Lovers and Liars by Amanda Eyre Ward is a juicy family drama, with a focus on the complicated, yet relatable dynamics between three sisters. Ward captures the love, tension, and messiness that comes with sibling relationships who share a common history. I found myself rooting for each of them, even when things got rocky.
Their mother is a real piece of work--narcissistic and a total drama queen. She adds a lot of heartache to her daughters' lives and makes things interesting with her antics and barbed comments. One thing I really enjoyed was the humor sprinkled throughout. Ward's writing is clever and quirky, which balances out the heavier family drama nicely. And the ending? Super satisfying. It wraps up all the plot threads in a way that just feels right.
That said, I'll be honest: This one hits different. The pacing in the middle was a bit slow for me. There were moments where it felt like the story dragged or there was a big leap in timing and I wasn't sure what I'd missed. But even with that, the strong character development and witty writing kept me going.
Overall, Lovers and Liars is a fun, well-written family drama that examines sisterhood and the chaos of growing up with a narcissistic parent. If you don't mind a slower pace, it's definitely worth the read.
Thank you the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary early copy. All opinions shared here are my own.

Lovers and Liars has a great premise-- three estranged sisters together again for one of their weddings in a Scottish castle. Sylvie is marrying Simon after knowing him only for short amount of time. Her sister Chloe is very suspicious, especially because she is harboring a secret about the night Sylvie's first husband died. Emma has plenty of stress on her own, with a multi-level marketing scheme that has left her tens of thousands of dollars in debt. The novel starts on the wedding day with a note from Sylvie to Simon saying she is leaving him. We then flash back to the events before the wedding happens.

Though I was so excited to read this (especially because Sylvie is a school librarian), I found that the execution fell flat. The sister's different points of view felt rushed, and I never had enough time to sink into each character and their uniqueness. I just didn't HAVE to keep reading. I wanted more Pride and Prejudice.

As one of three sisters myself, I was looking forward to a story of three sisters. It did not dissapoint. I liked how it showed a layered sister relationship, not just happy ones. I would definitely recommend.

This book was a bit boring for me and hard to get through. I really wanted to like it but just couldn’t get in to it.

This one was different. Three sisters with a strained relationship come together for one sister’s wedding.
Told through multiple PoV’s that slowly reveal details.
Secrets abound and as the story is told more secrets are revealed. At times I felt the narration was disjointed. Overall An interesting story.

3.5 stars rounded up

The Peacock sisters had a tough childhood, and now adults, their lives are disconnected. High-powered lawyer Cleo lives in New York City with her wannabe writer boyfriend Danny; widowed librarian Sylvie is in Miami and recently engaged to a handsome Englishman; and Emma has been swept up in an MLM scam and is deeply in debt back in Montana where they grew up. When Sylvie announces her upcoming overseas wedding, the sisters anticipate reuniting for the first time in years and everyone fears their secrets and insecurities being exposed.

This was an endearing story about the power of sisterhood, forgiveness, and breaking patterns. Emma, Cleo, and Sylvie all had a lot of baggage, especially from their toxic mother Donna, and it was heartwarming to see them work through their issues in life and with each other and emerge stronger and more unified. There was lots of adventure and fun and the side characters added intrigue and comic relief.

TW: Mention of death of a spouse, cheating, mention of death of a parent, alcoholism, fire

I am a huge fan of Ms. Eyre Ward's books. She writes with such clarity and realism about families and all their ins and outs.

Sylvie is getting married for the second time, In an English castle no less! Her first husband passed away in a tragic accident ten years before and she has been living in a kind of fog wondering why he needed to go out for air. She meets Simon on a bookshelf app (can someone really make this app) and falls quickly for him but the ghost of her husband stays on her mind. Her sisters Cleo and Emma are both going through life issues of their own and their mother is a narcissist piece of work. Put them all together in an English castle and secrets start to fly. Will they go through with the wedding?

I absolutely love the usage of books throughout the story. Booklovers will love it. I loved how the sister lived their own lives but when push came to shove, they were there for each other. I loved the descriptions of the English countryside. I just loved it all!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House-Ballantine for a copy of this book for review.

As one of three sisters I really thought I would enjoy Lovers and Liars by Amanda Eyre Ward, but unfortunately it missed the mark for me. It is the story of the youngest sister, Sylvie, a librarian that has finally found love after losing her husband 10 years ago. Her two older sisters, Cleo and Emma, want to make sure Sylvie isn't being taken advantage of and the love is real. I found Cleo and Emma to be insufferable as characters and with the story told from each of the three sisters's points of view, I couldn't get through their chapters fast enough. There were cute and sweet moments too, but not enough.

I love a book about sisters - and the Peacock sisters are a heck of a trio. Sylvie is about to get married, and her sisters suspect something shady is up with her fiancée. Meanwhile, lawyer Cleo has the perfect boyfriend, and loves someone else. And Emma…well, Emma’s in over her head financially and hiding it from her husband. When the family heads to England for Sylvie’s wedding, all the secrets start to spill out and it is fabulous.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy!

This one was a super fun read. I loved reading it by the beach and pool. Perfect for anyone looking for some brain candy.

Lovers and Liars by Amanda Eyre Ward is a family drama focusing on three sisters and the stories they tell themselves and one another. I enjoyed the story though I wasn't all that drawn to any one sister and felt that they were each a bit annoying. Still it's a fun beach read and I kept reading to see what happened.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of Lovers and Liars in exchange for an honest opinion. This book is available now.

Great premise but unfortunately the book itself dud not live up to it. The story is very difficult to follow andvI kept thinking I must have missed something

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this novel. It’s the story of 3 sisters traveling to England for one sister’s wedding. This was a good beach book, but there’s not much substance to it.

This cover is so cute but unfortunately I couldn't get into this story! DNF'd around 15% as it proved that I wasn't too curious to find out why the bride was ending her wedding on the day of.

Lovers and Liars is a fun, light read about three somewhat estranged sisters with secrets and messy complicated lives who reconnect at one sister’s wedding at a castle in England. As a book lover, I loved that one sister Emma is a librarian in Miami. There were many references to reading and some favorite books. The story itself is a little outlandish, but you just need to go along with it and it is an enjoyable read. 3.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Good vacation read this summer.

A fun sweet read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

You're invited to the wedding of Sylvie and Simon! The romance may be a little rushed, and Sylvie's sisters may be a little doubtful of its validity, but the whole Peacock family is getting ready to celebrate love.

Amanda Eyre Ward's latest novel is a family drama that doesn't hold back on the secrets or the settings. The adult characters are fully thought out and honestly reflect how the experiences of a childhood can mirror and shape how life is experienced as an adult. It's a wonderful book to kick off the summer season. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the chance to read this novel.

This was a fun book about messed up families, lies and uncovering the truth in your life. With the exception of Donna, none of the characters were heinous enough to turn me off yet flawed enough to be interesting. It was an easy read that is great for a beach day or rainy summer day ~ either will work! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy.

Family drama, generational trauma, narcissistic mother, death of a spouse, cheating, financial ruin

The Peacock sisters are living different lives and aren't estranged but aren't close anymore. Their mother is a narcissist and each had a different experience with her growing up that shaped them into who they are now.

The lies they tell themselves (and others) and their lovers - there's breakups, makeups, kids in the mix, all culminating at Sylvie's wedding at a castle in England.

I loved the sisterly relationships, the drama (very realistic) and the trainwreck you see coming but can't look away. The narration really sucked me into this book and I was racing to the finish.

Three sisters gather for one of their weddings after some time apart. This story is told from each sister's point of view, so we get the backstory of their relationships with one another, as well as what is going on in their lives. Everything comes to head at the wedding. An enjoyable read!