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armstmad's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Rape, Infidelity, Car accident, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Infertility, and Kidnapping
kashcraft's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Infertility, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Murder, Xenophobia, Grief, Death, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, and Infidelity
Moderate: Car accident
minimicropup's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
We follow the POV of three biological sisters and their sister-in-law. The narration follows them as they prepare to gather at their childhood home where they were raised by their grandmother, who has recently passed. Something went down, because we also get snippets of a police interview with the sister-in-law regarding a death on the property.
- Set in the Southern Appalachian region of the USA
🎧👌 Narrators do well differentiating the various POVS and are listenable at different speeds. Accents don't seem cringey or forced and add to the atmosphere.
Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags 🐺🐕:
- There are moments in here that are almost funny while being heartbreaking. I liked it but I can see it breaking the story, or being too much for some.
- I liked the dynamics between the sisters, but there were some codependent/enabling moments.
- Although the story could be considered feminist, it wasn't misandrous and the men in the story (both good and evil) were portrayed fairly realistically.
Cred Rating 👍: OTT realism
- Slightly dysfunctional but heartwarming sibling bonds
- "Good for her" revenge trope with morally grey characters
- Contemporary family and relationship drama
- Plots with criminal elements (not police procedural)
- Southern US summer nostalgia vibes
- "How far would you go for family?" trope
Content Heads-Up: Student-teacher relationship. Medical/childbirth trauma. Infertility. Infidelity. Racism. Kidnapping (not abusive).
Format: Audible
Graphic: Medical trauma
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping
Minor: Racism, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Medical trauma refers to death due to preeclampsia on page with detail.meganashlee27's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Infidelity, Death, Miscarriage, and Toxic relationship
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
3.0
"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.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Infertility, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Rape
Moderate: Misogyny, Alcohol, and Racism