I really enjoyed this book. I hope to read more by this author. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I picked up Tangled in Ivy entirely based on the premise, as I was intrigued at the prospect of a story with “southern family dysfunction.” And I was not disappointed.

I love how it set things up with Lillian’s story of her complicated, somewhat toxic, relationship with her sister in the wake of their father’s death, then had things get deeper as dirty secrets were unveiled about the father’s relationship with their mother. The way things were foreshadowed culminating in the later revelations is perfectly done.

And I also love that, while it does give all the answers by the end, it shows that family isn’t all about blood. In fact, one of my favorite moments was Lillian’s acknowledgment that their housekeeper Trudy was a mother figure to her in a way the woman she had grown up referring to as “mother” wasn’t.

I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a heartfelt women’s fiction story about mothers and daughters, and sisters.

Tangled in Ivy is a pour yourself a tall glass of iced tea, sit on the porch type of book! Ashley Farley has written a page turning story of family drama and mystery. Block off an afternoon and pick up this book!

Tangled in Ivy by Ashley Farley is a wonderful and emotional story which drew me right in, making me forget everything else and did not let me go until I turned the last page. Each book is better than the last. Once I started reading this book I did not want to put it down. It was well worth the lack of sleep to finish this book. The story is very well written, the characters well defined and believable and the descriptions that Ms. Farley writes about make you feel like you are right there with the characters. I totally enjoy Ashley Farley’s work and highly recommend all her books.

I love Ashley Farley’s books. This one is now my favorite of hers. It’s a quick read that will captivate you from the very first page to the very sweet ending.

Lillian and Layla are twins. But they are not your typical twins. They have almost nothing in common and seem to never get along at all. Lillian is more quiet and down to earth while Layla is a bit loud and outgoing. Lillian is more into books and painting and seems to have way more feeling that Layla. Layla is a typical narcissist person.

Lillian took care of Graham, the twins dad, until he took his very last breath. Layla arrives shortly after he passes away. Then the battles begin.

This is a very quick read and one that will keep you wanting more. It’s told from Lillian and Graham’s POVs. While Lillian tells what is going on in the here and now, Graham is telling about his life with the love of his life, Ivy. He has written a book for his daughter’s to read and boy what a story it is. While I pretty much guessed the two huge things going on in this book it is still so good. I think maybe it was not really meant to be a true secret what is revealed in this story, to the readers that is. Maybe it is and maybe not. Needless to say it’s the best book I have read by this author and I’ve loved several of hers.

This is the story of sisters. Not close, be there for each other sisters, but sisters none the less. It’s also the story of Graham and Ivy. Ivy was a very complicated woman and I personally didn’t like her very much. I didn’t approve of some of the things Graham did either but it’s what made the story what it is. Ivy was a spoiled woman and didn’t seem to care who she hurt when she got something in her head that she wanted. Graham was a good guy with a few bad flaws. He did love Ivy though and I believe she loved him in her own way also. Another that I didn’t like was Alice. Alice was Ivy’s best friend from a very young age. Alice and Ivy were both spoiled little rich girls and didn’t seem to care who they hurt in the process of getting what they wanted. But again this book needed their antics to make it the great book it was. You will learn to love or hate these two women. I didn’t like them very much at all. But they were who they were.

It’s hard to say much about this book because you can easily give something away and I hate spoilers. I’ll suffice it to say this is a wonderful story of love, loss, happiness, sadness, heartache and even a few laughs. It’s the story of a family and many secrets. It’s a story that will make you shed tears. Make you hold your breath and make you want to smack someone. It’s a great story and one that you won’t be able to put down.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #AshleyFarley, #Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)

A 5 star book for sure. I highly recommend this book to you all..

I’ve read Farleys Magnolia Series and enjoyed so when I saw a new book coming out I didn’t hesitate to read and it was definitely worth the read!

Graham Alexander and Ivy Stoney met at a young age, married and had a set of twins. They have a few years together before she meets an untimely death, leaving him to raise two little girls. It wasn’t easy but he raised the girls the best he could. Years later he dies as well leaving the girls devastated. Not only because of his death, but the truths left behind that will tear these sisters even more apart than they already were.

The story is given in two timelines, the present with Lillian and her father Graham in 1984. He’s written a memoir of this life with his wife Ivy. It tells of their life together, the birth of the girls and the events that took place over several years. Lillians timelines gives the events and things she has learned about their parents shortly after his death.

Lillian and Layla might have been a set of twins, but they couldn’t have been more different. Layla is outgoing one who thrives living in a big city while Lillian is the quieter one and the one who stayed in the town they grew up in. So, of course they have very different lives but they never close when they were younger as you would think sisters would be growing up, especially being twins. Even now as adults they are still at odds, over the estate and just about everything else for that matter.

When Lillian reads the manuscript that her father leaves her, she finds herself remembering events of the night her mother died, memories her brain has kept at bay. There are so many heartbreaking truths that come to light. Some things I figured out pretty early on but there were some I didn’t see coming and it has me turning the pages to find out more about their mother’s life before her death, to find out what the truths revealed meant for the girls. My heart went out to Lillian and Layla because the girls haven’t had the easiest lives, especially in their personal lives. I wondered and hoped that through all of this they might be able to come together. It was definitely and emotional journey to the end but I won’t give anymore away.

This story isn’t just about hidden secrets and family drama, it’s about self discovery, forgiveness and learning to move forward and rekindled loves and on I would certainly recommend picking up.

First of all, before I get to my thoughts about this book, I have to gush about this cover. Isn't it just simply stunning? So beautiful! And then the words inside this gorgeous cover—just a beautiful!

Tangled in Ivy could be Ashley's best book yet. And I have absolutely loved all of her previous books, mind you. This is one that will stay with me for a long time. I fell in love with Lillian and hurt for her as she struggled with the death of her beloved father, felt angry and frustrated as she had to deal with her estranged and selfish sister, and shocked as she learned the truths of the past. So many emotions, so many family secrets!

This is an amazing, heartfelt story that will keep you totally engrossed as you take this journey of discovery with Lillian and Layla. Is the bond of family enough to keep these sisters from being torn apart?

I highly recommend Tangled in Ivy, as I have all of Ashley's other books. You will not be disappointed when you pick up this beautiful book!

I LOVED this book!!! This is the first novel by Ashley Farley that I've read and it definitely won't be the last! The character development in this novel is amazing. I adored every character (well except Layla!). Ms Farley is a gifted writer for sure. Tangled in Ivy has everything a great story should be made up of: family drama, scandal, love, feuds, and family dynamics. I highly, highly recommend this book, you won't regret it! It's a stay up til the wee hours of the morning engrossed in the plot kind of story...
One thing, while I do love the pretty cover, I do not think it suits this book, in my opinion. It needs something darker maybe??

I struggled to rate this book. I really enjoyed the plot and story but the writing wasn’t my favorite. There were times it felt disjointed and I felt like it jumped from one scene to the next without any transition. Although I have to say I felt like the portions of the story written as Graham’s memoir were better paced and didn’t jump around as much.

All of that said though, I did really enjoy the story. I was hooked once I got to the portion of the book that held Graham’s memoir. There were a few twists I didn’t see coming and some I did but even seeing some of them coming didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story.

I ultimately give this book 3.5 stars. The pacing and the writing issues are why I had to deduct half a star. But the plot was fantastic.

ARC provided by Netgalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for a honest review.

Fantastic doesn't even begin to describe how delicious TANGLED IN IVY is! Ashley Farley has beautifully written this dramatic novel that will take you on a journey of love, life and family drama like no other with unexpected twists and turns that I didn't see coming!

Lillian Stoney is taking care of her father, Graham, at the end of his life. She soon finds his journals that take her back in time to when her parents met, when she and her twin, Layla, were born and to when her mother, Ivy, passed away.

As Lillian realizes her life was not what she thought it was, the truth comes out. But what will they do with this truth? Please get your copy of TANGLED IN IVY to find out. Thank you Ashley Farley and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book was great. The character were great and so was the story line. I had a hard time putting it down.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Mystery • Fiction • Release date: June, 9th, 2020 • 304 pages

This story takes place in Charleston, SC. A father dies and his estranged twin daughters have to work together to take care of the family estate. These twins hate each other and it’s exasperated by many secrets being revealed after their parents death.
The pace was brisk and the story was vividly rendered. It involved a series of setbacks, challenges and misfortunes. It weaves between past and present. But at 70% I began to feel a disconnect.
I wanted “more”. Don’t get me wrong, there was a lot going on in this story and it was good, but left me lacking.
I also want to mention on a side note that I really didn’t like the cover.

This was a NETGALLEY gift from the publisher and all opinions are my own.

TANGLED IN IVY by Ashley Farley is riveting, compelling Southern women's fiction filled with intrigue, family drama and gorgeous descriptions. This beautifully written emotional story about a dysfunctional family has secrets, lies, mystery, tragedies, shocking and surprising truths, and tangled twists and turns.

As usual, Ashley Farley's characters are lifelike and relatable. They practically "walk off the pages." My favourite characters were Trudy, the loving and loyal housekeeper for over forty years; Edward, Ivy's father; Graham, university professor, and father of Lillian and Layla; Lillian, sweet, thoughtful, artist and caregiver of her father when he was dying of cancer; and Marcus, athletic junior lawyer in a prestigious law firm.
I disliked the way Layla bullied Lillian, her twin sister, selfishly only thought of herself, was rude, and always wanted to be the centre of attention.

This story grabbed my attention on page one, had me glued to the book and kept me turning the pages as fast as I could to find out what would happen next.

I was surprised to read details of Graham's sexual thoughts and feelings that he wrote in his memoir, as I felt that they were too explicit for a father to write for his daughter. Graham and Lillian were very close, but not in 'that' way.

Ashley Farley is one of my favourite authors, and I have enjoyed every book written by her that I have read.
She is very talented at blending families, drama, mystery and romance. TANGLED IN IVY is most definitely a 'can't put it down until the very last word is read' kind of book! I
highly recommend it. 5 stars

***Thanks to Leisure Time Books and NetGalley for allowing me the pleasure of reading a digital advance reading copy of this fabulous book. All opinions are my own.
#TangledinIvy
#NetGalley

Posted on GoodReads, NetGalley, Savvy Reader, Twitter

College professor, Graham Alexander dies after a short but painful illness. His twin daughters, Lillian and Layla find their lives in upheaval that seems to have begun with the death of his wife Ivy.

For twins, Lillian and Layla are polar opposites – shy Lillian and boisterous Layla. Layla has bullied Lillian all their lives and blames her for Ivy’s death. While Lillian has always felt guilty about the death of their mother, she has totally blocked the memory of that day.

After Graham’s funeral, Lillian comes into possession of his memoir that he left her. Reading her father’s story reveals a complex account of secrets, anger and heartbreak, but helps her begin to understand herself and her life.

Ashley Farley has written another fascinating saga of a Southern family full of love and hate, complicated relationships, and passion. While it’s initially hard to understand the relationship between the twins, as the story unfolds, the situation becomes clearer. I have loved everything that Ashley Farley has written and this book lives up to my expectations. While I must admit that the resolution in the last few chapters seemed to happen rather fast, the catalyst made the outcome satisfying. I stayed up well past my bedtime to finish the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to enjoy this book

This book y’all…one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen! Thank you to Kate Rock and Ashley Farley for allowing me to be on this book tour! This gem will be available on June 9, so do yourselves a favor and GRAB it!!

Layla and Lillian, twin sisters come together again when their Dad passes away from cancer. Unbeknownst to both of them, their college professor father has written a memoir detailing his life with their mother, Ivy. The girls have never gotten along and Lillian realizes she’s has a fight on her hands to try to keep the family home. Layla, her sister who’s always tormented her is quick to want to sell the estate. Lillian decides to go to their other family home and finds his memoir on a usb drive stuck in an Ernest Hemingway book. And that’s when all hell breaks loose. So many truths and lies she finds buried in this memoir.

This book, I truly believe it’s Ashley’s BEST novel yet! It has that southern charm that she’s known for in her books and the darkness that can come from keeping so many secrets buried. Love, mental health and personalities out of this world. It rocked and cut me, it made me angry and it made me sad but, it also made me smile. I can actually see this being a movie, that’s how GOOD it is!! Hello Netflix!!!

If you don’t read this and you love southern fiction, something is wrong with you!! 😉 Absolutely loved it and highly recommend!! It’d be a perfect beach read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

And stay tuned for my book tour date with this gorgeous book!

Tangled In Ivy, A family saga that takes us on a journey through the lives of best friends, husbands and wives, friends and loves. Interesting twist that are untangled through the pages of this beautiful story.

I am a fan of Ashley Farley! I have been since I discovered her Sweeney Sister series. Her books are not only enjoyable, but thought-provoking., as well.
I might have to say that Tangled in Ivy has been my favorite so far! It was hard to put down. The story was riveting, and the characters were well developed.
I highly recommend Tangled in Ivy! 5 stars !

INTRIGUING!

Ashley Farley continues to solidify her place as a top Women’s Contemporary Fiction author with her latest release TANGLED IN IVY. Farley’s writing is compelling and her plot is so intriguing that that you will want to read this book in one sitting (I did!). Her characters are so vivid that you feel as though you are watching their drama on display across the room. The setting of Charleston’s East Battery adds its own elements of charm, beauty, mystique, aristocracy, old money and greed. These components plus Farley’s ability to grasp the depth and intensity of family dysfunction add up to a very intriguing storyline. TANGLED IN IVY will grab your attention, keep you reading page after page and even if you solve things in your own mind, you want to know more. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the author and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

I love this cover! If I had never read a book by this author, I would buy the book just because of the cover! Just like the cover, the story inside is beautiful and heart warming. It also has family intrigue and sadness. I could not put this book down and wanted to read it slow and make it last.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher and author for the early copy

A family tale from Charleston of love and secrets with a story line spanning generations.
I am a fan of family sagas and secrets to be revealed, especially when a family home places a central part in the plot.
The story starts when Lillian's father is dying of pancreatic cancer and in the few hours before his death, full of medication he makes comments Lillian finds difficult to understand but gives her the feeling that he is trying to tell her something important. After her father's death traumatic feelings from her past surface and she struggles to cope with her long-hidden emotions and memories which do not allow her to reveal what happened to her mother on the day of her death when she was a little girl.
Lillian sets out to search her father's things for answers to not only save her ancestral home which she and her twin sister Layla learn is at risk because the family fortune is gone but to also try and find anything which will shed light on her past.
On finding a memory stick in one of her dad's most cherished books it contains her father's journal which he has left to her to reveal the story of his life with Lilian's mother Ivy. Told from the perspective of Lillian's father Graham he reveals the turbulent relationship with his wife Ivy over the years from their first meeting, through the death of Ivy's beloved father Henry to her intense relationship with her childhood friend Alice, to the birth of her twins, Lillian and Layla to eventually reveal the true circumstances surrounding Ivy's death. In the present day the story is revealed from the perspective of Lillian, her relationship with her twin sister Layla and the man who broke her heart when he called off their engagement years earlier and moved away. There are also a couple of other characters important in the book although I don't want to give too many spoilers away so I will leave it there.
I loved this book, it is not an author I have read before and I have not even been to Charleston but I thought the setting was somewhere I would like to visit in the future.
I gave this book 4 stars , its a tale of family deceit and a cast of characters you both love and dislike at times. I saw a family coping with life and its myriad of issues people deal with but ultimately it a tale of generations trying to do the best they can with what life throws at them.
I will be looking for other book by this author. Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book.