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Book club questions for The Two Lila Bennetts by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke dissects this wild ride of a story! If you haven’t read the novel yet, check out my spoiler-free review first.
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.
Book Club Questions for The Two Lila Bennetts
- Let’s start with first impressions. What was you initial impression of Lila? How did this change as the book went on?
- Lilia is a defense attorney and when the book starts off she’s defending a man who she won’t let herself admit that he most likely murdered his wife. To provide some backstory, we lean more about Lila’s past and how her father was killed by a drunk driver, which eventually inspires her to study law. Why did she decide to become a defense attorney rather than a prosecutor?
- Let’s now discuss her interaction with Stephanie who is grieving her sister and blames Lila for allowing her sister’s husband to be acquitted. Why was this such an impactful moment for Lila?
- We find out that Lila is making some bad choices—she’s having an affair with not only her boss, but her best friend’s husband. Let’s talk about why she would do this. Are you surprised she didn’t feel more guilty about it in the beginning?
- The story then splits into the two timelines: captured and free. Who did you think at first captured her? What did you think about this two timeline style? Were you more engaged with one or did you find both equally compelling?
- Lila has betrayed quite a few people—including sleeping with her teacher to ensure she gets an internship over her law school friend. Why was she so ruthless about ambition? Let’s pause for a second—would we be saying the same thing if she were a man? Why or why not?
- Comparing the two Lilas and storylines—which one do you think featured the most growth for Lila?
- Were you shocked that Chase was the one who kidnapped her or did you see it coming?
- Now let’s talk the endings! First, what did you think? Were you surprised she died in the “free” timeline? What happens next for her in the “captured’ timeline? Remember in the “free” timeline, her problems were more close to home but in the “captured” timeline, her kidnapping makes the news and the media tries to point the finger at her husband.
- Will this Lila learn from her mistakes?
What to Read Next
Complicated protagonists always make for an engaging read! Once you’ve gone through the book club questions for The Two Lila Bennetts, here are some more book recommendations (along with links to discussion questions)!
The Lost Night by Andrea Bartz is a thrilling mystery full of depth and suspense.
In 2009, Edie had New York’s social world in her thrall. Mercurial and beguiling, she was the shining star of a group of recent graduates living in a Brooklyn loft and treating New York like their playground. When Edie’s body was found near a suicide note at the end of a long, drunken night, no one could believe it. Grief, shock, and resentment scattered the group and brought the era to an abrupt end.
A decade later, Lindsay has come a long way from the drug-addled world of Calhoun Lofts. She has devoted best friends, a cozy apartment, and a thriving career as a magazine’s head fact-checker. But when a chance reunion leads Lindsay to discover an unsettling video from that hazy night, she starts to wonder if Edie was actually murdered—and, worse, if she herself was involved. As she rifles through those months in 2009—combing through case files, old technology, and her fractured memories—Lindsay is forced to confront the demons of her own violent history to bring the truth to light.
You can order the book on Amazon here. Check out my discussion questions here.
They are Phoenix’s First Family: handsome Philip Martin, son of the sitting Senator, an ex-football player who carries himself with an easy grace and appears destined to step into his father’s seat when the time is right; his wife Marina, the stylish and elegant director of Phoenix’s fine arts museum; and their four-year-old daughter Amabel, beautiful and precocious and beloved.
Finn Hunt is working a dull office job to pay off her college debt when she meets Philip and charms Amabel. She eagerly agrees to nanny, thinking she’s lucked into the job of a lifetime. Though the glamour of the Martins’ lifestyle undeniably dazzles Finn, her real pleasure comes from being part of the family: sharing quick jokes with Philip in the kitchen before he leaves for work; staying late when Marina needs a last-minute sitter; and spending long days with Amabel, who is often treated more like a photo op than a child.
But behind every façade lurks a less attractive truth. When a young woman approaches Finn, claiming a connection with Philip and asking Finn to pass on a message, Finn becomes caught up in a web of deceit with the senate seat at its center. And Finn isn’t exactly innocent herself: she too has a background she has kept hidden, and under the hot Phoenix sun, everything is about to be laid bare. . . .
You can order the book on Amazon here. Check out my discussion questions here.
Happy reading!
Feel free to discuss The Two Lila Bennetts below!