Slow start with a great ending! What drew me to this book besides the synopsis was that it is set in a prep school in the mountains of Virginia. Any books set in my home state will usually pique my interest even though this is indeed a fictional prep school and town. Back to the story.. I did indeed guess a few of the plot twists but still enjoyed them. If you're a Gossip Girl fan you'd enjoy this book as the characters are all catty and dramatic high school girls. So many lies! Towards the end of the book is when things get really interesting and I had a hard time putting it down. This is the first book I've read by J.T. Ellison but I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am regretting my procrastination because it means I read this book 6 weeks ago and my memories are already hazy. One thing I can definitely say is that it was probably a mistake to read it so closely to The Swallows, which had a similar setting and feel. (Props to Ellison for setting this is Virginia and actually making a strong effort to get the geography right - I can picture the location of this town and school perfectly because her description matches my geographic memory so well.) The school is filled with girls of all types, many of whom it's easy to love to hate 20 years removed from the time when they would have tormented me in reality. There are quiet girls who go along to get along. There are few who stand out; I found it difficult to like a single character, even the murder victim. When the twists start coming at the end, they are totally out of left field—I don't remember there being any possible way the reader could have predicted it. Great plotting in general, particularly around the school's Honor Code. A good summer read, but if you choose one girl's boarding school book to read this year, go with The Swallows.

I really liked the storyline of this book and thought it was an interesting read but something just didn’t click for me. I felt like it dragged on at times and something felt very familiar about the twists. The characters were great and overall it was still an enjoyable read.

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this story. I need to check out more of Ellison’s work. Great characters and that twist, are you kidding me?! So good!

“Good Girls Lie” by J.T. Ellison
Genre: #fiction #thriller ⁣⁣
Synopsis: see comment section⁣⁣
CW/TW: suicide, homicide, drug addiction, abortion⁣⁣
Rating:☀️☀️☀️/5 ⁣⁣
1-Word Review: ⁣⁣
histrionics[ his-tree-on-iks ]⁣⁣
noun⁣⁣
dramatic representation; theatricals; acting.⁣⁣
———————————————————⁣⁣
𝟑.𝟎/𝟓.𝟎:⁣⁣
𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝:⁣⁣
The girl drama is strong with this one. I loved the gossip girl-esque setting with characters that are driven and smart (despite what their motives/intentions may be). This book kept me entertained from start to finish. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝗪𝐡𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝟓/𝟓? 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳: 𝘐 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝟻𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵:⁣⁣ 𝟷. 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 ⁣⁣ 𝟸. 𝘐𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤....⁣⁣
𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞:⁣⁣
•This is not a book that will necessarily “keep you guessing” until the end. You figure out at an earlier point than most thrillers, what is “going on”. What keeps you reading, is blatant curiosity for how this will turn out.⁣⁣
•I need more shock, more surprises, more “OMG” from my thrillers. In cases where I don’t have the aforementioned qualities- I need the book to be wrapped up beautifully in terms of closure for all characters and story lines. For me, there were characters that were beautifully developed and essential to the plot ...and then at the end it was like: hey here is what ended up happening to them but in ONE sentence. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: If you’re ok with no big SHOCKING moments in your thrillers (and you are in the mood for some gossip girl vibes)- I recommend this book for you. ⁣⁣

It's been a while since I read this one, but I remember really enjoying it. There were twists and turns around every corner and it did not end as I had expected!

WOW. I'm not even sure what to write that won't give much of this story away. So I will just say that this book was insane. INSANELY AWESOME. There was so much drama! and crazy boarding school sorority type chaos, and unbelievable twists and turns, and death...and it was just such a quick fantastic read!! This was my first JT Ellison book, and let me say I feel the need to read another of hers RIGHT AWAY!

After reading the synopsis, I was quite anxious to give this book a try. Like a lot of people, I like boarding school settings and the mystery seemed...well, quite mysterious. The Goode School is located in a small Virginia town. It has been run by family members for many years, even though the current Dean isn't really thrilled with her duties.

In the beginning we are introduced to Ash, a teen from England. Both of her parents recently died and she is coming to the States for a new start. Yet something doesn't seem quite right about Ash. She has a lot of secrets, ones which the Dean is willing to help her keep, and in the beginning, she isn't quite fitting in. However, when she begins a tumultuous relationship with Becca, a senior (and I mean TUMULTUOUS), things start to change.

While I kind of guessed a few of the plot twists early on, I still found it enjoyable. In fact, I think I enjoyed it a tad bit more than my friend Stormi, who read it earlier than me. The characters aren't really likable, but I don't know that they are supposed to be and I'm not kidding when I say EVERYONE in this book is lying about one thing or another. I kind of enjoyed the secret society aspect of the book but felt like it was a tad over the top for a high school boarding school.

The ending did have a few shocks and overall I'm glad I read it. I can see people who like boarding schools or closed circle mysteries really loving Good Girls Lie. This is the first thing I've read from this author but it definitely won't be the last.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars - If you like gothic vibes psychological thrillers – this one for you!

The story takes place at an exclusive boarding school, where one can expect secret passageways, secret societies, murder, to name a few. I loved everything about the setting and the atmosphere of this book! It was truly creepy and mysterious!

Also, it was very unpredictable! If you think you know what will happen, think again! I’ve never read something quite like this, a very creative premise!

Finally, the ending! WOW, that was such a great ending! Definitely, a must-read! Expertly written, and full of surprises!

Definitely twisted and undeniably entertaining, this book hit all the right notes for a psychological thriller. The author did a fantastic job of dropping subtle hints throughout, some of which were barely noticeable even though they made a huge impact. When I finished, I had to go back and re-read it to see what clues I had not realized were vital. The twists were interesting, and the end was amazing. You can see a full review at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. This was written based on a digital ARC of the book.

Good Girls Lie, by J.T. Ellison

Short Take: Get in loser!! (You totally want to go for this ride.)

(*Note: I received an advance copy of this book for review.*)

Hello my lovelies! I am pleased to announce that after drowning in winter doldrums, we had a freakish seventy-degree day here over the weekend, meaning I was able to go out with the Spousal Unit and Junior Nerdling for some much needed fresh air and today I feel MARVELOUS. So I’m here to bring some of that joy to all of you, or, you know, to tell you about the book I just read which is pretty much the same thing, right?

Nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the Goode School began a century ago as a boarding school for unwed mothers or other types of incorrigible, socially unacceptable girls, the kind of girls who read novels and had opinions. Now it’s where the best of the best go to work their perfect little hineys off in exchange for a golden ticket - admission to the college of their choice, followed by a lifetime of success in their chosen field.

Of course nothing that fabulous is easy, as Ash Carlisle will soon discover. When both of her parents die suddenly, she leaves Oxford in hopes of Starting A New Life at Goode. Although the dean of the school, Dr. Ford Julianne Westhaven (and omg y’all THAT NAME) is willing to help her with the transition, and Ash is smart enough and disciplined enough to keep up with the work, there’s a whole ‘nother pack of problems in the form of the 199 other girls at Goode.

Let me be the cleverest nerd in the world, and point out that although these are Goode girls, they are not necessarily good girls. Despite a strict honor code, there’s drinking, drugs, secret societies whose over-the-top hazing is pure teenage girl sadism and the occasional dalliance with cute townie boys - and not just for the students. Ford also longs for escape (Ford Escape?) from the school, despite a many-years tradition of its leadership being passed from mother to daughter.

Of course, Ash herself has a few secrets of her own that could Cost Her Everything. As both Ash and Ford (seriously FORD) struggle with their place at Goode and in the larger world, keeping each other’s secrets while maybe also hastening each other’s downfall, one student then another is killed, the truth starts to dribble out, and the final set of twists slams it all home.

Good Girls Lie was a seriously fun, twisty book, with incredibly rich characters, a setting I couldn’t get enough of (I read way too much stuff that takes place in suburbia), and a killer (heh) pace. Ms. Ellison has a knack for cranking the tension, bit by agonizing bit, until everything inevitably explodes and I do love me a good tension explosion.

I really have only one complaint with this one, and it’s put me in a bit of a conundrum. There’s a character who is just TOO mastermind-y, too difficult to believe for a lot of reasons that would be spoilers. So I’m going to break one of my most iron-clad rules here, and just say that this character didn’t work for me, without explaining why. I hate to do that, because I like to imagine that I’m important enough for all authors to care about my opinion (by the way, Stephen, CALL ME! I have some very important feedback on that last one!), but this was a book I genuinely enjoyed despite that one little blemish, and I wouldn’t want to ruin anyone else’s good time with it. Because it really IS a good (or Goode)(heh) time!



The Nerd’s Rating: FOUR HAPPY NEURONS (and a shot of dresser-drawer vodka. Is it spring yet??)

5/5 stars for this boarding school thriller!

Had such a great time chatting with JT over at Words & Whimsy book club, and couldn't wait to dive into this book! Such a great setting, Ellison does a great job painting a picture of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Also has some great morally grey characters! Loved the boarding school aspect so much! There are SO MANY twists and turns that I did not expect! Highly recommend if you enjoy thrillers! Can't wait to read more of this author in the future!

Ash Carlise is the new girl at the prestigious Goode School. Still grieving from the devastating loss of her parents, Ash tries to focus on staying under the radar and not attracting any unnecessary attention to herself. In a school like Goode it's hard to remain a ghost for long; your grades are expected to be high, appearance is everything and there are the secret societies everyone wants to be a part of. When a death in the school causes chaos throughout the school staying under the radar becomes harder than Ash ever imagined. Now with the past coming back to haunt her and secrets threatening to bubble over Ash has to figure out how to protect herself before it's too late.

Goode Prep School has a ton of secrets ranging from secret societies to murder, so when Ash Carlise goes to Goode she hopes her secrets can remain as quiet as theirs. Good Girls Lie takes us on a dark twisted journey where you don't know who to trust and who to watch.

I found myself trying to figure out the twist throughout the whole story. I knew something was up but couldn't quite figure out what. Just when I thought I had everything figured out Ellison twisted everything and it just became so much more complex. I hated to put this one down as it quickly drew me in and kept me on the edge until I could finish it. While there wasn't really a lot of character development, this book was really plot driven so the story wasn't effected by it. I really enjoyed this book overall. It was well written and fast paced. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

J.T. Ellison's latest work, Good Girls Lie, is set in an elite boarding school which is set atop a hill in the small town of Marchburg, Virginia. The students are only the best girls who are hand-picked each year by the dean. However, it is not a young adult book. It is a thriller full of secrets, secret societies, lies, and a strict honor code that is not always followed.

In the beginning, I found it difficult to get into the book but I am glad I kept reading. Several reviewers described it as fast-paced but I disagree. It is a slow burn but it does definitely burn. The twists were both expected and unexpected but worked well.

It opens with a body being found then flashes back to learn the events that lead up to the death. It is not a new tactic but, with the story, it works well.

J.T. Ellison is best known for her Lt. Taylor Jackson series. The 8th book, "Field of Graves" was published in 2015. She has teamed up with Catherine Coulter to write "A Brit in the FBI" series. The 6th book in the series, The Last Second, was published in 2019.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 1/10/2020.

This was an amazing thriller!

The narrative switched between first person and third person perspectives between chapters. At first, I was confused as to who was narrating. I prefer it when the chapters have the narrators labeled when it alternates. However, this was a clever way of telling the story. This narration style had a purpose in the story, and it couldn’t be told any other way.

There were so many twists throughout the story. I kept gasping at what was happening. I was surprised right until the last page. It was a fantastic thriller!

I loved this book! It’s a great thrilling read!

Thank you HarperCollins for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF

Unfortunately I was not able to finish this book. I will add it to the list and try again at a later date.

Ellison's novel is well-written with a twisting plot that keeps the reader's attention focused and keeps the pages turning. This is not only a who-dunnit, but also a who is who!

Good Girls Lie was an entertaining thriller that kept me reading and guessing throughout! I'm a sucker for books set in boarding schools - as soon as I heard about this one and that it featured a boarding school I was adding it to my TBR list. One of the things I enjoyed about this book was the fact that it was written in a way where I wasn't sure who to trust. It felt like everyone in this book had secrets or was hiding something. It really helped to add to the overall level of suspense that was present throughout the book. I also enjoyed the fact that Goode school had all of things that seem to come with a boarding school. Supposedly haunted buildings and mysterious deaths? Check. Secret societies? Check. A questionable past and a present where bad things keep happening? Check, check, check. How could I not enjoy a book when it had all of these things and more? All of these things combined into a suspenseful and atmospheric read that I really couldn't get enough of! I also really enjoyed the fact that I didn't see the end of this book coming whatsoever. I had plenty of guesses of what was going on but I was completely wrong. I can't help but appreciate a thriller that keeps me guessing and manages to surprise me with the ending!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a thrilling read! I've read previous books by this author (not her standalones but a couple in one of her series that she has written) and really enjoyed them as well. This book was a great reminder of how much I've enjoyed all of her books - I need to work on catching up on her backlist more in the new year! I really think that readers of suspense and thrillers will enjoy this book. Ultimately, this book was a great way to end my reading year in 2019 and also an easy book for me to recommend!

Bottom Line: A thrilling read that kept me guessing until the very end!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley and am participating in a blog tour hosted by the publisher. Honest thoughts are my own.

Good Girls Lie was crazy amazing. I was hooked and enjoyed every minute of this story. So much so I was sad to get to the end and not follow the characters anymore. I am still thinking about them a few days after finishing it. Suspense, teenage/college girl drama. What is happening at the all-girls school? I was actually worried at the end, would it end how I think it will?!? Definitely a psychological thriller. The author did a great job with the character building and had me hanging on to every word. This story flowed perfectly.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 and can't wait to read more from J.T Ellison.

The Goode School for Girls is an elite prep school located in Virginia. The headmistress is Dean Ford Westhaven.

Ash Carlisle has arrived from Oxford England to attend the school starting as a sophomore. She has recently lost both of her parents and needs to get away from the sad memories in a new place. As she settles in, we learn about her talents and her background. She is an expert piano player, but with the passing of her parents, she is not inclined to play right now. She is also quite clever with computers and impresses her professor. Ash is a lovely girl who just wants to keep to herself.

When Ash’s roommate dies after falling off a roof, no one knows if she jumped or was pushed. The ensuing investigation into the girl’s death puts more scrutiny on Ash. Unfortunately, the school bully has zeroed in on her as well and opens up some things that even Ash doesn’t understand. But the tragedies don’t end there which leads to an explosive ending.

I admit that I had a little problem with keeping up with some different characters, but that simply means that the author has written a fabulous novel. I really loved every page of this book and look forward to reading even more by this truly amazing and talented author. Don’t miss this one!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.