What a twisty, fun ride! Lucinda Berry never disappoints. This one takes us into the inner circle of the “West Hollywood Moms’ Club.” Kiersten, their leader, has turned up dead during a party in her own swimming pool. Accusations start flying and fingers start pointing. Secrets are exposed as an upper class group of moms start realizing their Instagram perfect lives are about to be shattered. This whodunit will keep you guessing! I just reviewed Keep Your Friends Close by Lucinda Berry. #KeepYourFriendsClose #NetGalley

Reading this book was one wild ride! So many twist and turns throughout the story. It was hard to put this book down. This was my first book by this author, now I can't wait to read more of her writing.

Synopsis: A wealthy mom’s club in Hollywood throws a party where one turns up dead. A classic whodunnit proceeds from there.
Pros/cons: I was so excited to get this arc from Netgalley/Thomas and Mercer because a good friend of mine who LOVES thrillers loves Lucinda Berry books. I will say, she had a nice, easy to read style to her writing- but I didn’t like this book at all. Boring, unlikable characters, weird/not totally surprising twists but disturbing nonetheless.
But I will always encourage you to check it out yourself and see what you think! This releases in November!

What lengths would you go to protect your secrets? “Keep Your Friends Close” explores that question and the answer may surprise you.

This engaging, twisty thriller explores the dark side of friendship. When Kiersten McCann turns up dead in her own pool, it quickly becomes clear this wasn’t an accident.

Whitney, Brooke, and Jade all have heavy secrets to bear and possible motives for their friend’s murder. As the police look closer, secrets, betrayals, and sinister plots are revealed..

Overall, this book was a quick, enjoyable read. While it was my first by this author, it won’t be my last!

In the realm of captivating narratives, this book stands as a testament to the art of storytelling. It skillfully intertwines secrets and lies, creating an intricate tapestry of mystery that keeps readers enthralled from beginning to end.

What truly sets this story apart is its richly developed characters. Each one, with their flaws and vulnerabilities, becomes a mirror reflecting the complexities of human nature. You can't help but feel deeply connected to their struggles and triumphs, making the emotional journey all the more compelling.

The narrative's pacing is masterful, propelling the reader forward with an irresistible force. The writing style, marked by its addictive quality, makes it impossible to resist the temptation to read just one more chapter. As you delve deeper into the plot, you find yourself constantly questioning the boundaries between truth and deception. It challenges your perceptions, leaving you eagerly anticipating the next revelation.

Amidst the gripping storyline, there's an underlying sense of melancholy that permeates the pages. The characters' sorrows and joys become your own, evoking a profound empathy. It's a testament to the author's ability to evoke genuine emotions, making the reading experience not just engaging, but profoundly moving.

This book is more than a mere story; it's an immersive experience that lingers in your thoughts long after you've turned the final page. Prepare to be spellbound, for this narrative journey is nothing short of extraordinary.

Keep Your Friends Close is a combination of love hating all of the deeply flawed characters and not being able to look away from a horrible car wreck. Ugh. Each of the characters are awful in so many ways and yet the author enables us to empathize with them even against our better judgement. This was a solid mystery even though I was not particularly connected to the subject of maternal bonding through backstabbing and cruelty to other women.

I was on the struggle bus with this book. I wanted to like it *so badly* and at times I really did, but when it’s all said and done… I didn’t like a single character!! I had a hard time keeping track of everything and everyone. There was every twist and turn that you could have and at times it felt like too much for my memory. The ending also left me a bit confused.

I highly suggest checking trigger warnings before you read this. A few notable ones would be… m*rder, cheating, fertility, mental health mistreatment/stigma

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book!!
WOW!!! This book was full of surprises!!! I loved it so much!!! Didn’t see any of it coming!!! It definitely had my attention from the first page and kept me guessing until the last page!! I definitely recommend this book!!

Lucinda Berry is queen of psychological thrillers!!!! This one is my favorite right now. I can't stop thinking about it!! This book will grab ahold of you from start to finish. The characters are well written and very interesting. This book was so twisted. Every chapter you will say WTH??!! I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this book!


Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

This is not my first Lucinda Berry book and it sure will not be my last. I just love her writing style. This was not as heavy as some of her other books but I would consider it a 4 star murder mystery. If you like rich people drama be sure to pick this up.

Loved it!! There were so many twists and turns. I had no idea who to believe and wasn't expecting that ending. I'm not sure these women are actually friends with each other. They acted like friends but would then lie straight to your face and then stab you in the back. All of then had so many secrets. The ending was shocking. I was routing for Brooke throughout the whole book. I never believed she killed Kiersten, even though all the other ladies pointed their finger at her. I hated how Abby treated her. The women all rallied behind Abby (especially with feeding Julian), when they should have been helping Brooke. Clearly she needed some mental help. I was surprised when the truth about everyone was finally revealed. I would have never guessed who killed Kiersten or the reason behind it. Some people will go to great lengths to keep their secrets hidden. Kiersten and Whitney were the best friends and shared everything. They shared more than Whitney even realized. Whitney's profession besides owning a talent agency was not what I was expecting, but the biggest revelations probably came from Colin and Jade. This was definitely one mommy group I would not want to belong to. I would not want to fill out and application and essay just to hang out with these crazy ladies. The husbands had just as many secrets as their wives.

Definitely recommend the book. It's a great mystery/thriller and will keep you guessing until the very end. Loved the story, characters (even though most of them were all sorts of crazy/liars) and writing style. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas & Mercer through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is my first Lucinda Berry book and I went into it very excited to finally read her.

The set up of this thriller was a big plus. A wealthy mom’s group throws a party where one of them ends up dead. A who done it with secrets, red herrings and a morally corrupt cast of characters. I hated them all in a very fun way.

Told in multiple points of views of Then and Now, the story moved quickly and I was along for the ride. The first 98% of this book was a fun strong read. The book should have ended there. The very last twist was too outrageous and completely unnecessary. I’d skip the last chapter altogether. I will be adding more of her books to my TBR.

I have read all of Lucinda Berry's previous publications so naturally I had to have this one. It is a true Berry Banger. Out of the box and unhinged. Keep your Friends Close will have you not wanting to have friends at all. These woman have money, power and more secrets than they can keep up with. I can only describe this as Desperate Housewives meets Working Moms. Did I mention there's a Moms Club you have to sign an NDA to be a part of???? MESSY! Once again, Berry has reveled some of the darkest corners of the human psyche and the twists are twisting in this one!

Thank you Lucinda Berry and Netgalley for my ARC.

These opinions are my own.

Thank you Thomas and Mercer and Net Galley for an early copy of Keep Your Friends Close. This was a very good read. The beginning was confusing with All the women introduced but once I got it straight in my head, I couldn’t put it down. I felt horrible for Brooke, it was terrible what was happening to her. The ending was very shocking and again I am still a bit confused about one part. All in All it could be a Lifetime Movie and I LOVED it.

Lucinda Berry can do no wrong in my eyes at this point. This book was wonderful! Kept my attention and I would definitely recommend to others.

Name of Book: Keep Your Friends Close
Author: Lucinda Berry
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: November 7, 2023
My Rating: 3 Stars - I love this author and would love to give a higher rating but to me it is 3=good.
Pages: 287

This is my seventh author, Lucinda Berry novel. My first was "Best of Friends'. Which I went into without knowing anything about it other than the title and name of author.
My childhood BFF is named Lucinda aka Cindy ~ so I was drawn to a story about best friends.
This story was brought to my attention by my Reading BFF ~ same situation as I knew nothing about it other than the title and of course I know that I love Lucinda Berry!

I usually wait until after the story to include my note ‘About the Author’ but I know she is very intelligent and well versed in this subject so thought I would start off with more info about her.
Dr. Lucinda Berry is a former clinical psychologist and leading researcher in childhood trauma. Now, she
spends her days writing full-time where she uses her clinical experience to blur the line between fiction
and nonfiction. She enjoys taking her readers on a journey through the dark recesses of the human
psyche.

The West Hollywood Moms’ Club (aka wealthy young Moms with more money than they know what to do with) who love their babies but are young and also love to party!
The most recent Moms’ Night Out party was held at the president’s luxurious home but the party ends with the life of the party and President – Kiersten McCann is flown floating face down in the pool.

Kiersten McCann is always in control and has been loved by everyone she has ever met. So it’s a rather big shock when she’s lying dead on the pool deck while the police start questioning everyone. However there are three moms- Whitney, Jade and Brooke who find themselves at the center of the investigation; they have secrets and a possible motive for Kiersten’s murder.
The chapters alternate from their POV.

Yikes I love this author but so disappointed that I completely missed her message in this.
I was hoping for an Author’s note explaining her motivation for this story/

Want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for November 7, 2023.

Keep Your Friends Close is the latest suspense thriller by bestselling author Lucinda Barry which makes you question how well you really know your friends and family. Set in the tony and exclusive world of a West Hollywood Mom’s Club the life of privilege quickly becomes one of a nightmare when beloved leader Kiersten McCann is found drowned in her pool while the group has been at her party. Everyone is now under suspicion since it has been ruled a homicide and Jade, Whitney and Brooke have secrets and deceits that make them prime suspects. The seemingly perfect world of West Hollywood Mom’s Club expose a darker truth, and lives are forever changed.

What I liked about the book:
-good pacing with cliffhangers at the end of each chapter which kept me intrigued
-multiple POVs with unreliable narrator
-the posh West Hollywood setting, seeing how ‘the other half lives’
-interesting characters and their backstories
-the satisfying ending
-the revelations and the twists and turns
-toxic female friendships and group mentality
-the world of motherhood and mom’s groups

What I disliked about the book:
-would have like more description about the West Hollywood setting, the details of the houses, the stores, and restaurants etc

My rating: 4 out of 5

My final takeaway: Read this if you enjoy books about toxic female friendships who harbour deep resentment of each other. This was a fun and at times shocking suspense mystery where I was unable to guess whodunit and their reason why.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this eARC that will be published November 7 2023.

personally just not the book for me. I struggled through the first 20% where I finally decided to put it down.

Keep Your Friends Close is Lucinda Berry’s latest thriller. Lies, secrets, cheating, it reminded me of Desperate Housewives and all that craziness that went on. I just could not put this book down and it did not end like I thought it was going to at all. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this release. To be published November 7, 2023.

The rich and entitled members of the very exclusive West Hollywood Moms Club is throwing a fancy party for themselves and someone is going to end up DEAD before the end of the night! In true Big Little Lies fashion, this story is full of secrets, lies and questionable alibis before the murder is solved. This story was not as dark as Berry’s other books so it’s a great one to start with if you haven’t discovered her yet. Thank you NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on November 7, 2023