I’m very sorry but I just could not get into this book. I read about one third and finally just put it back. I’m sure it’s a good one for anyone who likes this kind of book and I should have read more of what it was about. It just didn’t hold my interest at all.
It seemed the characters were likable and the author did a good job of writing it but like I said, it just was not my kind of story.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the eARC for my honest review.

I’ll give it 3 stars because I think many will like it and because it seems well written with likable characters.

I stayed through it and I am glad I did because the last three/four chapters made up for the first ten. But not enough for me to give this more than a 2.5/3 (a little better than okay). Each chapter starts with a journal entry by Allie in 2000/2001 then it goes into the action that start in the 1980's and end in contemporary time with the journal entries. Allie is a 32 year old mother of two whose marriage has fallen apart. The journal entries are related to this part of the story and the rest is the story of her and her friends from college and how we get to the present.

The underlying theme of the story is that no one can be honest with each other or themselves. Throughout the 14 years of this story we encounter infidelity, rape, abortion, alcohol abuse, miscarriages, as well as weddings, children, and redemption.

I was not a fan of the journal entries. They seemed more to detract from the story than help me as a reader. If anything they made me like Allie less. This is one of those "truth will set you free" books and it was okay. THe characters seemed very real and both behaviors and reactions to events felt true.

I enjoyed following along with the story of these 4 girls and their relationships with each other as well as the men in their lives throughout the years. My only issue was the journal entries added in throughout the novel. The writing of these was very different than the rest of the novel, and the entries made me dislike the character of Allie.

This was an enjoyable book which would appeal to those who enjoy reading novels about friendships and how they evolve throughout the seasons of our lives, The characters drew me in and I found myself wanting to read more about their own stories.


Thank you Netgalley for this ARC and the opportunity to give my honest review.

Intriguing story about friendship and self exploration and finding one's self. The girls/women are all complicated, yet simple people who find their way back to each other in an interesting journey of ups and downs.

Allie, Megan, Tess and Zoe meet in College in the late 80s. This book follows their growth, friendship and relationships thru 2001.

I did not, could not connect with any of these characters. The book was overly descriptive and overly wordy. Long sentences and longer chapters. I read this on my kindle and am not sure if the font added to the slow pace of this book. I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn’t connect. Feeling generous with the 3 star rating.

Thanks to NetGalley and AuthorBuzz for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

This book was full of relatable characters and situations. It made you not feel so alone in the world. It was beautifully written and will definitely need to be reread at another point in my life when I most need it.

“It’s a rare thing to truly understand another persons experience.”

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I grabbed this after the publication date and then forgot about it.

It was a little slow to start but once it got going, I was hooked! I very much enjoyed the interweaving of the women, no matter where they are or what is going on in their lives, they remain connected. I felt that some of the characters could have been fleshed out a little more, but I didn't feel that necessarily took away from the story, I was simply interested in finding out more about their lives and back stories.

Over all, an enjoyable and quick read!

Sigh. This is the type of book that I hope to avoid. I found myself needing to reread parts to figure out who was who for more than half of the book. The characters felt bland and indistinguishable from one another. And the story left me wanting... a lot more than it was ready to deliver. I'm not exactly sure how (or even why) I finished this book, but here we are.

I felt this book to be relatable as the struggles presented are some of the same ones we all face, however I felt that the journal entries interspersed through the book actually took away from the story line, If the journal entries tied in a bit better it would have been a better book in my opinion.

I couldn’t get into this book. I was interested from the description but when I started it, I was easily distracted and couldn’t get into it. The story dragged on and the timeline was confusing, I had to pass. Hopefully next book will be better.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

In "The Truth is a Theory," Bristol tackles issues common to many women as we move from one season of life to another, all the while clinging onto to the friendships we hold dear, the dreams we want to realize and the realities that often bump either/both of those things to the side, temporarily or otherwise. Bristol's prose is introspective, well-crafted and easily consumable (as one can tell from the many positive reviews!). For myself, I found the story engaging and relatable on many levels. In fact, I saw parts of me in each of the women and it was refreshing to see Bristol shed light on both the light-hearted and darker aspects of each of the characters, letting the readers truly see what each of the women struggles with.

While told primarily from Allie's point of view, Bristol dives deep into each character, so we are able to see, feel, understand how each woman processes, rationalizes and presents her own version of the truth to the outside world and how she actually feels it on the inside.

Some notes: At times I thought that Allie's journal entries were going to lead us, like two parallel paths narrowing ever closer, to the pinnacle moment that explains how her marriage got to its breaking point--which she doesn't actually do. I'm still on the fence on how much value the journal entries added. Particularly when juxtaposed with the level of character development Bristol is able to achieve with the three other women without using that same approach. Could the same depth have been achieved through a different manner of storytelling and been, perhaps, a bit less disjointed? Perhaps.

Moreover, I wasn't totally sold on the long-term affair between Zoe & Tess's husband. Nor did I find it completely believable that (1) Tess didn't know, or suspect, the affair much earlier than it came to a head in the novel and; (2) Tess and Zoe were able to repair their relationship to the point we get to at the end of the novel. While I can find some believable aspects of (eventually) forgiving your spouse, forgiving a lifelong friend for that kind of betrayal (the affair went on for years) is a different level of.... maturity (?), unrealistic goals (?) that I'm not sure the average gal could relate or, or get to in real life. While I'd love to think I could be the bigger person and forgive that type of deep betrayal, I'm not sure Tess and Zoe had that type of relationship. Which leads me to wonder: what was the underlying damaging trauma that occurred in Zoe's life such that she chose a life of solitude and unfulfilling and toxic sexual relationships? We still don't quite understand that.

On balance, I found Bristol's novel highly relatable, endearing, easily consumable and well-written. While I have some misgivings about the use of Allie's journal entries, it wasn't so distracting as to turn me off from the novel. And I do think that many readers will find this novel highly enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and AuthorBuzz for an ARC of this novel. 3.5 stars!

From the present going forward and from the past going forward. This is how each chapter of this book is written. We meet Allie as her husband informs her that he is moving out and ending their marriage. Each subsequent chapter begins with Allie’s current situation of coming to terms with raising her kids and living without her husband. Then, each chapter goes back to previous times in Allie’s life, high school, college and so on and chronicles her life with her 3 friends. In this manner, we learn about Allie’s life and why she is where she is when her husband leaves. This book is well written and thought provoking about relationships and what we think we know to be true.

As much as I tried to like it, I had to DNF <I> The Truth is a Theory</I> at about 39%. Which isn't great because I have been trying to read it for 2 months. Yikes. The concept of 4 college friends navigating life together is right up my alley. But I kept getting confused with the characters. The story line jumps from character to character in present day and back in college years, and I just kept forgetting. I couldn't get a handle on it. As much as I hate to not give a book a review until I have read it from cover to cover, I just couldn't spend much more time on it.

What a read! I refuse to talk about the characters too much in order to not take sides or reiterate something telling from the story. I've putting this on my book-club list because there is SO much to discuss. It's more than a book about a group of friends, it really makes you ask yourself the hard questions about what you believe, why you believe it, and what is okay to share with others, consequences and all. Fabulous read.

Allie Sexton is stunned when her husband Dana walks out, leaving her with the kids and a broken heart. She starts journaling in an effort to make sense of her life, starting all the way back to when her mother disappeared when Allie was only four. Relying on Megan, her best friend from college, Allie is able to work through her insecurities and is able to be part of Megan’s support system when needed. The other two ladies in their group of friends, Tess and Zoe, are in love with the same man, and their friendship is damaged because of Gavin.

I appreciated the strong friendship between these four women. The characters were well developed and realistic, the situations believable, and the book really makes you think about relationships in general, and your girlfriends in particular. Allie’s journal entries, interspersed with her real life, show her fear of abandonment and her willingness to recognize her pain and work through it to heal her broken marriage. It’s an interesting and compelling read that left me wanting more.

I felt the story dragged. the journal entries were unnecessary, and the timeline was confusing at times.

I *loved* this book. It's a depiction of the lives of various women, from their college years into adulthood, wrestling with relationships, friendships, careers, children and more. It's messy at times, and there are times I hated some -- or all -- of the characters, but that's why it felt so real. I found myself wanting to pull my friends closer after finishing this book.

This was a book I am not sure I would have never picked up, but did a receive a eGalley of this. This fits all my criteria of what peeks my interest but never really saw it being discussed the in the book world.

This book takes place over 13 months, when we begin the main character Allie’s husband is starting the process of a separation. Each chapter captures a journal entry from Allie and then goes back to a time in their relationship. This is a not a book all about marriage, this also centers around her and her group of friends that she has had since college.

The timeline is a little wonky but the author does a clear job of marking where we are exactly. And once we leave Allie’s journals behind then we quickly skip through many point’s of view. I found this book a little hard to keep up with at time.


Overall, I enjoyed the book, the story was engaging and kept me wanting to read this. This is a deeper story at times, but does have an air of lightness especially when the story revolves the female friendships. This book will also give you a lot to think about and even discuss.

Thank you NetGalley and Wooden Dock Press for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An engaging novel that follows four young women from their freshman year of college through young adulthood, marriage, and parenthood.

Allie, Megan, Tess, and Zoe all meet as freshmen. The beautiful Allie was deserted by her mother when she was very young, and has a strained relationship with her father. Her boyfriend from boarding school, Dana, is the one constant in her young life, but with him absorbed in his studies at Princeton, Allie’s affections sometimes roam. Beautiful New Yorker Zoe hides her insecurities behind a veneer, and falls in love with the impossibly gorgeous Gavin. Megan and Tess often remain in the shadows of their more self-confident, wilder friends. Until Tess shocks their friend group with a huge betrayal.

Although Allie and Dana start real life—marriage, suburbia, babies—much sooner than their friends, their marriage hits a rocky spot while the others play catch-up. While Allie is ostensibly the main character, all the characters’ stories are told.

The narrative and dialogue during their college years in the 1980s seems strained and contrived at times, but the author really hits her stride describing early family life. One morning of Allie’s life as the mother of two toddlers is so realistic, it erased any sentimental longing I harbored for those years.

Watching the characters grow, and grow closer to each other despite the hurtful mistakes they make, renders this novel unforgettable. It ends in July 2001, and I nervously waited for the other shoe to drop as these New York financiers experienced 9/11. Perhaps a sequel? #NetGalley #TheTruthIsATheory