If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is!

I loved the format of this psychological suspense told in three alternating points of view, journal entries, and weaving back and forth in time, but it's not hard to keep track of the time line or whose version of the story it is. Pay attention because this is a twisty ride!

Heather and Burke are strapped for cash. They come up with a plan to get the money, but they will have to make sacrifices. Skye is in her late 20's, beautiful, and financially well off. She is also grieving from the death of her mother and as a result developed OCD that has cooled her love life until she meets a gorgeous, charming man that is not bothered by her disorder. They hit it off and engage in a whirlwind relationship resulting in marriage. I don't want to say anything more to spoil the jarring twists. You have to read this to find out how these 3 lives collide!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press do an opportunity to read Too Good To Be True

Books rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cover rating : 🌟🌟🌟 💫
Genre : mystery/ thriller
Publication Date : March 2, 2021


What I liked:
✔️ the three narrators and points of view in the first half of the book
✔️ the first twist at the mid point - I didn’t expect it and it made me wonder where the book was going


What I didn’t like :
✖️ seemed a bit slow at times and the second half kinda dragged .. too much “explaining” and too little action and the ending was meh 😒

This is my first experience with Lovering's writing and overall, I really enjoyed it! Drawn in by the original premise of three perspectives and not knowing where the truth really lies in this love triangle, I was only more excited to read it when I learned that it was one of the Book of the Month Club's choices for March!

And after reading it, I can definitely see why this was selected - I think that this will definitely serve as a great conversation-starter amongst its readers! Skye, a late-twenties book editor is about the only one of her friends that doesn't have a romance in her life. She blames much of this on her OCD - she has suffered compulsions since she was 12. When older Burke meets her, everything becomes rapidly idyllic for her. But Burke has a past - and more secrets that Skye could ever suspect. Meanwhile, starting in the late 1980s, Heather's story is revealed.

It's a compelling read - and though some of the plot's turns aren't hard to see coming (Heather's role and relationships in particular), it's a satisfying read. While the characters aren't always likable and some of the financial industry details don't always feel accurate (especially in regards to taxes); I still enjoyed reading this. It did feel a little drawn out - and at times a bit repetitive - but it's certainly entertaining. I am curious to check out her debut novel now.

Too Good to be True is one of the better thrillers I have read in quite some time. This twisty domestic suspense thriller is told through multiple perspectives and through different time periods, but I never felt confused or like I couldn’t keep track of the timeline. This is probably due to the fact that the characters are extremely well-developed. The book begins in present-day and then goes back 20ish years to give you a full picture of the characters’ history. The first half of the book felt sort of slow to me, but the pace definitely picked up for the second half. If you’re finding yourself in a bit of a winter book-slump, give this book a try!!
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Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever had mixed feelings about a book, then about half way through fell in love with it and couldn't put it down? That is what happened to me in Too Good to Be True by Carola Lovering. I will be recommending this book for a long time!

I hated Burke Michaels, I loved Skye Starling and felt sorry for Heather Michaels. About halfway through my understanding of what I was reading suddenly changed. I don't know how the author lead me to this realization because it was very subtle. She is a genius. I love a book that plays with my mind. There were so many subtle hints and twists along the way. Not only was I engrossed in the story, I was trying to figure everything out along the way.

I love a good Thriller. Some of them smack you in the face with the twists and like I mentioned earlier, this one is very subtle. I really liked the love story. That was definitely a big plus. Her writing was so easy to follow. Her characters were down to earth and most of them were likable. See if you can find the character that I hated throughout the entire story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley for a fair and honest review. Thank you!

3.5/ 5 stars

Too Good to Be True is a psychological thriller. It is my first book by this author.

I did not read the book blurb prior to reading this book. And because of that I had no idea what the premise was going to be. I feel like the blurb gives away too much. So I would definitely recommend going in blind.

I absolutely loved the very beginning of this book. The first chapter was so strong. It's rare that a first chapter is so strong and then I like the book less as the chapters go on. But there are 3 narrators. The first chapter is Skye's POV. And I just didn't love how the story was set up giving us so much info about what was in the minds of the other 2 narrators.

As mentioned this book has 3 POVs. 29 year old Skye (1st person POV). She has OCD. 46 year old Burke Michaels (his are diary entries). And Heather (mid 40s) but her 1st person POV chapters are from the past when she was 17 years old.

The book is divided into 2 parts. There are definitely some intriguing reveals (although I predicted one of the big ones). And there is lots of foreshadowing at the end of chapters (I usually don't like this, but it worked in this case).

I did enjoy the unexpected developments. And this explained why the author decided to tell the story the way that she did. But there were a few too many unlikable characters. And while some of the reveals were amazing. I would have preferred if they were all shocking surprises.

But I thought that the OCD storyline was really important. I really thought that Skye's whole story was so relevant. And I did enjoy a lot of the book. I'm not really sure how I feel about the ending. It wasn't necessarily what I was expecting. But it worked. Overall, it was a good read. But there were many ups and downs for me throughout the book.

An entertaining read if you are willing to suspend belief a bit. It held my interest for the most part. I was not surprised by the twists which I guessed well ahead. I was surprised, however, by the ending, mainly because it seemed so unrealistic. Overall, I could not get past the feeling that this would never have really happened.

Wow! What did I just read? There are so many twists, turns, and connections that I was not expecting. And how can people be so evil?

This is a story spanning many years, told from the perspectives of the three main characters—Heather, Burke, and Skye. While multiple perspectives and timelines can sometimes be confusing, this time they were not. The timelines and characters flowed very easily for me. And then the 'aha' moment when I figured out how their lives were all connected. Mind blown!

Carola Lovering is a new-to-me author but I am excited by what I read and will definitely be watching for her next book. Too Good to Be True is an exciting, page-turner that you will want to devour!

A Twisted Tale of Love Marriage and Revenge

Skye Starling is beautiful, rich, and suffering from OCD, a disease that gives her compulsions she is unable to control. She would love to be married and have a family, but so far her OCD has kept her from a satisfactory love relationship leading to marriage. Then she meets Burke. He’s older and seems able to handle her disability. She’s thrilled when he proposes and quickly immerses herself in wedding plans.

Burke, however, is not what he seems. We learn through an electronic diary he keeps for his therapist that he’s actually happily harried with three children. The problem is that he’s made a lot of past mistakes and when he’s let go from his job in the financial sector, he’s afraid he can’t support his family until he hits on a plan that involves Skye.

The third character in the drama is Heather. We learn about her as a teen dreaming to better her life and get rid of her bad boy boyfriend, Burke. That doesn’t exactly work out and she ends up married to him.

Told from three points of view the novel gives us an in depth look at all three characters. At first the differing time lines and the fact that Burke tells his story through diary entries was a bit confusing, but I got to like it because it made each character come to life.

The first half of the book moved quickly, but after the relationship between the characters was reveled it seemed to slow down. However, I liked the characters and wanted to keep reading to see how their story ended.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

Happy pub day to a fabulous book!! I absolutely adored this book, like I do all her books and I highly recommend it!! So go out and grab it today!!!

Too Good to Be True is a twisted thriller replete with surprising plot developments and deliciously untrustworthy narrations.

At the center of the story is Skye Starling, a beautiful, wealthy, twenty-nine-year-old editor living in New York City. She has a close-knit group of loyal girlfriends, chief among them Andie. But a long-lasting romantic relationship has eluded Skye. For a time, she thought she might find happiness with Max LaPointe, her on-again, off-again crush, but the relationship ended badly. The men she has dated so far have been unable to handle the fact that Skye has a serious case of OCD. She is compelled to engage in certain behaviors, and medication and therapy have not succeeded in controlling those urges. For instance, she must twice tap eight times on doors before exiting rooms, counting from one to eight and back down to one, and touch and tap everything in the room constructed from wood before leaving. As an adolescent, she was subjected to cruel derision, humiliated in front of her classmates. And now she is watching her other friends' lives progress into marriage and parenthood while she remains single. Even Andie has been with her boyfriend, Spencer, since college, although they are not yet engaged.

Everything changes one sunny afternoon in Montauk. A "quiet girls' weekend" at an exclusive club in the Hamptons with Andie, drinks by the pool . . . and a handsome forty-six-year-old man who strikes up a conversation with them lead to a walk on the beach after Andie departs to call Spencer. "Text me tomorrow," Skye tells Burke before entering her telephone number into his phone and leaving to join Andie for dinner. Just like that, Skye and Burke become enamored with each other. Within a couple of months Burke moves into her apartment with her. Before long, despite the misgivings of her closest friend, they are engaged and planning a September wedding. She is determined not to let the threatening emails she has suddenly begun to receive from Max diminish her joy at finally having found a man who loves and accepts her just as she is -- Burke is not bothered by her OCD. Skye has never been so happy . . .it all feels just too good to be true.

Interspersed with Skye's first-person narrative in which she details the tragic ways in which OCD has negatively impacted her life -- she was diagnosed just three months after losing her mother -- and her whirlwind romance with Burke, is Burke's diary. He writes to Dr. K, the expensive couples therapist who does not accept insurance that he and his wife, Heather, saw a few times. Dr. K suggested that Burke and Heather write down their thoughts daily in order to get to know themselves better as individuals, apart and independent from their status as long-time spouses. Burke and Heather have been married for twenty-five years, and Burke is not, as he convinced Skye, a wealth manager. When he leaves Sky's apartment, he does not really go to a "WeWork" location to communicate with clients. Burke lost his long-time job as a data entry specialist. After his brilliant Wall Street career was cut short when he did something "bad," he was lucky to get any job with a wealth-management firm. He's been applying for jobs for months, with no success, while Heather is an Uber driver. Their daughter's tuition is due and they don't have enough cash to make the mortgage payment.

And the third narrative, relating Heather's point of view, begins in 1989 when she and Burke were in high school. Essentially on her own, Heather cares for her little brother, Gus. Her life irrevocably changed the day glamorous Libby Fontaine answered the ad she posted in the general store offering to babysit. Libby hires Heather to look after her four-year-old son and three-month-old daughter, paying her an astronomical $15 per hour. But the fabulous Libby is not impressed when Burke drops Heather off in his rusty Chevrolet pickup, flicking his cigarette butt onto Libby's pristine front lawn. As Heather becomes increasingly enamored with Libby and seeks to emulate her every movement, word, and thought, she is determined to leave Burke and the little town of Langs Valley behind. But Heather details how she came to regret ever meeting Libby . . . and eventually married Burke and watched her dreams evaporate. The life she is living is a far cry from the one she imagined for herself all those years ago in Langs Valley.

Too Good to Be True is more than a mystery in which a con man lures a vulnerable young woman into marriage and she eventually learns the truth, and the fallout leads to the story's resolution. It's a compelling character study of three damaged people and their motivations to change their circumstances. Skye is a sympathetic protagonist because, despite all the advantages she has enjoyed in her life, she has also suffered tragedy and sadness. Losing her mother at the young age of eleven was traumatic and shortly thereafter she was diagnosed with OCD, which created a panoply of complications for her both socially and emotionally. Burke is plainly more than an amoral scam artist. He expresses his deep love for Heather, devotion to his children, and genuine appreciation of and attraction to Skye. Heather is fascinating, revealing her history in a linear fashion as her timeline gradually catches up to the present day. Like Skye, she expands on the ways in which great losses and numerous disappointments have informed her choices and inspired her actions.

Lovering's story is cleverly-plotted and engrossing. The various narratives are deftly woven together into a cohesive whole that moves at steady pace. Lovering delivers jaw-dropping revelations at expertly-timed junctures that make it impossible to put the book down until the whole truth is divulged. Or is it the truth? The narrators are unreliable, yet persuasive, enhancing the shock value of the disclosures.

Too Good to Be True is an insightful and suspenseful exploration of the power of greed, betrayal, and revenge. It's a thoughtful and compassionate examination of the ways in which heartbreak and loss affect and influence us, the extent of our capacity to forgive, and the ways in which we are willing to compromise in the name of love. It is sure to be viewed as one of the best psychological thrillers of 2021.

Not gonna say a whole lot, as this one is best enjoyed not knowing what you are in for. BUT.....OMG!!! READ IT!!! Not surprised by too many books anymore, but this one did it! Just go with it. LOVED it, LOVED it, LOVED it!!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Carola Lovering and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

This is my first Carola Lovering book. I will be reading more of her work.

This book actually blew me away. From the very beginning it grabbed me. I thought it was going to be a slow read but it wasn't. It has so much going on that you can't be bored with it. You will want to know what is happening and why. Who is the bad guy and who isn't. It's the story of a love that wasn't suppose to happen.

There are three main characters in this book: Heather, Burke, and Skye. Their lives are intertwined in a way that will leave you breathless. You will be rooting for one thing one second then something completely different the next. You won't know who is doing what to whom until after the fact. You will wonder if things are at all as they seem. This book is really about love, deceit, betrayal, vengeance, hate, hurt, obsessions, weakness, strength, and loss. It's about a boy and a girl. A man and a woman. A truth and a lie.

I wanted very badly to hate Burke, but couldn't. He kind of grew on me. I knew who Skye was not too awful far into the book and it didn't take away from the story at all. I liked her. Heather is another story. I hated her and liked her. I mostly despised her though. I tried hard to like her. In the beginning I felt bad for her but ultimately she got on my last nerve. She was too petty. Self absorbed. Wanted too much. Didn't want to give much. She was so obsessed with things and other people that she could not see the good she had right in front of her face. No I didn't much like Heather. Though she did work hard to get where she was and she was maybe a good mother. I still have a few doubts about that.

There are a lot of secondary characters in this book that you will like too. They play a huge role in this story. In the way it plays out. In all that happens and why it happens. You will not know what is coming until it does. This book is in two parts. The first half makes you feel one way and the second makes you feel a bit differently. There are a lot of emotions in this story that will keep you turning the pages. You will love it all. It's very well written. In the first part you hear the now between Burke and Skye and the before from Heather. It's just full of so much but very easy to keep up with.
It's honestly a great story.

This story will bring a few tears to your eyes. It also talks about OCD, addiction, and touches on molestation of a woman.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #CarolaLovering, #StMartin'sPress for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.

5/5 stars and a very high recommendation. A must read!

Wow. This book was a ride, and by that I mean a roller coaster with loops and tunnels and a crazy high drop! My emotions were all over the place reading this. The story follows Skye as she meets the man of her dreams, Burke. He’s handsome, older, and loves her. Or so it seems. In alternating chapters, we are privy to Burke’s journal of letters to his therapist where he reveals he is happily married and is outlining a grand scheme to use Skye for her money. We also read Heather's story, who is Burke's childhood girlfriend. But not everything is what it seems. It is best to go into this book with as little information as possible so you can discover all the truths in real time! This was amazing and un-put-downable!

This book is worth the read to a twisty suspense lover. Don’t do any research, don’t read too much about it. You don’t want to spoil anything. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.

I would’ve given it five stars, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending.

Skye Starling is beyond thrilled when her boyfriend, Burke Michaels, proposes. The only issue seems to be the disapproval of her best friend, Andie, but Skye suspects Andie, who’s in a long-term relationship with no ring in sight, is merely jealous.

Flashbacks tell the story of Heather, a young woman from a disadvantaged background, her high school boyfriend, and the older woman she becomes close to while babysitting for her children.

Although Skye seems to have it all—beauty, friends, and more money than she needs—she suffers from debilitating OCD, which she developed after her mother’s death. It has wreaked havoc on her social life, particularly romantic relationships. And having a former lover who hurt her in the past resurface in the months leading to her wedding is most unwelcome. But nothing prepares her for the bombshell Andie drops the day Skye returns from her honeymoon.

Although this novel is primarily whiplash-inducing suspense, it also contains some surprising insight into friendship, live, and family relationships.

Skye Starling, beautiful, smart and well-off, meets Burke Michaels, handsome and older, and they have a
whirlwind romance ending in a quick proposal. He seems too good to be true! Her past relationships
have been challenging because of her diagnosed OCD, but he is patient and understanding of her illness.
Unfortunately, Burke is married and his intentions with Skye appear to be driven by money. This story is
a collision just waiting to happen told from three perspectives – Skye, Burke and Heather (the wife).

Full of surprises! I recommend going into this book blind and let it unfold in front of you. You will want
to clear your schedule because once you start reading this you will not be able to stop.

I started reading this book as a psychological thriller, but in the long run that's not what it's about. It's about love, family, friendship, money, OCD and revenge. The story reveals the truth gradually. There are three protagonists and their stories intertwined. We visit the past and present and ultimately find out the what and the why. I enjoyed the ease of the writing style. The story flowed effortlessly and the pacing was spot on. The description of Skye's OCD, how it began and what were it's consequences, felt very real. On the other hand I felt the mystery was too easily revealed and I could see it coming from the beginning. The twist was not a surprise and I did not feel any suspense building up for the outcome. However I did enjoy reading this book. It kept me entertained.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book.

I think I might be getting burnt out on thrillers. This one was good, had a good premise, but I felt like it was something I've read before. It's similar to every other thriller out there. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, I'm just personally over it.

If it seems too good to be true....

Go in as blind as possible. The synopsis is more than enough.

I enjoyed the various POV chapters and letters/journal entries in this book. Half of the fun was trying to figure out when the truth would come out. But here is the thing.... what is the truth? This aspect of the book won me over right away. I love putting on my super sleuth hat and trying to figure things out. There is a big twist and reveal halfway through the book. A big "aha" moment which turns things on a dime. Will you see THAT coming? I had some inklings as to what was going on but was still surprised with the big twist.

This was a fun one people! Seriously, pure enjoyment. Sit back and enjoy the ride. This book caught my attention right away and the author knows who to suck the reader in, keeps us invested in the story all the while taking us down and twisty and turning road. This is a fast read which does not disappoint. The snippets from the past will give you some info, but will it be enough?

Will you need to suspend some disbelief while reading this? You betcha! Will this book have you thinking "Seriously, come on, this is getting ridiculous!" It just might; however, it is so engrossing and fun that I really did not mind.

Beautifully crafted and cleverly plotted, Too Good to Be True, is a fast paced page turner which entertains, delights and delivers.

This was my first book by this author, and I look forward to reading more of her books.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.