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hadavis87's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-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
3.0
smalltownbookmom's review
5.0
What an absolutely surprise DELIGHT this debut book was!! Lucy Green is a Hollywood publicist turning 30 and when her boyfriend stands her up she makes a wish for a perfect birthday. What follows is a story told over one day in which Lucy is unable to tell a lie and it is gloriously freeing!
If you like books with a touch of inexplicable magic and a strong feminist bent this one is for you! Part women's fiction, part romance but 100% fun!! I LOVED the narration by Brittany Pressley and just how incredible it was watching Lucy's journey to stop going along with all the B.S. women have to deal with and stand up for what she wants.
I seriously CAN'T recommend this book enough!! Be prepared to laugh and cheer as Lucy calls out her boss for sexual harassment in the workplace, stands up to her baby-pushing mother and dumps her neglectful boyfriend. Much thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
Favorite quote:
"I'm not fine! I've been telling myself that everything is fine when it's not. I'm so conditioned as a woman - brainwashed - to keep quiet about it, to pretend that everything was okay and not make a scene that I went along with it. I always go along with it. But not today!"
If you like books with a touch of inexplicable magic and a strong feminist bent this one is for you! Part women's fiction, part romance but 100% fun!! I LOVED the narration by Brittany Pressley and just how incredible it was watching Lucy's journey to stop going along with all the B.S. women have to deal with and stand up for what she wants.
I seriously CAN'T recommend this book enough!! Be prepared to laugh and cheer as Lucy calls out her boss for sexual harassment in the workplace, stands up to her baby-pushing mother and dumps her neglectful boyfriend. Much thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
Favorite quote:
"I'm not fine! I've been telling myself that everything is fine when it's not. I'm so conditioned as a woman - brainwashed - to keep quiet about it, to pretend that everything was okay and not make a scene that I went along with it. I always go along with it. But not today!"
bookedwithannie's review
4.0
I freaking loved this book! The first few chapters had me coming to life, the middle was gripping and fast-paced, and the end was nicely wrapped up without being too sugary. It was fairly close to perfection and I will absolutely be recommending this book to everyone I know, and closely watching for Holly James' next work.
In a surprising twist on the 1990's classic Liar, Liar with Jim Carey, our MC Lucy makes a wish on the eve of her thirtieth birthday that the following day be "the perfect day". As we all know with wish stories, sometimes the universe takes things too literally and rarely answers our wishes in the way we think they would come true. What follows is the twenty-four hours where Lucy cannot lie. While this does pose slight complications with her chosen profession in publicity, James takes a twist on this narrative to focus more on the lies we tell ourselves, especially as women. Lucy admits she doesn't want to go to spin class because she doesn't actually enjoy it; she doesn't want to wear spanx, and put on makeup, and torture her feet all day in stilettos; she wants to wear something comfortable, she wants to eat something that makes her feel full, she wants to dismantle the patriarchy.
This story is a feminist, patriarchy burning dream, and one I simply enjoyed so so much. I will caution readers that there is a large portion of the story dedicated to workplace sexual harassment, so if this is a trigger for you, please tread lightly.
I did think that the workplace situation took over the story for too long though and since I wasn't expecting that plot point at all, it took a bit away from the overall experience. In order to do that portion of the story justice, it had to be thoroughly developed which I do think James did, but it took over the overarching story IMO and once it finally subsided I was like "oh right, this wasn't just about workplace harassment". The only reason I downrated this from five stars, though I would say it was still closer to 4.5 for me.
Otherwise, I simply loved this book and cannot wait for other readers to find Lucy and her story. thank you to Netgalley and Dutton books for an eARC of this story.
In a surprising twist on the 1990's classic Liar, Liar with Jim Carey, our MC Lucy makes a wish on the eve of her thirtieth birthday that the following day be "the perfect day". As we all know with wish stories, sometimes the universe takes things too literally and rarely answers our wishes in the way we think they would come true. What follows is the twenty-four hours where Lucy cannot lie. While this does pose slight complications with her chosen profession in publicity, James takes a twist on this narrative to focus more on the lies we tell ourselves, especially as women. Lucy admits she doesn't want to go to spin class because she doesn't actually enjoy it; she doesn't want to wear spanx, and put on makeup, and torture her feet all day in stilettos; she wants to wear something comfortable, she wants to eat something that makes her feel full, she wants to dismantle the patriarchy.
This story is a feminist, patriarchy burning dream, and one I simply enjoyed so so much. I will caution readers that there is a large portion of the story dedicated to workplace sexual harassment, so if this is a trigger for you, please tread lightly.
I did think that the workplace situation took over the story for too long though and since I wasn't expecting that plot point at all, it took a bit away from the overall experience. In order to do that portion of the story justice, it had to be thoroughly developed which I do think James did, but it took over the overarching story IMO and once it finally subsided I was like "oh right, this wasn't just about workplace harassment". The only reason I downrated this from five stars, though I would say it was still closer to 4.5 for me.
Otherwise, I simply loved this book and cannot wait for other readers to find Lucy and her story. thank you to Netgalley and Dutton books for an eARC of this story.
emily_loves_2_read's review
5.0
Nothing But The Truth
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 7/12/22
Author: Holly James
Publisher: Dutton
Pages: 304
Goodreads Rating: 3.86
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Dutton and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: It’s the eve of Hollywood publicist Lucy Green’s thirtieth birthday, so she makes a rueful wish over her cocktail for a perfect birthday. But when Lucy’s wish is granted in the most unexpected way, things go terribly awry, as things often do when wishes come true…. When Lucy arrives at the office, she realizes that not only can she no longer lie to herself, she can’t lie to anyone else, either. Now that she can’t hide how she feels, Lucy must confront all the injustices—small and large—she’s faced on a daily basis at work, in her relationship, and in every other aspect of her life...and the truth is going to come out in a big way.
My Thoughts: This reminded me of the movie, Liar Liar, starring Jim Carey. Imagine a publicist, who makes their career by telling white lies, cannot lie anymore, brilliant! The characters are well developed, have depth, passionate, charismatic, and keeps you engaged throughout the story. I absolutely adored Lucy and how she was written, the perfect heroine, that I absolutely rooted for throughout the story, she is both likable and relatable. The author’s writing style is complex, thought provoking, creative, and just brilliant! While there is a romantic element to the story, it is more of Lucy standing in her truth, discovering who she really is, connecting with the people around her, and no longer a doormat for anyone. What I most loved is that Lucy followed what she believed and not what society expects. The story has an amazing message and I absolutely adored it. Even though I was fortunate enough to read an early ARC of this book, I have also preordered the audiobook to listen to. With this being James debut novel, I can only imagine what she will write in the future, I will definitely be buying future novels from James.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 7/12/22
Author: Holly James
Publisher: Dutton
Pages: 304
Goodreads Rating: 3.86
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Dutton and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: It’s the eve of Hollywood publicist Lucy Green’s thirtieth birthday, so she makes a rueful wish over her cocktail for a perfect birthday. But when Lucy’s wish is granted in the most unexpected way, things go terribly awry, as things often do when wishes come true…. When Lucy arrives at the office, she realizes that not only can she no longer lie to herself, she can’t lie to anyone else, either. Now that she can’t hide how she feels, Lucy must confront all the injustices—small and large—she’s faced on a daily basis at work, in her relationship, and in every other aspect of her life...and the truth is going to come out in a big way.
My Thoughts: This reminded me of the movie, Liar Liar, starring Jim Carey. Imagine a publicist, who makes their career by telling white lies, cannot lie anymore, brilliant! The characters are well developed, have depth, passionate, charismatic, and keeps you engaged throughout the story. I absolutely adored Lucy and how she was written, the perfect heroine, that I absolutely rooted for throughout the story, she is both likable and relatable. The author’s writing style is complex, thought provoking, creative, and just brilliant! While there is a romantic element to the story, it is more of Lucy standing in her truth, discovering who she really is, connecting with the people around her, and no longer a doormat for anyone. What I most loved is that Lucy followed what she believed and not what society expects. The story has an amazing message and I absolutely adored it. Even though I was fortunate enough to read an early ARC of this book, I have also preordered the audiobook to listen to. With this being James debut novel, I can only imagine what she will write in the future, I will definitely be buying future novels from James.
meghan_readsbooks's review
4.0
"But honesty had always been a choice. {...} Perhaps the day's greatest gift was simply the awareness of the choice."
Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the ebook copy of Nothing but the Truth from Holly James. Readers... yes this is a good one and don't let a seemingly predictable sounding plot derail you, this book has an interesting expansion on the telling truth trope and it worked really well for me. I won't go into detail but this book has some effective takes on truth beyond words and moves into truth in how we present ourselves, our ideals/values, and our truth to ourselves in general. The narrative moves beyond self growth, which is present, and into the value of speaking up and speaking truth when you can and when doing so empowers others as well as yourself. What a treat it was to read a book that saw the layers to this trope and took advantage of this time and cultural shift to do so.
This book is a hidden gem, it is more than it might seem and rewarding for a fast paced, discussion worthy summer read. This would be a great fit for women's fiction book chats and for mentoring/workplace book clubs as well.
Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the ebook copy of Nothing but the Truth from Holly James. Readers... yes this is a good one and don't let a seemingly predictable sounding plot derail you, this book has an interesting expansion on the telling truth trope and it worked really well for me. I won't go into detail but this book has some effective takes on truth beyond words and moves into truth in how we present ourselves, our ideals/values, and our truth to ourselves in general. The narrative moves beyond self growth, which is present, and into the value of speaking up and speaking truth when you can and when doing so empowers others as well as yourself. What a treat it was to read a book that saw the layers to this trope and took advantage of this time and cultural shift to do so.
This book is a hidden gem, it is more than it might seem and rewarding for a fast paced, discussion worthy summer read. This would be a great fit for women's fiction book chats and for mentoring/workplace book clubs as well.
katethepodtherapyartist's review
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
I went into this book thinking the premise, while not unfamiliar due to films like Liar, Liar, could be cute and even an interesting take with a female lead. I was horribly mistaken.
Lucy wakes up on her 30th birthday to discover she cannot lie - to herself, to others - and becomes physically ill if she tries. Sounds fun, let’s see where this goes. Where this goes is fast traveling all over LA (which if you’ve never been is difficult on a good day) over the course of a very sloppy time table, with events that realistically would take several days. Instead Lucy manages to do it all between the hours of 9 am and ? pm (though we are supposed to believe it’s somehow early afternoon), have time for a nap, andget to her roof top party early when she only had an hour to get ready and get there.
I found Lucy to be insufferable, practically yelling feminist talking points at Oliver in a manner that is neither realistic nor natural-sounding. I’m not mad Lucy is a feminist and is trying to speak up. I am a feminist myself, and think these things should be talked about more. I didn’t like that any of her talking points could have easily been a Tumblr blog post or TikTok rant with how one-sided it all was. Dialogue is often stilted, characters are far too patient with her, and she somehow is supposed to be the hero of the story while honestly being a constant jerk. There were several points I found her to be guilty of the very things she was upset with others about, and giving non-apologies where an actual apology should have been (assuming she actually did apologize, which was rare).
I found the book to be guilty of telling not showing most of the time, which made for a fast albeit unenjoyable read.
Lucy wakes up on her 30th birthday to discover she cannot lie - to herself, to others - and becomes physically ill if she tries. Sounds fun, let’s see where this goes. Where this goes is fast traveling all over LA (which if you’ve never been is difficult on a good day) over the course of a very sloppy time table, with events that realistically would take several days. Instead Lucy manages to do it all between the hours of 9 am and ? pm (though we are supposed to believe it’s somehow early afternoon), have time for a nap, and
I found Lucy to be insufferable, practically yelling feminist talking points at Oliver in a manner that is neither realistic nor natural-sounding. I’m not mad Lucy is a feminist and is trying to speak up. I am a feminist myself, and think these things should be talked about more. I didn’t like that any of her talking points could have easily been a Tumblr blog post or TikTok rant with how one-sided it all was. Dialogue is often stilted, characters are far too patient with her, and she somehow is supposed to be the hero of the story while honestly being a constant jerk. There were several points I found her to be guilty of the very things she was upset with others about, and giving non-apologies where an actual apology should have been (assuming she actually did apologize, which was rare).
I found the book to be guilty of telling not showing most of the time, which made for a fast albeit unenjoyable read.
danidsfavereads's review against another edition
4.0
This one was different than I expected, but I enjoyed it.
On the eve of her 30th birthday, Lucy makes a wish that she has the perfect day. She wakes up the next morning and is unable to lie. She ends up confronting a lot of expectations put on women and her need to not speak about them. She also addresses her long-term relationship and ends up meeting a new man.
This book delves into the topic of sexual harassment at work. The challenges women have with disclosing and what comes after.
I really enjoyed this book and Lucy’s story. I liked how she navigates her “curse” of not being able to lie and ultimately discovers more about herself.
I would definitely recommend this one with the caveat of knowing it’s not as light as the cover makes it seem.
[cw - inappropriate behavior in the workplace]
On the eve of her 30th birthday, Lucy makes a wish that she has the perfect day. She wakes up the next morning and is unable to lie. She ends up confronting a lot of expectations put on women and her need to not speak about them. She also addresses her long-term relationship and ends up meeting a new man.
This book delves into the topic of sexual harassment at work. The challenges women have with disclosing and what comes after.
I really enjoyed this book and Lucy’s story. I liked how she navigates her “curse” of not being able to lie and ultimately discovers more about herself.
I would definitely recommend this one with the caveat of knowing it’s not as light as the cover makes it seem.
[cw - inappropriate behavior in the workplace]
stuvonbon's review
2.0
I wanted to love this book. The premise, a girl who can only tell the brutal truth, was fun and intriguing. However, the “crush the patriarchy” vibe was just too strong for me. I acknowledge that everything the author describe is accurate, enraging, and true. However, I read books to escape those harsh realities. Also, the timeline felt totally unrealistic
chellesofbooks's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
3 stars
When I first starting reading Nothing But The Truth, I thought it was cute and inspiring - why do women conform to standards that can be rather uncomfortable? Lucy spends her birthday unable to lie, and this is both revolutionary and exasperating, depending on the situation.
There was a storyline about sexual harassment with Lucy and her boss that, whilst written tastefully enough, felt more thrust in to echo the feminist "fuck the patriarchy" stance this book was beginning to incessantly shout. I found myself grow weary of every interaction being about how women suffer and watching the fmc get everything her way with little to no consequence.
And sure, this was part of the wish concept for the story, but it was hard to navigate at times, especially when everything in this story happens in one day. I honestly struggled to keep up with what time everything was happening at, and this fateful 24 hours felt long enough to be three days instead.
The romance was cute, but with the feminist narrative, it contradicted things. Adam seemed too good to be true, and the way Lucy simpered for him in one breath and was taking on the media coverage about her sexual harassment in the next was a lot to swallow.
I think a lot of the messages are worth hearing, especially if you identify as a woman and subject yourself to the conformities listed in this novel. However, I just found it a little too much and it distracted my attention away from what was otherwise a really sweet story.
When I first starting reading Nothing But The Truth, I thought it was cute and inspiring - why do women conform to standards that can be rather uncomfortable? Lucy spends her birthday unable to lie, and this is both revolutionary and exasperating, depending on the situation.
There was a storyline about sexual harassment with Lucy and her boss that, whilst written tastefully enough, felt more thrust in to echo the feminist "fuck the patriarchy" stance this book was beginning to incessantly shout. I found myself grow weary of every interaction being about how women suffer and watching the fmc get everything her way with little to no consequence.
And sure, this was part of the wish concept for the story, but it was hard to navigate at times, especially when everything in this story happens in one day. I honestly struggled to keep up with what time everything was happening at, and this fateful 24 hours felt long enough to be three days instead.
The romance was cute, but with the feminist narrative, it contradicted things. Adam seemed too good to be true, and the way Lucy simpered for him in one breath and was taking on the media coverage about her sexual harassment in the next was a lot to swallow.
I think a lot of the messages are worth hearing, especially if you identify as a woman and subject yourself to the conformities listed in this novel. However, I just found it a little too much and it distracted my attention away from what was otherwise a really sweet story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment