It is always a great day when Emily Giffin has a new release! Set in New York City’s 9-11, girl meets boy in a seedy bar. I loved how the couple’s initial attraction was based on genuinely “clicking” and not in a physical way. An unexpected twist makes for a great hand-sell for booksellers to easily put in people’s hands for the beach.

I have been an Emily Giffin fan since 2005, which I totally judged a book by its cover. It was a simple pink cover with the words “Something Borrowed”. I fell in love with the book, and the author. I had read every book she has written since. I was so excited to be chosen to read her newest novel “The Lies That Bind” to review for NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and are in no way influenced by NetGalley.
Emily Giffin is the author of ten novels, Among her resume are “Something Borrowed” which was turned into a move, “Something Blue” “Heart of the Matter” and “First Comes Love”. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and three children.
Giffin’s style of writing is more than just chick-lit. While her stories revolve around love and relationships there are also underlying themes of betrayal and enough suspense to keep your turning the pages. She has a unique writing style that allows for the story to flow.
The setting of the story is predominately New York 2001. The setting is described in enough detail to allow the reader to be involved in the story, but not so much detail that you feel dragged down and distracted from the overall plot.
The plot seems like something out of a soap opera, but in a good way. The story had several twists and turns, but also remained believable. In this story, we meet Cecily Gardner. She has just broken up with her boyfriend, Matthew, and drowning her sorrows in a bar. She meets Grant, a handsome man whom she has a strong attraction to. Through getting to know Grant, it is clear they have a mutual attraction, which is complicated by the fact that he is planning to move to London to help his twin brother.
Grant returns to New York, the day before the infamous 9/11 attacks. Cecily seems him on the night of the 10th, and then learns that he is among the lost. However, with his death comes the truth -- that she never really knew him at all.
So, before I give my review, let’s talk characters. There are several to discuss. All the characters are likeable -- even Grant, who we learn a lot of unfavorable things about in the aftermath of 9/11. She has such a connection to him that you can’t but be drawn to him.
My favorite character depends on the timing in the story; however, I absolutely love her best friend, Scottie. He is witty, charming, funny, and most importantly always has her back. My least favorite character is Cecily herself. She is wishy-washy and goes back and forth between what she wants.
The character that showed the most growth would be Matthew, the ex. In the beginning, we learn he doesn’t want to move too quickly. Yet, as the story unfolds, he begins to grow and mature in a way I didn’t expect. Although, there is one part of the story that made me want to kick him in the shin. Aside from that, he showed the most growth.
I go back and forth on the rating of this story, between a 4 and a 5. I loved the story line, but there are a couple of parts that had me a little off-put.
There are several sensitive aspects to this novel to discuss. The first, and most obvious, is the story surrounding 9/11. There are parts that are described in enough detail that would make someone with a personal connection to 9/11 triggered. There are elements of adultery, sickness, suicide, and other aspects that cannot be discuss without giving away the overall story.
“The Lies That Bind” will be released on June 2, 2020. It is available as a hardcover pre-order through Amazon for $19.69.

I am a huge Emily Giffin fan and The Lies That Bind didn't disappoint! I loved this book.

Maybe it is because I was the same age as the main character in 2001. Or maybe it was because I too was a New Yorker who had a very similar reaction to when the first plane hit the towers. But regardless, I found this story and the characters incredibly relatable. There were numerous twists and turns and I struggled to put the book down. Also, I loved the way some fan favorite characters made a cameo appearance in the novel...

Another hit for Emily Giffin! I was a bit hesitant through the beginning of the story - the writing and plot felt a bit juvenile and I actually had to check the book description thinking maybe Emily Giffin was trying her hand at YA. But as the story progressed, the writing tightened up and the characters became more developed and flawed. The backdrop of 9/11 was powerful and so descriptive - I went back to that time and felt those same feelings described in the story. And I loved the nod to some familiar faces for fans of the author.

The Lies That Bind
A Novel
by Emily Giffin
Read an Excerpt
Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine
Ballantine Books
General Fiction (Adult) | Women's Fiction
Pub Date 02 Jun 2020 | Archive Date 31 Aug 2020

I am not a regular reader of chick lit but this one held my interest and it was a good read.
Thanks to Net Galley and Random House for sending me the ARC. Loved the mystery in this book about Grant.

I really enjoyed Emily Giffin's newest book, The Lies That Bind. The story is set in NYC, which is always a bonus for me! Cecily, our main character, will be the friend you want to root for, the friend you want to counsel, the friend you want to call out for some of her decisions. It is the type of story you'll make predictions about, while having to keep changing those along the way. This is a story of loving someone and being in love with someone. It is a story of grieving, forgiveness, and making difficult choices. If you are an Emily Giffin fan, this is a must read. Thank you to Netgalley and Doubleday for providing me with an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Cecily is fresh off a breakup and sitting alone in a bar at 2 am when Grant walks in. They begin what seems like it will be an amazing relationship but he disappears on 9/11 and is presumed dead. Cecily starts to realize that he wasn’t always telling her the truth as she starts to uncover who he really was.

I am not a big chick lit reader but I have read a number of this author’s books and they are usually pretty good. This one was pretty good as well. While it of course wasn’t suspenseful like the books I typically read, there was enough mystery surrounding Grant and what he was hiding to keep me interested.

Emily Giffin is back with one of her best novels to date! Such an incredible love story with lots of twists and turns and shock and awe! The 9/11 theme was slightly eerie to read during a pandemic, but the story was solid. Five star rating!!

Set primarily in 2001, Cecily is living in New York City, and recently breaks up with her boyfriend. Alone and lonely, she does something she never usually would do: goes to a bar on her own. While there she meets Grant, who is perfect in her eyes. They feel an immediate and intense romantic spark. But Grant's life is complicated between work in the financial industry, being in between apartments, and taking care of a terminally ill brother. But when 9/11 happens and Cecily finds out Grant is missing, her whole world starts falling apart. How will she recover?

While I have read and enjoyed other books by Emily Giffin, this one is not among my favorites. I gave it a middling review as the story was initially believable but slowly became so far-fetched that I had trouble buying what was being sold to me. I enjoy a good drama and there were a lot of ways this story could've played out that I think I would've enjoyed more than the way it did. And while I am glad I was able to read a copy of this book, I don't believe I'll remember it in a few weeks time. If I do, it certainly won't be to recommend it to someone. I gave this rating a 3 as I appreciated the premise of the story in the beginning, but had to take off stars for the ending as well as how everything played out. It's fine, but this wouldn't be the first book I recommended to get someone interested in books Emily Giffin has written.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book not really sure I was up for this genre right now, but I’m so glad that I did.
This story went in directions that I wasn’t expecting. I thought it was just going to be a love story of the couple that meets in a bar. And while it kind of is, there were several things that I wasn’t expecting...and I’m so glad for that.
I enjoyed the characters but found each of them frustrating at times, which made them more real and relatable maybe. My feelings toward certain characters changed over the course of the book. For example, with Grant I thought he was just a playboy and Cecily shouldn’t get involved with him. But then I wondered why is he always coming over late and says he stays on friends’ couches...is he homeless and not who or what he says he is??? And then I started to like him and hope that Cecily liked him too. But then I started to wonder about him being a playboy again when Cecily went to visit him in London, then tragedy strikes and I feel sad about him, until I feel angry about him again, and finally in the end, I like him. It was like that for all the characters for me...my feelings were all over the place.
This is a book without a lot of story lines to follow but interesting enough to keep one reading.
Given the timeframe and setting of the book you can guess what may happen but I was surprised about everything that happens after that.
I haven’t read anything from Emily Griffin before so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I’m glad I took a chance on this book and will be adding some Emily Griffin books to my TBR list.

I received an electronic copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine in exchange for my honest review.

THE LIES THAT BIND
BY EMILY GIFFIN

I also read and loved "Everything We Ever Wanted," by Emily Giffin and loved that just as much as I loved her newest book called, "THE LIES THAT BIND." I would highly recommend both of these rich and multilayered books. They both plumb the emotions of the reader deeply. They both have admirable strong female protagonist's who always choose to do what's right and have high morals and standards for themselves.

In "The Lies That Bind," we have the main character Cecily, who after being in a long term relationship with her boyfriend Mathew; Cecily chooses to end their relationship after three years since Mathew can't take their relationship to the next step. One lonely Spring night as Cecily sits alone in a bar having a drink by herself she asks the bartender if he has a payphone. He says no but brings her a cordless phone and tells her she can use it as long as it is not a long distance call. She has been ruminating over Mathew and is about to call him when a complete stranger sitting beside her who she finds attractive says to her, "I wouldn't do it."

The two of them are in NYC and she doesn't end up calling Mathew but strikes up a conversation with this stranger who she finds out is named Grant. The two of them really hit it off and he helps her get home that night. The two of them end up sleeping together at her apartment but they don't have sex. Over the following weeks they see each other more and Grant tells Cecily that he has to go to London because his twin brother has a progressive disease and there is an experimental treatment. Cecily gets an email from Grant from London asking her if she would like to join him and his brother Brody in London and Cecily agrees to go.

I thought that the following arc to the the story was totally believable and could happen to anyone. Emily Giffin is a very talented storyteller who keeps on getting better. I read this in one sitting and was compelled and riveted because the way the narrative continues was just so realistic and so were her characters. This is going to be loved by females who enjoy contemporary fiction with realism. I am going to buy this book for myself and place it right next to her prior book "Everything I Ever Wanted," in my personal book collection. I will be spreading the word to everybody that I know to read this book. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book based on the description but was pleasantly surprised that this is another favorite. Five Stars!

Thank you to Net Galley, Emily Giffin and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinion's are my own.

Publication Date: June 2, 2020

#TheLiesThatBind #EmilyGiffin #RandomHousePublishingGroup-Ballantine #NetGalley

THE LIES THAT BIND
BY EMILY GIFFIN

I also read and loved "Everything We Ever Wanted," by Emily Giffin and loved that just as much as I loved her newest book called, "THE LIES THAT BIND." I would highly recommend both of these rich and multilayered books. They both plumb the emotions of the reader deeply. They both have admirable strong female protagonist's who always choose to do what's right and have high morals and standards for themselves.

In "The Lies That Bind," we have the main character Cecily, who after being in a long term relationship with her boyfriend Mathew; Cecily chooses to end their relationship after three years since Mathew can't take their relationship to the next step. One lonely Spring night as Cecily sits alone in a bar having a drink by herself she asks the bartender if he has a payphone. He says no but brings her a cordless phone and tells her she can use it as long as it is not a long distance call. She has been ruminating over Mathew and is about to call him when a complete stranger sitting beside her who she finds attractive says to her, "I wouldn't do it."

The two of them are in NYC and she doesn't end up calling Mathew but strikes up a conversation with this stranger who she finds out is named Grant. The two of them really hit it off and he helps her get home that night. The two of them end up sleeping together at her apartment but they don't have sex. Over the following weeks they see each other more and Grant tells Cecily that he has to go to London because his twin brother has a progressive disease and there is an experimental treatment. Cecily gets an email from Grant from London asking her if she would like to join him and his brother Brody in London and Cecily agrees to go.

I thought that the following arc to the the story was totally believable and could happen to anyone. Emily Giffin is a very talented storyteller who keeps on getting better. I read this in one sitting and was compelled and riveted because the way the narrative continues was just so realistic and so were her characters. This is going to be loved by females who enjoy contemporary fiction with realism. I am going to buy this book for myself and place it right next to her prior book "Everything I Ever Wanted," in my personal book collection. I will be spreading the word to everybody that I know to read this book. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book based on the description but was pleasantly surprised that this is another favorite. Five Stars!

Thank you to Net Galley, Emily Giffin and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinion's are my own.

Publication Date: June 2, 2020

#TheLiesThatBind #EmilyGiffin #RandomHousePublishingGroup-Ballantine #NetGalley

I was SO excited to receive this newest title by Emily Giffin thanks to Netgalley, as I have read all of her previous titles.

LOVED this one, and how intertwined the characters were and all the little surprises! Great story, I really felt for and enjoyed each moment.

I'm going to be honest... I'm having an incredibly hard time reviewing this book. I've changed my star rating a few times because I really don't know how I feel.

I'll start with the good: I read this book in less than 24 hours. I absolutely flew through it. Giffin's writing is addicting and I was completely sucked in to the complete insanity of the story. (Sidenote: I realized this book was crazy when I started giving my husband a play-by-play and laughed my way through it.)

So now for the bad: Reading this book made me feel like I was rubbernecking in traffic past a horrific accident, so I think I maybe flew through it because it was a little bit of a dumpster fire? I had to know what was going to happen to all of these horrible people. It seems like the end was attempting to tie this book up with a bow but it's really difficult when I don't feel like a single character was the least bit redeemable.
(view spoiler)

Emily Giffin is a great author and I love what I have read of her previous work but this one has me very uncertain. Did I love this book? Hate it? Or was it so far-fetched that I didn't care and just kept reading to find out what could possibly happen next? It's strange how my complicated feelings will stick with me longer than a book I loved through and through.

(Hot Take: I will say I was I was confused by incredibly off-putting use of 9/11 as a way to move the plot of this book forward. It seemed a little careless of the author.)

I’m a big fan of this authors previous books. However, this book was not for me. The discussion of certain topics in this book and how it is told in this story is purely distasteful. The ending felt awkward and rushed.

What a fun distraction of a book! Unrealistic? Yes. But I loved the relationship between Grant and Cecily and their chemistry was palpable. Overall I think there was a sweet message that love wins and to follow your heart. A great beach read, for sure - highly recommend!!

I enjoyed this book and found it hard to put down. Not every action has a clear answer and assuming only puts people in the wrong situation at times. This was an interesting read and I was delighted with the book.

I wanted to give this book 4 stars because it is Emily Giffin but there felt something missing from this book compared to her pass ones. I liked it but didn't love it.

Cecily breaks up with her boyfriend goes to a bar and meets a guy that she clicks with and makes her feel a certain way she didn't feel in her last relationship. 911 hits and she doesn't hear from him and doesn't know what happened to him. When she finds out that the guy lied to her she tries to go on with her life but things start to unravel and the truth will have to come too light.

If this is your first time reading Emily Giffin I would recommend starting with an of her other books first.

This was another wonderful book by Giffin! I anxiously await her new releases and this one did not disappoint!

I had trouble putting this book down once I started it. I'd forgotten how addictive Emily Giffin's books can be. In her latest novel, Giffin takes us back to the early 2000's, shortly before 9/11. Cecily is a journalist living in New York and has recently broken things off her with her boyfriend, Matthew. Shortly after the breakup, she encounters a handsome man in a bar. A chance encounter leads to a romantic affair that is might or might not be too good to be true. During the chaos of 9/11, Cecily discovers that Grant has a secret life that she knew nothing about, and everything spirals downward for her.

The book quickly turns into a soap opera, with larger-than-life twists. I enjoyed the book in spite of this, but readers will have to be willing to suspend their disbelief and just go with the craziness. Since Giffin is a talented writer, who knows how to create realistic characters with very real emotions, many readers will likely be able to get past the unrealistic events in the story. As a bonus, long-time readers will be excited by the cameo appearances of a handful of Giffin's characters from her earlier novels.

It was interesting to read this book during the global pandemic, since this touches on the other Big Touchstone Moment of my life--9/11, an event that changed life for every American, just as COVID-19 has.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I was so excited to get an advance copy of The Lies That Bind by Emily Griffin (Thank you Net Galley!). Once it was on my kindle I dived in!

First let's start with the synopsis. It is May of 2001 Cecily is a 28 year-old reporter living in New York City that just broke up with her boyfriend of 3 years, Matthew. She goes to a dive bar and meets a mysterious man. The two talk but do not give one another their names. It is mysterious and sexy... two strangers with a connection but not knowing anything personal about each other. Finally a few days later the names are exchanged and two sort-of date.... Grant, is hiding something and it's obvious. I want to scream at Cecily for not noticing the dirty trail he is leaving.... she was just oblivious and naive. As the summer goes on, the "I love you's begin" but Grant obviously is hiding something and I couldn't wait to find out what it was. Than it happens, September 11, 2001. Cecily knows he works in the World Trade Center and after time passes and no word from him she assumes he died that day. He has no friends/family she knows of and goes on with life thinking he is gone... that is until she sees a Missing Persons flyer with Grant's picture and name on it. But who is looking for him? And why? That is when the mystery begins... All those red flags us readers saw coming are now OUT and Cecily is finally realizing some dark things about who Grant is...

I really enjoyed the time frame, 2001 and reading about themee events in NYC that day. I liked the story line so far and the first 60% I couldn't put the book down. Things were going well.. but that changed.... once Grant died I begin not to like Cecily's character. She was just so wishy-washy. First she was dating Matt her ex-boyfriend, than fell in love with Grant immediately, and now Grant is gone she goes straight back to her ex.... like the girl can't be alone. I felt she was more in love with the idea of being in love. She just seemed so immature for a 28 year-old woman living in NYC as a reporter. Grant was okay, I liked him at first and I even liked him after Cecily his big- secret but by the end when I knew everything and how it ended I couldn't stand the guy. I actually felt the worst for Matt, the ex-boyfriend who was getting played by Cecily the second time around.

The book went from a typical romance novel that was entertaining to a soap opera with all the back and forth between guys and sleeping with two different men the same week. it was getting cheesy and just too much for me. i kept reading to find out the read end, which was very disappointing to say the least.

This is definitely not my favorite Emily Griffin book. Too bad the book couldn't follow the first half because i enjoyed that half very much so, which is why The Lies That Bind even got 3 stars.

so for the first half of The Lies That Bend by Emily Griffin I give 3 stars... the second half deserves 1.5...


***This book was given as a gift for an honest review by the publisher in return for an honest review***