Heat Factor: Yeah, so, we barely even know they like each other at the end of this one
Character Chemistry: I don’t know how Therin managed it, but I wanted them to touch SO BADLY even though 1) it’s dangerous and 2) they mostly snip at each other
Plot: Empaths are a persecuted group, feared for their abilities even though they have to be pacifists (and vegans) by virtue of their extreme empathy, except that there’s a triple homicide that looks suspiciously like Reece’s nightmares, and the man rumored to keep empaths in check suddenly arrives in town.
Overall: It is not actually a romance (yet), but it is SO FREAKING GOOD

The stakes of this book are immediately SUPER high, which is engaging, and keeps the pages turning from the beginning. Reece is minding his business in a diner and gets a call from a mysterious Southerner (he’s a Texan, actually) who knows more than he should about…everything. And he tells Reece to go find his sister at the homicide she’s working because she has no leads…at least no leads without the help of an empath. Before Reece has had a chance to put his phone back in his pocket, we see the waitress irrationally freaking out now that she’s realized that there’s an empath in the diner. In only a few paragraphs, I already had a clear picture of the world we were in, I could buy into the high stakes, and I was dying to know what happened next.

Together, we move through multiple different perspectives (mostly Reece’s though) as many different characters with wildly different fears and motivations try to get to the bottom of an almost unexplainable triple homicide over the course of hours.

There are so many moving parts in this book, and everyone in the book manages to stick to their own agendas. SO MANY TIMES I wanted to scream at the characters for making the wrong choice, but I couldn’t deny that they were staying true to their characterizations. Why should Reece trust the mysterious “empath hunter” who repeatedly reminds him that The Dead Man is not to be trusted? Why should Evan’s sister trust anyone else with her brother’s safety—or mistrust any of her trusted colleagues, for that matter? Why should the FBI agent believe that a solo operator with no checks to his power is actually trustworthy? Why should anyone who actually understands how empaths work believe that empaths can be harmful? But why would people who are terrified of empaths believe that they might not be the bogeymen they’re made out to be? The seemingly all-powerful—and emotionally blank—Evan Grayson is never a POV character, but he is also complex and consistent, alone and driven to be both enforcer and protector where empaths are concerned. But how is anyone who’s only ever heard rumors of him to believe even that?

Okay, but this is a romance blog. I really loved Allie Therin’s debut trilogy, but I usually don’t love trilogies because a love story honestly does not need 700-800 pages to be told. There’s usually unnecessary drama (or not enough drama) for the relationship in the later books, or the external plot takes over and the romance doesn’t matter in the later books. That said, I think I am excited about this one (but I will reserve full judgment until the trilogy’s over). Here’s why: there is a huge amount of world-building here, this story took place over the course of just hours, and the relationship has only just started, which makes a lot of sense when Reece honestly can’t trust Evan without betraying himself until Evan has proved himself by his actions over the course of their time together. It’s not until things really come to a head that Evan can see Reece for who he truly is, and Reece likewise can see that, while every terrible thing Evan has told him is true, Evan is still, er, shall we say romance hero material?

I desperately wanted Reece and Evan to come together, which I think is a great feat on Therin’s part. Reece won’t touch anyone without consent because of his empathic abilities, but on top of that, it’s not clear what would happen to Reece if Evan were to touch him, because Evan is emotionally unreadable. Just hearing Evan’s voice for the first time made Reece vomit. They cannot touch, and that only made me want it more. This was aided by Evan’s constant consideration of and care for Reece as an empath, which we actually get a clue to in their very first conversation during that mysterious phone call in the first pages of the book. Even though we never have Evan’s perspective, it’s very clear that he’s a deeply caring (but deeply lonely) person. And we are mostly in Reece’s perspective, so we also see that it’s very clear that he needs someone he can be himself and let go with. So anyway, I’m very optimistic about this relationship, even with its significant hurdles (I mean, not being able to touch is a big challenge).

And you know what else, now that I think of it? Reece is a whole unwashed mess, and Evan is described as unbelievably hot and superbly coiffed many times, but because Reece inherently cannot be attracted to looks, and because Evan is otherwise fearsome, we really don’t get all that much focus on Evan’s looks being a feature or selling point for him. I could go on, I suppose, as I continue to recall elements, but for now suffice it to say: I loved this book and I’m salty that I don’t know the pub date for book 2 yet.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

I’ve been waiting to talk about Liar City for weeks!!!!! Allie Therin writes wonderful queer urban fantasy, and I would love for more people to start reading her books. I have enjoyed her historical fantasy series and was intrigued to see what she would do with a contemporary alternate universe. Folks, I loved it.

Liar City opens with a mysterious phone call at 4 am in a Tuesday morning. Nothing good happens at 4 am on Tuesday morning, and Reece isn’t the kind of person who is going to look for the bright side. What we learn in the first few pages is, Reece is one of two empaths in Seattle and empaths are distrusted and feared by the public. His sister is a police officer and currently at a crime scene – a murder. His caller is Evan Grayson, a power unto himself and known as The Dead Man. The stakes and the angst are high. Reece’s sanity, freedom, and life are stake. Everyone Reece cares about is in danger.

This is the first of a three book series and the romantic relationship isn’t articulated in this book. Reece and Evan bicker for almost the entire book, with Evan frequently threatening to arrest Reece, while also doing his best to protect him. Their banter has claws and sometimes they draw blood while they ratchet up the sexual tension.

There are some genuinely frightening and heartbreaking moments.

CW: murders – off page, but some gruesome details shared, violence, mental torture threatened and implied

I received this as an advance reader copy from Carina and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

Holding off reviewing this one was tough! I’ve wanted nothing more than to flail about this book since I finished it. Well, now I can.

For full disclosure, I received a free eARC from the author, but this has had no impact on my review.
I’ve been a fan of Allie Therin since her first book and at this point, I’m willing to follow wherever she leads. Of course I was going to read this, and of course I was going to enjoy it. I wasn’t prepared for how much.

Although, what’s not to like about a snarky empath so determined to ensure everyone does the right thing and a powerful super soldier with a protective streak? I adored both the pair—especially Reece, who is far too sarcastic for his own good. Allie is very, very good at creating characters just like him, though he’s also quite different from her other ‘Sunshine’ types. She’s also excellent at creating their ‘Grumpy’ foils, and Evan is perfect in that role.

The world building—an alternate Seattle—is exquisite, and avoids the big pitfall that often ruins contemporary set books for me by having completely made-up pop culture references. The way it influenced Reece and his interactions with other characters came across perfectly.

The side characters—Jamey, in particular—were perfect. Honestly, give Jamey a whole book. I’d read that in a heartbeat.

In some ways, this is quite a departure from Allie’s previous books. It’s urban fantasy rather than historical, and the romance is much more of a slow burn, occurring over the series. It’s a mystery with a romantic subplot, rather than a straight-up romance. That was absolutely fine for me. I like my romances with a strong B plot.

But in so many other ways, it supplies the heart and emotion I’ve come to expect from Allie’s books. I started reading it and, once I got past a certain point, I found it very hard to stop – even though it was past midnight on a work night! I tore through the last few chapters, determined to get to the end, and I was inevitably disappointed when there was no more.

On that note? More please? Now!

4 stars

Liar City took me a bit to get into but once I did I sacrificed all sleep to stay up and finish it. A warning for people going in: it's very plot heavy, there are many outside POVs including minor characters, and the romance is only just beginning to slow burn by the end.

I very much enjoyed the ride of investigating the murders and empaths but, and this is my one main criticism, the outside POVs were a bit too revealing. There wasn't as much surprise or tension as there could have been and it gave it a bit too much of an Omniscient Murder Mystery for Dummies vibe which is why I knocked off a star.

I liked Evan Grayson and Reece, the main characters, a lot. Reece was a delightful sarcastic cinnamon roll and Grayson's caretaking of him was great. It's absolutely only the start of something between them but I am looking forward to the next book to see how things develop.

tl;dr, come for the murder, stay for the world building, and get a little bit of slow burn caretake-y build up along the way.

It's official: Allie Therin has me enthralled. I will admit that I am biased. One only has to mention the word "empath" in a fictional setting and I am there, half ready to throw money at the author and pick up the book. But only half.

Liar City has precisely zero issues bringing me the rest of the way.

The reader is thrown into a world where certain individuals have the true gift of empathy; they can read people's emotions. The masses, with their uncritical thinking and fear of all things unfamiliar, of course see this as a threat (and to their credit, it could be seen that way). They want empaths muzzled, hidden away, and robbed of the rights that everyone else feels are inviolate.

Then we meet Reece. Sweet, sensitive Reece, who possesses precisely zero chill, social filter, or tolerance for unsafe drivers. An empath, one holding it together by a thread, and a deeply faceted and sometimes flawed person who is dragged into a murder investigation to help his sister, Jamey. Except maybe that's not the whole reason.

Therin delivers a compelling, intricately woven look into two unlikely allies, their merits and flaws, the ways they interact under pressure, and how that interaction changes them, pushes them to the limits, and brings them back again. While I will admit there were a few chapters that, perhaps, went a bit longer than necessary, I loved this story so much that it more than made up for it.

Thank you to NetGalley, publisher, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

such a great, new fun SciFi concept based somewhat in reality. story is layered, delivered in fast paced chapters regardless of the narrative character. book is super hard to put down. great world building in the best ways, having it down in the background or through casual conversation. each of the main characters have their unique voices, lots of humor, sarcasm, and intelligence. the story had tons of surprises and mysteries layered throughout.
seattle is very accurately described as well.
some of my favorite new characters and i really really hope this becomes a series please!!!

This was really captivatingly complex. Therin has created a nuanced world with many rules and unyielding beliefs, all of which are inevitably made to be broken and disputed.

Here’s the bare basics. Empaths are fairly new anomalies in this alternate world of ours. With mere skin to skin contact they can know every feeling and thus, infer every motive, thought, or secret about a person. Such a powerful ability is thankfully limited to actual touch. Or is it?

A high profile, very vocal senator who’s seeking to limit empath rights is found murdered, and what unravels is a grand cover up of several truths that many will go to obvious murderous lengths to never let them see the light of day. At the center of this scandal is empath Reece and his detective sister Jamey, both who are trying to figure out who the killer is as they’re forced to partner with dangerous, secret agent “specialist” Grayson. When it becomes clear that the senator’s death was at the hands of an empath (who are presumably absolutely incapable of harming others), what they all discover will shockingly shift their paradigm.

Again, this was so very complex. The worldbuilding was interesting and just barely scratched the surface. Things are nebulous, and like real life, there’s valid arguments for both sides involving basic human rights, privacy, and the ongoing hypothetical debate of the morality of leashing a subset of the population due to their scary powers that could potentially not be benevolent. Is it right to convict before a crime has even taken place? Are protocols to prevent harm justified despite certain powers having yet to manifest?

This made me think. It simulated the brain cells. Reece was frustratingly quite annoying in his unfaltering ability to put everyone else first. He’s also terribly acerbically funny (with some TSTL doozies) as he struggles to cope with the world’s unkindness and his apparently changing abilities that scare him shitless. Grayson was the complete opposite. Calm, collected, a purported heart made of stone, he was a compelling enigma with a very secret agenda and past. These two are barely friends by the end of the book, and it remains to be seen if this series evolves into a romance, if that’s at all possible.

Overall, I’m wholly impressed with what Therin has created here. This is an author I’m going to definitely explore further and be on the lookout for more!

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review</i>

Thank you, Allie Therin, Carina Press, and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.

A book to be savored like a fine wine. Generous hints of the X-files with accents of the Good Doctor while having a flavor all its own. Loved the sarcasm and the interplay of the characters. Been a long time since I’ve found a book this hard to put down.

Really hope this becomes a series because this is the kind of book that is so good it leaves you wanting to continue with these characters.

*Received a copy for review.*
An alternate Seattle where empaths are potentially dangerous if corrupted.
Reece is an empath and his sister,Jamey, is a police officer. She is determined to protect him at all costs. When people who believe empaths should be locked up start turning up dead, they have a big problem. Especially when the Dead man shows up. He’s the only one who is unaffected by empaths and he works for an unknown shadowy government agency and has phenomenal power over all law enforcement.
Interesting start to a new series. It did drag a bit in places.

Reece is a particularly sensitive empath. Going about his life while never touching another person except his sister Jamey. But something dark might be happening to him. They call Grayson the Dead Man. He is an enigma. Seems to have unlimited resources when it comes to dealing with empaths and a whole lot of power. People are afraid of him.

I liked Reece’s personality. His empathy some times crippled him but his persistence and attitude were fierce. Grayson seemed, at times like an automaton. Mysterious, unbending, yet his caring of Reece made him more human. Jamey was just a bright light in the book. She was my favorite character.

Knowing nothing about an empathetic personality, I thought the author approached it very well. The main characters were strongly written and for the most part likable. No romance here to speak of. The action was well done also. Copious amounts of blood and snark. An overall nicely written, enjoyable book.

5 / 5 ⭐️‘s

“Liar City” by Allie Therin @allietherin

"You don't have to cuff me. I'll stay put."
"You haven't stayed put even once today. You think I'm gonna take chances now?"

Admittedly, I was drawn to this book by the cover. I knew immediately seeing the Space Needle on it that it would be set in Seattle and PNW area.

I was hooked right off the bat with the Sci-Fi & Fantasy elements of the story and each chapter left me wanting more.

The sexual tension between Reece and The Dead Man is palpable and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book!

(Pub Date: 02/28/23)
Thank you to @allietherin & @netgalley for the eARC!

I was provided this ARC by Netgalley, but will be with holding my review until HarpeCollins agrees to a fair contract and pays their workers a better living wage.

4.5/5 ⭐
0.0/5 🌶️

This was such a fascinating read. I absolutely loved the world that Allie built. It took me a minute to get into it, but once I did I was immersed and didn't want to leave. It's touted as a MM romance but all we got was some clear angst between Reece and Grayson, I'm really hoping we get some spice in the sequel because I am so ready for it.

I adore Reece to pieces. As a paranormal empath he is about as selfless as a person can get, constantly putting himself in danger to ensure others are never in pain. He's a little sheltered and a lot anxious, which leads to some absolutely hilarious dialogue from him, especially his press mishaps. I love the banter between him and Grayson, they are about as opposite as you can get with Grayson being very alpha, strong and assertive with little care towards how he makes others feel. Their back and forth had me laughing out loud.

It's hard to say a lot about the story without spoilers, but I will say I enjoyed it immensely. As things start to unravel and we get more answers, you can tell the care in which Allie set up the first half of the book. I really loved the side characters, bad guys and good alike. I especially loved Jamey and Liam, Nolan, Diesel and Stone. There's a lot of mystery and what the heck is happening right nows, it had me hooked. I am so excited for book two and finding out what's next for these characters.

Ever since reading Allie Therins Magic in Manhattan series last year I’d inhale everything she writes.
So when I saw that there will be a new series I immediately ran to get that book.
.
Reece is not able to talk without sass. And it gets him in lots of trouble. He’s an empath and a short bisexual disaster king.
When a senator who’s openly anti-empathy gets murdered he and a notorious empath hunter called “The dead man” have to work together to solve the case.
But as more bodies keep piling up Reece has to hide that he can do a little more than just normal empathy…and figure out why The dead man is rescuing him over and over again and taking care of him whenever he can.
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You guys this booook! It’s absolutely gripping!!! I’m normally a pretty good detective, but I had zero clue what was going on here 99% of the time. The banter, the sarcasm, the sass. I loved everything about it!
The ending had me smiling like a total lunatic.
It became an instant favourite and I can’t wait to read the next book because this is the slowest of slow burns!!!
Best book I’ve read so far this year!

This book was okay. The story felt way too long with not a lot happening. I feel like it was about 100 pages too long. The writing was clunky and the main character’s most defining feature was his sarcasm. It became quite obnoxious after a while. The entire book had this “secret” that made it frustrating rather than mysterious, which unfortunately, is what I’m assuming the author was attempting. The additional MC also had this “secret past” that made everyone fear him, but the author gave zero context as to why. Everyone knew him and everyone feared him and he did basically whatever he wanted. Everyone also did whatever he told them to without question which bothers me when that’s the entire plot of the book. Needless to say, I didn’t find the book super enjoyable because I didn’t feel strong connection to the story or the characters.

Team B

Whoa, whoa, whoa, Liar City is my favorite read of the year so far. It’s the book I didn’t know I needed to read, and I am thanking all the stars I did! What did I love so much about it: the characters, the fantastic world building, the engrossing mystery, the chilling machinations, and the slow burn romance.

“‘Do you practice being an enigma? Look at me, the mysterious Dead Man; I speak in riddles and have weird elevator manners, fear me, empaths?’
‘Do you practice your sarcasm, making sure no one can take you anywhere unless they enjoy inappropriate sound bites?’”

I’m still chuckling over the zings between Reece and Grayson aka The Dead Man. Reece is disarmingly and forthrightly honest. He’s also great at sticking his foot in his mouth, or both feet, and I loved every moment. The best way I can think to describe him is if a cinnamon roll, marshmallow, and jalapeño had a child, that would be him, gooey and sweet with a bite. Oh and Grayson, gah, my heart, it’s all his, no take-backs. Complicated doesn’t even begin to describe him and I. AM. IN. LOVE. He’s drenched in mystery, has an amazing dry delivery and sense of humor, and I know we’ve only skimmed the surface of who he really is. I’m hoping later books will be in his viewpoint because I’d love to peek more in his head.

And this world: empaths and humans divided, the truths and shadows that surround them all, a thrilling mystery (read it to find out as I’m not telling *zip*), and the layers that when revealed only make me hungrier for more. Yes, and more, more, more! Excellent writing, clever dialogue, politically clever, plus who doesn’t love zombie humor, this book will have you invested from the beginning. It’ll keep you reading into the wee hours, and it’ll leave you with the hangover to rule all book hangovers. I’m still replaying moments and scenes as I’m dragging myself through the day, and I don’t (and won’t) regret a single part of my decision as I couldn’t put this incredible book down.

An intricate and engaging plot, like the best kind of action movie, with fun and compelling characters that clash and mesh in interesting and entertaining ways, and an interesting take on empath powers and the way their existence shapes the world around them that I'm excited to explore more in future installments.
Super fun book, can’t wait for more!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Liar City by Allie Therin in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book!!! I finished it yesterday and I went to bed thinking about it and woke up this morning still thinking about it. I adored Reece (protagonist) and his sarcasm. He was a very well thought out character that evolved throughout the novel.. Agent Grayson also evolved through the course of the book. There were many villians to cheer against. The plot drove the pace of the novel. Often in a "thriller" short chapters of different characters are used to accelerate the novel, but this was very fast paced with regular chapters, very refreshing. There was so much imagination to the narrative. I really can not say enough good things about the story. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

LIAR CITY, Allie Therin's first contemporary fantasy, is great on a bunch of levels.

Level One: the characters are vivid, layered people.

Level Two: the mystery is fast paced and tightly plotted, with strong guess-along potential.

Level Three: every page invites the reader to absorb a very cool alternate world where empathic magic's emergence has led to social and technological changes with real-world parallels.

I had a hell of a time putting it down. Next one, please.

One note: this is marketed as romance, but it’s more of a thriller. There’s one established couple and one pairing with hints of UST, but everyone’s too busy solving the murders to worry about much else.

Thank you so much Carina Press and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

Unfortunately this one just didn’t work for me. While I was intrigued by the plot and the concept, the characters were far too irritating for me to want to continue reading and I DNF’d at 32%