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hannah_hearts_books's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This was an interesting spy-ish thriller. The twists were enjoyable and the premise was fun.However I’m not sure if the story was rounded out enough. Also, dual timelines are the bane of my existence one timeline is always more interesting and one always drags on and on. Even with all of that being said, I think I would pick up another book by this author.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Grief
koplomps's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, Car accident, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
burnourhistory's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Car accident
Moderate: Cancer, Violence, and Death of parent
emily_koopmann's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content, Violence, and Murder
emmagreenie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Car accident
Minor: Violence
mgbrownley's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Sexual content and Violence
rioreadsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
First Lie Wins
Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
“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. 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. The one that has to be told.”
...........................................................
First, let me say that this is more of a mystery/suspense novel than a thriller. The primary aspect of the plot being to figure out the overarching puzzle of our MC's, Evie's, mission that her boss has sent her on. Knowing that, helped me better determine my expectations of what this novel should and shouldn't be.
With that being said, I feel that Ashely Elston did a great job with the premise of this novel. The first lie wins, and boy was our MC, Evie, a master of "the first lie." Ashley did a wonderful job interweaving and connecting characters, plot points, and events of our main character's past and present, as well as the plot as a whole. While I was able to determine who Mr. Smith was, I was still surprised by a few things in the conclusion of this novel. Do I wish there were a few more explosive, bigger moments? Yes. But overall, I really enjoyed the journey Ashley Elston took us on.
⚠️Warning⚠️
Language, no spice, adult content, death, violence
Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
“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. 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. The one that has to be told.”
...........................................................
First, let me say that this is more of a mystery/suspense novel than a thriller. The primary aspect of the plot being to figure out the overarching puzzle of our MC's, Evie's, mission that her boss has sent her on. Knowing that, helped me better determine my expectations of what this novel should and shouldn't be.
With that being said, I feel that Ashely Elston did a great job with the premise of this novel. The first lie wins, and boy was our MC, Evie, a master of "the first lie." Ashley did a wonderful job interweaving and connecting characters, plot points, and events of our main character's past and present, as well as the plot as a whole. While I was able to determine who Mr. Smith was, I was still surprised by a few things in the conclusion of this novel. Do I wish there were a few more explosive, bigger moments? Yes. But overall, I really enjoyed the journey Ashley Elston took us on.
⚠️Warning⚠️
Language, no spice, adult content, death, violence
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, and Violence
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
coco78337's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
sega_genesis31's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence