This was surprisingly moving in parts for what is essentially a family drama that feels like a thriller but really isn't one, in my opinion. Still the writing pressed me on like something shocking was coming and what's coming will maybe shock some people? It didn't shock me. There are so many family dramas (I think they're calling these books domestic thrillers?) that they're easy to read and move on from, but I liked the friendship between the women in this book and that stuck with me after reading it. Free e-book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

The truth can set you free, or make you a prisoner…

When Susie Lynes announced that her latest book was due for release I was very excited, as I always am when she makes that announcement, as I've loved all her previous work which have all been psychological thrillers, albeit each one different to the last. This one is so very much different from her others and when I read the blurb I wasn't sure I'd be able to handle it, as the subject was in danger of dredging up the past for me but, as it's one of my favourite authors, I had to at least give it a go and I'm so glad I did. I have to admit there were parts of the story that were the same and that did bring many tears, but the author told the story with so much compassion, understanding and authenticity that it shone through just how much research she had put into every part of this book and to put that all down on paper and produce the beautiful work of art that The Lies We Hide is, shows that she can turn her hand to any genre and create a masterpiece.

I felt every emotion possible for Carol's situation and was praying that she would be able to escape somehow and keep her children safe, my heart went out to Nicola and Graham and the life they had been born into and I breathed a sigh of relief when they were taken away from that, but that was just the start of everything that followed and the consequences that decision brought. It takes a very strong woman to do what she did and sacrifice everything for those she loved, but she knew there was no other way.

This is a story of love, hope, heartache, secrets and lies and I highly recommend that you read it. If I could, I would give it more than the max 5 stars because it deserves so many more.

I would like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

This is quite an emotive book especially as a lot of it I could relate too but I persevered and glad I did. Seeing the story through mum Carol"s perspective from when she met her abusive husband and how she escaped, how she slowly rebuilt her life, then from her daughter Nicolas perspective in the present at her mum's funeral recollecting her life. We also see her brother Graham's story how living with domestic violence effected him and how he finally dealt with his past and moved forward.

I liked the dual time aspects of this book. You have Nicola who has just lost her Mum, Carol and is trying to work out her childhood memories. Carol telling her own story and her escape from the marriage that became abusive. In between them both is Graham, Carol’s eldest and Nicola’s oldest brother who desperately wants to grow up nothing like his abusive father.
This was an enjoyable read and I liked how the story unfolded.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in change for an honest review.
#NetGalley #TheLiesWeHide

Just finished reading this book and it was excellent.

The story alternates between years and characters. The characters intertwine really well and I felt involved in the story which is always the sign of a great book. The death of the main character Carol brings everyone together for the funeral and there is a lie which has been hidden from Nicola all her life which now needs to be told.

Need to hear more about Richard, I think he has his own story to tell.

Thanks Netgalley and Bookouture for the chance to read in return for review.

I am a big fan of S E Lynes books but this one for me was very different. Not to say that I didn't enjoy it but this was a change of genre for this author. Her usual psychological thrillers have me hooked straight away and desperate to know how it ends. In The Lies We Hide the story was more emotional and character driven. I did enjoy it but it was much slower than I am used to.

The Lies We Hide is the story of a family and how they suffer a life with domestic violence. After Carol, the mother passes away, her daughter Nicola has to put the pieces back together and find out her mothers deepest secrets. We learn how Caol and her children escaped a violent husband and father physically, but mentally the pain never goes. How can they start again and have a normal life after living through that?

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased

What a brilliant read, there are lots of reasons why women stay with abusive partners and Carole fitted into the mold, she felt worthless, she loved her kids and her neighbours who helpt her through her most agonizing hours but she most definitely needed to get away, to stay alive and give her kids a chance of a normal life. She did manage to get away from her controlling violent bully of a husband but nothing was normal about their lives after they left and it never would be. There is so much going on in this book but it never gets confusing as the writing is superb. Another book by this author where you don't want it to finish but are desperate for a conclusion.

The truth can set you free, or make you a prisoner…

Thirty years ago, Nicola Watson lived with her parents and older brother in a respectable suburb. At ten years old, she didn’t yet understand why her stomach tightened when she heard her father’s heavy tread as he returned home late at night, or why it made her brother Graham’s stammer get worse, or why one night her mother Carol woke them both, wide-eyed and whispering, and took them out of their home and into the unknown.

Now a successful lawyer in the city, with a life poles apart from her dark beginnings, Nicola has returned home for her mother’s funeral. But as she stands in her mother’s house, remembering the woman who sacrificed everything for her children, Nicola has to confront the guilt that she feels for leaving her family behind. And the belief that she played a part in the events that led to her brother going to prison for murder.

All Carol wanted was to protect her children, but escaping her husband was only the beginning of the story. And when Nicola learns the truth of what her mother did, it will change everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.

****
Well. Where to start with this review. I must say this every time I read one of S E Lynes books!

I really don't know how she does it, but the pure magic of the author's writing transports you right into the heart of the story she is telling. You feel right to your bones, every emotion that the characters are going through.

My heart broke a million times for Carol, who is such a strong woman desperately trying to do what is right for her family, despite living through horrific domestic violence. Even after the violence is over, you still feel her trepidation at situations, expecting a 'crack' again for maybe saying or doing the wrong thing.

It broke for Nicola who knew things weren't right, but in the way children have, was able to pretend things weren't that bad.

And Graham.... god love him. From a boy who loved his mum, worshipped his little sister and loved his dad, but equally feared him and his temper, to the angry young man he became trying to deal with all his conflicting emotions, my heart broke over and over.

Each of the six books S E Lynes has written, are all so different, but the quality of what you are reading, never wavers. Her writing is something so special that I mourn when I finish her books as I know I have a while to wait until the next one.

As recommended as ever!

Successful barrister Nicola returns to her childhood home after the death of her beloved mother Carol. After the funeral, memories flood Nicola’s grieving mind as she relives the moments framed in that house. Wishing she could hold her mother one more time, say how much she loves her, and how grateful she is for saving them.

Mourning as she relives her childhood, trying to come to terms with the reality it was, and owning up to her own part in events that eventually unfolded…Nicola is about to be shaken by a dark secret finally confessed.

Graham, Carol’s first born and Nicola’s older brother. A life of feeling unworthy, his substance abuse and stutter, all proof of his emotional wounding. Imprisoned, plagued by guilt for not standing up to his father, and tortured by a fierce shameful regret for the buried sins of his past, we learn Graham’s story as he opens up about it to the jail Chaplain, Richard. Torn between what he chooses to remember and what actually was…Graham is about to clear his burdened conscience.

Carol, their mother. Domestic violence sufferer. Spouse abuse survivor. Years of suffering at the hands of her abusive husband Ted, have left Carol afraid, hopeless and terrified for the safety of her children, and in fear for her life. After another shameful drunken display, Ted’s aggression pushes Carol’s despair and worst nightmare to the point of no return. Deep in the dark of a still night, shaking in terror, she takes her children and leaves.

With the help and support of her best friend Pauline and her husband, and the new friendship of the absolute treasure Jim, Carol slowly starts to piece her life back together. Putting her children and their wellness above everything and everyone, Carol struggles to keep her little family above water and from the brink of drowning.

S. E. Lynes delivers a stunning, impactful, resonating, accurate narrative of the shameful secrecy and pure evil of domestic violence. How its trickling down descension affects everyone involved, playing and twisting the mind, shrouding everything in dark, cold fear. The characters are heart-wrenchingly authentic, the plot is rich and fast-paced, and the book wraps up with an added emotional curve ending.

The Lies We Hide is incredibly written. Close to my heart, it is a gut-gripping read - dark when necessary, yet it allows the light to enter the cracks when it comes time for it to shine on the much-needed healing of domestic violence survivors.

For anyone who has suffered in a domestic violence situation, or is in a toxic, abusive relationship, know that you are STRONG. You are not alone. There is help. There is hope.

Highly and unequivocally recommend The Lies We Hide as a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the read of S. E. Lyne’s, The Lies We Hide.

The opinions expressed in my reviews are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ ok stars

I’m in a minority here I realise however I found this to be very slow, and I couldn’t engage with any of the characters.

Because of the pace I had stuck with it thinking there would be a big twist however it never came. Yes there are a few small turns in the tale but it lacked that extra something.

An ok book that plods along.

This story revolves around the story of Carol and domestic abuse, in the past and present from multiple perspectives. Readers are able to hear of Carol's escape from her husband, and how she rebuilds her life with her two children. Uniquely, this story also addresses how domestic violence impacts all individuals over time, despite escaping the perpetrator. Overall, I will give this 4 stars purely because the story was interesting, but I felt that the story drug from the 60% mark to the 80% mark.

Special thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. A human tale of domestic violence and the repression felt on family members through the years. Told from the viewpoints of a mum living through it, her daughter (years later) and a prison chaplain, this story will pull you in and keep you reading. A testament to grit, determination and the importance of family, there were moments where I had a lump in my throat and were willing the characters on. An emotional read.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. Interesting book sharing the misery of domestic violence and the effect it has on the entire family. Carol was an abused wife who was trying to hold it together for her 2 children, Nicola and Graham, until it became unbearable and she left her husband. Going from different points of view from Carol in the past, Nicola in the present, and Richard, a chaplain in prison, who was helping Graham begin a new life while in prison kept things interesting. Carol has died and secrets were exposed helping her children move on in peace. I would recommend. This was my first book by this author and will check out more titles.

This is a different genre to what we normally expect from S. E. Lynes, but it was every bit as tense as her psychological thrillers.

It is essentially about the impact domestic abuse has on a family but it's also about healing, courage and hope. She shows us that the path of recovery and healing after leaving an abusive partner is often not straight forward and how the effects ripple out to many

"Something mysterious has happened here, something that has tied him irreversibly to Graham Watson, that has to do with love and forgiveness and the transformative nature of acceptance"

This book had some moments. I found the story disjointed. The lengths a mother would go for ones children. Is the central theme. Maybe it’s the time of year but I found it bleak and depressing, which it was. But this was not a book for me.

Wow! What a story. From terrible lives, lots of secrets, and lies to protect the ones you love, they found a future.
Fantastic book. Highly recommend

The Lies We Hide is an excellent read. S.E. Lynes incited joy, desperation, pain, sadness, hope, perspective, and understanding in one master piece. The plot was both concise and comprehensive. The dialogue was both realistic and comprehensible. I love a book with core content in each chapter that has me frequently pausing for introspection, highlights, and conflict that mirrors the characters dilemma. It was wildly relatable, if not with the events of the book, but with the emotions and attitudes that underlie them.
Please be aware that this novel may be sensitive for those who have witnessed or endured abuse, specifically physical. For those who are able to read content in this arena, it is precisely the kind of novel that edifies those unaware of hidden atrocities and how the effects of abuse and tragedy relentlessly permeate families that may seem otherwise stable.
I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy embarking on an emotional journey and perhaps unraveling your own clouded perspectives and chains along the way.

Carol is a victim of domestic abuse and runs away with her two children in the middle of the night as she fears for her life.
This story is told in different timelines and by different characters and I found it failed to keep my interest.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4
This was a well written book which was very meaningful. Quite a dark storyline and the different viewpoints flowed together very well. My only issue was it took me a while to get into this book and I found it a bit hard going.

“ The Lies We Hide”’ by SE Lynes is a beautifully written story that has you rooting for Carol, wishing for a friend like Pauline, a good man like Jim and someone to be there when your child needs an ear like Chaplain Richard Graham.
It’s a story of how three secrets forever changed this family’s lives.

Carol was just a teen when she got pregnant by Ted and they were married. It’s now 1984 and after years of his drinking, abuse, embarrassing behaviors, Carol feels mostly disgust when she looks at him. After attending her best friend Pauline’s wedding reception, where Ted passed out, Carol meets Jim and it gives her an inner strength to face the upcoming struggles she will face. After returning home that night, Ted attacks her while she is bathing and it is the final straw.
What follows is Carols’ struggle to survive with two children a story many DV victims can relate to. Her eldest son Graham has inherited his fathers’ temper as well as substance abuse. Nicola her daughter is the opposite, she is determined to have a better life and is always studying.
This book describes the constant fear of an abuse victim- from listening to his tone when he comes home, to his reaction to your dress, your lipstick, the constant looking over your shoulder when you do leave and then the guilt and second guessing if you have done the right thing.
The patience the chaplain has with Graham and how they both helped each other is beautifully written as well.
As you may guessed- I liked this book. This would be a great book club or group read.
Thank you to #netgalley and the publishers for the free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.