It seems like these days, I'm constantly asking the question 'gosh, are there really people like this in normal society?'

It has since occurred to me that maybe sociopaths are the norm, rather than the exception! I enjoyed The Best Friend quite a lot, I am rather a fan of Shalini Boland, and although this wasn't quite up to her recent standard, it's darn good none-the-less.

The characters got a teeny bit annoying, Louisa really needed to stand up for herself a LOT more, and Jarrod... meh. Say no more, but I suspect I'd be swanning around by myself, with Joe in tow, of course.

A solid 3 and a half - rounded off to 4 - stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for my ARC.

*This review is based on the audiobook.*

This book was fine but nothing memorable; I mean if you asked me next week what it was about I doubt I'd be able to tell you.

It was fast-paced and short which made it a really quick read and engaging enough to keep me interested. Having said that, it was all rather cliché and predictable, some of the things Louisa was doing in regards to Darcey made my eyes roll that hard I feared they wouldn't appear again.

Decent but really generic.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio and Shalini Boland for the copy of this book. All views are my own.*

From predictable to outlandishly improbable. Louisa's new best friend has everything Louisa doesn't - money, a huge house, lots of friends. Louisa soon comes to realize that maybe her new friend doesn't have it all. And it seems she needs to be careful because she wants something from her. Some of these characters were wonderfully written, with a lot of depth, but some needed a bit more work so that even though they were supporting characters they would have seemed better suited to the story. The premise was great, it kept me attentive and part of that was the 'almost normal' things happening, knowing something was a bit off but not sure what. Started well enough with a slow build, but then the author could not find footing on the slippery slope of believability. At most this is a beach read; quick and mindless.


Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary ALC

Yes!!! This is exactly what I needed! Rich, petty school moms mixed with paranoia, gas lighting and vengeance makes a psychological thriller I couldn’t stop listening to. This audiobook gripped me from start to finish. The narrator, Katie Villa, did an excellent job bringing these characters to life. The conclusion literally had me on the edge of my seat! Once again Shalini Boland delivered a fast paced, highly entertaining thriller. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for my audiobook. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not the best book I have listened to but definitely not the worst it was very predictable Louisa has a new friend who turns out to be a psycho who hates her so not a particularly new plot with unfortunately not enough twists to make it a thriller

I really enjoyed this book, which is a psychological thriller about two women called Louisa and Darcy, who meet through their children. Darcy is initially very welcoming and kind to Louisa, who has just moved to the area. But after a while, things become sinister, and Darcy starts acting very strange towards her. Louisa doesn't really know what is going on around her, but she feels very uneasy. At the end, Darcy has to explain things to her, and Louisa is shocked by the outcome.

This is a great book, with a wonderful narrator. I enjoyed all the twists and turns. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

An enjoyable book. This felt like a domestic style drama. It isn't until later in the book that it gets suspenseful. The plot kept me interested and I liked all the twists and turns. Some parts were a little predictable, which is why I gave it 3 stars.

I love Shalini Bolands books, they are always so relatable.
I think you’ve been very lucky in life if you haven't had at least one friend who you question in the back of your mind if they are truely your friend or working against you.
This book takes those doubts to a while new level!
Filled with twists and turns, some you can see coming others jump out of nowhere.
This kept me gripped throughout.
I listened to this as an audiobook, the naration was very good and it was a pleasure to listen to.


I voluntarily read and reviewed this audiobook, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a review of the audiobook version of this book.

I enjoyed listening to this story, it kept me hooked with plenty of twists and turns, although some predictable ones.

There were points in the book where I felt like slapping Louisa and telling her not to be so gullible, but it is a fiction book after all!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for letting me review this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, I am a huge fan of Shalini Boland's books. I have read all her thriller books, and I can hand on heart say I have loved them all. This one is no different.

I read this book when it was first published in 2014. This time, I listened to an audio version, after receiving a copy from Netgalley, and once again I loved it. I have read many books in between so I didn't remember the twists etc thankfully.

Louise's life is turned upside down in this book, after meeting Darcy, a mother of a child her son has started at a private school with. The boys become friends, and the husbands get involved business wise as Jared, Louise's husband, envies the wealth of the family and wants to try and recreate that for himself.

However, always beware who you let into your life!!!

There are plenty of clever twists, and all the loose ends tie up nicely before the end which I loved. I hate it when there are questions left unanswered. This is an excellent thriller and I flew through the book as I usual.

An excellent read. Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and Shalini Boland for a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

keep enemies close, but what if your best friend is your enemy? Domestic style drama with a few twists and turns, a few unbelievable parts and despite a gory murder there is little police interaction or even a funeral. Good plot kept me engaged until the end. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

Once again a belter of a book from Shalini Boland. As usual Katie Villa brings the story to life in the audiobook.
I loved the character development and the way the story just flowed. It certainly passed the hours on my holiday flight.
Many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to hear a copy of the audiobook.

Holy moly, what an ending and what a ride! In true honesty, I caught on to most of the twists before Louisa did, but the big twist of why everything was happening was completely lost on me. Wow! I loved the writing. I loved the chapters switching back and forth between past and present. I can't wait to read more by Shalini Boland. She has a new fan! Thank you to NetGalley, Shalini Boland, and Bookouture Audio for the chance to listen to this one.

A twisty read that may have you taking a second look at your close friends!🤣

Louisa just enrolled her son in a prestigious school. And he’s already made a new friend. So it just seemed natural that Louisa would befriend the boy’s mother, Darcy.

But what starts out as a blossoming friendship between the moms soon morphs into something rather sinister. So just what is Darcy’s end game? What does she want from Louisa? Or… is it all in Louisa’s head?

Listening to the audio I thought the narrator did an amazing job with each character. (Not an easy thing to do!) A fast, taught thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. So much so I actually felt my anxiety level ramping up as the storyline progressed!

This is my second audio I’ve listened to recently from Shalini Boland and I hope to have the opportunity to listen to yet more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio

Enjoyment: 4.5
Total rating: 4.43

Holeee!!! I am afraid to admit how much I enjoyed this book because the toxicity is high. One of the characters is evil and has no morals or regard for others.

What I enjoyed the most in The Best Friend was how Boland navigated the line between gaslighting and having an unreliable narrator. I was unsettled and felt claustrophobic reading this book. But in a good way. Katie Villa did a phenomenal job narrating the book. Her performance is compelling. I started listening and couldn't stop until the book ended.


Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to the publishers and NetGalley for providing a copy of The Best Friend.

Louisa sure knows how to pick friends... her budding friendship with Darcy initially seems to good to be true. Darcy is wealthy and has a huge network at her disposal. But Louisa begins to feel uneasy about their relationship as incidents come to pass ( a joint birthday party for their sons - Darcy's idea - where Louisa's son actually isn't acknowledged at all, Darcy making a new running buddy out of Louisa's husband, Darcy lying about the status of her relationship with her own husband, etc.). When Louisa tries to talk about her concerns, she's made to feel as though she's taking things too personally and making things up in her head. Furthermore, Darcy is being stalked by a man she doesn't know, finds someone murdered and her life begins to turn upside down. This is a thrilling book filled with suspense and a twist I never saw coming. I finished it in one sitting! My first by Shalini Boland, but definitely not my last! #thebestfriend #netgalley

A clever tale about deception and revenge set in wealthy Sandbanks. Shalini Boland never fails to deliver a twisty, well executed story. I love her easy writing style, relatable characters and gripping plots. This was thoroughly enjoyable and had all the ingredients for an edge of your seat psychological thriller! I listened to the book on audible and the narrator what excellent.

Louisa Sullivan, her husband, Jared, and son, Joe, have moved into an affluent neighbourhood and are struggling to fit in and make ends meet. Joe is attending a new school and has a new friend. When Louisa goes to pick him up, she meets Darcy Lane, a new neighbour who is extremely well off and has all the other moms eating out of her hand. Louisa is flattered that Darcy wants to be her friend, until things start to happen. Darcy seems to be undermining her and Joe doesn't want to play with Tyler anymore. What is going on and what is Darcy's game.

This was a typical Shalini Boland book where things are not always what they seem. Darcy is that character who you know has something going on, or something wrong with her, you just have to figure it out. Darcy also has a stalker, at least she thinks he is, as she sees him all the time. When Jared teams up with Mike, Darcy's husband to open his own advertising business, he is blind to any of Louisa's concerns. This book was a bit predictable, but there was still a lot to figure out. Louisa was made to feel that she was emotional and over reacting. When a murder occurs, Louisa is arrested, and it seems like she might be railroaded. This was an extremely fast read, with short chapters and lots happening to keep my interest. The ending was not what I expected, but I do love a bit of karma. A great way to spend some time on a warm, summery day. Katie Villa narrated the audiobook and does a very good job. She used expression and tone to bring emotion and suspense to the story. Although not Shalini Boland's best book I have read, it was still a very enjoyable story, that I recommend.

There were moments in this book that were a little predictable, but there's a nice twist that reveals certain characters' motivation. Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this book.

How does it happen that you're doing along perfectly fine, and then, little-by-little, events twist and conspire to pull you down until you don't recognize anything from your life anymore?

My second book by this author. All in all, it wasn't bad, although I liked The Girl from the Sea more.

I think I’d like this book even more if there weren't for a couple of glaring inconsistencies. Although even without them, this was an ok thriller but nothing special.

On the positive note, I really liked the narrator. Also, just like with The Girl from the Sea, I finished The Best Friend in a day. Boland's books definitely have that gripping factor that makes you want to know what's going on.

Even though neither of her books came close to the list of my favorite thrillers, they provided a couple of quite enjoyable afternoons. Perfect for killing some slow time. I'd definitely love to check out more of her thrillers, especially if the narrator is the same.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of The Best Friend by Shalini Boland in exchange for an honest review.