3.5⭐

Truth, Lies, and Second Dates is a light and cosy romance. That takes a somewhat frivolous approach to many different tropes, but still manages to create a story that is fast-paced and pretty engaging to read. And with likable characters, a touch of mystery and romance it was certainly a funny and oddly comforting romantic comedy.

I received a copy of TRUTH, LIES, AND SECOND DATES by MARYJANICE DAVIDSON. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

FIVE Stars and here’s why:

TOTAL BOOK HANGOVER! What a fun book this was to read. Love the book title, too. It’s got everything you want in a contemporary romance with a sense of humor. I found myself laughing out loud in so many places. Ava and Tom have chemistry in spades, which kept me turning the pages! I love that the heroine is a female pilot, too. Ms. Davidson is a great storyteller and I am excited to read more of her books.

If you like storytelling with savvy, strong women and sexy, smart guys, then this book is for you. Highly recommend.

I thoroughly enjoyed this! It doesn't really fit into any specific genre except, as Davidson writes, the tropes. Ava is a pilot famous for belly landing a plane. Her best friend was murdered when she was a teen, her parents were killed in a car accident, and she overcame an addiction to sleeping pills. She's also studiously avoided spending time in Minnesota but her friend's twin brother is on her latest flight and he invites her to a memorial service. Things don't go well, to put it mildly, but she meets Tom, the Medical Examiner who has a delightful niece, and they bond. They also work together to figure out who is trying to sabotage or kill Ava. It's irreverent and it made me smile. Thanks to the publisher for at the ARC. I liked the characters ( I wanted to know more about Leo), enjoyed the plot, saw the red herrings but didn't figure out the truths, and all in all- it's a good time.

Well sometimes you pick a winner and other times not. This was a read now for NetGalley and considering I really enjoy books from this publisher, I decided to give it a shot. I’m not quite sure what is happening in the book and had no connection to the characters. It was all over the place. To the point that I’m not even sure how to review.

I do thank the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc and many other arcs. It has no influence on my review.

Truth, Lies, and Second Dates is a fast-paced rom-com with a hint of mystery and a cast of well-written characters. Each one was unique, quirky, hysterical, and lovable. A story full of one-liners that will have you laughing out loud. The undeniable chemistry is sure to heat up the pages with this slow-burn romance. Truth, Lies, and Second Dates is a lovely story to escape reality with for a few hours.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Truth, Lies and Second Dates by MaryJanice Davidson is a fun romp of a contemporary romance that takes many of the tropes most used in romance and mystery novels and turns them around to create a story that I found simply delightful to read. Captain Ava Capp is a pilot who’s spent the last ten years flying from her past, keeping things light and easy to avoid forming any strong connections. Unfortunately, she ends up in her hometown on the tenth anniversary of the murder of her best friend from high school. She can’t come up with an excuse to avoid attending the memorial service where that past rises up, and she’s right back in the middle of everything she’s been trying to escape. Medical Examiner Tom Baker was just a kid when Danielle Monahan was murdered. Still, he’s never forgotten the cold case and a chance encounter with Ava has him pulling out the file and examining it carefully. Lighthearted, with well written supporting characters, this story is one that will keep you guessing till the end. Steam Level: Medium Publishing Date: December 15, 2020 #TruthLiesAndSecondDates #MaryJaniceDavidson #StMartinsPress #StMartinsGriffin #ContemporaryRomance #RomanticMysteryNovel #WhoDunIt #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #NetGalley

Pilot Captain Ava Capp finds herself back in her hometown where she's been trying her hardest to fly away from after her best friend was murdered when they were teenagers. Then she runs into her friend's brother who invites Ava back to the 10 year memorial. While back in Minnesota, she meets the MD Tom who is still trying to find the killer. Can Tom with the help of Ava's amateur sleuthing catch the killer, and will they discover more about each other?

This rom com turned murder mystery was a quick and palate cleansing kind of read. While I thought there was kind of a lot going on since it had to cover all those themes and seemed a bit choppy at times, it was still a fun and different read that kept the pages turning. I really liked the personalities of the main characters in this story and their quirkiness. I was a little baffled that the big murder reveal came out of nowhere, but I still finished the story entertained.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for my e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book is so fun!
It's snarky in the best possible way while playing with tropes and exceeding expectations.
I'm not sure I'd want Captain Ava Capp as my pilot, but I most definitely enjoyed her view of things. And clumsy leading man Tom is adorable and perfect for Ava. Davidson includes an author's note before the book that explains how she wants to subvert everything within the genre, and I think she did it best with Tom.
MJD is an author that can sometimes be hit or miss for me, but she hit a home run with this one. It's the perfect read for someone looking for a quick and fun read that doesn't think those two things mean that there shouldn't be any deep plot to go with them.

Many happy thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the early read!

Having read this author before, this book just didn't do it for me in the way I hoped. I really was wanting a romantic suspense, that kept me coming back for more. It didn't. The characters did not mesh well to me, and I was a bit lost through some of the book like I missed some crutial plot point, and I was left scratching my head. The idea is there, this plot could have turned out way different, but hey, I know writing isn't easy, and you won't please everyone.

If I had looked at the author a second time I probably wouldn’t have requested, Davidson’s The Love Scam was a total miss for me, and unfortunately so was this. The characters were odd, superficial and uninteresting and I couldn’t grasp why the story was going the way it was. Not for me at all. I barely read past the beginning and skimmed a little before giving up again. Thanks to NetGalley for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.

A fun roller coaster ride of a romance/horror/cozy mystery mashup about a pilot who teams up with a hot medical examiner to solve her best friend’s murder on the ten year anniversary of her death. A really good time if you can follow the somewhat frantic, some times stream of consciousness (though third person) narration.

Reading this book was like watching a comedic tennis game. There is a lot of snarky back and forth dialogue between the main character Captain Ava Capp and all those she encounters. Ava is an airline pilot for Northeast-Southwest and she is fixing to pilot a flight back to her hometown and she recognizes one of the passengers as the twin brother of her murdered best friend. It has been 10 years since Dani was murdered and the family is having a 10 year memorial which Dennis, the twin brother, and his cousin Xenia back Ava into a corner and she has to go. After the memorial, Dennis and Ava go drinking and he gets rip-roaring drunk. A hunky guy helps Ava pour Dennis into her rental car and then helps her get Dennis up to his hotel room. Ava and the new guy then go down to the hotel bar and share a drink, conversation and a few kisses. The next morning Ava and Dennis are summoned back to the funeral home by Dennis' mom. Ava is then accused of vandalizing the memorial area and her mystery man from the night before steps up to offer an alibi and Ava learns that he is the county medical examiner, Dr. Tom Baker. Dr. Baker can't decide if Ava is the murderer or another victim or knows more than she is telling and he asks if he can hang out and talk with her. Things get crazy when you throw in the actual killer, the creepy flight attendant, the over-the-top niece and the other airline employees. Hang on for a wild ride on your way to solving a 10 year old murder.
My thanks to Netgalley, MaryJanice Davidson and St. Martin's for allowing me access to an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book. The above is my freely given review of this title. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.

BOOK PREVIEW: Truth, Lies, and Second Dates by MaryJanice Davidson

Let's see what we have here…

STORY... Captain Ava Capp has been “literally” flying from her past for a decade. She’d much rather leave it, and her home state, behind forever. But when she finds herself back in Minnesota, everything goes sideways in a way she never expected.

M.E. Dr. Tom Baker has never forgotten Ava and the cold case she ran away from. When she shows up unexpectedly in town, in spite of himself, sparks fly.

WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT WITH THIS BOOK?.... Sounds like we could have a touch of spicy romance on our hands here… Stay tuned for my personal Jalapeno Rating on this one to see if this story has the “heat setting” you prefer!

Definitely all in... ✨😎✨

Truth, Lies, and Second Dates by MaryJanice Davidson
2020 New Book Releases | December

Contemporary Romance Books | Romantic Comedy Books | Spicy Romance Novels | Romance Fiction

--------------------

All my reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Books & DIY Home Ideas | Denise Wilbanks at www.thisismyeverybody.com ... Including my video tutorials for DIY home ideas inspired by recommended books to support you in bringing your favorite books to life in your life and home.

You can see all my December Book Previews & additional features for Truth, Lies, and Second Dates by MaryJanice Davidson at https://www.thisismyeverybody.com/books/books-coming-out-in-2020-december


✨😎✨A big thank you to MaryJanice Davidson, St. Martin’s Press (St. Martin’s Griffin) and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in my review are my own.

Truth, Lies, and Second Dates is a fun, light, contemporary love story/mystery. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the Advance Reader Copy. All opinions are my own.

This new to me author liked to spike her writing here with pretty much non-stop, back and forth, flippant, at times funny, often quirky banter. It didn’t matter if it was conversations between the main couple, co-workers, or anyone she met on the street, Captain Ava Capp, the heroine, kept them coming, folks. So did Dr. Tom Baker, the hero, and everyone, it seemed. At first, I was enjoying it. But like eating too much chocolate cake, too much can simply lead to being too much to digest. I started to feel like I was watching a ping pong match of words. Along with nothing significantly happening by 77%, I also found it starting to become somewhat exhausting. The pace never actually picked up that much, even by the end.

Oh, my favorite part had to be the captain of the airways pilot heroine. It was so cool to see her in action and talking FAA lingo. Not that I speak that language, mind you. Walking into her past footsteps and reliving her heroic work related rescue was icing on the cake. The calm, quiet, protective, had fighter skills, determined demeanor hero had a lot of heroine to live up to. He seemed her opposite but in a complimentary way. I did enjoy their chemistry and camaraderie. I couldn’t help but picture the face and soft spoken mannerism of the fictional character Tom Keen from The Black List, btw.

So, anyone else out there confused why the heroine was wrongly suspected/accused for a single second of committing a strange, out there, bizarre crime right after a memorial service? I just didn’t get why she’d be on anyone’s radar for that type of blame. The much more serious, previous, forefront of the whole plot, ten years in the making accusation had me baffled, as well. It just didn’t resonate or mesh with me to the point it really lowered my overall rating and enjoyment of the whole book.

The writing didn’t flow consistently all the time to the point I didn't feel the need to hang onto every word, especially by mid-way. Meaning, I started skimming, folks. The turbulence of lack of progress in the plot, the talking in circles, and bizarre evil villain reveal had me tempted not to finish it. I did, however, but felt it morphed into a “Say what?” strange murder mystery wrap-up.

I did like seeing Ava and Tom becoming an unlikely couple. After all, it isn’t often you run into a virgin hero. Their unique personalities and skill sets set them apart but somehow complimented each other.

Title: Truth, Lies, and Second Dates, Author: Mary Janice Davidson, Pages: 320, pub date: 12/15/20, stand-alone, calm, soft spoken, protective, good guy hero, sassy mouthed cool pilot heroine, OTT strange plot backdrop with a bizarre out of the blue killer revealed, virgin hero a few years younger, no OW/OM after meeting, very slow moving plot, constant banter got tiresome, writing didn’t consistency flow some of the time, liked their chemistry and camaraderie.

(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review. There is no affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author, publisher, NetGalley, or PR firm.)

This was a hilariously funny Rom-Com-Suspense-Mystery story. I laughed, got tense, questioned, and even giggled several times. It was just the kind of book I needed to help relieve the days’ tension of my real life. I absolutely Love these kinds of books!

I tried to get into this book. I think my low score has a direct relation to the fact I am a flight attendant and there were so many inaccuracies I just couldn't overlook them. I understand this is fiction and not all airlines are the same, however, there are a few rules and procedures that are everywhere. As a result, I couldn't relax and get into the story. Maybe if I wasn't in the profession I am in, I would have enjoyed it.

The story was well written so I think this review has more to do with the reader than the actual book itself.

Thank you for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was a 3.5 star read for me. This was not my first book that I have read by this author. The first book I read was "The Love Scam." After reading that amazing book, I knew I wanted to read more book by this author, so when I saw she was coming out with another book, I knew I was going to request to read it right away. This book is fill with heartbreak as captain Ava Capp tries to escape from her past. For the past decade, she has avoid spending any significant time in her home state in order to avoid the painful memories that are still haunting her. But when a set of unforeseen circumstances led her back to her home state of Minnesota, will she finally be able to lay to rest her past or will it consumer her?
Captain Ava Capp was not an easy character to like. She was harden into a person, who did not want to make any lasting connections with anyone including those she had physical relationships with. She was consumed by her work, which she tried to use as a means to run away, or in her case fly away and never look back. Then enters M.E. Dr. Tom Baker, who has never forgotten Ava and the tragedies that have surrounded her. Despite himself, Tom finds he is drawn to Ava and wants to help discover the answers from her past. I loved how strong they both were as individuals, which made their chemistry and partnership that much better. Both had baggage from the past that neither could full let go on their own, but together they were able to give each other the answers they needed in order to make a future for both of them. I liked Tom's niece. She was so bright and witty. The pacing of the story was a little slow at times, but overall led to a complete ending. The mystery aspect of the story was a little confusing and had some plotline holes that did not completely convince me of the reasons for their actions. Overall, this was a good book of healing, family, and finding that one that helps you let go of the past. I will look forward to more books by this author in the future.

Truth Lies and Second Dates is a humorous mixture of romantic suspense, slap stick comedy and Quincy ME all rolled in to one.

The result is a compelling page turner which keeps you either laughing, or guessing, all the way through.

The characters are quirky and loveable, especially TBMD and I could easily see a series of crime solving novels featuring Ava, Tom and associated crew.

MaryJanice Davidson is a new-to-me author and I'll certainly be looking out for future releases.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for a copy of this one! It is a cozy romance mystery!
Captain Ava Capp is a well known pilot. She is happy to fly away from her home state forever but ends up back in Minnesota for a memorial service. M.E. Tom Baker has never forgotten to cold case that involves Ava’s best friend. Pretty soon they are trying to track down a murderer while Ava has a target on her back.
I love cozy mysteries! They are even better when you add in some romance. My favorite part of this book though were the fun/hilarious footnotes that the author added at the end of each chapter. For my follow cozy mystery lovers out there, I would recommend this one. It comes out in December 15.