This book was not at all what I expected and I mean that in a good way, It's the first time I didn't care very much for a main character. Carrie had a callousness about her and I felt like most of her troubles were self inflicted. On the other hand, I felt sorry for her because her estranged best friend Maya was a ticking time bomb.. Maya's character comes across as harmless and sweet but there is a weirdness about her that I couldn't shake.

We get to jump between timelines and i thoroughly enjoyed getting the backstory and seeing exactly where the friendship dynamic comes from.. It's quick paced and brilliantly written with vivid characters, Exactly what I expect from a thriller!

This was an eerie book, full of secrets, flashes of memories, and a lot of tension. Although the characters have a lot of depth, and Willett does a great job building tension, there's just something...off for me. I don't get quite as immersed in the story as I'd like, and although I'm curious, I don't feel that level of urgency that makes this impossible to put down. I think that might be because within the first few chapters we're just given the same teases over again instead of new ones. That said, this was a fun read, and I was very curious about what was in their pasts, both distant and recent, that had everyone so on edge, and warranted the wave of disruption and destruction. The curiosity is what really pulls you through cover to cover, and once things ramp up, it's easier to lose yourself in the story. Definitely recommend if you like thrillers with dark secrets between old friends.

What a train wreck!?! Co-dependency at the core. Bizarre. The cover was my favorite part.

Thank you Net Galley!

Carrie and Maya were inseparable in college, but secrets got in the way and they grew apart. Years later when Maya calls Carrie asking to visit with her daughter, Lola, Carrie reluctantly agrees. The longer Maya and Lola stay, the more weird things happen, and the more suspicious Carrie becomes of Maya’s intentions.

This is advertised as a thriller, but I would not consider it a thriller at all. There is a general sense of unease surrounding Maya and Lola that made the plot interesting enough to keep reading, but nothing really happens in this book until about 70%. I wish this was written more like a contemporary fiction that focused on friendships and secrets. I liked how the story flashes back to Carrie and Maya’s college days so we can better understand their characters and the tension they have despite once being so close. The ending was very lackluster, though, and so much is left unresolved. Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Kathleen M. Willett for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Interesting story of a long term friendship… more of a codependency situation…one the dominant selfish one, the other the doormat. I didn’t like either character, the story a bit predictable , and I don’t think they should stay friends.. not real.

I found this book rather bizarre and couldn't get interested in it, unfortunately. The writing style also gave me the ick. Not for me, but maybe for someone else.

I was actually quite surprised by this thriller. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting but I was pleasantly surprised and quite happy with it. The plot twist - did not see it coming!! This thriller had all the things to make it great - lies, secrets, deception.

First of all, I want to say that I loved the cover of this book! I really like reading books about broken friendships and secrets that need to be revealed! In this book we have Carrie and Maya, friends who grew apart and who meet again after the death of Maya's husband. On an impulse, Carrie asks her friend and her daughter to stay at her house to better deal with the pain, to get away from the memories of home. But things don't go as Carrie expects. The reader is left wondering whether or not Maya wants to harm her friend and what happened to make them stop talking to each other. I recommend!

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A really interesting thriller that has a little dose of just about everything a good thriller needs - it's an easy but pacey read that will have you questioning the characters, wondering what's going to happen next, and really feeling a bit creeped out. Would recommend!

This book released in November of last year, but I do want to thank NetGalley for the advance review copy I received for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I actually tried to start this book a few months ago but was struggling to get into it so I moved on. Well I decided to give it another try and whew I’m so glad I did!! I still struggled to get into it as it has a slow beginning in my opinion. But once it picks up, it picks up! I couldn’t read the last 30% fast enough. I did NOT see that coming! 4/5 stars ⭐️

A novel that explores the price of secrets and the lengths people will go to protect them. The plot was suspenseful and I was kept guessing until the end.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my free and honest review. Such a well written and suspense filled novel. These characters drew me in emotionally and I was invested in their story 100%. I was sad when it ended. Definitely recommend this book!

A riveting exploration of betrayal, deception, and the ties that bind. This domestic thriller will leave you questioning everything

I have to admit that Carrie is a better person than I am with forgiveness and understanding. Carrie and her family move to Montauk when her husband's mother dies. He's working several days a week in the city and Carrie and her daughter stay. One day, an old college best friend knocks on her door. Maya has just lost her husband and also has a daughter. Carrie offers to let her stay with them.Carrie soon regrets her impulsive offer. Someone has taken a pair of scissors to her college yearbook. Her herb garden is destroyed. She’s starting to receive sinister texts. And Maya is making herself a little too much at home. What does Maya really want? What is she hiding? Carrie’s afraid to ask. Because Maya knows all her secrets, and exposing them comes with a price Carrie can’t afford to pay. A few twists and turns make this a great read. This is my first book by Ms. Willett but I plan to look for others.

Unfortunately this one was a little too tropey and basic for me. I couldn't get into it and even though I got 50% through it just never regained my attention enough to finish. I'm sorry because the author had an excellent first thriller!

I’m always intrigued by stories of complicated friendships but I admit I seem to have trouble getting into books about families and suburban life.

Anything for a Friend by Kathleen M. Willett
This was a pretty good read. It kept me invested the whole time and I literally didn’t see where it was going. This is the story of two old college friends, Carrie and Maya. Carrie grew up privileged and Maya had to work hard for everything she got. They are as different as night and day yet become good friends. The story is told in a past and present format but it’s easy to follow. Fast forward many years and the friends have drifted apart, both married with a daughter each and their own lives in separate cities. So when Maya and her daughter, Lola show up on Carries front step after the death of her husband, Carrie is a bit surprised and perplexed. Yet she welcomes them into her home as a respite but quickly starts to rethink this decision. With old friendships come old secrets.

Lots of layered secrets and complex relationships between friends or is it enemies! So many different opinions are written about and it really makes you think! A great physiological thriller to get stuck into!

Tha k you Netgalley. What a ride!! I loved it!! This was a very suspenseful storyline and crazy good characters. Just when I thought I figured it out, NOPE, it blew me away. The story was well written and the flashbacks between our characters really does to the suspense. Looking forward to more from this author. Highly recommend

Complex relationships and so many layered secrets. Best friends or best enemies. It's a physcological thriller with different opinions presented.