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kashcraft's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Murder, Xenophobia, Grief, Death, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, and Infidelity
Moderate: Car accident
meganashlee27's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing.
The four Williams siblings were raised by their Gran after their parents died when they were young. When Gran dies, they’re brought together again to her house for the funeral. But June, Tara, and Clementine, along with their sister-in-law Stephanie, find themselves in a different kind of situation - a man has gone missing, and the town Sheriff thinks the Williams sisters are to blame based on their history.
The story rotates through the POVs of the four women, with each of their lives unraveling in some way. I found all of them pretty unlikeable, except maybe Clementine since she seemed like she was more of a victim in her situation, whereas the other siblings were responsible for their own problems. But that was part of the point - the Williams women have always done what they felt necessary, even if it wasn’t exactly legal.
I did like how the story unfolded, with Stephanie in current POV talking to the Sheriff, and then going back to the events of the last few days with the sisters’ POVs. The twist was good, and I liked how the ending came together, even if some things were still left unresolved.
The four Williams siblings were raised by their Gran after their parents died when they were young. When Gran dies, they’re brought together again to her house for the funeral. But June, Tara, and Clementine, along with their sister-in-law Stephanie, find themselves in a different kind of situation - a man has gone missing, and the town Sheriff thinks the Williams sisters are to blame based on their history.
The story rotates through the POVs of the four women, with each of their lives unraveling in some way. I found all of them pretty unlikeable, except maybe Clementine since she seemed like she was more of a victim in her situation, whereas the other siblings were responsible for their own problems. But that was part of the point - the Williams women have always done what they felt necessary, even if it wasn’t exactly legal.
I did like how the story unfolded, with Stephanie in current POV talking to the Sheriff, and then going back to the events of the last few days with the sisters’ POVs. The twist was good, and I liked how the ending came together, even if some things were still left unresolved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Infidelity, Death, Miscarriage, and Toxic relationship
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
3.0
Finished reading: February 28th 2023
"There's only so much a woman can take before taking matters into her own hands."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and MIRA in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
I admit that I was hooked as soon as I first read the blurb of I Love It When You Lie. Not only did I love the sound of the Appalachian woods setting, but I also liked the sound of the granddaughters following in their grandmother's footsteps to get rid of a 'good-for-nothin' man'... I mean, how I can I not be intrigued by that?! I wasn't sure what exacly to expect when I finally picked up this story, but I guess it ended up being a solid enough read even though I do admit it wasn't really for me.
First of all, I have to say that one of the things that ended up being a highlight for me was the Southern setting. The fact that this story takes place in Alabama truly shines through, and I loved the Southern flavor the writing style gave the story in general. I also think that the multiple POV structure is brilliantly done, with the POV switching between the four Williams women. All three sisters have something to hide, and the sister-in-law's POV is intriguing from the very beginning as well. The fact that they all have that 'good-for-nothin' man' in their lives adds to the suspense, because you are kept wondering which of them will end up going missing...
There is no doubt that I Love It When You Lie has a healthy dose of morally grey characters, and lots and lots of secrets and lies to unpack. The characters themselves are flawed, but (mostly) realistically done and it does make it easier to feel some sort of connection to them. Some of their dialogues/situations ended up being strangely hilarious considering the amount of serious topics and events during the plot... That said, I do feel that there was way too much cheating going on. I'm never a fan of this element in my stories, and it felt a bit overkill to have so many of the men behave in that way. I also felt that there was too much focus on religion, but again this is a personal pet peeve and I know most people won't be bothered by it.
I do feel that I Love It When You Lie is not really a psychological thriller despite what the blurb seems to promise. Instead of the focus on the missing man and whatever Gran did, this story reads mainly like a family drama instead of an actual thriller. Nothing wrong with that, but not what I expected and I'm never a fan of domestic dramas in the first place. This is probably why this story probably just wasn't a right fit for me; the high ratings so far show that most people do end up having a great time reading this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Infertility, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Rape
Moderate: Misogyny, Alcohol, and Racism
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