Kate and Bella have known each other since they were little girls, but their relationship has not always been easy. Events, both in and out of their control, have led to periods of time in which they have ceased contact, but somehow, regardless of what has happened, they always seem to find their way back into eachothers’ lives.

This novel did not do it for me. The style left a lot to be desired. I did not like that there were entire chapters made up of just dialogue between two characters, often Kate and Bella. Not only did I sometimes find myself confused as to who was speaking, but this type of presentation provided less insight into how the words said made the characters feel. I also disliked Kate so much that her character made me not only annoyed with her, but with Bella as well for putting up with her. There were a lot of things that seemed unresolved or vague as well.

This book was incredibly confusing with dialog. It was boring. The story didn’t draw me in at all. Literally only finished it because it was an ARC.

A relationship formed as children Bella and Kate believe themselves to be best friends. As the two women mature there is an underlying toxic feeling to their relationship. Over the years there are long gaps in the times that they see each other. I found myself really disliking one of the friends so I suppose the writing was good enough to elicit those feelings in me. I can’t say that o would recommend this to my friends but I can see where a younger audience may find it interesting.

The Best Friends has a unique twist about friends reuniting after years apart. Through the years they have had many ups and downs, major issues and reconciliations. The choices each one makes are sometimes hard to understand. The beginning chapters was interesting because it jumped in years to show pieces of Bella and Kate's life in those important ages.

Bella and Kate are childhood friends, they know each other’s secrets and their personalities are the exact opposite from each other. After their teenage years they lost touch and they pick up their friendship again in their thirties. The story span decades and tells us how their friendship had progressed throughout the years. In my opinion I didn’t read this story as a typical thriller, it read like a woman fiction story and the story still held my attention. The story still had interesting characters and a plot.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this review copy, I received a copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I tried several times to read this book, but I couldn't get into it. The way it was written just didn't work for me. I found the characters to be unlikable.

Can’t say I’m a fan of this book. The story seemed to lack direction and I could not stand the women or their friendship. Everything about them is toxic and why the one character kept going back to their friendship is beyond me. Based off the synopsis I expected more and the ending was predictable and a let down.

Thank you @minotaurbooks and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the eARC.

Unfortunately, this book was just not for me. I did not enjoy much of the storyline. As many others have mentioned, the lack of quotation marks almost made it unreadable. I enjoy relationship driven books, but found the friendship between Kate and Bella toxic in a way that I did not enjoy.

This one was a really quick read that had an unusual format. There aren't quotation marks in this book which took a bit to get used to.

This book follows the life-long toxic friendship between Bella and Kate. It is marketed as a thriller, but I found zero suspense in this book at all. I wouldn't even call it a mystery. Anyways, I think it was an entertaining read if you go into it as just a story about two women's friendship. Their friendship is toxic and unsettling but their connection is obvious. They are drawn to one another and love each other in a way that no one else can understand. Overall, this one was a take it or leave it kind of book for me.

Thank you @minotaur_books and @netgalley for the eARC of this in exchange for my honest review!!!

Thank you to Minotaur and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

This had somewhat been marketed as a thriller and it really wasn't. The story followed two "friends" if you can call them that and followed their toxic friendship from children to elderly adulthood. I found it hard to believe anyone would stay "friends" after all that transpired. Also, no one should care about flirting/kissing a boy that you liked in high school deep into adulthood. Move on babes.

Wasn't for me but it was a very quick read!

Just not good.

The lack of quotation marks and the general layout did not work in this books favour, I found it a struggle to get through.

I’m all for unlikeable characters but in this case it was all just too unlikeable.

Unfortunately, I have been locked out of my netgalley account for a few months and was not able to see which books I had on my list or even know to check if they downloaded properly, in order to properly read and review. I do apologize and am doing a 3 for neutral. Will update once I’m able to obtain a copy and read!

While I wasn’t completely hooked by this book, I did enjoy it. I found it to be entertaining and would definitely read more from the author.

I received an ARC of this novel from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for my honest reviews. I was not excited to read this after seeing the average star rating, but I did not hate it as much as many other reviewers seemed to. It did keep me reading without dreading it - mostly I guess just to see where it was going.

I don't understand the reason for lack of quotation marks. The only motive I can see for this would be to sort of meld the characters together by confusing the reader who is speaking. But if in the blurb, Kate & Bella are supposed to be so different, why would we want to meld them? Does not really make sense to me.

As others have said, this is by no means a thriller, and there are lengthy stretches where nothing happens. In my opinion, there are 2 pivotal events - the first having to do with something terrible that happens to Bella, the second having to do with a confrontation between all the characters. I understand why the confrontation occurred but I think I have completely missed what EXACTLY happened? Who did what? Someone tell me!

There is a thin line between love and hate.....

I have always gravitated toward books about best friends, rivalries, secrets and deception. There is nothing scarier than a woman scorned.

Bella and Kate became fast friends at the young age of 6, we see the relationship evolve over time and in their teenage years things get rocky as most relationships do. As teenagers you are faced with new experiences, hormones and emotions. After Kate moves, Bella is heartbroken to realize her best friend has left no form of contact for her.

As time goes on, the girls connect later in life and are faced yet again with some challenging circumstances. This book is as close as it comes to female friendship and how it can change over time. I felt emotionally connected not only to the story but to the girls.

This book got really dark at times and I loved it! I devoured The Best Friend in one sitting and thoughts of what had transpired lingered in my mind long after concluding.

Sadly, I found the writing to be not cohesive, and I just did not like the flow of this book. The synopsis of this book held so much promise for me but I had a hard time connecting to the characters and the dynamic was so odd between Bella and Kate.

DNF. Which I NEVER do! Could not follow along to the story at all since there are no quotation marks. Way too boring to be marked a thriller.

An exploration of toxic friendship, but it was very vague and was lacking in emotion. It was hard to follow conversations due to the lack of quotation marks.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book for my honest review.

Oh wow what an exciting thriller.! The who dun it was not involved as much as I predicted and this prose and atmospheric affects were spot on.

Jessica Fellowes is most well-known for writing several companion books for her uncle’s television smash, Downton Abbey, and for her own series of historical mysteries featuring the Mitford sisters. Today marks the release of her first stand-alone domestic suspense work, The Best Friend.

The Best Friend is sure to be a polarizing book, with people either loving it or hating it. Either way, they are going to have strong opinions on this work which takes many risks and dares to shatter some expected tropes. But in reality, that just may be the point of the novel.

Kate and Bella have been friends since they first met at six years old. Jessica Fellowes gives glimpses of their youth by documenting occurrences that happen at six, nine, fourteen, and seventeen. These are times of intense emotion, and these girls forge a bond that proves hard to break. Playdates, school dances, first crushes, and the like abound. The trouble is they are too young to recognize how co-dependent this relationship is and fail to acknowledge how often it falls onto the toxic side.

An incident at seventeen shatters any illusions and the former friends go through a period of separation, only to once again meet at thirty-one. It is here when Jessica Fellowes begins to explore the long-term ramifications of a difficult friendship. Readers will watch as their connection shifts and changes right up until both Kate and Bella are eighty-two years old.

So, why is this so controversial? It honestly has more to do with the way the story is told than the story itself – although that too contains some incidents that may be triggering and problematic for some. In the early sections of the book, Jessica Fellowes uses only dialogue, without any exposition. And that dialogue is presented more in the format of a play rather than traditional fiction format, meaning that at times it can be hard to distinguish which of the two girls is talking. This will discombobulate some readers and does require some effort on the part of those consuming the book, but it will be rewarded with some subtle, unexpected moments of wonder and delight.

Jessica Fellowes has purposefully left most details vague. In many ways, these girls are representative of the “everygirl” and thus readers are not privy to what they look like or much of the defining characteristics we have become accustomed to when reading fiction. What this does do is allow everyone to bring their own idea of who these girls are, or may be, to the dance between author and reader. The same applies for time period and setting. For the story to work, these facts are not necessary, so leaving them out – albeit unusual – really adds to the feeling of unease that ripples just below the surface.

More traditional exposition does enter the storytelling process about mid-way through. The novel works best as a character study and an examination of a toxic friendship. There is some suspense, but that is not the focal point, so readers who need more of that may find themselves disappointed. But for readers who enjoy a deep dive into the psychological aspects of relationships, The Best Friend will satisfy.

The Best Friend is an extremely fast read, but it is also a complex work that seems deceptively simply on the surface. This makes the reader think deeper about the actions taking place and ensures they linger in the memory long after the final page is turned. There is still one more Mitford sisters mystery to arrive in the coming months, but The Best Friend hints at maybe the type of novels we will get from Jessica Fellowes in the future. Whatever she decides to do next, it’s sure to be fascinating and entertaining.