WOW...this book took me on such a wild ride. It was filled with lies, deceit, murder, and lots of suspense.
The plot centers around an all girls high school for the daughters of the elite and wealthy. But behind the walls of this school things are not at all what they seem on the outside., especially when one of the students is found dead. Was it murder or was it suicide? The characters and plot are extremely well developed and takes the reader back to the past to thoroughly understand the girls and the mystery surrounding this school.
Great book that had me guessing up until the last page. Cannot predict the ending.

I have been HIGHLY anticipating this book for quite sometime now, and I am ever so grateful to @publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read it early through @netgalley as I just could not wait ANY longer.

First of all. There is just something about a boarding school setting that fascinates me like no other. Is it because of Harry Potter? The near gothic vibe almost giving off a hint of magic, like the students are going to start practicing the occult under the next full moon? I don’t know but IT DOES IT for me.

In this novel we have an all girl boarding school filled with the best of the best (AKA the richest of the rich and very spoiled) Ivy League prep students, enrolled in a rigorous curriculum to prepare them for their future. And as long as they keep up their appearance they can pretty much get away with anything.... but at what cost?

As soon as Ash was on Goode School property I was hooked. Murder?? Long standing superstitions, secret societies, ghost stories and immediate drama between the head girl and the new girl on campus? Mix in some hazing and an extremely secretive past and you won’t be able to stop turning the pages, I promise!

From the beginning to the end, I can’t really think of a negative aspect to tell you guys about. I loved this book - don’t miss it!

I tore through this book so quickly, just like every other JT Ellison novel I have read. I am forever a fan.

Thanks to netgalley, Harlequin-Mira and J.T Ellison for the advance copy.
The setting is an all girl exclusive prep school. Prep schools are famous for their secret societies, mean girls, hazing and rich families. Think these girls have it all? Nope. This book gives lots of drama, lies and mystery. I loved this one.

Of course I loved this book it’s JT Ellison! The drama filled Goode School didn’t disappoint! Ash swept me right in and I couldn’t stop reading. There was a little of everything in this book. I enjoyed the concept and learning the inner workings of this al girls school.
Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced ebook copy.

The events at a Virginia girls school turn deadly in Ellison’s latest thriller. Ash is a British student trying to fit in at the Goode School. But Ash has a secret that puts herself and those around her in peril.

I always enjoy Ellison’s quick-witted writing and loved the gothic feel of the private school setting. An overall fun and entertaining read.

Many thanks to Netgalley, MIRA and J. T. Ellison for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book is so good. Once you get going this book will keep you reading. Once the action starts you really can’t put the book down. What an amazing ending!

“Good Girls Lie” by J. T. Ellison is the story of a teenage girl who wants to remake herself at a private school, “The Goode School. “ The present tense, first person narrative makes the action, immediate, personal, and compelling; readers are in the moment along with characters. Ellison establishes the school and its position within society immediately, and keeping secrets is part of what “those” schools do. There are both nasty as well as good girls at The Goode School, and the school itself has a dark past, a terrible tragic past.
The girls excel because that is what “Goode” girls do. Of course, they also lie to themselves and to others as a way to look important, to be included, to belong. The characters are compelling not because of what Ellison tells readers about them but because of what readers are not told and discover themselves.
The Narrator is mysterious, cunning, manipulative, and secretive. Readers emphasize with her because Ellison designed her in the first person present. Readers know what she says to people and what they say to her, what she thinks about people and what they do and say. However, to whom is she speaking – herself? The reader? Or someone else?
“There are truths, and there are lies, and then there is everything that really happened, which is where you and I will meet. My truth is your lie, and my lie is your truth, and there is a vast expanse between them.”
The book opens with a tragic scene, but narrator is unconcerned, unmoved. Chapters are labeled with dates, and the narrative alternates between different periods. Readers wonder how people got themselves into those very nonstandard situations, what influenced them, and more importantly, who is lying and about what. Hovering over all is that shocking first chapter. How does it fit into the whole picture?
“Good Girls Lie” is compelling because it is realistic and relatable. Ellison, herself, stated that she did not have to do a great deal of research for this book, and rather based much of her story her own experiences. Now that is a compelling mystery story. I received a copy of “Good Girls Lie” from J. T. Ellison and Harlequin - Mira Publishing. It is a rush of lies, lies, and more lies, and then the consequences…a spider waiting at the center of the web for the fly.

Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own


This isn’t a book where you’re on the edge of your seat, but it’s a nice book to lose yourself in for a couple of hours. I didn’t see the ending coming and I really enjoyed the book

The Goode School is an elite prep school in Marchburg, Virginia. Each class contains only fifty girls, hand-picked by Dean Westhaven herself. The school has been in the Dean's family for generations. The girls all go on to college--mostly the Ivies--and are the daughters of the rich and elite. Goode is filled with traditions, rumors, haunted tunnels and arboretums, and secret societies. Coming to Goode from England this year is Ash Carr, now Ash Carlisle. Ash's wealthy parents are dead and Goode gives her a chance to start over without the notoriety that follows in her home country. But soon, a student is dead at Goode. She apparently had a secret--and she isn't the only one.

I am a total sucker for a good boarding school mystery. Add in the fact that this one is set basically in my backyard, the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia, and it's written by one of my favorite authors, J.T. Ellison: I'm all in. GOOD GIRLS LIE didn't disappoint. This was a captivating thriller that kept me frantically flipping the pages of my Kindle. I didn't know who to believe, what to believe, or what on earth was going on. And I loved it.

The book opens up with a death--a body is found hanging on the school's gates. From there, the story backs up, and you are left guessing, wondering if Ash is a reliable narrator or not. For a story that features teenage girls, it's surprisingly adult and dark.

"Of course, there are a few people who know exactly who is hanging from the school's gates. Know who, and know why. But they will never tell."

This is a mystery filled with juicy backstories and gossip. The town of Marchburg has a storied past, and I found myself caught up in all of it. The Dean and her mother--twisted past. An old incident at the school--twisted past. Ash and her family--twisted past. Do you see a pattern emerging? Around every corner, a new dramatic turn emerges. If you like your thrillers with lots of drama and surprises, you'll enjoy this book. It's different, dark and twisty, and quite good. 4.5 stars.

There is a mystic about boarding schools. Uniforms, dorms, secret societies....it's appealing when you are a girl growing up in a small town. I always wanted to go to a school like The Goode School. Exceptional women on a fast track to an Ivy League college.

BUT, not everything is as it seems. Cruel teasing, bullying, suicide, rumors, and the fact that everyone around Ash seems to die.... Good Girls Lie from J.T. Ellison is a perfect thriller. There are secrets. There are lies. There are questions. There are answers. The Goode girls are not so good.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

3.75 stars

Fast paced, fantastic setting, and the amount of drama that you'd expect from Pretty Little Liars, this is a fun romp for fans of boarding school mystery/thrillers.

Pacing: ★★★ 1/2
Setting: ★★★★★
Reveal(s): Not overly surprising, but incredibly entertaining
Enjoyment: I love boarding school mysteries, so... yes.

Nestled in a small town in Virginia, there sits a prestigious all-girls boarding school catering to the elite. Appearances and social ties are everything, and these girls are primed for success at any cost.

Enter Ash, a girl with a secret and everything left to lose.

Ash has come to the Goode School to escape her tragic recent past and remake herself in the image of a Goode girl. Goode girls are honorable, smart, and polished. Goode girls are dedicated to their studies and are guaranteed spots at Ivy League schools. Goode girls can't afford to have setbacks or secrets.

But this "perfect" boarding school is built on secrets, hazing, and lies. Nothing is what it seems, and Ash finds herself not only in danger of revealing her true past but also getting crushed by Goode's other members—who have some serious qualms about an English girl one-upping them on their home turf.

I loved this devious, back-stabbing, girls' revenge mystery/thriller story. It definitely knows its audience, and it caters to us well. There is plenty of intrigue, hidden romance, double-crossing, atmospheric school stuff, and of course murder(s).

In particular, I loved the framing of the story—we have several POVs, and certain facts that I took for facts turned out to have different conclusions. Which was sometimes a nice surprise and sometimes an easily guessed—yet entertaining—reveal. I will say that I definitely guessed the largest mystery plot point, but I still kept reading because the story itself was so entertaining.

My main reluctance to rate this higher was due to the easy to guess plot points and the pacing. At times, this felt long. It IS long, but unlike some long books that feel short, this one feels as long as it is.

Come for the drama, stay for the drama! This is definitely a worthy inclusion into the genre of boarding school mysteries. I loved it.

I did not make it all the way through this book. I stopped at 32%. I did not find the story believable and I did not like any of the characters. I just wasn’t invested enough to continue.

GOOD GIRLS LIE was a twisty good read. Ash's story intrigued me and I found the beginning well-developed. I finished in a couple days and remained engaged throughout the read. There were lots of twists and turns at the end of the story, however that made me wonder if it was a bit much. But, I would read more from this author. Thank you Netgalley.

I LOVED Good Girls Lie. Boarding school novels are some of my favourites and Good Girls Lie takes that genre and delivers an addictive read that I could not put down!

You have rich girls, mean girls, decades of tradition, secret societies, newcomers with mysterious pasts and murder! What more could you ask for from a book!?

Secrets are currency at The Goode School. And the pupils, the Dean and teachers and the townspeople know how to use secrets and the past against each other in ways that make for a thrilling read. Ellison does an amazing job creating the atmosphere of the school and its place in the town, as well as developing the characters and the relationships they have with each other. Fans of The Secret History should love this read.

This book has cemented J.T Ellison as an auto-read author for me and I can't wait to read her next book.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin MIRA, and J.T. Ellison for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The massive, black, wrought iron gates to the school stand open in greeting for orientation day. Term starts tomorrow, Thursday, so Tuesday and Wednesday are set aside for students to get settled in the dorms, buy their books, sign up for activities and sports teams, hand over their phones, and otherwise run amok on campus, reuniting with their friends and making...Great Read Enjoy it very much

This one really intrigued me. I only read one other book by this author, and my feelings on both books are similar.

This book started out pretty good. It was very mysterious and interesting. Then, it eventually wasn't. I have the big reveal figured out pretty close to the beginning. So when it happened, it didn't surprise me. If I'm being honest, it was revealed without much fanfare after such a build up.

The characters eventually grated on my nerves. The book kept slowing down at parts. I found it hard to finish. I wasn't overly impressed with the writing either.

This book, for me, was just so-so. I wasn't a fan, but I didn't completely dislike it either.

Perched atop a hill in the tiny town of Marchburg, Virginia, The Goode School is a prestigious prep school. The story begins with a young girl found dead - murder or suicide? Then retraces the weeks and events preceding. Alliances, friendships, deceit - all things expected of girls regardless of their background. And then a twist.

A secluded boarding school, secret societies, and murder. What’s not to like? Will keep you entertained.

The setting of the book seems innocent enough. A teenage girl, Ash, has recently lost both of her parents and she leaves England to attend an elite all girls high school in the US. However, the school is full of secrets, despite the strict Honor Code, that requires all the girls to act in the best manner possible and report or self-report any indiscretions. It all begins to come apart when a teacher dies before classes even begin for the semester. This was not to be the last death of the semester....

I was enthralled with this book. Ash's past is complicated and her life on campus has not been made easy. I loved the setting! I have always loved the history and older buildings of the schools on the east coast and the description of the school is gorgeous! I could visualize the setting the entire time I was reading the book.

The book keeps you guessing until the very end. The only reason I did not give this book 5 stars is I was slightly confused by the ending and did not completely understand who the characters were so I didn't know if justice was fully served or who came out ahead.

Oh the mean girls are here! This book is a compulsive read with everything thrown in to each sordid chapter:secrets, lies, murder, suicide,affairs,hazing, alcohol, drugs, and so, so much more . Highly recommend this twisted read!