Thanks to Stephanie DeCarolis, HQ Digital and NetGalley for the ARC of Deadly Little Lies.

Julie is a successful lawyer and married to the perfect man; desperately trying to smother the memories of her time at college.

When a text message arrives on her phone from her old friend Jenny - Julie is panic stricken. Not only because it's a reminder of what happened that night all those years ago, but because it can't be Jenny. Jenny is dead and Julie and her friends were responsible.

As the book alternates between past and present, Julie and her other college friends start to receive more and more messages and threats from 'Jenny' and one things become certain. The past is not buried. Whoever this anonymous texter is knows the truth of what happened that night and is determined that they wont get away with it.

This was an enjoyable thriller that built up over time, with crumbs being dropped throughout about the facts of the events back in college. At times this drip feeding was a little slow for me and I felt the book lost its way a little in the middle. before regaining the tension at the end. There are some really unlikeable (but sadly believable) characters in this book, but it's hard to really sympathise with any of them.

I didn't predict the ending however and it all came together quite cleanly. A good solid thriller but didn't blow me away sadly.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher HQ for the electronic copy.

This is a really good psychological thriller - well-written and structured between two timelines, Then and Now. The narrative is told from the main character Jules' point of view She's now 32yrs-old and an Associate at a Manhattan law firm and expecting to make Partner soon. But, she has never been able to tell her husband Jason about her time at Westbridge University and the girl she was then, fearing that would be the end of her marriage. She should have told him but her secret is too big to tell.
One day she receives an email from Jenny - except that Jenny died 13 years ago. Jules contacts her friends Tori, and Nessa - they've received the same email and all agree that Emily, previously in the same group, must be instigating this. The emails from Jenny become darker as they threaten to destroy the friends' lives by revealing the secrets none of them could ever tell..........then they each receive an invitation to Westbridge Homecoming - not, as they all agree, an invitation, but more of a summons. They know they have to go to find out who is at the bottom of these threats.

Alternately the narrative relates Jules' beginnings at the university; how she is desperate to fit in and the group of girls she becomes a part of and how the power of whispers and lies can lead to devastating consequences.
Emily is the master manipulator - no-one says "no" to her - she's cruel to the extreme - until the girls begin to see through her games.

I loved the way the characters are drawn (even Emily) and the plot has twists and indeed surprises leading to an explosive, but satisfying, conclusion.

A really good read that will keep you turning the pages.

This is one amazing psychological thriller, it has great characters, a plot to die for and secrets that would prefer to stay buried. I raced through it and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, I needed to reach the end so I could find out the final secrets and OMG what an explosive ending!. The story is told in time jumps from the characters University days to the present and it's so easy to follow. It's written so well and the suspense and tension continues throughout, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up in parts. LOVED IT! LOVED IT! LOVED IT!. I can't wait to see what Stephanie writes next because this book was mind blowing. I would like to thank NetGalley and HQ digital for the ARC, I really appreciate it.

Juliana (Jules) is happily married to Jason, & has a great up & coming career as a lawyer, life is good until she receives a message from an old college friend, Jenny Teller. Jules contacts her former friend group that she hasn't seen since she graduated; Tori, her old roommate, Ness, & Emily. They have all received the same message, & they all know that Jenny couldn't have sent the message, because Jenny is dead.

I really enjoyed this one. The chapters alternate between the present & what happened in the past from when Jules first arrived at the college. I found that the main character was fairly easy to relate to, feeling like a fish out of water, & wanting to fit in so doing things you wouldn't normally do. I especially liked the final third of the book when the action moves to the 10th reunion at the college. There were one or two twists & turns, but I did work out who the perpetrator was. If you like fast-paced thrillers, then this is one for you.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, HQ, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

I’ve read a lot of dark academia books this year and this is one of my favorites. I enjoyed the mystery and the suspense. It was anxiety inducing in a good way. This was really well done. I prefer this book to her last one.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an independent review.
Initially I really struggled with almost the first half of this book. Not because it wasn’t written well, because it was. But because the characters were nasty, mean girls in their earlier lives and for some reason this made reading the book a chore and made me feel really uncomfortable.
Yet I persevered and was so pleased I did, because not only did it make compulsive reading but it was a strong story which unraveled well. A true psychological thriller which kept me guessing.
This is my second book by this author which I have read and enjoyed.

I've been quiet for a while, partly because I've been travelling- which in turn has allowed me plenty of time to catch up on some reading

So, one of the books I raced through was this one.
I didn't like most of the characters, they didn't like each other- it was unsettling and distressing at times, but also intriguing , with numerous twists-so I kept turning the pages until far too late at night!

Unfortunately this book did nothing for me. I found the story to be overlong and rather tedious. The format of going backwards and forwards in time has never appealed and did not work for me here. I could not really believe in the characters and therefore did not enjoy the book at all. Sadly, therefore, I will not be recommending this story.

This book was a great read. The plot of the story flowed perfectly between “then” and “now”, with each character having a good story development and background. I could definitely feel like I knew the characters personally. The overall plot was one I’ve heard of before, but the twists made it memorable. I could feel the emotions of the characters in their situation and for that, I consider it great writing! Highly recommend!

Meeting up with old friends or old enemies - who can be trusted?!?
I was kept guessing to the end.
Really enjoyable book, easy to read and full of surprises.

I would like to thank NetGalley, HQDigital and the author for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stephanie DeCarolis is quickly becoming my new favorite author!! Pretty Little Liars was one of the best shows and this book was as if they grew up with me and are now reunited in adulthood. I love her writing style, I loved all of the characters (even the ones I loved to hate) and I never saw the ending coming! Wish I could give this more than 5 stars. Sad it’s over and hope another book by this author is coming soon!

Wow, this book had me gripped right from the start. I couldn’t put it down. Unfortunately I didn’t like the characters at all. But, apart from that it was a brilliant roller coaster of a read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I would like to thank NetGalley, HQDigital and the author for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book was very readable and quite enjoyable, but it didn't quite have the wow factor to make it stand out from other similar books. It had a great start and a fantastic end that fooled me. But in between it just sort of plodded along with some sections, feeling a bit repetitive.

The story is told in two timelines, now and then, which works well in general. but the then element dragged a little, as I felt that the book was probably more relatable/enjoyable read for the female of the species. Don't shoot me now.

Overall, this was an easy read. I didn't really get engrossed in the story and most of the characters were not particularly likeable. But as I said earlier a great start and a fantastic ending so 4 stars.

If you are a ‘I’ll read a couple of chapters before bed’ person….. don’t read this book!! I was reeled in from the very beginning and had 2 very late nights as I couldn’t put the book down.

It’s a tale of 4 women who had been college friends, each with a personal secret as well as a shared secret from the past that has the potential to ruin their lives. None of them are very likeable characters but with plenty of twists and turns and an unexpected conclusion, it is a very good story. 4.5 *

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

The description of Deadly Little Lies pulled me in immediately and the book did not disappoint. It was full of twists, turns, secrets and lies and kept me guessing right the way to the end. I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for my ARC.

Julian Daniels has finally reached the point in her life where she has every she's ever dreamed of. A rockstar career, a doting husband and happy little place in NYC. Perfect until she received a message from a former friend from college. The name on her phone screen is of a person whose long been gone. Gone, as in dead.

If you love a women's group filled with secrets, lies and betrayals, this book will have you flying through the pages. I loved every single minute of it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my free advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

“Is it really possible to start over? To change? Or are we all destined to be haunted by ghosts we thought we’d left behind?”

Reminiscent of “The Girls Are All So Nice Here” (albeit with a much nicer group of protagonists), this book tells a “now” versus “then” tale using alternating timeline chapters, cycling between a group of girl friends attending an Ivy League college in upstate New York (“then”), and their lives ten years later(“now”), marred by memories of their part in a terrible event that has haunted each of them for the decade succeeding their graduation.

Juliana Johnson, (our main protagonist, known as “Jules”) attends college as a scholarship student, struggling desperately to fit in with a tightly-woven clique consisting of the beautiful Tori (Jules’s roommate), her close friend Nessa, and their ringleader, Emily, who is not only spoiled and narcissistic, but is decidedly darker.

The college year followed has the usual dramas centered on party-going, first loves, jealousies and rivalries, but with an ominous twist, as this group of tight-knit late-teen protagonists bends and dips to please and pay homage to their very nasty queen-bee Emily.

As Jules, along with Tori and Nessa, now in their adult timeline, attempt to reconcile their lives around their guilt-soaked pasts, the secrets spawning their shame are slowly revealed. A visit to their campus for a ten-year reunion provides an inescapable segue - allowing the story to build to and release its terrible climax.

The plot unfolds with twists and turns along the way, that keep the reader engaged and entertained. I did not guess the surprise ending, and the author does a good job of tying up the loose ends into a suspenseful and action-filled finale.

I enjoyed this book, finding the teenage Jules, with her profound insecurities and need for constant validation, (fueling her less than admirable behavior), touching and relatable, with the adult version of Jules, still dealing with those same issues, a little less so.

A great big thank you to the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.
My stop today on the #HQStories #blogtour for #DeadlyLittleLies by @StephanieDeCarolis

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinion. WOW just WOW!. You know a book is fantastic when you need to stay way too late to finish it as you won't be able to go to sleep until you know how it ends. This book is SO good! I highly, highly recommend it!

I loved this cleverly written twisty psychological thriller that had you guessing right until the very end. Jules has worked hard to put her past behind her. She has a loving husband who she is happily married to, living in Manhattan and has a great career as an attorney. Thinks couldn’t be going better for Jules until she gets a message from an old college friend saying “remember me?”

Jules’ finds from then on her whole life seems to flip upside down. How could she have received a text from Jenny because Jenny is dead, she died many years ago during their years at college and Jules saw her body.

Jules then decided to get in contact with her old college friends Tori, Nessa and Emily and discovers they are all receiving the same messages. That person who is blackmailing them knows all about their lives both past and present and finds many different things to hold against all of these women and keep them at their beckoning call.


Soon all the friends start questioning one another looking to find out who is behind the blackmail. All of them have secrets in their past and they all cannot risk them getting out. I found this book so easy to read it had chapters alternating between now and the college years. Every chapter had me wanting more and left me with questions I wanted answering and the way it was written just made you want to keep reading.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author cor an advance copy of this book in exchange for an open and honest review. This book was a real page turner and I cannot wait to get hold of Stephanie DeCarolis’ other book the guilty husband as if it’s as good as deadly little lies I think I’m in for a treat! 🙂

Imagine this as ‘in my dreams I hold a knife’ meets ‘pretty little liars’!! I was enthralled from the beginning, needing to know what this big secret was! I loved how the author really grasped the complexity of going to college where no one knows you and wanting to start new. I loved the anonymity of who ‘Jenny’ was. The ending was surprising and I loved how it played out. My only critique is that it felt that some parts were slow/repetitive. Overall, I highly suggest this one for a quick, fun read!