Member Reviews
I absolutely adored this author's first book, Tell Me Lies, so when I saw she had written a new book I was so thrilled to read it. Overall I found this thriller to be significantly different from her first novel, which was an intense, focused exploration of the main character and her very unhealthy relationship with her college boyfriend. However, this book was a thriller told by three characters, and it is told not only narratively, but also through journal entries, and letters to psychologists, both of which bounce back and forth in time.
I honestly did not like this book quite as much as I did Ms. Lovering's first book, but I still found it to be a solid thriller where you don't know who is telling the truth and what is actually going on until the end. I found the ending to be a little convenient but I enjoyed reading this book. I am looking forward to this author's next book but I hope her next book is more like her first and isn't trying to do quite so much.
A fantastic domestic thriller!I really enjoyed this book. It held my attention from the first to last page. I was never sure what would happen next. There are so many twists and turns
Burke, Heather and Skye are entwined in the most convoluted love triangle I’ve ever read. Just when you think you have it all figured out, BANG!, the plot abruptly changes direction. If a mate seems Too Good to Be True, they probably are is a truism for a reason. And these characters prove it good!
The less you know about the plot of this book, the better. I am not even giving you a brief plot summary. Instead, here is my opinion. If you like your plots surprising and full of twists, pick up Too Good to Be True. While I took off one point for dragging a bit after the first half, it is clear this book deserves 4 stars for its interesting plot.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
"All I'm saying is that if he seems too good to be true, he probably is."
ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ: Do not attempt to read this book without a glass of wine handy. You're definitely going to w̶a̶n̶t̶ need one!
𝙏𝙤𝙤 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙏𝙤 𝘽𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙚 by Carola Lovering is a twisty domestic thriller that truly shocked me. I'm not going to give you too much info on the plot but the story is told from three alternating POVs of people involved in a complicated love triangle. Will you have to suspend some disbelief while reading this? Sure, but it's worth it. My only quibble is that the pacing in the second half of the book dragged a bit but it might have been because I was so anxious to see how it would end!
Thanks to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy.
Holy twists and turns!!! This book had my jaw dropping so many different times and I did not see any of it coming! Maybe I'm naïve to the thriller tropes but there were so many connections that shocked me every time. I loved the multiple perspectives from Skye, Burke, and Heather and hearing their sides of the stories as you navigated through the story. It made discovering who was the antagonist that much more fun.
So many thrillers nowadays are given the "this is the next Gone Girl" label but I promise you, THIS ONE IS and for good reasons! It also gave me the same type of reactions that I had with The Kind Worth Killing and The Silent Patient. If you're looking for the next fast-paced, domestic thriller, this is it!!
This was exceptional writing. The plot twists and turns kept you guessing until the very end. I could not put this book down. From page one I was captivated.
This book is told by three different people and three different time frames. Each chapter is dedicated to one of the three main characters.
The synopsis is pretty straight forward. There are 3 people, Burke, Heather, and Skye. And their lives become intertwined. Their stories about their pasts shape how their future and present will pan out. It is a crazy story indeed.
This is my first book by this uniquely talented author. I’m so excited to read other books by her. Don’t pass on this book. It’s truly addicting.
I found this to be a decent, 3* 'Good Read' - I can't wholly recommend it, but, it's an easy read.
It follows the story of 3 characters; Skye, who is grieving the loss of her mother, then, there's Burke, the older man who she falls for and Heather, who babysits for a wealthy family and starts to envy their lifestyle.
The first half of the book is definitely the best as it romps along at pace and then, there's a reveal. The second half is a look back and explanation and it's slower and (in my opinion) harder going. It also doesn't seem to be able to make up it's mind as to whether it's a psychological thriller or a solid woman's fiction / family drama and so it ends up being a bit of both.
I'm grateful to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to preview.
Great first half, predictable second...
That said, this is still a fun twisty read. I found this so well constructed, told from three POV's and two time periods it weaves a captivating story. One character is untrustworthy, one is just evil and one has a bad case of OCD, all are compelling. I wouldn't call this 'jaw-dropping' or 'groundbreaking' but what it is is an enjoyable psychological thriller.
.
What a fun read! It was campy and trashy and page turning and everything you could want in this type of book. As someone who read too many mysteries/thrillers the year they became popular, I am definitely over this type of story. But the pacing and intricate plotting held me captive. While I figured some of the twists out early (and unfortunately, this one follows the "Gone Girl" part one/part two switcheroo that really needs to finally be retired, because we all come to expect it now) I can honestly say I didn't know where this was going to end. While I didn't necessarily love how things worked out for two of the main characters, I see why it went down the way it did.
But yeah...I'd tell folks to give this one a read for sure!
This was my first book by this author and I loved it. It was so hard to put it down and I would suggest going in blind without reading the synopsis. I enjoyed reading it from different POV because it made for a much better read. I highly recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
What a truly enjoyable story.
Too Good to be True takes you on an adventure in the life of a young woman and her mental health issue- the huge role it plays in her life.
So much of this book is a teaching moment- and I wish I could go in to details, but it would spoil the entire book.
Please reach out if you read this one- I’m dying for someone to talk it out with!!
I loved that even when I thought this book was going down the most ridiculously cliched road, it took just enough of a turn to appease my soul.
Ok, ok, OK! Wow, this was quite the addictive read! What a mighty tangled web we weave. Burke, Skye and Heather. We get to see this wicked story through each of their POVs. I mean, really, how red do you like your flags to get before you start paying attention?
This is one where I can't really say too much because it would give too much away and you're just going to have to let this story unfold to you chapter by chapter. At one point, as I was flipping the page, I even said outloud, "ugghhhhhh, _________ us TERRIBLE." I swear my eyebrows were pinched, my butt puckered... I was truly disgusted by some of the goings on that were happening. And then *DING*, I thought, "But what if.... " and yes, I was RIGHT!
Honestly, I had the BEST time reading this. I will say that the ending was a bit.... too neat for my taste, but otherwise I'm still sitting here with the biggest grin on my face. I would definitely recommend this to readers looking for a good popcorn read... along with her debut, Tell Me Lies. While this is put into the thriller genre, I'd say this is more of a suspenseful contemporary read. Either way, get yourself a copy and entertain yourself.
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping novel
wow at first i did wonder what i was reading but once into it i couldnt put it down and had to finish it to see what happens, and i wasnt disappointed...
a complex storyline and i dont really want to give to much away but it will hook you in and keep you there till the end...
brilliantly written with some great characters and i believe we in our everyday lives we know someone just like them
will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works
A very satisfying read-perfect for lazy days as this will grip you and not let go. The back and forth point of view chapters enhances the diabolical plot set into motion by the characters in #toogoodtobetrue and keep you guessing until the truth starts to come out. Thank you to #netgalley, the publisher and the author, Carola Lovering for the opportunity to read and review this book.
What a page turner this one turned out to be! Skye is a woman who has had a rough go on finding Mr. Right! She was diagnosed with OCD and those tendencies of hers have scared more than one man off. When she is starting to give up hope, in walks Burke! Burke is a handsome man who is unhappy in his marriage to Heather his high school sweetheart, and is trying to make her happy by searching for a job to make them financially comfortable. Heather who is married to Burke wants more. She grew up with very little, and wants to keep up with her friends and neighbors by living a lifestyle that is just not feasible.
One day Burke happens to bump into Skye and the sparks fly. Burke then embarks on an affair that will rock everyone’s world. He continues to live two lives and when they intersect things get ugly. This book has a HUGE twist in the middle. While, we know this twist halfway through the story, it still kept me reading as I wanted to know how it all plays out in the end. I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it to my followers! Thanks to #NetGalley and #St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. #toogoodtobetrue
The first half of this book hooked me quickly. There are lots of plot twists and turns that keep you wanting to keep reading.
I really enjoyed this book. It held my attention from the first to last page. I was never sure what would happen next. There are so many twists and turns. The storyline is well written and entertaining. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review
Skye Starling has always struggled in relationships. Her severe OCD is often an issue to prospective suitors. That is until she meets Burke. Burke is everything Skye has been looking for: charming, successful, and willing to overlook Skye’s “quirks”. But Burke is hiding a secret: he is still married to his first wife and is intentionally deceiving Skye to gain access to her fortune. When Burke proposes after only a few months, Skye is elated. But as the wedding date approaches, Burke’s scheme begins to unravel. And just when you think you know what’s going on, you realize you have no idea.
Too Good to be True is told in three parallel timelines from three different perspectives: Skye in the first person in the present, Heather in the first person twenty years in the past, and Burke as diary entries starting from when he met Skye. I really liked this style. The multiple perspectives really worked for the story and added to the mystery element.
I loved this twisty narrative. It is somewhat of a ridiculous, highly-improbable storyline, but I completely loved it. It has an addictive, propulsive pace.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the review copy! All opinions are my own.
The main character of the story is Sophie Whalen, an Irish immigrant living in the tenements of New York. She answers an ad to become a mail order bride and moves to San Francisco to be the wife of Martin Hocking and mother to his daughter, Kat.
Sophie settles into her life, mothering Kat, who doesn’t speak. She doesn’t have to be much of a wife to Martin as he is traveling for his work. He shows neither her nor Kat any affection.
Her life would have probably continued in this somewhat content manor if two major things hadn’t happened. A young woman knocks on her door and Sophie learns that the life she is leading is a lie. Then on that very same day, the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake hits.
This was good historical fiction and I learned so much while being pulled along with Sophie’s story. From the conditions that the immigrants lived in, in New York, to how people coped and survived after the earthquake.
The story pulls you in and you never really feel like you know for sure what’s going to happen. Strong women in a historical setting with plenty of twists and turns.
At a certain point in Carola Lovering’s Too Good to Be True, I thought to myself, “just quit trying to figure out what’s going to happen next and enjoy the ride.” That I almost did, trying to figure out what was going to happen next, that is. I thoroughly enjoyed this ride.
Skye Starling has been plagued with OCD since the death of her mother. Her need to knock on closed doors before leaving has generated mockery from past boyfriends so when Burke Michaels enters her life and is totally accepting of her and her issues, she is practically over-the-moon. But as events unfold, Skye may not have the happily-ever-after that she thought was finally hers.
Too Good to Be True is a well-paced, plotted, and structured novel. While some of the writing at the beginning was a bit dry, as the action picked up, so did the writing, or at least my interest in it. There are many puzzles in the novel, some are not that difficult to figure out mainly due to the fact that the author has purposefully not disclosed names in certain accounts, allowing the reader to understand relationships.
Like any good thriller, Too Good to Be True wins by offering up red herrings. As your sympathy for one character builds, you much later learn that it may have only partly been justified. That’s the lovely thing about this novel, gray is the main color–not everything is black and white. However, while that’s a lovely thing and so true in real life, I can imagine that for certain readers it might make the ending a bit difficult to process easily. Bad guys should always be served justice–but who indeed are the bad guys?
We book bloggers and reviewers love to use the word “page-turner.” Sometimes it’s overused. Not in this case. Once I reached midway, I needed to know what was going to happen next because I knew it was going to be unexpected because things just kept being unexpected. So that’s a warning if you pick this book up: you might not put it down at a suitable hour.
Too Good to Be True is a must read for anyone who likes well-plotted thrilling fiction.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.