I REALLY liked this book-so much so that I stayed up much to later reading instead of sleeping! I thoroughly enjoyed NYC pre 9/11 as the setting and then having 9/11 part of the plot and basically become a character in the story, a metaphor for Cecily’s life and how it unfolds. This is a quick read-perfect for summer or self-quarantine-and well-written, well plotted and has a wonderfully satisfying conclusion. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for #theliesthatbind to read and review.

I'm not sure what it is about our present moment with the coronavirus that makes 9/11 novels feel so perfectly appropriate; perhaps it's that the same general air of fear and uncertainty pervaded life in 2001, just as it does now. Regardless, I found this to be a surprisingly timely and strangely comforting read, despite the predictability of the plot. (Maybe that is also its own kind of comfort these days.)

One of the best Emily has written! I loved the 9/11 aspect and seeing how that played out from the perspectives of the characters. This one moved quick and kept me interested throughout, and wasn't too heavy on the political aspects of 9/11.

While the web between Cecily, Matthew, Grant, and Amy seemed farfetched, it worked so well for this story and made me gasp a few time as new information was revealed. Also, the ending was everything I wanted and more!

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Very well written story about a girl, Cicely Gardner, who makes a choice while sitting in a bar late at night. All is well or so it seems until she starts to find out who this guy really is. They fall in love, then he disappears when the towers are bombed in New York City. This story takes a lot of twists and turns and kept me guessing all the way to the end. I liked the book and would recommend it to others. .

This book is like a train wreck. It is a bit all over the place, and so absurd at times. But I couldn’t freaking put it down because OMG! I was really into Cecily and Grant’s build up of their relationship, and you sort of know what is going to happen to Grant based on the book synopsis…so that isn’t a surprise. There are a few twists to the book, I saw every single one of them coming, so it is a bit predictable. That part didn’t bother me. But there was some serious Jerry Springer shit happening here. And maybe too many coincidences. I feel like the book was rushed a bit in parts. And I don’t even know how I feel about the ending.

Bottom Line: I don’t really know how to rate this one. The chemistry between Cecily and Grant in the beginning, as well as not being able to put it down deserves 4-5 stars. But the rest of the book, ehhhhhh. I am going to call it 3 stars. If you are a Giffin fan, I wouldn’t pass it up. I am still thinking about the book, so that says something. But I was also left a little disappointed too? If you have read this, talk to me!

**I received a copy of The Lies That Bind from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

Ok...well...so...not really sure what to say about this book. It’s a fast read for sure, but it’s all over the place. As this cover is nothing special, neither is this book. 2.5 stars.

So many different scenarios going on...girl dumps boy, girl meets another boy, 9/11 happens, girl loses boy, and so on....and there is much more. Almost every scenario that you can imagine happen, does. As I’m reading this, I’m scratching my head that almost 30 year old Cecily is this clueless, especially since she’s journalist ... trained to ask questions and look deep into stories.

Characters are one dimensional, immature. Situations are far fetched, writing isn’t what I expect from this author. This book is good for the beach as it’s easy to pick up and put down.

I love this author, and will definitely read her again, but I’m sorry to say this book wasn’t up to her usual standards. Thanks to Ms. Giffin, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

I have always enjoyed Emily Giffin's books, however, I have mixed feelings about this one. It was a fast read. I was never bored. I just felt like it was a little predictable. It's a fine story. I liked the characters. I didn't hate the book. I just didn't LOVE it. Thank you for the early read.

Actual rating: 3.5 out of 5

I believe the low rating for this book has to do with the author's comments about Meghan Markle or because of the use of 9/11 as a backdrop. Did I think this book was her best? No. But do I think it deserves the low rating? No. The first half of the book was true Giffin writing. There's love, secrets, lies and heartbreak. Reading about 9/11 was difficult but I understand why it was part of the story. I enjoyed the book but it's not my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Emily Giffin for a copy of "The Lies that Bind" in exchange of an honest review.

I was given an advanced copy of this book by Net Galley and honestly didn't even read the publisher's summary beforehand. I just saw Emily Giffin had a new book out and dove in because I love her books. So I went in completely blind and maybe that's why I was so shocked about the twists. I didn't see them coming! I finished this book in 6 hours because I could not put it down. I raved about it to my friends afterward. And then I came here and read the reviews and I'm starting to feel like I'm in the minority! 🤷‍♀️

The first two chapters had me feeling all warm and fuzzy and I loved Grant and Cecily's little meet-cute. I believed in the two of them as a couple, I trusted Grant's feelings for her, and I never saw him as a bad guy. Were there things that were a little suspicious? Sure. But I was 100% rooting for them!!

The book is set in NYC in the year 2001 (although you aren't really told its 2001 in the beginning...you just know it's late 90s/early 2000s) so you get so many great early 2000s references sprinkled throughout. I loved that. And since I didn't read what this book was actually about before I started it, when the 9/11 twist hit I was shocked! I had no idea it was 2001 until that moment. Before that, I'd only known it was September.

When Grant disappeared on 9/11 I was crushed. Like, full-stop, what just happened, why are you doing this to me?! (Again, didn't see it coming since I didn't read the premise.) So the second half of the book definitely had a much different vibe than the first half. While the first part was full of bursting heart emojis (so to speak) the second took a somber vibe that ended up twisting itself up into a big mystery.

I understood Cecily's actions for the most part in regards to how she handled losing Grant. Yes, she was a little wishy-washy with her feelings for Matthew and Grant but under the circumstances, I could see how it could happen. I never lost faith in Grant even when things didn't look so good for him. I loved all the mysteries that were unraveled in the end how Giffin found a way to wrap it all up so that you are left satisfied.

Another thing I loved? We get a cameo from Darcy, Rachel and Ethan (from Something Borrowed and Something Blue) back in their college days, pre-Dex. I love it when they make an appearance in Giffin's books! Is Something Blue EVER going to get made?! They've been talking about it for years now and I'm about to give up hope.

This book had everything I love--chance meetings, true love, surprises, twists, turns and a little mystery! Plus the nostalgia of it being set in 2001 kind of clinched it for me. It also gave me some insight into what it was like living in New York City on 9/11.

I really loved this book and gave it 5 stars the second I finished it. Emily Giffin knows how to keep you turning pages.

I liked the book and would recommend it. It is an easy read and shows that when one door closes in life another one whether it is positive or negative or both opens. It shows how Cecily grew as a woman, a reporter and mother.

This was as great read that emphasizes the importance of knowing when someone is too good to be true. Cecily's rebound relationship suddenly ends when Grant disappears amidst the chaos of 9/11. When Cecily sees a poster and realizes that someone else is looking for him, she becomes determined to find out who Grant really is and what he is hiding.

I may have a new favorite Emily Giffin book! The Lie that Binds was exactly what I needed to get me out of my reading slump. I started this book before bed and read it straight through up until the wee hours of 4 am. Such a great story and I was so unsure of what would happen and what I even wanted to happen at times. I loved all 3 main characters; Cecily, Grant and Matthew. I loved seeing Ethan, Rachel and Darcy make appearances. This book reminded me of her early work and I for one think Giffin hit this one out of the park! 5 stars!

Emily Giffin is back! I've adored her work since the early days, but have been somewhat disappointed by her most recent efforts. But I can safely say with this most recent book that she is back in the game. I really enjoyed this one.

Yes, this book was somewhat predictable, but you really couldn't put it down. It was a fast, light easy read and the characters were worth investing in. You could see every "twist" coming a mile away but sometimes you just need to read some fluff in between the harder stuff. Ultimately, I really enjoyed this one, but I didn't love it.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review.

***Book provided by Netgalley for a free review.***
Amazing book, fantastic character development from the start. Giffin's stories are always so easy to get absorbed into that its hard to put it down. The story keeps moving in a pleasant way that keep you wondering about each character choices.

I LOVED The Lies that Bind! Think of it as Me Before You by Jojo Moyes “chick lit style”. I was deeply enthralled and could not turn the pages fast enough to see what would happen next. In fact, I told my family that I was reading a REALLY GOOD book and to leave me alone until I finished it. I then sat on the deck of my pool and read until I eagerly and happily finished the last page. I loved the easy and refreshing writing style, the romantic and emotional storyline and plot, and the relatable characters and intricate relationships. It was a perfect read, exactly what I wanted and was looking for!

I really like Emily’s books, she gives you the romance but with real life situations that it doesn’t feel like a typical fictional romance novel, if i am even making sense right lol. Anyway so Cecily is a small town girl loving in NYC, she’s a reporter, and she’s newly single!!! She meets this man named Grant and everything changes for her.

Grant is nothing like her ex Matthew, and I was all for it! (That’s my favorite line by the way) anyway, everything about Grant is just different for her, he likes nature, he’s simple, not a huge city person like Matthew. But like always, not everything is as it seems. Grant isn’t what he seems and that really bothered me, i felt so bad for Cecily, I was like “wow this woman can’t watch a BREAK!”

She ends up finding out things about Grant and with the whole 9/11 thing happening I knew she was going crazy, hoping he wasn’t one of the victims. The book moved rather quickly after that, Cecily went through so many things, this is a thing with me, I love a protagonist that stands her ground even if she’s wrong about things and who also finds herself in the midst of chaos.

I really enjoyed this book, thank you Emily Giffin, NetGalley and Random House and Ballantine Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I received a complimentary copy of The Lies that Bind from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

First, I need to express that I have read numerous Emily Griffin novels, and had forgotten how much I love this author!! She makes you care about the characters and become so involved in the storyline that you almost feel withdrawal after finishing one of her books. I loved all the deception and secrecy, which I did not even see coming until it happened. Well written, a true to life story which just adds to Emily Griffin's collection of fantastic novels, this title should be read by any reader interested in mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a advanced copy of this book, all thoughts and reviews are my own. First of all I absolutely loved this book. Cecily is at the bar and meets a guy who is quite charming. I loved when he asked her name, if he would like it as he would be saying it a lot. Swoon.
They end up spending the night and events of 911 happen....Cecily tries to find Grant, however her investigative skills tell her more than she wanted to know. Great read!

I just finished The Lies that Bind by Emily Giffin. I became a fan when I read All We Ever Wanted so I was very excited to read her newest book.. The main character Cecily, a journalist in New York has just broken up with her boyfriend Michael. Stopping at a bar, she meets Grant has drinks and he ends up in her apartment. Grant has a twin who has ALS. Feel from this point on the plot throws every kind of storyline into the book including 9/11. I do not remember being so disappointed in a book. I felt like I was reading a soap opera. Then the ending. This book just did not work for me. My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Giffin's latest novel is about the tangle of lies that, once begun, becomes harder and harder to extricate yourself from. Cecily moved from Wisconsin to New York in search of the glamorous life of a journalist. She almost had it all - a decent job, a loving boyfriend - until she and Matthew broke up because he couldn't see marriage in his future and Cecily felt like he was holding out for someone better. When she decides to stop wallowing at home and walks to a nearby pub, her resolve nearly breaks. The bartender's phone is in her hand when a handsome man stops her from calling Matthew, buys her a drink, and they spend the next 24 hours together, very romantic, but the physical connection stops with hugging.. Cecily is entranced and begins a whirlwind courtship with Grant Smith. They have that magical connection that is so rare that it hardly bothers her when she is introduced as his "good friend", never goes to his place, and that it takes a long time for Grant to even kiss her. Even though love is obvious and mentioned often. Grant and his twin travel to London for an experimental treatment for Byron's ALS (Grant did not inherit the gene). He returns to New York September 10, 2001, shows up at Cecily's apartment where they finally make love, then disappears in the mass horror that surrounds 9/11. As Cecily tries to find him and then uncovers where Grant was and what happened, she stumbles on a truth that rocks her world.

The Lies That Bind was an exciting, heartbreaking read. Giffin is gifted writer and her description of New York during the events of 9/11 was detailed, thorough, and written with so much heart that it had me reliving the tragedy. The characters are so interesting and the family dynamics so comforting that I was a little upset when I came to the end. This would be an excellent book club choice - lots to discuss. Please read it for yourself , book club or not. The 9/11 parts may be a trigger for some people, but it was handled well. I am grateful for the opportunity to read an ARC. I hope you enjoy the book as much as i did!