Its probably gonna sound odd but I know this author is insanely popular but this was my first book from her. I can definitely see why she is so popular though. This book was crazy in all the ways.

4 girls go to camp as young children and become the best of friends. Their final year there, tragedy unfolds and they will make a pact to keep the darkest secret and to never see each other again. The secret haunts them in their daily lives as they have gone their separate ways.

A book with many gasping moments. Twists and turns and sociopathic personalities. It was a little drawn out in some places and could be confusing at times with many POV’s and timelines.

“If You Tell a Lie” by Lucinda Berry is a gripping thriller that delves into the dark repercussions of a youthful lie. The story revolves around four former friends—Blakely, Grace, Meg, and Thera—whose summer at Camp Pendleton takes a deadly turn when a deceitful act leads to the murder of their tennis coach, Mr. Crosby. Bound by a pact of silence, they part ways, but their past is soon resurrected when an ominous note forces them back together.

Berry's narrative alternates between two timelines, exploring both the events leading up to Mr. Crosby’s death and the present-day fallout. This dual timeline structure adds depth to the story, revealing the complexities of the characters’ motivations and the impact of their past decisions. The tension builds as the women confront their shared history and grapple with the resurfacing threat from someone who knows their secret.

The novel is effective in its portrayal of the psychological effects of guilt and peer pressure. The characters are well-developed, with each one’s response to the unfolding mystery offering insight into their personalities and the nature of their relationships. The suspense is palpable, and the narrative’s twist, while surprising, might feel slightly melodramatic for some readers.

If You Tell a Lie by Lucinda Berry is a thrilling summer read. The story follows four friends—Blakely, Grace, Meg, and Thera—who met at Camp Pendleton for gifted children. During their senior summer, a reckless lie leads to the murder of their tennis coach, Mr. Crosby. They swear to keep the secret and never speak to each other again.
Twenty years later, a sinister note reunites them, threatening to expose their dark past. The story unfolds in a dual timeline, showing their teenage dynamics and how they have evolved as adults. The relationships and peer pressure are portrayed realistically, reminding me of high school drama.
The plot is dark and twisted, with secrets slowly unraveling. The pacing is fast, and the characters are engaging. Although the ending feels rushed, it adds to the shock value.
If you enjoy suspenseful thrillers with complex characters, this book is perfect for you!

Very grateful to the publisher for my copy, opinions are my own.

If you tell a lie is a story of about four teenagers at a summer camp. One of their counselors is murdered and they all swear to keep it a secret and leave the past behind until years later they receive a note.

This is my first book by Lucinda Berry and I was really excited to read the ARC after seeing how popular her other books are. However, it was disappointing for me. The character development was not unique. I kept confusing their back story, especially Meg and Grace. Also the story was not believable, the choices they made as grown adults were beyond me. The twist was also ridiculous and the ending was extremely abrupt and disappointing. I was waiting for some explanation but it just ended, like there was a chapter or two missing.

I personally didn’t enjoy this book but I will give the authors other books a chance.

Thank you Net Galley for ARC for my honest review.

This one had a lot of potential for me in the beginning, I was fairly invested in finding out exactly what had happened in the long ago summer but unfortunately the end ruined it for me. The author always does a really good job at exploring the psychological side of things in her books, (I’ve read most of them​) and her background gives her an edge into the way people behave that always fascinates me. So there was still that strength here and she explores grooming, the effects of peer pressure and many more dark issues here with a keen insight. Where she lost me was the constant need to suspense disbelief and then the ending felt rushed and abrupt with so many questions left hanging. Having so many unresolved issues kept me from rating this higher but I’m sure I’ll read the author again in the future because many of her books have been great for me.

Most people didn’t like the ending but I found this so dull until it got to that point. So I actually bumped my rating from a 2 to a 3 once I got to the twist at the end.

Four girls who meet a summer camp and become close friends are part of a crime and murder during their last year of camp. Many years later they're pulled together, after years of hiding what really happened that fateful day, by another crime that binds them. This is written in true Lucinda Berry style with a mystery that ties friendships, relationships and true evil together. I flew through this one.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Mercer for the ARC of this book.

I went into this book with super high expectations 1) because I freaking love Berry and 2) because I’ve read all of her books and just could not wait for this one.

I did enjoy this book and the twists were wild per usual. However, it was pretty slow in the beginning. I didn’t find myself picking it up but then kept giving it another shot. I’m glad I did. The last half of the book was great. I trust no one now lol!

Can’t see what Berry comes up with next. I’ll literally read anything this woman writes!

This book had Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants vibes. Not sure if the character of Blakely Reynolds was intentional in the fact that it made me picture Blake Lively as that person or not.

It starts off with a group of girls in summer camp, and quickly becomes darker from there. It was a fun read with great twists.

Gave it 4 stars because of the ending.

If You Tell a Lie by Lucinda Berry

Lucinda Berry’s book are quick reads for me. If You Tell a Lie is no different. It’s a psychological thriller told in dual timelines and multiple POVs. There’s a lot of manipulation and lying; sometimes you aren’t sure which character to believe (which I like!).

If You Tell a Lie is basically a reckless journey with peer pressure and social contagion and how dangerous or deadly the outcome(s) can be.

If you want an easy psychological thriller this is the book for you. Short chapters. Each chapter that ends makes you want to start another. There’s a few crazy twists but it’s supposed to be entertaining right?? I guessed one twist but wasn’t prepared for others. I would have liked to know what eventually happened to 3 of the characters or maybe it was left open for a sequel?

There are some subjects of sexual abuse, rape (mentioned not described), eating disorders and gruesome depictions. No sexually explicit scenes.

4 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

#NetGalley #ifyoutellalie #lucindaberry

If You Tell A Lie is full of crazy drama and unstable characters, and I couldn't put it down. Lucinda Berry has crafted a twisty tale involving 4 best friends who promise to support each other forever. The storyline switches between "then" when the four main characters were senior campers at Camp Pendleton and "now" 26 years later. All four girls have had difficult childhoods and are thankful to have each other. They have spent 9 consecutive years at summer camp together and are determined to make their last summer the best one yet. However, things don't go to plan, and the girls end up leaving camp with many secrets they will not speak of again ... until 26 years later when something brings them together once more. Wow! The storyline goes a bit off the rails, but it was exciting and kept me turning the pages. I always enjoy Berry's writing style as it makes for an easy, comfortable, yet captivating read. If You Tell A Lie would make a great tv movie or mini series. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the digital ARC.

Blakely, Grace, Meg, and Thera became best friends on day one at Camp Pendleton, a haven for gifted children. Then, their final summer, Mr. Crosby,, the handsome new tennis coach, winds up murdered after a reckless lie. The four girls 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 the one pulling the strings.

I really wanted to like this book. I normally like this author's books, but this one just fell flat for me. The characters all seemed to lack depth, and I didn't find anyone that I really found especially likeable, or like someone I could root for. The story is told in alternating chapters between past and present, so you can see what happened at camp all those years ago, along with what is happening now. Overall, this is a solid 3 out 5.

Four friends from camp were involved in a murder. They swore themselves to secrecy and that they would never communicate again. Now, twenty-six years later, someone is sending them threatening notes. They reconvene to try to figure out what is going on.

I liked the premise here, but I think there was too much going on structurally. We had multiple POVS, multiple timelines (with the multiple POVS throughout), and no real method to switching back and forth between the two. For instance, we would get a snippet of present timeline and then three chapters of the past. It made it harder for the suspense to build for me I think.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Lucinda Berry for the copy of If You Tell a Lie.

I have come to enjoy everything of Lucinda Berry’s that I have read, and this one is no different! Such a creative and wonderfully written story. Not how I expected this to go, but sooo good!

Thank you, Thomas & Mercer for this advance copy in exchange for my review.

I thought this was going to take the crown for my favourite Lucinda book up until the ending, but more on that later.

Here’s what I loved. The representation in the girls/ women was fantastic. Graces battle with both her body and mind about her weight and then her eventual acceptance and learning to love her body made my heart happy.
Thera’s backstory about her mom broke my heart into a million pieces.

The dual timeline was probably the best I’ve ever read.
At the end of the present day sections I needed more immediately and it was the same with the 1997 timeline.
Because this was done so well I found it near impossible to put down.

I will say this definitely got me out of my months long reading slump and was a fantastic quick paced read.

So here’s what made this go from a 5⭐️ read for me to a 4⭐️ - that ending.
The ending felt so abrupt and I really thought I was maybe missing an epilogue.
Where’s the closure for Grace and Thera?
What ended up happening with Meg?
These questions will probably haunt me forever.

Thank you @netgalley @amazonpublishing #partner for the gifted eARC.

I am a sucker for books with settings at camps and after reading The Perfect Child, I was pumped to jump into this one. Set at Camp Pendleton, a camp for gifted kids, we follow a group of teens going through the tough years of growing up. The focus being what they eat, who they are friends with, who the ring leader of the group is, popularity, and of course who likes who. When one of the girls, Blakely decides she likes one of the camp counselors all bets are off as she concocts what I’ll call “a teenaged plan”. What starts as something somewhat innocent turns into a terrible disaster. The girls then are left with dealing with the guilt and grief as the years tick on. And boy oh boy what a mess they’ve created! 👀

Thoughts: Be fair warned there are a lot of very intense feelings and tough topics explored in this book. The more intense topics were eating disorders and grooming and of course murder. I am dead inside so these things don’t bother me but thought I should mention. 🙃

I really love the setting of this one. When I read books like this it makes me nostalgic for when I was younger and just puts me in a good headspace. There are a lot of characters in this story so make sure you closely pay attention to them or jot a quick note down in the beginning…I wish I would have. I do think Lucinda does a great job creating the mindset of a typical teenager. We all know they are easily influenced and can make terrible decisions. This story was definitely no exception! I felt sad for some of the characters being sucked into situations they didn’t really seem to know how to get themselves out of. 😬 This book was loaded with lots of twists and shocking actions! I did enjoy this book and do plan to continue to read more of Lucinda’s backlist!

When four childhood friends are tied together through a deadly secret, drama and trauma are sure to follow.

At their last year of summer camp, Blakely, Meg, Grace, and Thera find their beloved tennis coach murdered due to a dangerous lie. Traumatized and sworn to secrecy, the group goes their separate ways and doesn’t speak for twenty years.

A mysterious letter reunites the four friends and they find out their secrets were not as confidential as they thought. As the friends untangle the mess from their last summer together, they open a can of worms that will change them forever. This is a twisty thriller told in dual timelines that will leave readers shocked and disturbed.

Lucinda does it again! Great read. Perfect thriller for the summer! I struggled with the multiple (5) POVs plus the dual timeline. I had to constantly check whose chapter was who. Other than that, it was a good read that kept me intrigued to know what was going to happen next.

I’ve always enjoyed Lucinda Berry’s writing, so I was really excited for If You Tell a Lie. It’s everything you expect from her; its dark, we have complicated characters, its full of triggers, all of which I like. Because this one is set in dual timelines, with current day and a flashback to when the women were only 17-year-old girls, it did feel a bit YA at times, but it was to be expected and didn’t leave me cringing, so that’s a win in my book. I liked the twist, though I did feel it coming, and at the beginning I was confused a few times on trying to keep our four characters straight, but I quickly got the hang of it and couldn’t peel myself away. I can’t wait to see what we get next from Lucinda Berry. If You Tell a Lie will be published 7/23. Thanks to Thomas and Mercer for my eARC.