Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke | THE TWO LILA BENNETTS

Plot (via Goodreads):

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.

Review:

Growing up, I was obsessed with the "chose your own mystery" books and even if I always died super early, they were so much fun and entertaining. I could spend a whole afternoon just playing different roles and seeing how far I could get making all different types of decisions. Well, thanks to the phenomenal writing duo of Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, those days are far from over. The Two Lila Bennetts is a story that is so riveting and binge-worthy that it not only gives you one hell of a protagonist that is remarkably written, but two storylines that just contrast and compliment each other beautifully and what else would you want in a story other than to be captivated by two separate storylines?

I'm honestly still in shock when it comes to this read even though I finished it over a week ago. I mean, Fenton and Steinke wrote this character together and the different ways at which Bennetts life could go were so beautifully done. I mean two authors taking one character and yet both captured her fantastically and essentially kept this person the same character, flaws and all. I was stunned and happily surprised when I was traveling down both alternate universes. For me, Lila Bennett is the ultimate bad-ass main character that you want to shake, root for, and befriend. She's unapologetically written in the beginning and slowly but surely everything from her past to her present just culminates beautifully into whatever future you as the reader decides is what is best for her or what she deserves.

I don't want to say much when it comes to the dual plot, but just that this is a binge-worthy novel that isn't too violent or dark, but yet still thrilling and easy to gobble up in one day. I prefer my books to be darker and really twisty, and still I absolutely loved this read. I read it outside when I was lounging by the pool on a beautiful Saturday and found myself laughing at how this one was twice as hard to put down because I was addicted to two different plots! So, if you're looking for something that is a great beach read or something new and exciting to introduce to your book club, I would say this is the one summer read that every single bibliophile needs to pick up. I don't know how these ladies do it, but I'll be damned if I don't scoop up their next read.

Special thanks to Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4.5/5