I should have known better, but Lies my mother told me was exactly what you'd expect from Melissa Rivers and her late mother Joan. The premise is that Joan told tall tales to Melissa throughout her life, and it's basically a recounting of these tales. I didn't find them very funny and sometimes they were on the mean side. I guess this was Joan's sense of humor but it doesn't do much for me. Melissa tried to tie it together at the end but it was too late for me. Sorry.

What a disappointment! I love celebrity memoir audiobooks so I was very excited about this one. Based on the description, I was expecting humorous and fun stories about the iconic Joan Rivers as told through the eyes of her daughter. Not only were the stories not funny, they were boring and sometimes odd! There was little cohesion as well. It was just not for me.

I was a fan of Joan Rivers, although I admit I liked her in small doses. I respected that she was a comedienne in a time when it was hard for women to succeed in that industry and I admired that she could/did reinvent her career over the years.
I was disappointed in this book.
First, this is not a book I could listen to for long stretches...Melissa's narration would not allow for that. To me, she sounded absolutely bored reading this.
Second, I came away feeling as though this was Melissa grasping at straws trying to make a whole book.
I was tired of the stories at about 50% in and stopped at that time and have no desire to pick it back up.
I bet you if Joan had written this book, I would have enjoyed it more as it would be her material and delivery.

This audiobook was AWFUL! Joan Rivers was an icon, hilarious and a joy to listen to. How can a book full of stories by her not be at least a little funny!? The answer - have Melissa Rivers write and read it.

Aside from the fact that her delivery was poor, the amount of cursing was ridiculous. I’m all for a properly placed swear word. When done right, it can really enhance a punchline. In this, it seemed like Melissa was just trying to prove that she doesn’t give a f@$k and was perhaps drunk and feeling belligerent towards everyone when she wrote the book.

Bottom line, this book stunk! Maybe it would be better if read rather than listened to, but I’ll not be wasting my time to find out.

This is made more delightful and entertaining by the fact Melissa Rivers narrates the work herself, making it a performance. I think that is the best way to think of it - like a Rivers stand-up special of edge-pushing zingers. The satire and fictions, I am sure, keep any real memoir or biography from coming through, so enjoy it for what it is and laugh along.

Absolutely hilarious. I don’t know what I can say that hasn’t already been said. My mother and I loved watching Joan, and miss her sassy antics. Thanks Melissa for the great throwbacks of your mothers one-liners and outrageous storylines.

Thank you to Netgalley for the audio version of this book. This book was written and narrated by Melissa Rivers who is Joan Rivers daughter.. I found this book to be very funny! The way Melissa talks about the stuff Joan told her throughout the years was absolutely hilarious!! I could not get enough of listening to this book. I love hearing when the author reads the memoirs- hearing the way the author wants the reader to hear the tone really sets the book up for clairity. I enjoyed this book a lot.

Unfortunately this book is really boring. It's not funny at all. Even the stories that should be funny are not delivered well at all. You just feel her trying so hard to be funny.....

There's a clip from a comedy central roast where Melissa Rivers acknowledges the fact she's not a comedian. She needs to just sit down and stop trying 🥴🥴🥴🥴

Joan Rivers was a really funny lady. I’m sorry to say that this book is not a funny book. It had none of the timing and finesse that made Joan funny instead of mean and crass.

I was so thrilled to get an advanced copy of the audiobook, since Melissa is telling this from her perspective. I kept listening, and listening and listening...waiting for it to become more entertaining. Sadly, the narration and lackluster comedic timing made these stories fall flat. The short, quick stories felt a bit rushed. I am also not certain that many of these nuggets have already been shared, so it didn't feel as though any never before heard Joan stories were being told. Fans of Joan (and Melissa) will probably still enjoy this book. She was one of a kind.

The truth revealed about "Lies My Mother Never Told Me":

1) I was and always have been a huge Joan Rivers fan. I saw her perform multiple times and I have read all of her books.

Joan Rivers was a gifted comedienne. She was a legend who paved the road to success for female comediennes.

2) Melissa Rivers is not Joan Rivers.

3) This is the fourth book that Melissa has written about her mother.

4) "Lies My Mother Never Told Me" is a feeble attempt to rehash information that appeared in earlier books.

The book is not funny. The book reveals no new information that had not already been presented in Melissa's other books.

And, finally, the book contains waaaay too many swear words.

Yes, Joan Rivers used plenty of expletives in her performances, but she knew how to deliver them. Melissa Rivers does not.

Is it possible for a family member to write a compelling fourth book about a woman (her mother) who was larger than life? If so, you will not find it here.

I listened to the audiobook that was read by the author. Melissa did a fine job with the narration.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

One star, rounded up. We miss you, Joan!

This book was fast-paced and an enjoyable read. I reached for Lies, My Mother Told Me, hoping to lift my spirits and make me laugh. In that aspect, this book is delivered in a refreshing way.

In my opinion, this reads similar to a podcast. We evaluate lies: white lies, the lies we tell ourselves, and tall tales, for story's sake from Melissa's perspective throughout her life.

We get a glimpse of living a life with a bigger-than-life personality. I couldn't imagine living with this much chaos & drama, but I loved stopping by for a little while.

This book will be loved by Joan & Melissa Rivers fans. A great vacation read.

Thank you RB Media and Net Galley for a free copy of the audiobook "Lies My Mother Told Me" by Melissa Rivers. I laughed out loud throughout this book! I grew up listening to Joan Rivers and her tales and jokes so I was curious about Melissa Rivers', Joan's daughter, take on her life and her relationship with her mother. I was not disappointed. It was a fun retelling of stories throughout Melissa's life and the ridiculous stories her mother told her. I found this humorous and entertaining, but there is course language throughout for those that don't like that type of story. Having Melissa Rivers as the narrator made the book that much more enjoyable!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for an ARC of this audiobook.

This was just a short, fun book. I really enjoyed listening to Melissa Rivers tell funny stories about lessons and things she learned from her mom (even if the stories her mom told her were mostly lies).

In this book Melissa tells stories of growing up, going on family vacations, and we even learned more about her ( Did you know she has a brother named Melvin?). I found myself laughing a lot while listening to this one. I loved Melissa's narration, and she sounds so much like her mom, it is almost like Joan was there telling the stories with her. I will definitely recommend this one and will probably read it again.

5 stars!

You don’t even need to know who Joan Rivers is to enjoy this audiobook. The author, Melissa Rivers, who is Joan’s daughter, does an excellent job narrating her book, retelling stories from her life, and lies her mother has told her over the years, all of which are hilarious, outlandish, yet completely believable.

Would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a comedic celeb memoir and would definitely listen to another audiobook read by Melissa River. A++

(ALC received from NetGalley in exchange for honest review. Thank you!)

I really loved this audio book, read and written by Melissa Rivers, daughter of the iconic Joan Rivers. It contains lots of funny stories and jokes from Joan. I appreciated the short chapters, so I could listen to a bite-size story whenever I had a few minutes. The narration was great and Melissa did a great impression of her mom!

I also posted to goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4688679539