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ignited_redqueen75's review against another edition
4.0
The main character, Liza Cole, is a romance/suspense writer. She has been in a writing rut due to the stress of trying to conceive a child and her husband's grief over his missing law partner and best friend doesn't seem to be helping any. Now this is where you need to pay attention especially if you listen to the audiobook ( I was going back and forth from the audiobook to the physical book because it got a little confusing for me) Liza's main character in the her current book is Beth, which by chapter 5 I'm feeling is more like this is Liza's alter ego because the situation she is writing about is becoming eerily close to Liza's life - this is where the confusion or clarity begins - depending on how you want to look at it or as my husband says how observant you are and I my friends sometimes am not the most observant person and why I love thrillers like this so much.
Cate Holahan did a good job at dual stories and keeping you on the edge of your seat. It was a bit predictable for some of the story, by chapter 3 to 5 I had guessed correctly at some of the story plots and why I gave it a 4 star instead of a 5 star however it was still intense enough for me that I did not expect some of the rest of the story to go the route that it did.
I had this book on my shelf from book of the month for probably longer than I cared to admit to and I'm like why. It is a great book that I would recommend and will read again and again.
Cate Holahan did a good job at dual stories and keeping you on the edge of your seat. It was a bit predictable for some of the story, by chapter 3 to 5 I had guessed correctly at some of the story plots and why I gave it a 4 star instead of a 5 star however it was still intense enough for me that I did not expect some of the rest of the story to go the route that it did.
I had this book on my shelf from book of the month for probably longer than I cared to admit to and I'm like why. It is a great book that I would recommend and will read again and again.
tatyanavogt's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't really like it. As mentioned in the synopsis, the main character is writing a story about a cheating husband and basically I'm tired of thrillers that revolve around cheating spouses so I admittedly wasn't really into it.
I don't think it was a bad book or anything, I just didn't really enjoy it.
I don't think it was a bad book or anything, I just didn't really enjoy it.
lastpaige111's review against another edition
5.0
I skipped a meal to finish reading this novel. That says it all.
marieintheraw's review against another edition
2.0
I feel like despite the interesting premise, this book comes off average at best which is unfortunate.
cheekylaydee's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting twist on the issues of PTSD when a writer blends fiction with fact, unwittingly getting confused between the two. Very interesting.
missbaughn's review against another edition
4.0
Once you realize that it’s her and then the book she is writing it’s great! A well written mystery in my opinion. I got really in to it
staceeyt's review against another edition
2.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
"Sometimes the truth is darker than fiction.
Liza Jones has thirty days to write the thriller that could put her back on the bestseller list. In the meantime, she’s struggling to start a family with her husband, who is distracted by the disappearance of his best friend, Nick. With stresses weighing down in both her professional and her personal life, Liza escapes into writing her latest heroine.
Beth is a new mother who suspects her husband is cheating on her while she’s home alone providing for their newborn. Angry and betrayed, Beth sets out to catch him in the act and make him pay for shattering the illusion of their perfect life. But before she realizes it, she’s tossing the body of her husband’s mistress into the river.
Then the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur. Nick’s body is dragged from the Hudson and Liza’s husband is arrested for his murder. Before her deadline is up, Liza will have to face up to the truths about the people around her, including herself. If she doesn’t, the end of her heroine’s story could be the end of her own. "
After seeing some of the reviews for Lies She Told, I think I've been reading a completely different book to everyone else. I'm clearly in the minority here, but I don't know how people didn't work out the plot almost immediately. This book is so predictable and I knew what was going to happen almost straight away - not ideal for a thriller.
Don't get me wrong, this book is incredibly fast-paced and makes for a very quick read, but it just didn't keep me on the edge of my seat. I did enjoy the format and I liked the idea of following Liza's novel alongside our story.
One of my main issues (which I guess could be classed as a spoiler) is that sexuality and mental health are still being used as plot twists. It is something that really winds me up. I just don't see the need for it and for me, is a really two-dimensional plot device.
I wanted to love this, especially after the glowing reviews, but it just left a sour taste in my mouth.
2/5stars.
"Sometimes the truth is darker than fiction.
Liza Jones has thirty days to write the thriller that could put her back on the bestseller list. In the meantime, she’s struggling to start a family with her husband, who is distracted by the disappearance of his best friend, Nick. With stresses weighing down in both her professional and her personal life, Liza escapes into writing her latest heroine.
Beth is a new mother who suspects her husband is cheating on her while she’s home alone providing for their newborn. Angry and betrayed, Beth sets out to catch him in the act and make him pay for shattering the illusion of their perfect life. But before she realizes it, she’s tossing the body of her husband’s mistress into the river.
Then the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur. Nick’s body is dragged from the Hudson and Liza’s husband is arrested for his murder. Before her deadline is up, Liza will have to face up to the truths about the people around her, including herself. If she doesn’t, the end of her heroine’s story could be the end of her own. "
After seeing some of the reviews for Lies She Told, I think I've been reading a completely different book to everyone else. I'm clearly in the minority here, but I don't know how people didn't work out the plot almost immediately. This book is so predictable and I knew what was going to happen almost straight away - not ideal for a thriller.
Don't get me wrong, this book is incredibly fast-paced and makes for a very quick read, but it just didn't keep me on the edge of my seat. I did enjoy the format and I liked the idea of following Liza's novel alongside our story.
One of my main issues (which I guess could be classed as a spoiler) is that sexuality and mental health are still being used as plot twists. It is something that really winds me up. I just don't see the need for it and for me, is a really two-dimensional plot device.
I wanted to love this, especially after the glowing reviews, but it just left a sour taste in my mouth.
2/5stars.
cmbarowsky's review against another edition
5.0
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Lies She Told is a suspenseful, fast-paced novel. Liza is an author, struggling to keep her career afloat while simultaneously facing the struggles of infertility. The disappearance of her husband's law partner adds a fierce amount of tension and stress to her already-full plate. Liza tries to escape reality by burying herself into her work, but where do the lines of fact and fantasy blur?
Holahan's writing was fluid and superb. The sensory imagery enveloped me in Brooklyn, New York. I wandered through the streets, peeked through the Italian restaurant window, went to the French speakeasy. I sat in a gown with my feet in stirrups in the clinic. The details were exquisite - I envisioned myself in those places. Holahan's talent also stretched into the details of her characters. Their emotions and facial expressions were prominent throughout the novel.
Themes I noticed as I read Lies She Told include betrayal and trauma. Liza experienced a traumatic childhood, molding her into a fragile, depressed adult. She thinks her feelings of depression are normal, that her mood swings are associated with hormone treatment, but could it be something deeper? She soon realizes she has blocks of memory loss and it could be deeply rooted with trauma. The betrayal of Beth's husband (Liza's fictional character) also seeps into Liza's life. Is she being paranoid or is her husband actually being unfaithful? Every page, every paragraph had me grappling for information - something to distinguish between Liza's novel and her life.
The majority of this book was so enjoyable. It's been a long time since I have devoured a book the way I did with Lies She Told. However, everything is bound to have flaws. At first, I really enjoyed the uniqueness of alternating perspectives, between Liza and her fictional character. Unfortunately, there were instances I became frustrated. I didn't want to read about Beth and her fictional drama. I wanted to dive back into Liza's story and discover the truth about Nick.
Lies She Told had me on the edge of my seat, flipping through pages hungrily. I loved this book!
Lies She Told is a suspenseful, fast-paced novel. Liza is an author, struggling to keep her career afloat while simultaneously facing the struggles of infertility. The disappearance of her husband's law partner adds a fierce amount of tension and stress to her already-full plate. Liza tries to escape reality by burying herself into her work, but where do the lines of fact and fantasy blur?
Holahan's writing was fluid and superb. The sensory imagery enveloped me in Brooklyn, New York. I wandered through the streets, peeked through the Italian restaurant window, went to the French speakeasy. I sat in a gown with my feet in stirrups in the clinic. The details were exquisite - I envisioned myself in those places. Holahan's talent also stretched into the details of her characters. Their emotions and facial expressions were prominent throughout the novel.
Themes I noticed as I read Lies She Told include betrayal and trauma. Liza experienced a traumatic childhood, molding her into a fragile, depressed adult. She thinks her feelings of depression are normal, that her mood swings are associated with hormone treatment, but could it be something deeper? She soon realizes she has blocks of memory loss and it could be deeply rooted with trauma. The betrayal of Beth's husband (Liza's fictional character) also seeps into Liza's life. Is she being paranoid or is her husband actually being unfaithful? Every page, every paragraph had me grappling for information - something to distinguish between Liza's novel and her life.
The majority of this book was so enjoyable. It's been a long time since I have devoured a book the way I did with Lies She Told. However, everything is bound to have flaws. At first, I really enjoyed the uniqueness of alternating perspectives, between Liza and her fictional character. Unfortunately, there were instances I became frustrated. I didn't want to read about Beth and her fictional drama. I wanted to dive back into Liza's story and discover the truth about Nick.
Lies She Told had me on the edge of my seat, flipping through pages hungrily. I loved this book!