Four camp friends, their last year at camp something terrible happened and they decided to part ways and never talk about it. But now, years later, they receive an ominous letter bring them back together. What happened at camp? And what will happen to the girls now since someone knows what they did?

I found this to be like putting together a puzzle, but I never had all the pieces and some weren’t even to the same puzzle. I was intrigued to find out what had happened at camp, and why they were brought back together. It was somehow underwhelming and also complex and out of left field. Also, the big reveal kind of happens and it’s immediately over.

The characters had a lot of back story to each of them, making them more dynamic, but some was unnecessary in my opinion. Unlikeable characters, which I guess means they were done well for me to dislike them.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lucinda Berry and Thomas & Mercer for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Like Berry’s other works, this is a compelling and page turning novel that I quite enjoyed. I would definitely recommend and I can’t wait to read more backlist titles from this author!

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for this ARC!

Lucinda Berry always has me changing my plans so I can read her books! This book wasn't any different, I needed to know what was happening!

The book is told by multiple characters past and present, however is very easy to follow along. (Warning you right now that you will hate a few of the characters, but that is all part of the journey.) There were multiple twists, one that left me with my jaw on the floor. I found the end did leave me with some questions however, overall it was wrapped up nicely.

4 stars!

Lucinda Berry has an immense talent for writing fast paced, thrillers that draw you in on the very first page, and that’s exactly what if you tell a lie does, and it doesn’t let go until the last page. 4/5

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a digital ARC of this book. I am a huge LB fan and was super excited to read this.

In the beginning, I was hooked! Four friends at summer camp told in multiple POVs and dual timelines. The character development is great and I loved reading the then and now of each character. However, this one fell flat. I had high hopes for a twisted story and this wasn't it. And the ending....I have so many questions. Will there be more to this story?

Maybe I was expecting more because I loved The Perfect Child. If You Tell a Lie didn't compare at all. For me, this book was just ok.

This was my first book by Lucinda Berry.. and let's just say... I am a fan!!! What a wild crazy ride this was!! I absolutely loved the multiple POV's and how it went back and forth from "then" and "now". And let me tell you, I never hated a group of girls so much, but was still so pulled into how diabolical and just how crappy they were and how easy it is as a teenager to just follow a ring leader. There were lots of twists and turns with an ending you didn't see coming!
Definitely recommend this one!!

Listen, I love Lucinda and have read almost every single one of her books but i found this one to be extremely boring and I had to DNF. Her last few books have unfortunately been flops for me personally.

The flow of the story felt a little off to me. I don’t know how else to describe it.. it started off interesting and had my attention, but that’s quickly faded. It was choppy and all over the place, filled with too many red herrings. The ending was so painfully obvious from very early for me. The girls were so naive and blinded. I couldn’t really get into it, I had to force myself to pick the book up to read. I usually really enjoy Berry’s stories and am excited to see what she comes out with next.

Wow! Just wow. I was so uncomfortable with Blakely's past behavior and then learning about the girls and all their issues. I love how this author slowly unveils information, but not so slow that you lose interest. It is like something every few pages but just enough to keep your hooked.
I found this all so difficult because children being harmed by trusted adults is something that happens but also kids can be aggressive and weird.
This is why most schools don't ever have an adult alone with a child anymore. What do you do with those accusations. Of course it way way bigger than that in this book but it starts with a teenager with a crush.
There are probably trigger warnings for this but as a victim myself there were few parts that were just far too close to my experience. I had a to take a few breaks and center myself, but that just means it is good writing, (just maybe not the best for CSA victims).
I do not want to reveal any more information because it might ruin it but just WOW.
Read this one. It is good.

I'm currently reading my way through all of Lucinda Berry's boks and this one did not disappoint! She has such talent for writing fast paced, immersive thrillers that manage to pack a punch. Sometimes I am ok with a surface level story when it comes to the genre, but she really makes it clear that it can be so much more. As always, the commentary was handled well and I flew through this.

This was my first Lucinda Berry book and I enjoyed it. Told in last and present and from multiple points of view. Friends from childhood they go through something very traumatic and vow to never speak of it again. Until they all receive letters. What we witness is the untold views of that night from each girls perspective and even from the wife’s. I did enjoy the twist at the end and I cannot wait to read more from her.

This was only my second Lucinda Berry book, the first technically only being a short story (One of Our Own) and while I did enjoy it, I had a lot of problems with it as well. Mainly the ending, it shocked me for sure but it was very abrupt and had me wanting more. There were many POVs from both the past and now so to end without wrapping all the characters storylines up was very disappointing. I will likely read more of her in hopes this was a one off.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC for my honest review.

Title: If You Tell A Lie
Author: Lucinda Berry
Available Now!

I was so excited to get this arc from NetGalley! So many of Lucinda Berry’s books are already on my TBR so I knew I’d want to read this one too!

The synopsis really sucked me in….The story centers around four girls who have attended summer camp at Camp Pendleton together for years and are are experiencing their final year of camp as seniors. There is a feeling among the group that this year is going to be different than the previous years. However, they never could have predicted just how different it would be! When a handsome new tennis coach shows up and ends up murdered, the girls swear that they will never say a word about what they know and they go their separate ways. Twenty six years later, they all receive a mysterious note that brings them together again and they experience a turn of events that none of could have ever saw coming!

This book is told through dual timelines. One being during the time at Camp Pendleton, and the other being twenty six years later when the friends meet up again. I really enjoyed the summer camp setting. It definitely made me think about my childhood and my experiences at summer camp. The book also touches a lot on the issue of peer pressure among teens and really highlights what can happen when people do things they don’t agree with just to fit in. These girls just kept making one bad decision after the next and you just know it’s not going to go well for them!
The ending of the book took a turn that I didn’t expect and I definitely didn’t see the final twist coming at all!

I loved the premise of the book. I feel it was short so there was room for more but then again that also leads to a sequel. I feel like it made little sense that the women didn't know what the dad looked like especially the one who spent time with him so that flaw sent me down a rabbit hole. Overall the storyline was very easy for me to get drawn in and I loved the twist.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I am fan of Lucinda Berry. However, this was not my favorite by her. Not horrible, but just a little slow and a bit juvenile. I still like her writing and will continue to enjoy others. Read like a YA

Lucinda Berry, is and will always be a favorite author of mine.

Each book I pick up, I swear is the best Berry book I have ever read and then another publishes and I'm right back to repeating the same phrase.

Best Berry Book

That actually has a nice ring to it, I think I'll keep it.

If You Tell a Lie

Holy, mother of Moses, Berry, has once again put my soul in a blender.

These are my favorite kind of books.... the ones that drudge up long buried secrets. "
Friends" or better yet "frenemies" all held together by lies that hold them together.

EEeeEEkkKK!!!

This book is my newest obsession and I believe it will be yours too

Check out this teaser :

Bestselling author Lucinda Berry serves up a haunting thriller about four friends sworn to secrecy over the events of one fateful summer—and the dark truths that threaten to erupt years later.

They never considered how his wife might react, or that by the end of the summer a man would be dead. But Blakely always got her way, and the others followed her lead—even when they knew it was dead wrong.

The girls had been friends from day one at Camp Pendleton, a haven for gifted children. But their senior summer was different. When Mr. Crosby, the handsome tennis coach, wound up murdered after a reckless lie, Blakely, Grace, Meg, and Thera swore themselves to secrecy. And never spoke to each other again.

Until now. Twenty years later a sinister note claiming to know what they did brings them back together. And once again Blakely is pulling the strings.

Unfolding in a dual timeline, If You Tell a Lie is a disturbing journey into the dangerous, sometimes deadly consequences of peer pressure—with a bone-chilling twist you’ll never see coming.

Good story. Lots of twists and turns. Lots of drama. Lucinda Berry never disappoints. I really enjoyed everything about this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

This was amazing and kept me hooked until the end! That girl oh my that girl! I knew she was a bad person but holy cow!!!

Lucinda Berry is quickly becoming a favorite author! Her writing is great, character development and twists so so good! I will recommend this book to reader friends for sure! Thank you for the chance to read an advance copy!

Four friends are bound together by a secret. Fast forward twenty years later and all the gang receive notes referencing the secret. As the friends get together to plan what to do next, it becomes clear all is not as it seems.

Wow this one was such a page turner! I loved the multiple POVs, short chapters and dual timelines. I had no idea which way this book was going to go with the ending being a total surprise. Definitely worth a read if you're a thriller fan!