Cecily is at a cross roads with her life. At 28 what should she do about her career and love life. She's more concerned with the love life and is trying to find the perfect companion. At the book's beginning she has broken up with Matthew after 3 years. While she tries to understand the break up she meets Grant. He seems to be the perfect one. This tug and pull between these two men is the book's main theme.
Cecily moved to New York City to find her journalistic roots from Wisconsin. As a Wisconsinite myself it was fun to read about my home state. But her homesickness and conflict being in the city from the Midwest is real.
The book has many twists and really explores what love is to this young woman. I highly recommend the book if you like to read about women and what they are experiencing in today's world.

This was so much better than I thought it was going to be. Cecily is a very likeable main character and I was rooting for a happy ending the entire. There were so many twists and turns and some shocking bombshells. You also see some former characters in other books return (don't know about the time from of them compared to previous titles). I think the previous characters were there to add to the emphasis just how small a major city can seem.

Overall, I really enjoyed and would recommend it to any Giffin. This was so much better than her previous because of the bombshells and shocking details. Cecily is unhappy with her current longtime boyfriend because he doesn't want to get married. She goes to a bar and meet Grant and seem to have a whirlwind romance. He is everything Cecily wants but then some shocking things happen and she questions everything and goes back to what she knew. Then more twists and bombshells. Once this book got further into the story, I couldn't put this down. Don't know how I feel about the ending, but I wasn't disappointed.

This book is a total hell yes!
Thanks to NetGalley, Emily Giffin and Harper Collins Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Giffin’s earliest books are my all time favorites and this was reminiscent of them in the best way. In fact, there was a cameo from Rachel, Ethan and Darcy in this book and I was so excited I actually shrieked. It made me so nostalgic that I’m actually thinking about rereading them… Anyway, it felt like vintage EG to me and while I’ve enjoyed all of her books I feel like this one is better than her last few and definitely solidified her place on my must buy author list.

Usually romances aren’t twisty but this one is, there were definitely some unexpected surprises and made this a page turner. I also expected this to be super heavy since it’s set in NYC right before 9/11 and while it had some sad moments, it wasn’t overly depressing at all. It was engaging, emotional and heartfelt with a really relatable character in Cecily. Definitely recommended for fans of the author and if you haven’t read her yet go grab Something Borrowed and Something Blue ASAP!

Thank you for creating a story that is real and heartwarming. I am so happy to be reunited with characters from Something Borrowed and Something Blue.
This is a story about falling in love and having found one’s love only to discover it to be a lie, or is it? The story is filled with mystery and intrigue leaving you through a journey of discovery.

It has been awhile since I have enjoyed a novel from Emily Giffin and so glad she has written such likeable characters. I am happy to have received an ARC from Netgalley.

Emily Giffin is a fantastic writer that is able to write characters that are timeless and relatable. In this new book, Cecily is a reporter who was raised in Wisconsin but lives and works in NYC. This book takes place before, during, and after 9/11 and the attacks on the WTC are part of the story and I have to say I really liked how it was almost like its own character in this book. This event played a crucial part to Cecily’s life in different ways and changed how she saw her life and her city and her relationships with others. Cecily has a love story with two men, Grant and Matthew but she is also in love with her city of NYC and struggles with these relationships. This is an excellent book and I loved the characters in this story. It was a five star read.

Cecily had recently broken up with her boyfriend when she meets Grant. They form an instant connection even though the timing isn't great. Grant is moving overseas to be with his brother during a clinical trial he hopes will help his brother's health. Grant comes back right before 9/11 and in the aftermath is missing. Cecily sees his picture on a flyer reporting Grant as missing. When she calls the number she learns that everything she thought about Grant was a lie. Cecily tries to come to terms with the lies and tries to understand if she imagined the connection she felt in their relationship.

I've read a few Emily Giffin books and this one is now my favorite. I usually like, but don't love, her books but this one stands out. Please don't read anything about it before you read it (luckily I didn't) so that you will be more surprised by the story line. It centers around Cecily, a girl in her late 20's who lives in NYC but is from the mid-west. Even though I found some of the main characters despicable, this one is worth a read. A drama with a lighter tone was a good fit for right now.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free, advance copy.

Enjoyed the book. It was nice to see Darcy, Rachel and Ethan make an appearance. The book definitely had some twists and turns. I wasn't surprised at what Cecily finds at the cabin. I had a suspicion that might happen. The book definitely has the same feel as the author's previous books. Cecily doesn't make the best decisions when it comes o her safety. She must not watch 20/20 or Dateline!!! First she brings a strange man into her apartment after meeting him at a bar. She doesn't even know his name. Then she goes with him to a remote cabin in the woods where NO ONE knows where she is. She still didn't know much about him.

I thought the book was going to be a love story about between Cecily and Grant, but this book turned into something I wasn't expecting. The story has so much thrown into it. Not a fan of Matt. He always did the exact opposite of what Cecily asked. She should have realized he wasn't the one when she confessed everything thing to him about Grant. If Matt really loved her would it have mattered??? Once again I question Cecily's decision making skills. Scottie was definitely the voice of reason for Cecily. Amy did not act like a recent widow.

Definitely recommend the book, especially if you are fan of the author's previous books. The ending wasn't much of a surprise, but everyone deserves a happy ending. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I always enjoy this authors books as it’s going to be a romance with a twist and a bit messy. All while reading this I knew some twist was coming and it does. A great wrap up at the end. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

I've read all of Emily Giffin's books, and I was so excited to read this one.
The good: it's an engaging read. I read it in one day. I also woke up the next morning thinking about the end.
The bad: I loved the characters at the beginning. Then I hated them. By the end, I liked them a little. I saw their growth, but I didn't love them again.

Overall, it's an interesting read.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This could be described in five words. HOW DEEP CAN LIES GO? There were so many lies and spins. Cecily thinks she has met the man of her dreams, but naturally things are too good to be true. Very interesting and addicting read.

I’m not usually big on the romance genre but I keep hearing great things about Giffin’s work so I decided to give this a go, and I’m so glad I did! It’s so much more than just a straightforward romance story, there’s also a mystery that I couldn’t wait to find out how it unfolded - yes I read this whole book in one afternoon.

Thoroughly engrossing love story difficult to put down. After Cecily splits with her ex over his inability to commit to their future, she falls in love with a man she met by chance. He seems perfect until she learns more about him.

Emily Giffin always gives a love story that takes place in the grey. When you pick up one of her books, you know there will be a conflict that is neither black nor white and utterly human. She is the best at creating flawed characters who are navigating love and life when it gets messy.

In The Lies That Bind, Cecily is working in NYC in the year 2001. She meets a stranger at a bar after a harsh breakup. That stranger seems to be the love of her life, but there are secrets. Of course there is a big plot point from history (9/11) , but there are many twists and turns. I think this delivers on an engaging plot and intriguing characters.

I've read quite a few Emily Giffin books and I was SO excited to receive an early copy of her latest novel: The Lies that Bind.

For a 350 page book that only spans a few months, a LOT happens in this story. It has more depth than your average rom com, but it's still a light read I was able to read start to finish in one day. There are some parts of the story that are very farfetched and fairly predictable (the story begins in the summer of 2001 in NYC...obviously we know what's coming). Still, I found myself wondering and having no idea where the second half of the book would end up and it kept me thoroughly entertained until the last page.

If you've liked Emily Giffin in the past, you won't be disappointed with The Lies that Bind. Thanks Netgalley + Ballatine Books for the chance to read in exchange for an honest review.

This book made me remember 09/11 all over again but this time from a completely different perspective. I LOVE Emily Giffin as an author and this time she just gets is so right!!!

Emily Giffin is one of my favorite authors so I was thrilled when I was approved for an advanced copy of her newest book, The Lies That Bind. The book is about a woman, Cecily, who lives in New York City in 2001. She is at a bar trying to convince herself not to call her ex when she meets, Grant. They quickly forge a relationship but then the terrible events of 9/11 occur and everything changes.

This book is set in New York in the months leading up to 9/11 and the months after but 9/11 is not the focus of the story. The story is focused on Cecily and her relationships with her best friend, boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, and their families. If you have read Giffin's books, you know she will throw in surprises throughout the book. This is what I love most about her writing. I also love how characters from her past books make an appearance in this book.If you have not read her other books, you will not be lost but if you are familiar with the characters, you will love seeing them!

My favorite character in the story was Cecily's best friend, Scottie. They have been best friends since childhood and he is who Cecily turns to whenever anything happens. He is her first call with good or bad news and he is her biggest supporter. Their relationship is what you dream about in a friendship and I think everyone needs a friend like Scottie.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Emily Giffin books. The story is woven together beautifully and the ending is perfect for the book. Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read the book in exchange for my honest review. Mark your calendars for 2June2020 to check out this great book!

All I can write is "WOW".
I could not put this book down..every time I did I went back and had to read more. I finished this in record time staying up the entire night to do so.
I have read Emily Griffin's books before but she really outdid herself this time.
This book shows that sometimes things are just meant to be and work out the way fate wants them too . You just have to go along for the ride to find your happy ending.
I don't want spoil this but through the entire book I was rooting for Cecily to wind up where she did.
Just a GREAT book and thank you for allowing me to read this.

As I say in all of my Emily Giffin reviews, I am not one of those women who automatically love Emily Giffin books. Sometimes I don't love her writing style, sometimes I don't prefer her plots, but I definitely like her enough to give her books a chance though! This one is another one I found myself to enjoy. It was a mixture of classic chick lit with some emotional topics. I'm also the age that clearly remembers 9/11 and thought it was an interesting emotional decision to use that as a backdrop for this book. I can't say I agree with 100% of the plot decisions but I didn't perfectly predict the entire ending which always bumps a book up in my mind.

Emily Giffin does it again in The Lies that Bind...a truly heart wrenching novel. Cecily is reeling from the breakup with her long term boyfriend and is drowning her sorrows at a bar in NYC, getting ready to call her old boyfriend when she hears a voice telling not to do it, she'll regret it. She turns around and finds Grant, a gorgeous stranger. They spend the night talking and she takes him home, which is totally unlike her, and they fall in love. Grant has several extenuating circumstances which make them being together difficult, and then 9/11 happens and Grant, who works at the World Trade Center disappears and is never found.

Cecily is devastated, but then sees his face on a missing person poster and realizes that she's not the only one looking for him. The horror of that day is compounded by so many things and Emily Giffin handles them so well, she makes you feel Cecily's pain and terror and all that she is going through as she tries to find Grant and all of the revelations that come through after his disappearance on 9/11. Will her life ever be the same, or at least one she wants to live?

Thank you to the author, Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. Don't miss this one, it's excellent!