3.75 stars, rounded up to 4. And I thought her last book was really heavy subject material... this one had some difficult parts to process and I had a hard time really getting into a groove, but overall I thought it was a good plot.

WOW! What a page turner, I could not put it down. Emily Giffin has spun such an incredible story around one of the US's most horrific events, 911. When Cecily meets a stranger in a bar, there is an instant attraction, which leads to an almost too-good-to-be-true romance. And that's just what it is - too good to be true. After spending time together, we see her fall hard for this man she really doesn't know. Then he disappears during the collapse of NYC during 911. Turns out, someone else is looking for him too. But who?

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I didn't finish this. I found it slow going, skipped to the end. After reading the end, I'm glad I didn't invest any additional time.

Unfortunately this book didn't show up on my kindle even though it's on my list and shelf, so I'm obligated to provide a review and a rating even though I can't figure out how to get the book. I wish there was a way to alert netGalley when this happens. Sorry.

I guess my feedback was deleted! :( Cecily meets the man of her dreams the summer of 2001, but it is quite obvious Grant is hiding something. As fall looms, the dreaded attacks hit NYC. Presuming Grant is dead, Cecily is hysterical. She starts to find out his secrets and who is really was. I feel this went from Romance to a Soap Opera. I have always been a huge Emily fan, but this was not my favorite of hers. This is why I am giving it a 4 star vs a 5.

Another fantastic read from Emily Griffin. The Lies That Bind was so anticipated. I loved the characters and the writing is very well done. The story kept me interested from beginning to end. I recommend this book

RATING 3.5 STARS

Don't do it--you'll regret it

Cecily Gardner Midwest native doing the reporter gig in New York. Sitting in a bar she is contemplating her relationship with her ex boyfriend Matthew who did not want to commit. Cecily listens to the voice of Grant. Their conversation is free and what follows is soul finding. Their relationship seems to flow effortlessly but when his twin brother becomes gravely ill, Grant takes him to London for extensive treatment and little evasive comments starts to arise. Cecily and along with her childhood friend come to London with Grant's request. Cecily can't make heads or tails about where their relationship is going. She has hope until 9/11 and when she sees his picture of the missing, she calls the number to only find their relationship was based on lies. Who was Grant?

Cecily builds a relationship with the family member who was looking for Grant to find answers and to have closure.

Sometimes I need a prose that is somewhat shallow but engaging. Cecily is like a ping ball going back and forth but she does discover a few things along the way. Sometimes it takes a lie to find out what we really want.

A special thank you to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

Emily Giffin writes another book that is realistic and will be guaranteed to tug at the heartstrings of readers. From the first chapter I understood that this young woman was looking for something that she didn't know she could have in a city she wanted to be a part of and yet..... it was all still on the fringe of her dreams. Cecily finds herself breaking up with her boyfriend, Matt, when she realizes they weren't ready for the same things in life.....but can she really meet the man of her future in a bar while struggling with those emotions? However, Grant seems to be all the things she wants and needs....until the lies begin to catch up to both of them and weave a sticky web around them. The story is based in New York, and the disaster of 9/11 is woven into the plot and this add several twists to the story that is already intriguing. Everyone has their secrets.....and everyone lies to protect them. Have to say I want her best friend to be my best friend!! Scottie has been her friend since childhood, and is dealing with some of his own issues as he struggles with coming out to his family and the supportive and funny conversations they have with each other add some color to the story. Will definitely recommend! I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine in return for an honest review, which this has been. #NetGalley #TheLiesThatBind

I was disappointed in the lying boyfriend, I thought he got off too easy. I binge read this thinking it would get better but the twists were too much for me, and I’m a fan of Griffin’s other books.

The Lies That Bind by Emily Giffin kept my attention from beginning to end. I read for enjoyment and this book checked all of the boxes. It was difficult to put down because the storyline kept surprising me with changes. This is a story of love and loss that will pull at your heartstrings along with giving a lot of reasons to smile. 9/11 is central to this story, something near and dear to my heart due to a family member being there. This book is one that once you start, you will not want to stop, make sure you have enough time to be swept up.

Oh Emily Giffin, I forget how much I love your relationship books. She's so good at sucking you into the characters. And something about reading a book about 9/11 while we are dealing with this coronavirus pandemic, felt like an interesting dichotomy. Ups, downs, twists, real relationships. Such a joy to get to read this early. Tore through it in a couple days. Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

This was just okay- not her best. Not a fan of “cheating husband who lands on his feet“ trope. Also, the plot in this one is a bit convoluted.

Loved the beginning of this book and the plot! The characters were fantastic and relatable. I was so excited about this one and over the moon when I received an advanced copy to read. This one definitely held my attention and was a binge read. However, the twist was a little bit too much for me and left me a little disappointed in the book despite having so many other positive characteristics. If you are a fan of Emily Giffin, then I still recommend this one. However, if you have never read one of her books, I suggest starting with one of her older books first.

I can not tell you enough how much I loved this book! It is my favorite of Emily Giffin's since her 2012 book Where We Belong. The Lies that Bind instantly hooked me in and before I knew it I was half way through the book. Up until the very last chapter I honestly could not tell how it was going to end. Each and every character was so deeply flawed, their lives were a mess and their choices questionable. That's what I loved about it, They were real, their journeys were messy and that is what made them so very genuine. So, so good!

Emily Griffin’s latest in my opinion is her best novel yet. I was quickly absorbed into the storyline and it never let up until the ending. I found myself on a roller coaster of emotions when it came to Cecily , Matthew and Grant. These characters were carefully crafted and the human aspect really shone through. Do we ever really know what love is? After much deliberation I think they figure it out in the end. #Netgalley #TheLiesThatBind

I have been a long time fan of Emily Giffin so reading this book should have been a no-brainer for me. When I first attempted to read this, I was not in a good place with everything going on in the world so I shelved it. Maybe if I had read more during my first attempt, I wouldn't have waited until after the 19th anniversary of the day the world stood still. I really did not expect this book to be set during the time of 9/11. That was a difficult time for me. Alone in Portland, 6,000 miles away from family and the only way to see them was to get on a plane. So I could relate well to Cecily being alone in a city without her family around. But that was where the similarities ended.

The storyline was a big departure from the author's previous books. There was a lot going on that I had a somewhat of a difficult time following it all. I do have to say that the details in the story about 9/11 I skimmed through. I lived through my own version of hell during this time, so I did not need someone else's words to trigger me. I think there should have been a trigger warning at the beginning of the book.

All that said, I liked that Cecily and Grant had their happy ending even if their journey was a bit fantastical to me.

So sad to say that I agree with many of the negative reviews. I was a huge fan of EG’s first books back when and much like her last few The Lies That Bind was disappointing. The book felt rushed and full of silly and unrelatable characters. It’s hard to say much without giving anything away, but some of the (mostly predictable) twists are the very worst parts of the book. With the exception of Scottie, I found the main characters very unlikeable and underdeveloped. The protagonist Cecily especially lacked nuance and depth, the plot was unrealistic and the dialogue felt flat and childish.

It did hold my attention to the end so I guess I’d still recommend to the hardcore Emily Giffin fans? Many thanks to Netgalley and publisher for the advanced copy!



https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3361033027

I read this book in three days--fast for me. A good love story with some twists, and a non-Hollywood ending that was realistic yet satisfying.

Another winner from Emily Giffin! Unputdownable.
I received a free copy from the the publisher and Netgalley.