This was such a fun, bingeable listen. It's certainly a book I recommend listening to--the podcast elements make the audiobook so fun!

The first half is mostly just setup: Lucy goes back to her hometown for her grandmother's birthday, and the podcast chapters outline Ben setting the scene. Once the secrets start being revealed, though, I couldn't stop listening. Amy Tintera takes a fresh perspective on the amnesia trope, and in my opinion does something great with it.

Not a thriller fan? Listen For The Lie is somewhat thriller-lite--not too much murder or gory stuff, just a cold case podcast investigator doing his thing.

I think the hype is well-deserved, and I'm excited to participate in a Celedon LFL drop for this book on Wednesday! If you're in the Poughkeepsie area, check the map for this copy's location!

just W O W.
This reminds me why I enjoy thrillers so much. I kept reading this book and stopping because I didn't want it to end. Genuinely. The main character (Lucy) was FANTASTIC. Following her thoughts was very entertaining. I will be on the lookout for more stories from this author.

Listen For the Lies didn't pull any punches. The characters are raw and flawed. How do you live knowing you don't remember the night your best friend died? How do you live when everyone thinks you did it?

I loved how slowly the past was revealed. I especially enjoyed using the audiobook to listen to the podcast portions of the book.

After seeing many positive reviews online, I snagged this when it was available to "read now." What a fun thriller! The story revolves around Lucy, who may or may not have killed her best friend. She can't remember the night in question, her friends and family aren't much help, there are some questionable folks in the mix, and on top of all of that, a podcaster is in town trying to figure out what really happened. This was funny, which was unexpected and delightful. I've read some of the author's YA books and was happy to see that her storytelling translated well to the adult space.

Many thanks to Celadon Books for both a #gifted ARC and a NetGalley widget to review Listen for the Lie in exchange for my honest opinion. This is a GREAT thriller - I had trouble putting it down!
Main character Lucy is presumed to have killed her best friend Savvy five years ago. But the police never had enough evidence to charge her. Savvy’s death is being investigated for a podcast, at the same time that Lucy returns to her small Texas hometown, for the first time in five years, for her grandmother’s birthday. Her grandmother is a hoot - my favorite character in the story, hands down!
What you should know going in: make sure you have a big chunk of time available to read this because everyone I know who has read it has agreed it can’t be set down! I fell asleep while reading it in bed last night because I was exhausted - and I was so mad at myself when I woke up and wasn’t done yet!
Listen for the Lie is the March Good Morning America book club pick, and it came out on 3/5. You should DEFINITELY check it out! I’ve heard great things about the audiobook, too, as podcast-specific book should be, so if you like listening to thrillers, that sounds like something you should check out.

After seeing many favorable reviews, I impulsively requested Listen for the Lie, something that historically hasn't worked favorably for me. I'm happy to say, this is one of those rare occasions where it was a good choice! This was a fun and creative thriller with great characters and a surprising amount of humor. Thrillers have been very hit and miss for me lately, so this was a great pick that helped reaffirm that I do still like this genre!

What I enjoyed:
- The characters, especially grandma! She's great! She provided some humor, as well as provided some good balance to the book. We needed her character standing in Lucy's corner.
- The humor.
- It was easily bingeable!
- The podcast trope. I know a lot of people feel this trope is overdone, but I felt it was really well done in this book and enhanced the reading experience
- The twists and ultimate reveal

Again, this was an entertaining and easy read that I would recommend to all fans of the thriller genre. I would definitely read future works from this author!

I really enjoyed this twisty mystery and I thought the podcasts sprinkled throughout were such a fun touch. Lucy seems to be an unreliable narrator and I loved how Ben gradually won her trust and his presence helped her figure out what was going on. I also loved that Lucy had someone that truly cared for her and was always in her corner. This is a unique thriller that had more of a psychological edge than suspenseful heart pounding moments and that's what I like in my thrillers. I listened to the audiobook and January LaVoy and Will Damron are fabulous together and their narration is perfection.

This mystery kept me guessing all the way through. It was a quick paced read, with short chapters. I enjoyed the podcast side of it and the humor in it, especially for a thriller. I read this, but would like to also listen to an audio book of it. Thank you NetGalley for this enjoyable ARC.

There is a reason I have been seeing this book so much in media platforms. It is a first-rate page turner full of mystery and suspense.
The plot is a simple "whodunnit" with the main character being accused of killing her best friend. If she didn't do it, then who did?
Although the theme is a popular one, it's the narrative and the character development that attracted me. Lies, deceit, family drama, romance, conflict, and some memory loss make this an intriguing book.
I loved the podcasts chapters. Those chapters made me feel like I was actually part of the audience listening and making a decision on the guilt, or lack thereof, of the main character Lucy. Every single character came off as guilty to me at some point in the book.
I finished this book quickly because I dove in head first and did not want to climb out. Fair warning to those of you wanting to read this book- you will do the same.
Thank you Celadon Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. I truly loved this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for my ARC of Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera. I thoroughly enjoyed this one! The book centers around Lucy heading back to her hometown in Texas as a podcaster begins a true crime series on the murder of Lucy's best friend...however, Lucy has been the presumed murderer for years.

I appreciated and enjoyed the way this book was laid out, with alternating chapters in the present time, five years prior, and the podcast transcripts. I initially thought this layout would be difficult to follow, but the author did a great job in the way the storyline and characters were structured. What I additionally enjoyed about Listen for the Lie, is the combination of mystery/thriller, with sharp comedic moments. While I truly enjoyed this read and the suspense of the story, I also found it to be a bit predictable and missing some twists and turns within the plot. This, along with some lacking character development, is what kept me from rating a full five stars. However, I definitely recommend this one!!

I really loved this GMA book club pick!! Twists and turns that I never saw coming. A mix of then and now history with a bit of a true crime podcast thrown in, you won’t be able to figure it out! This one was awesome!

Starting off with the positive, the performances in the audio version were great. It was like listening to a Podcast within a book and I found that very entertaining. I also enjoyed the author's writing style, which was very clever and modern.

The story itself fell a little flat for me. This probably has more to do with my taste but it felt a little YA-ish. And I'm personally not a fan of that. And for a thriller it lacked someone in good plot twists, a lot of it was very predictable. Also not of fan of the romance parts. I'm more of a plot driven reader. That said, I'm sure these aspects of the novel will appeal to a lot of readers.

Overall it's an entertaining read.

Lucy has tried her hardest to put the past behind her but then a podcast host decides to feature the murder of her best friend. The night that she can't remember at all. Now she has lost her job and is losing her boyfriend because she was branded a murderer even though she was never charged. She heads back to her hometown where it all happened for her grandmother's birthday party. The podcast host also happens to be in town and is relentless about interviewing her. He wants to solve the case and Lucy is torn if that will prove that she is a murderer.

This book was fabulous!! I loved the back-and-forth between what was happening in real life and in the podcast. It kept me intrigued throughout the whole book. I absolutely loved the way everything unraveled. It was such a great story and a more unique angle than some books with similar types of plots.

What I liked: the story telling with a podcast as a tool is clever and works well for a mystery; Lucy's grandma is a likeable and fun character
What I didn't like: almost every character in this book is a person of questionable morals; the people are having affairs, beating their spouses/partners, have no faith in their friends or family members; I didn't find the plot compelling

I think those who love mysteries and don't mind a cast of unpleasant and unlikeable characters would enjoy this.

I really enjoyed this original true crime/podcast murder mystery. It was sarcastic, snarky, and had some terrific one liners that just had me bust out laughing. And that family! They are beyond dysfunctional, but that's what makes them loveable, especially Grandma Beverly!! I recommend this for those who can appreciate a dark comedy thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this eARC.

Lucy is a mess of a human. She has run away from her past and is living in LA with a guy she isn't happy with. Her grandmother asks her to come home for her birthday and she is forced back to her small town where she is known as the girl who killed her best friend. She can't remember the night that she and her friend were attacked after a wedding leaving her with memory loss. She's never been charged with the crime but everyone in town thinks she did it, including her parents and ex-husband. Her grandmother has an ulterior motive for asking her to come back to town, she wants Lucy to meet with the podcaster investigating the crime. Lucy wants no parts of it, and yet wants to be free of the cloud of suspicion over her.

I love a thriller with a podcast at its center. Using various POVs, timelines and media is a sure fire way to keep me turning the pages. There were no particularly likable characters here and lots of small town drama. You have to untangle all of the cheating, lying and domestic violence to figure out whether you believe Lucy as her memories surface or if you believe the people in town, sure she is not to be believed. I was hoping for a different ending but the one we got was alright.

Thanks to Celadon Books for the gifted copy. All opinions above are my own.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, @CeladonBooks, and Amy Tintera for an ARC of this book!**

I can now OFFICIALLY say I've used my passport for the first time this year.

But I DO wish it would have been to somewhere (or honestly anywhere!) besides the dreaded Outlier Island!

Lucy doesn't remember much about that night...except roaming the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy's blood. Savvy's untimely death, however, is a mystery to just about everyone...because despite the ugly circumstances, the evidence wasn't enough to put Lucy away and the crime remains unsolved. Though Lucy had it all back in her small hometown in Texas, with a handsome husband, a fancy life, and her bestie at her side, once Savvy is gone, nothing is the same and Lucy just CAN'T escape the scrutiny.

...Until she does, and begins a new life in L.A. She has a new boyfriend, who knows nothing of her checkered past...but he's about to get a rude awakening. Mega-hottie podcaster Ben Walsh has a true crime podcast better known as Listen for the Lie and (surprise, surprise), he's cast his eye on the unsolved Savannah Harper murder case...and obviously focuses his attention on Suspect Numero Uno, Lucy. After some urging from her grandmother, Lucy returns back to her hometown of Plumpton to Face the Music dead on. But with her memories scattered, and a voice in her head telling her...well, DANGEROUS things...is Lucy back to set the record straight once and for all? Or will the return to the scene of the crime lead Lucy to discover disturbing secrets her own mind forced her to block out...secrets that could seal her fate...or the fate of a certain nosy podcaster...for good?

Up until this point, I have to admit that after a few misses, I'd pretty much sworn off reading any more books referencing or revolving around true crime podcasts. To be frank, they just aren't my cup of tea. I've never been compelled to watch episode after episode of Dateline, much listen to a podcast in the same vein. I prefer my thrills to be fictional, and the forensic/police procedural angles of these stories is usually enough to put me into a sort of coma. I know so many LOVE this format, and more power to ALL of the true crime fans in the world (including some of my favorite thriller authors, I'm sure!) because some of these truth-is-stranger-than fiction stories have inspired some CRAZY good thrillers. So every genre and format has its place, and its audience, and I respect that wholeheartedly.

But in the case of this book...I think the title couldn't have been more apt: LISTENING for the Lie, or rather LISTENING than reading this one, MIGHT have been part of the reason why I found so little enjoyment in it.

So much of the book revolves around the podcast (which is to be expected), but unlike the stellar None of This Is True from Lisa Jewell, the podcast segments in this one weren't moody, weren't atmospheric, or frankly, even that interesting. I had a hard time trudging through the many, many pages of interviews with so many of the town's residents, and their voices too often felt interchangeable. I wanted to get that excited buzz as little tidbits of information were slowly revealed, driving the narrative and leading the reader (and Lucy of course!) closer to the truth...but I honestly felt bored more often than not. There are few big revelations along the way ANYWAY and most of them revolve around people sleeping with other people...so if that's not your idea of 'exciting twists', consider yourself warned.

And then there's our main character, Lucy. The 'snarky, humorous' narrator I was so hoping to love, to be rooting for and simultaneously questioning the whole way through. However, I could tell by about chapter 3 that not only was I not going to be intrigued by Lucy, but I was destined to find her sort of grating and repetitive, sort of like your least favorite professor who rambles on in a way that's designed to be interesting, but makes you sort of internally roll your eyes for the entire class. Lucy's 'humor' mostly revolves around thinking about how she's going to kill people around her...which not only didn't play as comedic to me, but just felt off in terms of her overall personality. The little voice in her head kept saying "Kill...kill" at times, which not only felt bizarre in and of itself, but kept reminding me of a part in the song Alice's Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie (it's a long, rambly song, but IYKYK) where the narrator of the song says "Kill? Kill?" in sort of a ridiculously high pitched voice...and once I heard it in my head...I just could NOT unhear it.

Another way to explain it that came to mind? There's a part in Grease (at least in the movie version) where Rizzo says Sandy is 'too pure to be pink'...and in my mind, THAT was Lucy. I didn't buy her as devious, clever, biting, snarky...charming...or even likable. She was simply sort of a bland character who had memory issues and poor judgment, not to mention she was just generally lacking in the maturity department. Maybe I've been spoiled by characters like Joe Goldberg who are witty AND murderous, but Lucy did not seem at any point in time to be either of those things. I wanted to buy in to her plight, but she seemed more determined to blame everyone around her even when SHE was the one calling the shots and it was hard to believe at times that Lucy WASN'T a teenager in terms of her choices and her ability to deal with the situation at hand. When I say Lucy's grandmother was the most likable character (and frankly the only one I found interesting), I mean it. I didn't care if Lucy ended up in jail...ALL I cared about by the end of this one was getting to AN ANSWER.

And by the way, hope you have your patience cap on because you're going to need it....the biggest of big reveals takes place at 91 PERCENT of the way through the book. There's plenty of meandering that goes on before that, with the aforementioned romantic revelations, and the "why oh why can't I remember?" from Lucy. In an even more disappointing turn, at times this book almost seemed more like a romance veiled in thriller, as of COURSE there are sparks between the devilishly handsome Chris Evans of the podcasting world and our MC...yawn. I could have lived without the subplot and the extra layer of forced dramatic tension as to 'will they/won't they hook up' alongside 'will he/won't he solve the case?'...and to add insult to injury, this book features a semi ambiguous ending...so even in that, you STILL don't know exactly if anything Lucy has said is even true!

Tintera is one of a few authors who has pivoted from YA to the thriller space, and has surely found a home and an audience with this true-crime podcast inspired, romance tinged effort, and perhaps with a different trope and a more intriguing cast, I would have felt as hypnotized and charmed by Lucy as I'd hoped. But as for this time? I think a quick exchange between Ben and Lucy sums up how I felt about this one:

B: "What happened?"
L: "Nothing happened."
B: "What did you remember?:

...

L: "I remembered that I hate true crime podcasts."

Me too, Lucy. Me too.

3 stars

I greatly appreciate the opportunity to read this book! Many thanks to the author and publishing company! I was hooked from the first chapter. I loved the back and forth between the main character, Lucy’s point of view and the podcast’s perspective. The back and forth made the book fly by. I did NOT want to put it down.
The story centers around Lucy, who is the suspect in her best friend is murder. Ethan is the host of a podcast who has come to town to try and find the truth. Boy, this town and list of characters were messed up which you question and doubt everyone. I was surprised by the ending! Overall, it’s a great book and I highly recommend it!!!

I absolutely loved Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera. As a thriller and suspense reader, the genre can get redundant and tiresome. The main character, Lucy, is such a refreshing departure than the typical FMC in most thrillers. Being able to enjoy suspense and twists while also laughing out loud was something I didn't realize I needed as a reader. I can't wait to see what Tintera does next.

I'm not going to rehash the plot of this book because the blurb covers it. Also, I wouldn't want to spoil a second of the reading experience you'll have with this book. Lucy is the star of this show, and her voice in this story is just absolutely unlike anything I have read in recent years. She's funny, she's sarcastic, she's scary -- and so very entertaining. I liked the true crime podcast angle and how it forces her into facing what might have happened to her friend Savvy.

Listen for the Lie is one of the most entertaining mystery / thriller I have read this year. If you are looking for something fast paced and whip smart, you might like Listen for the Lie.