This book was so good! I had no idea how much it was suck me in, it was definitely a pleasant surprise! Perfect amount of twists and turns, captivating writing, and unpredictable. Have already recommended to a few friends.

I have always loved Lynes’ books. Her writing is descriptive, captivating and all her previous titles managed to shock me with the twists. This one was different. It wasn’t about the twists and shocking reveals but it was more of a quiet story that ran deep.

Carol has two kids, Graham and Nicola. She was married to a horrible man and lived a life of constant fear and pain. Her story is narrated through two main timelines. One is set in the past and details events as they happen. The second timeline is in the present but narrated through flashbacks. These two narrative styles help in bringing different perspectives to the story. We get to see events unfold through her eyes but we also get to see her marital woes through her daughter’s eyes.

As with Lynes’ other titles, there are a couple of surprises along the way. Without revealing much, let me just say that I was particularly intrigued by Graham’s story. We get Nicola’s story but her brother’s is shrouded in mystery and its clear that something major happened to alter the course of his life. I couldn’t guess exactly what it was and the reveal made my jaw drop.

Due to the themes in this story, there is a lot to think about. The theme of domestic abuse is well portrayed hence giving the perspective of the different people it affected such as friends, children and of course the spouses. I especially liked the theme of family and second chances.

The ending was brilliant. It was unpredictable and simply satisfactory. I read this book in December but the characters and events have stayed with me since then. Its such a poignant, memorable read.

The Lies We Hide by S. E. Lynes is a story about love, betrayal, pain, loss, family and second chances. It’s definitely a story that will appeal to different readers because it is quite a relatable read.

Every SE Lines book is so well written with gripping storylines that really get the reader thinking. This story is no different. It's a harrowing read at times but it poses some important questions about abuse and control. The characters are extroidinarily well developed and I felt compelled to turn the pages every step of the way.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read the ARC.

Our lives are shaped by the decisions we make when young. This book is a hard hitting look at one family and how their lives evolved from two young people in love and expecting to the dark side of life that families hide so well. Told from differing perspectives, the journey they travelled together is compelling. This is not a book you will want to read a couple of chapters at a time. SE Lynes has given this reader a thought provoking story that I'm still thinking about several days after I finished. I'm definitely sharing this one with my reading buddies.

This one is quite the page turner! It is told from multiple view points and it bounces to 3 different time periods. Each chapter ends with a little tidbit of information to keep you wanting more. I loved how it always kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to find it what happens next. There are so many twists and turns that continue all the way to the end. This is definitely a good choice if you want a page turner with a bit of mystery intertwined!

What a haunting read. No, I don't mean that in the spooky sense, but rather the feelings it left me with. Carol is a wife and mother, in the grips of a emotionally and physically abusive relationship. After a last straw incident, she escapes with her children. But the things they saw and endured have shaped them, and they carry their fear and shame and guilt and pain with them into their future. Things don't suddenly get better just because they break away. In fact, this is where their real struggles begin. They have to figure out how to live their lives and make peace with each other and with themselves. My heart hurt for the son, Graham, the most. Quiet, but with a rage boiling just under the surface, he and his mother fear that he has his father's blood running through his veins. He ends up in prison, seeming to fulfill his prophecy. Nicola, the daughter, has taken a far opposite path. She is studious and determined to make a good life for herself. But, there are secrets to learn and lies to be discovered. Above anything else, there is a lot of love here. There are sacrifices they each made and everyone is just trying to do the right thing, but not always in the right way. It is messy and complicated, and it is genuine.

★★★ 3.5 stars

I really should have paid more attention to the genre when requesting this book. But to be honest, all I saw was the name S.E. Lynes and quickly (and incorrectly) assumed it was another psychological thriller, that the author is synonymous for. Instead THE LIES WE HIDE is a somewhat dark family drama more in line with chick lit genre. But don't be fooled - it is not a "feel good" fiction story. It is dark, evocative and even a little gritty.

1968: The story opens with a young teenage couple, Carol and Ted, at fairground in Blackpool. It soon becomes clear that Carol is pregnant, judging from her refusal to accompany Ted on one of the more adrenaline-fueled rides, where Ted then dramatically yells out a proposal to her. And so Carol's story begins.

1984: Carol returns home from a friend's wedding to find her brother sleeping on the couch and her husband Ted in a drunken stupor on the bed. Her two children, Graham and Nicola (Nicky), are thankfully asleep. Carol takes the opportunity to enjoy a nice long soak in the bath after what turned out to be a rather eventful night. Then...

"A creak on the landing. She curls up. The water swishes loud in the tub; she cringes at the noise. Ted. He's woken up. He's woken up and he's-

The bathroom door flies open. Ted. Eyes bloodshot and wild, blind but seeing, a look full of hate aimed only at her. His nose wrinkles, his hand shoots out in front of him, a starfish of fingers. She shrieks, folds herself smaller still, arms over her head, eyes closed. The smell of whisky goes up her nose, whisky and smoke, sweat and pubs. This is it. She has not got away with it. The punishment is now."

Carol made herself a promise to herself as Ted shoved her face underwater, holding here there until she was barely conscious. She has just enough strength to gather the thought - "If I survive tonight, this is it. We're leaving." When it was all over, trembling and in pain, Carol crawled out of the bath. Gathering her remaining strength, she then woke her sleeping children, packed up their lives and left Ted and his violent drunken abuse behind.

2019: Nicola is now a successful London barrister returning to her family home in Merseyside to attend her mother's funeral. In the ensuing days, she reflects back on the life she shared with her mother and older brother Graham. She remembers the sacrifices her mother made for them, ensuring her daughter received a good education even while her son had fallen through the cracks to become a stranger to them both.

The night they fled their father changed everything for them...but especially Graham. He became withdrawn, silent and moody...no longer stuttering because he hardly ever spoke to them. Nicola recalled how she missed her older brother in those dark days as he continued to withdraw from them. More and more he snuck out at night, taking up with a rough crowd, smoking weed until eventually even that wasn't enough and he needed the harder drugs to escape the guilt and the shadows that followed him. Even her mother sacrificing her own happiness with someone who truly loved her and wanted to take care of her, in the hope her son would somehow find his way back to them wasn't enough.

Jim Mackay, a lovable gentle giant of a man, first set eyes on Carol at that wedding decked out in full Scottish regalia. Carol immediately felt something deep within as she danced in Jim's arms...and felt a frisson of excitement at his touch. She knew he was different. But she also knew that what he wanted, what she wanted, was forbidden. Ted would kill her. As it happens, he very nearly did when she returned home that night...and in the days, weeks and months she wondered if Jim ever thought of her as she did him. So when he turned up a year later at their new home, Graham was furious at the intrusion and somehow perceived Jim as a threat. Jim stayed a week before Carol asked him to leave, in an attempt to reach out to her son.

Then one night shortly after Jim's departure, the police knocked at Carol's door. A body had been found beaten to death outside a pub frequented by her estranged husband. It was Ted. Torn in her grief for the man he used to be, Carol was relieved at no longer fearing he would find her and carry out his threat to kill her. Shortly after, Carol, Nicky and Graham moved back to the house that had been their home for so long.

But this is not the end. Carol's story, and Nicola's and Graham's - their stories were only just beginning.

Told from three different perspectives in the past and the present, we see into the very hidden depths of our three narrators' souls - Nicola in the present, with the earlier narratives by Carol and Richard, the prison chaplain who helped Graham find his wings so he could truly fly upon release. Each of them reveal secrets about themselves privy only to the reader, their guilt, their shame, their heartache, their grief. Parts of their narratives are incredibly raw and so emotional it is hard not to shed a tear. Each of them are flawed but that is what makes them so real.

Complex and evocative, THE LIES WE HIDE is about a family and their secrets, their suffering, their heartache and their pain. It is about the scars that domestic abuse leaves behind, long after the threat has gone. The story is riddled with guilt and shame which is at the forefront of much of this incredibly sad tale. Whilst also woven into the tapestry is grief. Reading Nicola's raw and heartbreaking grief at the loss of her mother, her guilt at not being there at the end, is so powerful so heartbreaking I was in tears. Her pain is so evident I could reach out and touch it myself.

A well-written heartbreaking tale, THE LIES WE HIDE is not a fast paced read but it is a good one. It evoked a wealth of emotions as the story progressed that it was so easy to relate to each of the characters. You sympathised and yet you felt anger amidst heartbreak and grief. By the end, I had suspected one of the twists all along and had an inkling about the other. But the biggest shock were the secrets (ok, so I suspected one) they each kept to themselves at the end in the lies that they hid from each other...that left me with a feeling of sadness interwoven with understanding.

I have to mention Graham's poem to Richard. Whilst it was a lighthearted attempt at deep heartfelt gratitude, I found myself in tears reading the depth of emotion within those few lines.

THE LIES WE HIDE is not just about abuse and despair, but about a mother's unconditional love for her children and her determination to give them a better life free of fear and dread. It's about love, redemption, forgiveness and moving on.

While I may have begun this book anticipating a psychological thriller, I was glad I read it. It certainly wasn't what I expected.

I would like to thank #SELynes, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheLiesWeHide in exchange for an honest review.

This is SE Lynes first family drama having previously written some stunningly brilliant psychological thrillers and The Lies We Hide proves what a talented author she is.

This is a story of a family grieving the death of Carol, a determined and strong single mother who endured violence and abuse during her marriage and finally escaped with her two children.

However leaving her violent past behind causes a ripple effect of unimaginable consequences for her children.

Narrated by her daughter in present day and by Carol in the past, The Lies We Hide, brings the Green/Watson family to life in a believable and credible way.

Domestic Violence runs throughout the story, so readers who find this subject upsetting or a trigger should be warned that whilst the author writes with sympathy and does not focus too heavily on the violence, some scenes are upsetting and disturbing.

In my opinion The Lies We Hide is a gripping and emotional family drama and I would definitely recommend it.

Although it deals with a very serious issue (spousal abuse), this book gets everything right and should be considered a must-read. The author does a phenomenal job illustrating how personal choices can affect others without being preachy or overbearing. The reader gets the point solidly through the characters’ experiences, and those are artfully written. The importance of belief in someone and the conviction that an action is the right one (even if it seems to be wrong) are also well-explained. This novel affected me deeply, and I highly recommend it. For more details, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of this book.

This is a very emotional story of a family affected by domestic abuse. I did find the different timelines a bit confusing but that did not stop this book being a great story about survival. I recommend it

A very moving story about a family who has been through some really rough times. I love SE Lynes work and can't wait to read even more from her.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this Arc.
Nicola, a successful lawyer, is home for her mother's funeral. She reminisces about the life she left with her mother and brother. She remembers the abuse her mother suffered at the hands of her father. The huge sacrifices her mother endured for her children.
This was an extremely emotional book. But that ending......wow!!! An unputdownable book and one I highly recommend.

The change in style for this author took me completely by surprise. A pleasant surprise that is. An extremely well-crafted storyline that I found really quite touching and emotional. I really can't recommend this book highly enough.

Many thanks to Netgalley and TBC for a copy of this ARC for which I have given my voluntary and unbiased review.

I love SE Lynes and The Lies We Hide was amazing! I was glued to my kindle from the very first page and I didn’t sleep until the very last page! As a mother this book just echos what we as moms will do to protect our children. My heart aches for Carol and his kids and I was looking over my shoulder as much as they were through out this book. Now do you know when you read an ending and you are like “OMG that was the best ending ever” that is the way SE Lynes ends The Lies We Hide. I literally turned to my husband when I was done and was like “that was flipping amazing!”

From the first page I was glued to this book. Carol flees her home in the middle of the night with her children...she has no where to go but she knew she had to keep them safe and herself alive. This book touched a lot on domestic violence and what you will do as a mother to make sure your children are ok. I did not see the twist coming at the end- fantastic.

The Lies We Hide was an emotional rollercoaster from start to end. I have read many by S.E.Lynes over the last couple of years and look forward to her psychological thrillers, so this is a very different book, more character and emotion driven and although I don’t really read a lot of books in this genre I did find myself quickly rooting for this family.
We start with Carol who has been married to Ted for years and have two children, Carol is the victim of domestic abuse and although her eldest knows she tries to keep it hidden from her younger daughter. The abuse gets worse and after one particular event Carol manages to sneak the children out of bed and out of their fathers lives for ever, but has she really managed to do this?
This was an emotional read and the twists along the way with what Carol’s son, Graham did to ensure his younger sister got the life she deserved was riveting. There was a few time lines going but they weren’t confusing at all as it had been written so well.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I could not even get thru first few chapters because of all the words and terms used that I had no idea what they meant.

Thank you so much again to Bookouture for the absolute pleasure of reading SE Lynes's book the Lies we Hide. What a fabulous read that I cannot recommend enough. The story takes us back and forth through the life of Carol and her children. Carol was a victim of domestic abuse. The tale is told from different perspectives from the eighties, eighties and the present day. We can see how the trauma of domestic abuse can ripple through the lives of the each family member. Carols son Graham tries his best to protect his mother and younger sister Nicola, but at what cost. Ted is a bully and must be stopped from hurting his family. There is detrimental effects from Ted's abuse for years to come. A brilliant novel. This author is one to watch.

A touching read about one family’s journey to escape from a troubled past.
While I loved the book on the whole, I found my attention wandering at times...Though I had guessed the ending, there were some unexpected twists that added interest.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Fast paced, heartbreaking story of abuse and survival. When Carol is almost drowned by her husband Ted while taking a bath one night she realizes she must get herself and her two children out of the situation immediately. Leaving with little more than the clothes on their backs, Carol and her two children try to start over and get past the abuse they’ve seen and endured. The story is told from different points of view and gives you insight into how abuse can change someone’s view of the world, especially a child. Beautifully written, heartfelt story that had me crying more than once. Highly recommended.