The Lifeguards by Amanda Eyre Ward is a women’s fiction novel that dives into a mystery in a tight knit community. The story in The Lifeguards is one that is told by changing the point of view between the different characters to give all sides of the story.

Whitney, Annette, and Liza all live in the neighborhood of Zilker Park in Austin, Texas and have grown close to one another after all their years living in the community. The women have all bonded over motherhood and have raised their sons together so it’s not surprising that when the boys find themselves in a predicament when the body of a young woman is found the mothers all will do anything to keep their boys protected and safe from the investigation.

On paper The Lifeguards by Amanda Eyre Ward is a book that I really should have loved and raved about. In real life however I found myself not really even becoming engaged in this story. The book started off well enough however once the mystery is introduced I thought that the story just kept wandering away and I wanted to dive right in and find out what happened. There were several times I was wanting to just yell at the characters and made them do what I wanted which wasn’t a good sign. when finished I just chalked this one to not my cup of tea.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I went into The Lifeguards completely blind about the plotline. I thought it was going to be a light and fluffy beach read. Boy, was I wrong! Amanda Eyre Ward wrote a stellar novel of mystery and suspense that had me dropping everything this weekend so that I could finish it. The cast of characters has you wondering who exactly is telling the truth and what the truth will actually be when it's finally revealed. Highly recommend that you check this book out! Read and enjoy!



This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The vibrant, eye-catching colors of the cover of The Lifeguards by Amanda Eyre Ward draws you in at first, but the multilayered story keeps you engaged. Three friends find their friendships, relationships, and upscale lifestyles upended when an incident takes place in their suburban and very tony Texas town involving their three boys. As tight as the teenage boys are, their moms are just as tight and have just as much fun together. Unfortunately, the event sets a lot of other things in motion, and a flood of secrets starts oozing their ways out.

I really enjoyed this book and found many of the characters well-drawn and appealing. Some enjoyed very decadent lifestyles while every character hides different salacious secrets that they don't want to spill out. Although, at times, I mixed up two of the main moms, I thoroughly felt entertained by the story. It's a great summer beach read, but there's a very sinister side to the story. At times, you may feel a bit chilled, but there's a lot going on, and, despite the many plotlines, the author keeps them connected and keeps you guessing about the thriller aspects of the story.

My only real complaints are that the ending doesn't inform the reader about every character's fate. The epilogue only ties up a few character's endings but also doesn't show any implications of what's happened. There are stories that I continued to wonder about and wanted to know about. I also feel like the climax occurs, and then you're dropped from learning how it turns out and then quickly jump into the epilogue too soon. I felt that a few more chapters may have been warranted to explain how everything pans out.

Other than that, I am very intrigued to read the author's other books. I have one sitting in a box by my bed, which I intend to finally read, and many others that I want to catch up with at the library. If you are a fan of Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, this book may be a good choice for you.

This story explores the lives of three women and their families before and after a young woman in their privileged community dies under suspicious circumstances.

Fans of domestic suspense authors like Liane Moriarty and Sally Hepworth may enjoy this one. The author did a fantastic job setting the scene for the affluent neighborhood of Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. I also appreciated the fully developed the characters; they weren't likeable, but you understood their backgrounds and motives.

The story was told from the perspective of seven different characters (three mothers, three teenage sons, and one police detective), which I did find confusing at times. I was also frustrated with the ending; it was quite ambiguous, and I was not satisfied.

Read this if you liked Big Little Lies or Happy and You Know It.

What really happened on the green belt that night? Each time I thought I had the answer, the story would take a left turn. In THE LIFEGUARDS, Amanda Eyre Ward spins a captivating tale of family dynamics. Whitney, Liza and Annette are three friends who live in an affluent Austin, Texas, neighborhood. Their sons are suspects in the murder of a local woman. How far will a mother go to protect her child? This is a story of family loyalty, the high cost of keeping secrets, and the danger in not listening to our children.

Seven time author Amanda Eyre Ward has done it again. A fast-pace and excitement kept me flipping pages. The characters are well-developed and unforgettable. The story is written in multiple POVs, speaking through each of the three women, the three sons, and Detective Salvatore Revillo. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and voice.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Ballantine and Amanda Eyre Ward for this DRC.

How far would you go to protect someone you love? At the start of The Lifeguards, three women are relaxing together in their Austin neighborhood when their teenage sons come racing back on their bikes and tell them that they found a dead body. What would you do if you were the parent? What if you worried your son was involved?

I really enjoy stories that put me in that spot to think about what you would do if you were faced with similar circumstances. I enjoyed that this was a fast moving story and really kept me guessing with some of the twists and turns. There’s one plot point that felt like it was unresolved so lost a little for that but overall I think this would be an interesting beach read!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free advance reading copy.

“This is where I could have become the mother I wanted to be, the one who listened without judgment, who allowed any confession and made room, allowed sadness and shame, all of it. Spoiler alert: I did not become this person.”
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Liza, Whitney, and Annette have been best friends for years. They have raised their kids together and are always looking out for each other. When a dead body ends up on the green belt, they will do anything to keep their boys safe.
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This book is told through 7 POV (each mom, the three boys, and the detective). It’s a slow burn and was about 30% into it before it started to get suspenseful. It has some twists and turns that really kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed this book.. but it did leave me with a lot of questions. The Epilogue did not reveal as much as I had hoped so I still left with unanswered questions! (Hence the 3.5.. probably rounded to 4.. stars).
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I received a digital copy of this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Ballantine Publishing and of course author Amanda Eyre Ward. All opinions expressed are my own.
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I absolutely loved loved this book! It’s a must summer read! Grab your beach bag head to the beach and you won’t be able to stop!

The Lifeguards gave off major Big Little Lies vibes. It was a fast paced and suspenseful novel about motherhood and the lengths one goes to protect their children. The story revolves around the narratives of seven characters: three mothers, three teenagers, and a detective. The characters were dynamic and unique each facing their own trials and tribulations. I enjoyed this book! Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy!

I love the books of Amanda Eyre Ward. Period.

This story will definitely take you along for the ride. It twists and turns around the truth. Three boys come home saying they didn't do anything. A girl is found dead. Three mothers who would do anything for their children and anything to keep up appearances. One cop, dealing with his own loss, trying to figure it all out.

I admit I was surprised with how things played out. I am always happy when that happens. I loved the characters, loved the premise, love the totality of it. It is written so beautifully and with such heart. We mothers truly understand.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for an advance copy for review.

I was honestly excited to read this book.

Unfortunately, after reading the book halfway I was completely confused as to what was going on and there were multiple POV's and it was just chaotic.

I DNF and won't be posting a review anywhere aside from giving my feedback on here.

I've debated about how to rate this book. I was hooked from the first page, but yet the ending felt rushed and left me with unanswered questions. I was left disappointed with a book that I was truly enjoying. It's definitely a page turner and makes you want to figure out what happens and who is guilty.

I enjoyed the story of three mama's that are friends with three sons that are friends. I was glad to see them protect their own with fierce determination.

If the ending had been just a little different without leaving certain things in the air this would have easily been 4 or 4.5 stars for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Amanda Eyre Ward writes such great characters and creates beautifully relevant stories that are as endearing as they are relevant. The Lifeguards is a triumph, enjoyed this book from start to finish

3 boys, 1 dead girls, 3 crazy moms and 1 unhinged sister- The Lifeguards was not quite what I expected. I absolutely loved the Jetsetters by Ward. I liked that her characters were all different and had their own conflicts. The characters in this book were similarly fleshed out and different, but so many of them were just sad or infuriating that I couldn't get behind anyone. The ending felt completely unsatisfying to me. It was a bit rushed and just didn't work for me, though I'm sure some readers will love. Overall, I did enjoy reading this, but it made me a bit depressed about humanity. Thanks for the ARC @netgalley.

Thank you so much for this ARC!

I liked this book, didn't love it. It was definitely way different than I thought it would be. The cover is deceiving - looks almost like a romance book but it is so far from it. Thrillers and suspense are my favorite so it was a nice surprise!

The story is told from the point of view of three moms whose children found a dead body and one detective who is investigating the case.

This was a bit drawn out for me and the ending was just not worth the wait.

3 teenage boy, all lifeguards find a body. This story is all about what happened afterwards. Each chapter told from the prospective of different characters. The teenage boys, their mothers and the detective. How far will a mother go to protect her children. Lots of layers of relationships and history unfold. I really enjoyed this book.

When Chandler Baker and May Cobb have something to say about a new book, you listen.

In The Lifeguards by Amanda Eyre Ward, three women - Whitney, Annette, and Liza - share a friendship with bonds made stronger by the neighborhood they love and their sons who they’ve raised and sheltered from the dangers of the world.

While enjoying a happy hour, these friends are unaware that their boys, lifeguards for the summer, share a secret that is destined to break them apart. Described as “Big Little Lies meets Mare of Easttown,” The Lifeguards is what happens when motherhood and loyalty meets secrets and suspense.

🙏🏼 Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse

This is my first time reading Amanda Eyre Ward but it definitely won't be my last. What a fun book. The cover is a tad misleading. I thought I was picking up a simple beach read but instead got a murder mystery and examination of class differences and entitlement. I'm not complaining! While the topic was heavier than I expected, it still had a light, easily digestable tone. The book is essentially asking how far a mom will go to protect her son and the answer here is pretty far. It was interesting learning the back story of each mom and how she found herself in this affluent suburb. The close knit friendship between the boys was fun to watch as the drama intensified.

This book was such a great surprise! Admittedly, I've started to think of the influx of books with cartoon-y covers as bubble-gum-sweet rom-com stories. Yes, I'm telling you that I tend to judge a book by its cover.

With that being said: I didn't expect such a fun yet deep story. The main characters were not necessarily "the lifeguards" but rather their parents, which caught me off-guard (in a good way).

The tone and flow of this book reminded me of Little Fires Everywhere so if you enjoyed that hit by Celeste Ng, read this one!

The Lifeguards was definitely an engaging read. I appreciated the different points of view, from very different family units. The friendship of the three women was admirable…until it wasn’t. The twists and turns upped the suspense and definitely kept me reading. Secrets…secrets…secrets! .Although I was unable to make a personal connection with any of the characters I enjoyed their stories gradually emerging. I was left with several questions when I finished the book that actually bothered me…What became of Roma? And what happened to Whitney in the bunker? The clues are there but I am not sure if my supposition was accurate.
Three and a half stars for this engaging read. Many many thanks to Amanda Eyre Ward, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc this fast paced engaging book to be published on April 5th. It will definitely hold your interest!