I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fun book. I enjoyed it a lot!

Sylvie, Cleo and Emma are sisters who all have secrets that could potentially ruin their relationships with their significant others and each other. When Sylvie meets Simon, she is swept off her feet in a whirlwind romance. They get engaged quickly and are to marry in Simon’s castle over in London. Cleo finds out some unsavory information about Simon and decides she needs to tell her sister before the wedding. I enjoyed this one, it kept my attention, I read it in 3 days. I enjoyed finding out about the secrets and how people reacted when they learned them. I was happy with the epilogue, it wraps everything up nicely in a bow for all the characters. This book is divided into many parts, each one having multiple chapters told through each sister’s POV. I loved getting into their heads!

To me this is less a romance and more a sister story where the family dynamics unfolds in the context of an upcoming wedding of the primary character, Sylvie. The other two sisters, Cleo and Emma, have their own challenges. Cleo is not in love with her live-in boyfriend, she’s in love with her best friend Isaac, but for some reason, she’s too afraid to act on it. Emma is self-destructing under the mask of a multi-level marketing scam and she’s lost the family’s savings. They all have a strained relationship with their selfish mother. Simon, is Sylvia’s fiancé and the heir to a castle where the wedding will be hosted. As the book progresses, we get a clearer picture of the sisters and their struggles. I would say this is more of a cozy story vs. literary fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed the story but felt it lacked a depth I would have appreciated more. Will be a great summer read however.

3.5 stars
Sylvie, Cleo, and Emma grew up with a horrible mother, and it's shaped them as adults. Then Sylvie also has grief from her first marriage. Most of the characters are keeping major secrets from each other. Of course everything comes to a dramatic head during the wedding weekend.
The book was well written, but a bunch of the circumstances of the characters just seemed really extreme to me. While I sympathized with some of the characters, I think I also blamed some of them for the messes they got themselves in. The bright spots were probably Rich, Emma's husband, and the kids.

This family is a MESS! And it is delightful. The build up is a bit slow, but once things pick up, they're full speed ahead. I was rooting for every character involved (besides the mom, of course) and truly felt attached to each sister; and the side characters to be honest. Add in a dreamy English castle as the setting and make it hilarious? I'm in!

What looks like a perfect family on the outside doesn’t necessarily match what goes on inside. Seriously complicated sisters, self doubt, shame and internal loneliness undoubtedly from a cruel, narcissistic, broken mother and losing their beloved father too soon. Cleo the oldest, a successful NYC lawyer full of anger, in therapy, carrying a decade old secret and staying in an unhappy and unhealthy relationship. Emma who stayed in Montana a wife and mother the middle child unseen no matter how hard she tries to stand out. Over her head in debt trying to make a business work. Sylvie the baby, tragically widowed young, a librarian engrossed in her books. So very good at pretending everything is all right, but never dealing with her past. She finds her second chance at love, Simon wealthy, charming and into books! A quick romance and even quicker engagement,a wedding in a castle in the UK. What could be more magical? Sylvie hasn’t seen her sisters in 10 years, why have they stayed away or what kept them away? Will their past ruin them, will their selfish Mother dredge up all the crap she put them through? Airbrushed versions of events or people can wear you down, will these sisters fight for the love they once had or fall prey to inner demons?
Wonderfully written, pulls at your heart strings.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Thank you random
house publishing

Lovers and Liars follows three sisters navigating life, marriage, death, friendships, and more. The sisters did not have an easy upbringing and what should have made them closer ended up pushing them further away with the secrets they kept from each other. A wedding brings them all together and secrets unfold. This was a cute novel!

Thank you for the arc!

This story of three estranged sisters starts a little slow but by the end of Part II, I could not put down this book. I was rooting for all three Peacock sisters: Cleo, the workaholic attorney in NYC' Emma, the wife and mom who stayed in Montana, and Sylvie, the widow librarian in Miami. This book has multiple complicated relationships, a toxic mother, a whirlwind romance, and a rundown English castle. What's not to like? I also liked that the kids in this book were regular kids who aren't overly precocious or bratty or only for comic relief. Every character in this book is likeable - except for the toxic mom - and I wanted them all to be happy and loved.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. I am required by law to disclose this.

Three somewhat estranged sisters are brought together when one of them plans a wedding at her fiancé’s Englishside castle, resulting in family issues to be confronted, as well as each individual sister’s personal struggles. With short chapters switching perspectives, this is a light family drama that is makes for a perfect beach read.

I have only read one other work by Ward, The Jetsetters, which I did not enjoy nearly as much. Each sister in this novel has redemptive qualities about them, despite the personal messes they find themselves in. Plenty of depth, heart, and humor to this one with a fun setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine books.

Amanda Eyre Ward's newest novel follows three sisters - Cleo, Emma, and Slyvie Peacock as they reunite at a castle in England for Slyvie's wedding. Each sister is struggling with their own secrets, which of couse, come out during their family reunion. As the sisters begin reconnecting the lies that they have hidden from their lovers and loved ones threaten to ruin Slyvie's wedding and the lives they have built for themselves.

This was an unexpectedly fun pager! Anyone with siblings or sibling-like relationships will connect with the Peacock sisters' struggles and interactions with one another at some point during this read.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Amanda Eyre Ward for this ARC. This has all the components for a great beach read!

A captivating novel of the insecurities and mistakes of two sisters unraveling at the wedding of a third sister’s wedding. The bride is haunted by memories of her deceased husband and doubts she is worthy of love and joy. Every lie and mistake spill from the pages as it becomes too hard to keep them any longer.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I so enjoyed this family drama full of quirky characters and clever dialogue (maybe too clever in the case of teenagers sounding like adults). The character growth is wonderful and I was rooting for the cast of misfits.
The plot centers on three sisters who have varying degrees of trauma from being raised by a narcissistic, truly awful mother. The sisters were once very close but are now estranged. They come together in England to celebrate (or in Cleo’s case, to gently sabotage), Sylvie’s sudden wedding to a suspiciously rich Brit. All the sisters are dealing with their own personal drama (mostly thanks to mommy dearest).
Some of the plot was very predictable but, honestly, it was still a pleasure to read.

*I received this book from NetGalley for a honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity.*Funny heartfelt and relatable.
A story of 3 sisters told from 3 different points of view. The sisters grew up with a narcissistic parent which resulted in a traumatic childhood. Everyone experiences trauma in their own way and this books looks at how each sisters experiences their childhood trauma deeply and in their own diverse way. A story about love, loss, secrets and turmoil. A quick easy beach read! The short chapters had me finishing the book much quicker than anticipated.

Amanda Eyre Ward is fully herself when her books are full of complex characters that are struggling with the complexities of family and obligations. This book is no different but takes a look at 3 sisters, their relationships with each other, their relationships with their mom, and the way they build other relationships because of their past.

Told in chapters that alternate between the sisters, some past and some current as the youngest sister prepares to marry, the Peacock sister were funny, layered, emotionally off kilter but just a blast to spend time with.

#arc
#netgalley
#loversandliars

There was a lot to like here: multi-faceted women, fairy-tale romance, CASTLES, precocious children names after booze. Unfortunately, it felt like the author had zero confidence in her audience to understand nuance or grasp foreshadowing. There were multiple instances where it felt like phrases and passages were copy pasted throughout the book instead of finding a new way to say things.

I wanted to like this so much more than I did. The premise was cute, but I think the conflicts once addressed resolved themselves too quickly for me. Overall, it just fell flat for me.

I enjoyed the family dysfunction. A light-hearted easy read that was flowing throughout. Though the characters had a lot going on, it was enjoyable.

I love the complicated families in Amanda Eyre Ward's novels and the family in this one was definitely complicated! The Peacock sisters have been estranged since youngest sister Sylvie's husband died in a tragic accident 10 years ago. Sylvie has finally found love again with Simon Rampling, a wealthy Brit with a castle to his name. She's invited her two sisters, Cleo and Emma, and their toxic mother to her wedding at the castle. All three sisters are hiding something from themselves and from each other.

I enjoyed this fun read. It's a fairly light, easy read and would be perfect for the beach this summer. The characters are complicated, but the material isn't overly heavy. There's a lot of themes of sisterhood, family and forgiveness. I thought the sisters were very well-drawn if a little cliched in their birth order type characteristics, e.g. oldest Cleo is always trying to protect Emma and Sylvie. But they were very relatable and all their struggles were things I could see people in my life struggling with.

My main criticism is that there were some minor characters that I felt weren't necessary to the story. They were just sort of thrown in and didn't necessarily add anything.

If you like family dramas and sisterhood books, you will love this! Thanks to @netgalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC!

While this is a quick and easy read, I just didn’t enjoy it. It’s a story told from the point of view of three sisters – Sylvie, Cleo, and Emma. We’re privy to the trauma each of them experienced in life and yet, I feel there was a huge disconnect between the sisters that just made the story less interesting, for me. I respect that everyone experiences varying degrees of trauma in life, but I didn’t feel much empathy for these characters.

Thank you Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC.

Loved it! I pretty much had every range of emotion . The book left me smiling in the end. From the moment I started, I couldn't put it down. Why are the Peacock sisters estranged? Why do Emma and Cleo ignore Sylvie's texts and calls? What Secret are Cleo and Emma keeping from Sylvie? I'm surprised Sylvie, Cleo and Emma turned out as well as they did with a mother like Donna. The Peacock sisters definitely have problems, but Donna is a real piece of work. Not the kind yo u want to hang on your wall, but the sort you want to chuck in the garbage. She was a horrible mother and still is one. Who takes their daughter with them when rendezvous with their lover? Poor Emma could hear everything. I can't believe how far in debt Emma got with that awful pyramid scheme. How did her husband not know about this? Emma wasn't much better than her mom with naming children. Jameson and Guinness, were they actually drunk when they named them? It could be worse (Bud and Coors). The wedding in England ended up being the best thing for Emma and her family. They pretty much had nothing to go back to in Montana, except more debt. Sylvie and Simon were perfect for each other. Their crazy love of books matched each other. Simon truly loves her, biting dog and all. I don't understand why Cleo has such a problem with Simon. Couldn't she see how much he loved Sylvie and made her happy. Cleo doesn't even know what a healthy relationship is or she wouldn't be with Danny. Cleo and Emma should have told their sister the truth about Alexander. Then Sylvie wouldn't have created such a fictionalized truth about her husband and the sisters could have had a better relationship. I really thought Donna was going to run off with Danny at the wedding. Even though the wedding didn't go as planned, reuniting in England helped the Peacock sisters tremendously. The sisters realized how much they missed each other. Unfortunately, Donna didn't get pushed/fall off a cliff.

Definitely recommend the book. Even though Cleo, Emma and Sylvie were highly dysfunctional, I loved reading about them. Loved the characters, story and writing style. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.