Reviews with content warning for Fire/Fire injury - First Lie Wins

Really enjoyed this book! It was super fast paced and engaging. The story uses flashbacks which actually helped expand the story rather than just fill space which is how they can feel sometimes. It's not my usual genre so unsure if it's a common trope but loved how the characters communicated through social media posts without ever actually communicating directly with each other too.

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chriissy's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Quick and fun read! The audiobook is well narrated. Love that it has mystery twists and thrills WITHOUT gore or too much heaviness. Loved guessing what was going on and felt the different timelines all served a purpose. Definitely recommend this one!

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shutupsev's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

a very solid mystery thriller! i was engaged the whole time and the twists were some that i truly didn't expect. i know ryan was important to show the relationships that evie was missing out on but i just did not care about him or the romance lol. the writing style didn't quite click with me otherwise the rating would be higher.

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bookscatcoffee's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging informative mysterious medium-paced

4.5

Really enjoyed this book! Interesting characters, twisty plot, carefully written, just an enjoyable read! Audiobook is really good too! I will definitely be following this author for future reads. 4.5 stars

Contemporary mystery with diverse side characters

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whatsbethanyreading's review against another edition

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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? Yes

5.0

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dcnireads's review against another edition

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challenging tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

ok, so to be honest, my time reading this book was heavily clouded by my anticipation for another book that i've been DYING to read for a while, so i will admit that maybe there were times that i didnt quite digest or properly appreciate what i was reading. and while i did overall vibe with the story's twists and reveals, i felt like the writing felt..detached?? at some points? i don't know if that's the right word to use but that's what i felt during certain parts that i read, and not just cause i was so excited for that other book i mentioned.

i think there were some scenes where the tone felt flat or too straighforward, which made me gloss over some shocking details because the whole vibe and interpretation didnt really give me the "gasp" factor that i was supposed to feel as a reader. i wouldn't consider it too off putting since this small bit of criticism can be brushed off by pointing out that the nonchalance in the writing is simply evie/lucca's personality showing itself because the whole novel is told in her pov, which i can appreciate. she's incredibly intelligent, confident, resourceful and shrewd, and watching her outsmart mr. smith was very fun. taking him down by planning in advance and forming her own circle of trusted people among the clients and victims he himself put in her path was quite satisfying to read. i also have to compliment the unique and refreshing spin on mystery thriller type stories by adding a little bit of the heist genre and going with a spy/con-artist style plot instead of the usual whodunnit. first time i've ever read anything like this and now ill be spending a lot of time trying to look for more. and last but not least, as a bonafide lover of romance and guaranteed happy endings, im really, really glad things worked out for her and ryan, and that evie still kept in touch with amy and devon. i like a good love story on the side with an equally morally gray leading man and a small touch of some found family.

in conclusion, a very firm 4 stars for this cool thriller. the whole concept was pretty damn cool, and im glad i picked this as my final book for this month's wrap up.

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alexlong's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I am struggling to verbalize my feelings about this book. On the one hand, it was a page turner, and not super predictable. On the other hand, the ending felt very “meh” and one-note to me. No big takeaways or deeper meanings. Just… the meh plot, with some meh characters, and then it ended. I liked it more in the beginning, and then it began to fall flat about halfway through. Solid TBR-filler book.

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bubblesparklereader's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-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

4.5

I really liked the story! I guessed one thing but not too much ahead of when it was revealed. The jumos back and forth aren't annoying or confusing.

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