Three sisters gather at a castle in England for the youngest sister’s wedding. Each one brings secrets involving their families as well as their relationships with each other. I found this book very disappointing. The plot was very shallow and the character development almost nonexistent. So there wasn’t really very much to this book. The characters were unlikable and just “silly”. Reading the book felt like a chore. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

Classic Amanda Eyre Ward: family tension, some great lighter moments, memorable characters, excellent writing!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was just very boring for me. I really wanted to love these sisters, but they were lackluster to me.

This book was short, but it somehow felt much longer than it is.

Lovers and Liars follows the story of three sisters and the complex dynamics that many families navigate. While the premise held promise, I found the execution disappointing. The narrative felt disjointed, with an overuse of abrupt and seemingly random intimate scenes that disrupted the flow rather than adding depth to the story. Instead of drawing me in, these moments felt excessive and out of place.

Additionally, the characters lacked the depth needed to make them truly compelling. The librarian character, in particular, felt like a tired cliché rather than a nuanced, engaging figure. Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with the setting, the characters, and the overall plot as much as I had hoped. While some readers may enjoy the dramatic elements and familial tensions, this book ultimately fell flat for me.

I found this book to be rather middle-of-the road, honestly pretty boring.

Three sisters:
Sylvie, a widowed elementary school librarian who meets and falls for fellow book lover Simon. Simon is a Brit and the two get engaged fairly quickly, plan a wedding in the family castle in the UK.
Cleo, a high-powered attorney with a live-in boyfriend she isn't sure she loves. Cleo is suspicious of Simon and investigates his background.
Emma is married with two boys and lives in their home state of Montana. She has squandered away the family savings and is deep in debt due to a MLM and is sick worrying that her husband will find out.
Top this all off with their narcissistic mother, and they all travel to attend this wedding.

I can't quite put my finger on what didn't work for me. It's a short book, and we alternate between the three sisters' points of view, so we never really get any depth on any of their stories. I didn't connect with any of them, save for Sylvie's love of reading. The historical tidbits of information given at the castle seemed overly detailed and unnecessary.

Although we are given details about their growing up and their toxic mother, she honestly seemed like a caricature and her behavior frustrated and annoyed me. I realize that it is a fraught dynamic for those actually experiencing and growing up with a narcissistic parent, but because we didn't actually get that on the page, all I wanted was for the adult daughters to stand up to their mother and tell her to knock it off.

Overall, I think this is a forgettable novel that doesn't really bring anything new to the table. Not a bad book, but not impactful either.

Lovers and Liars drew me in because it was about sisters. Three sisters, very close as children, but let their bond fades as adults. Keeping secrets from each other will do that. Lovers and Liars is a heartwarming story about finding oneself, finding love and finding forgiveness. Reminded me of my relationship with my siblings.

This book instantly drew my attention because it was about sisters. Three sisters, very close as children, let their bond go as adults. Keeping secrets will do that.

I found this an interesting read. 4 stars!

Many thanks to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lovers and Liars has family estrangement and an English castle? Alright, I'm game. Eyre Ward writes these dynamics well and the three sisters were all endearing in their own ways. Toxic mothering is something I am all too familiar with as well. Lovers and Liars goes through all the drama and emotions seamlessly and the story is satisfyingly brought together at the end. A great read.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Emma, Cleo, and Sylvie used to be much closer but as they grew older, the sisters grew apart. When Sylvie meets and falls in love a charming British man, Simon, the sisters come together at Simon’s castle. Cleo is immediately suspicious. Emma made some bad investments and can’t afford the trip but is afraid to tell anyone. Sylvie is madly in love. As the sisters come back together, they all need to decide who they will trust.

A charming novel about family bonds, how bonds can be broken, and how to rebuild them. Thoroughly enjoyed!

Thank you to @netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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#loversandliars #amandaeyreward

Lovers and Liars is a interesting read for anyone who enjoys the themes of family relationships, secrets, and romance complexities. The story at the center is heartwarming as well as challenging. It explores the power of forgiveness, and the search for love and identity.

Are you ready for the destination wedding of a lifetime? In Lovers and Liars by Amanda Eyre Ward, three sisters prepare for what could be the wedding of the century.

Baby sister Sylvie is getting married in an English castle with all the fanfare and tradition you may expect. Although she, Cleo, and Emma haven't been in consistent communication for a while, they once were close as children, protecting each other from their domineering and callous mom. Now they have their own problems and challenges, but this wedding could glue their family back together and bring closeness again. Will the wedding go off without a hitch or will their individual problems sink the whole event?

I found this novel a fun read with incredible scenery once you cross the pond to England. You do also get apt descriptions of New York City life since one of the sisters resides in the Big Apple. All the traditional, medieval events bookend the scenery to make it all the more magical. This is another get-away novel to the charmed life of living in a castle so it's perfect if you're looking to escape the upcoming winter doldrums and travel to a faraway place.

Each sister differs greatly from the others except for their red hair. They live in wildly different places, embody diverse careers, and have individual lifestyles, making it hard to imagine that they may get along. They're very distinctive so it's easy to keep track and also the different chapters focusing on each sister help you to do so. While the scenarios may be on the verge of far-fetched, they're engaging and keep you interested and wondering what will happen next. The action never slowed down.

The only real issues I had with the book was the epilogue. One character who wasn't that prominent provides an epilogue, which I didn't find necessary. I really didn't care what she thought, and, frankly, it didn't add much to the book.

Otherwise, I thought this was a fun novel, and the author really made you feel like you were at the English castle and countryside. Maybe she took a trip to one herself because it felt so fresh and vibrant. Plus, I liked the characters, their stories, and how they interacted with each other. I'm interested to see what far-flung place this author takes her characters to next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Lovers and Liars by Amanda Eyre Ward!

I hated this book. I was drawn in by a story about three sisters - having grown up as one of three sisters it’s a plot line that always draws me in. And I felt like the basic setup had a lot of promise. Unfortunately the execution really didn’t work for me at all.

The characters felt like absolute caricatures. Has the author ever met a librarian or is she basing her idea of it on the description from a second grader of what a librarian is like? Every description of Sophie’s librarian life was a giant cliche and every sex scene of Sophie and Simon felt awkward and just made me cringe.

I hate how a lot of drama was built up with each sister and then they were all resolved very easily and neatly with a bow on each. Except there also had to be a fire thrown in at 95% through??? Just to put a little action in an otherwise entirely dull book I guess? It did not work for me and that’s the point when this went from 2 stars down to 1. This was definitely not for me. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.

Amanda Eyre Ward has a wonderful way of interweaving stories and making you want to know more and more and more about a character. I love stories about sisters and I love when I am not able to figure it all out at the beginning. Well done!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Lovers and Liars by Amanda Eyre Ward is a compelling, intricately layered novel about family, secrets, and the lies we tell ourselves to survive. The Peacock sisters—Sylvie, Cleo, and Emma—are brought back together by the upcoming wedding of Sylvie, a widow who has found a new, mysterious love. Each sister harbors her own truths, fears, and regrets, and their reunion at a lavish castle for the wedding sets the stage for revelations that will unravel the fabric of their complicated relationships.

Ward’s writing is rich with detail, and the gothic atmosphere of the castle, filled with books, secrets, and history, provides a perfect backdrop for the sisters’ emotional journey. Sylvie is on the verge of opening her heart again, but Cleo’s suspicion and Emma’s shame complicate matters. As their toxic mother enters the picture, the sisters are forced to confront their pasts and the roles they've long played in each other’s lives.

Lovers and Liars is a thoughtful exploration of family dynamics, the complexity of forgiveness, and the tension between truth and self-deception. With its vivid setting and rich character development, it’s a novel that will resonate with readers who appreciate emotional depth, family drama, and the messy, redemptive process of healing old wounds.

The Peacock Sisters were once so close. They shared secrets and now they keep secrets from each other. After years a wedding is bringing them together and they must figure out how to be together, again. It isn’t easy but they all know they have to be on their best behavior. Sylvie is getting married again. She is a widow and has been hiding in the books she reads. She is a librarian and she has taken solace in that safe space. She meets Simon Rampling, a wealthy English man who offers to take her away from her life. She feels like this could be a new start for her, her chance again for love. Cleo is the sister who has it all. A defense attorney with an amazing boyfriend, life is so good. She is there to support her sister and doesn’t want to make waves. It’s been years since they have been together and she doesn’t want to make a wrong step. But she doesn’t think Simon is the right man for Sylvie. She has a case building against Simon but will she have to use it. Emma is living a lie. She can’t afford this trip to her sister’s wedding. She made a huge investment mistake and is losing money daily. She has so many secrets and she doesn’t know how to get herself out of the mess. She is trying to make the best of everything and not crack. Things are getting harder to keep normal and then the girls mom shows up. The antics that ensue are funny and honest. This weekend can make or break this family. Each person is trying to do their best, the only question is it enough. Can they make the tough choices to change? Can they come out of this as family? Lovers and Liars is a story about a a family that cares deeply and is deeply flawed. The author did an excellent job telling an honest story of family. I want to thank Netgalley, Amanda Eyre Ward & Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine for my copy of Lovers and Liars, for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review the book.

This dysfunctional family novel is about three sisters, Sylvie, Cleo, and Emma, who are not very close but all reunite for Sylvie’s wedding in a British castle. The book rotates through each of their perspectives, and we see that each of them also have their own problems and issues.

Like Amanda Eyre Ward’s last two books, this one is not quite as light or fun as the cover would make you think. It’s written with a light tone, but there’s still a fair amount of kinda downbeat stuff for all of them. It was an entertaining enough book, but not one that will stick with me. The narration of the audiobook by Sarah Beth Goer was quite good.

3.5 stars

This baffled me - and I'm not easily surprised. How did this book receive so many good praises, when everything about this story is very bland?
The only thing I truly enjoyed were the scenery descriptions, and this Amanda Eyre Ward did very well.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it.