This book was mediocre and lacked character development. I was expecting more twists for being a Lucinda Berry novel. There was a lot of potential with the plot, however I felt like it was rushed and ended abruptly. I was not shocked with the outcome and felt as if it was predictable. The book rotates between the protagonists and timelines which I do not usually mind reading, however it felt repetitive. I didn't feel like I was gaining anything from reading the different characters reflections on their past and even present.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for Lucinda Berry’s “If You Tell a Lie” I thought it was a good solid story and I liked going between the past and present. 4 girls grew up going to summer camp together and their last year someone was murdered. The ending felt a bit rushed to me, and I don’t feel like the story needed Regina’s POV, but I was satisfied with the story when it all came together.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer & NetGalley for the ARC!

Lucinda Berry has the ability to grab your attention in the prologue and hold on tight to it through the last word of the book. If You Tell A Lie is a story of friendship and how far you would go to protect… or hurt… your friends. Camp Pendleton is a camp for smart rich kids, a place where they can meet friends that are like themselves. Blakely, Thera, Meg, and Grace became friends their very first year. Fast forward to their senior year at camp, the girls are looking forward to all the perks of being the oldest on campus and all the fun that goes along with it. When a new tennis coach joins the staff Blakely is “in love” at first sight. Nevermind the fact that he’s too old and too married. Blakely always gets what she wants, and while the other girls go along with her shenanigans, even they know that she’s gone too far this time. The girls leave camp that year and never speak again until they each receive a white envelope in the mail, 26 years later. The fear of their secret coming out brings the girls together again. But this time they are adults, and the stakes are far higher. Blakely has always gotten her way…. Somethings never change.


This book was so well written. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. I did figure out the twist before it was revealed, but Lucinda Berry always throws in a few extra shockers, so I wasn’t upset. The characters were easy to relate to and it was fun to see who they grew into as adults. Multiple POV’s is my favorite kind of book and the way this done shifted from past to present was icing on the cake.

I don’t know what goes on that kind of hers, but Lucinda Berry is the queen of writing psychological drama!

Lucinda Berry is one of my absolute favorites so I was really excited to see that she has a new book out. I grabbed this one without even reading the synopsis. I’ve loved everything she’s written. I’m sad to say that this was hard for me to finish. I had a hard time keeping the four main characters straight as it’s told in both the past and the present. I was able to spot the twist a mile away, and I was bored.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

SYNOPSIS
- Four adult women, Blakely, Grace, Meg, and Thera, reunite to discuss their resurfaced secret.
- Growing up, the group became summer camp friends at Camp Pendleton, a camp for gifted kids.
- During their senior summer, something went down, and they have kept it a secret for 26 years.
- Now, anonymous notes bring them back together to examine the past.

TRIGGER WARNING (SPOILER)
- Animal violence
- Death of dog

MY THOUGHTS
- I love Lucinda Berry and am a big fan of her writing style. This is her 3rd book that I’ve read. I gave 4 stars to “The Best of Friends” and 5 stars to “When She Returned”, so I was excited for this one.
- This one is told from multiple POVs and alternating timelines (past and present). At times, it was hard to keep everyone straight. The different characters all felt like the same voice, so it was a bit hard to follow.
- Ooh, reminded me of an elevated PLL (Pretty Little Liars).
- There's palpable tension throughout the book, but the most of the “twists” were predictable.
- The pacing is a bit slow, and I didn’t like any of the characters. Unlikable characters aren’t an issue, but they lacked depth & I couldn’t connect with them.
- There’s some gratuitous violence scenes that went a bit too far. I also HATEEEEEE reading about violence to animals.
- The plot had a lot of potential, but ultimately fell short for me. I absolutely will continue to read Berry’s work though!

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️Love Lucinda Berry, but this one fell short for me.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on July 23, 2024.

Long kept secret with this one. A group of four girls who frequented each other every year during the summer at Camp Pendleton, have a huge part on a tragedy that occurred at the camp. Prank gone wrong VERY WRONG!!

They reunite 26 years later only to resurface the past and then some…

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for allowing me access to this novel in exchange of my honest review

I’ve read other books by Lucinda Berry and was intrigued by the synopsis for this book. The book is split into 5 different POVs and 2 different timelines. I’m not sure why but I kept confusing the characters Meg and Grace. All 4 girls have trauma they’ve lived through, but it’s difficult to root for any of them because of how awful they are. They writing is strong and was what ultimately kept me reading until the end. The conclusion was unsatisfying, with no proper resolution, which was probably the intention. If you’re a fan of Lucinda Berry and messed up characters you’ll enjoy this book. (3.25/5)

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blakely, Thera, Meg and Claire meet at summer camp. A prank gone wrong in their senior year results in the death of their tennis coach, and ties them together with a shared secret. 26 years later and their past starts to catch up with them.

This was a quick and easy read told in multiple POV and flashbacks. It’s my first Lucinda Berry and I’ll definitely try some more. You can certainly see the authors background in psychology, which really enhances the story. I found the ending predictable and a bit rushed, and the story a bit slow in places. However I really enjoyed the build up, the way the author explored social issues, the unreliability of memory and the various experiences of the girls.

I’d recommend this for anyone looking for a quick and engaging read, and look forward to picking up other works by this author.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

My Review:
Loved!!!!! This is of no surprise to me at all. This author is my favorite author of all time. I have read most of her books besides two older ones and have loved them all. I don’t think Lucinda Berry can even write a bad book if she tried. What makes her unique is that in real life she was a former clinical psychologist and leading researcher in childhood trauma. She uses her knowledge from her former life in her books and it is awesome. She really gets inside the mind of her characters. It can get dark and twisted at times. The characters in this one were all so perfect for the story line. The plot was a typical camp story that was filled with tons of secrets and lies. I loved how the author compared lies with being an alcoholic. You just couldn’t tell one lie like an alcoholic couldn’t just have one drink. This rang true throughout the entire book. My favorite part of this one though was that shocking and heart attack of an ending. I knew something was wrong the entire time but I never would’ve guessed it, not in a million years. The whole book left me on the edge of the seat and asking myself what I would do. This author sure did not disappoint and I can’t wait to read her next book.

In conclusion, the plot, the characters and all the twists in this book made this book an enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Lucinda Berry, I am in shock as this book had me on a roller coaster ride with suspense in every chapter. I kept guessing yet was never correct and that made it even better as I did not see what was coming next. With well-developed characters and a plot that navigated effortlessly from the past to the present as each character told their story. An ending that left me wanting more. If there were a sequel to this book it would be on my TBR list immediately. If You Tell a Lie is the best mystery I have read this year. I would love to know what happens to Meg, Grace, Thera, and the cunning Blakely. This book leaves you questioning at the end how deep are our childhood friendships and how well you know those you only see once a summer. If you read one book this year make it If You Tell a Lie as it is entertainment at it's finest.

Four teenage girls are attending their last year at Camp Pendleton, a summer camp for gifted children, and the only place they feel accepted and can truly be themselves. Ringleader Blakely immediately begins an obsession with the new tennis instructor, Jared. She is determined to initiate a relationship with him and will stop at nothing, even if it means destroying the lives of everyone around her.

This was a much darker story than the usual by this author, with quite a few twisted characters. Told from multiple P.O.V.'s and dual timelines, this immediately pulls the reader in. Oftentimes, when there are multiple characters, we, as the reader, have a hard time distinguishing one from the other. However, in this story, each character had a uniqueness to them, whether physically or emotionally. While no one was exactly likable, they were highly intriguing. This was dark and honestly scary when you think about how certain scenarios here are not far out of the realm of possibility in the real world and showing what rumors and statements can do, creating a destructive, devastating path with such rapidity. While this was highly enjoyable, it was also disturbing with the old saying coming to mind of a car crash that you can't bring yourself to look away from. That said, this is by far my favorite from this author to date. Four and a half stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer, for this ARC.

4.5 stars for sure! But super close to 5.
What would make it 5? It kind of ends with you having to just think what might of happened at the end. You don’t really get closure and I had myself asking hmm wonder if this happened.

Four friends are in their last year of camp and they swear to never tell the truth of what happened that summer and they all went their own way. Many years later the truth comes out years later.
I don’t even want to give away any more of the story because it’s great.

I went in this blind just because of the author and had no clue what it was about. Wow! It was a great, twisty novel. It is in several point of views for anyone that does not like that type of book, but I feel it’s needed for this one. I would definitely recommend to everyone.

I wanted to like this book but I literally could not get past the writing. It felt like the entire book was nothing but super choppy, simple (sometimes incomplete) sentences. The characters had no real depth to them. Most of the time I would forget which character was speaking and had to look back to check.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

Back in the summer of 1994 Camp Pendleton was the place where rich spoiled kids spent six weeks of their school break. Thera, Meg, Grace, and Blakely spent every summer together since they were eight. Now they were sixteen and spending their last summer together at camp. It was supposed to be an epic last hurrah before college except something happened at camp that changed the course of their lives. Even though, it started with Blakely they each promised not to contact each other or talk about it with any one. When the letters arrived with a warning Blakely had them meet at her house.
…
Thera attended camp after her mother passed away from cancer as a means to find friendship something she didn’t have at home. Losing her mother caused her to spiral socially. Bonding with Blakely who also lost her mother helped her cope with her grief. Blakely was the leader of their group doling out orders. Meg clung to Blakely basically hiding behind her overpowering personality. Grace battled with her weight causing her to become insecure. Camp was a place for her to someone else away from the kids who body shammed her.
…
If You Tell A Lie is about the friendship four eight year old girls established every year at summer camp. They looked forward to summer where they got to spend time with each other. This year was different. They were sixteen and Blakely was boy crazy. She had her sights in the new tennis coach. When Blakely wants something she doesn’t take no for an answer. With her minions at her beck and call Blakely got more than she bargained for.
…
Lucinda Berry puts her talent to good use. I’m impressed with her writing style and skills to keep writing these brilliant concepts and executing them perfectly. This was a shockingly good read. The psychological trauma of these characters played like putter in the hands of a talented manipulator.

If Lucinda Berry wrote it, it's getting five stars.
This was giving Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants + Murder and I was here for it.
As much as I love her deep and disturbing reads, the domestic thrillers are also such a wild ride.
You'll leave this story wanting more, per usual, but she's also the Queen of cliffhangers, so that's to be expected.
Multiple POV and timelines, done flawlessly. You'll hate some characters and love others.
Can't wait for the next!

Thank you Netgalley, Thomas and Mercer, and author Lucinda Berry, for the ARC of this novel.

In Lucinda Berry's new thriller, four friends have a pact to never share the events of the fateful summer of their senior year at camp. However, the truth threatens to surface years later.

The book is told from alternating perspectives, in past and present time. I am really not a big fan of this style of writing. I found the characters somehow very lacking and not likeable. I almost didn't finish the book, but did complete it. Not up to the standard of previous books written by this author, in my opinion.
2.5 out of 5 ⭐️

This one was ok for me. When you think you have it figured out it takes a turn! I always enjoy the turns and twists of a Lucinda book!

This is another of those stories where teenage girls follow their ‘leader’s’ terrible decisions because they have no mind of their own. And these girls are supposed to be gifted (which is barely touched on in the story) so I guess they are all brains and no common sense or street smarts. The characters are pretty cliché and unlikable so there’s no one I rooted for throughout. Blakely is the spoiled rich girl they follow blindly even though she’s terrible. Thera is the closest to a main narrator that we have, there’s nothing remarkable about her – she’s closest to Blakely because both of their mothers died. Meg is great at tennis and Grace is the fat one. Seriously, they categorize themselves this way. So Blakely does ‘something’ dumb, none of her friends stop her, and there are terrible far-reaching consequences that lead them to form a pact to never tell anyone their secret and never talk to each other again.

Fast forward to the other narrative, which is now 26 or so years later, when they receive messages from someone who knows their secret and threatens to tell all. They hurry to reconvene together and decide how to proceed. And then things get more outlandish from there, when they all convert to their teenage selves, right back into their old patterns. Which (surprise!) leads to more terrible decisions and behavior. There’s a twist that I saw coming and so would anyone except these women, apparently, because even when one pulls away from the group, she’s still surprised by what happens at the end.

It's not that I didn’t enjoy reading the story and I’m not trying to criticize the author because I know girls like this exist. And sure, hive mentality and all of that, but it makes you believe most teenage girls are just destined to behave this way, and they aren’t. How about someone write a story where girls have non-destructive friendships without the queen bee hierarchy? But I guess that wouldn’t make for good storytelling. I suppose this one would work as a worst-case scenario, except that as they aged, the characters didn’t experience any real growth. Except for Grace, and I’m sorry, but I don’t find her new life changes as empowering, just sad and unrealistic.

I love this author and I’m sure readers will love this story, especially if they relate to the characters. And the fact that I react like this shows the passion that her writing inspires. But unlike the girls in this story, once you read it, form your own opinion!

𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐𝒙𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒖𝒕. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒅 𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒕? 𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒍, 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒕.

The premise of the book was so original. Camp Pendleton is a special camp for gifted kids, and it quickly becomes their haven. All of their insecurities, quirks, and oddities are celebrated here. A regular school may put athletes on a pedestal, but at Camp Pendleton, the top entertainment of a night could be a Chemistry Trivia Bowl.

Anyone who has ever been a teenage girl or has worked with teen girls definitely knows how mercurial they can be. There is always a social hierarchy in a group, and one girl will always reign supreme as the leader. At the camp, Blakely holds that title, and Grace, Meg, and Thera always followed her lead, even when they knew it was wrong.

The girls are excited about their senior summer. They know they will rule the camp, play the best pranks, and perhaps even lose their virginity. But when Blakely sets her sights on Mr. Crosby, the new handsome tennis coach, what started as a prank escalates into a lie that caused a bloodbath that would rival Clytemnestra slaying Agamemnon.

Lucinda Berry always creates such epically flawed characters that should cause absolute revulsion in a reader. Instead, I found myself understanding the terrible actions of these girls and how easy it is to get swept up in a lie, especially when someone else is controlling the narrative. The dual timelines and alternating points of view served this story well, and the ending will live rent-free in my head for quite a while. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for this chilling early copy. This book will release July 23, 2024.

Well it's been a while since I've hated a book the way I hate this one.
The plot is pretty simple at first, four girls at camp do something terrible and agree to keep it a secret, 26 years later the secret might be out. Basic and done a lot but if it's well done it can work. The problem here is that it's done with a trope that I can't believe we still use in this day and age : the girl lying about abuse. I'm not against a risky trope when it's well done, but that's not the case in this book. A girl and then the same one as a woman lies about abuse. Several times, accusing several people. That's the kind of thing anti feminist are saying all women do, it's not something you use to make your plot move along. Making your female character a villain using that? That's lazy writing.