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cc_shelflove's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, it was love at first chapter for me. 🥰 Our main character was such a bad bitch! After a crooked detective saves her from being arrested, “Evie” finds herself entangled in a life of cons, long and short. The writing was exceptional in that every time I had a question, I received an answer in the next flashback I encountered. Powerful men being blackmailed—we love to see it. 😈 I’ve had numerous recommendations to check out this author’s YA books, and I am certainly going to have to move them up on my list.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Sexual content
nadiamasood's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I strongly recommend diving into this blind! Resist the urge to sneak a peek at the blurb or book jacket, and steer clear of any summaries. Also, for maximum enjoyment, this book demands a profound suspension of disbelief. All good? Let's continue.
I loved First Lie Wins! It's fast-paced and action-driven. There are con artists, morally grey characters, secret identities, mysteries unfolding, and did I mention lots of secrets?
I loved First Lie Wins! It's fast-paced and action-driven. There are con artists, morally grey characters, secret identities, mysteries unfolding, and did I mention lots of secrets?
There’s an old saying: The first lie wins. It’s not referring to the little white kind that tumbles out with little to no thought; it refers to the big one. The one that changes the game. The one that is deliberate. The lie that sets the stage for everything that comes after it. And once the lie is told, it’s what most people believe to be true. The first lie has to be the strongest. The most important.
Evie Porter, our main character, is already my favorite. She's smart, brave, and kind. I think her character is nicely fleshed out, and the dual flashbacks give depth to her character as we get to know her better.
While some readers may find the dual timeline, numerous aliases, and character names a bit confusing, I had no trouble keeping up when I listened to the audiobook.
The one letdown for me is the lack of insight into Mr. Smith, who is essentially the whole point of this book. Even after the mystery unravels, his character remains unexplored. It would have been a much more satisfying conclusion if we had delved deeper into his story. Nevertheless, I still found the book enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, and Cancer
chloecam's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
genuinely loved this - read it in a day
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Death of parent, and Car accident
Minor: Blood
caityg22's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Alcohol, Cancer, and Fire/Fire injury
itstruly_flower's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Murder
Minor: Cursing, Addiction, and Alcohol
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
This was an intriguing con artist, small town thriller that pleasantly surprised me! Thank you for PRH Audio for the advanced listening copy <3 I am providing my review on my own accord after listening.
I thought the narrator Saskia Maarleveld did a fantastic job; I always marvel a bit at narrators' abilities to use totally different inflections and tones of voice when switching characters, and Saskia did an excellent job of this!
The rotating chapters between the past and present piqued my interest; I was wondering what the tie-ins would be, and when it finally came together, it did not disappoint! I find that thrillers can delve into the exploitation and harmful fetishization of "mental health" struggles way too predictably and frustratingly, but this book steered clear of that and I appreciate it. It proves that a mystery or heist/con artist thriller can stand on its own, with morally grey characters, rather than villainizing those who are neurodivergent or have schizophrenia etc.
Despite the fact that you know that our main character is deceiving folks from the start, you're still rooting for her. It's so easy to, because she's so clever and takes no shit. Her whirlwind romance with Ryan has all of his close friends guessing, and I found it so delectable that she had them wound up so tightly.
The mystery of the elusive Mr. Smith was a very captivating game of cat and mouse, and while it frustrated me for Evie, I just wanted to know his real identity already and what his endgame was! Let it be known I will never be cut out for heist/con artist/secret identity work hahaha.
Anyway, as thrillers do, a lot of the big action and reveals happen in the last 10% of the book, but it overall felt like a satisfying conclusion and I think others will have lots of fun with this one.
see content warnings below!
This was an intriguing con artist, small town thriller that pleasantly surprised me! Thank you for PRH Audio for the advanced listening copy <3 I am providing my review on my own accord after listening.
I thought the narrator Saskia Maarleveld did a fantastic job; I always marvel a bit at narrators' abilities to use totally different inflections and tones of voice when switching characters, and Saskia did an excellent job of this!
The rotating chapters between the past and present piqued my interest; I was wondering what the tie-ins would be, and when it finally came together, it did not disappoint! I find that thrillers can delve into the exploitation and harmful fetishization of "mental health" struggles way too predictably and frustratingly, but this book steered clear of that and I appreciate it. It proves that a mystery or heist/con artist thriller can stand on its own, with morally grey characters, rather than villainizing those who are neurodivergent or have schizophrenia etc.
Despite the fact that you know that our main character is deceiving folks from the start, you're still rooting for her. It's so easy to, because she's so clever and takes no shit. Her whirlwind romance with Ryan has all of his close friends guessing, and I found it so delectable that she had them wound up so tightly.
The mystery of the elusive Mr. Smith was a very captivating game of cat and mouse, and while it frustrated me for Evie, I just wanted to know his real identity already and what his endgame was! Let it be known I will never be cut out for heist/con artist/secret identity work hahaha.
Anyway, as thrillers do, a lot of the big action and reveals happen in the last 10% of the book, but it overall felt like a satisfying conclusion and I think others will have lots of fun with this one.
see content warnings below!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, Violence, Death of parent, Cursing, Gaslighting, Car accident, and Death
Minor: Terminal illness and Cancer
thrillofthepage's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, Terminal illness, and Addiction
tabbycat10414's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It was slightly sow to start, but after a few chapters I couldn’t stop reading. Every time you think you’ve figured out what’s coming next, it’s here’s a twist you didn’t see coming! Highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Murder, Death of parent, and Death
redefiningrachel's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Car accident, Toxic relationship, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Gaslighting, Violence, Alcoholism, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use
milesofkiles's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
Moderate: Car accident and Death
Minor: Addiction