I absolutely love every book that Lucinda Berry writes! And I loved this book. Kept me enthralled throughout the whole story. I will definitely recommend this book to all my friends and family. Thank you for letting me read this ARC.

There were many things I liked about this book. Admittedly, I’m drawn to stories about motherhood, female friendships, and navigating devastating tragedies. This book had all of that. Even as the story progressed, it was tough to distinguish details about each character, what child belonged to which mother, what husband was married to which woman, etc. That was confusing and it involved a lot of turning back pages, which slows things down. That said, I remained curious and interested in what would happen next. I’m a little disappointed that the “big reveal” wasn’t bigger, but I also understand with teenagers there doesn’t need to be bigger or better reasons to explain their impulsive and sometimes tragic and life-altering decisions. Such was the case in this book. A few questions were left hanging, but nothing consequential. Still, I don’t like being left with questions at the end of a book. I liked the ending, and along with the unanswered questions, it leaves room for a follow-up book that I would certainly read. Overall, a good read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.

4.5 stars

This has HBO or Netflix written all over it!

Well written family drama about 3 close friends who face an unspeakable tragedy together because of their kids. What happened that fateful night is made clear up front, but how and why it happened is the mystery that unfolds.

Told from each woman’s POV, I was pulled in to each character’s version of their lives before and after the tragedy. I found myself rallying from one woman than to another, depending on what conversation or secret was revealed.
This wasn’t an easy read, but the author did a nice job of balancing out the darkness with some shots of sarcasm and wit. I could relate to each one of these ladies!

I hope I’m right and I get the chance to see this play out on 📺.
Until then, I look forward to more from this author.

ARC provided by NetGalley

This book took off full force and didn’t stop! Three best friends who have kids and end up having tragedy hit. Lucinda Berry takes you on a crazy, fast paced ride til the very end. The suspense will keep you from not wanting to put the book down! You once again are in for another wild ride!

This was a great book! It was super fast paced and twisty. I read it very quickly because I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I will definitely look for more books by this author. I would recommend this book. I received a free copy of this ebook from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Oh wow. I LOVED this novel! At last, a book this year that has a unique plot line that grabbed me and did not let go. This is the tale of every single parent of a teen's worst nightmare.

3 boys, best of friends, exploring teenage life with each other, some known to parents but as with most teenagers not everything is out in the open. Secrets lie inside each boy. A terrible, awful tragedy befalls the boys that ripples across all the families and tests the friendships of mothers and fathers immensely.

This is a modern-day whodunnit, I was flicking the pages keen to know what the next bit of revelation was and Lucinda Berry did an awesome job of intertwining what was happening post-trauma with what led up to it and what actually happened. The final reveals are brilliant. Well worth waiting for!

Her characters are real and raw. I think her delivery of the inner life of a teenage boy is so good. I have been there with my own son and she really did get into the right psyche of young men in my opinion.

The way the friendship between the 3 mothers is tested, the suspicious, the secrets, the need to protect their babies, trust lines questioned is fascinating. It's not a linear line with these three. Excellent character portrayal all through this book. Kudos to Lucinda for that.

I won't spoil the brilliant and interesting plot for you but I will say grab this book. If you love twists and turns and unexpected reveals you will really enjoy The Best of Friends. 5 stars, highly recommended!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. All review opinions are my own and totally unbiased.

Lindsey, Kendra and Dani are best friends for years and what most rare and special is, they live near one another and even their teenage boys are good friends, too. But an unfortunate tragedy happens, leaving one dead, another in a coma, and the third too traumatised to speak. This incident has not only changed the dynamics between the three women but also leads them to question what had happened on that fateful day and why a gun was involved? Is it an unfortunate accident or is there something more than meets the eye?

As the three women struggle to adjust to their life and questioning themselves, they soon discover that the accident was only the beginning and more unexpected and troubling issues arise as the police investigation begins. These discoveries have further implicated their present fragile friendship and most of all, create a crack among their own family as self-blame, doubts and suspicion set in.

Narrated by the three lead female characters, this is not only a story of intrigue and suspense but is also a story about friendship, motherhood and secrets. The three women's narratives give the reader a more-than-a-glimpse of their strengths as well as their vulnerable side; the challenge of raising a child as well as the fear of losing him but as much as the author has done a good job in portraying them, I've to say it took me a while to figure out who was who after when the characters are more developed and fleshed out (they seemed so alike and well, perhaps that explains how close-knit they are.)

Aside from the suspense, this book also makes the reader wonders how well do we really know our friends and family members. Overall it was an enticing read with an interesting cast of characters; and the thought of what secrets our children may be hiding or thinking would send chills down your spine.

The Best of Friends, by Lucinda Berry, is a heart-wrenching story of friendship, love, and loss. It’s also a story of lies, secrets, and flawed characters. Let me tell you, I was hooked from the prologue! Berry managed to write a book that’s raw, tragic and beautiful all at once.

Three childhood friends have their lives torn apart when an unthinkable tragedy strikes their families. This story is heartbreaking, but it’s also an eye opener in many ways.

Berry was bold in having this story unfold from the perspective of 3 married friends with sons. I thought I would have a difficult time keeping track of who was who, and which child belonged to which mom, but it only took a little effort in the beginning and the rest flowed well for me. I felt the characters were well developed and distinguishable enough to keep them separate after a few chapters, and the effort spent in the beginning was well worth it.

This was a total page turner for me. While I can’t say there were any real twists or surprises for me, I loved the authenticity of how each character handled the tragedy. After doing a bit of research on Berry for my upcoming blog post, I discovered she’s a former clinical psychologist and leading researcher in childhood trauma, and that undeniably shines through in the book. The Best of Friends is my first book by Lucinda Berry and I now want to run out and buy her previous books!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and highly recommend this to anyone who likes family suspense/drama and is prepared for a real tear jerker.

*CW domestic abuse, depression, suicide, drugs

Many thanks to @netgalley , Thomas & Mercer, and @lucindaberry for providing me with an e-galley and the opportunity to share my thoughts.

The best friends

This book grabbed my attention from the first page. It has secrets, lies, heartbreak as it unfolds twists & tragedy.

Three women that have been friends since childhood have a great bond. Their teenage boys are also best of friends. However, one night a tragic accident threatens that bond between all of them when there’s an accident with the teenage boys; leaving one dead, another in a coma and the other traumatized to speak. This was a difficult read. It tugged at the heart and had me want to run hug my children and sit and talk to them.
To the publisher, Author and NetGalley for the eARC.

Wow! What a book. How have I not read a Lucinda Berry novel before?
This book was all parts amazing and what a roller coaster of a book. I absolutely loved it. It is relatable, heartbreaking, soul-shattering, and oh so amazing.

The story begins with three teenage boys in an accident. One has died and one is in a coma and the third boy can't tell them what transpired. The mothers are best friends and now Lindsey, Kendra, and Dani will have to deal with what happened to their children and this will test not only their friendship but also their own ways, of being a mother. They struggle together and apart to come to terms with what happened.

This is an unputdownable book. I could not stop reading. It's heart-wrenching and yet I was racing to know what happened.
It's an enthralling, well-developed, emotional, thought-provoking amazing read which will not disappoint you.

Highly recommend.

Three perfect families. Have all been friends for years. Their children are all about the same age.... until now.

One tragedy ... one boy dead ... one boy in an irreversible coma... and one who is too traumatized to speak.

The story is told by each of the three mothers. But do these parents really know their children? Do the families even know each other? Are they all keeping secrets?

I'm torn between calling this a psychological drama and crime fiction. Yes, a crime has been committed, but the families reaction to each other ... and to their children... address loss, heartache, envy, jealousy, and the fact is there is no perfect family.

As with her other books, the author has done a fine job with character development in the middle of an intricate plot that is compelling and riveting from start to finish.

Many thanks to the author / Thomas & Mercer - Amazon Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this thought-provoking book. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

The Best of Friends is a heart-breaking book, that right from the first chapter had me almost in tears. This book is told from three perspectives. Kendra, Dani, and Lindsey who have been best friends since elementary school. Their kids have been the best of friends since they were young as well, but one night changes everything. All three teenaged boys are hanging out together and a gun goes off and changes their lives forever. One boy died, one is in a coma, and the other is too afraid to speak about what happened.

This book pulls on your heart strings and makes you feel every emotion. This was a spectacular book and I loved every single thing about it. Reading this from all three of the mother’s perspectives was tear-jerking. You don’t see the “perfect” lives that everyone around them thinks they have. You see the damaged and broken lives they do have, and all the secrets each one of them is keeping as a burden. Seeing how each of the mother’s deals with this tragedy was so realistic and had me straight up bawling at some points. The author doesn’t hold back and gives you a story full of devastation and sadness, but such a wonderfully written and gripping book.

I did not see either of the twists coming and was actually shocked. From the beginning of this book it was intense and real. The plot of this book is so stunning that you can’t stop reading, at the end of every chapter you are compelled to continue reading. I think what really made me love this book so so much is because each and every character is real, raw, and has many flaws. Just like we all do as humans. I connected with each of them and felt their struggles, anger, sadness, and heartache just as much as they did. I never got confused about what mother’s perspective I was reading from because all of characters were so well developed you didn’t get confused. The Best of Friends is one of those books that is going to stick with you for a really long time. What a beautiful book.

If you like complex family thrillers, you won't want to miss Lucinda Berry's, The Best Of Friends! Kendra, Lindsey, and Dani grew up together as best friends in their close knit suburban commuity. Together, they dreamed of the day when they would still live there with amazing husbands and raise their children together. For years it seemed that their dreams had come true. But one ordinary night fate intervenes.

Each of the women receives a late night call from the police, and every parents' nightmare begins. All of their eldest sons, high school seniors, were out together for the evening. Kendra and her husbsnd, Paul, learn that their son, Sawyer, has been shot dead. Lindsey and her husband, Andrew, discover that their son, Jacob, has also been shot and is on life support in the ICU, and that the doctors believe that he is brain dead. Dani and her husband, Bryan, seemingly the luckiest of the couples, find that their son, Caleb, is alive. But Caleb cannot speak and appears terrified of everything. He is admitted to the psychiatric ward for several days, and he still cannot speak when he is discharged to the care of his parents and an outpatient trauma psychologist.

Throughout the novel, Berry explores the different kinds of loss each woman must bear, the effects that what happened have on their friendships, and what happens to each couple and their other children forced to face living on in the aftermath. It makes for fascinating reading, as all sorts of fault lines begin to form within these relationships as time goes by and the pressure from the police investigation into what happened to the boys intensifies. Berry is an expert at slowly, slowly revealing little bits about her characters, and about how each sees the others. And, she definitely uses a sure hand at letting the pressure build toward a climax that, even if you expect it, still packs a mighty punch. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Lucinda Berry, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for the ARC of The Best of Friends in return for this honest review. The views expressed here are my own.

A trio of women in an affluent southern California suburb find themselves facing an unthinkable tragedy when one of their sons unexpectedly passes away, leaving the women flummoxed and searching for answers. Lindsey, Kendra, and Dani have been best friends for years, as have their children. However, after the death, the women begin digging into the lives and secrets of their sons. How could this have happened? While another boy lies in a coma, and the third is too traumatized to communicate the events of the night, the women are left with few answers, and too many questions.

As the threesome begin to navigate what really happened that horrible evening, more and more questions begin to emerge. How well did the women know their children? Their spouses? Do we ever really know the people that we live with, or are we all hiding secrets that could implode at a moment's notice?

Great book that highlights the notion that most people are living entirely different lives behind closed doors. What looks like perfection on the outside may only be a facade of pain, anger, and loneliness. Lucinda Berry has an engaging way of drawing her reader in and exposing them to the dark side of many situations. Highly recommend not only the book, but the author.

Cons: There were way too many characters in this book to try and keep up with. Siblings, husbands, wives, the boys.. It was hard to do. The other con is the ending was too quick! We got this great buildup and then Caleb just confessed but we didn't truly get to see what happened after that.

Pros: It was a hard subject to read about, death of children, but it really added to the book. You didn't know who to feel sorry for and when. The surprise love between Jacob and Sawyer, closer to the end, was so sad and again, explained well why Jacob WOULD do what he did. He was lovestruck and heartbroken to the point where he didn't want to live. The scene where he finally was able to move on because his mother said, "go be with Sawyer?" That was sweet and sad and a very good add. Overall this was a good book and I felt myself wondering just what was going on and why!

"He gazed up at the ceiling, eyes unfixed, unseeing, as I washed away the blood of his best friends since preschool."

Three women have been friends since they were in preschool and now their sons are all the same age and have also been friends since preschool. They live in the southern California suburb they've all grown up in.

One night the unimaginable happens to the three boys - one is dead, one is in a coma, and one has quit speaking. How do the three women - and their husbands and other children - deal with such a tragedy?

The story is told in alternating chapters by each of the three women as friendships and marriages are tested and each must come to grips with the new reality they face.

I have two sons and I can't even imagine something as terrible as this happening. But then I can't imagine having the parenting "skills" these couples do.

This was a fast, hard to read story that brought a lot of "what ifs" to mind. It moved along well, kept the suspense ratcheting up, and I especially liked the ending.

I recommend this book if you like thrillers, psychological dramas, or women's fiction.

I received this book from Thomas & Mercer through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer Publishing for the ARC. This was such a very good read kept me reading. It was interesting reading about Dani, Kenda & Lindsey and their families.

An addictive novel that you will devour rather quickly as you fly through the chapters and uncover what truly happened that tragic and fateful night that took the life of one young boy and affected all 3 families. I cannot imagine what those 3 families went through, and how their lives have been changed forever. A tragic accident leaving one dead, one in a coma and another not speaking.

As you gather pieces of the puzzle of that one fateful night the story begins to pain a picture and all your questions will be answered. I loved the storyline and how the story unfolded, giving us piece by piece of that fateful night. There were many sad moments, many twists and turns and revelations that I did not see coming.

A fabulous novel that you must add to your TBR if you haven’t already! Once you start reading this novel you will be HOOKED! Be sure to settle down and make yourself cozy when reading this book, because you will not want to stop reading until you’ve turned the last page!

Dani, Kenda & Lindsey have been best friends for since childhood and having sons just as close as they are was like a dream come true.

Caleb, Sawyer & Jacob have grown up just as close as their moms, until one night forever changes all of their lives. A tragic accident leaves one son dead, one in a coma and the only one who could say what really happened is too traumatized to tell them about it.

A tragically beautiful story that kept me engaged in one sitting, this thriller was so much more than a mystery with all the emotions and character depth. As each mom tries to figure out what happened to their perfect lives, so many secrets are uncovered - Will each character get through the jealousy, heartbreak & tragedy, and be able to move on with their life?

SO many little details that were a part of the larger story, at first I had a hard time knowing which Mom POV was connected to which kid, but overall I absolutely loved reading this story, 4.5 stars from me!