I guess I'm an outlier with this one, so if you liked it don't come at me. But this book reminded me a lot (in dialogue and the way the main character acted) of The Perfect Marriage and if you know anything about me, you'll know that it's not a good thing.

The book opens with Cass and her husband being interviewed by a police officer because Emma, the woman who was stalking Cass and who had an affair with her husband Ethan, is missing. Then we go back in time and find out how Cass found out about the affair (text from Emma with photos) and go through a bunch of hysteria about whether or not Cass should forgive Ethan, then the stalking gets worse and worse.

The synopsis is really misleading, so I'd suggest you ignore it if you want to read this book. This is just a book filled with frenzied, out-of-control domestic drama with Cass throwing things and blurting things out and breaking things because she cannot keep herself under control. Let's not forget that her husband has been carrying on an affair for at least six months, and although she gives lip service to being angry with him for one night and makes him sleep in the guest room, the very next night she is all over him "because I can't resist him", gag. And to make matters worse, when she tells him she needs him to take responsibility for the affair he says he will if she does, blaming his cheating on her because she was so involved with work. I cannot believe a woman wrote this drivel. These are two people desperately in need of counseling, particularly when they keep lying to each other and make things worse and worse.

This book is a complete mess and I figured out right away what had happened to Emma (and I was correct). The ending segment is just so out of left field that I was reeling from the bizarre turn of events. I listened to the audiobook and while I did like the narrator for the (very small number of) chapters narrated by Ethan, Cass's narrator was not good and Alice's narrator was very bland. I felt like Cass's narrator made her seem more unhinged than she was on the page if that was possible.

Like I said, there are others who enjoyed this much more than I did, so check out their reviews because it's not a thriller I can get behind. Frantic women who get blamed for their husband's cheating are at the bottom of my list for books I personally enjoy.

I didn't necessarily love this one, but it was quick and twisty, and as a debut certainly shows promise!
*
I figured out one main twist almost immediately, but the why behind it was unexpected and interesting.
*
My biggest critique is that the first half felt long and repetitive. The prologue gets you hooked--you learn that Cass's husband had an affair, the mistress did something to warrant an investigation, and now she's missing--but after that, it took far too long to get back into the meat of the story. I felt like Cass's emotional state, while understandable, just got repetitive to read about, and her obsession with what people will think about the affair was tiresome.
*
None of the characters were likable (which was definitely expected with a title like this!) but I think they would have benefited from a bit more nuance. By the end, it seemed like the reader should at least have some empathy toward Cass and her situation, but it never got there. I found her constantly talking about how she was a liar to get old, and honestly the way she was revealed to be a liar wasn't all that shocking as I had expected.
*
I think all the characters could have used a bit more development, as things were mentioned that didn't fit with my understanding (Ethan's rage? Cass mentions it but it's never shown), or characters made decisions that I wouldn't have expected, which seemed to indicate they weren't as real as they should have been.
*
All in all, not a bad debut, and I'm certainly interested to see where she goes from here!

What an awesome debut book! This book was such a fast paced page turner, I couldn't read it fast enough. Even though it went where I thought it would, it still had a few twists and surprises. Do you really know your friends and family? I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more books from this Author.
Thank you to Netgalley, Rising Action Publishing Co. and the Author, Marie Still for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the writing overall but found it repetitive at times and the middle dragged for me. I think it was a pretty good debut and I would read this author again!

An exciting debut novel that kept me guessing!!

I was really intrigued by the description of this novel. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review the e-book as well as the audiobook.

Usually if I like the book then I like the audio too. In this case, I definitely preferred the e-book. I just couldn't get into the audiobook. Two of the three narrators were fine but the main one was very difficult to listen to. Their voice was robotic and monotone.

However, I still enjoyed the book. A dramatic and twisty tale of love and betrayal. I didn't care for the characters as much as I would have hoped but I still found myself engrossed in the story.

Overall, a good debut from Marie Still. I've already added their next book to my to be read list for 2024.

This book had me hooked until the 80% mark, and then I lost most of my interest. I didn’t care for the twist at the end, nor did I care for Cass’s actions.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Unexpected twists and turns! This was a great read and would be a perfect poolside read this summer. Some of this was semi-predictable, but the way it unfolds certainly was not.

If you’re looking for a cast of characters with flaws so massive, you basically hate everyone in the book, then get you this book! This is fully expected, coming from a story called We’re All Lying. You have it all: unlikable characters, unreliable narrator, woman scorned seeks revenge, and murder. After reading so many thrillers I was able to catch on quickly, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the ride. Also extra points for being set in Florida! I knew many of the names and places which I loved. #pubsub

We’re All Lying was an interesting domestic suspense story. Cass and Ethan were happily married, until they weren’t. Along comes Emma and this story went haywire.

I enjoyed the intensity of the characters. They were all developed nicely. The unreliable narrator trope was well done. I did figure some of the major plot point fairly quickly but I kept reading to see how they would be revealed.

There were a few questions I still had at the end. I would’ve liked to see Ethan’s other secrets revealed. I will admit Cass and Ethan annoyed me alot in this book. They were hiding so much making the situation worse. Good debut from this author.

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced readers copy.

This was a very busy suspense book. If you like books with lots of secrets and surprises this is the book for you.

This author did a decent job of setting up the point of conflict in the marriage and threw in a couple good plot twists, but unfortunately I figured it out well before the middle of the book. I didn't figure out the motive though so that kept me going.

Unfortunately it was so full of characters that I kept forgetting whose chapter and whose point of view I was reading.

If you like domestic suspense you'll probably enjoy this one.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

Marie is super fun to follow in Instagram - just throwing that out there. I say this because you can catch glimpses of her personality throughout this. Great read, can’t wait for the next one!

Ultimately, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it. There were a few times that I got really aggravated at Cass, and Ethan is a piece of work all the way around, but I felt that the pace was good, and I did enjoy the storyline. Although I did see the identity of the killer coming from a mile away, there was a twist at the end that I did not see coming at all. I always enjoy those little surprises. Hats off to the author.

We’re All Lying by Marie Still

How far would you go to keep what’s yours?

Someone is hunting Cass.

Cass lives an enviable life: a successful career, two great kids, and a handsome husband. Then an email from her husband’s mistress, Emma, brings the façade of perfection crumbling around her, setting off a chain of events where buried secrets come back to haunt her.

A taunting email turns into stalking and escalates into much worse. Ethan and Cass try to move on, then Emma disappears.

No longer considered a victim, Cass finds herself the prime suspect and center of the investigation. Her dark secrets—including ones she didn’t know existed—threaten to destroy everything they’ve worked for.

Sometimes, I’ll look at a book cover and read the synopsis and just know I’m going to love the book and that was the case with We’re All Lying by Marie Still. This was such a good book that now I will be eagerly awaiting whatever the author writes next.

March 14

We're All Lying is a domestic psychological thriller. Cass has what she believes is a great life. A successful career, a handsome husband and two wonderful kids. Until she arrives at work one morning and everything unravels from an email sent by her husband's mistress, and worse pictures included.

Cass lashes out at her husband and tries to keep the kids from finding out. Unable to get herself together at work is taking a toll on the business. Cass finds herself the prime suspect and center of the investigation. Her dark secrets which threaten everything they’ve worked for.

This was a riveting thriller, A fast paced story that keeps escalating until the surprise conclusion. I did guess at who was behind it all, but I never saw the reasoning of the person responsible coming. Wonderful writing and great characters.

Such a great book that you thought would be predictable but the ending was such a surprise. All unlikable characters but you can't put this book down until the last page


Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

How far will a scorned woman go?

Cass finds out from an email that her husband is having and affair and with one of her own employees of all people. At what lengths will she go to prove she’s the victim and the mistress is the real psycho. Will she go to far and loose perspective on what truly matters and cause herself to be found guilt in a murder investigation?

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC and ability to read this book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book although I do think it drug out a bit to much and the true “guilty party” was a bit obvious. However, I didn’t see the big twist at the end which was a plus in my book.

Liars. Liars. Liars. Everywhere you turn.

Ethan and Cass have been married for 19 years. They have children and successful careers. Life seems perfect until Cass receives an email from Ethan's mistress. The email is explicit and unleashes a torrent of anger in Cass. Ethan admits his affair with Emma but Emma is ruthless and wants Ethan for herself. Cass's phone is filled with one ugly text after another then Emma does something that turns Cass's professional life upside down. Emma goes missing and Ethan and Cass are suspects.

We're All Lying is told from different points of view. The characters are unreliable and the storyline is full twists and turns. Each secret revealed makes the book juicer. If you love or even like thrillers this book is for you.

I absolutely loved this masterful thriller! The characters and premise was extraordinarily well-crafted - a lot like a cat and mouse game. I finished this in two settings and it kept me hooked till the end! Will definitely look forward to reading more of the author's work. If you like psychological thrillers, you cannot miss this one! A very enjoyable ride.

A fellow book blogger asked if I ever had a pen pal.

Funny story …

This was my first catfish experience …

And I was the catfish.

Remember, back then I went by Cinderella, I ate mashed potatoes with sprinkles, my brother was delivered via stork, my dad was an astronaut and I had a pet unicorn .

After a few weeks of corresponding my mom asked if I wanted to meet my “I’m never going to meet you kind of penpal” who just happen to be her work friends daughter . Gasp 😱

She called me a fraud

I called her a butt kisser

We’ve been best friends ever since. Hey Dana!

We’re All Lying

I started this fan-freaking-tastic book on my weekend away with my oh-so-patient husband and spent much of my time hiding on the toilet (he would never rush a tummy ache 🤫)

I zipped right through this one and desperately wanted to continue hiding in the bathroom for JUST ONE MORE CHAPTER. This book is dangerously dark and had me instantly captivated . I will be haunted by what I just read for a bit .

Teaser :

How far would you go to keep what’s yours?

Someone is hunting Cass.
Cass lives an enviable life: a successful career, two great kids, and a handsome husband. Then an email from her husband’s mistress, Emma, brings the façade of perfection crumbling around her, setting off a chain of events where buried secrets come back to haunt her.

A taunting email turns into stalking and escalates into much worse. Ethan and Cass try to move on, then Emma disappears.
No longer considered a victim, Cass finds herself the prime suspect and center of the investigation. Her dark secrets—including ones she didn’t know existed—threaten to destroy everything they’ve worked for.

A fast-paced psychological thriller with jaw-dropping twists, the novel examines buried family secrets and how desperation can lead to fatal mistakes when We’re All Lying.

Thank you NetGalley, Rising Action, and Marie Still for the advanced copy of We're All Lying in exchange for my honest review.

The fact that I read this book in one sitting tells you everything you need to know about how well-written and expertly paced it is. I could not go to sleep until I got to the big reveal.

You will meet an entire cast of unlikeable characters in this one, and while I did predict the ending, there was a whole other twist that I absolutely did not see coming. I loved that it was added and thought it was a great way to wrap-up the story.

I will definitely be adding Marie Still to my list of must read authors! We're All Lying will be on bookshelves March 14.