Thank you to Netgalley, Random House and Emily Giffin for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Emily does it again! As a big fan of hers I was honored to get this ARC.
I have read all her books.
I loved the characters. locales, and the entire story line. The way it all came together with even some twists and turns, made it an even better heartwarming and bittersweet story.
What an awesome book!

I am a big fan of Emily Giffin but I found this book confusing. Giffin seems to be trying to bridge the gap between her light but poignant early works and her last book ALL WE EVER WANTED that deftly addressed some important social issues. THE LIES THAT BIND is a story of a young woman caught between two men but in the middle of the book, she adds considerable intrigue and the events of 9/11. For me, the story became too complicated and frankly so unbelievable that it just didn't work for me. In spite of this, I can hardly wait to see what Giffin writes next.

This was such an entertaining book! I love Emily Giffin and this book did not disappoint. I loved how the story was about a girl trying to find love with a mix of surprises and mystery mixed in. I'm not sure if I liked that she ended up with Grant in the end. There was a lot of lying and cheating that I'm not sure I'd be able to make peace with personally. I loved how Emily portrayed the 9/11 tragedy from the NYC resident's perspective. I read this in two days and will recommend to friends!

I have mixed feelings about Emily Giffin’s latest. The writing felt choppy and the storyline was just ok and somewhat predictable. The novel almost felt written by two different authors with the protagonist being presented very differently in the first half of the book versus the second. I can somewhat understand why given the events that took place - she would be a changed woman - but it still felt quite unnatural. None of this felt realistic - the relationships were somewhat shallow and underdeveloped. Having said that, I appreciated the emotional complexity of the ending.

I was happy to have the opportunity to review this title by Emily Giffin. There's a 9/11 component that was cleverly put into this plot about Cecily, on the rebound from a broken relationship, who finds the person she thinks might be "the one" only to have him go missing on 9/11. Only then she realizes what they had might've been built on lies. Cecily is trying to find herself and her future. What is love? Is it that high of a new relationship, or is it sticking with a relationship through all the ups and downs. This was so well told that I read (on my most hated night of the year: the spring time change) until 2:30am to turn the last page. That's a high recommendation from me. Grab this title; you won't be disappointed. Thank you to Random House/Ballantine and Net Galley for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

If the deal seems too good to be true, it must not be, right?

In this newest novel by Emily Griffin, Cecily, shortly after breaking up with perfect Matthew who is afraid of commitment, meets Grant, a handsome stranger who she falls into a whirlwind romance with.

With taking care of his ill twin, Grant's focus sometimes is not what Cecily expects, but she continues to be understanding. Then the World Trade Center falls, and Cecily realizes Grant is missing.

From here, the book adds mystery to the romance, with Cecily working to find the truth about Grant while Matthew enters her world again.

I like the setting and much of the romance of the books, plus I found the mystery to be very satisfying. The only thing I did not enjoy were some of Cecily's reactions to Grant, which I found hard to understand.

Another winner from Emily Griffin just in time for summer.

Emily Giffin consistently writes good books, and "The Lies That Bind" is no exception! The main character of this novel, Cecily, has two good men in her life: Matthew and Grant. Should she choose the reliable, practical love or the reckless, passionate love? And then what happens when one of these men is presumed dead after 9/11? I really enjoyed this book and all its unexpected twists and turns. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good love story. (And who doesn't?!)

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. Cecily heads to the nearby bar to drown her sorrows over a beak up with Matthew. She meets Grant and they have the most wonderful whirlwind romance. Grant dies on 9/11 and when she digs further into his life, she finds out way more than she bargains for. I liked this book but didn’t love it. If you like a Emily Griffin (like me), give it a look!

Emily Giffin has been known for 2 things, beautiful book covers and writing stories that explore difficult subjects and characters who grow from it and her new one The Lies That Bind is no exception.

The story centers around Cecily, who is going through a difficult time in her life career and love wise and finds a silver lining when she meets Grant. I think a lot of the emotions in this story are also heightened by the fact that it also centers around the events of 9/11, which I thought was a great way to showcase love and lost.

While there was a lot of realism to this story, I also found that she used a lot of far-fetched ideas which I bought into for the sake of the story. There were a lot of themes explored and there was so much drama that I wasn't sure who to root for anymore. Overall, I enjoyed reading the story.

Loved, loved, loved this story! This book gave me all the feels many, many times over. I found myself rooting for every character at many different times.

Wow, I devoured this entire book in one sitting! Emily Griffin does an amazing job of making the main character Cecily, so complex and relatable. Cecily is torn between 2 men, her love for both of them, & what she wants for her future, which is something every person I know struggles with. The entire book is filled with drama, love, mysteries, family, friendship, and even laughs. This book is one of the best I’ve read in a long time!

I love Emily Giffin’s books, so I was so excited to receive an advance copy of The Lies That Bind.
Cecily has just gone through a breakup with Matthew, and she meets Grant at a bar in NYC. They have an intense, instant connection and spend the summer of 2001 falling in love. The attack on 9/11 leaves the city, and journalist Cecily, shaken to the core. She’s devastated to see Grant’s face on a missing poster, but who is the woman looking for him?
The Lies That Bind explores love, loyalty, trust, and deception in a thrilling, heartbreaking way. Cecily is left reeling, wondering if the men she’s loved felt the same, and can she trust her own feelings in hindsight?
I was so happy to see that Ethan, Rachel, and Darcy from Something Borrowed/Something Blue make a brief appearance, I love that Emily Giffin’s characters exist in the same universe! I absolutely recommend The Lies That Bind, you won’t want to put it down!

Enjoyable and quick read with honest and believable characters set against the backdrop of the late 90s/early 2000s and 9/11. This is the perfect book for a long car ride, plane trip, beach day, or just a lazy day at home.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48376596

Whenever I get read to read an Emily Griffin book I get the tissues handy just in case! All of her books are so different but very touching in sometimes-unusual ways. When Cecily has just broken up with boyfriend Matthew she is drowning her sorrows in hometown New York at a local bar when she meets Grant and she is immediately drawn to him even inviting him back to her apartment where she awakens in his arms after just a cozy night that doesn't involve sex. Both are infatuated and the relationship grows. But then 9-11 happens and we all know how that affected not only the inhabitants of the city, but everything that we believed to be good and true. Cecily and Matthew reconnect and that's all your'e going to get for plot here. Just know that it's worth reading and if you love Griffin as I do, you won't be disappointed!

Wow. Just wow. This book adds an element not normally explored. The ordinary lives of New Yorkers, 9/11, and the tragic aftermath, this book holds little back! Add in some romance and a lot of lies and it is a perfect trifecta!

This story takes place about the time of 9/11. However , I had issues with that story.line. It was an issue of lying through the book-the the title. The characters had little redeeming qualities and seem to jump from one relationship to another. Secrets secrets secrets...the reader wonders what is true and what isn’t. It is not a sit by the fire with hot hocolate type of read. It is not a book that one wonders what will happen next. It is in reality let’s finish. Sorry but I just did not live this book. This is a good author, and other readers might like this story more. Give it a try.

I enjoyed this novel a lot. Very well written and spellbinding, with an engaging cast of characters. Highly recommended - Emily Giffin never disappoints!

Pretty much read this in one sitting. I LOVE HER BOOKS. Period. End of story.

Ok so this is definitely NOT the dark and twisty deep kind of literary book I usually enjoy, but Emily Giffin and also Elin Hilderbrand can get away with it. They both have the ability to make romance and the so-called chick-lit smart and good and compulsively readable. This story begins in May of 2001. Girl meets boy in NYC, boy works in the WTC, yea you know where this is going...except you don’t. You don’t know shit. I really liked the narrator (Cecily) and I LOVED her bff, Scottie. One of the men in this story was so lovable-even with his complications, and one was detestable-even with his generosity and do-good acts. I loved how she wrote the morning of 9/11. I remember that morning and will for the rest of my life-as most readers will, I imagine. The descriptions and the feelings were so well done. There were many twists and reveals and while some of it was a bit of a stretch, it really is a small world and six degrees of separation is real. Also, if you’re a fan of Something Borrowed/Something Blue, you will recognize some cameos that preceded those books :) To conclude, I really enjoyed this, as I always do with Emily’s books. I expect this to be a very popular 2020 read and I’m so grateful to have had the chance to read and review before the release date of June 2, 2020. Thanks, Net Galley & Ballantine Books for the approval.

I have been a fan of Emily's since the very first book. That being said, this was not my favorite of her works. The overall concept (girl meets boy, finds out he is married, befriends the wife, etc.) I had just literally read in another upcoming book so it just wasn't something new and exciting.
It is 2001, Cecily is a late 20 something who has just ended her relationship with Matthew. Rather than sit and home and drown in her sorrows in pints of Ben and Jerry's, she decides to venture out of her NY apartment and ends up at a local bar. After a few drinks, she goes to pickup the phone and call Matthew, but hears a voice behind her saying "don't do it." That voice belongs to Grant Smith. Cecily and Grant begin a friendship that slowly evolves into something more. They finally consummate their relationship on the evening of September 10th. Grant, a trading partner, works in the World Trade Center. He goes "missing" on September 11th in the terrorist attacks. While near the site, Cecily and her best friend Jasmine spot a missing poster with his name and a strange phone number on it. They call the number only to find out that Grant has been lying. His "ex" Amy is actually his WIFE! Cecily befriends Amy, first by writing an article about him for her newspaper. The friendship blossoms and they become good friends. Amy has assumed by now that Grant is dead.
Meanwhile Cecily and Matthew end up hooking back up. A few weeks later, Cecily discovers she is pregnant. She and Matthew plan to wed and raise the baby, even though she is not 100% certain whether the baby belongs to Grant or Matthew. At the 11th hour, Grant mysteriously shows up, having faked his death to avoid being charged for trading fraud. From here the book skips a few years and ends (no spoilers!) with the resolution of the Cecily/Matt/Grant situation.
Don't get me wrong, it is a good book, just would have liked to see a little different storyline twist!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I’ve always loved Emily Giffin’s books, and this one did not disappoint! It’s both a love story and a love story to 9/11 era NYC.