A family full of secrets👀

This one we follow 3 sisters as they head back to their grandma’s funeral. Something happens at this funeral and we flash forward every few chapters to one character at the police station being interview about a missing person.

I will say there are so many characters! The sisters, their husbands, their brother, his wife, the kids, some people from the community 😅 It took awhile to keep everyone straight.

Every character has “something” they are dealing with. It adds more drama to this small town for sure. The secrets are shocking and the ending still has me wanting more!

When the family matriarch passes away, it brings family back together for a funeral and more in this domestic thriller from Kristen Bird.

There's plenty of secrets that need to stay buried in Willow Gap and this story illustrates just how that happens in a tiny little town in the south. The Williams siblings were rescued from a difficult situation by their grandmother Pearl and they are now assembling for her funeral. They all have plenty of secrets of their own, and a family history of knowing just how to (ahem) bury them.

This is really a character-driven story. The story is told from the point of view of multiple, alternating characters. The timeline of the story isn't exactly linear and that bugged me at times, but I found the characters interesting enough to stick with it. There isn't a huge amount of twists and turns here and that worked for this particular story. I liked the focus on the sisters and what they'd been through. That spotlight on them made for a story that was at times humorous and fun in a strange way.

While I thought this thriller was part women's fiction, I did like the characters and the story and writing is solid. It's one of those books where what is going on is revealed gradually, so it's a bit confusing at the start, but hang in there. Overall, I liked it!

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. The storyline was intriguing and the setting appealed to me! I love a good family drama and this one delivered on that front! It took me a bit to figure out all the characters as this one was multi-pov but once I did it was a pretty quick read. Overall recommend checking this one out.

I’ve been excited for this one since @kristenbirdwrites was on @thrillersbythebookclubpod so I was PUMPED when I got an ARC from NetGalley. So thank you @netgalley and @harlequinbooks for sending this my way to enjoy in exchange for an honest review //

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I thought this was a really enjoyable read. I devoured it in like 2 days - I couldn’t put it down, because I needed to know who was doing what 👀 as a midwesterner, I wasn’t sure how I was gonna feel about the southern setting and vibes, but I really found myself liking it!! (esp the descriptions of gatlinburg since I’ve been there a handful of times) the nuance of religion was interesting, the intertwined backstories of all the sisters kept me intrigued, and I liked each of their own unique characterizations (it was a refreshing read after so many ‘rich white girl experiences one problem’ tropes I’ve encountered recently). Plus the acknowledgments really got me 🥹

I’d say this falls more into a mystery category rather than thriller for me but as a thriller lover- this mystery kept me intrigued. I think I wanted a little more backstory in a couple instances and could’ve used a little more…. Something…. I can’t put my finger on it but just something to make it a touch more intense but this was a fun one 💫

Less a suspense-thriller and more a character study of three women in a small town in Alabama, Kristen Bird’s I Love It When You Lie can’t quite seem to decide exactly what it wants to be. Which is a shame because there are glimmers of an intriguing story and character-study in each section of the novel.

The women of the Williams family have always been on the wrong side of the authorities in their small town. But now as they prepare for family to assemble for their grandmother’s burial, each of them holds a secret that could unravel their world. There’s Tara, the pastor’s wife, who doesn’t see why she can’t skim a little off the top of the offering plate to “pay” for her services at bookkeeper for her husband’s congregation. There’s June, who thinks that taking a newborn baby whose biological mother has passed away from the hospital where she serves as a nurse, will only jump-start the adoption process. Then, there’s Clem, who’s in a relationship with her professor/mentor who has a history of romancing his students and then moving easily from one relationship to the next.

Their stories are all wrapped by flash-forwards to another member of the family, sitting in an interrogation room and being interviewed about a potential crime.

As a character study of the Williams family and how each character makes less-than-ideal choices based on the circumstances life has presented to them, the novel works. As a suspense thriller about the sheriff of a small town holding a grudge and possibly finally finding a way to bring the hammer down on the family, the novel falls a bit short. As the story advanced, I found myself more invested in each of the Williams sisters and what led them to their grandmother’s funeral than most of the flash-forwards. The long-teased secret feels a bit too teased and drawn out, with this reader becoming tempted to skim these passages to get back to the stories of each sister.

All in all, there’s enough here for me not to look for future work by Bird, though.

I received a digital ARC of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This Southern family drama and mystery was excellent. Complex and fascinating characters combined with a story with subtle twists, and a great arc for the characters and plot.

I loved every thy about this book. The characters were
Complex. The plot was delicious. And the ending was superb.

I loved the multiple perspectives in I Love It When You Lie, and really enjoyed getting to know each of the characters. The book was fresh, suspenseful, and a super fast read - I could not put it down. Overall, it was not what I was expecting, but I think that is why I enjoyed it so much. I Love It When You Lie was an entertaining read with depth, a well-paced story line, and amazing characters. I would highly recommend!

This was my first Kristen Bird book and I really enjoyed it! 4.5 stars

Being a Williams woman means something. I loved how distinct every character was. When reading it I was able to immediately tell whose POV I was in. The way the story keeps throwing little revelations and twists your way, makes me see this as a successful TV show!

The beginning was a little too vague as to the premise of the story, since the characters were so compelling I was hooked. I look forward to check out more work from Bird in the future!

This was not a twisty thriller. More of a character driven mystery that you can just sit back and watch it play out. It did succeed in keep me engaged throughout. I loved the lives and stories of these women. Their strengths, weaknesses and insecurities. Overall a good solid read!

3.5 rounded up.

I Love it When You Lie by Kristen Bird is a domestic drama with an edge of suspense to the story. I was expecting more thriller in this one but it does land way over on the family drama side instead. The story in I Love it When You Lie is also one that is told by changing the point of view between the characters.

The story surrounds all of the Williams women as Pearl Williams, the grandmother of the family, passes away right before her eightieth birthday. Tara is the wife of a pastor that does things her own way regardless of what the church or anyone else would think. June wants nothing more than having a child but her husband is not as adamant about parenthood as June. Clementine just won’t admit that her relationship isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Then there’s their sister in law Stephanie who is right there with all the families secrets.

Even though I Love it When You Lie by Kristen Bird wasn’t what I was really expecting when I picked this one up it still was a good story that kept my attention. I found myself thinking of this one more as what I refer to as a popcorn read, one that you munch on your snack and wait for the secrets to unfold. The characters were not necessarily likable but certainly got up to some shenanigans that kept the pages turning. After finishing I’d certainly be willing to read more by this author in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC!
I am super grateful for the opportunity to read this.

Rating - 4.5/5 Stars
This novel was told in multiple POVs. They portraited amazing strong women from the South. The timeline is written in such a unique way that leaves the reader with only bits and pieces of the backstory. The small details revealed made me want to keep on reading. I love the family secret aspect of this book because I didn't know who I could truly trust.

This was an interesting read. What starts out as a birthday party for Gran turns out to be her funeral. From the start we know something has happened to one of the men in the family that attends the funeral, but we don’t know who, what or why. We do slowly learn that everyone has a secret. And I do mean everyone. While a mystery, it is also focused on family, especially the women.

This one is a very slow burn. The first half or more of the book is spent getting to know the women of the Williams family. And what they are capable of. I waffled back and forth on whether I liked the women and can tell you I didn’t especially love the men, but I was hooked in knowing what happened at the funeral. I am not a huge fan of slow burn mysteries, but when they get my mind wondering, as this one did, then I have to know what happened.

This is well written with a lot of depth of character. You need to go into this one to care about the characters and know the mystery eventually works itself out.

This will appeal to those that love women’s fiction and like mysteries that don’t get too gory or scary.

I Enjoyed this one. It wasn't knock your socks off but it was a good twisted, fast paced thriller/Suspense.
I would definitely say it is a popcorning read which isn't a bad thing. I feel like this would be a great beach or plane read.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

REVIEW TO FOLLOW.

If you’re looking for a strong family drama, women’s fiction novel I highly recommend reading I Love It When You Lie. Kristen Bird is a new to me author and I was not disappointed.

This story twists and turns. The beginning really had me wondering who was dead. The multiple POVs add to the drama and build up the storyline – giving the reader a glimpse at each character. My only wish – was a more concrete ending. I read this in one sitting and was completely invested.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles. I really enjoy the opportunity!

I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing.

The four Williams siblings were raised by their Gran after their parents died when they were young. When Gran dies, they’re brought together again to her house for the funeral. But June, Tara, and Clementine, along with their sister-in-law Stephanie, find themselves in a different kind of situation - a man has gone missing, and the town Sheriff thinks the Williams sisters are to blame based on their history.

The story rotates through the POVs of the four women, with each of their lives unraveling in some way. I found all of them pretty unlikeable, except maybe Clementine since she seemed like she was more of a victim in her situation, whereas the other siblings were responsible for their own problems. But that was part of the point - the Williams women have always done what they felt necessary, even if it wasn’t exactly legal.

I did like how the story unfolded, with Stephanie in current POV talking to the Sheriff, and then going back to the events of the last few days with the sisters’ POVs. The twist was good, and I liked how the ending came together, even if some things were still left unresolved.

‘I Love It When You Lie’ by Kristen Bird was a little bit mystery/suspense, a little bit family drama, a bit ‘fierce sisterhood’ and sass, a lot witty, and very unique. It’s a slow burn that unfolds leisurely, like a deliciously indulgent summer day, and the morally grey Williams women—and their sister in law—with their layers upon layers of secrets and lies make it a lot of fun. I don’t always love multi-POV books, but for this one it worked: each sister was well-developed with distinctive voices and development. ‘I Love It When You Lie’ gave me Georgia Miller vibes from the show ‘Ginny & Georgia,’ and I loved it. Recommend!

I wanted to love this book. I felt that the writing was very engaging right off the bat. I was a bit confused by the way the timeline unfolded. I liked the character’s individual storylines, especially June and her stolen baby, but it felt like too much in one book. I ultimately gave up around the 54% mark, but I’d be open to reading the author’s other work. I enjoyed her writing; I just don’t think this was the right book for me.