This was a thriller!! There was no shortage of twists, and the suspense was continuous. There was always something wild happening, and I loved every second of it. I was fully devoted to this book from start to finish. I thought I had it all figured out, but I was happy to learn I wasn't. There were so many layers to this one, that one shocking revelation just wasn't enough. There were many. This one will mess with your mind, but in the best way. I highly recommend going in blind, but if you're interested in the synopsis I will include it below.

If you love a book full of drama, secrets, and lies then this book is for you!!

@jaimelynnhendricksauthor killed it with this book! I loved everything about it! I especially loved the multiple POV and jumping back and forth between then and now. Soooo good!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ All the Stars for this one!

Thank you to @thrillerbookloverspromotions and @jaimelynnhendricksauthor for an advanced copy and the opportunity to promote this awesome book!

Pub: May 28, 2024

“Is it better to believe a lovely lie or know the horrible truth?”

QOTD: predictive text time!
My lovely lie is _________
My lovely lie is that I am a little bit more than a little bit of a fool 😂😂

✨

My name is Arianna and I am a happy victim of the compulsively readable thriller, A Lovely Lie. This book kept me captive for an entire day as I threw aside my to-do list to spend time in Flordia with Scarlett, Pepper and Zoe. Zero regrets, 10/10 experience.

A Lovely Lie is another winner by one of my favourite authors, @jaimelynnhendricksauthor . It may only be February, but I can safely say that A Lovely Lie is on my top 10 thriller list for the year. It’s that good!

The dual timelines are so well done and by setting the past in 1990s, Jaime Lynn Hendricks takes full advantage of the plot potentials of life before social media and the internet took over the world.

She’s the queen of creating loveably hateable characters and her female characters are always standouts. She’s not afraid to create messy, manipulative and evil women and she does this with a fresh perspective. No spoilers here, but I can say that each of the women in A Lovely Lie fascinated me in different ways.

A Lovely Lie delivers the perfect combo of twists and drama and packages it up into a bingable book you won’t be able to put down!

Make sure to add it to your TBR. You can also preorder it from your fave bookstore. I’m definitely adding a physical copy to my collection. In the meantime, I highly recommend digging into Jaime Lynn Hendricks’ backlist, starting with Finding Tessa. You won’t regret it!

Thank you so much to @thrillerbookloverspromotions @jaimelynnhendricksauthor and @scarletsuspense for including me on this book tour 🖤

Thank you to ThrillerBookLovers Promotions, Scarlet, #partner, for an advanced e- copy of A Lovely Lie in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book I’ve read by Jaime Lynn Hendricks and I am a fan! You better believe I will be adding her other two books to my tbr immediately!

I flew through this book…it is so addictive and twisty! From the very first page, I was hooked and that never let up. Told from multiple points of view and alternating between the present and the past, this book kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat the entire time. I also loved the inclusion of the police interrogations because it added another layer to an already complex story line and had me questioning who and what I could believe.

I love a story where I am not sure how I feel about all the characters and I love it even more when my feelings change throughout the book and that definitely happened here. Characters I was lukewarm about to begin with I ended up growing to like towards the end, and the reverse happened with a few, too. And of course, I’m always a sucker for books about lies and that is the foundation of this story and it all spins horribly out of control from there. So many lies are told over the course of this book…it’s hard to keep track.

This is one book you do not want to miss. It’s totally binge-worthy and filled with such great twists and turns, many of which I did not see coming. Jaime Lynn Hendricks has definitely become a must-read author for me!

Is it better to believe a lovely lie or know the horrible truth?

This was a really well-done mystery/thriller. I enjoyed the characters, the plot twists, and the overall atmosphere of this book.

Anything that can make me like an irrevocably loatheable character? Solid win.

A Lovely Lie is insane because I thought I had it figured out. I felt I knew who the bad guy was (literally all of them when I first started reading). I loathed almost every character, and that's difficult for me to want to continue? Disliking every character was a constant until about 40% of the way through!!

But that ending? Fantastic really. Not even for the reveal - just for the level of visceral disgust created in me by this author's imagination. *Chef's kiss* - That might sound crazy to enjoy being disgusted, but I just was?! I enjoyed how gross she left the characters who stayed together, and while I was obviously happy for the 'good guys,.' You can't tell me some small part of you doesn't also relish knowing there are people actually that crazy IRL? It somewhat makes me feel better about anything I've ever done - because nothing will top horrendous behavior from people like this!

**Thank you to Penzler Publishers, Scarlet & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

Scarlett and Pepper were teenage besties who were involved in a tragic accident the night of their high school graduation. They get their stories straight for the police, then Pepper leaves town soon after and never comes back. Scarlett makes a life for herself by marrying and having a baby with Pepper’s high school boyfriend (!!). When a mysterious young woman named Zoey breezes into town 22 years later, Scarlett’s carefully constructed house of cards threatens to collapse.

Jaime Lynn Hendricks is a queen of the juicy popcorn thriller and she’s back with another five-star wild ride! Thank goodness I had no plans for the weekend, because once I picked this one up, there was no way I could stop reading! JLH’s writing style is so snappy and kept me hooked the entire time. This book is action PACKED with tons of secrets, lies, and shocking twists. It’s got multiple POVs, dual timelines, and lots of characters you will love to hate! A totally bingeable read!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Penzler Publishers, and Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Title: A Lovely Lie
Author: Jaime Lynn Hendricks
Genre: Thriller; Suspense
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Rating: 4.5 Stars

Thank you to Jaime, Scarlet Imprint, & Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for an advance copy of A Lovely Lie.

On the night of their senior picnic, best friends Scarlett and Pepper are involved in a car accident that leaves two other seniors dead. Soon after Pepper moved away and Scarlett lost contact. Putting that night behind her, she goes forward with her life, gets married, has a son, and works at a prestigious hotel in Florida. Twenty two years later, a girl named Zoey walks into the hotel and introduces herself as Pepper’s daughter and tells Scarlett that Pepper has died and has a mysterious letter addressed to Scarlett. At 21 years old, Zoey is searching for answers as to why this letter mentions Pepper’s initial desire to get an abortion and inability to follow through. Zoey is determined to get to the bottom of her mother’s cryptic letter, but finding the answers could leave a trail of destruction and impact more lives than she knows.

This was my first book of Jaime’s but it absolutely won’t be my last. I was hooked from about the first page.

Jaime did a great job at giving me characters that come across as wildly unlikable, yet I still was invested in their successes (or downfalls) and by the end had given me a pretty solid redemption arc for one or two. I feel like the redemption arc in thrillers is rare and hard to achieve successfully so big kudos on that. I also like books that flashback to a time where the characters are on the cusp of adulthood but still hold an immature outlook on the world and their own vulnerabilities. It’s always cool to see how an adult character is written in comparison to their young adult version to gauge growth (or lack thereof).

The story was intriguing. Instead of returning to a hometown, these people just built a new life in their hometown ignoring everything that happened in the past, despite them all being connected in some way - it was a nice break from the ‘return to hometown’ trope. There were so many moving parts and so many deep secrets…I truly felt for some of these characters in finding out they kept things from people who were still actively in their lives for so long and how painful that must’ve been!

The twists & surprises pretty much start about 10% in and don’t stop until the final page. And, a rarity in thrillers, but we truly get a happily ever after!

“Is it better to believe a lovely lie or know the horrible truth?” Great question! A Lovely Lie was a twisty and bingy thriller that covered just about everything that appeals to me ⬇️

🚘 Dual time lines
🚘 Unlikable characters
🚘 Multiple POV’s
🚘 All the drama, secrets, lies and betrayals
🚘 Investigative interview transcripts

Overall this was a really fun read that kept me on my toes while I revelled in other people’s dirty laundry 🤣. I was a fan of the character relationships and not gonna lie, I loved hating on them all 🤷‍♀️. If you’re looking for a fast paced and thoroughly entertaining read, this is it. 3.75⭐️

Thank you to Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for the copy!

What started as a young woman trying to find her dad, turned into betrayal and lies. Zoey has recently found a box of her dead mother’s things. In it clues Zoey into believing her father is nearby but that there was a mysterious accident her mother was involved in. Being a journalism major, Zoey heads to her mom’s hometown to investigate.

Scarlet is living a quiet life with her not-so-impressive husband. She has a job she likes, a son she adores and a husband she is hoping to divorce soon. Along comes Zoey asking questions which upends Scarlet’s life.

If something is always true for thrillers, it’s that the past never stays in the past. This always brings in the mystery and answers and this story holds to that well. Many questions made me curious and kept me going, but I also loved the characters. We had good backstories for each and also some POV so I felt I understood their motives well. Seeing the mystery and story unfold from multiple sides added so much!

This was a fun one, it had a twist or two that shocked me and had me laughing out loud. It’s full of secrets, love, lies and murder. I definitely recommend this one!

The book releases May 28, 2024.

4.5 ✨

Hendricks is just good. Good at weaving tales with people who are shady and unreliable, sometimes at the same time. This one was such a tangle of lies coming at you from pretty much every character that you didn’t know who to believe.

I loved watching the story unfold, the lies unfurling so that the reality hit everyone right where they would feel it most. Pepper was a first class narcissist and psycho but I loved her POV, delusional as it was…

Thanks to #thrillerbookloverspromotions for putting this on my radar!

A Lovely Lie, by Jamie Lynn Hendricks was a deep twisty thriller. Perfect for those who love more than one POV, a nostalgia for the 90’s. Pepper and Scarlett were inseparable in high school. Pepper the bouncy cheerleader and Scarlett the “friend”. After highschool, all ties were cut by Pepper after a fateful night and tragic event, one that was never spoken again, until 22 years later, Pepper’s DAUGHTER pays an unexpected visit. This is one ☝🏻 to watch this spring!

Pub date - May 28, 2024.
#thrillerbookslover #bookpromotion #alovelylie #bookreviewers #bookblogs #jamielynnhendricks
5 ⭐️

Rating: 5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•
Remember when I said my toxic trait was not being able to DNF? Well friends, I have another one for you, my biggest toxic trait is buying books and then letting them sit on my shelves. Im embarrassed to admit this but this was my first JLH. Why why why did I wait so long to read a JLH book?! WHY HAVE I BEEN MISSING OUT FOR YEARS?! (*As I grab all of her books off my shelf to binge immediately*)
•
“You have no idea about the backstabbing that goes on when people pretend to be friends.”
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Fair warning: A Lovely Lie will give you a severe book hangover. That prologue *chefs kiss* talk about drama city. Told in a multi POV and dual timeline this book had me hooked from the start. I hated 75% of the characters, yet I couldn’t help but get wrapped up in the drama, lies, deception and manipulation. Seriously, these characters are diabolical, but you can’t help but want to know what happened that night at the senior picnic. I was glued to the screen as I read this one way past my bedtime.
•
The epistolary format, via police interviews after the picnic and past conversations, gives you the right amount of detail to hint at but keep you guessing about the epic conclusion of this book. I had my theories (one of which was right - yay go me!), but JLH finds ways to constantly have you shifting your opinion with perfectly placed twists leaving you shocked to your core. The ending was superb, absolutely everything I could have asked for. I loved every second I spent with these characters as I read through their past and their present. This is a fast paced thrilling read and one I will definitely be thinking about for a while!
•
All the stars for A Lovely Lie!!! Releasing on 5/28 - be sure to add this to your must read list!!! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Jaime Lynn Hendricks and Pendleton Publishers for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book really kept me on my toes with so many surprises throughout the book. The short chapters made it a breeze to read. I loved the multiple POVs and switching between the past and present. What an ending! I need to read more from this author! Thank you Thriller Book Lovers Promotions, Jaime Lynn Hendricks and Scarlet Suspense for my copy.

The night of their senior picnic, best friends Scarlett and Pepper are involved in an accident that killed two of their classmates. They lie about their night to the police and vow to keep the secret forever. Twenty something years later, Pepper’s daughter shows up at Scarlett’s work looking to find out who her father is….and stirring up everything from the past they’ve tried to put behind them.

Told from multiple POV’s and then and now timeline, this was a fast paced read with lots of highschool drama. Even as the characters are now adults. Who all is lying? What really happened that night? I couldn’t put it down until I knew!! Highly recommend this book!

A LOVELY LIE 📖💭
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A celebratory senior picnic goes wrong, resulting in the death of two students where secrets were buried for 22 years and meant to stay.

@jaimelynnhendricksauthor is pretty awesome. Whenever I'm in the mood for a juicy popcorn thriller with all the suspense, I always know where to turn. I love getting lost in the DRAMA that she creates for readers.

This book—A spiders dream web. We hop between multiple narrators and dual timelines. Hendricks made it easy to differentiate each character fairly early on so there is no confusion, which is something I appreciate in a story, especially right from the jump.

🥴👏🏻 Pepper, Pepper, Pepper! Girlfriend is the definition of a narcissist, I couldn't help but love her pov! As a whole, the characters were intricately flawed yet realistic. Loads of betrayals and lies with selfish and manipulative mc's taking turns, stirring the pot. JLH's special secret sauce. Bottle it up for me!

Thank you @netgalley and @penzlerpub for sending over this E-arc. Out on 5/28/24. 📕🎉

🩷🧡𝗔 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗟𝗬 𝗟𝗜𝗘🩷🧡
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚛/𝚜𝚞𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚎
𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙼𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟾, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺 (save the date)
𝙼𝚢 𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝…1999 two bffs are involved in an accident where two classmates are left dead. These friends part ways & never speak of this again, but something comes stirring it back up decades later & things get cray!

🩷🧡🩷🧡🩷🧡🩷🧡🩷🧡

💭𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜...So flippin bingeable! I loved how this was set when I graduated high school & it was all about these kids high school graduation too. 🎓The flashbacks, the drama, the mystery and omg, the secrets…it was all so well done! It starts with a bang & the twists continue on and then the ending is all wrapped up in the nicest bow. 👌 I can guarantee you won’t guess all of these twists too! So.much.fun!! This was the 5th book with the word “Lie” in the title I have read in 2024 & all of them have been 5 stars! Crazy! I can’t wait to go back & read some backlist on this author. Thinking Finding Tessa is gonna be the one I choose, but yall hit me up If have suggestions too.

🩷🧡Thanks to @thrillerbookloverspromotions @scarletsuspense & @jaimelynnhendricksauthor for my advanced copy! 🩷🧡

This one hooked me in from the start!

Best friends Scarlett and Pepper are involved in a deadly accident and lie about their involvement. Pepper leaves town and Scarlett moves on with her life, getting married and having a son. 22 years later Pepper's daughter finds a letter from Pepper to Scarlett and stirs up all kinds of questions about their past and their involvement in the accident.

This was a fast paced story and had many twists keeping me on my toes the whole time I read.

Jaime Lynn Hendricks does it again! A Lovely Lie goes back and forth between the past and present. In high school, a terrible accident leaves two teenagers dead. But who caused the accident? What exactly happened that night? I was so invested in this book and what was going to happen next. Loved it!

A Lovely Lie
4⭐️

No one knew that best friends Scarlett and Pepper were in the car the night of the accident that left two classmates dead. As far as the class of 1999 knew, Chloe had been driving drunk following their senior picnic and had tragically hit Julian, killing them both. Only Scarlett and Pepper know what happened that night and stuck to their story through all the police interviews. Shortly after the accident, Pepper took off for NYC and Scarlett never saw her again.

That is until twenty-two years later when Pepper's daughter, Zoey, shows up at Scarlett's job at a hotel in Florida stating that Pepper had died. Zoey was looking for answers both about the accident and who her father was. And the night that Scarlett had buried years ago comes back to haunt her.

There were so many unexpected twists in this that I more or less finished it in one sitting. This was action packed all the way up until the end. This had two major tropes that I love--unreliable narrator(s) and a group of friends reuniting years after a crime and both were done so well! It's impressive to hate a character before they ever physically show on the page but this book managed to pull that off.

I liked the police interviews and flashbacks to the time around the accident. The flashbacks seemed to be a more omniscient point of view so I would spend the chapter breaks trying to figure out what was true and what Scarlett had convinced herself was true for so many years. I also liked how this showed the pattern of relationships with narcissists. After so many years of living in Peppers shadow (1/11 birthday to 2/22 birthday so Pepper was always first) it made total since to me that Scarlett went on to marry Pepper's high school boyfriend and stayed with him after at least one affair.

I really enjoy the way Jamie Lynn Hendricks does twists and reveals!

Thank you Netgalley and Penzler Publishers for providing this ARC to me!