"Lovers & Liars" by Amanda Eyre Ward is a captivating exploration of love, betrayal, and the complexities of human relationships. Set against the backdrop of a picturesque seaside town, Ward masterfully weaves together the lives of her characters, each grappling with their own secrets and desires. The narrative is rich with emotion, drawing readers in with its authenticity and depth. Ward's prose is elegant yet accessible, making for a compelling read from start to finish. With its intriguing plot twists and well-developed characters, "Lovers & Liars" is a novel that will stay with readers long after they've turned the final page.

Three mildly estranged sisters come together for one's wedding weekend after a whirlwind relationship. I was entertained enough to finish this over a day of travel, but overall thought there was too much going on so the plot and characters weren't developed enough. The first half of the book is really drawn out, lots of dangling information without telling us the actual details; the second half, we kept awkwardly jumping forward in time without any in between, which was jarring.

This was such an easy and ENJOYABLE binge read!! By far my new favorite from author Amanda Eyre Ward, this story has a dysfunctional family with estranged sisters, secrets, lies, second chances, a destination wedding and a bookish, librarian female main character. It was great on audio and unputdownable! Highly recommended, especially for fans of authors like Lian Dolan. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

CW: absentee parent, death of a spouse

I enjoyed reading Lovers and Liars by Amanda Eyre Ward. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

I want to thank PRH Audio and Ballantine for this early gifted copy of Lovers and Liars.

Unfortunately I found this book incredibly boring. The characters were sad, as were their “problems” and “lies” (honestly they all need help). I wasn’t drawn to any of them, and I had no desire to learn how it ended.

DNF’d around 50%

This book will make you want to go to the English countryside and live in a castle.

Lovers and Liars is about an estranged family gathering together for a destination wedding in an English castle. Told in multiple POVs, Ward does a great job of getting you into the head of each character without needing to write in the first person. The story mostly focuses on the three sisters, and you really get a sense of each of their different personalities and unique traumas that they cope with.

This book is out just in time for summer. It is the perfect quick read for when you want to escape into a countryside, cottage-core fantasy. It is a rom-com, but it does touch on a few serious topics, such as grieving the death of a spouse and dealing with an abusive mother. The comedy aspect does help keep things light, especially when it comes to dealings with the mom.

The only drawback for me was the pacing of the climax seemed a bit rushed, at least in relation to all the time spent setting the scene of the castle. But I think the ending is its saving grace, because at first, it seemed like everything is going to be resolved very easily, but then something unexpected happens that makes what could seem like an over-the-top story come back down to Earth.

If you want a summer read that is easy to get through but still touches your heart, give Lovers and Liars a try.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for sharing this digital e-ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Amanda Eyre Ward's "Lovers and Liars" is now available everywhere.

If you haven’t read The Jetsetters by Amanda Eyre Ward, get it. I don’t read a ton of general fiction, preferring more suspenseful and thriller-type books but Amanda is such a talented author, I will read anything she puts out. The latest is Lovers and Liars.

The story centers around three estranged sisters and features of course…lies. The sisters come together for a weekend wedding and everyone is harboring a secret. It was a good beach read and I loved the backdrop of an English castle!

Synopsis:

Once upon a time, the Peacock sisters were little girls who combed each other’s tangled hair. But decades of secrets have led them to separate lives—and to telling lies, to themselves and to one another.

Sylvie is getting married. Again. A librarian and widow who soothes her grief by escaping into books (and shelving them perfectly), Sylvie has caught the attention of an unlikely match: Simon Rampling, a mysterious, wealthy man from Northern England. Sylvie allows herself to imagine a life beside him—one filled with the written word, kindness, and companionship. She’s ready to love again . . . or is she?

Cleo is the golden child. A successful criminal defense lawyer with the perfect boyfriend, she is immediately suspicious of Simon. Is he really who he says he is? Cleo heads to Mumberton Castle with a case of investigative files, telling herself she will expose Simon and save her sister from more heartbreak . . . but who is she really trying to save?

Emma is living a lie. She can’t afford this fancy trip—and she definitely can’t tell her husband and sons why. She once dreamed of a line of her own perfumes. Fragrances allowed her to speak in silence. Now, that tendency for silence only worsens her situation. Will she emerge with her dignity and family intact?

When their toxic mother shows up, the sisters assume the roles they fell into to survive their childhood . . . but they just might find the courage to make new choices.

Set over a spectacularly dramatic weekend, in the grand halls of a sprawling castle estate—amid floor-to-ceiling libraries, falconry lessons, and medieval meals—Lovers and Liars is the unforgettable story of a family’s ability to forgive and to find joy in one another once again.

Out now!

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy

Another great read from Amanda Eyre Ward. This time we follow the Peacock sisters, three women who come from a dysfunctional family who reconnect due to one of the sisters getting married. Sylvia desperately wanted to share her good news with her family, but after years of secrets, coming together was not what they each expected. Loved following the perspectives of each sister and where they ultimately end up.

This book is 100% a slow burn. It took me a while to get into the books and the characters, and while I enjoy a good family drama, it just took much longer than I expected to get into the story. It’s a simple story, family reunited for a wedding and everyone has their own drama to deal with, and I think that helped the plot overall. Once you got into the characters heads and feelings, the pace picked up. In the end, each sister got to fulfill their story and it was a very satisfying ending in my opinion.

This was a good mystery. The setting at the castle was great. I loved the sisters especially Cleo. However her romance near the end seemed forced. Should have seen more of him in order to care.

Destination wedding at Mumberton Castle for Sylvie and her sisters, living their very different, separate lives? I'm in -- and deeply enjoyed this well-written story of different women living the life of their dreams -- or are they? Sylvie is marrying for the second time, having lost the love of her life to death. When she and her sisters Cleo and Emma gather in the grandeur, memories, yearning, and lies are shared, revealed as catalysts for different relationships with one another and with themselves. I enjoyed the excellent writing and pitch perfect presentation of fascinating people facing challenges together and apart. So very readable, this book kept me up way too late reading one more chapter....I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Lovers and Liars-a standalone

By Amanda Eyre Ward-new to me author

Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Spice 4/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Publication 5-14-24 , Read 5-14-24

Format: e-book, 304 pgs.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine for this ARC💛! I voluntarily give an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

✔️ Adult Fic/Women's Fic/Contemporary Romance
✔️ destination wedding
✔️ family drama
✔️hidden secrets
✔️sisterhood/motherhood
✔️Jewish rep
✔️being a stepparent

Summary-Sylvia Peacock (35) is getting married again. After the death of her husband Alexander ten years ago, she's marrying Simon Rampling, a wealthy book lover with a castle in England called Mumberton. Sylvia invites her sisters Cleo and Emma, along with their narcissist mother, Donna. The sisters have secrets to unburden, drama in their love lives, and to reconnect with each other.

The plot is nonstop with hard truths as each chapter is from a different sister's perspective. Sylvia is still in love with Alexander, and her sister Cleo knows more about his car accident then she's telling. Cleo is going to the wedding after investigating Simon with her BFF Isaac-who she is love with. Her boyfriend Danny wants to marry her and have children, but she's not interested. Emma is stay-at-home mom with her school teacher husband Rich and their 2 sons. She lives in their childhood home in Montana, but they're in financial ruin. A pyramid scheme from "Sweet Nothings Inc."-an adult toy and lingerie company. Donna is not the mothering kind. She left Cleo to raise the kids while she had an affair with the married next door neighbor. All her daughters have issues because of how she treated or used them. Will the wedding go off without a hitch?

This was an entertaining story about how secrets can weigh you down. Each sister was forced to deal with theirs but resolved them with HEAs.

Sylvie, Cleo and Emma Peacock used to be not only sisters, but best friends. Their father died when they were young, and their mother alternated between neglectful and cruel, so really, all they had were each other. However, they grew up, and as these things go, they were no longer as close as they once were. Now Sylvie is getting married and she wants her sisters to join her at Mumberton Castle, where Simon lives and where they will be holding the wedding. Sylvie's first husband died years ago, and she didn't think she would ever love anyone again.... but then Simon came along. Cleo, an attorney, is convinced that Simon is too good to be true and has him investigated. Emma is caught up in a pyramid scheme, and has not only run through her family's savings, but has also racked up an unsurmountable debt, and she has no idea how she is going to tell her husband. When the three sisters, and possibly their mother if she can be bothered to show up, converge on Mumberton, secrets are going to be spilled, and it will definitely be a wedding to remember.

This rom-com was SO much fun. There was so much tea was spilled, and I was there for it all. Likeable (as well as a couple of unlikeable) characters, a Bridgeton-esque setting, comedic moments, sweet moments between family, breakups and a marriage all make this a fun read that will keep you engrossed until the very end. I highly recommend it!

A family drama set among a destination wedding.....in a castle, no less......where all three sisters present a capable, positive, healthy attitude, at least at face value. The story has three POV with each sister giving her opinion. Then their mother arrives and the stories take some drastic changes. The backstory of the three sisters sets the reader's expectations but there's more than squabbling amongst the sisters. This was light reading for me, spme parts entertaining, some not. Well worth your reading time.

A story about 3 wildly different sisters who come together for one of their weddings. Throw in the mix a toxic mother who think of only herself and you have the perfect recipe for drama, lies and laughter. Told from multiple POVs I found this story intoxicating and fun. I loved the dynamics and the whole scene.
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Amanda Eyre Ward writes books that I find fun and relatable. I have enjoyed all her previous books and this one is no exception. A perfect beach read and one to add to your summer TBR.

I don’t know if anyone does character development better than Amanda Eyre Ward. Her books are full of lively, vibrant characters that walk off the page. They feel real, with real problems, and real lessons to learn. In Lovers and Liars, our main characters are the Peacock sisters: Sylvie, who is marrying British Simon ten years after the tragic death of her first husband; Cleo, powerhouse lawyer who is in love with her best friend despite her live-in boyfriend; and Emma, who has gotten herself into a bit of a financial mess. The sisters are keeping secrets from each other and everything comes to a head when they gather at Simon’s family castle in Northern England for Sylvie and Simon’s nuptials.

Lovers and Liars is a character study, and a phenomenal one at that. Pick it up TODAY!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amanda Eyre Ward for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Told in the POV's of three sisters, this book does not disappoint. Sylvie, the youngest is a widow, a librarian and about to get married again to Simon. Emma is the middle sister. She is married with 2 children and has put her family in a huge debt. Cleo is the oldest sister. She is a lawyer, very fashionable. She is living with Danny but has fallen out of love with him and is yearning for her best friend Isaac. The sisters have not been together for 10 years. But they are all coming together at Mumberton Castle for the upcoming nuptials. To top it off, their narcissistic mother is coming to the wedding. Even though the sisters have not been together for quite some time, they still love and look out for each other. Cleo is investigating Simon because he is mysteriously wealthy and that set off a red flag for her. She doesn't want Sylvie to get hurt. There is drama relating to the lives of the sisters and the secrets they are hiding from their loved ones and sometimes themselves. This is a fun read and you do become involved with all the characters and hope they can work out all their differences and enjoy the wedding. I highly recommend.
Thanks to #netgalley, #ballentinebooks and @amandaeyreward for an ARC for this great read.

This is a story of three sisters who, at first, seem to be on different wavelengths, but as you dive deeper, you realize they're more connected than they appear. The beginning was a little slow, but eventually, it picks up and I loved it.

The Peacock sisters are Cleo, the powerhouse attorney from New York; Emma, the heart-of-gold wife and mom holding down the fort in Montana; and Sylvie, the warm-hearted widow spinning tales as a librarian in sunny Miami.

This story contains complicated relationships, a toxic mother, a whirlwind romance, and a crumbling English castle.

Every character, except for that toxic mom, is someone you can't help but root for. You'll find yourself wishing them nothing but happiness and love.

If you're craving a story that's equal parts heartwarming and riveting, look no further. This book has all the ingredients for a satisfying read that'll keep you hooked till the very end. Loved it!

I adored theses women, I love a great sister story. We have Cleo, Emma and Sylvie, they were very close growing up, they had the worst type of mom and they battled through together, always. But as they have grown up they have each been distant, Sylvie lost her husband 10 years ago and finally found love, Cleo is a workaholic with this need to always be perfect, and also Emma is battling a huge secret from her own little family. Sylvie is getting married again and this time to rich man that no one really knows like that and Cleo takes it upon herself to try to find out who this man really is, because somehow she cant ever imagine that her sister will marry after 10 years and to a rich man (she sounded like a hater and I disliked her in the beginning.) As the secrets unraveled, I was so relieved that everyone still got their happy ending. I am such a SAP, I will say this Emma’s kids are sooo funny, they made the whole book even more enjoyable.

Lovers and Liars starts off like it is going to be about Sylvie, a librarian who is going to get married to the love of her life in a castle in England, far from Miami and far from her experience. But it's really about all three Peacock sisters. Cleo is a high-power attorney in New York and is in love with her best friend, not her boyfriend. Emma, in Montana where the sisters are from, sees herself as a clever entrepreneur but is many thousands in debt.

Lovers and Liars is amusing, but just a little bit overblown. The characters are in danger of becoming caricatures. Still, by chapter five, great secrets has been hinted at, so it's de riguer to finish and find it out.

Actually, I enjoyed it a great deal. Sure, everything is occasionally too neat or too perfect, but Ward’s book is a satisfying light read. The resolution for each of the sisters made me happy. In turn, I'm happy to recommend this (somewhat fluffy but fun) book.