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

Lucinda berry does not disappoint. Loved being able to read this book before it comes out! Surely you will be on the edge of your seat from beginning to end! Things go from bad to worse. Really enjoyed this book!

I've read several other of Ms. Berry's other books and I liked each of them and this was no different. Parts of this book keep you on the edge of your seat, which is my favorite.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Lucinda Berry's Keep Your Friends Close delves into the enigmatic world of the West Hollywood Moms' Club, where wealth and privilege conceal a web of secrets, lies, and betrayals. When the club's president, Kiersten McCann, is found dead in her pool, her closest friends become prime murder suspects. The narrative unfolds through multiple perspectives and dual timelines, showcasing a cast of complex yet unlikeable characters. While the plot offers a thrilling rollercoaster of shocking revelations, it takes an unexpected turn towards the climax and leaves some loose ends untied. Despite its flaws, the book combines elements of domestic suspense and a mild police procedural, delivering an engaging and dramatic tale of deception and intrigue within the world of Hollywood's elite.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. I did not suspect these twists. The person I thought did it was really the only person who was true victim in the book. Well, except for the murder victim. The characters are wonderfully written. It will make you look at your friends a little differently

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Keep Your Friends Close by Lucinda Berry was a madhouse! Like seriously - madhouse! It started like a good murder mystery where there is one dead body and a group of friends where one must be the killer. I am not the biggest fan of this format but sometimes it can be nicely unwrapped.

So the beginning took me all in but the middle part was a bit everywhere. I was constantly struggling to picture which friend was which. But events kept going in the right direction and I was intrigued to find out what the hell happened. Then there was some turn that definitely built my interest more than the main storyline so I was more excited to follow that story as my blood was boiling and I literally was shakingg off how angry I was! And then the end comes... absolutely didn't expect but made sense but as I said I was more intrigued by the other story that went a bit mad I would say! I was talking out loud with the characters, I just could not believe they would do such a stupid things! Come-ON!!!

The end of the book broke my heart! Like, seriously! I can understand it could be the case but no - if you are so desperate for a result you would use a little bit more logic!

I really enjoyed this book but there were a bit too many unrealistic moments that could be played differently.
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this advance copy!

Lucinda Berry has become one of my favourite authors, always very excited to get my hands on her newest book. Keep Your Friends Close is about a group of well to do friends who along with their partners make up a tight knit circle. All of the women are new Moms and they formed an elite “Mom Club”. Their husbands/ partners all get along and everything seems perfect until it’s not… one of ladies is found dead in the swimming pool.
The book started off a little bit slow for me, it jumps from Now and Then storylines so you get a better understanding of all the relationships prior to the incident. Berry does a great job of keeping you guessing as the story unfolds. I had no idea right til it was revealed who was to blame.
But this is what stops me from giving it a better rating… the last 25 pages or so. It just felt a bit all over the place and unrealistic. Will I look forward to the next Lucinda Berry book. Absolutely! But this one of her best books. No.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the opportunity to read the ARC.