You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.5
Finished reading: August 23rd 2024
“There's an old saying: The first lie wins. It's not referring to the little white kind that tumble out with no thought; it refers to the big one. The one that changes the game.”
Part of me was a bit hesitant to read First Lie Wins, as we all know how hyped books and me tend to get along... But there was something about the premise I wasn't able to resist, and I ended up giving in. I'm so glad I did now, because I ended up having SUCH a great time reading book! Things can be said about the credibility, but I personally didn't care as the entertainment level was through the roof. First Lie Wins reads like a Hollywood action movie with a similar vibe as Mr. And Mrs. Smith, and the premise had me fully hooked. The story is told through Evie Porter's POV, and switches back between different time in her past and the present. There was something about Evie that made it easy to start rooting for her despite her flaws, and the flashbacks worked perfectly to start revealing certain information and twists. The building up of tension and suspense was really well done, and it had me turning page after page as I HAD to know how it would all end. And while I guessed some of the twists, others came as a total surprise. The writing itself is extremely engaging and the heist/spy elements really made this story stand out. The ending itself was perfect for this story, and the journey itself was a blast as well. If you enjoyed fast-paced, engaging and cleverly plotted thrillers with a spy/heist vibe and don't mind suspending your disbelief, I can highly recommend First Lie Wins.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
chantale's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Terminal illness, Car accident, and Death of parent
amateur_bookworm's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
My summary:
Evie Porter is newly dating Ryan Sumner, a business owner in a small town of Louisiana who is quite an eligible bachelor in his hometown. Much to the chagrin of the girls that are his friends, Evie appears to be a fixture in Ryan’s life now. But Evie is not who everyone thinks she is, and Ryan is hiding his own secrets.
My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this thriller! Every first impression I had of the main characters in play were completely wrong. And I really did not see any of the twists coming. Both of those add up to a satisfying suspense read for me.
Ashley Elston made the jump from YA novels to adult fiction with this book. I think this a great debut for her in this genre and I hope she writes more thrillers in the future.
I really enjoyed the twistiness of this one. I haven’t read many thrillers lately so I feel like I’m extra gullible and it actually makes for a really enjoyable reading experience. Although I wasn’t super satisfied by the ending, I think it’s an overall good read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Drug abuse, Car accident, and Alcohol
monicabach's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What a fun read!!! I really enjoyed it.
Content warnings: many F bombs, frequent cursing; no sexual content.
Content warnings: many F bombs, frequent cursing; no sexual content.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Murder
Minor: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury
macint0046's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Great storytelling, a constant weaving of strands that come together beautifully at the end. I typically do not get caught off guard, but the ending was a surprise. Thrilling and engaging with a satisfying ending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
achay91's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Minor: Cancer and Death of parent
rochelleisreading's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Classism
dilani's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
it was aight. very twisty and the ending set this book up for a sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Car accident, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction and Cancer
theinstabookworm's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I fear this is another case where I feel like I read a different book than everyone else. I tried reading the physical copy but couldn't get into it, so I switched to the audiobook, which I did like more. It was bingeable and I listened to it in two sittings over one day. But, I can't say I get the hype. It was a slow-burn and maybe this is a case of "all vibes, no plot" because I feel like nothing really happened. I didn't care about the characters and felt very underwhelmed by the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent
savleigh3'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer, Death of parent, and Alcohol