Ultimate frienemies- a page turning thriller with a dramatic twist. The novel begins with a slow build, patiently pacing itself to an edge of your seat, tension filled conclusion.

I enjoyed the descriptions of village life, but the writing was a little bit too dry for my taste, and I couldn't connect with the characters. Having said that, I still finished this book very quickly as it was an entertaining and very fast read. So I would recommend it for fans of domestic suspense.

A familiar idiom adapted from a line in William Congreve’s play, The Mourning Bride, provides the perfect precis for this novel: “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”

Rose Alexander’s (Alex Day) newest psychological thriller/domestic drama, “The Best of Friends,” explores how keeping secrets brings out the worst in humans and when the truth is finally revealed, not everyone may live to tell the tale.

Two women instantly become friends, but it’s not because they enjoy each other’s company. One of the women has a good-looking husband with a roving eye and she’s looking for a friend to confide in. She’s got it made; a gated mansion in South London with household staff, the perfect family and more money than she’ll ever be able to spend. The other woman, recently divorced, moves into the neighbourhood with her children. She’s looking for a friend as she starts to rebuild her life. The trouble? One of them is not who they pretend to be. The author slowly holds your hand through the first half of the story and then as the secrets, lies and betrayals start to rise to the surface, it’s as if she plops you on a horse and whips its backside and yells “Have a nice ride!”

Very well written from two perspectives, Day masterfully allows readers to see both sets of secrets. Using the first person draws readers into the story and heightens the emotional response. It’s as if the accuser is talking to YOU. My heart was pounding and I couldn’t put the book down because I was unable to tell which of the friends was telling the truth. Day shows us the lengths some people will go to protect the image they wish to project and the wake of disaster they leave as they stomp through countless lives in the process.

Realistic, vengeful and nasty….a must read!

Thank you to Alex Day (Rose Alexander), Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Published April 9,2021

The Best of Friends is a page-turning thriller! I couldn't put this down... I could see this being made into a movie!

The first half of this book is quite slow and nothing really happens. I was asking myself small questions like "what did Suzanna do in her past that was so bad? and why is Charlotte always looking over her shoulder and why does she get so scared when someone knocks at her door?. To be totally honest I was going to give up reading it because the story is slow to start. But DAMN! the second half was astonishing and the plot took off with a bang. It was brilliant and the characters were so true to life. I felt like I was standing on the side lines looking in to these two best friends lives, even though I was jealous because Charlotte lived in luxury, but her dark side soon came to appear and that's when the twist set in. The plot changed into a domestic, psycho kind of story and when everything is revealed, I was holding my breath and I could not read the pages fast enough. It reaches a dramatic conclusion and it just goes to show what a scorned woman would do to save the luxury life she is used too. A gripping, domestic suspense, mystery which I really enjoyed.

Susannah is rebuilding her life… Charlotte seems to have it all…
But one of them is not who they pretend to be…
Two narrators and two sides of story.
I can't stop read.
Thanks Netgalley

I read this book within a couple of days . An interesting story of two women who strike up a friendship, the reader gradually gets to see the problems in their friendship. The kept my interest from the start, written from the viewpoint of each of the women, the thoughts ring true. Both have secrets, but these are not revealed until later in the book. Both seem to have a love-hate friendship and to become very close very quickly. Would a middle aged woman become best friends with a newcomer so quickly ? I am not so sure, but perhaps I am a little cynical. The book is set in a small English village, so perhaps the opportunities for friendship are limited ?
I enjoyed the psychological thriller aspect of the book and the twists and turns in the story. Will definately look out for more from this author
Thankyou to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book was fairly average in every single way.

The two narrators, Charlotte and Susannah, talked to each other in an internal dialogue, diary-like manner. It read very awkwardly to me. The red herrings were terribly obvious, and I'd be more inclined to call this book a domestic drama rather than a suspense. Overall, I found it to be rather mundane and boring.

Available April 9, 2021

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollinsUK/One More Chapter for my review copy.

The Best of Friends by Alex Day is a seriously twisted thriller starring two damaged women. I loved this book. I didn't want to put it down.

Susannah is recently divorced, moved away from London to a smaller village with her two young sons. She is desperate to fit in and make friends. She meets Charlotte who lives in the big manor house and really hopes they will get to know each other and become close.

Charlotte seems to have it all, but appearances are deceiving, her husband plays around on her and she has secrets. She takes Susannah under her wing and they become very close friends. But can Charlotte really trust Susannah when she believes her friend and her husband are getting too close for comfort?

A rivalry is brewing between Susannah and Charlotte, and it will get ugly. Readers should hold on tight for this crazy, bumpy ride and outcome.

Suburban moms turn femme fatale! This story has heart, mystery, and murder. These moms would do anything to better their families. Both of these women have a secret, and yet only Charlotte's secret was clouded in mystery. However, Susannah's secret was written slowly in a reveal. After about the second time a "black car" was written regarding it following Charlotte, it was annoying. I get the author was trying to heighten the mystery around Charlotte's secret but it was written in a mundane and repetitive way. However, when it came to Susannah's secret, it was written in a progressive way to her reveal. I find it a better way to less annoyance. The ending was good if not a little obvious who done what. Overall, it was a nice and quick read.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Susannah is newly divorced & moves into a new neighborhood where she befriends Charlotte. Charlotte’s husband Dan has been unfaithful to her in the past but she is hoping that will change.

Both women have secrets from their past that keep arising to the surface. In the end the secrets they have kept hidden are discovered and both women turn on each other.

The story overall was too slow moving for my taste. Thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for the ARC.

Well with friends like that who needs enemies. A fast paced story of friendship, treacherous behavior and a bit of revenge made for a quick fun read. Look forward to reading more from Alex Day.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc.

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and Alex Day for a free e-copy of this book in exchange for a review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Best of Friends is portrayed as a 2-person point of view story in a small town in the south of England. Susannah is the newcomer to the town with her two young sons after a terrible divorce and is looking for a fresh start. On the contrary, Charlotte has all the appearances of a perfect life - grandiose manor home, beautiful children, and a doting husband. However, material possessions don't fix the deep-rooted loneliness she feels and quickly befriends Susannah who provides a listening ear to Charlotte. However, neither woman shares their deepest secrets, but everything is all about to come to a head.

I think I would have rated this 3-stars if it wasn't portrayed as a psychological thriller. Until the very last portion of the book, it was definitely more of a domestic drama. The characters were a little boring to read and the big reveals were a bit of a let down and quite obvious. I feel like if the story was told in a less linear fashion, even if the reader could guess what was going to happen, it would have made it more interesting. The writing style as well was a bit confusing and I couldn't tell if a few points in the book were supposed to be plot twists but they sort of ended up going over my head. Overall, I think if you like drama-based plot lines, this might be a book you would enjoy.

I try to go into books without reading too much into the synopsis and not having too high of expectations, but what I expected from this one versus what I got was a bit of a let down. I don't think the book was bad by any means, but there was enough tension in the beginning to really think some horrible secrets or revelations were going to come out, and unfortunately, the "big reveals" were a bit of a letdown. Charlotte's whole gambling problem was wiped away in one second. It was obvious Susannah was heading for an affair with Dan, but even that was a bit of a letdown. And the ending wasn't a shock - it was pretty obvious who the poisoner was.

When Susannah moves into the small village following her divorce, she immediately attracts attention. When she, and her sons, are invited to a party for another boy at her sons’ school, she meets her hosts, Charlotte and Dan, a wealthy, elegant couple who Susannah becomes quickly captivated with. As their sons become fast friends, Charlotte and Susannah strengthen their bond as well. In this dual POV story, it becomes clear to the reader that both women have secrets that must stay buried.
The Best of Friends saves most of the suspense for the last 20 percent; serving the blame back and forth like the tennis matches between Susannah and Dan. The story started off pretty slow and was difficult to get into, but I loved the twist at the very end! Towards the end of the story, everything accelerates and turns into a story you can’t put down. My other issue with this book was some of the events occurring came off very confusing to the reader. Maybe the author meant to mislead as a way of continuing the suspense, but I had to go back and reread pages a few times to see if I missed something. Overall, I really enjoyed Alex Day’s writing, but the story didn’t quite take flight for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperColins UK, and Alex Day for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Susannah and Charlotte were both fascinating characters, however I think the classification of this book let it down a bit. It didn't seem to fit as a mystery/thriller, the book felt more drama based to me.

I liked the multiple point of views and perspectives, and I liked the concept of the plot. It just didn't translate as well as I was hoping, unfortunately. I thought the story was well written, the author is talented at placing the reader into the story.

The ending felt quite predictable and obvious, which I think was due to the linear approach to the story. There were no twists or surprises, it was just a straightforward Point A to Point B story. The pace of the book was a bit off, with the first half being very slow. With that being said, it was still a decent read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC of The Best of Friends. The Best of Friends is a twisty above average thriller. I wanted to know almost from the start what happened and who did what. Even when I had clues, there were still several turns that put me off track. Sometimes, the suspense was a little far-fetched, but overall it was an enjoyable read. Susannah and Charlotte are neighbors and new friends. Susannah moves to the neighborhood after a bitter and painful divorce. She is broke, a single mom and jobless. Charlotte has lived in the area for a while and is wealthy, married and a mom also. Their friendship takes a turn when Charlotte's husband, Dan, shows interest in Susannah. While Charlotte gives the appearance of not caring, she is very aware of Dan's past dalliances. Both women have a past that is not revealed until the final chapters of the book. If you are a fan of suspense/thrillers, this is the book for you.

This book was referred to me by a FaceBook page for thriller/psychological lovers and I'm so glad they did. What a ride! I will definitely read more by Alex Day. Thankful to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this title.

Started off a bit slow but definitely picked up. Good writing, some twists and turns I didn't see coming with a satisfying ending (for me). All in all I found it very enjoyable. Thank you so much

Wow a roller coaster of a book. Two main women fighting for the same man in a great whodunit type of book. I'm usually great at working out who the culprit is but this had me guessing until the very end. Loved it