocent. However, a lawyer has go to do what she has got to do. Or so she convinces herself. The victim's sister is angry and kinda curses Lila that her karma will catch up to her. Now, Lila is also having an affair with her boss, who is also her best friend's husband. Bad, bad girl ! But something within Lila wants to change, she doesn't want to feel so shady, and so she is re-evaluating herself. After this win, her boss cum lover, invites her out for a celebration. And now from this point on, there are two different story lines because someone wants to teach Lila a lesson. And they are waiting for the right time to strike. Like you are standing in a dark passage and there are two doors in front of you, each taking you through a different path to a different outcome. Now, poor Lila does not know this. It's us, the readers, who can read how this one decision, going out with her boss or going to her home to her husband. is going to alter her life's story,

One path is mild, letting her off on her mistakes with little damage while the other is extremely opposite, making her go through fear, pain, mental torture. The outcomes of both paths are different. Will the smoother path have a better ending ? Will the violent path end badly ? You never know..But one thing is sure, Lila is going to have to face her mistakes one way or the other. Who is this person, who knows so much about her, and wants her to suffer for each life she has altered ? Will Lila make it out unscathed?

Amazing writing ! The story keeps alternating between 'Captured' and 'Free' scenarios and keeps us guessing what's the next thing that would happen. This idea is pretty unique where we can read both possibilities of a decision in parallel. Now, the cynic in me went into overdrive, judging everyone. The plot has a decent pace and does not let the thrill get slow. We get to know Lila, layer after layer, stripping her to her most basic thoughts. With more you know, you want to dislike Lila, but that doesn't happen. She seems to be a good person, just insecure and selfish, which is not all that bad, compared to the other evil in the story. So many things, she took for granted and now she has to pay for all those mistakes. Will she ever recover from this blow?

I enjoyed reading this story and I couldn't wait to reach the end. Now that I have reached the end, I have so many questions. The life as Lila knew it, can never be the same. One path had a sense of closure. The other path left so many things unanswered. I will definitely recommend this book.

PS : I wish the title was a little more alluring, and not literally two Lila Bennetts. But her, I am not complainin !