Wow.

An Honest Lie was not at all the story I was expecting when I started reading. From the very first page I was captivated by the world Tarryn Fisher had so brilliantly created. An Honest lie is so detailed, so descriptive, and I had knots in my stomach the entire time reading.

The book begins with Rainy attending a party she does not want to be at. We learn she’s been in a loving relationship with her boyfriend, Grant, for a while. Rainy moved from New York to Tiger Mountain just to be with Grant. She not only has to adapt to Grant’s town, but she is also strongly encouraged to be friends with Grant’s friends.

From the beginning it’s clear that while Rainy is artistic and strong, she’s also insecure and lonely. She’s independent, but she also is too agreeable. She often agrees to go places she doesn’t want to be, yet she yearns for validation from the people at those places. The best way I can describe her when we meet her is she’s in constant conflict within herself and we don’t know why.

As the story develops, we go back and forth between Rainy’s past and the present. We get to learn a lot about Rainy from her past and it’s clear she wants to leave the past behind her. When her new group of friends decide to go to Vegas, Rainy is adamant she does not want to go. Her agreeable personality eventually takes over with Grant and she decides to join her friends on the trip. Once in Vegas, things begin to spiral between her friends and her past. Rainy first peers into her past by choice, her curiosity getting the best of her. Shortly after she is forced to go back to the past and address people and things she hoped to never see again. The brave, defiant child she once was begins to emerge and, in her strength, will soon come healing. Rainy is smart, calculated, and never wants to be unprepared again. I loved watching her learn to trust herself again.

I honestly was not prepared for how good An Honest Lie would be. When I finished the book, my mind stayed fixated on Rainy’s story for the rest of the day. While An Honest Lie is a brilliant work of fiction, it addresses a situation so real and hidden from most of the world. This story will stay with me for a long time and I’m so glad I got to read this masterful writing.

This started off really slow for me, picked up in the middle and then fell flat at the end. Characters seemed a little out there and not relatable. Definitely not my favorite Tarryn Fisher. .

My two favourite things to read are thrillers and books about cults, so a story that combines those two? Sign me up! I loved the back and forth between then and now though, to be honest, I loved the then more than the now (again, just my love of cult stories). The description of Rainey’s life on the compound was thrilling and heartbreaking, and I could visualize every detail. An Honest Lie is a fast paced, character driven story that will leave you on the edge of your seat during the pulse pounding final pages.

If Tarryn Fisher wrote a shopping list I would read it! Absolutely LOVE The Wives. The Wrong Family was a bit slow for me. But An Honest Lie was right back to the pace of her first book, and I could not put it down. Finished it in one day!

Rainy (Lorraine) has recently moved to Tiger Mountain with her boyfriend. He's originally from there and she's warily thrust in to a friend group she doesn't quite fit in. She reluctantly agrees to a girls trip away to Vegas, but we discover that Rainy has a past in the Nevada desert that she would like to keep away from. After a wild night, one of the women goes missing and Rainy gets a text that seems like someone from her past has her.

The ending was a little drawn out for my liking, - I think the last third of the book was set in the same location with the same small group of characters. But all in all it was a stellar read.

I love this author! And this book gives you all the typical Tarryn Fisher thoughts and feels! You get caught into the characters lives, you root for them you get scared for them, you want them to come out on top. The flashbacks between then and now were so descriptive and you could just feel the emotions and the struggles. From start to finish, you are on the tightrope and bouncing between ALL the emotions!

Fisher got me again. I first fell in love with Fishers writing when I read her book Mud Vein… I was excited to find out, An Honest Lie gave me the same excited and Gahh j love this author, kind of feelings as mud vein did. This book has so much. Lies, betrayal.. secrets… plot and characters are.. exactly what you need as a reader. Gah. Highly recommend this book to lovers of thrillers!

Rainy's past comes back to haunt her when she reluctantly goes on a girls' trip to Las Vegas. Fisher does an excellent job at creating suspense through dual time periods, giving more information on the past as the book progresses. At times I felt like there was too much going on and I got a little confused by the many characters and the descriptions of the past. I liked that Rainy is a powerful female character but I questioned some of her decisions, which seemed foolish and not entirely plausible. The ending was action-packed and will appeal to thriller fans.

Tarryn Fisher created this unique mystery thriller that captures strong women characters, abusive relations and a group of mean ladies with more on their mind than gaining her friendship. When Rainy moved in with her boyfriend Grant to Tiger Mountain, she received more than she bargained for. His group of friends for the past twenty years and his introduction of numerous girlfriends to them leaves Rainy feeling skeptical, unable to meet their specifications and feeling left out. They appear to have cruel intentions with their invitations and she senses something is off. This unique women's club plans a girls' weekend in Vegas. She declines, but is informed by her husband he has prepaid for her trip.

Although Rainy's hesitation to go to Vegas, has a different meaning than just hanging out with these conniving Tigerettes. Rainy's disturbing past took place in a Cult in Vegas and what she is running from is still out there waiting for her to resurface. She changed her name and location to get away, but these ladies are trying to peel her layers to get a real look at who "Summer" is.

The setting of Summer's past is more interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat more than the present. With the compound in a rundown prison, haunting in itself knowing who the occupants were before. Most of the scenes played out are disturbing and reveal a deep mind game from their leader. The abuse and hard work the people suffer appear demeaning and fruitless..... but escaping could be deadly...
What a thrilling escapade! You are unsure who to trust and this had me second guessing intentions of even those closest to Rainy/Summer. The nightmare of her teen years will leave you reeling and seething at these people. Expect the unexpected from Tarryn Fisher! This is my first for a cult read leaving my eyes wide open!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved Tarryn’s book The Wives and was excited to get approved by NetGalley for her latest one “An Honest Lie”. Rainy moves from Nevada to California and she goes to Vegas for a girls only weekend. This book is told in 2 timelines - when Rainy was in Nevada in a cult-like setting with her mom and now all grown up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

An Honest Lie by Tarryn Fisher. Released April 26 2022. This is a story told then and now. Then a thirteen year old girl and her mother become desperate and become part of a cult. Near Las Vegas. The now is an adult woman who is pushed to go to Vegas with the desperate housewives friends of her boyfriend. These two stories mingle. To prove what happens in Vegas don’t stay in vegas

Freaking loved it! I’m a sucker for books with cults and An Honest Lie delivered the goods. The suspense was on point, I felt uneasy reading it but couldn’t put it down, and the ending was perfection. Rainy had me rooting for her throughout this crazy ride.
Tarryn Fischer does it again.

This book was ok- I kept getting confused by all the characters, many of whom were extraneous and unnecessary to the plot. I liked the parts about The main characters past way better than the story set in the present. Overall I was underwhelmed. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh man, such a gripping book. This story alternate about Rainy in the present day strong -armed to attend a bachelorette party weekend away with girls she hardly knew and her as a child locked away in a cult. The young Rainy part was sad and frightening, and I was failing to see the connection between the two timeline until the very end. I am not completely sold on how the story tied together to be honest, but I still enjoyed the story a lot. I screamed a lot into my pillow at how wreckless and bizzare present day Rainy was being- why did she think she can take ona serial killer who was stalking them, just because she grew up in a cult?? Neverthelss, good book overall.

Taryn never disappoints!! She continues to be an excellent writer with her work getting better with each book. This one had great character development and so much suspense. Kept me on the edge of my seat with an ending that I didn’t expect. I definitely recommend this book! Thank you so much for the e ARC! I’m very appreciative.

4.5/ 5 stars

Tarryn Fisher is one of my most favorite authors. I have read every book that she has written. An Honest Lie was my most anticipated read of 2022. So I was extremely excited to read this book.

This book is a combination between General Fiction, gritty Women's Fiction and Mystery/Thriller.

Tarryn is known for writing very strong female characters. The narrator of this book, Rainy (3rd person POV) is no exception.

This book is told in a NOW/THEN timeline. But this book is quite different from the author's previous books.

I don't normally love past/present timelines. But in this case it worked very well. Both time periods were equally interesting to me.

In the present 35 year old Rainy is an artist who has moved to Washington state to live with her boyfriend Grant. In the past she is a girl facing enormous obstacles.

Much of the story has to do with a bunch of Grant's friends and their wives (all women). Viola. Tara. Braithe. Ursa. Mac. I was intrigued by Rainy right from the start. However I really disliked most of the other women.

This book was definitely not what I was expecting. But I did enjoy it. Rainy was such a unique character. And I was fascinated by her and her actions.

I could not wait to see how the book would end. There were some interesting turn of events towards the end. And the story definitely got more action-packed. There were a few chilling revelations and I definitely wondered what was going to happen next. But I was just wanting one final big Tarryn twist at the end. But overall it was a good read!

Rainey lived a childhood of nightmares…one that she’s thankfully escaped from. She has her serious boyfriend and a lovely home in Washington. She even has a group of friends! The girls invite her on a weekend Vegas trip, and she feels compelled to go despite her own dark history with the area. As they unwind, some of the girls are acting odd. What’s going on just under Rainey’s nose? And will her past come back to haunt her?

I loved Tarryn Fisher’s last book and had high hopes for this! There’s a large cult element, which is very trendy right now. I know of several other big writers also releasing cult-based thrillers in 2022. I definitely felt dismay, horror, apprehension, and so much more during the flashbacks of Rainey’s childhood. I think where this fell flat for me was the ending and twists. I’m not sure I really understood everything that happened and why. The finale was definitely satisfying, but just all felt like a bit of a reach.

I look forward to reading more from Tarryn Fisher. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for my ARC! All reviews are my own.

OMG....
OMG....
OMG...

What did I just read?!?!?!

I really REALLY don't want to give too much away with this one. But here goes, the best I can.

First, while I LIKE the cover, it really doesn't convey the book at all. I mean there is nothing that implies how unbelievable kick ass Rainy really is. But I get it. At the very beginning, I disliked her a lot. I thought she was this snobby Artist who believed she was above the women her town (they called themselves the Tiger Women or something cute like that) and it was obvious that Rainy didn't fit in. It also seemed obvious that she didn't want to fit in.
It wasn't until the book starting going into her past, (which was like chapter 2 or 3) did my view on Rainy change. I mean I did a complete 180 on her.
Again, as much as I want to really dive into it, I have to wait two months!!!
I will say this, I grew to absolutely admire and respect Rainy. The chapters bounce back between "then" and "now" and actually flows very well. But of course it would, its Tarryn Fisher!!!
Its one hell of a life that Rainy had actually lived....her past, wow that seemed like it was something she would never be able to escape even though she shared it with no one. Until she didn't have a choice...
I can not thank Graydon House and #NetGalley for the ARC. I flew through this one!!

2.5/5 This book starts out centered around a female friend group and dips in and out of one of the woman's past where she briefly lived with a cult as a child. Both plotlines have potential, but I didn't get enough of either to feel fully engaged. I either wanted a friend group story where we learn about everyone and their secrets, or a full blown cult book where we see the innerworkings of the group. We didn't get either- instead the book was a strange mishmash of both. While the book is mostly a drama, the ending goes full on thriller which doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the book. In the end, while the writing isn't bad, this one just didn't work for me plot-wise.

When Rainy unwillingly agrees to a girls trip in Vegas, she's dreading it for reasons her friends can't even begin to imagine. Nevada holds the darkest memories of her life and she's about to relive them...

I loved the dual timelines of Rainy's current life and her childhood as Summer! Tarryn creates a twisted cult community that draws you in page by page. The ending did feel a little disjointed and while everything came full circle, it just felt really unbelievable.

I had a harder time with this one. I’m a huge Fisher fan, but this wasn’t my favorite. The duel timelines didn’t really match for me. It felt like two very different stories that were trying to be meld together.