TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE
By Carola Lovering

After reading the first few chapters, I thought – oh my gosh – this is going to be another “Gone Girl.” It did take me from one drastic turn to the next almost until the end.

Heather, Burke, and Skye are the main characters. Each has had a tragic event in their life. Each, in their own way, is broken.

Heather’s mom dies when she is twelve years old, her father all but vanishes from her life, and now she is a high-school student trying to raise her five-year-old brother, Gus. She begins babysitting a little boy named Nate to bring in some much-needed money. Thus begins a friendship with Nate’s mom, Libby, who has a life-long influence over Heather. Some good, some not so good.

Burke is a handsome young man who has some bad habits and might not be the best fit for Heather, but he is the one who has been there for her through her mother’s death and dealing with her day-to-day life. Burke’s dad is in prison, and his mother left. Burke and Heather only have each other – and they created their version of a family.

Libby and her husband have lots of money, and Libby is generous with Heather, helping her get into college and becoming a blend of a mother, sister, and friend. Libby inspires Heather in every way. Until she doesn’t. Something happens that changes everything; for Heather, Libby, and Burke.

Jump ahead a few years where we meet Skye. She is a young, beautiful girl. She too has a lot of money. And she has a problem. Her OCD affects every aspect of her life, her love-life in particular.

The author weaves together the stories of Heather, Burke, and Skye. Like a spider’s web, she pulls you into the story – you think you know what is happening, only to discover you are wrong. At times I loved Heather, then hated her. I hated Burke most of the time because of the stupid things he does, but there were moments of weirdly rooting for him. Skye is the only one I truly cared about throughout the book.

The bows are all neatly tied at the end of the book; however, I was secretly hoping for one last big mic-drop moment from Skye that didn’t come.

I want to thank #NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of “Too Good To Be True” in exchange for my honest review.

Wow,, This book is certainly a twisted tangling read. This book begins with a young girl looking for a mother figure and a friend. Heather finds this in Libby. An elegant woman in need of a babysitter. Heather idolizes Libby until a tragic accident cause the admiration to turn in rage. This begins a tale that reaches into the future and effects everyone in the two women’s lives. The rage and pain knows no limits with Heather and she plans a scheme that is so devious nothing good could possibly result. This builds to a conclusion that will keep you reading way into the night.

I received an advance copy of this book for an honest review. This is one of those books that isn’t “psychological thriller” or ‘suspenseful” but it is GOOD. Skye Starling falls for an older man name Burke Michaels. Except he’s already married. And is going to get revenge for something her mother did. The book is fast and the dialogue is realistic. Characters are well-drawn, in this instance, you don’t need more detail. This won’t be out until next Spring, put a hold on it, pre-order it, whatever, just read this.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this book for my honest review. I absolutely loved this book. I loved reading the backstory of all the characters from years ago. I fell in love with the characters and sympathized with what they were going through. The journal entries added to the plot and helped with the book twist. This was the first book I have read from this author and I loved reading it with all it's twists and turns.

Loved. I really enjoyed Tell Me Lies so I kept this author on my radar (ie Instagram). I was thrilled to get my hands on a copy of Too Good to Be True. The first half of the book was perfection. The second half felt a little repetitive but was still enjoyable. I suspect some people will find the ending hard to believe but I appreciated it. Can’t wait for the author’s third novel!

Holy Cow, hang on to your seat! This is one of the best psychological mysteries I’ve read in a very long time. Talk about a Double Cross, how about a Triple Cross! Just when you thought you knew a character well, and you thought (very smugly) that you knew where the story was headed, there would be an eye popping twist. And the twists just keep on coming. This was truly a story that was hard to put down., with well thought out characters. I don’t want to give too much away, I’ll just say, , sit back and be prepared for a very entertaining read. This was my first novel by Carola Lovering, but it won’t be my last. I will be recommending this to all my book club members., and I will be purchasing copies for our library. Thank You to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for sending me a digital copy of this great book for an honest review..

Wow! If you love the mystery/psychological suspense genre like I do, then you will love Too Good to Be True. It’s very well written with lots of fun twists and turns. This was my first Carola Lovering book and I will definitely look for her others now. The story goes back and forth in time from 30 years ago to the present and a lot of it is written through letters. The main characters are Skye, Burke, and Burke’s wife Heather. Skye comes from a life of privilege while Burke and Heather come from poor families where their parents abandoned them. Their lives become intertwined in all kinds of ways and none of them will ever be the same. This is a quick, easy read that I definitely recommend. Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for an ARC in exchange for an honest review..

The story takes the reader into the lives of a family and two young high school students. It is written in the first-person style and goes between each person basically three of them, Burke and his wife Heather, and Skye a young rich girl. At first, I found it rather confusing but as I went into the story more it made perfect sense. This is a story of wealth....those who have it and those who want it at any cost. It also is a story of betrayal. It is a fantastic story that pulls the reader in the farther you get into the book. There were a few OMG moments for me, but the author put them in at just the right time and it added to the story. I really enjoyed reading it. I am voluntarily reviewing this book that I received from NetGalley.

WOWZA. This book was unfortunately not as good as Carola Lovering's other novel. However, I thoroughly enjoyed and read this book very fast. I'm glad Lovering dipped her toes in the thriller world and I can't wait to see what's to come!

"Too Good to Be True" by Carola Lovering was one of the best books that I've read in a while. Just when I thought that I knew what was going on in the story, BAM!, another surprise. This twisty thriller kept me guessing until the very end. I loved that the story was told from multiple POV's. It made it more twisted and exciting. I was so into this book, that I literally couldn't put it down and found it hard to stop reading. Definitely a 5-star book! I can't wait to read more from this author! #NetGalley #TooGoodtoBeTrue #CarolaLovering

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Too Good to Be True took me on a wild ride that I really enjoyed! The book starts off slow, establishing the characters and history through their perspectives. The main players are Burke, a forty-six year old man going through a midlife crisis, Skye, a young woman with OCD desperate for love, and Heather, Burke’s wife and childhood love. The backstory is laid out in the first half of the book, as we go back and forth in time from Heather’s childhood, Skye’s childhood, to Burke and Skye’s affair.

Lovering does a fantastic job of making you feel a sort of way about the characters and then turning the tables, so you’re no longer sure how to feel. The book picks up very quickly midway through and I could not put it down! This one kept me up late, because I HAD TO KNOW HOW THEY PULLED IT OFF.

To me, a good thriller makes you buy into the ridiculousness of the story and for the most part this book did. TGTBT mostly accomplishes this, but there are a few cracks here and there where I had to stop and think whether the situation was really plausible.

Overall, I thought it was a great psychological thriller, though I thought the ending was tied up in too neat of a bow. Keep your eyes peeled for this book’s release, slated for March 2, 2021!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Carola Lovering for sending me the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW: death, sexual assault

I didn't know what to expect from this book....I've never heard of the author and the summary just seemed so-so. The story proved to be so much more though. Told from three different perspectives, you know someone is lying, but who? And why? It's a little predictable (I knew a big secret at just 7% read) but still worth the read. Solid 4, if not 4.5, stars.

Great book that keeps you reading with many surprises! Is it a mystery? Love story? Both! Filled with greed, revenge, and just when you think you understand what's going on it surprises you with a new twist. Highly recommend this book!

This book was a page turner from the beginning. It was told in three parts. We meet Heather and Burke who were high school sweetheart. Heather's father was a drunk and her mother left. Heather brought her brother up. She had to earn money so she baby sat for a wealthy family with two children. A girl named Skye and a boy Ned. Heather s brother was around Neds age. Heather became close with the Mother, Libby.. One day on a trip to Bermuda Ned and Gus wandered into the water, Gus couldn't swim and Ned could. Heather searched for libbys husband and the boys were yelling for help, Libby saved Ned. Heather never forgot that and blamed Libby. Heather married Burke, After 25 years and three kids their marriage went stale. Heather came up with a plan for Burke to seduce Skye and steal two million from her. The problem was Burke fell in love with Skye and that presented a problem! The end was a surprise.

"Oh what a tangled web you weave" etc. etc... This book is a boat load of tangled webs. Enjoy the ride, I thought it was very fast paced and I could not stop reading it. I highly recommend you take a few hours and cozy up and read this fascinating story told by a few (flawed) human characters. I cared about Skye and Heather and as you continue on in the book you get quite a few surprises from what you end up feeling about Burke and you may change your mind a few times about these people-the writing is very descriptive and you will want to find out just what is really going on here.....

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book.

I started reading this book and thought "typical thriller about a man up to no good...is there anything new here?" Turns out there definitely was - this is a fun, fast-paced story with lots of secrets, hidden connections, and unexpected twists. 4 stars!

Our heroine Skye is beautiful, smart and rich - a true catch if you're willing to deal with her crippling OCD (surprise, surprise, most men aren't). But then she meets Burke, an older man, and things start to fall into place. They even call each other Goose, because geese mate for life. The catch: Burke is already married and is using Skye for her money. Another thread of the story finds teenage Burke and his girlfriend Heather striving to make it out of their opioid-addicted small town. Lovering did a great job balancing the two stories and connecting them with a few well-placed twists.

I really liked the characterization here - even though not all the characters are likable, they are well-drawn, and there's more to them than meets the eye. If you like domestic thrillers, I would definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Refreshing thriller that makes you question love and the price you pay to make your spouse happy. Will definitely check out the authors other novels!

A tangled web that was actually amazing
This was head and shoulders above the usual fare in domestic thrillers.
For starters, we didn't see a single gormless character that would drive me up the wall with their stupidity (I'm looking at you, The Breakdown by B.A. Paris). In fact, all the characters were relatable, flawed, and human. There were no cartoonish villains and saints.
I rooted for Skye and Burke all the way, and their romance just rang true to me.
"Being in the same room with him is mostly just - relief. Cold water when you've been parched for hours. The feeling of coming home after a long time away."
And those adorable nicknames Burke gave to the women he loved! <3
The plot was another forte, it's clever and believable. I didn't see the twists coming!
All in all, I enjoyed every minute of it. I plan to read all the books by Carola Lovering (who's a new author for me). Keep them coming, please!
Will I recommend this book? Hell yeah!
Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin Press, and Carola Lovering for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very addictive novel and I spent a lot more time reading at a time than I meant to. Good plot, great characters and a nice twist. This really was a book that got better with every page I read.

When Skye Starling meets Burke Michaels it is like a dream come true and it is only months later when Burke proposes. Skye is a wealthy woman who has suffered from OCD since her mother's death and this has had a detrimental affect on her relationships.
Burke is a good looking guy who is a lot older than Skye and everything seems too good to be true, but Burke isn't who he claims to be. Told through the letters to his therapist we learn that Burke is happily married and and using Skye to obtain money.

There is a lot more to this story but don't want to give too much away, this is a page turner and well worth a look.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and St Martin's Press for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

While I really enjoyed and liked this book, the ending did not sit well with me. It just seemed way too far fetched. I would have rather had the other ending and seen Skye come out on top.