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Keep Your Friends Close
From the bestselling author of The Best of Friends comes a fast-paced thriller about how one woman’s murder unravels the tangled web of lies and deceit connecting a group of Hollywood elite. When Kiersten McCann, president of the West Hollywood Moms’ Club, turns up dead in her own pool, it quickly becomes clear this wasn’t an accident. And the party guests―all members of the exclusive club―are now key suspects in her murder. Accusations fly, and three mothers find themselves at the center of the investigation. Whitney, Brooke, and Jade all have heavy secrets to bear…and possible motives for their friend’s murder. But as the police look closer, more secrets, betrayals, and sinister plots are revealed than the women could ever imagine. With everything at stake, deceit threatens to shatter their illusions of the perfect life. West Hollywood will never be the same.
287 pages, Paperback
First published November 7, 2023
5610 people are currently reading
62722 people want to read
About the author
Lucinda Berry
33 books22.2k followersUSA Today bestselling author Lucinda Berry is a former psychologist and leading researcher in childhood trauma. She’s written multiple bestsellers reaching millions of readers worldwide. Some of her bestselling works include The Perfect Child, Saving Noah, When She Returned, The Best of Friends, and Keep Your Friends Close. Her books have been optioned for film and translated into several languages.
If Berry isn’t chasing after her son, you can find her running through Los Angeles, prepping for her next marathon. To hear about her upcoming releases and other author news, visit her on social media (@lucindaberryauthor) or sign up for her newsletter at https://lucindaberry.com.
If Berry isn’t chasing after her son, you can find her running through Los Angeles, prepping for her next marathon. To hear about her upcoming releases and other author news, visit her on social media (@lucindaberryauthor) or sign up for her newsletter at https://lucindaberry.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,492 reviews
September 8, 2023
My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
The Storygraph and The Book Review Crew Blog
Yes one star but I am going to start off with the good stuff. Told from multiple points of view and we have Now and Then chapters, this is my favourite format style, especially for thrillers. None of the characters were likeable but in this case, it's a good thing because they are all suspect but for them to call each other friends is a stretch, there is nothing friendly about this bunch.
This book started off well enough and I was clicking along at a good pace. It claims to be a fast-paced thriller and it meets the criteria but I had some HUGE problems with this one. My biggest problem was with how mental health issues were portrayed. It wasn't very realistic and was so over the top by the end that I felt angry. But let's just say the author did that for entertainment purposes. I get that so I figured this was a pretty decent three star read and the reveal was a surprise because the author threw in so many red herrings it was impossible to guess and I liked that. There were a bunch of other problems I had with the plot that were so stupid and so cringy I was shaking my head and rolling my eyes so much my family thought I was having a seizure. It was all just so unhinged and wildly unbelievable. I have no idea how this book has such high ratings, it was so dumb.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
The Storygraph and The Book Review Crew Blog
Yes one star but I am going to start off with the good stuff. Told from multiple points of view and we have Now and Then chapters, this is my favourite format style, especially for thrillers. None of the characters were likeable but in this case, it's a good thing because they are all suspect but for them to call each other friends is a stretch, there is nothing friendly about this bunch.
This book started off well enough and I was clicking along at a good pace. It claims to be a fast-paced thriller and it meets the criteria but I had some HUGE problems with this one. My biggest problem was with how mental health issues were portrayed. It wasn't very realistic and was so over the top by the end that I felt angry. But let's just say the author did that for entertainment purposes. I get that so I figured this was a pretty decent three star read and the reveal was a surprise because the author threw in so many red herrings it was impossible to guess and I liked that. There were a bunch of other problems I had with the plot that were so stupid and so cringy I was shaking my head and rolling my eyes so much my family thought I was having a seizure. It was all just so unhinged and wildly unbelievable. I have no idea how this book has such high ratings, it was so dumb.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
September 2, 2023
With friends like these…🤦🏻♀️
West Hollywood Moms’ club. Wealthy, entitled and hiding secrets you couldn’t possibly imagine!
They’ve just thrown themselves an over-the-top party. Now, as the festivities wind down only the core group of women remain.
One mom won’t make it to the end of the nights’ big party. And another may be responsible. Can you figure out who the killer is? And why? I couldn’t! I traveled the path of chasing all the red herrings.🤣 So many juicy secrets! So many profound lies! Everything is about to come to light in an explosive way.
Told from multiple perspectives with a dual timeline. The characters were easily distinguishable and well developed.
This was my first full length book by Lucinda Berry! And I cannot wait to read more of her works.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer
West Hollywood Moms’ club. Wealthy, entitled and hiding secrets you couldn’t possibly imagine!
They’ve just thrown themselves an over-the-top party. Now, as the festivities wind down only the core group of women remain.
One mom won’t make it to the end of the nights’ big party. And another may be responsible. Can you figure out who the killer is? And why? I couldn’t! I traveled the path of chasing all the red herrings.🤣 So many juicy secrets! So many profound lies! Everything is about to come to light in an explosive way.
Told from multiple perspectives with a dual timeline. The characters were easily distinguishable and well developed.
This was my first full length book by Lucinda Berry! And I cannot wait to read more of her works.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer
November 23, 2023
Women bond over secrets. That's what female friendship are made of- shared secrets
I love a good book based on rich ladies acting unhinged. It’s such a guilty pleasure.
THE ENDING HAD MY JAW ON THE FLOOR. LIKE WTF
“You know how women can get. When it comes to friendships, sometimes I don’t think we ever grow past the fourth grade, you know? Like she’s my best friends, so you can't play with her"
Hey Siri play Bad Blood by Taylor Swift
This story had me engaged from the very first page.
The Plot- Kiersten was found dead in her backyard at her own party surrounded by her closet friends. So who did it? Her death was no accident.
The story is told from different characters POV’s from past and present.
All the characters in this book had secrets and they were all suspicious. I was playing detective trying figure out who the murderer was up until the last 20 pages. Then there was a clue and it all made sense.
I was rooting for one of the girls throughout the book but then she pulled some crazy shit at the end. Separate from the murder investigation. I couldn’t even believe it. I was sad af.
This is my first book from the Author and won’t be my last.
I love a good book based on rich ladies acting unhinged. It’s such a guilty pleasure.
THE ENDING HAD MY JAW ON THE FLOOR. LIKE WTF
“You know how women can get. When it comes to friendships, sometimes I don’t think we ever grow past the fourth grade, you know? Like she’s my best friends, so you can't play with her"
Hey Siri play Bad Blood by Taylor Swift
This story had me engaged from the very first page.
The Plot- Kiersten was found dead in her backyard at her own party surrounded by her closet friends. So who did it? Her death was no accident.
The story is told from different characters POV’s from past and present.
All the characters in this book had secrets and they were all suspicious. I was playing detective trying figure out who the murderer was up until the last 20 pages. Then there was a clue and it all made sense.
I was rooting for one of the girls throughout the book but then she pulled some crazy shit at the end. Separate from the murder investigation. I couldn’t even believe it. I was sad af.
This is my first book from the Author and won’t be my last.
May 14, 2025
This was fantastic omg SO MUCH DRAMA. This is my perfect thriller subgenre - deceit, revenge and rich people behaving badly (but in a murderous way). Some similar books are nowhere near dark enough for me, but this one hit the spot perfectly.
Don’t get me wrong though, this reveals some crazy (maybe slightly unbelievable) twists as well as being fast paced and super short. Highly recommend ✨
Don’t get me wrong though, this reveals some crazy (maybe slightly unbelievable) twists as well as being fast paced and super short. Highly recommend ✨
November 16, 2023
Living the high life in the affluent community of Hollywood Hills, a group of new mothers have banded together and created an exclusive club just for them. Protected by NDAs and an invite only crew, the West Hollywood Moms’ Club loves to get together and let loose. The most recent event, a Moms’ Night Out party held at the president’s luxurious home, ends not with just a few bad hangovers, however, but with a dead body floating face down in the pool.
Kiersten McCann has always been the life of the party and seemingly 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 who was there. What Kiersten’s fellow club members don’t realize quite yet, though, is that they’ve promptly gone from diehard friends to suspects. After all, this was no accident—it was murder.
Just as quickly as the rug is pulled out from under their feet, Whitney, Brooke, and Jade start throwing each other under the bus. As shocking as it may seem, these three polished women have plenty of deep, dark secrets that could easily have been motive for murder. And as the police start pulling one thread after another, the unvarnished truth turns out to be more scandalous—and sinister—than any of them could have ever conceived.
One by one, ugly secrets, backhanded betrayals, and nefarious schemes come to light. If this is what friends do to one another, then who needs enemies. But with the stakes as high as they are and with a detective ruthlessly digging for the truth, each woman must protect themselves at all costs. At the end of the day, someone killed Kiersten and her friends will now do whatever it takes to not be the one left holding the bag. Even, however, if it means deceiving each other left, right, and center.
How to describe Keep Your Friends Close? The only comparison I can make is that this was a bit of Gossip Girl, a dash of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and a big, heaping dose of murder all in one. Take that heady mix and chew on it for awhile. At the same time, what resulted from the somewhat melodramatic plot was a thrilling roundabout of secrets and lies that kept me guessing throughout.
The characters were, by far, the shining star in this one. A collection of wholly unlikeable women, their riveting problems had me from hello. Especially when their dirty deeds and horrifying antics started to make an appearance. Did they feel genuine and true? Well, no… Not really. Partly thanks to the reality show feel, each of the women came off somewhat over-the-top. Even so, just as I tune in for RHOBH every week, the car crash-esque feel had me slowing down to take a look.
The plot, though, was unfortunately where Lucinda Berry started to lose me just a tad. For much of the book (about two-thirds of it, in fact), I was swept up by the slow reveal of secrets that had me gawking in very real glee, but as the climax rolled around, so did the unhinged-ness of the storyline. Following that up was a conclusion that, needless to say, felt utterly out of the blue. Ending on a note that seemed completely disjointed from the rest of the book, it didn’t seem to relate to anything that had happened thus far. Even worse, the last page then arrived without tying up the loose ends, which, IYKYK, drives me up the wall.
By the time that I sat back and digested all that I’d read, however, the dramatic turn of events did seem to fit into the soap opera feel. After all, these women’s lives were twisted to be sure. So it was unsurprising that the plot dealt out one magnificent revelation after another. An unexpected fusion of domestic suspense and a very mild police procedural, this tale was packed full of drama right until the end. With multiple POVs and dual timelines, I found it well-plotted and easy to follow. So, all in all, I’d say that while this was far from my favorite by Berry, it was a fun popcorn thriller all the same. Rating of 4 stars.
PUB DATE: November 7, 2023
Thank you to Lucinda Berry, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
👉 Be sure to head to my Amazon Storefront to order. I get a small commission and would love your support!
Scroll down for a potential plot spoiling trigger list.
Trigger warning: drowning, divorce, gambling addiction, custody dispute, infidelity, faked cancer, infertility
Kiersten McCann has always been the life of the party and seemingly 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 who was there. What Kiersten’s fellow club members don’t realize quite yet, though, is that they’ve promptly gone from diehard friends to suspects. After all, this was no accident—it was murder.
Just as quickly as the rug is pulled out from under their feet, Whitney, Brooke, and Jade start throwing each other under the bus. As shocking as it may seem, these three polished women have plenty of deep, dark secrets that could easily have been motive for murder. And as the police start pulling one thread after another, the unvarnished truth turns out to be more scandalous—and sinister—than any of them could have ever conceived.
One by one, ugly secrets, backhanded betrayals, and nefarious schemes come to light. If this is what friends do to one another, then who needs enemies. But with the stakes as high as they are and with a detective ruthlessly digging for the truth, each woman must protect themselves at all costs. At the end of the day, someone killed Kiersten and her friends will now do whatever it takes to not be the one left holding the bag. Even, however, if it means deceiving each other left, right, and center.
How to describe Keep Your Friends Close? The only comparison I can make is that this was a bit of Gossip Girl, a dash of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and a big, heaping dose of murder all in one. Take that heady mix and chew on it for awhile. At the same time, what resulted from the somewhat melodramatic plot was a thrilling roundabout of secrets and lies that kept me guessing throughout.
The characters were, by far, the shining star in this one. A collection of wholly unlikeable women, their riveting problems had me from hello. Especially when their dirty deeds and horrifying antics started to make an appearance. Did they feel genuine and true? Well, no… Not really. Partly thanks to the reality show feel, each of the women came off somewhat over-the-top. Even so, just as I tune in for RHOBH every week, the car crash-esque feel had me slowing down to take a look.
The plot, though, was unfortunately where Lucinda Berry started to lose me just a tad. For much of the book (about two-thirds of it, in fact), I was swept up by the slow reveal of secrets that had me gawking in very real glee, but as the climax rolled around, so did the unhinged-ness of the storyline. Following that up was a conclusion that, needless to say, felt utterly out of the blue. Ending on a note that seemed completely disjointed from the rest of the book, it didn’t seem to relate to anything that had happened thus far. Even worse, the last page then arrived without tying up the loose ends, which, IYKYK, drives me up the wall.
By the time that I sat back and digested all that I’d read, however, the dramatic turn of events did seem to fit into the soap opera feel. After all, these women’s lives were twisted to be sure. So it was unsurprising that the plot dealt out one magnificent revelation after another. An unexpected fusion of domestic suspense and a very mild police procedural, this tale was packed full of drama right until the end. With multiple POVs and dual timelines, I found it well-plotted and easy to follow. So, all in all, I’d say that while this was far from my favorite by Berry, it was a fun popcorn thriller all the same. Rating of 4 stars.
PUB DATE: November 7, 2023
Thank you to Lucinda Berry, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
👉 Be sure to head to my Amazon Storefront to order. I get a small commission and would love your support!
Scroll down for a potential plot spoiling trigger list.
Trigger warning: drowning, divorce, gambling addiction, custody dispute, infidelity, faked cancer, infertility
November 12, 2023
Ms Berry has entered into her Popcorn Thriller Era
And I am here for it!!!!! Keep Your Friends Close has one of my favourite tropes... 'Rich Women behaving UNHINGED AF'
Kiersten McCann has just been found dead in her own pool and it was no accident. The story then revolves around 3 of her friends that was at the home that night and they are the prime suspects!
The drama starts from page one and only gets more buckwild and nonsensical right till the end!
Admittedly I didn't care who the culprit was. This being because we don't get any POV or much of a backstory about the deceased so it was hard to care enough for who would have wanted her dead.
I am so used to Lucinda's dark stories so was quite taken back by the lightheartedness of it all, but I still enjoyed it all the same. The short chapters had me flying through this book. Be warned none of these ladies are likeable so get your eyes all lubed up for the constant eyerolls that comes with this book.
If you love drama, pettiness and just a bunch of women behaving so unruly then this book is for you.
As previously mentioned, I love Lucinda's dark, heart pumping reads, so I cheekily hope her next release goes back to what she does best!
3.5 ⭐
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Happy Release Day, to one of my Favourite Authors! 🎉🎉🎊
Fingers crossed I have found my next 5 ⭐ read!
And I am here for it!!!!! Keep Your Friends Close has one of my favourite tropes... 'Rich Women behaving UNHINGED AF'
Kiersten McCann has just been found dead in her own pool and it was no accident. The story then revolves around 3 of her friends that was at the home that night and they are the prime suspects!
The drama starts from page one and only gets more buckwild and nonsensical right till the end!
Admittedly I didn't care who the culprit was. This being because we don't get any POV or much of a backstory about the deceased so it was hard to care enough for who would have wanted her dead.
I am so used to Lucinda's dark stories so was quite taken back by the lightheartedness of it all, but I still enjoyed it all the same. The short chapters had me flying through this book. Be warned none of these ladies are likeable so get your eyes all lubed up for the constant eyerolls that comes with this book.
If you love drama, pettiness and just a bunch of women behaving so unruly then this book is for you.
As previously mentioned, I love Lucinda's dark, heart pumping reads, so I cheekily hope her next release goes back to what she does best!
3.5 ⭐
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Happy Release Day, to one of my Favourite Authors! 🎉🎉🎊
Fingers crossed I have found my next 5 ⭐ read!
April 4, 2024
This is written with all the expert word building of a fourth grader entering a contest hoping to win a frisbee.
November 5, 2023
This was a drama filled mess and I loved it. Definitely a domestic thriller, but the domestic was the whole neighborhood. This book switches perspectives between six women who were all part of a mother’s group and at a party when a seventh mother was murdered. The book is full of suburban secrets some more scandalous than others as the mother try to figure out who killed their friend. There were some interesting subplots, but the divorcing women and custody battle one broke my heart. None of the women were likable, especially the murder victim. The twist at the end was unexpected and quite interesting. It’s hard to talk more specifically about the plot without giving anything away so I won’t get into the details.
November 9, 2023
JUST NO! I don’t even know where to start. I just don’t understand the high ratings for this book. Insufferable characters and the storyline was all over the place. Not a fan of this one.
November 23, 2023
Started out good. Ended ridiculous.
April 4, 2025
My least favorite book by the author. It just dragged on and on, and I couldn’t wait for it to be over.
August 13, 2023
This was such a good read! I literally could not put it. This book starts fast paced and with a bang and the pacing was so good till the end. This book follows wealthy moms there who are in a friend group, when the book starts we see that one of the women in this group was found dead in the pool which sparks an investigation. As the detective and 4 women in the friend group try to figure out what happened to their friend so many secrets are revealed and they realize that there are so many lies, drama and secrets between them all.
So this was juicy I thought of it as gossip girl meets desperate housewives with a murder to figure out. The drama kept me so interested in figuring out what these women were hiding. I love the way everything unfolded, there’s money problems, spousal issues, adultery,deranged lies and so much more. I thought this book well written and flowed so well. The ending was twist after twist. I wouldn’t call any of the twists very shocking but I liked it because it felt earned and in line with the characters I’d gotten to know.
Overall this was a great read and if you like mystery/thrillers with a lot of drama you should read this!
Thank you Thomas & Mercer for this arc for an honest review.
So this was juicy I thought of it as gossip girl meets desperate housewives with a murder to figure out. The drama kept me so interested in figuring out what these women were hiding. I love the way everything unfolded, there’s money problems, spousal issues, adultery,deranged lies and so much more. I thought this book well written and flowed so well. The ending was twist after twist. I wouldn’t call any of the twists very shocking but I liked it because it felt earned and in line with the characters I’d gotten to know.
Overall this was a great read and if you like mystery/thrillers with a lot of drama you should read this!
Thank you Thomas & Mercer for this arc for an honest review.
November 13, 2023
What! Wait what! I'm so shocked. I literally just sat this book down after reading it and I'm speechless. The twists shocked me. I was clueless. All of it. Absolute clueless. I can typically guess the twists before they happen, and I really couldn't on this one. So many great twists near the ending! Absolutely loved this one! Lucinda Berry never fails me 🥰
September 3, 2023
Wow!! I just loved this book!! This was Desperate Housewives, but much deadlier. And I loved every second of it. This book was a bit different than other books I’ve read from Lucinda Berry. It didn’t have her usual darkness to it, but it was just as shocking and twisted as ever. There were so many little shockers along the way, some that left my mouth wide open in surprise. And that ending! 😱😱
For those who may be unfamiliar with this newest of hers, it’s about a group of new mothers, who live in Hollywood. Most have lived a privileged life, getting everything they ever wanted. They meet as this group often. At one of their meetings, one of them ends up dead and now we need to know who did it. They all were best of friends and they all had lies that could destroy each other’s lives. Who can you trust? Who’s telling the truth? You’ll have to read this one when it comes out to find out. I don’t want to say too much more, I fears of giving spoilers. But it’s told in multiple POVs and has two different time lines of Then and Now. It’s a fast paced, edge of your seat ride in trying to find out who did this horrific crime and what secrets they are hiding. This was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5 stars for me! I recommend you get this one when it comes out in November. You won’t regret it. Lucinda never disappoints.
Have you read any of Lucinda Berry’s books? Which are your favorites? Mine are Saving Noah, A Perfect Child and now this one. ✌🏻
Thank you to @netgalley and @lucindaberryauthor for the advanced e book copy in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: Nov 7th 2023
For those who may be unfamiliar with this newest of hers, it’s about a group of new mothers, who live in Hollywood. Most have lived a privileged life, getting everything they ever wanted. They meet as this group often. At one of their meetings, one of them ends up dead and now we need to know who did it. They all were best of friends and they all had lies that could destroy each other’s lives. Who can you trust? Who’s telling the truth? You’ll have to read this one when it comes out to find out. I don’t want to say too much more, I fears of giving spoilers. But it’s told in multiple POVs and has two different time lines of Then and Now. It’s a fast paced, edge of your seat ride in trying to find out who did this horrific crime and what secrets they are hiding. This was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5 stars for me! I recommend you get this one when it comes out in November. You won’t regret it. Lucinda never disappoints.
Have you read any of Lucinda Berry’s books? Which are your favorites? Mine are Saving Noah, A Perfect Child and now this one. ✌🏻
Thank you to @netgalley and @lucindaberryauthor for the advanced e book copy in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: Nov 7th 2023
February 3, 2024
This was my first Lucinda Berry book I've ever read. Let me say first, that the first half of this drags, right after they find Kiersten's dead body in the pool. It really felt like Lucinda was setting up Brooke to be a truly sympathetic main character, but as the plot unspooled, she increasingly got on my nerves. Part of that was the circumstances she faced leading up to the deadly party she attended, but I just didn't connect with her at all.
As a matter of fact, all the characters in this are pretty unlikeable, except for maybe the detective. These women weren't even really friends, more like acquaintances, then anything else. After having said all that, you must think I hated it, right? I didn't though. I really like messy interpersonal conflicts and the consequences that arise from that. Some of the women's secrets were more over the top then others, but on the whole I did end up enjoy reading this. Now on to the next one!
As a matter of fact, all the characters in this are pretty unlikeable, except for maybe the detective. These women weren't even really friends, more like acquaintances, then anything else. After having said all that, you must think I hated it, right? I didn't though. I really like messy interpersonal conflicts and the consequences that arise from that. Some of the women's secrets were more over the top then others, but on the whole I did end up enjoy reading this. Now on to the next one!
April 28, 2024
I love Lucinda Berry but this book was a bit boring and lacked the same depth in comparison to her other books. It just didn't even feel like it was the same author and the story plot was nothing special, nothing deep. It was ok but I would have been fine not ever reading it as it will hold no special place in my mind or my heart as I have already forgotten the majority of what I read as nothing really grabbed at me and pulled me in and I felt no emotional connection to any of the characters. It felt more like rich wives drama, nothing suspenseful...
November 8, 2023
Ugh… I am so disappointed. I liked this less than The Perfect Child which was my least fave Berry book until now. I really wanted to like this. Not only was this book sooooo boring for the first 80% but the last 20% was so wildly dumb/ridiculous that I could barely even appreciate that it wasn’t as boring as the rest of the book. I would have rated it 1 star but I didn’t hate it THAT much, just didn’t like it.
July 23, 2024
the motion sickness from all these TWISTSSSS LUCINDAAAAAAAAAAA
January 25, 2024
6 wives with a ton of messy secrets and lies… oh my goodness that was a good ride and I hate that I’m getting off. This was all that I’d hoped it would be. Each chapter left you wanting more and more. These women were nuts! It’s kind of hard to give a good review without either spoiling it or sounding like a blabbering mess so I’ll leave this up to you to read and rate. Just know that this was a good one.
Only con is that the last few chapters that summed it all up felt rushed and kind of unbelievable but entertaining nevertheless. Pick this one up!
Only con is that the last few chapters that summed it all up felt rushed and kind of unbelievable but entertaining nevertheless. Pick this one up!
November 6, 2023
This book has NO business being as good as it was. The twists kept coming and they didn’t stop coming until the very last page, THE WAY I AUDIBLY GASPED! Whew. This was a rollercoaster I did not want to get off of. @lucindaberryauthor knows how to write twisted characters and she held nothing back with this one. BRAVO! 👏🏻👏🏻
This book publishes tomorrow and you HAVE to read it. I don’t make the rules. 😂
Thank you @netgalley and @amazonpublishing for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
This book publishes tomorrow and you HAVE to read it. I don’t make the rules. 😂
Thank you @netgalley and @amazonpublishing for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
December 7, 2023
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Mystery Thriller
"Keep Your Friends Close" by Lucinda Berry is a mystery thriller that explores the dark and twisted side of friendship. The story is narrated from different characters’ points of view in the present and past.
Kiersten is found dead at her own party! The whole story revolves around who killed her among her closest friends. As the plot unfolds, dark secrets are revealed, and the true nature of the friendship between these women is exposed. Some of the revelations might put some of the readers on edge as they try to decipher what is real and what is not.
I went into this book with the intention of relishing it just for the purpose of using it as a source of enjoyment. At this point, the majority of mystery thrillers demand that you put aside all of your rational thoughts and views in order to fully appreciate the narratives.
"Keep Your Friends Close" is an exploration of obsession, jealousy, and the lengths people will go to protect their own identity. This is the first time I read something by this author. I might try something else in the future, and hopefully it will be better than this one. Overall, this was an OK story that will make you question who you can truly trust.
Genre: Mystery Thriller
"Keep Your Friends Close" by Lucinda Berry is a mystery thriller that explores the dark and twisted side of friendship. The story is narrated from different characters’ points of view in the present and past.
Kiersten is found dead at her own party! The whole story revolves around who killed her among her closest friends. As the plot unfolds, dark secrets are revealed, and the true nature of the friendship between these women is exposed. Some of the revelations might put some of the readers on edge as they try to decipher what is real and what is not.
I went into this book with the intention of relishing it just for the purpose of using it as a source of enjoyment. At this point, the majority of mystery thrillers demand that you put aside all of your rational thoughts and views in order to fully appreciate the narratives.
"Keep Your Friends Close" is an exploration of obsession, jealousy, and the lengths people will go to protect their own identity. This is the first time I read something by this author. I might try something else in the future, and hopefully it will be better than this one. Overall, this was an OK story that will make you question who you can truly trust.
November 23, 2023
IDK about this one. I think this book was just ok. I thought there was a lot going on but for no real reason except to distract the reader. I like Lucinda's writing but this one isn't my favorite.
August 11, 2023
This book was impossible to put down!
I read it one sitting. The twists and turns are crazy. The different perspectives make it a page turner.
You feel bad and worried for Brooke.
Whitney and Jade are great characters. I didn’t root for them though (they were kind of mean).
Lucinda Berry doesn’t disappoint.
I read it one sitting. The twists and turns are crazy. The different perspectives make it a page turner.
You feel bad and worried for Brooke.
Whitney and Jade are great characters. I didn’t root for them though (they were kind of mean).
Lucinda Berry doesn’t disappoint.
November 25, 2023
Found this book to be disappointing. It was difficult to keep track of so many povs with the various time elements. It felt like Lucinda kept adding more scenarios with each entry. Not even sure I grasped the ending clearly. I'll continue to read her other books but this one was frustrating for me.
May 9, 2024
wow that ending, I think my jaw is still on the ground. 🤯
October 11, 2023
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.
March 9, 2024
Once again, it felt like you were watching a slow motion train crash!! I read this on my vacay and had a hard time putting it down! Super fun thriller!
March 11, 2024
I’ve got whiplash from the amount of plot twists. They should sell these books with a complimentary neck brace. Lucinda Berry knows what she’s doing, man. I’m gonna need a moment to process what I just went through.
December 28, 2024
rich people are wild and messyyyyy! this felt more like crazy gossip than a thriller for most of it, but i was kind of eating it up. i pretty much hated all of the main characters. they were all so insufferable in different ways and absolutely batshit bonkers. whitney ended up being the most sane which was a shocking turn of events. the last few chapters my jaw dropped and stayed dropped. i never knew what was going to happen next, yet all the plot twists felt plausible which i really like in a thriller. the only reason i didn’t rate this higher was that it was a little boring in the first third of it, but after that it really took off
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