The Lies That Bind by Emily Griffin was a captivating page turner with twists and turns in every chapter. I loved the humanity of each character and seeing those exposed throughout. I think I have read all of Emily Griffin's books and this one made me appreciate her even more as a writer.
Thanks you NetGalley and Random House for such an interesting and fun book.

I really tried to go into this book with an open mind, especially given the controversy around the author recently and the mixed reviews. However, I just found the entire plot ridiculous and far-fetched. I do agree with reviews that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were used solely as a plot point and not handled in a sensitive manner. It was completely glossed over, with very little regard to the devastation it had on NYC and the country as a whole. Also, the characters were all exceptionally unlikable, and not intentionally so. The message at the end was not one that I would be proud to write as a woman (no spoilers, but UGH!).

Thanks to Random House - Ballantine and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The first 80% of this book was great... the beginning of the book sucked me in and made me want to sit and keep reading until I was done with it. The scenes where Giffin describes the aftermath of 9/11 gave me chilling goosebumps. Everything with the book was going great -- I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. BUT (and this is a big BUT) the last 20% kind of ruined this book for me. I didn't like the ending AT ALL. However, since I got my ARC back in February (publication date is set for June 2), I'm kind of hoping that some of the things I majorly disliked somehow ended up getting changed, even if it would mean a complete re-write of the ending. Not likely....but who knows. Initially, I'd have given this book 4.5-5 stars, but if I had to just rate the ending, it would probably be 2 stars.

I'm a huge fan of Emily Giffin's books, and I absolutely LOVED her previous book, All We Ever Wanted. I'm still looking forward to what she has to offer in her future books, but this one was just so so disappointing.

A fast paced story of a young woman whose current love life takes many twists and turns. From small town America to the bright lights of New York City, we are lead on an unusual journey. A very quick and suspenseful read,

I have read some really bad reviews about this book and was very worried starting it, I am in the minority because I enjoyed it a lot! This is Ms. Giffin’s best book yet, in my opinion, a beautifully crafted story of love, loss and second chances. This book is an incredibly emotional read, taking you on a journey through life, love and the grief which descends when having to say goodbye to someone close. If that sounds depressing, let me assure you it is so much more than a tear jerker as it’s both a celebration of love and the ups and downs we experience through a life shared.

You'll read about the happy, the sad and the hurtful parts of relationships. As you continue, you'll see the grief evolve and play out. This is a very touching and skillfully written book. This is a great read and a reminder to say the things that need to be said while you can and enjoy life now because the future is promised to no one.

This was a quick read, which I found to be quite entertaining. I think that Giffin know how to write that perfect chick lit book, which has such greatly developed characters, you can’t help but need to read more and more! It was a nice break from my usual genre, but offered some great emotional rollercoasters, fun, and just great reading! Look forward to more by Emily Giffin! Highly, highly recommend!
Will make sure to buzz it up on all the different platforms! Will also use low amazon reviewer number on release date!

I have been looking forward to reading this book since it was announced. I read through so many of the reviews and my excitement quickly started to dwindle. There were so many negative comments I almost changed my mind. However, when I was able to read the book a little early I decided to see for myself. To my surprise I loved the book very much! I kept waiting for the bad ending or something to happen to convince me otherwise. If you like Emily Giffin’s earlier books I think you’ll love this one as well.

A quick, easy read. Pure chick-lit. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am usually a big fan of Emily Giffin, but this one was not my favorite. The book starts with Cecily drowning her sorrows at a bar over a recent break up with her long time boy friend, Matthew. While there she meets Grant, and quickly enters a relationship with him, even though he stats that the timing is not right since he is about to leave the country to take care of his sick brother. Meanwhile her ex messages her, and tries to restart their relationship.
Cecily seems entirely dependent on being in a relationship and makes poor decisions to "keep the guy", often going against the advice of her friends. I do not think it is a spoiler to say that 9/11 plays a major role in the plot of this book (the book takes place in NYC 2001), and I did not feel the fear or grief in the characters that I would normally expect in a similar situation- even as they search for a main character- which was a disappointment as I am usually more invested in books by Emily Giffin.

There was a nice cameo from Rachel and co from Something Borrowed & Something Blue.

I always enjoy Giffin's books for the way they normalize unconventional characters and relationships. I felt the same about The Lies that Bind. I found that the characters were not extremely likable and the plot was pretty far-fetched, but overall, I enjoyed the book in spite of those problems. (The author herself may prove to be the biggest flaw in the months to come, as her social media has become very off-putting and hateful in tone.)

Unfortunately I don't agree with Emily Giffin's online bullying. In addition this book takes place in 9/11 which i think it is a sensitive topic that. I try to avoid. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Excellent book! I was so excited to see another Emily Giffin book release! This book follows Cecily and her finding happiness choices. Will she stay with Matt or try something new with Grant, even long distance? Will she follow what makes her happy? Does she truly know someone?? Once again, I really enjoyed reading this author's work. (TW: Sept, 1, 2001/ the chaos of 9/11. should be made clear to readers too. I know some can't read about that.)

Emily Giffin doesn't have a new book every year so I was excited to get an ARC of this one. I didn't read her last one; I thought the premise was a bit much for me. Each of her novels is incredibly thought-provoking but there's something about the latest few that leave me feeling a tad bit unsettled. She's moved away from the lightness of Something Borrowed and Something Blue which is where her readers fell in love with her and her writing style. This one started out super strong with an intriguing premise. The book blurb outlines it as a love story, sadly interrupted by the events of 9/11. Cecily uses her investigative journalist skills to dig. But she doesn't really. It was all very surface level stuff. The book takes a big turn and then the ending. Let's just say a lot of the other reviewers are more passionate about the ending than I am but even I'm like well now. That's not what I would have done. All in all, a decent book and a good way to pass another COVID Sunday.

As several others have said in their reviews and from tweets, I will not be reading The Lies That Bind due to Giffin's remarks, insults, and bullying of Meghan Markle. Giffin's behavior is completely wrong and unacceptable. I will not be reading her books in the future.

DNF. In light of Emily Giffin's awful comments about Meghan Markle and the reveal that she's been making such hateful, hurtful statements for ages, I stopped reading this. I have loved all of Ms. Giffin's books, but in after her non "apology" I can't bring myself to finish The Lies That Bind.

Will not being reviewing this book, I am unable to read this book without bias due to this authors recent behavior and bullying of Meghan Markle on social media.

The Lies that Bind told 2 beautiful love stories. But how do you know which one is the forever love? Cecily has so many great conversations with both Grant and Matthew. Even Scottie and Amy provided food for thought. The chapters about 9/11 and it’s aftermath were a bit hard to read. Seems like it happened yesterday. But Emily Giffin did the event justice. This book was emotional on many levels and I enjoyed them all.

I am a big Emily Giffin fan & have loved all her books, until this one. Very predictable and just not that great. Maybe next time.

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.

I loved Emily's earlier books and devoured them as soon as they came out. Over time my reading life changed and I lost touch with the books she written. I recently came across The Lies that Bind on Netgalley and after reading the description decided it was time to return to author who's books I had so enjoyed in my 20s.
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Set in the summer before 9/11 and the months that followed, The Lies that Bind tells the story of twenty something Cecily, and the relationships that define her life during this time. The first half of this book flew by for me as I became wrapped up in Cecily's life and relationship. I did find the insta love a little odd after what had just taken place but I was so curious about the relationship that I quickly set that aside. I was definitely all in with this tale.
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And then the second half came and I became frustrated with Cecily's choices, and the not so unexpected duplicity of a character. Add to it troupe that I've never cared for in books and which became a large part of the story line and I found myself wanting the book to end. The second part of the book and I were just not a fit.
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The time period and setting were huge draws for me, and I did like Cecily. I just wish the story had veered in a different direction. I expect this will be a popular beach read this summer so if your curious definetly give it a whirl. The beauty of reading - we all have different reactions to them.
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Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine Books for a DRC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC.

I find it hard to believe Emily Giffin wrote the first half of the book - it was just so flat. Cecily is described as being like "The Atlantic," meaning a deep soul, but I don't think we ever see this. She's wishy-washy. Stuck between two men – both with major flaws. She falls for Grant even though they don't really talk to each other? They seem to spend most of their time in silence. We really don't know much about Matthew either. After 9/11 everything just falls off the rails. (Knowing that Emily Giffin was in NYC on 9/11, I expected this to be a really poignant part of the story but I felt this, too, was flat.)

As a longtime fan of Emily Giffin fan, I wanted to love this book, but all of the characters are terrible, save for Scottie. The reason I'm giving this book 2 stars is because of the appearance of Rachel, Darcy, and Ethan. I can't be the only one who thought Cecily and Ethan seemed to have some chemistry?