Raised by their grandmother, Tara, June, and Clementine Williams are taught not to take any guff from good-for-nothin’ men. They also have a brother named Walker, but he grows up to be a good-for-nothin’ man like the ones their Gran always warned them about. He also happens to be the Mayor of their small town. The story opens with Walker’s wife, Stephanie, being interrogated at the police station. One of the men in the Williams sister’s orbit has gone missing.

I loved that this story was told in reverse chronology. We received a little more information in each chapter, rewinding all the way back to the day of the event when it is finally revealed why the sisters are under suspicion. I also really enjoyed that this was a character-driven thriller. Kristen Bird did such a great job endearing the reader to each main character (not the men), while also making us question whether or not they’re guilty of some sort of crime. It was not a twisty fast-paced thriller, but more of a medium-paced family drama (not a bad thing!) set in the South.

As a loss mom of a stillborn baby girl myself, June’s story was heartbreaking to read. I do think the grief and intense emotion that comes with baby loss and infertility was handled well.

Overall, I enjoyed my time reading I Love It When You Lie!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Mira, Kristen Bird, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC!

I admit that I was hooked as soon as I first read the blurb of I Love It When You Lie. Not only did I love the sound of the Appalachian woods setting, but I also liked the sound of the granddaughters following in their grandmother's footsteps to get rid of a 'good-for-nothin' man'... I mean, how I can I not be intrigued by that?! I wasn't sure what exacly to expect when I finally picked up this story, but I guess it ended up being a solid enough read even though I do admit it wasn't really for me.

First of all, I have to say that one of the things that ended up being a highlight for me was the Southern setting. The fact that this story takes place in Alabama truly shines through, and I loved the Southern flavor the writing style gave the story in general. I also think that the multiple POV structure is brilliantly done, with the POV switching between the four Williams women. All three sisters have something to hide, and the sister-in-law's POV is intriguing from the very beginning as well. The fact that they all have that 'good-for-nothin' man' in their lives adds to the suspense, because you are kept wondering which of them will end up going missing...

There is no doubt that I Love It When You Lie has a healthy dose of morally grey characters, and lots and lots of secrets and lies to unpack. The characters themselves are flawed, but (mostly) realistically done and it does make it easier to feel some sort of connection to them. Some of their dialogues/situations ended up being strangely hilarious considering the amount of serious topics and events during the plot... That said, I do feel that there was way too much cheating going on. I'm never a fan of this element in my stories, and it felt a bit overkill to have so many of the men behave in that way. I also felt that there was too much focus on religion, but again this is a personal pet peeve and I know most people won't be bothered by it.

I do feel that I Love It When You Lie is not really a psychological thriller despite what the blurb seems to promise. Instead of the focus on the missing man and whatever Gran did, this story reads mainly like a family drama instead of an actual thriller. Nothing wrong with that, but not what I expected and I'm never a fan of domestic dramas in the first place. This is probably why this story probably just wasn't a right fit for me; the high ratings so far show that most people do end up having a great time reading this book.

I Love It When You Lie by Kristen Bird

Just days before her 80th birthday, Pearl Williams has the gall to up and die on everyone. Now her granddaughters must make plans for a proper send-off…all while their own lives unravel a little more each day. But Gran might not be the only one they’ll put in a grave this weekend. Because someone has gone missing in the dark Appalachian woods.

Tara, the pastor’s wife, makes a series of decisions that could scatter his flock. Then there’s June, who would do anything to have a baby of her own, even if her husband won’t. Clementine, the youngest, is entangled in an affair with her professor, desperate to ignore who he really is. Finally, there’s Stephanie, the sister-in-law—an outsider- who knows all the family dirt.

And if Gran has taught them anything, it’s how to get rid of a good-for-nothin’ man.

Great title and cover, it caught my eye immediately. This is told from multiple points of view, not so much of a suspense but an entertaining story that keeps your turning the pages!

March 14

This one was different. I enjoyed getting the perspectives of all the sisters and the struggles of their lives. I found the way that all their lives were connected to be interesting. But there was a disconnect with the book. There were points where I felt confused and had to go back and reread different parts. This book also didn't come across as very much of a thriller until 80% in.

4 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.


The three Williams sisters are tightly knit. Tara is the oldest, and almost like a mom to the youngest, Clementine. In the middle is June. They also have a brother, Walker, and his wife Stephanie. But this story isn’t about him. Stephanie has given up trying to be one of the sisters. She’s not from Willow Gap, and maybe she’s far too ambitious.

Until the unthinkable occurs and Stephanie is brought into the fold, finally. So this is partly her story as well. It all starts with the death of the sisters’ beloved grandmother. The women had been planning a party to celebrate her birthday, but instead, they have a wake and funeral to prepare. Each of these women have secrets. Big secrets. Maybe they can bury them with their grandmother.

Secrets will always come back to bite you, you know where. All four of these women have them. The way this story is told, from each woman’s point of view, really brings into focus how much each of them struggles with their fates and choices. It’s a little bit dark, but I wanted to root for each of them to succeed. Tara with her daughter Lottie. June with her baby wish. Clem with her awful, older, married man. Stephanie with her need for power. While their deeds can be dastardly, they are also kind of fun. And the setting of all the poop hitting the fan at the same time, with the death of Granny, makes this an almost comical, if not so dark, affair.

It was good. An entertaining view into a tiny town and the secrets they keep.

What a book! Honestly, if life hadn’t been so busy the last couple of days, I would have finished this book in less than 24 hrs.

I loved the different POVs of the sisters, and one little twist thrown in there had me flabbergasted. All the sisters were damaged in their own ways, and I loved getting to see all of their stories unfold. Lots of girl power in this book and I AM HERE FOR IT. This book will be released March 14th, so be on the lookout!

Man this was such a fun one, there was something really unique about the way it all unfolded. The Williams family is together to bury their beloved Gran but she isn’t the only body being buried that weekend. You don’t know who else has died until the very end and this really kept the suspense building for me. There are several viewpoints as you hear from the three Williams sisters as well as their sister in law and all I know is you shouldn’t mess with a Southern woman! These characters were witty and their southern saying cracked me up, mix that with unethical and morally gray characters and I was all in.

The premise sounded intriguing- sisters in the south, gathered for the grandmother's funeral, but there's one more body to bury. Unfortunately, the execution fell short of the promise. The sister-in-law/sheriff scenes were both boring and absurd, the "missing person" never named only to string the reader along in a way that felt manipulative. Also, midway through there is a major coincidence (on which the plot hinges) which strains credibility. Some individual elements, in particular June's storyline of how badly she wants a baby, were handled nicely.

Oh my gosh, I loved this book! One of my favorites this year. It was suspense with heart. The story centers around a family during their grandmother’s death. Each sister felt so realistic and unique, their personalities jumped off the pages. I loved all of them, even when they were doing bad things. Bird’s writing is engaging and drew me in immediately, I can’t wait until March when I can make all my friends read this!

I’ve been on a real thriller kick lately and couldn’t wait to read I Love it When you Lie! I all have to say is WOW - I’m actually shook. This book is not only suspenseful but had moments that truly shocked me! This is a family that you never want to get on their bad side. If anything, you either don’t want to know them at all or you need to be on with the women circle within this family. From Gran, Tara, June or Clementine, these women are strong, smart and believe in the power of blood is thicker than water!
This story was way out there and also so weirdly relatable on some levels. And I mean only some strongly. The points of view of all of the women, even the extended women of the family. If you’re married in, you can easily become a part of the circle. And that’s probably a better spot to be, better than standing on the outside.
Twists, turns, curveballs and all the crazy wrapped up in an amazing story of family strength. But I will say, the ending was a shock of a cliffhanger. So, I’m gonna need more. STAT!
Absolutely enjoyed this ride. But I'm also happy to be off the ride for a minute, I need to catch my breath!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA & NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc

Don’t mess with the Williams sisters. Everyone know that in the small town of Willow Gap Alabama.

I loved this book. Set in the foothills of Appalachia, one of my favorite settings. Three sisters and a sister in law all dealing with men who have done them wrong one way or another. They all are gathered for their Grans funeral and secrets bubble to the surface.

These women are so much fun. They are southern women who get the work done and look out for their families.I love a good southern story and this hit the spot. I read this authors first book and liked it but this was to me way better. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for her next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion. 4⭐️

I'm pretty sure the deceased grandma was my favorite character. Some of the storylines were less interesting to me (sorry, June) but overall it was an entertaining read with a whole slew of strong female characters.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun, suspenseful, and entertaining read about a southern family of women. This story ticks multiple boxes for me as crime, mystery, suspense, family and domestic drama. There are so many things going on with all of the secrets one would expect in a large family. The story even ends on an ambiguous note that I felt I needed one more chapter to find out the result! This has just enough of everything that I was sucked in and could not put it down. You know you have stumbled upon a great book when you swear aloud out of concern for a character!

There are 4 narrators, each one a a William;s woman: Tara, June, Clementine, and Stephanie. Each has their own unique voice, life crisis, secret, concern and view of how the world should turn. All of them are strong and complicated, matriarchal and true Southern women. The characters are very well developed and their stories twine so well that you feel immersed in the family. In fact, there are so many things ongoing that it would be easy to lose track of where you are but you dont thanks to the prose of the author.

I am so excited to discover Kristen Bird and plan to buy this once published. I also plan to see what else she has written. Highly Recommend!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Kristen Bird, and Harlequin Trade Publishers-- Mira for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I grew up in an extremely small town in the middle of the Piney Woods of southeast Texas, and it was, as you could imagine, extremely Southern, religious, and country. I felt out of place for pretty much my entire life there and still do when I return; however, I have found myself really drawn to and enjoying Southern fiction this past year, even though I don't resonate with that side of my past. Kristen Bird's second novel is a delightful foray into the subgenre, and I enjoyed reading about the Williams women more than I even expected to. I saw so much of my growing up reflected in the setting and in the flawed cast of characters that I was able to relate to. Bird has incredibly descriptive writing, and I felt like I was in the hills of Appalachia throughout the beautiful descriptions of Gran's farm. I loved how the story unfolded through each of the three sisters' perspectives, alongside their sister-in-law's perspective told after the events occurred. I would say this novel reads more as a familial drama with a side of mystery rather than a straight-up mystery novel, but I don't think that's a bad thing. The characters all read very authentically, and I enjoyed the different personalities each sister brought to the table. The mystery aspect fully kept me guessing for most of the novel, and I had a lot of fun seeing how it unfolded. Even when I didn't always like the sisters, I still found myself rooting for them, sympathizing with them, and would love to even see more of them in the future. My biggest complaint is that because this novel covers SO much ground in the characters and each of their individual plots, it felt a bit surface level for some of the characters at times. I didn't feel like we fully got to dive into some of the secondary characters, like Lottie or Gran, or really even any of the men either. I would have liked for it to be a bit longer of a story to fully cover everyone and develop characters more or for maybe the focus to not have been as wide spread. Overall, I had a blast reading I Love It When You Lie, and I already look forward to seeing what Kristen writes next!

The Williams sisters have several secrets. When Gran passes right before her 80th birthday and brings the entire family together, those secrets begin to crack. When someone goes missing, the sheriff is determined to find out what happened and how the Williams sisters were involved.

This book kept me on my toes! From the start, we know that someone is missing, we just don’t know who. To be honest, there are many different options of who this missing person could be, and I had a few choices I would have been happy with it being! I loved that this one was told from the different perspectives of each of the sisters, and that while it had some similarities, overall I found the story to be very unique. Plus I always love when women put shitty men in their place! Those southern ladies might say “bless your heart,” but what they really mean, is don’t fuck with me!

Completely different and unique. Told from multiple POVs. Don’t mess with the Strong women of the south.
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One of the first things that catch you off guard with this book is the way that it’s written. It’s almost like it’s written backward.

We have an interrogation. We have bits and pieces of backstory floating in. We have four or more points of view that we are reading.

Was it frustrating not knowing what was going on? Yes, it was. We are only given small hints and clues along the way that compels us to keep on going.

We knew there was a crime we just didn’t know how, who, what, when, etc. But the story isn’t so much about the crime and the mystery behind it, it’s more about the people. The women of the family; the women that will do what they need to when they need to. And sometimes those are not good actions.

I Love It When You Lie is unique and tells of deeply buried family secrets. Bird has us with such a buy-in that you almost feel like you want to cheer on some very bad choices. This family is a bit wicked and endearing at the same time!

What was suppose to be the weekend of a surprise 80th birthday turned into a viewing and a funeral for the beloved grandmother of Walker, Tara, June and Clementine. As a founding family of the small town of Willow Gap, Alabama, there is no love lost between the family and the towns sheriff. Many years ago Gran’s philandering husband ended up dead on her back porch, but with no evidence she was never convicted of a crime. The sheriff has been gunning for the family ever since. Gran took in her four grandchildren and raised them after a tragic accident and she was more to them than just a grandmother. As the weekend progresses we see that all have secrets and the death of Gran seems to be bringing everything to a head. Gran isn’t the only one that’s being buried that weekend. After all each of the women have reason to get rid of the man in their lives, the only question is who is the unlucky one? Bird’s debut is about misdeeds, family, and justice. The story jumps off the pages with a devious plot and a strong cast of characters, it’s one you won’t want to miss! Thank you to Mira and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This was a fantastic book! I loved the plot, the characters, everything about it! This book kept me on my toes and made me want more! 5 stars, a great read, read this book now!!

This was different. Multiple points of view and it all came together so well.

Pearl Williams is a legend. And the sheriff has been trying to pin something on her for a very long time. When he couldn’t he went after her granddaughters. Looking for anything that would put Pearl behind bars.

Pearl is a no-nonsense woman who solves her own problems and doesn’t take guff from anyone! With the family set to celebrate her eightieth birthday, once again, Pearl gets the last word by up and dying! Now the girls must plan a funeral while everything is going to heck in a handbasket!

You have Tara, a pastor’s wife, making decisions that could end her husband's career. June, is a nurse married to a doctor who only wants a baby and just can’t carry one. Lucky for June she works in a maternity ward. Then we have Clementine, the baby, who is having an affair with her professor all the while knowing he is scum. Stephanie makes up the fourth. Sister-in-law to the sisters and married to the brother. Still an outsider but also the keeper of dirty secrets. She is kind of a wild card in the story.

But, exactly how many people are we burying today? Well, one of the men who have come is now missing. Hm…maybe they learned what to do with troublesome men from Gran!

This was such a good story! Crazy and wild and a lot of WHAT?

NetGalley/ March 14, 2023, Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA

The Williams clan has gathered for a solemn event. The funeral of their grandmother. Hang on though, she wasn’t the only one to be buried that weekend!

To make matters worse, there’s been bad-blood between the family and the local Sheriff. He seems to have it out for the Williams' women. And now that they’re all gathered together and 'someone' is missing, he’s hell-bent on making one of them pay!

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🌟

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing