This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book is surprising. During the course of the book I felt familiar parts that I thought I could connect, but I never actually did. That's a good thing for me. Usually, I can predict the ending of a suspense/thriller book. This time, I was genuinely surprised by the the course of the book. This left me highly entertained and excited to read more and more. I recommend this book as a fun and easy read, but also surprising.

At first, I thought this was a stereotypical psychological thriller. Girl meets boy. Boy turns out to be psycho. Or girl turns out to be psycho. What have you. It isn't that AT ALL. Too Good to Be True explores mental health issues, particularly OCD. I thought that Carola Lovering did this with grace and eloquence. I definitely think more candid discussions need to be had and I have noticed more and more fiction authors are attempting to start these dialogues.

While this novel was fast-paced, it also would generate some excellent book club discussion!

Just when you think you know where this book is going, you come up against a twist, then a turn, then a wrench, then another one,,, You get the idea. Twisty, turning story of love, or is it??? Enjoyed this one a log. Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher who is St. Martin's Press, for a free electronic copy, in exchange for my free review.

I thought this book was incredibly intriguing, fast-paced, and a page-turner for the first half. Written from 3 perspectives, Burke, his wife Heather, and Skye. Much of Burke and Heather's story is written in a journal to their therapist which tells how the plot/scheme is playing out. After the reader finds out what the big reveal is, the second half is trying to explain the hows and whys of each person's reasons and actions. This part dragged on a little too much, and I think that many will find the ending unsatisfying when you are looking for a strong, growth inspired heroine response. I also found there were a couple of plot holes of actions taken early in the story that was not explained at all in the end. In addition, the main characters are not super likable which never makes a satisfying read. Overall, it's a clever plot and a good read. 3.5 stars

Thank you so much to #netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for my opinion.

This was right up my alley. A beautiful sweet girl meets the man of her dreams. He's an older more mature many and he's everything she's ever wanted. Or is he?

The book had me hooked, especially since there story was also taking place nearly 30 years earlier as well to give you a little insight into what was going on.

Ugh, I don't want to write anymore because I don't want to spoil it! Just read it!!

This book is very aptly named. It sums up the story. In places this story is a good read but parts of it are not believable.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. I usually do my best to keep from writing negative reviews because I don’t think it’s productive to completely tear a book apart, but I just cannot with this book. Nothing that happened in the entire book was even remotely plausible. I understand that thriller readers have to suspend a certain amount of disbelief, but this was too much. The book was probably about a 3 star read for me (predictable twist, the usual thriller tropes, etc.) until about 85% through. Then it all really went off the rails - Skye drops the charges, decides she still wants to be with Burke, lets Heather get away with the whole scheme, AND her OCD is miraculously cured the moment she reunites with Burke? No. Just no. I apologize for not having anything positive to say, but sometimes a book is just not good.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Too Good to Be True.

I've never read the author's first book so I was pleased when my request was approved - I'm always on the lookout for a new author to read.

Too Good to Be True is your standard domestic thriller filled with the usual tropes; a whirlwind courtship between a woman named Skye and a man named Burke, who is not who she thinks he is.

Naturally, everyone is gorgeous, manly, stunning, striking and (add your favorite cliche adjective here).

The narrative is split into 3 POVs; Skye, Burke and his wife, Heather, including diary entries.

I have to say I'm not a fan of many POVs including diary entries; this can get distracting and confusing to the reader and pull you out of the narrative.

At the same time, the readers are given a glimpse Heather's past as a young 17-year old teen from a backwater town and the tragedy that set off the events transpiring in the present day.

The twist isn't hard to figure out, especially if you read a lot of these types of books, and I do. I saw it coming a mile away.

My main issue with the story isn't the shallow characters, or the 'romance' between Skye and Burke, but the level of disbelief suspension I was required to engage in as I was reading.

I understood Burke was willing to do nearly anything for his children and keep his family whole (his repeated claims about being a good father was getting on my nerves) but to go along with his wife's crazy scheme was one step too far for me to believe.

He's willing to seduce a young woman. Have consensual sex with her. Play mind games with her. All to save his family?

Burke is a doormat. He's done and continues to do what Heather says. What to study. What job to get. How much money to make so she can live the life she's always dreamed of.

Skye deserves better.

As some reviewers noted, the ending is unsatisfying, especially when Heather does not receive her comeuppance but in reality, some people don't.

The writing was fine, but this didn't captivate me as much as I hoped it would.

I'm confident there are a lot of readers who will enjoy Too Good to Be True, but this just wasn't for me.

Thank you to the publishers for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a book that was hard to put down once you got past the first few chapters. It had a bit of a slow build but once you got past the character history it went from 1-10,000 trying to figure out what is going on. I will admit that some things you do see coming and the ending certainly could have been better but overall, this was an excellent read!

This was a new to me author. I was quite intrigued at the start of the book. It is unique in the fact it is told in three POV, from three different timelines that eventually collide together. Unfortunately, for me, the second half of the book just kind of tanked and lost my interest. The twist was interesting and not quite what I had anticipated but it was slow afterwards.

Too Good to be True had me changing my mind about who is telling the truth so many times I lost count.

The pages turn themselves as you try and wade your way through lies, deceit and just downright evilness.

Betrayal is huge and can you get past the biggest betrayal of all.

Curve balls are thrown at you through out the book so be prepared for a wild ride.

Don't hesitate to add Too Good to Be True to the top of your TBR list.

Thanks to Net Galley and St Martin's Press for a great read.

I really enjoyed this book. It was so entertaining and kept flowing with so many things going on. Though I did figure out some things and had inklings of others, I still enjoyed reading to find
out when and how the characters would find out.
Skye is beautiful and rich but has severe OCD developed after the death of her mother when she was a teen. Her OCD has made relationships next to impossible so when she meets the older, handsome and charming Burke, and is swept in a whirlwind romance that has her engaged and planning her wedding, she is completely over the moon and can’t believe her luck. Unfortunately Burke is not who he appears to be. He is a married father and has a master plan where Skye is concerned.
In a third perspective of the story, set 30 years in the past, Heather is a teen that left Burke in the past in order to pursue her dreams and a more lucrative future. She is accomplishing this with the help of a mother she babysits for who has taken her under her wing. Finally Heather is making changes and sees a real future for herself but those plans can change in the blink of an eye.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for this great book!

Where do I even start? I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Books that deal with darkly flawed characters and narrators are always my favorite. A book that keeps me guessing until the end is also a favorite of mine. This hit the nail on the head and then some.
Too Good To Be True is a wonderfully written story that touches on mental illnesses, deception, betrayal, and so much more. It’s a gripping story and holds your attention until the end. I cannot say enough positive things about it. I read Carola Lovering’s Tell Me Lies as well and enjoyed it just as much. I am definitely a fan and look forward to more.

I needed a break after my previous book which was very depressing and decided an escapist read was required.

And, the title is apt: "Too Good to Be True." [Again, in the minority--many raved.]

The setting: "...an emotionally nuanced psychological suspense, and an obsessive, addictive love story..." [ I wouldnt go so far as to solely categorize it as a love story]. "Skye Starling is overjoyed when her boyfriend, Burke Michaels, proposes after a whirlwind courtship. Though Skye seems to have the world at her fingertips—she's smart, beautiful, and from a well-off family—she's also battled crippling OCD ever since her mother's death when she was eleven, and her romantic relationships have suffered as a result.

But now Burke—handsome, older, and more emotionally mature than any man she's met before—says he wants her. Forever. Except, Burke isn't who he claims to be. And interspersed letters to his therapist reveal the truth: he's happily married, and using Skye for his own, deceptive ends."

And the third wheel, alternating voice, in this novel is Heather, Burke's wife.

And so it begins. Tragedy. Revenge. Money--haves and have nots. Toxicity. Betrayal. Love {?].

Sucked in from the start, I found this easy-read page-turner compelling--until I didn't. The novel builds and then...at about 2/3 through, this book spiralled downwards. I found myself groaning--and thinking--just not believable. Too much melodrama. So, I somewhat lost interest but wanted to find out how it ended .And yes, for me, too neat and tidy {and unreal] but no spoiler alert from me.

So very readable, but not at all fabulous--and ultimately disappointing.

This book is full of surprises, making it a page turner! Michael Burke is a drug addict and an alcoholic. His wife, Heather, is out to become a wealthy woman and will stop at nothing. Skye is a trust fund young woman with OCD. One weekend Burke meets Skye at a resort and before long they have moved in with each other and are planning a wedding. Skye’s friends believe he is too good to be true and Skye does not know the real Burke. What once started out to be a plan to pay off debts for Burke and Heather, suddenly takes a turn when Burke falls in love with Skye. I loved this book.

This book was such a joy to read as the story was so well told, and the author really has a unique knack for making you sympathize with each character, regardless of their often cruel and insensitive actions. This is one of those rare psychological thrillers that really keeps you guessing every step of the way. With a very well-crafted plot, I found the story kept me interested and wanting more, even after it ended. This is an electric, raw, and emotional rollercoaster ride that will leave you breathless until the last page. A definite must-read!!!

To Good To Be True by Carola Lovering
Pub Date 03/02/2021

There are three point of views in this book. Which you really aren't sure which one is accurate. There Skye who has severe OCD. Then there's Burke who is married to Heather. And then there's Heather's POV. The chapters alternated between the three of them.
This is a emotionally nuanced psychological suspense, and an obsessive, addictive love story.

I loved this book! It had me hooked from the beginning. This was a very well written book. If it seems to good to be true, it usually is. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced readers copy for a review!

Too Good to Be True is an intriguing, well-written thriller that will be distributed by a major publishing house in Spring 2021, so don't let the cover that looks like a self-published DIY job fool you.

Carola Lovering has crafted a story that will pull you in and make you feel for characters you might otherwise despise at the hands of a lesser author. It's particularly interesting that one suffers from OCD, which feels like a fresh plot point for the thriller genre.

There are dual timelines and multiple POVs, but the novel is well structured and easy to follow. There are also many twists, but unfortunately (what I assume is supposed to be) the main shocker was pretty obvious to this reader. Had I not seen it coming so blatantly, it might have been a 5-star read for me.

Trigger warnings for drug use, rape, cancer, and the death of a child.

My thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for the advanced readers copy.

What happens when things appear Too Good to be True? In Ms. Lovering's upcoming thriller we get three different viewpoints of a story that began almost 30 years ago. Told in the present, in flashbacks and through a journal. We are told the story from the POV of Skye, Burke and Heather. We are told the story in real time and flashback. This book is scheduled for release early next year and thus I don't want to give too much away. But this is a psychological thriller that takes an unexpected twist that I did not see coming. I really enjoyed this theme as it also addresses a little addiction and compulsive disorders as part of the character plot. It kept me engrossed and