**WARNING: CONTAINS ENDING SPOILERS!

2 ⭐️⭐️. Oh wow this one was bad!! I mean really bad! I am actually surprised I finished it. The only reason I did was because it was a quick read and I was buddy reading it with a friend, who also ended up hating it I should add. I had a feeling after just a couple chapters with all the Instagram talk and how it was written, that it was going to be more like a Young Adult book than a Psychological Thriller. Not that there’s anything wrong with YA books, they just aren’t my thing. Sadly, this book not only gave off a YA vibe, but it was so badly written. I hate to say that, but it really was. At the 50% mark, I was ready to quit but I felt too committed to stop. Sometimes when reading a book (even if it’s bad), I still am curious how it ended. Well, not with this one. I didn’t care at all what happened. I just wanted to see the “100% completed” in the bottom left corner of my kindle and be done with it!!

Ok sorry I’m rambling and I guess I should explain atleast alittle bit of what I hated about it without boring you with the whole story. First, the storyline….sooooo incredibly stupid! I don’t know how the synopsis interested me so much because the story was a total flop. Second, the characters…I literally HATED them all! Raven was the worst. I have never read an “adult” book with such a whiny, annoying, and PARANOID main character. She was the worst! Although Abbey was not far behind her. There is nothing positive I can say about either of them. Third, “Ghost Lily”…insert eye roll 🙄…Raven seriously took this trip to confront her ghost because she needed to apologize so that she would lift the curse off her. Yes you read that correctly, Raven believed Lily cursed her so she couldn’t get pregnant. If only she could apologize to her ghost…I just can’t even! It was so bad! The only thing that was somewhat good was the ending when Raven got shot and died! If only, Abbey would have been shot in the end too…then maybe it could have bumped up another 1/2 a star!! 🤣

If you’ve taken the time to read this review, you’ve either already read the book …or sorry, I just revealed the ending…but if you didn’t read it, then you can thank me for saving you from this one! That’s almost 2 days of my valuable reading time that I’ll sadly never get back.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for an advanced copy in exchange for a VERY HONEST review.

(Note to the publisher, I tried to post review to Goodreads, but it said ISBN not found).

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was so excited to read this! The cover alone intrigued me, and I am always up for a toxic friendship trope. As I began this book, I was GLUED to the story, and immediately thought that this may end up being a 5 star read for me. However, after the first 25%, things changed, and they changed big time for me. I did not get any kind of a YA (young adult) vibe from the first quarter of the book, but wham, all of a sudden the writing style shifted, the character's dialogue shifted, and I just felt like I was immediately knee deep in a mediocre YA novel, which I do not read, and do not like. I can honestly say that no other character in any other book I have read this year has annoyed me or made me want to rake my nails down a chalkboard more than Raven! At first, I seemed to identify with Raven and her back story dealing with infertility, wanting a child SO badly, and feeling cursed because she could not conceive. But then, Raven meets up with her "old college friend", Abby, for a road trip to their old college, she just starts to unravel, and it is the SAME thing over and over again in every chapter. Yes, she was afraid of a "stalker" that she encountered, but this chick was off the deep end, and seemed to be in constant "mother mode" toward her friend Abby, and was literally afraid of everything. The dialogue just got ridiculous at this point, making me constantly roll my eyes. Recently divorced Abby, however, was a free spirit, and I liked her (if I could like anyone in this book). She was the "shunned" college girl after something happened to her and Raven's dorm mate, Lily. I loved how Abby wanted to just live life as it came and have a good time at any opportunity. We hear Lily's viewpoint in the story via flashbacks of her journals. It honestly was like she was in high school rather than in college with the immaturity of "the diary". I just did not enjoy this, and thought it was rather silly, and I struggled to finish it. There was NO suspense, just a bunch of eye rolling, and wanting to reach through my Kindle and strangle the heck out of Raven. Not to mention how far fetched the ending was. I do not recommend this book, and I do not understand the high reviews. This was a buddy read with my friend, and we both just despised it. 2.5 stars.

This book was a page-turner that I couldn't put down.....until the last few chapters when it just bombed for me.

The story is told from two present storylines (Abbey, the newly divorced woman intent on a road trip to clear her mind, and Raven, her college roommate who is dealing with the heartbreak of infertility) and one from the past (college student Lily, her story told through her journal). The three are tied together in ways you learn as you read.

On this trip, the eventual destination being their old college reunion, the women seem to be continuously followed by a man they do not recognize. The women start to wonder if he has something to do with the darkness of their past.

Fast-forward to the last few chapters. It all comes to a head very quickly, the story wraps up even quicker, and I'm still left wondering why on earth the author decided to do some things she did. Awesome first 90%, really rough last 10%

(Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback)

What a terrific book this was!! It is an unputdownable page-turner that I read in record time. This story is told in a nonlinear timeline with three points of view. Abbey is newly divorced which she announced on her Instagram account and is looking forward to taking a road trip. Raven is her estranged college roommate who suffers from infertility and has been stalking Abbey's social media accounts. Raven "liked" Abbey's post and commented "miss you." Abbey responded and they met up for drinks at which time Raven invites herself to go along on Abbey's trip. This turns out to be a very interesting road trip indeed! I highly recommend this fast paced exciting book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the ARC of this very riveting book.

This one was creepy and I loved it! It was really hard to put down, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I have been on a streak lately...

I have been lucky enough to have been picking all 4 and 5 star reads lately and Best Friends Forever, fell into the same "star" category.

Best Friends Forever, has an engaging cover. I love the mysteriousness of it and It definitely grabbed my attention. If I thought the cover was great, I don't think I could have anticipated how much I would love the book itself.

Raven and Amber were college friends, back then something awful had happened and now, as adults they need to face the roles they played in the events that led up to the tragedy.

This is a character driven story that is narrated between dual time lines (I loved this!!) Narrated between Amber, Raven and their old room mate, Lily (through journal entries).

Although Raven and Amber could both be quite the handful and at times I was really upset by their behavior, I fell in love with Lily.

All in all I loved this book. I am a huge fan of the whole "college thriller vibe" so this book was right up my alley. The twists were unforeseen and the terrible secrets that came to light had me begging for more. I have become a huge fan of Cathryn Grant and I can not wait to see what she comes out with next.

Five Stars

I've recently learned that not everyone has a movie play in their head when they read. That freaks me out completely as my brain movie is 90% of why I'm reading in the first place. Anyhoo...there were so many disorienting jump cuts in this brain movie. At least once a chapter someone wasn't standing where I thought they were or time got super weird and smooshy. It genuinely altered my feelings about the plot/characters/etc.

Best friends forever, until death do they part...

Abbey is happily divorced and ready to live her best life. When her old BFF, Raven, reconnects with her online, they decide to go on a fun road trip together. Pretty soon, the two women notice they are being followed along the way. As tension builds and the stalker's behaviour escalates, Abbey realizes he may not be a stranger after all. He may be connected to the worst thing that ever happened to her. Raven's behaviour becomes increasingly disturbing and bizarre as they continue their trip, and Abbey senses her friend has secrets of her own. As the man closes in, it becomes apparent that he wants one of them to pay...
What a page-turner! I was instantly hooked on this story from the first chapter. I did not want to put this thriller down. I could feel my heart pounding and my jaw drop as I slowly learned more about the characters and their past. I felt physically ill in some scenes just imagining in vivid detail what it would have been like! Cathryn Grant really created an atmosphere of unease and mistrust. I can't wait to read more of her work. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced and explosive thriller!

This is a first time read for me by this author, so I had no particular expectations going into it. The story was well-written and interesting and held my attention from beginning to end. The plot was intriguing and there were some twists and turns which kept me thoroughly engaged. This book definitely had me on the edge of my seat with the suspenseful, intense storyline. The unique plot made this a very engaging and interesting read with an ending I did not see coming. The author did a good job of crafting an entertaining and compelling psychological thriller. I would love to read more by this author in the future.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Thank you so much to Inkubator books, NetGalley and Cathryn Grant for the ARC in return for my honest review!

It is no secret that I am a thriller junkie, and love all things, twisted and psychological, and this book was all that I love most in a thriller novel. It was so much better than I thought it would be. When I first started reading, it pulled me in by the way that Cathryn Grant would drop subtle hints and clues as to why Abbey dropped out, and what made her and Raven so distant. I just needed to know what could have been so horrible as to make someone drop out of college and alienate one of their best friends whom they were inseparable from throughout their college years.

This book started as a slow burn for me, although with many questions needing to be answered, once I got to the end I was on the edge of my seat and had chills at times.

I loved how this book was told from three perspectives, abbey, Raven, and Lily's diary. Throughout the perspectives of Abbey and Raven, you get both past and present perspectives of both, and it adds such a depth to the storyline. But what I really loved was the Journal entries from Lily. It gave the addition facts of the relationship between "the roaches" (abbey and raven) had with Lily to create a backstory for all the incidents that took place that ruined the life of abbey.

I loved the character development, I felt as if I knew and felt close to Abbey and Raven. I could feel their relationship. I did not like either woman, however, I felt if both characters were very unlikable, but still quite developed. Even with unlikable characters, I was intimately involved in the story line, I never knew who I was supposed to like, or not like, or who was bad or good. I never knew who's side I was supposed to be on, and that's what makes a great thriller. I totally didn’t see the ending coming, and that, to me, makes a 5-star thriller.

I'm glad I found Cathryn Grant and can't wait to dive into more of her books!

Best friends forever by Catheryn Grant.
Two friends. One road trip. A journey to hell.
A good read. I do like this author but this one was a bit disappointing. I did find it hard to read at times. Coming from 3 different characters Lily Raven and Abbey. I didn't like Raven at all. Abbey I wasn't sure about. 4*.

Well developed characters and an outrageous plot made for an excellent read that will have you not want to put the book down. I voluntarily reviewed an advance readers copy of this book.

This was an excellent book. The characters were well developed, but not too much, so there were definitely some big surprises.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher, and mainly the author for the chance to read this awesome book as an ARC.

Best Friends Forever is an intense fast paced thriller. Abbey and Raven were the best of friends in college until something happened and Raven had to dropped out. Estranged for years, the two reunite for a road trip to the college reunion. It’s a chance to clear the air and perhaps start anew. It’s not long before their planned trip takes a horrific detour. Told via three perspective, Best Friends Forever is a wild thriller with a ton of twists and turns. This is the first book I’ve read by Cathryn Grant, but it most definitely will not be my last. Thanks so much to Inkubator Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R293TD3XV9PK7B/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Best Friends Forever is a psychological thriller of two friends that lost touch when one dropped out of college. The book is told in 3 perspectives, the present to the past, from Abbey, Raven and Lily.

Abbey posts that she is recently divorced for all to see. Raven who is married and childless has been "stalking" Abbey on-line. Raven decides to reach out to Abbey and leaves a message. Several days later Abbey responds and they meet for lunch where they attempt to reestablish their friendship. Oddly they agree to go on a road trip together. As Abbey and Raven struggle to reconnect a stranger has begun to follow them. This person will change the course of both their lives.

I felt as if I was dragged along with them during the road trip. These two people had secrets and had drifted apart, they had become different people. This trip was doomed to fail. I didn't like the characters Raven was needy and fearful. Abbey was self absorbed. There is a reveal and twist at the end. I didn't find it plausible that that was the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. I rate it 3.5 stars.
The book bordered on unlikely a few times but did move at a fast pace and kept my interest. At times I was thinking who would really do that or behave in that manner and that was irritating at times.
Abbey and Raven (college roommates) chose to go on a trip together. They are both harboring secrets about college and haven’t even talked to each other in ages. Things had gone horribly wrong in college, and you learn that story as you go. Both girls are very unlikeable in college. Lily a third roommate is introduced, and I enjoyed Lily’s part of the story and wished I had heard more from her. The ending was strong and overall, I am just mildly content with the whole storyline. Everything could have been stronger and wrapped up in a more gripping way.

I will freely admit I chose this book because it was "Read Now". I had no familiarity with the author or the subject. I didn't even read the synopsis thoroughly and went into it pretty blind. I'm almost glad I did. In some ways it reminded me of a "B" movie, Mean Girls grown up. Unpopular opinion? Probably.

First of all, the writing style was a bit awkward for me. Each chapter flipped between the characters; Abbey, Raven and a dead Lily, by way of her journal entries. Yes, the start of each chapter was clearly delineated as to which girl's voice, but it was still extremely difficult to follow who was narrating between Abbey and Raven. To my ear it was rough. It would have helped if there had been more differentiation, just a simple notation would have made for a smoother flow.

Secondly, the fact that Abbey and Raven, having no contact for twelve years, connected over social media, and set out together on a road trip was silly. Maybe that was the intention though. To point how silly this sort of connection really can be.

To top it off, that Lily's brother found and stalked them on this road trip was simply too far for me. I know stalkers can and do crazy things, but this just seemed extreme. Afterall, Lily's death had been investigated and termed an overdose over twelve years prior. To think that he was still holding this anger to such an extent was difficult me to fathom.

This is an example of a book that just wasn't up my alley. It doesn't mean it's a poor piece of work. It could very well appeal to someone else with great success. I hope so. There is a time and place for all books and all readers.

Thank you #NetGalley.

The literary equivalent of a bag of potato chips - I devoured it in one sitting! And yes, I did feel a little sick and regretful afterward, but only because I stayed up way too late to finish reading this! This novel is about three women who were college roommates. Two of them have reunited after a long estrangement to take a road trip to a college reunion, while the other's story is told through journal entries since she is deceased. I raced through this twisty thriller to figure out what had happened in college, and who is following the women now on their road trip and who does he want to harm.

Best friends forever by Cathyrn Grant publication date 10 April 2022
#netgalley #Inkubator Thank you netgalley and inkubator for this ARC
Two friends Road Trip An okay physcological thriller. I was gobsmacked by Raven and not in a good way. I would like to read more from this author 3/5 stars

Best Friends Forever by Cathryn Grant is one of those psych thrillers that wanders around for a while, drawing the reader in, finally leading to a surprising ending.
It is not exactly linear, but it is very easy to follow.
Abbey and Raven were best friends in college. A tragedy caused one of them to drop out. But neither of them has followed the best path into their current lives.
When the opportunity arrives for a road trip to a college reunion, they have the chance to bury some memories, clear up some misunderstandings, create new beginnings.
It’s not a spoiler to say that things don’t go exactly as planned.
I’ll be boring and repeat that I don’t do spoilers. But I don’t think it is a spoiler to say that you have to suspend your disbelief for this one. People who haven’t spoken in over a decade don’t just randomly meet up and go on a road trip together.
It makes for a good (and pivotal) plot point but isn’t exactly believable. Some of the actions of both women are also questionable and seem to be more for plot than for character development.
The point of the women traveling is that they have a shared incident from college that each has a completely different perspective on, and the road trip is a way to clear the air (so to speak).
I didn’t really like either one of them. They were each narcissistic in their own ways, and it is easy to see why their college (and subsequent) years turned out the way they did.
That being said, I liked how the author kept the past events a little mysterious, so that the reader never really knew who was the worst one and who was responsible for what aspects of the tragedy.
And the ending was a total shocker. The author went in a direction that is seldom taken and I applaud her for this. It was a great ending to a decent book.