For the Best
by Vanessa Lillie

When Jules Worthington-Smith wakes up with a hangover from hell is where this alcohol fueled thriller begins. Her wallet was found with the murdered body of a close friend and she is the only suspect. She was blackout drunk the night it happened and can’t remember anything. She loses nearly everything dear to her but vows to start her own investigation vlog style to save herself and a little face.

Jules is one damaged woman, her thoughts were often frustrating. I didn’t love her but I did find myself cheering her on. The book is filled with a very flawed cast of characters that are easy to hate. The line between what we want the world to see and reality is tested throughout this dark and gripping story.

The story is told partially through transcripts of interviews and vlogs which left me with true-crime youtube/podcast vibes. It’s not like anything I’ve read recently, very original in style and let me saying wait WHAT???

I devoured this book like a guilty pleasure in two nights. If you loved Little Voices, you’ll love this.

Thank you @NetGalley and #thomasandmercer for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Driven and manipulative Juliet is trying to defend herself against suspicions that she murdered a brilliant scholar. Juliet was blackout drunk and remembers only unsettling fragments of that night. She ignores the advice of her lawyer and launches a vblog to try to clear her name.

The device of the vblog reveals the story and the layers and conflicts of the characters. It also adds a tense, tawdry undercurrent, juxtaposing the lure of online approval with the book's vivid descriptions of alcoholism:

“None of it really makes sense, but the anger feels good. Outrage is such a comfortable perch – lobbing criticism at enemies unseen while feeling sorry for myself. . . . People believing me was dangerously intoxicating.”

The ending was a letdown for me because it felt too pat and obvious. Overall, though, I enjoyed the book.

I really struggled reading this book. I think the writing was great but I didn’t connect with the characters at all. Juliet was on a quest to prove her innocence for a crime that was committed on a night she can’t remember. She invades everyone’s privacy and thinks she has that right. I did enjoy the conclusion though. To be fair, I have personal history with an alcoholic so that probably clouded my judgement of this book.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were well developed. It had an interesting plot. I would be interested in reading more

For a The Best is an awesome thriller! Loved every chapter!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For the Best by Vanessa Lillie was an enthralling page-turner that takes the reader on a journey about a woman’s attempt to uncover mysteries of both her past and present. Vanessa Lillie succeeded in creating a protagonist that is equal parts entertaining and unlikable. Going along for the ride as you watch Juliet drink herself silly can be painful at times even as you learn that it’s her way of coping with her past. I can’t say that I found myself rooting for her, but I was obsessed with finding out the truth and couldn’t put the book down until the explosive ending. Thank you to #NetGalley and #Thomas&Mercer for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book had me captured from the first page. The great characters and amazing story had me gripped. Jules is desperate to prove her innocence after being accused of murder. I was swept along by the storyline with twists and turns looking for justice. My first Vanessa Lilliereà and definitely not my last.

This is my first novel by Lillie, but I had heard great things about Little Voices and I may have to go back and check it out. I liked Lillie's flow and writing. She did one thing that is sometimes really difficult for me.... she had me interested in the book even though I didn't love the main character. Jules was an alcoholic who seemed to flirt with many men even though she was married to a great guy. Normally, that would be enough for me to be out on the novel. I have to have someone to root for.... I need a connection.... and yet... there I was wondering what happened, needing to know if she killed her friend, and also wanting to know what would happen with her vlog. I love getting advanced copies and am very grateful when I do, however, I was bummed that I couldn't find a paper number for everyone. Sorry I will add it when I know.

4 STARS

Jules Worthington-Smith is in trouble. After her wallet is found next to a dead man, she becomes the prime suspect in his murder. Sure of her innocence, Jules is desperate to clear her name - but there's one big problem... She was blackout drunk when the murder took place and can’t remember what happened. In an effort to clear her name, she starts a true-crime vlog that becomes a viral sensation, pushing her into the public eye. The deeper Jules digs, the more dirt she uncovers about the murder and herself. Unexpected truths pile up until she’s buried so deep even finding the killer might not be enough to set her free.

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FOR THE BEST is one of those books that is written from the point of view of a person so unlikable I literally wanted to throw my tablet at the wall several times during my read. However, I will give Vanessa Lillie props for being able to make me hate a fictional character and still want to keep reading to find out the ending. The story was that compelling!

The true-crime vlog aspect was definitely a selling point for me (hello serial podcast!) and I enjoyed that "video transcripts" from Jules' vlog were included throughout the book. Despite the fact that this book lagged a bit in the middle for me and my intense dislike for Jules - the absolute jaw-dropping ending bumped this up from a 3 star to a 4 star rating for me. Seriously, it was worth the read!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC! You can pick this one up 09/08/2020.

This was an incredible novel that drew me in and never let go. I felt emotionally invested in the characters’ lives and couldn’t stop reading.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I will be posting a full review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

I haven’t read this author before but I was totally gripped by this story! The twists and turns kept me guessing as the night progressed and it’s both disturbing and riveting! Can’t wait to read more from her.

This novel was extremely interesting and sad. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. How the plot twists connect and come together tells a great story and I’m happy about the ending although I may have predicted it.

A very clever and captivating book you absolutely MUST read! I really enjoyed this book. My friend from bookclub mentioned it a couple months ago and I had it on my radar ever since! Get this book, you won’t regret it.

Jules is in big trouble. She’s the prime suspect in a murder, but she remembers nothing of the night in question because she was so drunk, she’d blacked out. Not trusting the police to properly investigate now that they believe she’s culpable, Jules sets off to investigate what really happened. Along the way she’ll encounter a true crime vlog that put her in the spotlight and have to face what a drunken wreck her life has become. While the mystery in this book is intriguing, it’s Jules and her battle with alcohol that really captured me. Lillie’s portrayal of a struggling alcoholic is spot on

Jules Worthington-Smith's wallet is found next to the body of a murdered man, leaving her the prime, and as it soon transpires, the only suspect. Having no recollection of the fatal evening and not being able to count on the police, she decides to find the real killer by herself and vlogs all her findings as she goes along.

The story, told from Jules' perspective as she embarks on her murder investigation, is interspersed with the transcript of her vlog videos.
It was a good, enjoyable read with an original idea that had me steadily hooked throughout the whole story.
The plot is full of twists that kept me suspecting everyone, and yet despite that, in the end, the revelation left me open-mouthed.
However, I'm on the fence about the rating. Up until the end, it felt like a 3 star read for me, but the ending made me hesitate between 3 and 4.
Even as I write this, I'm still battling with myself. The ending was pretty jaw-dropping and it definitely could contribute to the raised rating. On the other hand though, even though the story kept me steadily interested, I didn't race through it with bated breath, which truthfully is a deciding factor for me.
With that in mind, I came to the conclusion that I will have to settle on 3 stars. I hope the author won't hold it against me. It was my first book from Vanessa Lillie, but I've had her first novel on my Kindle for ages, so I'm curious to check it out now.