The reviews have been so mixed on this and I can see why but I still really enjoyed this read.

Cecily, is a journalist in NYC. I Iiked her, but she always second guessed herself having to call her best friend to have him tell her what to do in every situation which got annoying. She finally got her act together near the end and started being more confident in herself and standing up for what she wanted. She just got out of a serious relationship because she felt that he wasn't ready for long term commitment. So she's at this dive bar having a drink feeling sorry for herself, when what appears to be the most perfect man, Grant, starts talking to her. They start a relationship that she quickly feels like she is in love with him. Grant's twin brother has ALS, doesn't have long to live he's all over the place trying to get him into clinical trials and help him. Cecily is so understanding of his situation. Fast forward and 9/11 occurs and Grant goes missing. From here things become quite ridiculous & somewhat far fetched in my opinion but I still couldn't stop reading.

Cecily is in a bar, mourning her recent breakup with her boyfriend, Matthew, and trying not to give in and call him. When she decides to call, a complete stranger stops her and tells her she'll regret it. From that starts a seemingly perfect relationship and Cecily finds herself falling in love. But then tragedy strikes, and when Cecily reaches out to his family, she finds out he wasn't the man she thought he was. Was it really love or just infatuation?
While I really wanted to like this book, I was frustrated by how clueless Cecily was. Even Scottie, her gay best friend, sees the signs and warns her off. She's in love with love, but doesn't seem to know what love is. She was in love with Matthew, then immediately after their breakup finds Grant and falls in love, then a month later back with her ex claiming she loved him all along! So frustratingly shallow!
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you for the giveaway book from Goodreads and Random House!

I loved the storyline and got into the characters. Lots of twists and turns! But I have to say, having a fictional story use a real tragic event as 9/11 in its storyline is very tricky. You either have to use it as the deep tragedy in the emotional level or you need to undertake lots of factual research on the political aspects of it if you are going to broach it that way. I found this book would have done well if it would have touched On it on the emotional level only, but the author’s odd few paragraphs talking about Sunni extremism and Al qaeda in a Fictional romance story seemed inappropriate towards the non fictional events of 9/11 and the lives it touched in real life. Hence why it got a low rating in my books.

As a long-time fan of Ms. Giffin's books, I was not disappointed in this one. What a roller coaster of a book! The twists and turns had me almost dizzy and definitely had me glued to the page.

It's 2001 and Cecily is fresh out of a relationship when she wanders into a NYC bar in search of a distraction for her wounded heart and runs smack into Grant. Floored by the seemingly instant attraction she feels for him yet confused by the air of mystery surrounding him, she finds herself putting that last relationship behind her in anticipation of a bright future with Grant. Then 9/11 happens and Grant is working in one of the World Trade Center towers when it goes down. In the course of following up on a flyer she found with Grant's photo on it, Cecily becomes friends with Grant's wife (yes, he's married!), and then finds herself right back with the same guy she had broken up with prior to meeting Grant. It's a sticky mess, and it gets even stickier.

One thing I really like about Lies (and most of Emily Giffin's other books) is that the main characters are so relatable. Who hasn't had a bad breakup and found themselves trying to numb the pain? Who hasn't told a lie that seemed minor at the time, but over time becomes a huge obstacle to overcome? All through this novel, characters are telling lies for what seems at the time to be fairly good reasons, but of course the truth always comes out in the end.

Wohoooo! This one was awesome... I’ve only read a couple of Emily Giffin’s novels nut after this one I am definitely going to read more!

***4-4.5 Stars ***
Publication Date: June 2, 2020

Ahhhh.. I'm conflicted. The reviews have been so mixed on this and I can see why but I still really enjoyed this read. First let me start with saying I love Emily Giffin, she is a wonderful story teller that really has a way of pulling you into the story.

Alright lets get into it. Cecily the main character, is a journalist/reporter in NYC and I really loved her. Easy to relate to, just got out of a serious relationship because she felt that he wasn't ready for long term commitment. So she's at this dive bar at 2AM, having a drink feeling sorry for herself, when what appears to be the most perfect man, Grant, starts talking to her. Grant's twin brother has ALS, doesn't have long to live he's all over the place trying to get him into clinical trials and help him. Cecily is so understanding of his situation. Fast forward and 9/11 occurs and Grant goes missing. From here things become quite convoluted and seriously far fetched in my opinion but I still couldn't stop reading.

Now... the negative reviews say how 9/11 was described is insensitive and I get that. I'm struggling to fully give an opinion on how I felt about the writing because this is such a sensitive subject. Its one of if not the worst tragedy to ever occur in the US. So my thinking is because she wrote about it "in real time" as people were trying to process what was actually happening, now that we know what happened, it seems insensitive.

So bottom line.. was the complicated dramatic story line far fetched? YES. Did I eye roll at times? YES. But I also couldn't stop reading and loved Cecily so much I really enjoyed this book. Hence 4-4.5 star rating.

*** Special Thanks to NetGalley and DoubleDay for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ***

I have enjoyed all of Emily Giffin's novels. Her something borrowed series was a fun series and I enjoyed it. This novel is not even in the same ballpark. This story follows Cecily who is not a likable character. She's a journalist who has broken up with her boyfriend of 3 years. One night she heads to a bar to drown her sorrows and find Grant. Sparks fly and they instantly connect. Grant sweeps Cecily off her feet. Then 9/11 happens (a long lengthy chapter covering the towers and how the morning of 9/11 happened) A plot point that in my opinion did not need to be included AT ALL. It was distracting and sad to relive those moments in history.

Cecily was unrelatable. She did not connect with me and never felt really loved by Grant or Matthew. The ending was completely silly and wrapped up too neatly and was just unbelievable.

I loved this book! The characters were so real - with faults and unrealistic expectations. When I thought I knew what would happen, the author surprised me, and it worked our well. The decisions made didn’t seem contrived at all. I definitely recommend this book!

Not my favorite from her. A little predictable and I’m not sure how I feel about the ending. If you like romance, you’ll probably like this book.

This book had me hooked from the very beginning! I loved the character development, and I heavily related to all the descriptions from the early 2000’s that she used. As for the plot, just when you think there can’t possibly be any more surprises, here Emily Giffin goes throwing another one in the readers path. I loved this book!

NetGalley ARC | One of my most anticipated book releases of June 2020, Giffin's The Lies That Bind offers a quick, engaging romance set against the more intense backdrop of 9/11.

If you are looking for a book club book that will leave you with thought-provoking questions, The Lies That Bind forces you to examine and ask whether or not the truth can really set us free. Is love ever pure and untainted, and is love still love even when mixed with false realities?

Find the full review on The Uncorked Librarian: https://theuncorkedlibrarian.com/june-2020-book-releases/

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with a free advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Emily Giffin has always been one of my favorite authors so I was beyond excited to read this book before it was published. She has a writing style that draws you in right from the beginning and will keep you engrossed until the very last sentence. This book has several twists and turns throughout that take you back to past events such as 9/11. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read!

I like how THE LIES THAT BIND is a fast-moving page turner. I was anxious to see what would happen next. Giffin treats the 9/11 tragedy with great sensitivity and respect. I didn't rate this book higher b/c I had such a difficult time connecting to the characters. Cecily in particular seems so immature and I didn't necessarily sympathize or understand her world view and her desperate need to be with a man. For a reader who can connect with Cecily, the novel's treatment of the theme of forgiveness is handled nicely.

I just feel like Emily has lost her ability to get the reader to bond with her characters and this one is so no different. I miss the something borrowed author and hope she can find her way back to that writing style.

This book is giant roller coaster. First, I think the book description says way too much and spoils a lot of the twists. It’s pretty obvious what is coming and would have been much more powerful had some of the earlier twists been more surprising. I did think the way the author described the immediate aftermath of 911 from the characters’ perspectives to be incredible powerful. It was a quick read that I couldn’t put down, but the ending was shocking and all wrong in my opinion. It will however make for a great book club discussion!

This book was incredibly strange and, I felt, slightly disjointed. It gave me the dualing feelings of dislike of the novel and needing to keep going to figure out what exactly was going on. I felt like characters were unlikable and one-dimensional, the story was incredibly far-fetched, and the overall tone came off as judgmental and preachy. There were also too many religious overtones for my taste. I was not a fan.

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was not what I expected. I will try to write a review without giving any spoilers for those interested. I was hooked into the story right from the start. I liked the couple meeting over a cheesy pick-up line used to stop her calling her ex. I liked the new romance excitement as they get to know each other, in someways taking it slowly and in others feeling like they're ready to start a future together. It was cute and fun and I was enjoying it. And then the unexpected, the lies entered and the story went downhill for me. It was interesting, but also frustrating and annoying. I found the second half of the book much less enjoyable to read.

Emily Giffin's latest novel had me hooked from the get-go. Cecily is out for a drink alone in Manhattan late one night, lamenting her recent break up and the direction her life is moving. As her sadness grows, a handsome stranger, Grant, strikes up a conversation with her. They spend the whole night together, talking endlessly about anything and everything. They begin to become closer and closer over the next few weeks.....and then September 11, 2001....the day that changed everything. Grant disappears in the aftermath of the tragedy, and Cecily is left wondering how everything could have gone so wrong. As Cecily mourns the loss of Grant, she soon realizes that Grant may not be who he seemed. Grant had another life entirely....a life that Cecily knew nothing about.
Cecily struggles to come to grips with the fact that the man she thought she knew was not, in fact, the real Grant. She struggles to move on and look for love in other places....until she is faced with the shocking realization that Grant may not actually be gone. Cecily is soon left at a major crossroads in her life, pinned between the safe and comfortable existence that she knows, or the idea of a future that is completely unknown and unpredictable.
I really enjoyed this book. It definitely made me realize that so many things in life are not just black or white, but that gray areas are far more common that one might think. Beauty often lies in these gray areas that bind us together.

I enjoyed this book as a whole, but I was incredibly disappointed to see the author's comments regarding Megan Markle. I have always thought of Emily Giffin as a writer of fun and engaging women's fiction, but it is hard for me to want to recommend this book to others when I now feel that the author is not a woman who supports female empowerment. My rating is based on the book alone, but I would not hand sell this title or subsequent titles unless there is a marked change in the author's online presence.

Emily Giffin has taken her story telling to a new level with this novel. Set mainly in New York, she paints a vivid picture of life in the city. Cecily has moved to the city to find her dreams, her dream job, her dream man and her dreamed future. She thinks she knows what she wants. Cecily wants the fairytale, but what she gets is far from Prince Charming. This is a story of a woman who has to decide if settling is enough. This is a story of a woman who has to make choices that no one should have to make. This is a story of a woman that must decide when the lies become not lies that bind, but lies that break. Giffin is a master storyteller who once again captivates her readers with a story that is hard to put down. This book is due to come out this summer and would be the perfect beach read. If you love contemporary fiction, chick-lit or rocky romance this is a book for you. I give it 4 stars. I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.