I really enjoyed A Lovely Lie. I liked the characters and the plot of the story. It was a fast read that kept me guessing from the beginning. I liked reading the different characters' points of view as well as getting the flashbacks from the past. I am a big fan of Jaime Lynn Hendricks's novels and would definitely recommend this book.

Imagine just living your life thinking you’ve kept your past in the past…then in a blink of an eye your world is flipped upside down and you are catapulted back to that night….

A lovely lie turns into several lies. You are left wondering who you can trust, who is telling the truth and if you can trust a stranger.

What a fun and twisted read this was! I was hooked! Such a mystery as to what really happened that night of the senior picnic! There were some shocking twists that I didn’t see coming, and I would love nothing more to lay it all out, but I won’t spoil it.
Alternating timelines are what really made this a page turner for me. From past to present and back to the past. This is one book you won’t be able to put down so grab it asap when it comes out!

A lovely lie

I’m not sure how she does it but Jaime Lynn Hendricks keeps me on my TOES! This book is so twisty and chock full of secrets, I read the entire thing in one sitting. It’s been a while since I’ve finished a book in one day without the assistance of audio but this one downright demanded it!

With multiple points of view, flashbacks to 1999, and a few unlikeable characters, 𝘼 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀𝙇𝙔 𝙇𝙄𝙀 is perfect to binge with friends because I promise, you’re going to want to talk it through! Thankfully, I had the pleasure of reading with a few friends and we all had our jaws on the floor. Gather up your book buddies, preorder this book, and schedule a reading date because this is one you’ll be sad to miss!

Over the past few years, Jaime Lynn Hendricks has been one of my go-to authors for thrillers and suspense. Her latest novel, A Lovely Lie, is perfect for fans of Mean Girls, Heathers, and Jawbreaker.

This story reads mostly as a domestic suspense. It's about a woman, Scarlett, who is covering up a lie about a possible murder that she and her best friend were involved in when they were teenagers. She didn't give much thought to the situation until the friend's daughter sought her out to inquire about it and said she'd be doing more research soon. That leads to fights, family drama, and some flashback scenes. Scarlett's marriage is already rocky and the emergence of her former best friend's daughter leads to more questions and marital strife.

Overall it was an interesting novel that kept me turning the pages. I could guess at some parts of it, but I was definitely surprised by everything else. I liked seeing different perspectives, which led to more clues about what actually happened on the night of the accident. I already look forward to Jaime's next novel!

Movie casting suggestions:
Scarlett: Gillian Jacobs
Vince: Alan Ritchson
Zoey: Alisha Newton
Chris: Matt Lanter
Lucas: Jack Champion

When I say I DEVOURED this book, I mean I sat down and didn't get up until I was done!

Based on the summary, I was really expecting kind of a standard thriller and I've never been more wrong! This book kept me on the edge of my seat with little twists and turns throughout!

There were a couple tiny twists I guessed but most of them shocked me in the BEST way! This was my first book by this author and it certainly won't be my last! Absolutely 5 stars and one I'll be thinking about for a long time!

4.5 ⭐️

⁣
A book full of unlikeable characters I loved hating … and a ton of twists that gave me whiplash ( in a good way) … this one moved at lightening speed and was hard to put down

This was such a wild ride full of twists and turns! Hendricks has such a great writing style and I knew I had to read this after loving I DIDN’T DO IT. This has a fun cast of characters, all full of their own secrets and wants. There was so much jealousy throughout this and I loved seeing certain characters get what was coming for them. The 90s setting was very nostalgic and the teens were portrayed so realistically. This will have you guessing until the last page!

I freaking loved this book! So much drama and so many lies. I really never knew what to believe. Jaw dropping twists all the way through. Fantastic book!

ARC was received via NetGalley and Thriller Booklovers Promo group. All opinions are my own.

This book started off great and didn't stop! It had shocking twists all the way through. It was so fun to read all the different perspectives and what all the lies unfold. I could not put this one down!

3.5/5

This started off slow, and I could see where the story was going pretty early on. But as I got to know the characters better, I became more interested in their lives and secrets. The writing was good, with vivid descriptions and realistic dialogue. But the story took a while to get going, and I wish it had picked up the pace sooner. Once things started moving, though, it got more exciting.

Overall, while it wasn't my favorite book, I'm still curious to read more from Hendricks in the future. My rating is mostly based on the second half of the book, which was more engaging than the beginning.

CONFUSION DOES NOT EQUAL SUSPENSE. Of course, readers are shocked and awed while reading - there are 10 people, 4 lies, 3 reveals, 2 twists, and a partridge in a pear tree in every scene. You can't help but be surprised because you have no idea what's going on.

Okay - I'm being dramatic, but seriously, this book defines "10 lbs of s*** in a 5lb bag".

A Lovely Lie had my head spinning while trying to keep the storyline straight. The book has too many main characters, most of whom readers get a POV. In addition to jumping between narrators, the story follows three different timelines. Everyone is hiding a secret in both the past and present. But their elaborate web of relationships and lies culminate in a somewhat satisfying conclusion, so for that 👏🏻. I didn't predict the final twist, but was the minefield of tangents, time hopping, and enmeshments worth the trouble?

Eh. I'm not disappointed I read it, but I don't think it will be on my list to recommend. In my opinion, the author was trying too hard to compete in the unofficial election for "The Queen of Twists." The base storyline was excellent - it didn't need all the extra weird surprises piled on top.

A lovely lie is a book full of dark and dirty secrets. I won't say too much but this is a book you need to RUN to get when it releases on May 28th 2024

I promise you this will be a book on a list of Best Books of Summer for 2024
So so so so good and well written with twists and turns I never see coming.

A Lovely Lie by Jaime Lynn Hendricks is for anyone who loves an unreliable narrator and multiple twists. Jaime does such a great job in getting the reader completely invested with both timelines and I had a hard time putting this one down. It was interesting to find that while I didn’t really like these characters, I was completely on board with spending this whole book reading about their drama (not me totally enjoying the troubles they had). Another winner from Hendricks!

I loved this! Jaime Lynn Hendricks is a fantastic story teller. It’s entertaining and fast paced. I’ll never miss one from her!

This is my third book by Jaime and I have loved every single one! Not only is Jaime a sweet person, she is a talented author and I will read everything she writes! Her books have a great cast of characters, who are multi layered and relatable and not at all overwhelming. She makes it easy to differentiate the characters from the beginning so it’s easy to keep them all straight! I loved the way this book had the dual timelines, going back to a fateful night of Scarlett and Pepper’s senior year of high school and then flash forward 2 decades. The books starts with an accident and sucks you right in from the first chapter. You know something isn’t right, but you have no idea how completely messed up everything actually is! I loved the look at female friendships and relationships in high school and as an adult. Getting to see everything through Scarlett’s POV was great, but when the story flips and you get another POV, then another! It really opens it all up!! And just when the twists are out and you think you finally have everything figured out, you don’t!! There’s more! There’s always more with Jaime!! The ending was perfection for me. Mostly. I won’t give anything away! This book is a must read for all thriller lovers!!

I absolutely loved every twisty moment, the multiple POV, and dual timelines. Every time I thought I figured it out, in normal Hendrick’s fashion you are thrown for loop after loop. You are definitely not going to want to missing this one because it is on fire!

A Lovely Lie is an exciting, page-turning psychological thriller. After a celebratory senior picnic, a tragic accident occurs, resulting in the death of two students. Pepper and Scarlett were both there at the scene; however, when the police question them the next day, both deny any knowledge of the incident. Then, Pepper disappears. Twenty-tw0 years later, Scarlett is working at a local hotel when a young women accosts her and identifies herself as Zoey Wilson, Pepper's daughter. Moreover, Pepper is dead and Zoey wants answers.

A Lovely Lie is well-written, fast-paced, and filled with all sorts of twists. I enjoyed the multiple POVs and dual timelines. The characters are all well-developed, with some being extremely unlikable (not a bad thing in this case). This story has a ton of layers and plenty of surprises/reveals. I was totally at the edge of my seat while reading this book. I will highly recommend to anyone looking for a gripping thriller.

This was a good read! It’s written well. Starts off strong, draws your attention! I loved all the twists and turns!

I always love a book with two timelines and this one was no exception. Scarlett and Pepper are friends from high school having what one could claim was a typical night in high school. At a party, underage drinking and unfortunately both were involved in an accident. They were not truthful to the police to what exactly happened but they were determined to walk away from the consequences.

Fast forward 20 years, and we find out Scarlett and Pepper haven’t spoken since that fateful night. In fact, Scarlett married Pepper’s ex boyfriend living her life with her son and husband. One day, Pepper’s daughter Zoey shows up on Scarlett’s doorstep trying to understand who her father is. Zoey informs Scarlett she’s found a letter from long ago that left more questions than answers. In the wake of her mother’s death she now wants to use her investigative skills to find out more about who her mother was and who her real father is. Scarlett is desperate to stop Zoey from digging up details from that night as she doesn’t want any of her secrets revealed! Zoey of course will stop at nothing to get answers.

This is my second book by this author and I am loving her books! I devoured this one in one afternoon as it kept me wanting to flip “just one more” page! I loved the tension between Zoey and Scarlett as I wondered just how far each would go. Just when I thought I had figured their relationship out, Jaime threw in a few twists and definitely had me fooled! I really enjoyed all of the characters long standing relationships since high school and how they really had a lot of history together. The betrayal runs deep in this book and I absolutely positively loved all of it. Trust me, nothing is as it seems and I was shocked until the end! I will continue to read Jamie’s books and am excited to see what she comes up with next!