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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
This was a first for me by this author. Quick easy read. Decent storyline. Perfect beach read.
I started Two Truths and a Lie not expecting to like it, but I ended up enjoying this book very much. Although the story follows a group of twelve long-time friends (“The Squad”) and one new one, it wasn’t hard to keep everyone straight because only a few factored heavily into the story. The writing drew me in almost immediately—it flowed almost effortlessly, and was particularly engaging.
Sherri and her teenage daughter, Katie, have moved to the beach town of Newburyport, Massachusetts after a divorce. But there is much more to their history, revealed in tidbits which are dropped throughout the book.
Sherri bonds with Rebecca—one of The Squad who was widowed eighteen months ago—through the mutual loss of their spouses. Rebecca has her own secret that she is keeping from The Squad (and her own children), and she doesn’t feel as close to them as before. So this new friendship with Sherri causes consternation among The Squad, who feel the distance with Rebecca and are concerned that there is more to Sherri than she is sharing.
Rebecca’s oldest daughter, Alexa, is also struggling with the loss of her stepdad, and has had a falling out with her best friends. She has secrets of her own, and
I didn’t much like her at first. She starts out being selfish and self-absorbed. But she grows on me over time. Sadly, everything that happened with Cam just broke my heart.
These intertwined stories make for a fast-paced plot. Having each chapter follow a different character is very effective at moving the story forward at a quick pace. Surprisingly, I particularly enjoyed chapters from The Squad.
At its core, Two Truths and a Lie delves into grief and loss, and how the loss of a loved one can affect each person in a different way. There is really no timeline for getting over grief, and you won’t know what it’s like until you’ve been through it yourself.
Overall, I enjoyed this book very much, and will definitely check out other books from this author.
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Sherri Griffin and her daughter Katie have moved to a small beach town in Massachusetts and hoping to quickly get integrated into this town and grow quick roots. They have many secrets that they must keep for their safety, but being surrounded by crazy women who both love and love to hate, it will be hard for them to keep everything under wraps. Rebecca Coleman and her daughter Alexa have lived in this town for a long time, but with the recent death of their husband/father, they are feeling as though they don't fit in well anymore and big changes in this small town are right around the corner.
Sherri Griffin and her daughter Katie have moved to a small beach town in Massachusetts and hoping to quickly get integrated into this town and grow quick roots. They have many secrets that they must keep for their safety, but being surrounded by crazy women who both love and love to hate, it will be hard for them to keep everything under wraps. Rebecca Coleman and her daughter Alexa have lived in this town for a long time, but with the recent death of their husband/father, they are feeling as though they don't fit in well anymore and big changes in this small town are right around the corner.
I enjoyed the complexity of Rebecca and Sherri in this book. I really liked their dynamic of typical Newburyport housewife (now widow) and new comer but secretly ex housewife. Seeing their friendship blossom throughout the book was nice but I really wanted to see more. They never had a final scene together that let us know where their friendship was going.
I’m knocking 1 star for the incessant Newburyport references - when the author said she wanted the town to be its own character, she wasn’t lying. I wouldn’t say it was a “character” as much as a looming presence that didn’t let you forget it’s there. If I didn’t live in this town, I’d be thoroughly confused by the volume of references.
Another star is being knocked for the character of Alexa as a whole - no 17 year old with 30k YouTube subs is confidently moving to LA. That’s completely unrealistic. Not to mention that “wildly successful” channel is a teenager with no money giving financial advice. Who would listen to her?! Additionally, her thought process vs her actions were so irritating. I get that she’s young, but I’ll just say it - she’s a bitch who didn’t deserve Cam. I wanted more context about why she was so awful rather than her irrational, incoherent thoughts.
Otherwise, like I said, this book is nice. Very cute and a good enough beach read.
I’m knocking 1 star for the incessant Newburyport references - when the author said she wanted the town to be its own character, she wasn’t lying. I wouldn’t say it was a “character” as much as a looming presence that didn’t let you forget it’s there. If I didn’t live in this town, I’d be thoroughly confused by the volume of references.
Another star is being knocked for the character of Alexa as a whole - no 17 year old with 30k YouTube subs is confidently moving to LA. That’s completely unrealistic. Not to mention that “wildly successful” channel is a teenager with no money giving financial advice. Who would listen to her?! Additionally, her thought process vs her actions were so irritating. I get that she’s young, but I’ll just say it - she’s a bitch who didn’t deserve Cam. I wanted more context about why she was so awful rather than her irrational, incoherent thoughts.
Otherwise, like I said, this book is nice. Very cute and a good enough beach read.
This book is amazing. The title kicks ass ! So with a title like that , the book should be good ?? It was I loved it.
Def recommend, I can’t tell you enough how much you should go read it.
Def recommend, I can’t tell you enough how much you should go read it.
I'd give it another half star if possible. Started out slowly but about half-way through I couldn't put it down.
One of the things I liked most about this book is that it takes place in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Although I've never been to Newburyport itself, it has that very New England feel. The characters and subject matter are quite relatable.
There are a lot of characters, which initially concerned me, but almost all of them are secondary characters. Although their interactions are relevant, their individual identities (and names) are not at all pertinent to the plot. The book is written from the 4 perspectives that matter.
There IS a mystery and a twist, but I'd never classify this book as a suspense novel. It is contemporary and really more about women and friendships, and clickiness (even cattiness) at the different stages of our lives.
It's a fun read; very light. It made me smile. I liked Sherri and Alexa who both have a bit of spunk, and I liked how current (2020) the book is.
I'm already planning to read Vacationland, which is this author's latest book.
There are a lot of characters, which initially concerned me, but almost all of them are secondary characters. Although their interactions are relevant, their individual identities (and names) are not at all pertinent to the plot. The book is written from the 4 perspectives that matter.
There IS a mystery and a twist, but I'd never classify this book as a suspense novel. It is contemporary and really more about women and friendships, and clickiness (even cattiness) at the different stages of our lives.
It's a fun read; very light. It made me smile. I liked Sherri and Alexa who both have a bit of spunk, and I liked how current (2020) the book is.
I'm already planning to read Vacationland, which is this author's latest book.
3.5– This is my second read by this author and I liked it just a bit less than my first (Vacationland.) This one reminded me of a somewhat watered down Lianne Moriarty story set in coastal New England instead of Australia. I wasn’t wowed by story itself but it wasn’t bad, and I was moderately interested throughout the entire thing, even though it doesn’t necessarily move quickly. My biggest complaint is that the “mom squad” aspect was pretty cringy and cheesy and felt caricatured. And the culmination of the drama was kind of meh.
Buttt, as a New Englander, the niche references with a local’s attitude were probably my favorite part and made a lot of this book more fun. Even before reading about her, it’s so clear and obvious to me that the author is local to the area because of how well she captures that aspect. It was all I could do to not vigorously nod when they described the Hampton beach boardwalk as “tattoos.”
Not to say you can’t enjoy this book from anywhere, but I had so much fun with the references and I’m afraid that they’ll be lost on people reading it from across the country or across the world.
Buttt, as a New Englander, the niche references with a local’s attitude were probably my favorite part and made a lot of this book more fun. Even before reading about her, it’s so clear and obvious to me that the author is local to the area because of how well she captures that aspect. It was all I could do to not vigorously nod when they described the Hampton beach boardwalk as “tattoos.”
Not to say you can’t enjoy this book from anywhere, but I had so much fun with the references and I’m afraid that they’ll be lost on people reading it from across the country or across the world.
A particularly terrible book! The writing is all over the place and I'm confused about who would even publish the non-sense plot of this book.