I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
After a car accident where she was with her friend Pepper - two people died and secrets were kept. pepper has always been able to control her boyfriend and her friend Scarlett.
Zoey, Peppers daughter comes to town 22 years later looking for her father. She has no idea what she has stirred up in trying to find her father. The truth of the accident may come out. But when someone listening to the conversation tapes it- the truth may win!

' Trust. Funny word, trust. At this point, the word turns me off. '

Wow! What. A. Ride.

I really enjoyed this book from page one and could not put it down until I was finished!

A Lovely Lie follows a woman named Scarlett. Set in the mid to southern west coast of Florida, she works at a local hotel. One evening while on the verge of clocking out a young woman, sassy, smug and flippant approaches her and introduces herself as Zoey Wilson- daughter to Pepper Wilson.

Pepper was Scarlett’s long time best friend during middle and high school as well as part of a tragic secret that took place at the end of their senior year.

Pepper is now dead and Zoey is here for answers about her mother’s past. If that wasn’t difficult enough, Scarlett is now married to Pepper’s high school boyfriend, Vince. Scarlett wants to leave the past secrets behind her, but Zoey might not let that happen. The past and her secrets are finally catching up to the present.

This is such a fast paced thriller that I was ripping through the pages and couldn't seem to read fast enough. It alternates between the past and the present and the past feeding you breadcrumbs from the past while having you side-eye every character in the present.

I hated every character in the book when I first started reading - no one seems to have any great qualities and everyone has their own selfish agenda. But that is what made it so compelling, there was no taking sides- you just want to get to the truth!

Full of twists and turns and shocking moments! This is my first Jamie Lynn Hendricks novel and I will certainly be checking out her other work- highly recommend!

✔️Dual timelines
✔️Secrets/lies/betrayal
✔️Multiple, first person POV
✔️Unlikeable characters
✔️Page-turner

Run to Amazon and preorder this book! This was so good. Several times I gasped and my husband asked if I was ok. A Lovely Lie is a fun ride with lots of ups and downs. I loved the humor and relating with the main character. I live close to where this takes place and loved all the Florida stuff and locations. A great story with several twists and turns.

While this certainly was a thriller, it wasn't my favorite. I appreciated the alternating points of view, but wasn't totally on board with these characters.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this ARC.

What in the *fgfggfe* did I just read?! I felt as though I was taken back to my teenage self and got tangled up in this messy story of complete and utter madness!
I went back and forth with how I felt about this book. On one hand I could not put it down and the chapters were quick and left you with just enough… w…t… ** to keep reading. On the other hand this book was definitely a popcorn thriller, extremely far fetched, and 20 soap operas tied into one book. It is absolutely geared for that younger fast past thriller audience where you just want all the juicy bits and not a lot of great story depth behind it. (This isn’t a diss , to each their own!)
In high school two classmates, Chloe and Julian, are killed in a drunk driving accident…. Or … are they ? Now it is 20 years later and Scarlett has tried to move on from that night and the secrets her and her best friend, at the time, Pepper, know about it. In many ways this is easy because Scarlett has not heard a word from Pepper in those 20 years. *Enter CHAOS*
Zoey, Pepper’s daughter (who Scarlett didn’t even know existed) comes to town for answers revealing her mother, Pepper, recently passed away. She found an old letter her mother had written, but never sent to Scarlett alluding to secrets about that night and Zoey will find anyone and everyone she can for answers and she in no way does it subtly. Not only that, but she also wants to know the identity of her father. I could go on and on about the many, many different unlikeable characters along the way, the messy tangled relationships, the far fetched stories that unfold, and the constant tension and drama each chapter brings!! If this kind of book is what you are into , look no further and dive right in, but be ready for your head to spin and at times your eyes to roll … ok .. a lot of eye rolling ! I especially had an exaggerated eye roll at the epilogue of this book because it was again really over the top.

Thank you to the Author, Netgalley, and Penzler Publishers for the ARC!

A Lovely Lie is a fast-paced, addictive thriller! I found it be an easy read, although the subject matter was on the heavier side. It was an interesting divergence from I Didn’t Do It, which employed a bit more dry humor, and showcases Hendrick’s narrative range.

The character development was extremely well done, with the perfect balance of likable and unlikeable characters. I enjoyed each of their different personalities and thought the author did a great job managing multiple first-person POVs.

While I predicted the twist, I enjoyed seeing all the different pieces come together. I look forward to reading more thrillers by Hendricks.

Thank you to Netgalley, Penzler Publishers, and Scarlet for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had read the reviews for this book and just had to read it based on someone's review I'm friends with on Goodreads. We usually enjoy the same books. Maybe the hype was too high for me, but I didn't get the wow factor from this book. Don't get me wrong.... It was a very good book. Just not a 5 star holy cow what did I just read book.

The timeline goes between highschool and present day. Scarlett and Pepper were best friends. Pepper was the ringleader with Scarlett following along like a puppy. Whatever Pepper said, Scarlett did. Unfortunately, at the senior fair, there was a car accident that killed 2 of their classmates and Pepper convinced Scarlett to lie to the police about what really happened.

Present day, Scarlett is married and has a wonderful son. Her marriage isn't so wonderful. She has been trying to keep this secret from high school buried for 22 years. Until Zoey, Peppers daughter, shows up. Zoey is 22. Scarlett didn't know she existed. Didn't know Pepper had a baby as they haven't been in touch since that fateful night. Zoey is studying to be an investigative reporter and wants to know what happened and who her father is. This is turns opens the proverbial can of worms.

The writing was excellent. I'm not familiar with this author but will check her out as I enjoyed the writing and prose. The characters were so unlikable except for Scarlett and even she was annoying at times. The ending was good but not what I was expecting.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penzler Publishers for the ARC. I greatly appreciate it and I do recommend this book.

I enjoyed this book! There was a lot of twists and turns. From the beginning I loathed Vince. Everything about him was a red flag. Great thriller!!!
I do not typically like over 2 pov but the author did a great job navigating all 4 POVs so that it was easy to keep up with and flowed perfectly. This was a great thriller! Definitely kept my attention.
Thank you netgalley/ Penzler Publishers for this arc! 💞

Wow, this was such a wild story from start to finish! The author did such a good job at crafting such unlikeable characters (in a good way). There were so many times these characters made me want to scream— they were unbelievable. The tension was palpable, and I could sense the anger and frustration coming off of Scarlett in waves. I enjoyed the format of the story. I love alternating timelines, and liked the incorporation of the police interviews. The writing style was engaging, and there were several twists throughout the book that I did not see coming. Overall, this was a fast-paced and entertaining read and I would highly recommend it. If Jaime Lynn Hendricks writes it, I will read it! I’ve read all of her books and have been impressed with every one. I was thrilled to receive an early copy of this book, but now I have to patiently wait for Hendrick to write her next book.

Read if you enjoy:
✔️Dual timelines
✔️Secrets/lies/betrayal
✔️Multiple, first person POV
✔️Unlikeable characters
✔️Page-turner

Thank you NetGalley and Penzler Publishers/Scarlet for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Favorite quote (pre-publication): “Even though it was all a lovely lie.”

When it comes to my most anticipated releases I sometimes want to wait until I can get my hands on them physically and sometimes I’m just too impatient to wait.

With A Lovely Lie by @jaimelynnhendricksauthor I just couldn’t wait! This is released on May 28, 2024 and you are going to want to add it to cart right now!

A Lovely Lie follows a woman named Scarlett. She’s working at a hotel one night and a girl comes up to her to tell her that she’s Pepper’s daughter. Pepper was Scarlett’s best friend and a part of a tragic secret that took place at the end of their senior year. Pepper is now dead and Zoey is here for answers about her mother’s past. If that wasn’t difficult enough, Scarlett is now married to Pepper’s high school boyfriend. Scarlett wants to leave the past secrets buried, but Zoey might not let that happen. The past is finally catching up to the future.

❤️Review❤️

Jaime Lynn Hendericks knocks it out of the park again. I can’t get enough of her writing. She writes some of the most unlikable characters, but has you entranced in their messy lives from page 1 until the very end. I love that I spend most of the book trying to guess what’s happening and I’m still wrong every time. She finds a way to sneak it past the reader and makes it feel like it should have been obvious the whole time, but you also didn’t see it. Now to sit in the torturous wait for next year’s book release to come out. I will be in fact rereading all of her books this year to hold me over.

5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#Bookstagram #FavoriteAuthor #NetGalley #BookReview #ThrillerBooks #SuspenseBooks #2024Books #NewBookRelease #UpcomingBooks #YouHaveToReadThis

This was overall a fast enjoyable read, her books are a little melodramatic/unrealistic for me but also entertaining. dysfunctional relationships and friendships go to an extreme as a pretty popular girl manipulates her circle, twenty years later, it comes to a head when her daughter shows up wanting answers.

My first 5 ⭐️ of 2024. This book hooked me from the beginning. I loved the multiple POVs, different timelines and the police interrogations. Everything came together perfectly. The character development was great. I loved all the twists in this book, so many that I didn’t see coming. And the ending was perfection!!

This was a fantastic read, it was clever, wild and unexpected . It took me to places I didn't think a book could. It was my favorite book by this Author and I am on the edge of my seat waiting for another book to come out. Well done Jamie Lynn !

A light quick read, though the subject matter is not light, I think my students will like it, it reads like a movie plot, mostly unlikeable characters , when the past comes to haunt them

A Lovely Lie by Jaime Lynn Hendricks

Thank you to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for allowing me to read and review this book early!

This book was a thrill ride from the very start. Two best friends Scarlett and Pepper find themselves in a tough spot after tragedy hits at their senior picnic. A memory they were sure was long gone in their past.

Secrets always seem to arise when curiosity comes into the mix as Peppers daughter is wanting to know who her father is and starts digging around their hometown questioning classmates and authorities who knew about the accident. The story gets intense as people’s lives get sent in an upheaval in the digging up of the past.

I enjoyed the story immensely and couldn’t put it down as I was curious to see what the chaotic outcome could be. I was rooting for the characters to find out what would come of this insanity!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. I found this to be a quick read and was waiting for the twists and turns that I was sure were to come as I went through the story. Overall I was entertained and I think most would enjoy it, though I wasn’t necessarily wowed. Give it a try!

My first Jamie Lynn Hendricks novel and I really enjoyed it. It kelp me turning the pages to found out how it ends. Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

A dual timeline that will leave you shocked.
1999 seniors Pepper and Scarlet just left their senior fair. What should have been a fun and memorable night turns into a nightmare for the next 22 years. Current date and all the past secrets start to spill.
What a great story! This was a one sit read. I highly recommend and it’s a very addictive story.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story written by an author who masterly intertwines the past and the present by taking readers on an emotional rollercoaster to reveal the unfortunate truth of a fatal night and its consequences.

The book is set in 1999, as Scarlett Russo and her best friend Pepper witness a severe car crash that claims two lives of their classmates. Struck with panic and fear, they decide to lie to the police, shielding each other from the repercussions. However, their lives take a new turn as Pepper walks out of Scarlett’s life, leaving her with many unanswered questions and a massive burden of guilt.

Skip twenty-two years, and Scarlett has successfully buried the incident in her mind and created a relatively comfortable life for herself and her family. However, everything changes when Pepper’s daughter Zoey comes back with a tragic message that her mother is dead. Zoey goes on the mission armed with a cryptic letter from Pepper addressed to Scarlett to find out more details about her mother’s past and her identity.

Readers are taken on a journey with Scarlett as she must face her past, with the author effectively exploring the intricacies of guilt, forgiveness, and lengths that people would go through for the ones they cherish. The characters are developed strongly and understandably have their own problems and secrets. Scarlett’s internal struggle, as if trying to choose between a beautiful lie and a horrible truth, is palpable, and readers will question their beliefs and values.

The narrative smoothly shifts between present and past, chronicling what happened on that tragic night and the subsequent repercussions. The timing is excellent and keeps readers interested and excited to uncover the next piece of the mystery. So, the author’s style is descriptive and evocative, illustrating bright pictures of characters’ feelings and the surroundings one can imagine them in.

One of the strengths of this novel is that it depicts the concept of motherhood and the family life affected by the secrets. Scarlett and Zoey have a heartwarming relationship as well as an utterly tense one, considering what they were through and what was discovered along the way. The author’s skill is exemplary in this novel, as readers emotionally hook into the characters’ lives, hoping they will get out of their circumstances and understand them.

“Is it better to believe a lovely lie or know the horrible truth?” This is an engaging and provocative read that will leave readers pondering the nature of truth, forgiveness, and how far people will go to shield the ones they love. This novel, with its developed characters, thrilling plot, and in-depth study of intricate themes, is suitable for anyone interested in psychopathological thrillers and dramas about families. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Penzler Publishers, Scarlet, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

A lovely Lie
5🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Betrayal is something NO one forgets! How far this cast of characters goes to keep their secrets kept me reading until late in the night!

B-🔥Be ready to read in one setting.

E-🔥Expect to have all you want in a fast-paced suspenseful novel.

T-🔥Thankful for Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for introducing me to Jaimie Lynn Hendricks books last year. TRUST me her books are a MUST read!

R- 🔥Ready for real life drama filled with secrets, lies, betrayal and jealousy.

A-🔥As high school friends Scarlett and Pepper were close until a party changes their lives forever.

Y-🔥YOU will WANT to preorder. ComIng out May 28, 2024.

A-🔥All the characters in this novel have something to hide, which makes for a thriller book.

L-🔥Love can make you do crazy things and you will see how far this cast of characters will go for love.

🔥A Lovely Lie is a MUST have and not to be missed by the Thriller lovers. This was my second novel by here and I will be reading the rest.

Thank you @thrillerbookloverspromtions and @jaimelynnhendricksauthor for having me on your tour.
#alovelylie, #jaimielynnhendricks, #thrillerbookloverpromotions, #bookreview, #booksconnectus, #bookstagram