Just finished this book after two days of constant reading. The characters were so well written that I could see them as if on a screen right in front of me. The background story from thirty years in the past was essential to tell this twisty story of love, loss, betrayal and revenge. This was not the typical story of the evil husband who is not who he pretends to be, but much more complicated and surprising.
Read,Too Good To Be True, while home during this pandemic and you'll forget the precarious state of the world in 2020.

I'm not wild about the ending, but the twist was sort of inventive, at least more than the rest of what I've been reading lately. I would have preferred that Skye have a different disease, there are times her behavior is difficult to identify with.

I loved the first part, but as they book went on I liked it less and less. It dragged on too long, with too many alternate realities. Through it all I wondered how Burke, a man who appears to be setting up a rich woman for a con, was getting his money with no job and no credit. There were several similar but spoiler flaws that started as minor irritations and got worse. Minor spoiler - people can't have a large amount of money transferred into their bank account without someone, like the IRS wondering where it came from.

Started as a five star, ended as a two.

I really don’t know how I feel about this book! The storyline was different and unique, the characters were well written and it was a good story overall. But, it was just extremely too long and slightly boring. This definitely wasn’t an intense or dramatic book at all. Plus I didn’t care for the ending. Thank you netgalley for letting me give an honest review of this book.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Young love, a tragedy, a grave error, dogged determination . . . that’s all it takes to bring The Plan into existence. And, if someone gets hurt, well, it’s not such an awful thing, is it? After all, things will eventually work themselves out.

But will manipulating events result in success? What will happen if someone discovers the deception and reveals the truth? Will achieving the goal be worth the betrayal?

Nuanced, well-developed characters populate this riveting tale of manipulation, lies, and duplicity and, although some of them are unlikable, their motivations are clear. But they’re also flawed and damaged, leaving it up to the reader to decide just who deserves some sympathy and who is telling the lies.

Told alternately by Heather, Skye, and Burke, the compelling tale slowly unfolds, taking readers on a maniacal roller coaster ride where absolutely nothing is as it seems. In the blink of an eye, plot twists change everything readers think they know and the revelations weave a spectacularly tangled web of treachery and ulterior motives. Readers may predict some of the events before their reveals, but there are likely to be some unforeseen surprises before the denouement and readers will find it difficult to set the book aside before turning the final page.

The unnecessary overuse of a particularly offensive expletive is the only downside here and it lowers the rating for this book.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this digital galley from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley
#TooGoodToBeTrue #NetGalley

WOW! This book blew me away! Read it in 2 sittings, it was that good!
The relationship between the three characters were amazing, and the POV story telling worked so well. I thought I had it figured out a few times during my read but then a twist proved me wrong every time. I cannot wait to see what else Carola Lovering has to offer. Highly recommend!
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc.

Burke and Heather were destined to be together. Burke loved Heather, Heather loved money. When HeTher saw how the other side live her goal was to leave the small town she grew up in and live in New York. That was where are all the posh wealthy people were. Burke was a way for Heather to become what she wanted to be. She didn't want to work for it. She wanted a husband who wanted it as much as she did. Burke did at first. When they started having children he realized that money wasn't everything. Heather had been putting a big plan together. She knew that making her husband feel guilty about the kids not having what they needed would put him right where she wanted him.
It only takes thirty years. Lots of lies, betrayal, deception and revenge.
Great psychological thriller. Strong characters.

Wow! This was a great read! Too Good To Be True has an excellent plot that is paced to perfection with lots of delicious twists and curves. I really like how the author set the book up with three main character's perspectives coming from three different points of the same timeline until they all converge. The character development was very satisfying as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this ARC.

This psychological thriller kept me entertained. I enjoyed the way the story was told through alternating viewpoints and time periods. I also enjoyed the portrayal of one main character’s OCD. I did find that the second half of the book felt a bit long. However, I thought this was a good read, and I recommend this to readers who are looking for a psychological thriller without too many hairpin turns.

Some of the plot twists were unexpected and some were not, but this story didn’t rely completely on jarring plot twists. There are great characters and a complex and chilling storyline.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

I can't say too much here without giving the plot away, but this book was one of the best deliciously twisted, mind blowing plots I have ever read! Burke and Heather are married with three children and are having financial problems. Burke has lost his job and is having difficulties finding a new job because of his past. Heather, since she was a teenager, has always longed to become wealthy and live the good life. She longed to be just like Libby, a wealthy women she babysat for when she was in her teens. Since her current life was not a at all what she had envisioned for herself, she came up with a plan that will change everything and coerced Burke to carry it out. Will this plan give Heather everything she ever wanted.? Does she care who will get hurt if her plan succeeds? The answers to these questions are not what you will be expecting!

This was a great read. It had a little bit of everything. I am open to reading more from this author g or

A very good thriller

My very first book from Carola Lovering and loved it. A psychological thriller just the way I like them. Kept me guessing and entering into Burke's mind was very intriguing. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Beautiful woman with OCD (has to knock on wood or kiss clocks and I mean HAS to) meets a man who seems too good to be true. Best friend says slow down, but of course she doesn't listen. Are there red flags? Sure, as always, but not enough to pay attention to... until a year later when she receives an email with a message for someone else that shatters her world.
I liked the way the chapters alternated with the voices of the different characters as it helped put it all into perspective. I didn't like the constant repeating of her counting out her door knocks. It was repetitive and annoying, which maybe helped to see what it was like for her going through it, but I got the point early and didn't appreciate having to reread it every time it happened.
It taught me somewhat about OCD. It taught me spoiler alert! that evil can be rewarded and goodness can be punished. Ok, goodness isn't right, for the acts were wrong and the intent was to protect, but that is enabling at it's finest.
It kept me going, but could have been shorter. Don't read it just before bed because anger at a certain character will invade your dreams and you won't have restful sleep. Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Just finished this book and loved it! I liked the way that the story was told from different characters perspectives although at first I had trouble following the story . There were many twists & turns along the way which kept me turning those pages! Too Good To Be True was my first book by Carola Lovering and will be looking for more titles by her. Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this advanced copy!!

Completely excellent!

This book had me guessing all along the way, trying to reconcile three different people, stories and timelines with more twists that I thought possible.

A binge read, finished in less than 24 hours.

Thank you NetGalley for this glimpse in to Skye's life.

Do your best not to read any reviews or the blurb for this book! You will enjoy it so much more that way!

The book features Skye, a young woman who lives with her OCD compulsions, but has yet to find lasting romance – until she meets the older, dashing Burke Michaels. I wondered about the title, is it Burke who is too good to be true? I did have sympathy for Skye and never have read much about compulsions like hers.

We also get point- of-view chapters from Burke so we read about him falling in love with Skye and his background as an investment banker.

The other point-of-view storyline features Heather and her life growing up in the mountains of New York. She babysits for a wealthy family and falls in love with their lifestyle. She’s determined to get out of her situation and be more like the woman who heads up this family.

This book took me on a fast-paced adventure, and I did not predict the big reveal at all. This tale had me questioning the truth as it is filled with unreliable narrators and themes of lies and betrayal.

The first half of this book is an amazing 5 star read and I wish it would have been edited down to be much shorter. My best explanation without spoilers (because who likes a review with spoilers?) is that the first half is the great build-up and then the big reveal happens in the middle. The last half of the book is TELLING us what has happened in slow somewhat agonizing detail. This is my first read from this author and I would read more titles from her. I just hope the next one from her is a 5-star read for the whole book!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. This book sounded interesting. Unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations. I could not get into the relationship between Skye and Burke.

Once I started reading this book, I didn't want to put it down. The changes in time frames and voices required some concentration to keep straight at first. But once I got rolling, I had to keep going to see if the theories I was forming were correct. I really became fascinated with the characters' lives. The ending wrapped up a little too neatly, but I was satisfied with it. Overall, I enjoyed reading Too Good to Be True.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of Too Good To Be True.

Unfortunately I had to put this one down at about 17%. I found the plot a little intriguing at first but not enough to keep my attention. Maybe it was the unrealistic relationship between Skye and Burke that had me rolling my eyes a little, not wanting to read more...

I had high hopes for Too Good to Be True by Carola Lovering. Especially due to all the 5-star reviews and the synopsis that sounded very intriguing and exciting. However, I could not get into this story. I was not too fond of any of the characters. I also did not like the alternating perspectives and jumping from 2019 to 1989. That part was confusing to me. The ending was not satisfying and did not seem realistic.

This book does not really fit into the thriller genre, either. It was a slow burn, and I found it tedious to get through.

Too Good to Be True may appeal to others, but I could not get into the book or care what would happen to the characters as I read.