#ATBR2019 Review: The Two Lila Bennetts by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke @luauthors @lizandlisa @jessmapreviews
The Two Lila Bennetts
by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Publish Date: July 23, 2019
Paperback
307 Pages
Standalone
Genre: Thriller
“One fateful decision. Two unexpected endings. A perfect summer read!” —Wendy Walker, bestselling author of The Night Before
Lila Bennett’s bad choices have finally caught up with her. And one of those decisions has split her life in two. Literally.
In one life, she’s taken hostage by someone who appears to be a stranger but knows too much. As she’s trapped in a concrete cell, her kidnapper forces her to face what she’s done or be killed. In an alternate life, she eludes her captor but is hunted by someone who is dismantling her happiness, exposing one secret at a time.
Lila’s decorated career as a criminal defense attorney, her marriage, and her life are on the line. She must make a list of those she’s wronged—both in and out of the courtroom—to determine who is out to get her before it’s too late. But even if she can pinpoint her assailant, will she survive? And if she does, which parts of her life are worth saving, and which parts must die? Because one thing’s for certain—life as Lila Bennett knew it is over.
My Review:
I started this on my kindle app while on my commute home. I got through the first four chapters and when I got to chapter 5, I was confused. Wait.. didn't this just happen.. but not?! So of course once I got home, I put my phone down, grabbed my physical copy and fell nose deep into this story. Funny enough that I always knew the whole concept of Sliding Doors but I think I'm one of the very few who has actually never seen the movie. *oops So when I read the acknowledgments, it was nice to see I wasn't wrong. *phew!
I fear saying too much without giving anything away. I think we all know there are dual timelines going on and I actually liked this. I always wondered, and continue to wonder, what if I had made *this* decision instead of *that* decision - would my life had turned out any differently? Or is it inevitable for me to get to my present state, albeit via a different road? Is there such a thing as fate? Or do we make our own destiny? Or is there a mixture of both? I JUST DON'T KNOW.
As a character, Lila is pretty selfish and fairly deplorable. However, I did enjoy watching her throughout the entire story. Both of her. Karma is a bitch and so is Lila. Who wins in the end? You'll have to read to find out! Regardless of any of this, I actually did like Lila a lot - what can I say, I've worked with lawyers for over a decade so none of this is new to me. ;)
At the end of the day, while this was something I would put in the thriller category, I somehow felt that due to the message, it was more a contemporary read for me. Either way I was pulled in immediately. Definitely did NOT go in the direction I was expecting and the ending fell just a teeny bit flat for me for one of the Lilas. For pure addictability, I rate this high and will continue to devour whatever Liz and Lisa throw my way.
Also, please guys, always read the acknowledgments and author's notes at the end. I absolutely adore these authors and am SO HAPPY to see that this book brought them back stronger than ever. Best friendships can be hard to navigate - I can't imagine how me and mine would fair if we also worked together as closely as these two do.
★★★★
Jessica's Review:
When I see that Liz and Lisa have a new book coming out, it immediately goes onto the TBR. I fell in love with them when I picked up THE GOOD WIDOW and they haven't disappointed yet! THE TWO LILA BENNETTS was one hell of a ride. I've said it before in my reviews for these ladies, and I'll say it again, but I'm just amazed at how they can create a seamless and fluid story when writing together. I've read books that are co-authored and you can feel when it switches between the two, but not in this case.
I don't want to go into too much detail for fear of spoiling the story for other readers. We have a story that starts as one story and then branches off into two timelines. Liz and Lisa keep us on our toes and show us how our choices can change our lives. I saw another reviewer compare it to a "choose your own adventure" and I thought that was a perfect comparison. Lila was quite the character - you get so invested in both story lines and she is one you don't want to mess with. In true fashion, these ladies had me glued to the pages and I flew through this book.
I highly recommend reading the authors note at the end of the book. Always good insight into the process as well as the inspiration for the book. If you haven't picked up anything by Liz and Lisa then you need to remedy that immediately. I can't wait to see what they come out with next!
4 stars
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