I fell in love with Nicole’s writing when she wrote Crash and Clash and I’ve loved her since. I saw this book was available and I love YA and knew it would be fabulous. And it was. I haven’t read a YA book in a while and it was perfect. I love reading about this age group.

This story is sweet and I enjoyed seeing these kids navigate life, overcome their fears and deal with life’s trials and tribulations as well as the good things. While Phoenix has to deal with the typical boy stuff, she also has to deal with a good amount of family stuff. I liked seeing her grow and come into her own.

Trusting You and Other Lies is very well written and has great characters. A must read!

An ARC was provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

The incredible cover of Trusting You & Other Lies by Nicole Williams is a great symbol of this book. For me, it pulled me in to discover the story behind the two characters, along with the synopsis.

The first detail I notice about a book is the point of view, which in this case is my favorite to read, first person. It really lets the reader get inside the character. I believe it gives readers that feeling of being able to relate and for me as older reader it gives me a chance to reminisce about the past. Nicole’s writing voice is load and clear from the beginning. Even before dialogue, I could clearly tell the mood was young and fun.

Phoenix and Callum were both great. They grew with each chapter and I liked them more and more. I do wish I could have gotten inside Callum’s head but I guess that’s what made him more mysterious. They also had great chemistry. The supporting characters were also distinct. Whenever I want to read more about side characters, I know the author is pulling me into the world they created.

Trusting You & Other Lies is a story about young love and what we’re willing to do to keep it, about growing up and facing the challenges of adulthood. I recommend this book to teens and older readers.

Nicole never fails to deliver on a YA romance novel. And this one I enjoyed a little more because it wasn't just solely focused on the romance side of things; it also focused on Phoenix and her family and how they fumble through some rough patches thrown their way.

Phoenix is heading into her senior of high school. She's been used to going to same school her whole life, living a fairly privileged life and has set her sites on an elite college. She's your typical sassy teenager who's not so eager to be spending her whole summer with her family at Camp Kisme. She's got the mindset that this will be the summer from hell and she won't enjoy a minute of it. Especially since her parents haven't been getting along and she knows that they are keeping secrets from her and her brother, Harry. She feels as though her life is slowing going to hell - typical teenager when things are going their way.

What Phoenix doesn't expect is Callum. Or to actually enjoy being a counselor at Camp Kismet. Or to watch her brother become this kid whose come into his own. Or find trust in her parents again. What she doesn't expect is anything that actually happens.

Nicole wrote a brilliant story. Phoenix and her family struggle through some difficult things. Phoenix learns a lot about herself and grows more mature. While the beginning was a tad slow for me, the last 60% made up for it. While I knew how things were going to end, I still really enjoyed this book.

If you enjoy YA books, you definitely don't want to pass this one up. It's a cute coming of age story.

Trusting You and Other Lies is a YA standalone novel. I don't read a lot of YA but I love Nicole so I knew I had to have it. Once in awhile I need to read about young love for a change of pace. This was perfect for just that.

Phoenix didn't want to spend the summer at a family camp. She didn't even want to be around her parents. The only reason why she tolerated them at this point was to spend time with her little brother for her last summer before senior year. She was going off to college for the next one. So, her plan was to be a camp counselor, hang out with Harry, stay away from her parents which shouldn't be hard, make it through without going crazy, and on top of all that...not have a summer fling. She had enough trust issues, she didn't need to add more to them. But, like many teens before her...plans don't always go the way they are suppose to. Especially when she lays eyes on Callum. Mister Camp Counselor 101. Cute, yes. Know it all, yes. Annoying, yes. A danger to her plan, double yes!

Callum was so hot and cold that she didn't know what to make of him. He had two different sides to him. The serious, no-rule breaking, tough counselor and the swoon-worthy smart-ass I want to kiss you side. If she was going to stuck with him for the next few weeks of training, she was going to have to trust him. He is going to have to her. Which meant they needed to get to know each other and that's exactly what they do. But what happens if some lies turn into big issues?

I absolutely loved their story! Callum and Phoenix are not a hearts and flowers type of couple but they are just as adorable. They know what the other needs. They also know how to push each other's buttons and call each other on their shit. I liked that the book isn't just about them. It's about family. Hers is going through some rough times. Will this summer camp bring them back together as a family like they once were? And Callum has his own inner turmoils to face. It really made the story more relatable.

Overall...I didn't want it to end but I knew it had to. The characters are both lovable and relatable. Having it set at camp was a great change of scenery. I could just picture myself out there hiking, and gazing at the stars. Not so much with crafts, I am with Phoenix on that one. But, really...It's a quick, fun, and insightful read.

Quotes:

“Are we having a bonding moment right now? Because I make it a point not to fraternize with the underlings.”

When he was kissing me, it was easy to forget that summer would come to an end.

“God, Phoenix. I can’t breathe when I’m with you.”

Trusting you and other lies is a very sweet and romantic story perfect for teenagers and adult alike. The romance is not overwhelming and it's perfectly balanced between sweet and sexy. I appreciated that sex isn't a _thing_ that the two main characters cared more about feelings and being happy with themselves and their family than obsessing over the sexual act like every YA or alleged YA seem to do lately.
I also liked that Phoenix isn't perfect, she makes mistakes and learn the hard way that not everything is black and white, right or wrong and that people are entitled to do or say the wrong thing and be forgiven. The family issue is realistic and for once it's more about life being difficult than people being straight mean.
The setting is something that spoke to me, I love outdoors and summer camps are something that had always fascinated me.
Nicole's writing is always on point, and the dialogues are funny, quick and full of spirit and energy.

I think this is a very cute YA book that will do very well. Normally I am a big fan of YA summer romances, but this one missed the mark a bit for me, the pacing was very slow and I felt almost zero connection between the guy and girl. I wasn't swept away like I expected to be. The best part about the book for me was the little brother, Henry. I think his story would actually make a very great middle grade novel. I love Nicole Williams so I will continue to read and support her work.

*I read this book in March-April 2017 and reviewed it then. I read it as an arc. As always, this is my honest opinion.

I am a sucker for summer love. So, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to say I loved this one.

I just had so much for reading this. It's very summery, very light even as it deals with serious topics. I automatically want to read anything that sells itself for fans of Stephanie Perkins (usually to my disappointment, because, no, because the book isn't anything like Anna and the French Kiss), so my expectations were pretty high, and this book met them.

The summer camp vibe was real. It reminded me off all the times I've been a camp counselor, even if  I never did hiking and rafting. If you've ever been to a summer camp, you'd feel at home in this setting.

Phoenix was great. I loved her relationship with her little brother. I love how she felt she needed to take care of everything and couldn't mistake. I identified so much with Phoenix. She sets the standard so high that no one can reach it, not even herself, and she can't handle screwing up. I loved seeing the world through her eyes, possibly, because it's so like how I see mine.

I adored that everyone was patient with her as she dealt with things and grew. They were reassuring and supportive and let her know it. The story resounded with me, making me realize just how often I'm prone to think like Phoenix, how often I have people treat me in the way that Ben, Harry, and Callum do, with patience and second chances.

Speaking of Callum, oh dayum. Talk about swoons. I loved his character, I loved his highs and lows, his frustrations and expectations and everything in between.

The family dynamic in this book was dealt with in a way that felt real. It reminded me the tiniest bit of the family dynamic in Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson (without the sadness, holy cow, no sadness here). Pheonix's frustrations toward her parents aren't ungrounded, and I think the book dealt with it spectacularly.

Sometimes, we need to give second chances, even to ourselves, before we can really move on and grow.

My only complaint was the lack of scenes with the other counselors. They're introduced and come out a few times, but I wish I could have seen Phoenix befriend them as well.

Trusting You and Other Lies was fun, but also deep. It got me thinking about my own life, about my own trust issues. It's a summer romance, but it's also something to pick your brain.

I am in the mood for something  sweet, fun and light reading and I decided to pick this book since I thought it was be the one. Turn out, I was wrong! This book has more serious tone. It discuss deeper and serious problem. *spoiler* Phoenix family has money problem that tear them apart. Her dad had lost his job, money was running out and her parent constantly fighting *spoiler* It was quite depressing for me to read because I had similar problem with Phoenix's condition in the past and reading this book bring back some bad memories of mine.

Moreover, this book is slow paced. One reasons that usually made me hate a book.

This book has several reasons for me to hate it but surprisingly  I like it. 
I like how the characters feel reals and relatable, the issue is realistic and quite serious, I love Phoenix's brother: Harry, I like the banter between Phoenix and Callum, and I love the message that I learned from this book.

Some my favorite quotes (may contain spoiler): 

"Besides, If we succeeded the first time at everything, life would become pretty damn boring"

"That's usually the way it goes. We convince everyone else first, but we're usually the last to realize just what we're capable of. Human nature"

"Dads. And moms... They make just as many mistakes as you and me because they think they're doing the right things"

"You don't want to start giving other people power over your life. That's a tough habit to break. ..... My brother was a big fan of the victim mentality. Blamed everything on our dad. He felt powerless, but really, he'd just chosen to give his power away."

4 star for Trusting You and Other Lies!

A digital copy of this book was provided by Random House Children's via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much Random House Children's and Netgalley

While Trusting You and Other Lies started off feeling kinda predictable, and well it is kinda predictable, it ended up being more than just your summer camp romance romp.
It is cute and all, but it is more of a coming of age story than a romance, despite the fact that the romance is the leading storyline. See in the end it is about trust and second chances, and also love. All of these things do go hand in hand after all.
The good news however is, this is a summer camp romance. While there are some big issues being tackled by Phoenix, there is also plenty of swoony stuff going on. I absolutely adore Callum, his seriousness and his sweetness! Phoenix does a lot of growing up during her summer in camp, she also does a lot of teenage mistakes and her black&white views were a bit infuriating. However, I also understood her, I think most readers will be able to relate. I also made me think that once I saw many things as black&white myself and the word compromise was at times non-existent in my vocabulary. But more so I remember not seeing someone else POV as a teenager, simply because I couldn't see it in that moment. I think learning that is one of the most important things growing up.

I think, I should mention, that I am writing this, straight after reading the novel. Trusting You, left me philosophical and swoony. I think this means Williams did a fantastic job.
Some beautiful, insightful moments but also lots of cute & fluffy makes this the perfect summer read in my opinion!

Pros:
~ Is there??? Anything???
~ I guess Harry was kind of cute


Cons:
~ WHERE DO I START?
~ The classism. So much. SO much.
~ The message to be obtained: if you don’t go to college, private school,
AND have money/trust fund/Range Rovers, you are not worthy
~ THE MAIN CHARACTER’S NAME IS PHOENIX
~ The romance is shallow and uninspired
~ “I’m the best big sister in the whole wide world, everybody knows this”
~ The writing is at best basic and at worst laughably unnatural


I really… hated this.

I can’t even say that this book was crappy but had a nice message or a decent moral. Like, no. It was fucked up on all kinds of levels. Kids, if you’re poor or don’t want to go to college (like me!) don’t read this. Spare yourself.

PHOENIX (GOD THAT NAME) hates her parents. They suck. Her dad lost his job and he’s been spending a lot of time trying to find a new one, so he’s a broke loser who also doesn’t spend enough time with her. Her mom is stressed, so she’s a bitch. And now they’re making her and her little brother go to her father’s friend’s family summer camp because they’re so awful and poor. The only person in Phoenix’s family who is good is her little brother Harry. You can tell how awful her parents are because they named one child Harry and they named her PHOENIX. Poor Phoenix.

When Phoenix arrives at the Camp Kismet, she thinks it’s actual Satan’s asscrack, what with all these TREES and OXYGEN because those things suck and her parents suck and nature sucks. Her summer is ruined. Poor Phoenix.

Phoenix has to get a summer job as a counselor. It’s awful and sucks, till she meets her mentor, super cute crack-a-walnut-with-that-ass Callum. By 17%, they’ve shared each other’s entire sad backstories. But all is not well in Phollum land (their ship name). Callum has a ~~bad reputation~~ because he’s stupid. He gets bad grades. He is poor. Bad boy. But she just can’t resist him, despite her self-proclaimed Strong Independent Woman self. Poor Phoenix.

‘I didn’t do boy-crazy, I reminded myself. I didn’t do weak-kneed and tongue-tied and starry-eyed. I did Miss Independent. I did my own thing. I did guys-were-a-nice-perk-but-not-the-pinnacle. That was my MO.

So why in the hell was I acting like my own personal guy-stupid nightmare, grinning like a moron at this guy? Especially when I was fresh out of a failed relationship?’ pp 26/227

Oh… my god… please.... shut up…

Callum is especially awful because he doesn’t want to go to college!! Don’t be willing to respect his personal decisions though. Phoenix will need to spend half the book conquering his bad choices, because college is necessary to every way of life and he’s a failure if he doesn’t go. Don’t worry! Phoenix will succeed. Phoenix always succeeds by throwing tantrums, and you know how throwing tantrums is the key to success and wealth! And Callum is sooo smart and hot!! He needs to go to college to reach her standards or he’s not worthy. Smart people always go to college. He’s just a bad test-taker. Don’t worry, Phoenix will fix him and his bad decisions.

We get a lot of “phoenix” jokes. Phoenix is to rise from the ashes…. more like she cries from the ashes. Phoenix throws so many hissy fits, usually about her awful POOR PEOPLE parents who can’t afford to send her private schools any more. Phoenix gets treated like older sister extraordinaire when really all she does is bitch and moan. And it’s HER parents who have to grovel to her for forgiveness. Because they’re all poor and shitty. Gross, Mom, you might get your POOR on me. What do you mean I have to go to PUBLIC school now? But don’t let me make this ALL ABOUT ME, especially since I’m the World’s Best Sister... how will Harry ever survive public school? How ever will I get into an Ivy League college now? POOR people don’t go to Ivy League colleges! Poor people are dropouts, losers, pregnant teens, and jailbirds! This public school probably doesn’t even have running water, much less a track team suitable to my tastes! We all know public schools are even worse than family summer camps!

“‘Harry … ‘ I sniffed and moved my head from his chest to look up at him. The rims of his eyes were wet and his eyes still glass[sic]. “He can’t go to a public school, Dad. You know that, right? He’s spent all his life in private schools, and he’s got the brain of a high schooler in a ten-year-old body. We can’t do that to him. You know that, right?”’ pp 196/227

OH NO, WHAT A NIGHTMARE!

Look, nobody wants to be broke. Nobody wants to lose their house. But, seriously, I speak from experience here. I have lived both of those things, and I promise you, PHOENIX IS A FUCKING BITCH ABOUT IT.

And let’s not leave out the writing. It’s positively juvenile and littered with convoluted, embarrassing metaphors.

“I got back to admiring the ocean of trees and tried not to make a face. I was already sick of trees. And I was expected to spend twelve weeks surrounded by them and not go insane? The ozone had a better chance of repairing itself with a hot glue gun and a roll of plastic wrap.” - pp 12/227

The dialogue is so painfully unnatural I nearly quit reading, like, three times. Seriously, who talks like THIS:

‘“This might be how the Ainsworths worked as a family in California, but you’re here now. Time to change things up.”
I felt my eyebrows squeeze together. “What’s so magical about this place that makes you think a family who’s been used to eating meals in separate rooms at different times will suddenly come together to share a meal of ribs and baked beans?”’ pp 38/227

This was not fun to read. This was not something I would want teenagers to read, especially if they’re not upper middle class yuppies named Kayyleiyghie. I didn’t know it was possible for a book to be so off the mark, but I guess it is.

A free ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All excerpts are taken from an uncorrected proof and are subject to change in the final copy. Thank you!

Phoenix is going into her senior year in high school and rather than spending her summer like she imagined, hanging with friends and pretty much doing nothing, she’s spending it at a family summer camp. While at the camp she is hired to be a counselor and she meets Callum. A self-proclaimed reformed bad-boy, Callum’s had a rough go at life and the only bright times seemed to be the time he spends at the camp. He’s totally hot and Phoenix can’t quite seem to figure him out. With her feeling like the motives of everyone in her life right now are questionable at best, she’s not sure if she should really trust Callum or not.
Phoenix is struggling with some serious trust issues. Her dad lost his job a few years ago and while she’s aware that there may be some financial struggles she’s shocked to find out how bad they really are when she comes across a foreclosure notice. Her parents have yet to mention this to her, they don’t seem to be telling her any about their situation, they don’t seem to be getting along, but yet they pretend that nothing is wrong. So now, in her eyes, her parents are “liars” and not trust-worthy. The only person in her life that she’s okay with at this point is her little brother Harry. Harry was quite cute and I really liked him (his sister, not so much).
I’m going to be honest, reading the description of this book I wasn’t eager to read it, couple that with the age of the characters and I definitely was hesitant but I decided to give it a try. After the first page or so, I truly thought I was going to have to just give up. Not because the book wasn’t grabbing me but because I instantly disliked Phoenix. She came off as spoiled, bratty and self-centered…not at all different than most teenagers, but something about her just really grated my nerves. But, I decided to go on and give it the old college try.
This book kind of hit close to home and when a book does that, you are either going to LOVE it or HATE it. Well, let’s just say this book and I have a love/hate relationship right now!
I was angry at our parents. For screwing up and dragging Harry and me into it. As far as I was concerned, they’d dug their hole all by themselves. Why did Harry and I have to fall into it with them? It wasn’t fair.
Reading this literally almost sent me over the edge. Seriously, I had to put the kindle down and walk away. UHG, this kid! I couldn’t understand why I was having such a visceral reaction to this kid, and then it hit me. So like I mentioned before, this book hit close to home for me on the parent’s side; being a single mom and having lost a job one of my biggest worries was letting my kids down and trying to keep things as normal for them as possible. Part of that came by way of “protecting” them as much as possible about how bad things were or had gotten. With that being said, Phoenix’s little statement was a little hurtful. Very rarely does a parent deliberately “screw up and drag” their kids into anything when they are struggling. I’m all for kids understanding some aspect of what’s going on in a household, but I don’t feel obligated to give you a complete rundown. While I get that Phoenix is a kid, she’s also almost eighteen years, old enough to know that well…..shit happens! I gave her a little bit of a pass because she was probably pretty sheltered and used to life being easy so it may have been a shock, but still her attitude sucked.
The relationship with Callum and Phoenix was a bit weird at times. They both wanted that one person they could confide in but at the same time, they were hesitant to do so. Callum’s backstory was pretty interesting and I think I felt like he “got it”. He understood what it was like to have to have something happen in your life that causes you to stop and re-evaluate, change your course and I really wanted Phoenix to get it too. I had to remind myself that while I wanted Phoenix to “get it”, I had to realize that she and Callum came from totally different backgrounds, he wasn’t as sheltered as she was and he’d been dealing with disappointments pretty much his whole life. Of course right when I thought I was okay with her, Phoenix managed to tick me off in how she was so willing to give Callum’s mother a total pass for obstacles/hurdles/hard-times she endured.
I could only imagine the strength it took to raise two boys alone in California, a state not exactly known for its stellar cost of living.
My first thought after reading that; “Are you freaking kidding me?! You don’t know this woman from a can of paint, never laid an eye on her! You’re not even sure if the story you’re getting from Callum is an accurate depiction of her and you feel sorry for her!”; Yep, another reaction where I had to put the kindle down and woo-sah. I had to yet again remind myself that this was a young adult; she was looking at things from a totally different perspective than your many years of experience.
So about my love/hate relationship with this book; what I hated about this book, was that it took me back to a very difficult time in my life, it made me think about how my kids may or may not have looked at me when times were extremely tough…had I failed them, were they disappointed in me, were they embarrassed by me?...Yeah, I didn’t like reliving that. What I loved about this book, it took me back to a very difficult time in my life that I can proudly say I survived…we survived and while there are still struggles and things aren’t as good as they use to be, we are okay. It made me think about how my kids may have wanted to know certain things, how they may have needed to know certain things. It made me realize that in order to truly prepare my kids for the real world, they need to experience “real experiences” you can’t protect them from all of the bad stuff; life isn’t always a bowl of cherries, it’s filled with lots of disappointments and obstacles and they have to learn how to cope and bounce back.
This book confirmed something for me; I think we need to give your kids the benefit of the doubt and not try to protect them from every little thing. It is okay for them to know that life is hard and sometimes you struggle. But at the end of the day, I’m the parent; it is my job to raise, protect and provide for you. I don’t have to divulge every little thing to you and I don’t need your “approval”. I do the best I can with what I have to make you happy and comfortable and to raise you to be compassionate, empathetic, sympathetic, productive members of society and not total jerks.

Now it might seem that I’m coming off a little hard on poor Phoenix, but I can’t not reflect on how much this girl grew up by the end of the book; toward the end it was clear that she could she, she was expecting things from people that she wasn’t really giving and in the end I realized and had to admit that like Phoenix, I’d grown quite a bit from my experiences. So all this thinking, accepting and realization lead me to a four star read.

Trusting You & Other Lies is one of those books I saw the cover of, and knew I had to read. The fact that it was a Nicole Williams book made me want to read it even more. This was a great coming of age story, where the romance sort of took a back seat to the growth of the heroine.

Phoenix has a rocky family life, so going to a camp with her entire family all summer is not her idea of fun. Luckily, she has her little brother Harrison on her side. They’re in it together. Phoenix gets a job as a camp counselor for the summer to make a little extra money. When she meets and is trained by the head of the counselors, Callum, she thinks maybe this summer won’t be so bad…

Callum and Phoenix have feelings for one another but there are trust issues there, and Callum takes his job as head counselor seriously. They try to deny their feelings for each other, but that doesn’t last long.

I loved Callum and getting in to his back story and seeing how his life was. Phoenix had a lot of growth in the story, which was great. I loved the choice she made at the end. It showed just how much she had changed and grown. Nicole Williams does a great job writing YA stories with a lot of heart. Trusting You & Other Lies is one of those books that will leave you with a huge smile on your face. Recommended to lovers of sweet YA’s.

Man, this book seriously packs all the summer feels. Even though our main character is pretty down on it, it makes summer camp seem like the most fun thing. Hiking, river rafting, and rock climbing? Sign me up. For real. Overall, I thought the setting of this book was fantastic though some things didn’t really make sense to me. For example, the campers are supposed to come in and out in 2 or 4 week cycles. But then that’s never mentioned again for the rest of the book. I know that Phoenix and her family are there for the whole summer along with the rest of the camp staff, but shouldn’t there have been a scene or two where new campers are arriving or old campers are leaving? Another thing is that it feels like this book would have made more sense if the characters were a little older, just as far as the summer camp setting goes. Is Ben really just employing teenagers to be camp counselors to adults? It just seems like it would make more sense for the counselors to be in their 20s. But anyway, that’s such a nit-picky thing that it doesn’t matter.

Phoenix was a pretty likable main character. I thought her relationship with Harry was great (I always love the big sister/little brother relationships in YA). Her relationship with her parents was obviously strained and there were times when I really didn’t like how she spoke to them. She doesn’t trust them anymore because they “lied” to her, but that’s not really something that’s majorly explored. The only thing I can figure is that they didn’t tell her that they were having financial trouble. She keeps saying how they haven’t really been parents for the last two years, but what else happened that kept them from acting like parents? Also, at the beginning of the book, Phoenix’s mom gets mad that Phoenix didn’t tell her that she’d been thinking about going to Northwestern. Phoenix protests that it wasn’t a lie, she just didn’t tell her everything. But that’s the entire basis of why Phoenix is mad at her parents in the first place and is why she gets mad at Callum later in the book. So yeah…even though I liked Phoenix, there were several times when she was completely contradictory. Another instance is when she’s telling Harry that once somebody lies to her, they lose her trust forever. But then she turns around and is upset that Callum won’t give her another chance even though she lied to him about the permission slip?

Despite my issues with Phoenix’s character, I still liked her and the book as a whole. Callum was a nice enough love interest and seemed like a real person. I wish we’d gotten to go more in-depth with his character, though. It seems like there was really a lot more there that could have been explored. My favorite character was probably Harry. It was awesome to see him come out of his shell and develop throughout the book.

Overall, I would recommend this book as a fairly light summer read. If you like books set in a summer camp, then this is definitely for you.

Overall Rating: 4
Language: Moderate
Violence: None
Smoking/Drinking: Mild
Sexual Content: Moderate. Two characters talk about sexual history, but nothing explicit is described.

Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one really ticked off all the right boxes for me. It was such a sweet romance/coming-of-age story, and there were so many things I loved about this story.

-I was sort of won over with the whole family summer camp thing. It was a great setting for this story, and I thought Williams used it brilliantly. This was a story of a broken family in need of healing. Phoenix's father had lost his job two years prior, and had not been able to get his mojo back. That, coupled with her parents constant bickering, and both of them being so closed off from the rest of the family really warranted this off-site setting. The family was forced to spend more time together, and this proximity was bound to result in them actually talking and working through their issues.
-Harrison, aka Harry was a little packet of awesome. This kid played true to age, but he was also so astute and often the voice of reason. I loved the bond he shared with Phoenix, and could not help but cheer for him with each small success he enjoyed.
-Callum, *sigh*. I wore a smile on my face almost every time he was on page. I adored this rugged, manly-man, who was trying to rise above his circumstances. He had a good heart, even if some of his decisions were sometimes not always right.
-You knew it was coming, the romance! Callum and Phoenix was great together. Their relationship was so honest, and they were able to connect and share things with each other, that they had previously not shared with anyone else. They listened to each other, had some really mature discussions (Bravo Ms. Williams!), and most of all, forgave each other when they made mistakes.
-Speaking of forgiveness, there are a lot of characters in this book, who need forgiving. I love that this theme was explored, because it's realistic. People make mistakes and disappoint us, but because we love them, we will forgive them.
-Another HUGE theme in this book is lying. Williams puts the characters in several different types of situations, where they omit facts or lie. Sometimes the lies are for a good reason, sometimes they aren't. I liked the way she explored this grey area in this story, because it really worked in this case. We lie to protect someone, we lie so as not to hurt their feelings, we lie because we don't accept the truth. There are so many reasons why we lie, and Williams really gave me a lot to think about with respect to this issue.
-This book is about heavy things, but it's a rather light read. I am a fan of the fluff. This one is not too fluffy, it has plenty of depth, and angst, Phoenix is angsty, but it's just the right amount of drama for me. Williams balanced out the happy with the sad, the deep with the shallow. I felt plenty of emotions without falling into the emotional abyss.
-Growth, there is so much growth. I don't know if there were any main players who left Camp Kismet as the same person they were at the beginning of the summer. Phoenix, Callum, Harry, heck, even mom and dad all grew and changed. I always find it positive to see that when a character must suffer some pain in their life, they are made better from the experience.
-A good epilogue goes a long way. Williams wrapped this one up in a bow with a lovely epilogue, which left me feeling happy and satisfied.

Overall: This was lovely story of love, family, and forgiveness.

I requested to review Trusting You and Other Lies for one reason and one reason only: Nicole Williams wrote it. I didn’t read the synopsis, I didn’t pay attention to the genre, I didn’t even notice much about the cover beyond seeing her name on it. Then my request was granted and I had a minor freak out. I noticed the characters on the cover looked kind of young, so with a small sense of dread I read the synopsis. And then I realized I might have made a mistake, because as I suspected, this book is Young Adult.

Let me be clear, there is absolutely nothing wrong with YA. For some reason, in my mind it just has this stigma that has me turning my nose up at it most of the time. The main characters are in high school? I can’t relate to that level of immaturity. I don’t have patience to read about their insignificant problems and drama! Yeah, my inner voice is kind of a snob sometimes. Also, it’s wrong. I can’t think of one example of a YA book that I didn’t like. Including this one.

Not only did I not dislike this book, I loved it. Something I always seem to forget about YA is that the love part of the story is so pure. I really liked Phoenix and Callum and enjoyed watching their relationship blossom. Phoenix had a lot of personal growth that I was happy to see. The way she felt towards her parents as a teenager was such a familiar feeling. I remember thinking my mom was ruining my life because she was evil (obviously), but of course I learned that everything she did was because she loved me, was trying to protect me, and if she wasn’t there it was because she was busting her rear to take care of us. I was proud to see Phoenix grow up as much as she did over the course of the summer and realize that parents make mistakes because they’re human too but it’s not because they don’t love you.

I also really loved the relationship that Phoenix had with her younger brother, Harry. They looked out for each other and I loved that even though she was significantly older, she wasn’t ashamed of loving him or too cool to spend time with him. He was a totally loveable part of the story who taught Phoenix a lot.

But what I really loved most of all was Phoenix and Callum. The slow, sweet way they fell in love with the backdrop of summer camp was everything. Everyone remembers what teenage love feels like and Nicole Williams did a fantastic job reminding me. Her writing is superb. It’s funny and witty and sweet and nostalgic and a ton of other wonderful things that I could go on and on about. I highly recommend this book, especially for the summer. And if my review has taught you anything, let it be that you don’t have to be a young adult to enjoy it.

The perfect summer read - set at camp, great characters (Harry is the best 10-year-old!), and a swoon-worthy romance!

Phoenix is ​​unhappy with her parents who have changed a lot after her father have lost his job and now forced her to spend her last summer before college in a camp in the middle of nowhere. Phoenix is ​​in that phase when thinks that the world revolves around her and does not accept that everything she has planned for the future will change because of her parents' problem.

Upon arriving at the camp, she encounters Callum, a serious young man who is the head of the camp monitors who does not accept the pampered way of Phoenix and does not give the girl the creeps. But what begins with an implication ends up provoking a revolution of feelings in themselvies.
Caluum is actually a sweet, gentle, and extremely responsible boy who presents serious learning problems leading to frustration for thinking he can not go to college because his low scores.

Gradually, they approach each other and end up helping each other to overcome their pains and face their difficulties. Phoenix will need to learn to rise from the ashes and Caluum needs to have confidence in his intelligence. This journey will not be easy for either of them, mainly because Phoenix has serious problems in trusting others.

I read the last releases of Nicole Williams and for me this was the best of them all. I'm not saying this because I like young adults a lot, I say because with an engaging and fluid script she kept the linearity of the plot holding my attention from beginning to end . She also traced very well the personality of all the characters. Special highlight for Phoenix's brother, Harry, a super cute boy and Ethan, one of the camp's monitors who does not hide his half-assed way and loves to flirt with Phoenix.
The book brings many interesting analogies to illustrate the maturing of the protagonists by creating a story about overcoming, forgiveness and challenges.
5/5 stars

Trusting You and Other Lies is a wonderful book. I'm so glad I went out of my comfort zone and contacted the publisher to request a review copy of this book!

Williams really went above and beyond to describe exactly how a teen feels when they've been betrayed by the ones they least expect it from.

Phoenix is traveling with her family to a camp for the whole summer. She's resigned herself to have no fun and to just do what she has to do to make it through the summer.

Well fate and a certain bossy counselor named Callum have other plans for her.

This story is all about finding out what you're truly made of, and what matters most in life.

I was new to Williams, but I have no doubt I'll be looking for another book of hers to read very soon.
Make sure to pick up your copy of
Trusting You and Other Lies by Nicole Williams on June 20th! You won't regret it!

I would give this a 3.5 if I could...it was fun, if a bit predictable. I liked that it was set at summer camp, something that is near and dear to my heart. And that summer camp was in Flagstaff AZ, someplace that is also dear to me and near to me. I also really loved that the "fighting" between the parents was pretty real...it didn't magically end because the kid said the right thing or because of a crisis or anything else trop-ey like that. However, the ending was way too neat and tidy for me. WAY! I may never be able to forgive this author for wrapping up their futures in such a neat little package, as if that is what happens in life. Very frustrating for me as a person trying to purchase YA literature that will help my students on their way. I will still buy it, because everyone needs to read some fun, fluffy stuff now and then, but I'm a little upset, nonetheless.