Review will be posted on 7/7/2020
It's 2001 and Cecily Gardner has just broken up with her boyfriend. She's feeling low and can't sleep, so she decides to go grab a drink at her local bar in Manhattan. While there, she hits it off with an attractive stranger who encourages her to not drunk dial her ex-boyfriend. They hit it off and down a few more drinks before calling it a night. Just as they are to part for the evening, they decide to spend a chaste night together. And just like that could Cecily have met the one? As she gets to know this man, who we find out is Grant Smith, she falls head over heels for him. He seems almost perfect! Grant is dealing with a lot though. He works on Wall Street, but is taking time off to take his brother to London for a clinical trial to help him with his ALS. From there, the story develops all the while we know what happens in New York on September 11th. Emily Giffin's The Lies That Bind kept me flipping the pages. Even though it wasn't my favorite of Giffin's novels, I still felt it was a decent summer read.

Cecily is pretty much your average New York woman. She is relatable despite some of her impulsive decisions in The Lies That Bind. At first Grant seems perfect, but slowing he raises a lot of red flags, but love is blind, right? After September 11th, a few things come to the surface and I don't want to give too much away, but she soon learns the truth surrounding Grant.

The fact that 9/11 is featured in The Lies That Bind was a bit tough. If you lived through it (and you weren't just a kid in elementary school), then it might be tough to revisit this upsetting time in our history. It was brutal at times, especially Giffin's realistic depictions and if you know someone who tragically died on 9/11, this may be difficult for you. However, I will say Giffin handled it well and the overall message is a positive one by the end of the novel.

The pace of the The Lies That Bind worked for me and Giffin's ability to tell a story is solid; however, I just didn't connect with it as much as her Darcy & Rachel series. So, let me know your thoughts. Did you read The Lies That Bind? Are you a fan of Giffin's novels? Let me know in the comments below.

I am not that familiar with Emily Giffin as an author so I do not have much to compare this book to related to previous works of hers... but I have to say I did enjoy this one. Once I started reading, I could not put it down. I became engrossed in the story and the plot twists and turns kept me guessing. Emily did a good job of weaving the lives of the characters together and that kept me turning the pages.

The plot was interesting but I feel the characters could have been a bit more developed. It felt rushed in places and that detracted from the overall flow of the story. For those of us who lived through the horror of 9/11, it missed the mark in evoking the emotions of those days.

For that reason I felt it was not a 5 star read. I will, though, be looking for more of her books to add to my library.

I REALLY liked this, but maybe it didn’t end how I think it should? 🤷‍♀️. I mean I loved the ending BUT I don’t think Cecily (the main character) would feel like I should love the ending? It’s complicated...

I've really liked Giffin's books in the past but this one fell really flat for me. None of the characters were particularly likeable and Grant turned out to be deplorable. I didn't love the twist at the end that was discovered at the cabin, I think it was belittling to survivors and families of 9/11 victims. And I didn't like Cecily's decision making at any point in the story. Just all around fell flat to me.

Page turner, amazing twisty read. Loved it ...love all her books! Emily Griffin gives readers a satisfying story filled with love, loss, 9/11, NYC, self-discovery and so much more. Fans will love the romance and appreciate the reality in this lovely novel.

Im only giving one star because I know a writer has to believe in their story to get it to the page but after that i can not support this novel. Emily Giffin can normally be a garuntee of a chick flick type read. But not this it is over dramatic, wallows in pity, and worst of all it bullies women using the tradgies of 9/11 as a backdrop. DO NOT bother. But if you do you will say "ok, good so far" but then half way you will want to burn it. I read 250 some books a year on average and i never rate below a 3-star, ever, but i had to this time.

Emily Giffin has always been a favorite author of mine and reading this book reminded me of her earlier novels I fell in love with. She referenced many past characters which was a fun touch. The love triangle of Cecily, Grant and Matthew had me flying through this book. Great storyline and a great summer read.

Based on the summary and the early works I have read from this author, I really felt compelled to read this book, especially since it was set involving the 9/11 attacks. I was prepared to be emotional and heartbroken.

But now, having read the book, I just don’t know how to feel. The ending was one I felt coming, sort of. Maybe I should say that I felt the penultimate ending coming, the big reveal. But what comes next, left me feeling on the fence about the whole reading experience. I liked the journey, yes, and I liked the inherent message. But frankly the characters just left me wanting to like them more. I felt for them, at least enough to want to finish the book. But I didn’t love them and didn’t necessarily think they were making the best decisions.


You can see my video review here:
https://youtu.be/Lqf2T35GFl4

I am always excited to read Emily Griffin and her latest novel The Lies That Bind did not disappoint. The main character Cecily end up meeting the man of her dreams,Grant, in a chance meeting at a bar in NYC. She is fresh out of another relationship and he is dealing with taking care of his terminally ill brother. We follow them as they try to launch into a relationship, but life invariably gets in the way. Grants goes missing on September 11 and we watch as Cecily tries to put her life back together. She soon starts to uncover lie after lie as well as telling her own. A great drama that will keep you reading as layer upon layer reveals itself.

This was my first time reading an Emily Giffin book and it definitely won't be my last! I really enjoyed this story. Cecily was a typical midwest girl living in NYC trying to live her best life. She meets Grant one night in a bar and her life turns upside down. I like the addition of 9/11 to the story and how people in the story were effected by it and how they dealt with the aftermath of this tragedy. Cecily had some big decisions to make throughout the story, sometimes she didn't make the right ones but I enjoyed reading about her journey!

Another great read by Emily Giffin. I really loved the story. Living in Wisconsin it was nice to hear a little about Wisconsin and places I know well. I have never been to New York and it was nice to go back and reflect on 9/11 and thoughts that people had at that very time. I really enjoyed the story and am so happy to have read it.

Disappointing on so many levels…
While working through a difficult breakup with her boyfriend of over three years, Cecily, a young journalist from WI living in NY, goes to a neighborhood bar late one night to escape the memories flooding her apartment. After a few drinks lessens her resolve to stay strong she is stopped by a stranger, Grant, from drunk dialing her ex. There is an immediate connection with Grant that leads to a whirlwind romance. Grant already had plans to travel Europe with his terminally ill twin before he met Cecily. Shortly after Grant and Cecily say goodbye, 9/11 hits. Cecily realizes that there was much of Grant’s life she did not know about and the journalist in her decides to seek answers. What she finds is not what she expects…

The Lies That Bind by Emily Griffin is much like mailman coming to your door only to hand you a tax bill from the IRS. The beginning immediately catches your attention and hooks you into the story but its only frustration and disbelief after that. From the characters to the plot line; there are so many ways that the story did not fulfill its good beginning. Cecily is immature, naive, and somewhat whiny while Grant is the template mysterious, romantic interest. They are both flat, unappealing characters that I could not connect with or find myself liking. Even Cecily’s gay bestfriend is stereotypical in his supporting role.

There is so much I could say about the main event of the story and the ending! While using a recent tragedy can be relevant to a fictional situation and done in a way that in no way diminishes the event or those who have suffered; Griffin’s use of 9/11 does neither. I’m not usually easily offended for others but I was really uncomfortable with the way she seemed to trivialize this tragedy. But, that was not even the worst part of The Lies That Bind! I won’t include spoilers in case you are a die-hard Emily Griffin fan and still want to read this novel. I was very aggravated with the ending and felt she was trying to be edgy instead of writing in a way that would tie things together and be satisfying to her readers. I simply don’t like romance authors who toy with me and then give me a totally off the radar ending.

After reading all this you are probably wondering why I even gave it three stars. The Lies That Bind had a great hook and Griffin is an easy to read author. While this really should have been a two star review, I gave her one star just for the fact that I have read a few of her other books and I know she can write a good story with good characters, The Lies That Bind is just not one of them.

Really enjoyed this book. Typical EG writing style. I love how she brings back old characters from previous books.

Some characters rubbed me the wrong way and I would have wanted them to do things differently but I loved how it all ended and wrapped up nicely. ALS, 9/11, and infidelity trigger warning.

I don't even know where to begin with this book. I've never literally yelled out loud to a book before in my life but that's how frustrating it was!!! The first half of the book was great & entertaining. Then the eye rolls started full force. The main character Cicily's a complete idiot. There I said it.

I read this book in 3 days so it kept my attention for sure....but not in a positive way at all in the end. I normally love Emily Giffen's books. Hopefully she can do better next time. It would be hard to end a book much worse.

**Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing/Ballantine for sharing this ARC in exchange my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing house for providing a review copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Emily Giffin’s books have become my go-to, over the years, for a great escape, and her latest novel was such a treat.

Cecily & Grant meet at a local pub and immediately hit it off. As Cecily is just rebounding from a prior relationship, she dismisses her instincts to not fall head over heels for this new relationship. Grant is charming, seems to have life figured out, and is easy to love.

Although Cecily feels like she knows Grant, she realizes just how little she knows about him after 9/11 happens and Grant goes missing.

As she tries to piece together the clues from their relationship, she starts to recognize that the Grant she knew might not be the real Grant after all.

Emily’s love stories are real and relatable and that is why they are so dang enjoyable. This one is just as enjoyable as her prior books and I couldn’t put it down.

If you are looking for a good mystery, with a romance weaved in, you will definitely want in your summer stack.

Cecily is our protagonist in this story and after a breakup of a relationship she assumed would lead to marriage, she heads out to a bar where she meets Grant. Grant keeps Cecily from drunk dialing the ex and then queue the dramatic over the top shenanigans that I have loved with Emily's books. Like watching a really bad scripted reality show. What moved this book up in stars for me was seeing Darcy, Ethan and Rachel make an appearance. (Something Borrowed and Something Blue)

A solid 3.5 stars. I love Emily Giffin's books, my ratings are based on the book and not the person writing it, I as an adult can separate fiction from real life. This book could be triggering due to the setting and time it took place.

Arc provided by Netgalley for free. This does not influence my review.

This is a love story that envelopes every possible scenario of breaking up and making up on more than one occasion. In her search for true love, the main character, Cecily has many heart wrenching experiences before she finally discovers true love. Among these experiences are 9/11, New York's and the world's biggest nightmare, unplanned pregnancy and uncertainty of who the father is, unexpected friendship with the wife of an ex-lover when she had no idea he was married, the assumed death of the one she thought was Mr. Right who was actually wanted by the FBI, an engagement with one who obviously was Mr. Wrong, and then best of all finding the Mr. Right again. You won't want to put the book down till you experience these events along with Cecily on her path to true love.

I've read Emily Griffin before and enjoyed her stories. This one proved to be just too predictable and sappy for me. Cecily is just about to call the man who dumped her when a handsome man tells her "Don't do it!". So begins a brief but passionate friendship that eventually turns to love.....EXCEPT....

We know from the beginning that there's something not quiet right about this relationship (the title, for one thing!), but I still kept reading. There are a few twists and turns, but I met most of them with a "well, duh! Of course!" reaction. Although the "twists" were not completely telegraphed, nothing came as a surprise to me. I felt I was watching a movie and yelling at the screen -- "Don't do it" Everyone knew something was off, that Cecily was headed for disaster, so when it happened, there was no surprise. Of course, everything works out in the end, but by then I just didn't care.

One high note -- Griffin's descriptions of NYC on the day of 9/11 and the days after were frightening and gut-wrenching! It's clear that either she was present or she has an amazing gift for empathy and putting readers inside a historical event. Those passages were wonderful! The rest of the story was just so-so.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a fan of Emily Giffin's books since I read Something Borrowed when it first came out. I've enjoyed her books throughout the years; however, the last few years, I haven't liked anything she's written. Maybe I've outgrown her or maybe it's because of her rants on social media that have turned me off her writing. The book started out promising, but became a mess. I also felt it was insensitive to victims of 9/11. I ended up skimming just to see how it would end.

I enjoyed this book. I think that it was one of the better ones of this author's past few books. It was a story that started out slow but eventually was hard to put down. Being in NYC on 9/11 it was hard to read about it as part of the story. I enjoyed the relationships between Cecily and the rest of the characters in the book. Overall, this was a well-written feel good summer read.