The Lying Game by Sara Jane Woodley is a delightful, low-spice grumpy/sunshine rom-com that will have readers swooning from start to finish. The story follows a heartbroken woman who finds herself stranded after a disastrous date and unexpectedly caught up in a series of hilarious and awkward situations with a grumpy stranger named Lachlan Chase. What starts as a one-night encounter quickly turns into a forced proximity scenario when they end up as roommates, sharing a cramped space and a bed after a series of misadventures.

The chemistry between the two leads is palpable, with the grumpy Lachlan and the sunny, optimistic heroine creating the perfect balance of tension and humor. Their relationship builds slowly and sweetly, with the "one bed" trope adding a layer of delicious awkwardness and longing that will keep you hooked. The small-town setting and quirky dynamics of the forced living situation add to the charm, making The Lying Game a fun, lighthearted read full of heart and humor.

Woodley does a fantastic job of developing both characters, revealing their layers in a way that keeps the story engaging without needing explicit content. The sweet, swoony HEA (happily-ever-after) is the cherry on top of this romantic journey. If you're a fan of slow-burn romance, witty banter, and characters with undeniable chemistry, The Lying Game is a perfect choice.

This is a quick read where you can't help but fall in love with Lanchaln and Lucy. Their banter and the way they constantly get on each other's nerves. They also had incredibly well written back stories which just enhanced the overall plot and momentum of the story.

Closed Door Romance, Roommates, Grumpy x Sunshine, Opposites Attract, One Bed, Slow Burn

"Getting trapped in a rundown motel with a grumpy stranger wasn’t how this night was supposed to end, but at least I’ll never have to see him again. Until he becomes my new roommate."

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this along with letting me review it. The lying game by Sara Jane Woodley is a 4 star romance read. My favorite character would be Lachlan at first he seems super gruff and not out going at all but in reality he is secretly a soft teddy bear once you get to know him. Lucy is outgoing ray of sunshine who deep down is a complete sweetheart.
This book had some of my favorite tropes, which are
-Forced Proximity
-One Bed
-Small Town
- Grumpy/ Sunshine
- A bit of a Slow Burn Romance

I loved this story!! Lachlan is a swoonworthy main character. His grumpy demeanor fits perfectly into this story and complements Lucy’s sunshine personality! I cannot get enough of these two.

This is one of those books that I think I will turn to when I'm in a reading slump. Mostly because l
Already know its going to be good and also because its just a fast paced read. I am also a sucker for these types of covers. Eventually I will have to buy this in physical copy and annotate the heck out of it!

This was a fun, grump/sunshine, small town, enemies to lovers story that had me laughing and smiling all the way through. Lucy was such a lovely character, sweet and kind, and I admired her resilience having had such a difficult and painful past. Despite that, she has such optimism and her sunny disposition was charming. Lachlan may appear grumpy and burly on the outside, which is actually what gives him his charm, but he has the biggest heart. He and Lucy really had great chemistry and it was evident from the start. They fit together and complemented each other so perfectly. I really enjoyed their journey getting to know each other and watching their relationship blossom.
Such a sweet and heartwarming rom com, with wonderful character development made this such an enjoyable and entertaining read. The storyline flowed smoothly and kept me entertained from start to finish. The characters were well-developed and relatable and I enjoyed getting to know them. A delightfully fun read!
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Book Review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sara Jane Woodley pens one of the cutest books I have ever read!

After news breaks that Lachlan Chase, VP of Sparksfly (a popular dating website) is awful at love, he is forced to take a leave of absence. With no where to go, he heads to Cascade Point, the small town he visited every summer during his youth. Along the way he is able to heal old wounds, find his true passion, and meet the girl of his dreams. The only problem is his life is back in LA. Will Lachlan give everything up for a chance at happiness, or will he be forced to leave it all behind?

As soon as I started reading Sara Jane Woosley’s The Lying Game I knew I was in for a treat! I immediately connected with her writing style. So much so, that I could not put the book down. After all, who doesn’t enjoy:
Small Town Romance
Grumpy/ Sunshine
One Bed
Roomates
Forced Proximity

*It is rare that a clean romance author writes a romcom featuring the one bed/ forced proximity trope. However, Woodley does a perfect job of keeping the chemistry in Lachlan and Lucy’s relationship without adding all the spice.

I cannot wait to return to Cascade Point for the rest of The Brighton Brother Series. It will be fun to reconnect with the entire quirky cast of characters that make up this small town.

Special thanks to Netgalley, Eleventh Avenue Publishing Inc., and Sara Jane Woodley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC of The Lying Game.
This read was short and fun to read. I loved the character dynamics.

Super cute!

This was a fun escape. I loved Lachlan and Lucy. From their first meeting to the very end, just fun chemistry and swoony romance. I love the small town setting. The overall story moved along well and it was fun getting to know all the characters in the story.

In Sarah Jane Woodley's captivating novel, "The Lying Game," the protagonist finds herself in an unexpected and heart-pounding adventure that will challenge her beliefs and ignite undeniable chemistry. After a disastrous date, the protagonist accepts a ride from a handsome but grouchy stranger, Lachlan. As fate would have it, a flooded highway and a spontaneous "lying game" later, they find themselves stranded and forced to spend the night together. Despite the initial awkwardness, Lachlan surprises the protagonist with his charm and kindness. As their paths continue to intertwine, the protagonist discovers that Lachlan is not the aloof city slicker she had assumed. He possesses a genuine and thoughtful side, captivating her with his sweet gestures and undeniable chemistry. However, the protagonist is wary of falling for someone who may not be planning to stay in her small town. The novel explores the complexities of relationships and the challenges of navigating them when secrets and lies are involved. As the protagonist and Lachlan spend more time together, the lines between truth and deception blur, testing the boundaries of their trust and newfound connection. Woodley's writing is both engaging and introspective, delving into the characters' inner thoughts and motivations. She skillfully weaves a tale of love, laughter, and the search for authenticity, leaving readers captivated until the very last page. "The Lying Game" is a heartfelt and thought-provoking romance that will resonate with readers long after they finish the final chapter.

If I want a feel good, HEA with cute characters, witty banter and just all the good vibes, this author is my go to. I’ve read several of her other books and this was not a disappointment. The concept was one that we’ve seen before but her originality in characters won me over. A palate cleanser of a book that leaves you feeling warm

I absolutely loved this book. Everything about it was so good! Lucy and Lachlan are truly a dream copy and I'm so glad I got to read their story

I have my full review posted to my blog

The Lying Game was my first read by Sarah Woodley. It is a slow burn clean romance. Laughlin (grumpy) finds himself picking up Lucy (sunshine) on the side of the road. They were total opposites but also found some things they had in common. The small town created some fun scenarios for the couple to find themselves in.

It was a cute story but I think the slow burn was a little too slow for me and I found myself skimming some of the pages. I really enjoyed the ending.
I would read more books by this author and would recommend this one if you enjoy the slow burn.

The Lying Game is a fun small town, grumpy/sunshine romance that has you rooting for the main characters. The writing pulls you in and the banter is excellent.

Two strangers meet at the side of the road. One has a wet bicycle coming from a bad date and the other has a car and is coming to take some time off of work after a date goes bad in a very public online way. The two meet and just can't seem to escape the other's orbit. Realizing that they have something to offer the other they can't seem to stay away and their feelings are mashed down to the bottom of their hearts until it becomes obvious to everyone else that they are meant to be.

The story is told from both the guy and the girl's point of view so you hear what they are each thinking. I loved that the story setting was in a small town and the girl was just a townie, showing us that not every great love story happens in NY. Each character finds their new strengths and in turn becomes someone that they didn't even know themselves.

This was a fun read. Reccomend!

I really enjoyed the Lying Game, however, I do feel like the cover doesn’t fully reflect the story. I think it needs to be more WA like and not as bright and cheery. That was one thing that threw me off. The story itself was adorable and I loved the opposites attract and overworking vs relaxed life. As someone from WA, I had so much fun jumping back into the state.

What a great, feel good, closed door romance! Sometimes you just need a story that’s sweet and wholesome that makes you smile, and this fits the bill! I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!

5 stars! A very good closed door romance.

I usually like romance books with a little (a lot) of steam. Sometimes it feels like pure romances don't really manage to get good tension between the main characters. But this book! In this book the tension really built up. I really liked this!

The main characters are Lachlan (grumpy city boy) and Lucy (sunshiney little town girl). Lachlan reluctantly comes to Cascade Point, where his brother lives. Through coincidences, Lachlan ends up living under the same roof with Lucy. They are very, very different, but it turns out they get along amazingly well.

This was the first book I read from Sara Jane Woodley, but I'm definitely going to read more of her books!

What to expect:
Grumpy - sunshine
Small town
Dual POV
Slowburn
Opposites attract
Forced Proximity
Strangers to friends to lovers
Happy ending

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I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this and thought it was such a charming read. I loved how positive it felt, how Lucy’s attitude infected me and I love so very much the authors messages about the real priorities in life , how they aren’t the same for everyone and just wow, pick this up and give it a read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I would like to start off by saying this COVER is so stinking cute!! I loved Lucy! She’s so cute. Lachlan was kind of boring and too grumpy at the beginning of the book but he definitely changed and made up for that. The epilogue was perfect and I loved their happy ending!