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rebecca_isreading's review
3.0
Despite the author's popularity, this was the first book by Hopkins I have read. While I can't compare it to her young adult novels, as a novel for adults it is quite interesting. The story surrounds a three-time divorcee who begins a relationship with a doctor she meets after a skiing accident. While that sounds like the beginning of a romance novel, this character is far more complex than the typical romance heroine- and perhaps damaged in very different ways than the typical heroine. The need to find out the secrets of the characters will keep readers going. For readers who are sick of passive, likable women in fiction. Advance reading copy provided by Edelweiss.
malissac's review
3.0
I am going to be honest here (that's what we all want isn't it?) I could not get into this book the way I wanted to. I was really excited about the idea of an adult fiction book from Ellen Hopkins, her YA books are always highly sought after and rated. Ellen's writing style is beautiful, smooth, and easy to follow. You won't, as often times happens in suspense novels, find yourself asking 'What just happened?' while searching back pages to figure out where you got lost. Everything is laid out clearly and while you might feel that you aren't getting anywhere as the build up is a tad long when you do get to the end of the book a light will go off. Of course then you might want to toss your book/e-reader because we get a cliff hanger basically. I have to admit being very frustrated before I knew there would be a book two, ha.
We meet Tara as she navigates her world of wealth and privilege, a world in which she has been married three times, once widowed, twice divorced, a world where she lives her life unapologetically and enjoys it. During a shared ski vacation with her sister Tara is injured in a fall, taken to the hospital and introduced to a charming Orthopedic surgeon, Cavin, who will have her contemplating settling down for the fourth time. The question she soon starts to ask herself is how charming and perfect is Dr. Cavin Lattimore? Strange occurrences begin to happen and Tara has no idea who is telling her the truth and who is lying.
I love the concept of the story. I love that it revolves around the life of a 40 year old woman who isn't afraid to live the life she has. Who doesn't take anyones crap, who doesn't hold back her wants and desires because of societies rules of decorum for women. We see how many books every day where it is acceptable for a man to live as he chooses and yet when women are portrayed this way in a book (often in real life) they are looked down upon or spoken to using descriptive slang terms that I won't repeat here. It was refreshing that this book lets the main character live her life the way she chooses and does it in a way that doesn't shed her in a negative light. Now that being said, I did not like Tara. She to me is simply an unlikeable character and it has nothing to do with her lifestyle choices and everything to do with her personality. I wanted to like her so badly, and every time I started to feel a little remorseful for not liking her she would spout of some internalized monologue that made me want to reach through the book and give her a good shake. In fact the problem for me with this book was I simply couldn't like any of the characters. Now is that on purpose, I have no idea. I don't know why an author would want to write a book where none of her characters seem to have any redeeming value, but of course as we get to the end we have to question if that is the intent because the way things are left I am not sure we are ever meant to find these characters likable. I wonder if they are written the way they are to give us a glimpse at the ugliness of lies and deception. A life where people choose to live only within their own set of rules, disregarding the thoughts and feelings of others, painting on their smiling faces while inwardly mocking everything and one around them.
I had wanted to the story to be more explosive instead of this kind of quiet yet ugly (when I say ugly I mean as in the nastiness of the lies and falsehoods in the story) simmer. When we get to the end things aren't totally cleared up, there are still so many questions to be answered and the ending just adds on a few more.
I will say straight up Tara colored this book for me, meaning that because I could not like her it I could not get into it. A lot of people won't have this problem, so don't not (yes, double negative anyone, ayyy) read this book because I couldn't bring myself to like the main character. Read this book because it truly is well written, it has a interesting storyline, because it has a main character that isn't shamed for living her ADULT life the way she chooses, because the characters are (even if you can't stand them) complex, and best of all because there is going to be another book which I have faith will bring everything back around and lead to an explosive ending that will have us thankful we stuck with it.
Please keep in mind: This is NOT an Ellen Hopkins YA, do not pick it up thinking you are going to get the same thing, also please do not pick this book up if you are not a mature adult or have at least given this book to your parents to read first.
~Happy Reading~
http://www.readsallthebooks.com/2015/07/love-lies-beneath-by-ellen-hopkins.html
We meet Tara as she navigates her world of wealth and privilege, a world in which she has been married three times, once widowed, twice divorced, a world where she lives her life unapologetically and enjoys it. During a shared ski vacation with her sister Tara is injured in a fall, taken to the hospital and introduced to a charming Orthopedic surgeon, Cavin, who will have her contemplating settling down for the fourth time. The question she soon starts to ask herself is how charming and perfect is Dr. Cavin Lattimore? Strange occurrences begin to happen and Tara has no idea who is telling her the truth and who is lying.
I love the concept of the story. I love that it revolves around the life of a 40 year old woman who isn't afraid to live the life she has. Who doesn't take anyones crap, who doesn't hold back her wants and desires because of societies rules of decorum for women. We see how many books every day where it is acceptable for a man to live as he chooses and yet when women are portrayed this way in a book (often in real life) they are looked down upon or spoken to using descriptive slang terms that I won't repeat here. It was refreshing that this book lets the main character live her life the way she chooses and does it in a way that doesn't shed her in a negative light. Now that being said, I did not like Tara. She to me is simply an unlikeable character and it has nothing to do with her lifestyle choices and everything to do with her personality. I wanted to like her so badly, and every time I started to feel a little remorseful for not liking her she would spout of some internalized monologue that made me want to reach through the book and give her a good shake. In fact the problem for me with this book was I simply couldn't like any of the characters. Now is that on purpose, I have no idea. I don't know why an author would want to write a book where none of her characters seem to have any redeeming value, but of course as we get to the end we have to question if that is the intent because the way things are left I am not sure we are ever meant to find these characters likable. I wonder if they are written the way they are to give us a glimpse at the ugliness of lies and deception. A life where people choose to live only within their own set of rules, disregarding the thoughts and feelings of others, painting on their smiling faces while inwardly mocking everything and one around them.
I had wanted to the story to be more explosive instead of this kind of quiet yet ugly (when I say ugly I mean as in the nastiness of the lies and falsehoods in the story) simmer. When we get to the end things aren't totally cleared up, there are still so many questions to be answered and the ending just adds on a few more.
I will say straight up Tara colored this book for me, meaning that because I could not like her it I could not get into it. A lot of people won't have this problem, so don't not (yes, double negative anyone, ayyy) read this book because I couldn't bring myself to like the main character. Read this book because it truly is well written, it has a interesting storyline, because it has a main character that isn't shamed for living her ADULT life the way she chooses, because the characters are (even if you can't stand them) complex, and best of all because there is going to be another book which I have faith will bring everything back around and lead to an explosive ending that will have us thankful we stuck with it.
Please keep in mind: This is NOT an Ellen Hopkins YA, do not pick it up thinking you are going to get the same thing, also please do not pick this book up if you are not a mature adult or have at least given this book to your parents to read first.
~Happy Reading~
http://www.readsallthebooks.com/2015/07/love-lies-beneath-by-ellen-hopkins.html
akuhlma03's review
3.0
While I would not say this book was terrible, I would say that this was my LEAST favorite book that she has ever written. She is one of my favorite authors and I look forward to her books. I guess I just prefer her books in verse.
christyjoreads's review
3.0
3.5 rounded up. I enjoyed the character. She was a strong, independent woman with a fearless aggressive streak. But I felt the ending was rushed and somewhat odd. The part where she murdered her first husband but didn't feel it was okay to have an affair with her the guy earlier in the book though didn't mesh very well. Though some have described her as a sociopath, I lean more towards 'selectively moral'. Anyway, it was fun though not always consistent. And whoever wrote the dust cover clearly didn't read the book. She was never held captive and Calvin never worked on her knee. He recommended another surgeon.
booknightowl's review
2.0
love lies beneath started off good. I was really into the character and how strong of a woman she is. successful independent doesn't need a man. then she meets a man and everything she ever was is not anymore. I kept waiting for something to happen and nothing ever did!!! the ending was terrible she didn't tie anything together very well. I had there is a second book to this this was not a good first book.
aleonard's review
3.0
This book was so different from anything that I had ever read by Hopkins. I have always enjoyed the books and the topics that Hopkins takes on in her other works. This series was quite the disappointment to me. I wanted to like these books, the characters or at least the plot lines of the books but I just couldn’t get into them.
lostamongpages's review
3.0
I really liked Tara’s character and how eloquent she was when speaking. Didn’t like how she came off as an intelligent woman yet she was very indecisive at times and gullible, but if you read the book you can tell she is actually insecure.
Not my favorite book by Ellen but I liked the plot.
My favorite quotes:
“I like confidence in a man, but not when it bloats into conceit.” (Relatable)
“To earn the respect of the world, you must learn to speak eloquently and you must understand the meaning of your words. There isn’t much worse than a person who assumes knowledge he doesn’t possess.” (Yes.)
Not my favorite book by Ellen but I liked the plot.
My favorite quotes:
“I like confidence in a man, but not when it bloats into conceit.” (Relatable)
“To earn the respect of the world, you must learn to speak eloquently and you must understand the meaning of your words. There isn’t much worse than a person who assumes knowledge he doesn’t possess.” (Yes.)
vee79's review against another edition
5.0
While i have only read a few of her YA titles, I still stand by my first thoughts on Ellen Hopkins; she writes amazing poetry, that tells an equally amazing story.
Venturing out into her adult world I was not disappointed, I absolutely fell in love with Tara she is a breath of fresh in your face air and i want to be her when i grow up. Her up-front nature and no qualms about the way she lives her life is the best and If i meet someone likfe that in real life i'd probably think they were a witch but secretly admire them.
The shadiness of Cavin and Eli keep you guessing until your not anymore and the sadness of Melanie and Kayla are not to be forgotten as herein lies the staple 'something deeper' that I love so much about Ellen's books.
Tara is honest and confident but also extremely uncertain and at times a little 'crazy girlfriend', but it's not unwarranted.
I was able to identify with each character, which is saying a heck of a lot because they are all so very complex and all go through varying degrees of emotion and change. this book is not written in her normal style, but you can tell that it IS an Ellen Hopkins book, if you know what I mean.
I can't tell you why I have only read a few of her books, but after reading Love Lies Beneath, I am making it a point to go back and read EVERYTHING! Very beautifully written and moving!
Venturing out into her adult world I was not disappointed, I absolutely fell in love with Tara she is a breath of fresh in your face air and i want to be her when i grow up. Her up-front nature and no qualms about the way she lives her life is the best and If i meet someone likfe that in real life i'd probably think they were a witch but secretly admire them.
The shadiness of Cavin and Eli keep you guessing until your not anymore and the sadness of Melanie and Kayla are not to be forgotten as herein lies the staple 'something deeper' that I love so much about Ellen's books.
Tara is honest and confident but also extremely uncertain and at times a little 'crazy girlfriend', but it's not unwarranted.
I was able to identify with each character, which is saying a heck of a lot because they are all so very complex and all go through varying degrees of emotion and change. this book is not written in her normal style, but you can tell that it IS an Ellen Hopkins book, if you know what I mean.
I can't tell you why I have only read a few of her books, but after reading Love Lies Beneath, I am making it a point to go back and read EVERYTHING! Very beautifully written and moving!
nadinee24's review against another edition
3.0
The end of this novel closes with a poem titled: Lull. And that word alone encapsulates this novel completely.
Ellen Hopkins is one of my favorite writers. Her verse is absolutely beautiful, so when I found out she wrote a novel in prose I had to read it. Unfortunately, it wasn't everything I wanted it to be.
To say nothing happened throughout the book would be a lie because a lot of things happen, but it doesn't feel like it. This novel is mundane in every sense of the word. The reader follows the main character through her life as she encounters new love interests and deals with family drama.
What kept me reading, other than the fact that it's an Ellen Hopkins book, was the main character. She was interesting, complex, and most importantly, sex positive. Her sex life played an important role in the novel. Some might call her promiscuous, but she refused to see her sex life as anything but adventurous and hers to own. I gravitated to her personality from the first page of the novel to the last.
The secondary characters were just as interesting and fleshed out. Their stories were sometimes part of the main story line and kept me interested, despite their very mundane nature.
The ending is a subtle pay off that would have been better suited at the beginning or the near middle of the novel. This is incredibly vague, but I don't want to spoil potential readers.
Overall, I expected more from this novel because of my love for Ellen Hopkins' writing style. Would I recommend this to others? It depends on who is getting the recommendation. For some, this book will be too slow and a definite DNF. For others, this is a slow burning book that pays off in an intellectual fashion rather than shock value.
Ellen Hopkins is one of my favorite writers. Her verse is absolutely beautiful, so when I found out she wrote a novel in prose I had to read it. Unfortunately, it wasn't everything I wanted it to be.
To say nothing happened throughout the book would be a lie because a lot of things happen, but it doesn't feel like it. This novel is mundane in every sense of the word. The reader follows the main character through her life as she encounters new love interests and deals with family drama.
What kept me reading, other than the fact that it's an Ellen Hopkins book, was the main character. She was interesting, complex, and most importantly, sex positive. Her sex life played an important role in the novel. Some might call her promiscuous, but she refused to see her sex life as anything but adventurous and hers to own. I gravitated to her personality from the first page of the novel to the last.
The secondary characters were just as interesting and fleshed out. Their stories were sometimes part of the main story line and kept me interested, despite their very mundane nature.
The ending is a subtle pay off that would have been better suited at the beginning or the near middle of the novel. This is incredibly vague, but I don't want to spoil potential readers.
Overall, I expected more from this novel because of my love for Ellen Hopkins' writing style. Would I recommend this to others? It depends on who is getting the recommendation. For some, this book will be too slow and a definite DNF. For others, this is a slow burning book that pays off in an intellectual fashion rather than shock value.
beamasalunga's review
1.0
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
DNF = 31%
I am sorry but I just cannot stand the main character of this book. She completely gets on my nerves and I don't have any ounce of sympathy of her miserable life despite of being rich. She's so cruel and arrogant. I just couldn't stand her acting like so superior, belittling other people because she's THAT powerful and she randomly hooked up with men. She HATES married men and immediately dumped them. Then she explains how adultery is bad?! Omg, woman.
I am done with this book. The writing style is okay but the story just... *sighs* I just don't care anymore. I don't like the characters at all.
DNF = 31%
I am sorry but I just cannot stand the main character of this book. She completely gets on my nerves and I don't have any ounce of sympathy of her miserable life despite of being rich. She's so cruel and arrogant. I just couldn't stand her acting like so superior, belittling other people because she's THAT powerful and she randomly hooked up with men. She HATES married men and immediately dumped them. Then she explains how adultery is bad?! Omg, woman.
I am done with this book. The writing style is okay but the story just... *sighs* I just don't care anymore. I don't like the characters at all.