First thing I’ve read from Shannon Hollinger and it definitely won’t be the last. Best Friends Forever is full of twists and turns right in the end. Narrator did a fantastic job. Many thanks to NetGalley for the arc!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio and the author for the ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Best Friends Forever is a psychological thriller that follows the story of Kate who ran away from home after witnessing something traumatic which left her little sister mute. 10 years later Kate has no option but to come back to Florida to take care of her mother who had an accident. Right after she reaches home, her estranged bestfriend is found dead, presumed by suicide. With the weight of everything she has been carrying for the last decade and this sudden loss, everything starts unraveling around her, Kate starts to see everything more clearly. But will she be able to figure out everything that's going on before all goes to hell??

Come on a murder mystery with a history, no one can stop me from picking it up. This story had me hooked from the fore front. I obviously had my suspicions and was sad more than disappointed at them being right. Will not lie, this book is a sad story with family secrets and betrayals. The story is pretty much fast paced and happening. There is an eerie foreboding vibe which keeps you on your toes. Even though you know the story is set in Florida and there is more than enough description of the weather, it was like I could only imagine the story set in a cloudy and gloomy weather.

The narrator was amazing, especially in maintaining the vibe and emoted the confused and guilt-ridden Kate very well. Overall a really good thriller and a quick read.

TW: Murder, blood, gore, betrayal, pedophilia, sexual assault, abuse, gaslighting

I have listened to the audiobook version of this book.
This made some aspects of the story quite confusing.
We jump back and forth to the past and present day, and in the audiobook there was no distinction at all between the time periods.
This confused me at some points, especially in the beginning.
I could not follow who everyone was and where everyone was, and especially when everyone was.
As the story progressed, I got less confused. But still, a slight distinction might have been helpful.
I do not know whether there is one in the physical or e-book.

Then on to the story.
It was quite middle of the road for me.
The twists and turns were good, but not that surprising (but this might be because I have read a lot of mystery books before).
Female friendship and sisterhood is at the forefront in this story, but there is of course still space for some romance.
Because a story could not ever be complete without a romance, of course.

Alright, when I read the description I was really excited for this audiobook, but it fell way flat and just had so much more potential

Wow! What a book! I couldn't read it fast enough. The tension and pace were absolute magic! Brilliantly unsettling, with characters so deftly woven that you never quite know who – if anyone – you can trust. Another riveting and powerful psychological thriller from this talented author.
There's something about the way the author writes that makes the words flow easily, and the pages turn themselves! Audio version was great too!

Book Title: Best Friends Forever
Author: Shannon Hollinger
Narrator: Kate Handford
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: January 12, 2023
My Rating: 3 Stars

This was my first Shannon Hollinger novel.
The title got my attention however, I may never use BFF after this story!

Kate has returned home after leaving her childhood home in Florida. Ten years ago Emma, Becca, Mel and Kate’s sister Lily attend a party on graduation night; they witness Emma Kate’s best friend standing over Brad a homeless classmate and she has a blood rock in her hand. .Kate just can’t tell on her best friend nor can she watch Emma continue her life.
Kate’s younger sister Lily is traumatized by what they witnessed but Kate escapes by moving to Boston.

Now ten years later Kate’s mother had an accident and Kate returns home. On the same night, Emma is murdered. Hmmm

Story was a bit of struggle for me as the characters were so unlikeable.
I hung in there and was surprised with the ending.

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 12, 2023

New Book Review

I was very excited to have been chosen to get this book from @BookoutureAudio

Title: Best Friends Forever
Author: Shannon Hollinger
Genre: Suspense, Mystery
Rating: 4 Stars
Vibe: Murder Mystery, Suspense
Review:  

Ten years ago, Kate witnessed a murder while hanging out with friends, but is her memory flawed? Present Day- She returns to her home town after the death of her previous best friend, Emma.

Kate is determined to get to the truth of that night long ago. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but this is a solid thriller.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I kept thinking of theories, but I was far off. This was my first book by Shannon Hollinger and it won’t be my last.

Best Friends Forever releases January 12, 2023 by @Bookouture.
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A welcome new name in domestic psychological thrillers, this author presents her audience with a nail-biting drama with some awesome twists and turns on the way to a shockingly unforseen conclusion. An excellent, well-crafted mystery and engaging read.

Thanks to Netgalley for this eARC!

Unfortunately, this isn't the book for me. So you're telling me that she was 99% sure her best friend murdered a homeless man and her sister saw the dead man, and Kate just moves away rather than telling ANYONE? I get that we're supposed to believe she has a strong bond with her best friend, but she is a potential murderer and traumatized her own sister and she still stays quiet? Then once Kate returns to her home and learns that several homeless men have been murdered throughout the years, she decides to investigate it herself. I'm not a fan of main characters becoming amateur detectives so I just couldn't get into this book.

Best Friends Forever by Shannon Hollinger is a fantastic psychological thriller! It starts with the murder in the woods during a high school party. Then 10 years later, the main character, Kate, is back in town and discovers murders have been occurring since that horrific night in the woods. This book has so many twists and surprises. The ending was shocking.

The audiobook is well narrated and I highly recommend checking out this book/audiobook!

Thank you @netgalley and @bookouture for allowing me to listen to this audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

I thought I knew how this book was going to play out at least 5 times…I was wrong each time! I loved the twists and turns and did not see that last twist coming!

I usually have issues with books that go back and forth between past and present for each chapter but this was done in a way that I never felt lost. I enjoyed the person reading it-their voice wasn’t too fast or too slow.

I hadn’t hear of Shannon Hallinger before but definitely going to be looking for more books from her in the future !

Wow! This audiobook had me from the first second. Shannon Hollinger is a fantastic author and Kate Handford brought it to life.

Katie left her home town because her best friend killed a man. Katie's baby sister hasn't spoken a word since that night. Katie has returned home because her mother has been hurt and needs her help. And now her best friend is dead. Katie is trying to find out if her bbf was truly the murderer she thought she was or if she was a victim herself. Katie doesn't know who she can trust in a town filled with people who were there 10 years ago. And she must figure out who the killer is before it's too late.

Thank you to Bookouture, Netgalley and Shannon Hollinger for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75+ stars

This was a twisty, intense thriller with a lot of drama and intrigue. I had a few suspicions about the final twist and how it might play out, but my guesses were largely wrong, which was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed the story and some of the characters. It was a fun, suspenseful adventure.

Bravo! The narrator rocked this! I was enthralled.
And I was not expecting that ending.
People have to stop guilt tripping folks for leaving their town to have a new life.
This could be a supremely dark hallmark movie. We have the girl coming back her to her small town to help her mom, a hot cop/old friend, and some things she needs to unravel.
But it isn't wholesome.

4.5 Stars
I was so shocked by the ending that my mouth was hanging open!

If you enjoy dark and twisted mysteries/thrillers, you should pick this novel up. I always think it's best to go into a novel blind, especially with these kind of genre, so I'll try to keep things as spoiler free as possible.

Kate, after a traumatic experience, had packed up her stuff and left town hoping to never come back. But after getting a worrying call from her sister, she decided it was time to come back home and face her past.

The only thing I didn't like was the protagonist. Kate is not the strongest character or the smartest. Her choices and decision making were questionable at times but that's the only flaw I ran into. The story was intriguing and had my full attention. I kept questioning everyone and didn't know who to believe.

***I would like to thank NetGalley, Shannon Holinger (the author), and Bookouture Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.*

Kate returns home after a silent call from her sister. She hasn't been back in years after leaving to escape the memories and forgotten memories of the night she came upon a murder. Shortly after she arrives to assist in her mother's care, her best friend from before dies. Now Kate has to manage the grief of losing the friend she thought was a murderer and navigate the secrets of everyone around.

This thriller is full of mystery, death and heartbreak. There are quite a few twists after you've "figured out" just what is going on. And it's enough that it makes you forget that you're still trying to figure out the loose strands.

I think this was a well planned out plot and executed the past and present POVs of Kate well. That ending twist though? Nice!

Thank you Bookouture Audio for the possibilty to listen to this via Netgalley.com.

It was a lot action up and down. Family secrets and hiding some things made the story interesting. And really really sad story. But easy to read-listen and enjoy. It was a challenge to guess who was telling the truth and who was not.

Kate can't remember the details about the night that changed her life forever. She remembers being in the woods, soaked with sweat and seeing her best friend Emma with a rock in her hand. A man was killed that night and Kate is convinced her best friend was the culprit. She leaves town to escape seeing her. However, years later, Kate comes back to town to help her mother. The same day she arrives, she finds that Emma has been murdered. There have been other killings in the years she has been away. Kate is launched into a quest to find out what happened, that night and since.

While Best Friends Forever is a fantastic combination of thriller and mystery, it delivers above and beyond. The plot is twisty, and just when I thought I had it figured out, I realized that there was so much more to the story. I never expected the ending and was completely thrown off guard.

The characters are wonderfully crafted, diverse and complex. I enjoyed spending time reading about them so much that I almost forgot to be in "solve the mystery" mode. For the majority of the characters, it's easy to visualize them and feel emotion towards them (compassion, hatred, or concern).

Also, the narration on the audiobook is done extremely well. I loved the many different voice inflections that Kate Handford did to separate characters.

Overall, a fantastic fast-paced read, filled with complex characters and a lot of twists and turns. I recommend to those who want a unique thriller, and those who love mysteries that are not easy to solve..

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio and Shannon Hollinger for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A decade ago, Kate left a deadly secret and her former life behind in an attempt to save herself. But she finds herself returning back home to help her mom.

Best Friends Forever is such a clever, dark, and twisted read but I LOVED it!!
The narrator, Kate Handford did a phenomenal job and together with the writing kept me hooked till the very end. This book was hard to put down and step away from. I did not want to pause this book. It was so good! This was such a fast-paced read, and it was a dual-timeline thriller.
Dark twisted secrets will be revealed but can Kate survive?
Perfect for fans of psychological thrillers. Be sure to check out the TW.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for the ALC.
Release: Jan 11, 2023

I am not sure how I felt about this book. Yes it was interesting and the mystery was a little surprising, but I had a lot of hang ups with it.

The first half of the book I wanted to yell duh! The problem was so obvious it was hard to not get irritated. This book kind of read like a middle grade/ YA level, but with adult like content.

The second half of the book got a little more interesting, but the obvious clues were very annoying since no one could see it and they were brought up repetitively. This may be why the book seemed to drag on.

I also struggled with the unlikeable characters. I couldn’t get attached to any of them to really feel invested in them or the book.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digit copy in exchange for my honest review!