I really liked "Too good to be True" and had a hard time putting it down. Told from past and present viewpoints of Skye, Burke and Heather, we get to follow the tangled, twisty relationships and become emotionally invested in the characters. It seems like there is a new twists each chapter, and the story keeps you guessing until the end.
The end was not what I was expecting and was slightly disappointing, but overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

This was beyond creepy and too good to be true. The story goes between Skye's POV, which is the present and Burke's (journal entries and the past). Skye and Burke seem like the perfect couple, and he seems like the perfect guy until the reader gets to his journal entries. He is quite the messed up and lost soul! I thought this was going to be predictable but it was not and I have already read a similar-ish kind of story, The Perfect Husband, earlier in the year. Some parts were similar but this story differs because of the creepiness and cruelty level.

A must read and I finished this quickly when I got a few more chapters in. Highly recommended as a thriller. And believable.

Thanks to Netgalley, Carola Lovering and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 3/2/21

The Twist Got Me Good!

3.5 stars

Too Good to Be True is a psychological thriller about revenge, deception, and one very smart sociopath.

I am not going to write a summary, because I don’t want to give anything anyway.

Narrated by three characters, I never knew where this was going.

Too Good to Be True is a page-turner. It is fast-paced and has some very surprising twists and turns. There is one huge twist that I thought about potentially being an option early on, but I thought no, that’s just crazy-- but crazy it is! Even though I had thought about this possible twist, I was still taken aback and surprised when it was revealed. I got tricked, my friends!

The plot borrows a few notes from soap operas, including some cheesy names, i.e. Burke Michaels and Skye Starling, but I enjoy soaps!

At a certain point, after all of the revelations, the tone shifts and it becomes a bit of a different book that had my eyes rolling. I wanted a darker, more sinister ending versus a sappy one. This could have been accomplished in the epilogue, but even the darkest character turns a little soft at the end. Apparently, I prefer my thrillers to be dark and evil.

Despite my gripes, this book is SO MUCH FUN to read. I will be reading more by Carola Lovering in the future.

Thanks to all my GR friends for putting this book on my radar.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

An addictive, edge-of-your-seat thriller that you will find yourself HOOKED on the storyline! I loved the twisty, shock-filled chapters as the story unfolds. I enjoyed reding this story and following along the tangled lives of Skye, Burke and Heather, and it was interesting to read the story from alternate point of views as well as alternate timelines, both past and present. I love a good dark and twisted love story and this book did NOT disappoint!

This book has characters that you will find yourself experiencing many different emotions, often at the same time as well - loving, hating, despising, and others you will feel sorry for. At least that's how I felt when following along the point of views from the characters as their own individual story was told.

A fantastic read that you need to keep your eye out for when it is released, you definitely don't want to miss this book!

This is a tale of cultural sensitivities, hypocrisies, and identities, entwined with social norms, expectations, and taboos, sanctioned by wealth and privilege..
This is the story of wealthy boys living a life of privilege and entitlement against the backdrop of cultural restrictions, and religious contradictions and how this affects how they cope with personal trauma.
The author writes with obvious expertise on the subject matter, and takes us on a realistic and emotional journey into the unspeakable world of tragedy and violence...Read it

Whew. WHAT A BOOK! I loved it. And you will too. Too Good To Be True by Carola Lovering was an amazing thriller/suspense.

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.

In a third perspective, set thirty years earlier, a scrappy seventeen-year-old named Heather is determined to end things with Burke, a local bad boy. Inspired by the sophisticated mother of her babysitting charges, Heather vows to leave her impoverished hometown behind and make a better life for herself in New York City. But can her adolescent love stay firmly in her past—or will he find his way into her future?

On a collision course she doesn’t see coming, Skye throws herself into wedding planning, as Burke’s scheme grows ever more twisted. Meanwhile, three decades in the past, Heather’s longed-for transformation finally seems within reach. But of course, even the best laid plans can go astray. And just when you think you know where this story is going, you’ll discover that there’s more than one way to spin the truth.

The bad news is that this won’t be out until 2021. The good news is that you can pre-order right now!

Skye Starling hasn't had the best luck with relationships. Her OCD and rituals associated with her OCD keep her from opening up and sometimes actually scare men off. When she meets Burke Michaels, her luck with men seems to have changed. Burke is older, but he's more mature, attentive, and isn't bothered in the least by her OCD. What Skye doesn't know is that Burke's intentions are not true. His diary entries show a different story. He's actually a married man with three children and has a plan to bilk Skye out of money after he marries her.

The book alternates from past to present in the views of Skye, Burke, and Heather (Burke's wife). Not all is what is seems!

I enjoyed this book, but I was a bit disappointed with the ending. Without giving details away, some of it wasn't satisfying to the reader and some of it didn't seem completely realistic. I did like the story and the twists that came out. I would be interested in checking out more from this author.

I loved this book. I love this author. I look forward to her next novel.. I was so excited to get to read an adcanced copy. Thank you so much!!!!

Story has 3 POV ~ Skye, Bryce, and Heather.
Skye Starling is 29 and seems to have everything; she is beautiful, smart, from a wealthy family but has not been in a serious relationship. She suffers from OCD which she describes as having just the compulsive part and not the obsessive. Her mother died when she was young and they had this thing about counting to eight. So Skye counts one-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight-eight-seven-six-five-four-thre—two-one every time she leaves a room.
While on vacation she meets a very handsome older guy Burke and they hit it off.
Burke Michaels is 47, unemployed, broke, married, and has college age children but since he lost his job is feeling worthless. He sets out to have a fling. (Hmm it is me but sure is hard to feel sorry for this sleazy guy. He knows that Skye has money and decides marring her is the answer to his and his wife’s financial problems.
Heather – Her story takes place 30 years earlier when she and Burke were high school darlings. Both good looking and in with the “fast crowd” Burke more so than Heather as she does have the responsibility of taking care of her little brother ~ mom died from drug use and Dad is following down that path. Heather needs financial help and gets a job as a babysitting wealthy Libby Fontaine’s two young children. Libby cares about Heather and pays her a very nice salary; this seems ~ too good to be true.
However, a tragedy happens and Burke does come to Heather’s rescue.

Oops! I am telling you too much, it gets better ~ if you like psychological thrillers with twists you just don’t see coming ~ you need to read THIS!!

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for professional review purposes only. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 2, 2021

Could not put this book down! Hooked from the first page! Lovering does a great job of weaving intrigue and suspense, while alternating between past and present! The character’s plight and driving force were always in my mind as I tried to reconcile some of their choices, against what they were facing. I was happy to see the main character gain some much needed strength as the book concluded. The only “flaw” in this book seems
to be the advice the main character receives from her therapist. Without giving too much away, it wasn’t realistic to what would be prescribed in actuality, and since her mental struggles are a large part of the plot, this made me choose 4 instead of 5 stars! Still a great read! I will definitely be looking for more from this author and appreciate the advance readers copy!

Wow! This book blew me away! What a twisted and unique storyline. It's hard to review without giving anything away, but here goes:

Skye Starliing is a beautiful young woman who suffers from a crippling case of OCD that started after her mother dies as a young girl. Due to the OCD, she has a hard time maintaining relationships. She has finally met an older man, Burke Michaels, and he has swept her off her feet. They have a whirlwind romance and he proposes a few months after they meet.

Interspersed throughout the story are letters that Burke has written to his therapist that cast him in a very bad light.

Another point of view in the story is from a 17 year old girl named Heather, who is basically raising her baby brother. She meets a woman and starts babysitting for her. This woman is very helpful and supportive and they become good friends. Heather vows to be like this woman and have a better life, and she is convinced that her boyfriend Burke is in the way of her success.

This story has so many nuances and really shows how far some people will go for love or revenge. I have also never read a book that has me liking every flawed and bad character, no matter what they have done,

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy,

When I first started this book, I was a. It put off with the constant jerking around with the chapters and different timeline. I enjoyed it enough to hang in there and am glad I did. Without giving anything away for other readers, the ending was unexpected and not at all disappointing.

I was a huge fan of Carola Lovering’s first book, and this one was great as well. While I didn’t like it as much as her first book, this was definitely a complex page turner and the twist definitely got me. Also loved how each chapter was from a different character’s perspective, and every loose end in the plot was eventually tied up. This author describes toxic relationships in such a realistic way, and it really helps the reader connect with the characters. I’d give this a 3.5!

This novel covers a lot of different themes with several characters. It is told from the viewpoint of heather a young teenager who loses her younger brother ina tragic drowning, her husband Gabe and Skye who has OCD. Their lives intersect in unusual ways. You get each individual’s viewpoints on how they relate to one another. With surprising twists.

Much like the way Burke Michaels threw Skye Starling for a loop in Carola Lovering’s Too Good to Be True, I too was taken for a ride. It is a love story—well, multiple love stories—that are far from what they seem, and while the “whodunnit” part might not come as much of a surprise, the creatively done “howdunnit” is worth staying on for the entire (perhaps a bit too lengthy) read. 3.75 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and comment on this book.

Wow. This was not what I was expecting when I started this book. The way everything played out and the twist. So well done.

I loved how the author took us down a path and then boom, complete switch up. Characters you hated became characters you cheered for.

Very enjoyable! I'll read more by this author

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author Carola Lovering for providing me with an ARC of Too Good to Be True!

This was such a fun and dark thriller. I thoroughly enjoyed this!

I didn't know who to believe, where the story line was going, and was kept on my toes the entire way through. I also loved that some romance was thrown in, too. The eye opening portrayal of OCD was spot on (I suffer myself) and really explored those compulsory behaviors you cannot control.

Thank you again for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was well written with a good amount of characters and mystery. There were twists I definitely didn’t see coming and an unexpected ending. I will definitely be reading more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

I found this book to be extremely creepy. While it is a good physiological thriller, I found the ending to be unrealistic. As much as we want to believe that love conquers all, I don't believe that is true in this novel.

I loved every part of this book. The way it was set up with multiple characters giving you information from their points of view. Too Good To Be True has a little of everything