I thought I was going to love this one but it was just alright. The premise is a good one and the beginning starts off pretty strongly - I was hooked at first. As I progressed on, the story became repetitive and I got a little frustrated with that. I'm all for an unreliable main character but something about Juliet didn't sit well with me. I couldn't bring myself to like her. She is a selfish mother and judges her father for being an alcoholic when she is just as bad. The ending didn't really shock me either, I kinda saw it coming but still wasn't sure how I felt about it. This wasn't a bad read or anything I just thought the repetition should've been removed and would've liked Juliet to have been a better character. I would probably check out Vanessa Lillie's future novels as well.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and to the publisher for sending me an arc of this book!

Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “For the Best” by Vanessa Lillie, Thomas & Mercer, September 8, 2020

Vanessa Lillie, the author of “For the Best” has written an intense, intriguing, captivating, and suspenseful thriller. The genres for this novel are thriller, mystery, and suspense. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The author describes her dramatic cast of characters as complex, complex, and dysfunctional. There are secrets, and betrayals. I like the way Vanessa Lillie brings attention to the use of media in solving crimes.

Jules Worthington-Smith has a loving husband and son and soon hopes to be at the top of her career. Jule’s wallet is found next to the body of a dead man, that Jules knows quite well, making her the prime suspect. Unfortunately, Jules was drunk, and had blacked out, and doesn’t remember anything.

Jules is determined to find the actual killer and using her phone, starts to make vlogs, interviews other people who were involved that night to see what really happened. The more Jules attempts to do, the more damage and danger she makes. Secrets from the past keep surfacing, that could destroy people.

I highly recommend this edgy, intense, novel with twists and turns for other readers.

Protecting your family is something that most people would do but at what cost and is it really your family you are protecting? The dark motives of some of the characters along with the stubbornness of others combine to make for an action packed, suspense filled, with a twist of a book and I loved every minute of it. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author.

I've never read anything by this author but was so intrigued by this storyline. Short-term memory loss and being at a murder scene where some crazy stuff happened? Sounds like a perfect psychological thriller set-up!
I really liked how the author used social media/youtube to help uncover clues and in a unique way.

I enjoyed this storyline and how the author develops the characters. I felt surprised by different moments in the book and how I missed some of the clues. I will say, I struggle with the "woman with a drinking problem as the unreliable narrator" which this was, but I still enjoyed it. It was a great, quick read and I would be interested in reading other books by this author.

Jules wakes up hungover and to the sounds of a doorbell after hosting an event the night before for a foundation where she is the CEO. The police have found her wallet next to a dead body. The deceased was with her after the event, but she was black out drunk and can’t recall much. She becomes the only suspect so starts investigating the murder herself and sharing her findings via a vlog.

Top notch thriller! Characters are flawed but relatable. Plot is understandable and keeps you guessing until the end.

I enjoyed this quick, engaging read. I found it a bit slow at the beginning but it did pick up eventually. I didn't quite connect with Juliet and I would have liked to see her acknowledge her issues a little sooner. The story itself was interesting and kept me reading to the end to find out what actually happened in that dark alley.
Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Ms. Lilley for a copy of For The Best in exchange for an honest review.

Another interesting book by Vanessa Lillie. This was a great suspense book with a main character that I didn’t really like but still hoped for the best for her. Juliet becomes caught up in a murder case when her wallet is found by the victim. She becomes the prime suspect and is unable to completely defend herself as she was black out drunk the evening the murder happened. There is no dispute she had been with the victim around the time of his death. Juliet sets out to defend herself as she tries to piece the night together. The story unfolds and the confusion about who the killer is intensifies. I raced through this book in one day to find out how it all would resolve. Another great book by this author.!

Jules is the CEO of a charitable organization and after celebrating their big gala event she goes out to a bar and gets extremely drunk.
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The next morning she wakes up and has a very foggy memory of the previous night. When the police show up at her door to tell her that her colleague is dead and some of her property was found next to the body she becomes the number one suspect.
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Jules life is turned upside down and it’s up to her to prove her innocence.
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Firstly, I want to thank the author for this wonderful ARC. The cover is fantastic and after reading her first book I was super excited to read this one. There was no sophomore let down here as I found the story really unique and suspenseful. There was a number of unpredictable twists and turns which I loved. The writing was also different as in between chapters there would be transcripts of conversations Jules had with potential witnesses or suspects. If you are a thriller book fan I think you will enjoy this one.

This book was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for me. It’s a thriller about Jules, who well let’s put it bluntly, is a serious alcoholic. She is accused of murder after her wallet is found near the body of a man she was seen with at a local bar. Jules takes upon herself to find the real killer and begins a vlog as she partners with an old flame to clear her name.
Why I loved this book- not only is this book a thriller but for me it also really delves into the subject of family dynamics and how victims and perpetrators can find healing. The characters are vivid and I felt dislike and sympathy for them all at the same time. I really enjoyed the ending. I don’t want to say any more and give any part of this wonderful book away! Do yourself a favor and grab this one for a September read!! You’ll be glad you did!! I received this book from the author and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

Last year I read Vanessa Lillie's debut novel, Little Voices, and absolutely loved it. I knew without a doubt I would be reading anything she wrote and could not wait to get my hands on her next book. Well, let me just say...she once again delivers a strong, completely binge-worthy thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end.

Right from the very start, I was captivated by the story. I felt Jules was such a complex character and while she wasn't always the most likeable of characters, I found her to be deeply flawed and honest and that kept me going. I needed to know what was going on with her - what would cause to to get so black-out drunk that she could not remember anything from the night in question.

I loved how determined she was to clear her name, yet even though she was black-out drunk, she never once decides that maybe she should stop drinking. And as we dig deeper into her family, a family that is riddled with dysfunction, we find Jules isn't the only one that uses drinking as a crutch.

I also loved the mystery within a mystery concept. This was so unique and really kept me hooked as we dig not only into what happened that fateful night that Jules is trying to uncover, but also about other secrets that have such huge repercussions. The use of the vlog kept the story fresh and was a great way to break up the story, including the actual transcripts. I felt that there were always mini cliffhangers that we were left with, whether from a discovery during the vlog taping or preparation for one.

This book kept me glued to the pages and I loved all the twists that came along. I did not see any of them coming. I loved how Vanessa incorporated so many issues into this book - never did it seem forced, but rather it all works together so seamlessly that by the time that end rolls around you are left breathless. I loved this book and it absolutely shows that Vanessa Lillie has staying power. I cannot wait to see what this very talented author comes up with next!

I finished this book in a day and let me tell you...it is such a binge worthy read. This story begins with Jules waking up completely hungover with sore bloody knees and no idea how she even managed to make it home. However she doesn’t have long to process anything because soon there’s a knock on her door with police officers waiting outside. When Jules opens up the door they begin asking her if she recently lost her wallet which she admits she may have but has no recollection of last night. She soon learns they have found her wallet next to a dead body in an alley outside of a local bar.

Jules presses the officers for more information and upon learning who the deceased person is, she realizes she is definitely going to become a suspect. After all she spent the evening with this individual and plenty of witnesses can place them at the bar together. She knows she needs to get ahead of this and control the narrative so she begins a vlog to track down the truth of what happened that night.

This book gripped me from the first page and I absolutely couldn’t put it down until I knew what really happened and who was responsible. The events of the night are revealed perfectly and gave the reader just enough to keep you utterly captivated. This was such a great thriller and one I definitely recommend picking up.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for this advance reading copy.

I know that I cannot be the only person out there who has blacked out after a night of drinking and woken up the next day saying, "I WILL NEVER DRINK AGAIN," or found mysterious and unnerving cuts or bruises on their body. But ... I CAN guarantee that those nights didn't lead me to be the prime suspect in a murder I know nothing about! Goodness gracious, Vanessa ... talk about putting your main character into an anxiety induced downward spiral😂!

This one was fun to read ... and I absolutely adored that she incorporated VLOG intereviews as chapters ... I love an author who can rely on present day technology and social media in a creative way to add some spice to their novel. Another amazing element was how much the reader could feel Lillie's pride to live in Rhode Island ... I have followed her for many months and gotten a sneak peek into some of the locations/houses that she used for inspiration and I feel like her descriptions made the reader feel like they were there. She did a fantastic job of bringing the details together and forcing us on rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish. I must go back and read her first novel because I enjoyed her storytelling and keen eye for psychological suspense. Thank you so much for letting me be an early reader for this book ... so proud to know you :)

Gripping Thriller !!! Yes indeed !!

“For The Best” was a phenomenal mysterious novel that kept me on the edge of my seat wondering who-dun-it..... all the way up to the last chapter.

Vanessa Lillie has many unexpected and complex twisted situations throughout this novel that kept me wanting to turn the pages.

The ending was truly brilliant and I did not see it coming.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for fair and honest review.

I had heard a lot about the author's debut novel, Little Voices right before I was approved to read her next book, For The Best. The book description sounded intriguing, a woman drinks too much, blacks out, and the next day the police are at her door wanted to speak to her about her dead colleague Terence. I am thinking, what could go wrong with this scenario!
All the evidence points to Jules. Her career and her entire life are ruined and it seems as if no one is on her side. It is now up to Jules to put together the puzzle pieces and figure out what happened that night. Helpful hint Jules, you should probably refrain from drinking! Look at where that got you!
This one was a slow burn mystery that kept me engaged until the end. I didn't burn up my Kindle furiously flipping pages which were a relief, how many Kindles can you buy. As the story progressed I got more involved and wanted to know all of Jules's secrets and of course if she was a killer. I will look forward to Vanessa Lillie's next book and Little Voices is now on my TBR pile.

Juliet Worthington Smith is the CEO of the Poe Foundation in Rhode Island. After 15 years working her fingers to the bone she has reached the pinnacle of her career. The highlight for her is the gala function being hosted by the foundation to launch the new Genius Program which Juliet developed in conjunction with the renowned Dr Terrence Castle - a staunch advocate of restorative justice. But Juliet has a drinking problem, a quite serious drinking problem and on this night of nights she is quite obviously drunk. Terrance is not happy with something and stalks out of the party. He agrees to meet Juliet at a bar later to discuss their differences.

In the morning the police are at the door. There is a dead body in an alley behind the bar where Juliet met with Terrance. It is Terrance and he is dead and Juliet’s wallet was found at the scene. Naturally the police have questions but Juliet cannot remember anything after leaving the function as she got fall-down drunk by the end of the night, she can’t even remember getting home. Never mind that though, she is not happy about being the only suspect and doesn’t feel enough is being done to explore other options. So, she starts a vlog (video blog) and calls for witnesses and information declaring that she wants to find the truth. This leads to some interesting revelations.

I didn’t like Juliet. Actually I didn’t like any of the characters but Juliet took the cake. She made no attempt to control her drinking. She was entitled and selfish and made everything about her and how this drama was affecting her, and she treated some of the other people in Terrance’s life rather badly. Finally, as the truth started to come out, the story went in an interesting direction and it finished strongly but I can’t say that I loved this book. The theme was about guilt, justice and making amends but it took too long with an unpleasant protagonist to get there. Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer and Vanessa Lillie for providing a review copy. My opinions are my own

The main character is accused of murder and ends of starting her own vlog to investigate what happened. It was all very far-fetched and unbelievable.
The book started out interesting, but then I never became invested with the main character. She is an alcoholic like her father and can’t remember what happened the night of the murder. However, her family might know more than they are telling her 😱
I didn’t enjoy the direction the book went with the murder and I found myself just wanting to get through it.

Thank you to Netgally & the publisher for an advanced copy to review.

For The Best tells the story of Jules, a CEO who wakes up with a dreadful hangover and no memories. When her wallet is found next to a dead man, questions and speculations lead to her as the main suspect. Determined to find the truth, she starts a vlog of her own investigation into what happened that night to answer the question of, "Who killed Dr. Castle?"

This book was sooooooo good from page one to the very end. I loved the character of Jules. She was flawed and honest and raw. I kept trying to come up with these elaborate plots into what happened and, in the end, I was sorely mistaken. This book is not just a great thriller with rocking characters and killer plot (see what I did there? ha). It also delves into some very important societal issues that really make you think about how to better the society in which we live during this new digital age. Jules vlog brings awareness and reach to a story that most people would not have heard about without it. It is in this vain that we can learn from Jules and use new digital medias to get new messages out there. The use of the family to look at enabling and dysfunction was so beautifully laid out. There are so many brilliant concepts and I loved how wonderfully executed it was in this amazing thriller! 4 stars all day long to one of my most anticipated reads of this year!

"The truth has found our family. This is our opportunity to heal the break."
For The Best is a slow-burn domestic thriller with a big payoff at the end.
Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Juliet Worthington-Smith is the CEO of a foundation started by her father. Outwardly she's got life together, including a supportive husband and young son. One hungover morning after a work function, she discovers she's the sole suspect in an associate's murder the night before. An event she has little to no recollection of due to being blackout drunk.
We are then taken into Juliet's own investigation, including through her vlog and video transcripts.
Interesting and vared storytelling techniques from author Vanessa Lillie keep the action moving, and allow the bombshells to be revealed.
Underscoring the story is the legacy of familial alcoholism and the destruction it brings through the generations.
Recommended, and I look forward to checking out Lillie's first book Little Voices.
For release on Sept. 8, 2020.

Vanessa Lillie had me hooked with this dynamic thriller that I could not put down! It was a page turner that had me hooked and questioning things right up until the end.

When Jules Worthington - Smith's wallet is found in an alley next to a dead man, she becomes the prime suspect in his murder investigation. She has struggled for years to build up her life with the perfect family and career, and now this puts her dangerously close to losing it all. The main problem? Jules was blackout drunk the night before when she was last seen with the now dead man. Jules has quite the drinking problem and now she cannot remember anything from the evening, let alone how she even got home. Unsatisfied with how the police are handling things and desperate for answers as to what really happened, Jules begins a video blog which forces her to look into past events and her own demons in the process.

The deeper Jules dug, the more we learned about her character. I have to say, I hated her! Don't get me wrong...I loved to hate her! I enjoy an unlikable character as long as they are written well. I really enjoyed the pacing of the novel and the way the story came together in the end. There were a few twists that were timed just right. Vanessa Lillie is an author that I will be looking for more from in the future! Thanks to Thomas and Mercer as well as Netgalley for providing me a copy of this one to read and review!

I loved Little Voices so I was excited to read this book and she so far exceeded my expectation. She has given us a very human and broken character who could easily be any of us and put her into an impossible situation. Unputdownable. The ending will blow you away. Absolutely a must read. Happy reading!