Unfortunately, I did not finish LIES THAT BIND, so I will not be continuing on with this sequel. I hope fans of this series will enjoy!

I dislike absentee parents and first person perspective even more. The dialogue is clunky and doesn't push the narrative along quick enough. This needs to be tighter and more to the point. The narrative perspective is from a bratty teenage girl, and I don't think the privilege is really something relatable to readers. I don't think there's anything interesting enough to get readers hooked by the end of the first chapter.

Good day! Before anything else, I would like to extend my deepest, sincerest gratitude for sending me a digital review copy of this book (via NetGalley). Thank you very much for the opportunity!

Unfortunately, I am sad to say that I have lost interest in this particular title, and consequently, I have decided against finishing it. Forcing myself to finish a book I am disinterested in (solely for the sake of finishing it) can only negatively impact the entirety of my reading experience, which, in turn, could result in me writing an unfairly negative review. That is a circumstance I hope to avoid. With that said, I believe that the best course of action is for me to simply not read it and to refrain from publicly posting any feedback regarding this book.

I hope you understand where I'm coming from. Again, thank you for the lovely opportunity!

The mystery of this book truly turns my curiosity on. I was fully invested in the story. I need to know where the story heading to and what is going to happen. I was intrigued to know all the things happened around Anastasia. Proof of Lies is proof that put me on the edge of my seat.

very unlikable main character in my option but overall okay ya book that is easily read and entertaining enough even though i wish the author would have worked a bit more on the characters.

Proof of Lies was an engaging, suspenseful read. The fact that it was a YA Suspense made it all the more fun for me!

I loved all the mystery about Anastasia's parents, but I hated the fact that it wasn't revealed in this book. I really hope it is in the sequel!

As for the characters, Anastasia was a really relatable character. The way her feelings for her sister switched because of the circumstances totally made sense. She wasn't a devout, neither did she hate her sister. Marcus was a sweet character too, and kinda seemed too good to be true.

The storyline was flawless, and I loved all the sleuthing Anastasia and Markus did together.

Overall, Proof of Lies was an engaging and fun read!

This had a bit too many cliches and I struggled to keep reading, so I never finished. I think it would be ok for younger YA readers though.

After the death of her parents, Anastasia will do anything to keep hold of her sister.
With the fun and familiar plot line of a teenager going it alone to save her family, this book was everything I expected it to be.
Anastasia was a beautifully independent, kick-ass teenager.
I love the European setting and the twists and turns kept me constantly engaged. With the added enjoyment of a conspiracy theory whats not to love?!

I wasn't really a fan of this. The main character, Anastasia, very much, and the other characters were all frustrating and annoying. It really made it hard to get through the book.

Entertaining enough, but rather slow for what purports to be a fast-paced YA spy thriller. I liked the characters, but many of the plot points strain credulity, even for... well, what purports to be a fast-paced YA spy thriller.

This novel is pretty exciting. It had it's moments where I was less than impressed--with some of the going's ons but this is a stand out, thrilling read--that I know I'll be coming back to.

Proof of Lies is as exciting as the blurb and title implies. Anastasia, is alone. After her parents die--her sister who's not nearly old enough, or mature enough to be her parent--takes over the role of Mom and Dad. Anastasia kind of resents her for that--for taking credit where it's not due--and treating her like a child that she's not.

Then one day after a rowdy, "Mother's Day" party, she returns from a breakfast run to find a tub filled with blood--and no sister.

Now she's really alone--but in spite of that she refuses to believe her sister, Keira is gone. She just can't be--and she's determined to do anything to find her, and bring her back!

What ensues next is the unveiling of secret covert operations, and secrets no one was prepared for--which made for a pretty exciting book.

The book is exciting, the thrill is there--despite the lackluster attempt at romance. My hopes are high for this series to be a worthwhile addition to any young adult lovers bookshelf.

Wow, what a (kicking a** and taking no names)fantastic debut!!!! Unfortunately,I was battling power outages the last few weeks and had a loved one in the hospital but not to worry this series made it so much better! This story completely captivated me and brought me to an adventurous place were I felt wild and free! Just, Wow!
Anastasia is completely a relatable character that you have no choice but to fall in love with her. I wish I could have shared my thoughts of this fantastic book sooner. I was completely blown away and just wanted to share my thoughts with the world. As you can imagine, the plot was AMAZING and fast paced that grabbed ahold of the reader. Reading through the store there was so much action, that I felt I was part of Charlie's Angels kicking ass/teenage ninja style! Lately I have had some really good luck with YA/Teen book and I realized they were mostly one publisher, I LOVE the books published by Entangled Teen! As I scrolled through my kindle I felt the intensity because this book had a great storyline, amazing characters that you could relate to, and enough action to blow you away! Without any doubt, I highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a great story, mystery and suspense that you won't soon forget! As soon as I finished this novel I needed more and of course, I highly enjoyed the second novel as well! This is a series that I relate to and will fangirl about!!!😍🤗😘💚💙💛💝
Thanks so much to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate this opportunity and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

after losing her parents, the last thing in the world anastasia phoenix would want to happen is to lose her sister too. except in proof of lies that might be the reality anastasia has to accept. but keira might not be dead. and in order to get to the bottom of what has been happening in her life, anastasia finds herself working with marcus rey, a mysterious new classmate with a bad boy attitide and a sexy spanish accent. (though part of me wishes the author had gone with the actual spanish spelling marcos, since marcus is the latin spelling.)

both anastasia and marcus' parents work(ed) for the dresden corporation. and the more they explore the more sinister things appear. there's a lot of globe-trotting something that characterized anastasia and marcus' early years, but this story starts out in boston. a fact i love, because it's the city i consider home in my heart. so to hear all these familiar landmarks grounds the story in a way that allows the rest of the story, with all the intrigue and jet-setting, to be more believable.

there are twists and turns aplenty as anastasia and her friends learn more about what her family and the dresden corporation is involved with. the deeper things get we see some answers lead to more questions. and conveniently there's a sequel that will allow for more to be revealed.

**proof of lies published on march 7, 2017. i received a digital copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (entangled teen) in exchange for my honest review.

First off, I just want to say a big thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for this. I requested the second in the series, not realizing, and they granted me the first as well. Much gratitude for that.

I didn't enjoy this as much as I would have hoped. It started out well, and ended well, but the middle bit lost me.

As a spy-thriller novel. my issue wasn't so much that the mystery was convoluted or confusing. In all honesty, it wasn't at all. It just came across as somewhat farfetched, and in turn, unmemorable. The characters didn't come across as too savvy, especially when it's revealed that all the information they received was pretty much hand fed to them on purpose. That doesn't strike me as particularly intriguing. I had difficulty remembering which character was which in the grand scheme of things. It really is a story where you need to sit back afterwards and think about it.

I'm a reader who loves details to build a picture in my head, and I found the imagery to be quite lacking. They travel to Italy, hitting up two major cities, and you can barely tell. I forgot at one point that were in Rome, because the descriptions used to describe the beautiful city are disappointing and barely there. Venice was done much better, but I still found much room for improvement. I was only able to properly picture it because I've been there myself. .

Finally, the main character Anastasia really irked me at times. I understand she's working through grief and trying to come to grips with the fact that her sister is gone, but man that got old fast. Furthermore, her thought process throughout the main sleuthing part in Italy was really quite naïve and selfish. It wasn't my favourite of character minds to be in.

Overall, the book sets up for an interesting series. I'll definitely check out the second, but with much lower expectations.

This is the first book in the Anastasia Phoenix series . Anastasia is a young and intelligent woman that speaks multiple languages and has a black belt in martial arts ! This is a great action packed mystery that doesn't disappoint ! A perfectly crafted work of art with truly fabulous characters that are realistic and believable ! Thanks to #Netgalley and #EntangledPublishing,LLC #Entangled for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review ! #ProofOfLies

I have to say I’m so impressed by this story – what an enthralling teen suspense and mystery where there are so many lies being told that you’re not quite sure what the truth might be – and even if you really want to know it! Instead of a James Bond type adventure, this one has Anastasia Phoenix as the heroine who has none of his gadgets but still encounters plenty of danger, mystery and suspense. It is the first in a new series and I can’t wait to read more!

Anastasia and her sister, Keira, have never stayed in one place for long, always moving with their parents to new locations often on a different continent or in a different country. The tragic death of both parents leaves Keira to look after her younger sister. However, when Keira disappears, Anastasia is convinced she’s still alive and is determined to find her, little knowing just what this will entail! Get ready for lies and secrets to be uncovered, dramatic encounters with people from her past, journeys from America to various locations in Italy with hints, clues, chases, threats – and potential romance!

This is a fast paced, globe trotting adventure packed with surprises throughout so I didn’t want to put down. Now I can’t wait to read the sequel! I have no hesitation in highly recommending this to anyone who enjoys stories involving spies, mysteries and suspense!

I requested and received a copy of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.

Wallach's Proof of Lies is first in the Anastasia Phoenix series. Three years ago, Anastasia and her sister Keira became orphans when both parents died in a fiery car crash. Now Keira has been kidnapped, and the Boston PD believes she is dead. Anastasia doesn't share that belief and begins digging into the case in her own. The trail takes her to Italy, accompanied by a fellow 'Dresden Kid’, the son of a family who works for the same company Anastasia's parents did. Marcus is looking for a brother, also working for Dresden. What they uncover defies anything they could have expected, exposing a web of deceit and destruction leading back decades, and changing everything Anastasia thinks she knows about her parents and the company they founded.

This story drew me in right away, and kept me up reading past my bedtime! After my initial extra suspension of disbelief that was required for me regarding this underage kid travelling around to all parts of the world with only another underage kid as companion, I fell in love with the story. I'm not sure what led to that reticence in this case, since I know it would have been easier in a different historic period, or in a fantasy or sci-fi setting.

I appreciated the attention to detail in how the sisters each responded to their parents loss, and how much it shaped them. I enjoyed the attention paid to psychological detail. This also includes how Anastasia responded by slipping into a deep depression right after her sister disappeared. It took having something clear to focus on to drag her out of it. She did, at times, annoy me with how mistrustful she was of people. I realised this was very much due to the same trait in my own personality. It's not from losing parents to death, but to emotional neglect/abuse from a young age. I trust very few people. The mistrust schema has shaped my life from a very young age.

The story was fast-paced, and easy reading. I do think another spelling/grammar check would not be amiss. These were minor things, and didn't take from my overall enjoyment though. Julian ended up being my favourite character, amusingly enough. He has a good heart, underneath it all. He may have been ruined by Department D, and estranged from his family, but he doesn't hold a vicious grudge. He offers help he doesn't have to, especially once the teens primary source of funds dries up. He does have a bit of a reckless streak, and makes no bones about wanting to break open this story to recover what he lost as a journalist, but he respects Anastasia's decision, and never goes behind their backs to do it. He seems to have become an older (richer) sibling.

Highly recommended!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Anastasia has had a rough couple of years and things are not looking any better for her in the present. How would you cope with knowing that the last thing that you told your parents before they died a horrific death, was that you hated them? Or in what could have been the last moments of your only surviving family’s life, you were angry at her for bringing a stranger into your home and taking him to bed instead of spending Mother’s Day with you? Yeah staying in bed shutting out the world seems like an ideal way to pretend life can go on. That is exactly what Anastasia chose to do for most of the first half of Proof of Lies.
Growing up as a globe-trotting attachment in their parent’s shadow had lost all its glitz and glamour in fourteen-year-old Anastasia’s mind. She was tired of living out of boxes and having pretend friends in other Dresden scientist’s children. Just because they shared the gypsy lifestyle didn’t mean that they were kindred spirits. So, it wasn’t fair that her parents planned to uproot her life again and move to Canada of all places and only after three months in what supposed to be their forever home in Boston near the Dresden Headquarters. This potential move was the final straw that broke Anastasia’s proverbial back; especially since her sister was going to get to stay behind and have a normal college life! Anastasia couldn’t help that those three little words slipped out of her mouth for the first time ever, and since they were already out, that she might as well let them resonate in her parent’s mind. Right? Too bad once they are out, those words cause more pain to the person who said them than to the people they are meant to wound.
For three years Anastasia has been raised by her sister Keira and both share the resentment of their forced relationship. I cannot say that I loved either character and I found it hard to relate to the overtly bratty character that Anastasia was, is and seems will always be. She cannot understand the struggles that her sister has made to take care of them both and how much the death of their parents really impacts each of their lives. Keira seems to be the local tramp and only cares about getting her rocks off instead taking care of her sister. A sister that she blames for her spiraling life because hey a twenty-four-year-old shouldn't have to man up to their responsibilities right?
After the self-loathing chapters of the beginning where Anastasia shuts the world out are over, the story finally starts to pick up. Once she decides to follow any and every lead possible to find her missing sister, the plot really catches fire. Insert mysterious handsome, charming Marcus to throw everything Anastasia knows off kilter. With the help of Charlotte, the sister’s roommate and badass computer hacker, Marcus and Anastasia find clues to what happened to Keira before the police and head out to Rome.
Now, this is the part that I cannot really believe and seems to me that it is a bit farfetched. Yes, Anastasia’s passport has as many frequent flyer miles as Carmen Sandiego and Keira must be Waldo, so we need to figure out there in the World she is – but normal teenagers are not going globetrotting and get shot at. The underlying atmosphere of this book really gave me New Moon of the Twilight Saga vibes. From the harrowing motorcycle ride through the city to make Anastasia wake up from her misery to the last-minute trip to Italy to save a loved one and the dark mysterious boy that could be a threat to her. Good thing I really loved Twilight and could appreciate the undertones. I will not spoil what their adventure resolves because it was a fun read that I fully enjoyed and will tell you to hold on to every detail for book 2! Overall, it was an interesting start to this series that left me wondering what the author had in store next.
Just to keep track of the characters:
Anastasia is the MC and has had a crappy couple of years and now everything she has ever known is revealed to be a complete lie. The only person who really believes that her sister Keira is still alive and will do anything to save her. Even go to the ends of the Earth, err to Italy, to recover the truth.
Charlotte is best of friend Kiera, roommate to both girls, has her parents take responsibility for Anastasia to keep her out of foster care, and is also a badass hacker extraordinaire. Like seriously! I think that she has mentored under Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds! Uncovers a huge secret and clue to what happened to Keira.
Marcus is a fellow Dresden kid whose is a native of Madrid and love interest to Anastasia. Apparently, another globetrotting teenager who likes to drive recklessly on motorcycles and would give Edward Cullen a run for his money.
Keira is the missing sister and not so great role model for Anastasia. She tends to let Tom, Dick, and Harry in her bed anytime they call. Sometimes even their friend’s friends too. Blames Anastasia for every trouble in her life and resents her for having to go to nursing school instead of becoming a Doctor because I suppose she couldn’t afford to go to Med school or qualify for student loans? I didn’t care for her at all, as you can tell.
There are few others sprinkled in that are relevant to the storyline, but I will let you discover them on your own!
Wrap Up:
I really enjoyed reading this book overall and commend the author for going out on a limb to do something different than any other book I have ever read! Teenagers that give James Bond a run for his money and put Spy Kids to shame!
If you love a great action-packed and suspenseful mystery book of any genre you will also enjoy this book. I truly highly recommend it even though it is not my normal Death & Destruction type book, there was still lots of the flare that draws me into those books in this one! Just when you think everything was coming together, that only unraveled another piece to the even larger puzzle.

Proof of Lies by Diana Rodriguez Wallach
Series: Anastasia Phoenix Book #1
Publisher: Entangled: Teen

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Entangled: Teen for the ebook ARC of Proof of Lies by Diana Rodriguez Wallach in exchange for an honest review.

Some secrets are best kept hidden…Anastasia Phoenix has always been the odd girl out; moving from city to international city with her scientist parents or being a black belt and who speaks 4 different languages.
And now being an orphan, as her sister his missing, presumed dead.
Anastasia is the only one who believes that Keira is still alive. When new evidence comes to surface, she sets out to follow the trail to find her sister, and lands in the middle of a massive conspiracy.
She is not sure who she can trust now. Marcus, the bad boy with a sexy accent and who is as secretive as she is, is now at her side. Nothing is as it seems anymore, and everything she has come to known is revealed to be a lie, but Anastasia to believe she will find her sister.

I give this book a rating of 5 stars. I would highly recommend reading this book. It was filled with lots of suspense and twists and turns. It kept me wanting to read more. I thought it was well written. I did not realize it was the first book of a series, but now I can’t wait to read the second book, Lies that Bind.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing, LLC and Net Galley for granting my wish to review this book in trade for an honest review.

This review is also posted in my blog : https://onewordtoomuch.wordpress.com/2018/02/26/proof-of-lies-anastasia-phoenix-1/

Review

This book is a unique read with a crime and mystery as its background story. The last time I read YA genre is something with dystopian theme or magical, so this is fresh reading for me.

Here we follow the story of Anastasia Phoenix, whose sister, Keira is missing. What’s left if a tub full of her sister’s blood and the memory of Keira’s previous night bed activities. Foul play was indeed involved in this kind of situation. What follows after this is a series of chasing blind leads, some running, emotional outburst and punching as well. Anastasia feels confused on who to trust because everybody around her seems lying. What would feel if your entire life was deemed fake? Your parents are not who they said they were? It’s a scary feeling.

The story is quite fast pacing, with false clues thrown all over the place. At first glance, the story feels like back and forth with so many repeated phrase : who, what, where with no real answer. I got edgy with anticipation for the big revelation. The plot gets a twist about 75% of the book where things get more clearly. Apparently, Anastasia is not who she thinks she is and Keira is the one that started this whole mess without realizing she did.

I like how the clues make Anastasia run all over the world. From Boston to Paris to Venice and last in Rome. It’s a long and tedious journey for someone so young.

The characters are obviously highly emotional. There are times when Anastasia just would burst into tears or scream or just shut down and don’t want to talk. The emotional swing fits the story quite well. What I like is although she seems like a stubborn teenager, but she shows a strong determination of an adult. Her relationship with Markus is kind of cute and sweet. My favorite part is when Anastasia encounter her sister’s kidnapper. It’s something that I think every girl should learn on how to defend yourself. The other characters like Charlotte, Julian and Markus are also quite emotional in their own way. So, yes, this is an emotional read that could get you carried away.

By the end of the story, they ended up helping each other. This bizarre team consists now of: 2 young women, 1 hacker, 1 money bag and 1 cute guy (how come though). I hope to be able to read the 2nd book : Lies that Bind and review it here.

Recommend for those who love to read crime and mystery that turns into a good thriller. Although this is a Young Adult genre, but adults will be able to enjoy it too since the plot is twisty and fast pacing.