Too Good to Be True had me hooked from the start til the very end! I finished it within a few days and it was definitely an emotional roller coaster ride. The length of the story is quite long compared to other mystery thriller, but it only allowed me to enjoy it longer. It's one of the best multi-layer thriller I have read in recent years!

I enjoyed Lovering’s first novel, Tell Me Lies...but I thought this one was even better! First off, I loved the way the story was woven together. Not only is it told from three perspectives, but they are in different formats and in different periods of time. It left me guessing what would happen all the way to the end. The book also really makes you consider how much our childhood’s shape us, as well as what we are capable of overlooking when it comes to someone that we love. Read this one, it does not disappoint!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I didn't know what to expect when I read the synopsis nor even when I started reading the book. I was happily surprised it was a darkish twisted good read. The only thing missing for me would be something to happen to Heather, although I totally understand why it didn't go there because Burke would not be able to move forward or be the somewhat good man that he is.

Too Good to Be True by Carola Lowering is a fairly intriguing thriller that I read in one day. I loved the main character, Skye Starling. She was such a genuine and caring person. I liked how her OCD was approached in the story. I feel like Lowering showed how it impacted Skye's life, but showed how Skye was able to still be successful. I also like that it was not in the story simply to be a plot device. So many thrillers use mental illness so that there will be an unreliable narrator. I also liked how Lowering was able to show the dichotomy between the lives of people simply because of the family that they are born into and how wealth brings about great privilege that most people will never know no matter how hard they work. I don't want to spoil anything in this review, but I do recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good domestic thriller. With that being said, I did not like the ending and there were definitely parts of the story that simply didn't seem believable in the year 2020 (for example, if I'm a wealthy woman involved in a whirlwind romance, I would probably do some kind of background check).

Too Good to Be True by Carola Lovering. Oh my, wasn't expecting to get so involved in this story. Couldn't put it down, which lead to a couple of days of marathon reading with the kindle pages flying past. Romance, mystery, tension, twists, and so much more, It is Too Good to Be True. Highly recommended!

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I was so excited to read this book! I loved “Tell Me Lies” and this book proved just as good. I could not stop reading. The characters were believable and incredibly intriguing. You will definitely be on a rollercoaster throughout this one. Hang on; you won’t be able to see what’s coming! Excellent read!!

An amazing thriller that I could not put down! I instantly related to Skye, and watching the story unfold was nerve wracking. Every time I thought I had figured it out, another twist proved me wrong! Definitely well written, with realistic characters and a gripping plot.

Carola Lovering’s first book, Tell Me Lies, was one of my favorite books of last year. When I saw this arc I snapped it up. While it didn’t floor me the way Tell Me Lies did, it was still excellent. This book as first glance seems like it will follow in a similar vein to Tell Me Lies. The presentation of the manipulative and scheming man at first is like that of her first novel. As the book continues, however, it becomes more of a thriller in the tradition of Gone Girl (not quite so twisty or dark) but it kept me on my toes. Unfortunately, I can’t really say more about the specifics of the plot without giving away the story and ruining it.

I was literally raging in the first 25% percent only to find myself doing an emotional 180 by the latter half of the book. There are a lot of threads in this book. The author handles multi points of view and timelines deftly. In fact, I would say that the points of view and timelines make the book.

This is another solid effort from Lovering. She’s made me a fan. I’ll pick up whatever she writes next.

This book was a great thriller that I really enjoyed reading. Skye comes from a wealthy family, but struggles with some OCD tendencies. Relationships have been a struggle, but Burke comes into her life and sweeps her off her feet. But, is Burke too good to be true? Is he living a double life? Who can you really believe? I enjoyed all of the twists and turns in this storyline.

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE
BY CAROLA LOVERING

This was marketed as suspense and mystery novel but struck me more of a contemporary fiction--domestic drama. The pacing was slow and except for two major plot twists that is why I disagree with the synopsis on Good Read's and if you read that description you will not get that expectation met in my humble opinion. The writing was well above average and the premise is fresh and original which I attribute to this author. It is told from the three main characters' point of view so you get a good idea of where each of them is coming from. There is one unreliable narrator who at first is unlikable but that changes deep into the novel with the first plot twist. I always recommend going into a story blind so often I choose not to read the synopsis before I begin a book. At some point before I have read a novel I have read once what it is about to decide whether or not I am interested. Usually by the time I get to reading the book I have forgotten what it is about. This is usually been the most rewarding experiences for me.

Skye Starling was by far my favorite character. She is trusting, She has a huge heart, She is generous and thoughtful and an all around a good person. She would be my best friend if I was her age. She is a loving daughter to her widowed father who has remarried. Skye and her best friend are enjoying having fancy drinks at an upscale location beside a pool on a bright summer day when she is approached by an older man in his late forties. Skye is blessed with beauty and my heart really went out to her because she suffers from a crippling case of obsessive compulsive disorder that manifested when she lost her mother at approximately aged twelve.

Skye has such unadulterated inner beauty but like some young women in their late twenties lacks confidence with forming stable lasting relationship's with the opposite sex. She has to count up and count down backwards and forwards the number's one through eight a couple of times when she passes through doorways. She also knocks on every wooden object and surface if a clock's time is for example 10:10. As I was reading I could only imagine the teasing she got in social situation's when she was a teenager. Now in her late twenties as this fairly attractive Burke Michael's a much more mature man who approaches Skye and hangs around her all day at the pool makes quite a good impression on Skye.

I was thinking as I read this how in my opinion it takes at least a year or two to really get to know someone especially a romantic partner that you are planning on marrying. How by not taking things slow and rushing into things too fast can be a red flag. Of course I didn't know anything about this when I was Skye's age but I know it now. I cringed when after only a few month's of meeting they talk about getting married. It is a whirlwind romance that has all of the hallmarks of perfection.

I found Heather to be my least favorite character and reading her backstory made for tedious and uninteresting that I dreaded. I do understand why the author included it as it makes for the second and equally compelling plot twist. Maybe if some of the details were edited and her sections are shortened would make for a more compelling read.

Still all in all this isn't a book that I would want to read again in the future I still highly recommend it.
I have purposefully given as little details as possible about Burke and Heather because I think I have always enjoyed a book more learning as I read. The more I discover for myself the greater the love of reading is for me. I really enjoyed this one and I would have enjoyed this one more if most of the book didn't go backwards in time for both Burke and Heather. This was a creatively well imagined story that I will be spreading the word about and I am so grateful I read it. I am excited I discovered a new author and will definitely read her first book or anything else she writes.

Publication Date: March 2, 2021

#TooGoodtoBeTrue #Carola Lovering #StMartin'sPublishing #NetGalley

Wow! Good one! This is one of those books that you have to gobble up fast. Good portrayal of different classes of people- have & have nots. Believable characters. You may have a hard time deciding which side to root for in the battle over vengeance and happiness. Heather’s drive, strength and motivation are unusual for someone with her background. And poor Skye with everything a young woman could want (well, not her OCD) except someone to really love. The one thing that nagged at me was how her dad didn’t do a background check on his daughter’s fiancée. People with money don’t really make mistakes like that. Especially when it was such a fast romance. I did like how it all turned out.

I loved Carola Lovering's debut, Tell Me Lies, so when I got approved for Too Good to Be True, I was so excited! I can't decide which book was better. This book was a crazy ride full of unlikeable and exasperating characters, and some unexpected twists. I couldn't put it down! The story was cleverly woven together and although it all made sense, I didn't see it coming - the best kind of plot.

I loved this book! I loved how it was told in different perspectives from the different characters. This was a nicely crafted, twisted story and was not what I expected. This exceeded all expectations and I was pleasantly surprised. The characters are well developed and I love the way the back story was told parallel with the current plot. You will not be disappointed!

This has got to be one of the most well executed thrillers I have read so far this year. Does that sound too good to be true? (See what I did there?) Yes, but I am being 100% honest!

Skye Starling is rich. Filthy rich. She has everything she could ever want in her life, but love has eluded her, seemingly due to a strong case of OCD. Then she meets Burke, an older man, and it’s love at first sight for both of them (or is it?). After a whirlwind romance, Burke proposes marriage. Skye has never been happier, but will soon find out that some things in her amazing life are just too good to be true.

Talk about plot twists! I had to be away from this book for hours after getting to a pivotal scene, and it was pure torture! The writing by Carola Lovering is so smooth. This is my introduction to her work, and she is an expert at crafting a HIGHLY UNPUTDOWNABLE, suspenseful piece of fiction. It’s a fun, gripping and 100% enjoyable journey with many unexpected moments. I can’t recommend it enough to fans of the genre.

My sincere thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Carola Lovering, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE is the best suspense novel I've read in years. The story is so gripping and the character development is so strong that I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I figured out the "connection" fairly early on, but that didn't impact my enjoyment of the book, as I was so anxious to see how everything came together and what ultimately happened with these characters. Even with having figured out that one point, there were still plenty of twists and turns. Without giving anything away, there's a bit of an unreliable narrator issue that bugs me a little because I don't like feeling "tricked." But overall, this is an extremely well-written story and I'm delighted to have been introduced to this author.

I love an unreliable narrator, and since this story is told from several points of view, it's a lot of fun to try to figure out what's what. It's also a complex story where most of the characters have both positive and negative traits, which is more true to life than having a pure villain. I particularly enjoyed the first three-quarters of the book; the pace of the last quarter or so began to drag a bit as things were wrapping up. Overall though, this is a solid, entertaining read.

I was given this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
My honest review...I could not put this book down!
It grabbed me right from the first page, I was hooked...no skimming either! Ha!
I love how the tail is told thru three voices and how you can love, hate then love a character again. And the nice little twist in the middle was a welcome change to the predictable end of the book twist. At least with this twist we get to actually see what happens to the characters.
There is not really anything I can say about the book since the twist is in the middle of book and I don't want to give spoilers away.
But if you like romance and a bit of a revengeful twist, you've got your summer read right here. It was a very easy book to fall into and great character writing.
I'm definitely going to recommend this book to my book clubs!!
Thanks for sharing this awesome story!

Wow! This was one exciting rollercoaster ride! I was surprised by every twist and turn in this gripping domestic thriller. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, another twist shocked me! Highly recommended!

This one was a great read! First for me from this author. A very enjoyable book.
I will be looking for more from this author. So much happening in this one and easy to get into it.


Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for an early release of this book.

Sorry, I just could not get into this book. I did not like the characters or the plodding story. The OCD was of interest, but once I read the problem over and over It was just more than I could read.