A book about an all-girls boarding school and murder. What could go wrong? This book comes out December 31st, 2019! Make sure to pick up a copy of this book. It had me hooked from the start and I finished it as quickly as I had started it.

I really enjoyed this book. It was full of twists and turns and even though I thought I caught on to the sister switch-a-roo it wasn't what I was expecting.

However, I loved how the author kept certain details and revealed them later on and placed false suspicion on a lot of characters and I think that's what really made this book interesting. The intro showed a scene where (you thought) Ash Carlisle hung herself and throughout the entire novel I was waiting for that scene. I was waiting to figure out which sister would prevail. But, that beginning scene was so misleading because that wasn't a sister, it was someone else completely. The author does a great job of making you assume things during the book.

I think the one detail that made this book a little unrealistic was the setting. If these girls were older and in college maybe I'd find it easier for them to pull all of this off but these are 16 year old girls! I understand that both sisters had gone through some trauma but I didn't think that would result in a 16 year old going on a murdering rampage.

However, I loved how the author revealed what was going on with Becca Curtis because at the beginning, her mother sent an email to the Dean about her behavior and it made you sense that she might he unstable. Yes, Becca did have issues but it was probably because she was gay and had to cover it up. I really wish Becca and Alex could have had a chance to fix things. But this dynamic was a lot more realistic than Ash going on a murdering rampage.

The epilogue was definitely needed, but I wish, instead of 1-2 chapters of epilogue, there was another book. About the next 11 years the sisters trying to kill the other one. That could have been a great book that the author could have definitely pulled off.

I recieved this book from Harlequin from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ash is sixteen, after finding her wealthy parents, dad dead, mom dying in her arms, she wants to go away to school and find her way. Where she finds herself is at an elite all girls boarding high school in the hills of Virginia. A school with an honor code, secret societies and 200 daughter's of the rich and powerful. Ash has secrets but at that age who doesn't? And who doesn't lie? Right? Everything you'd expect from this setting is here in this story and more. This novel is fast paced with tension and suspense that builds from the start and continues to the last page. Although I had an inkling of what was to come I found plenty of twists, turns and surprises too keep me on my toes and at the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed this one and recommend it to not only the fans of the author but to those who love a good thriller full of secrets and lies and an unreliable narrator.

I have to start out by saying I love J.T. Ellison, and have loved her since the Taylor Jackson series...as well as her standalones. This book is beautifully written, but it is a really slow burn that tested my patience.

It's a boarding school mystery with high school girls as the focus, and there's more than meets the eye with each character. I'm not sure what caused my dilly-dally attitude while reading this because Ellison does a great job with the twists and leaving us with cliffhangers. Simply said, it didn't work for me as I would have expected. Still, I would call this a decent standalone from a great author if you don't expect an unputdownable.

Thank you to NetGalley, J.T. Ellison, and Harlequin/Mira for the ARC. I look to the next one.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I love J.T. Ellison's books. I haven't been reading her books very long but I look for one I haven't read every chance I get. This is definitely a twisted thriller, which is how thrillers should be. Superbly written with fabulous characters. I definitely recommend this book! Enjoy! 📚

This was my first J.T. Ellison book and I will be reading more soon .From the very start the story draws you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
After the death of her parents, Ash heads to a new start at the Goode School for girls . Very soon after her arrival , Ash’s roommate dies with no clues to how it happened. Ash becomes friends with the head girl ,Becca and is protected for awhile. Things should bad quickly and The Dean starts suspecting Ash is behind the trouble .
This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time .

Having not looked at what genre Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison fell under, I was under the impression I was digging in to a Young Adult Fiction novel. Boy was I mistaken, but not in a bad way.

Good Girls Lie follows a few characters at an all girls school that has a sordid past and a lot of secrets for the future. Ellison definitely wrote a story heavy on suspense and mystery, which is what it really was labeled genre wise. And thriller. From the first chapter I was totally confused on what was happening. The way Ellison wrote the story gave you just enough to enjoy the story, but kept you in the dark on what was really happening. She also offered up multiple characters you thought were the guilty party.

I found the supporting characters to be interesting and kept the story going. They brought a different angle to the story and really set the scene of what kind of environment The Goode School really housed. Ellison put a lot of layers into each character so even smaller characters had a lot of weight on the story and the overall vibe of it.

Ellison has a writing style that allowed the story to flow smoothly even though we were jumping between characters at time. My only minor upset was that sometimes it didn’t tell you who you were jumping to and it took a few paragraphs to figure out who I was reading about. Otherwise the novel was good and I had no issues with it.

This thriller is a fantastic read for anyone who is looking for a suspenseful book filled with lots of twists and turns at every corner and you will find it hard to guess the ending. I have already read one book by Ellison before and I will continue to check out more from her going forward.

Wowsa! Yes this looks like it might be standard girls-boarding-school fare that starts with a dead student hanging from the gates but it isn't. Nope. Ash enters the Goode School as a sophomore - she's from Oxford, UK and her parents have both just died tragically. She's got a lot of secrets and she doesn't want the other girls to know. Her room mate Camille also has a secret but that doesn't make her a nice person, at least to Ash. Ford, the dean of the school has a secret too. Ash manages to irritate Becca, the head girl, on her first day. Becca's got a secret too. Things start to get very wacky when it's time for the secret society Ivy Bound to tap students for the group. You know Ash is gonna be one of them. It's told mostly from Ash's point of view, although there are periodic shifts to the third person perspective of Ford, a detective, and others. No spoiler on this one, which turns on several shocking events the reader should discover their own- including one huge (huge) twist. I'll admit to being a tad confused near the very end but wow. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This is a well written page turner.

For more than half the book, this was a story of a cliche exclusive all girl's school with all that you would expect from reading a book about a cliche exclusive all girl's school. The only thing that kept me reading was the excessive foreshadowing. Obviously I knew there was a nice big twist ahead, it was the getting there that was a bit tedious. I almost wish the author could have done something like they do in court and stipulate to all the requisite exclusive all girl school cliches so we could move on to the good stuff! And when the twist finally arrived, I pretty much had it figured out. Not all the details, but it wasn't a surprise. It was good and I think worth the wait, but again, it took so long to get there!

Parts of Good Girls Lie were fantastic, really special. It had all the ingredients for a great thriller. An isolated school, friendship and bullies, mystery and drama. Sadly though, aspects of the execution fell short.

A lot of the characters were weak and the storyline predictable. The pace also seemed to be disjointed. Some parts seemed to crawl through, dragging out every single detail. Others seemed to go so fast that I got whiplash. I loved the inclusion of a little diversity and some characters were really thought through and whole.

Moments of brilliance, but overall an okay read with an additional ending that felt rushed and didn’t need to be there. There was still enough in there though to make it worth picking up.

I am honestly really disappointed by this. The story, the characters and the writing everything felt obnoxiously offbeat and I had to drag myself past the 50page mark.

First off all, stereotypical characters that are unoriginal and seemed to be taken straight out from other books and huddled together. The story is supposed to be suspenseful i know that but adding a layer to the story by working on relationship dynamics wouldn't have hurt.

Also, the writing didn't work for me at ALL. Nope. The pacing was off and it wasn't fluid enough to hold my attention for most parts.
The characters were so problematic and hollow. And it felt like the author constrained herself with only a single male character! If you read it, you will know!

WOULDN'T RECOMMEND AT ALL.

I loved the setting of this book - a school in the hills, covered in ivy, secret corridors and history in every wall and floor. It has all the ingredients of a good Thriller... Murder, rituals, secret societies and family secrets are all tangled up in this story. Woven together throughout, the secrets start to unravel towards the end as the real truth is revealed. For me it was a little underwhelming as I had figured out the plot quite early on. It was an entertaining book though and the Epilogue was fantastic - if a sequel came out I would definitely read it to find out exactly what happens next...

Through the first few pages of this novel, I expected it to be a four-star. Expensive private Virginia girls' school...not my area of expertise. Then with the next section as protagonist Ash's Oxford home life is exposed, my interest quickened. It wasn't long before I found myself totally absorbed in the mysteries and machinations, the puzzles and questions, the lies and concealment. Soon I was puzzling over the novel when away from it. Such an unreliable narrator! Such masquerading and facades throughout! For a School with an unutterably strict Honor Code: such deceit throughout! A solidly five-star psychological puzzler--not soon to be forgotten.

You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com

Actual rating of 2.5

Ash Carlisle has had a rough go of it, her parents have both passed away leaving her with no one in the world but herself. Continuing on with their wishes, she heads to the Goode School in Marchburg, Virginia. Goode is a prestigious prep school for the rich and important, a girls only school which totes that it's students will be go on to be accepted by the Ivy League schools some only dream about. Being in a new country, as Ash has travelled all the way from Oxford, England, still dealing with the death of her parents, and feeling more outcast than ever, she must be careful as the girls here are all too good at uncovering secrets that one might want to keep hidden, and Ash Carlisle has a lot. A psychological thriller/mystery set in a high school setting about the power of secrets, lies and money. What is it that Ash is hiding?

I discovered this year that I have a major soft spot for psychological thrillers. I had never ventured into the genre before, but when I did on a whim due to a synopsis sounding amazing, I realised that I quite enjoy them. So when I read the synopsis for this one, I jumped straight on board. Thought to be honest, it didn't live up to everything that it could have been. I found the premise of the story to be absolutely fantastic, as well as some of the reveals and twists, however, I found the execution of all of these to be severely lacking. I feel that some of them weren't given the reveal that they deserved which left me wanting more from the story.

Ash has been accepted to Goode on a scholarship due to the fact that her parents have both just passed away. She's nervous, of course, because she's leaving England and moving to America, and she's not too sure how she's going to handle it. In the opening of the story we are introduced to a nameless character which shows us that there are secrets and lies abound though I found this first chapter a little odd, and I can't put my finger on why. I think it's because it was written in second person, addressing the reader, which I always find a bit jarring. Once we meet Ash, she mentions how she's taking a vow to tell no more lies and how this is a fresh start for her and so on and so forth. So it's blatantly obvious that there's going to be a lot of lies haha, which is fine, it makes for a good thriller. This intrigued me because obviously I wanted to know what the go was with Ash and all her secrets.

As the story progresses we get fed tidbits that keep us speculating, I had a few ideas, which I'll admit, a couple I had wrong. One of the biggest problems that I had with this story though, was that the twists, the biggest twist of the story I'd say, was basically given away as soon as a certain character had noticed something. Instantly you could tell that it wasn't a red herring and that this in fact was going to be the truth of the matter. I originally thought that this would bump my rating up when the big reveal came, but it didn't. When the reveal did happen, I was severely let down by the execution of it. The conversation felt very convoluted and messy, and I just feel that this reveal in particular deserved so much more.

The ending of the story also felt incredibly rushed, after a big event happens at Goode, we suddenly skip to 11 years later, I did enjoy that we got a bit of a look into the future with certain characters, but I still feel like it let me with more questions than answers. Was what I believed to be true, actually true? Or was it actually the other way around all together? I just feel like this story line wasn't quite as clear cut and crisp as it could have been, and it left me a bit disappointed.

The dialogue was quite stilted at times, and I felt that it was too robotic, there didn't seem to be much personality in the dialogue and it was very polished, if that makes sense, instead of using contractions like "I'm. You're" etc. a lot of the dialogue was "I am. You are." I'm not sure if this was a way to make Ash's character sound more British? Or if it was just a stylistic choice for Ellison. For teenage girls though, it did sound a little bit too polished. I understand that they're attending a prestigious boarding school, but still, they're teenage girls.

The pacing fell short for pretty much the whole story, while there were things happening, it felt like for the most part there wasn't really a whole lot going on at all. The story just didn't feel like it was moving forward, even when things started to happen and the mystery really set in. I have to admit, I felt like it was a bit of a hard slog for the vast majority of the book. I considered DNFing a couple of times, but I really hate DNFing eARCs.

The characters were okay, but I didn't really like or connect with any of them at all. I thought the inclusion of the 'romance' was cute, but it didn't really add anything to the story, this was on account of both the romances we experience. Even when we're learning about Ash's past, it didn't move me as I felt that it should have. I can't quite pinpoint why this is either.

All in all, this was a fantastic idea that I feel fell short of what it could have been. A few more rounds of editing may have helped polish it a little more, but I still don't know it the choices the author made on how to reveal certain things would have worked. I am definitely interested in checking out more by this author as a few of the reviews I've read have openly stated that this isn't Ellison's best work. So I look forward to reading more and seeing what this author can really do. If you like a gritty YA psychological thriller set in a boarding school that is full of secrets, lies and twists, give it a go, you may enjoy it :)

Excellent story line & the characters are so intriguing!! A great page turner from the very first page ! So many twist and turns to the very end!! Loved it !!

Good Girls Lie is a classic boarding school drama and thriller with a twist. It centers around the Goode School, a famous boarding school for girls of the elite. Filled with long-held traditions, secret societies, and an infamous honor code, the Goode School prides itself on preparing exceptional girls for bright futures at Ivy League colleges. When Ash Carr arrives in Marchburg, Virginia from the U.K. in the wake of her parent's death, she brings trouble with her that will upset the status quo at the Goode School.

Dark and twisty, Good Girls Lie has all the best elements of a teen drama and a thriller. It is told from multiple perspectives, in the first-person from Ash’s perspective, multiple other characters in the third-person, and through flashbacks to Ash’s life in the U.K. If you’ve ever read and loved the Private book series, this has similar vibes, albeit with a more grown-up feel.

I’ve never read anything by J.T. Ellison before Good Girls Lie, but this will certainly not be my last. I highly recommend this to other thriller fans!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin MIRA for the review copy!

There is a lot that happens on a prestigious all girls boarding school; some of which is long standing tradition and some are secrets no one wants unveiled. The plot went back and forth over a few months time with chapters recounting the past happenings in England which gave you a little more of the backstory to what was happening at the Goode School. There were parts that felt a little long and drawn out, but overall this was an entertaining read with one convoluted story that unfolded.

I've been a fan of Ellison's books for years now - first discovering her with her mystery series for adults, and then moving along with her from series to standalone thrillers. This one is a standalone foray into a boarding school thriller for young adults. While I wouldn't say that this is my favorite of hers, it's still a fast, engaging and entertaining read. It captured my attention from start to finish!

Ash is a new sophomore from England at an an exclusive, all-girls boarding school in Virginia. It's obvious that she has secrets when she arrives and the book hooks you in with a dead body in its very first pages. The plot unfolds to tell not only Ash's story, but also the history of the school, its current and past dramas and plenty of secrets and lies along the way.

While the premise and setting are not exactly fresh, it's still a fast-paced and interesting read. Some of the plot's twists are easier to see coming over others, but there are some real surprises, too. The ending feels a bit rushed and almost convoluted in the way the truth is finally revealed, but overall it's an exciting read that I think will appeal to adults and young adults aline. I am looking forward, as always, in seeing what she will write next!

J.T. Ellison delivers another psychological thriller. I enjoyed the all-girl boarding school setting. I felt like Ellison captured the teenage drama magnificently. The story is fast-paced which kept me anxiously awaiting the next turn.

This book disappointed me.
It started off so strong - an all girls boarding school with secret societies and a tainted past set in the mountains... what else could I want? But once the new girl gained popularity (a montage I could totally see playing out in my head like a movie scene) it slowed way down and got kind of boring.
The writing style was beautiful, though, with a lot of incredibly detailed scenes that sucked me right into the energy of the Goode School, but I felt like the twists were predictable, pretty anti-climactic, and overall unbelievable. The book just seemed to drag on once the murder/suicide/accident finally happened. And I didn’t really care for any of the characters - spoiled, rich girls, creepy handymen, and overindulgent adults... hard to sympathize with.
I also felt like it flipped between narrators far too often and I found myself confused as to who was talking and what they were talking about with all the overly-vague suspense.
As far as thrillers go, it’s got the right setting and the right feel to be an enjoyable read, but it just didn’t do it for me.
Also: major trigger warnings for teen suicide.

Good Girls Lie wasted no time to get into the thick of things. A girl is dead, hanging gruesomely from the gates of her prestigious school. What follows is the backstory of a new school year at an all girls boarding school. Secret societies seem to run under the radar at the Goode School, and some of their antics step boarder levels of hazing and even what is legal. For Ash, the new girl, this school provides a prospect to get away from her past and open doors for an Ivy League education as long as she can focus and keep to herself. But at Goode, secrets are kept anything but secret.

Once you start this book, you’ll be hooked. The audacity of events become more devilish and shocking as each new development emerges. There were some moments that dropped my jaw, which always makes me love a book all the more. I especially appreciated how the pieces fit together in a way that I could not predict what was going to happen next.

I’ll admit, I was hesitant to read a book about teen girls at an elite high school, but don’t let the setting fool you. This was anything but an angsty teen drama. While there was a lot of drama, it read like a fast paced thriller. Take a chance, J.T. Ellison has done it again, providing a quick suspense worth a read.

Thank you to @NetGalley, @thrillerchick, and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.