The start of this book was a bit slow, and the FMC was a bit hard to connect to, since she starts out extremely spineless and generally kind of unlikeable. As the story went on, and the alternating POVs created a sense of atmosphere and mystery, I was pulled in. The story of Gloria Diamond, and the young woman Mare that she used to be, is so interesting to me, and as the details of her past got unraveled, I found myself riveted. The end felt slightly rushed to wrap up, and was the section of the book that most echoed Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (I critique I know this novel received numerous times), but on the whole, I found this to be a very enjoyable read, and the side plot of a romance was cute and fun! 3.5⭐, rounded to 4 on Goodreads

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

This book has a fascinating premise with a lot of potential, but it didn't quite live up to its promise. Amelia Grant, an aspiring actress, gets the chance of a lifetime to play the role of a famous romance author, Gloria Diamond. The setup is intriguing, and I appreciated the exploration of Amelia's personal struggles and the complex relationship with Gloria. The dynamic between Amelia and Gloria’s son, Will, adds a bit of romance and tension to the story.

However, while the plot had promise, it felt a bit predictable. Gloria’s cold, secretive nature and the revelations about her past were interesting, but the pacing slowed down in places, and the twists weren't as surprising as I’d hoped. Amelia’s character felt a little one-dimensional at times, and I wanted to see more depth in her personal growth and interactions with others.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but it didn’t fully capture my attention. The tension between truth and fiction in the story was engaging, but I felt it lacked the emotional payoff I was expecting. It’s a solid choice for fans of light mystery and romance, but it didn’t completely win me over.

I loved the premise of this book, but I felt like I was rereading another book. When I don't connect to the main character right away I have a hard time staying with it. I'm sure there will be readers who love this book, but it didn't hold my interest. A pass for me.

Cantor is a wiz at creating atmospheric fiction. She doesn't disappoint in The Greatest Lie of All. Actress Amelia Grant is navigating heartbreak and grief—having just lost her mother and ended a decade-long relationship after catching her actor boyfriend in bed with his co-star. But an opportunity soon presents itself: the starring role in a biopic about the legendary romance novelist Gloria Diamond, her late mother’s favorite author. To prepare, Amelia spends time at Gloria’s Seattle home, hoping to gain insight into the woman behind the books.

The film centers on Gloria’s love story with her husband, George, whose early death became the foundation of her celebrated writing. But when Amelia meets Gloria’s charming son, Will, she begins to uncover inconsistencies in the tale the world has long believed. As the story alternates between past and present, peeling back the layers of Mare—the woman behind the Gloria Diamond persona—the truth proves far darker than fiction.

With its compelling narrative, engaging pace, and beautifully designed cover, The Greatest Lie of All is a thoroughly entertaining read.

This is my first book by Jillian Cantor and it won't be my last! I really loved the premise of the book, and how it was told between differing viewpoints of Amelia and Gloria. I really liked the ending of the story and felt it wrapped up nicely, but it also made me sad for the characters with how it all ended.

Not necessarily for me-- I was hoping for/expecting more of a romance instead of a mystery. The mystery itself was acceptable but just probably not what I was looking for. Maybe I just didn't read the description well enough but I was disappointed.

Amelia Grant, a young actress is at a crossroads. She has left her ex-boyfriend after catching him in bed with his costar. Her manager gets her a wonderful role, playing romance author, Gloria Diamond in her biopic. The story is her own tragic love story that was the basis of her first book. To prepare for the role, she’ll spend a week with Gloria at her secluded Washington estate. Once she arrives she is not happy, Gloria is cold, rude and doesn't want to answer questions or let her see her work etc. How will she learn about Gloria? When she meets her son, Will, she and Will begin to dig into Gloria's past, as he can't remember a lot except that his mother and father fought a lot, not the grand romance in her book. As they learn about Gloria, they learn secrets that will tie Amelia to Gloria. This is a dual timeline story with Amelia in the present and Gloria in the past. As the book unfolds, we see how these two tie together.

I enjoy books with dual-timelines and I have to say that I liked both of them equally. Gloria had a lot of secrets that are gradually revealed as the story moves forward. I did like Amelia's and Will's relationship, although it seemed to move quickly. I felt bad for Will, not remembering much from his past, but did he block it out intentionally. I didn't like Gloria much. I thought she was unnecessarily rude and antagonistic. As her story is shared, I can see why she was against true love, but I still thought she was harsh. I don't want to say much more about the story, because you need to read it to see how it all comes together. I did enjoy this story and recommend it to those who enjoy family secrets, secret romance and more.

I went into this book, assuming that it would have the same vibe as a layne Fargo book, but I was wrong this book was just OK. I did like the mystery element but overall it kind of fell flat from my expectations.

An actress signed at the last minute to star in the biopic of a famous romance author heads to the author’s home just before filming begins to become more familiar with her subject. She’s met with an inexplicably frosty reception there.

Told through actress Amelia’s point-of-view with flashbacks from the author Gloria’s past, the story has multiple mystery elements and touches of romance.

The overall mystery that Amelia needs to crack is who Gloria truly is behind her public persona and why her memoir feels more fictional than factual.

For the most part, I enjoyed this one. Go in understanding that Gloria’s married life wasn’t all sunshine, diamonds, and roses, which means some of the scenes may be tough to read. I liked Amelia’s romance arc and some of the revelations—even the ones I saw coming—but multiple characters felt one-dimensional to me.

I received an advance copy of the ebook from Harlequin Trade Publishing. All review opinions are my own.

Fans of Liane Moriarty and Taylor Jenkins Reid will be gripped by Jillian Cantor’s latest novel, The Greatest Lie of All.

Amelia Grant is an actress with big dreams. However, regardless of how hard she tries, she feels as if she will never get that one big break that will propel her to stardom. After a series of knockbacks, Amelia cannot believe her luck when she is offered the role of a lifetime: to star in the biopic of world-renowned romance author Gloria Diamond, who has used her tragic life story as inspiration for her fiction. To prepare for her role, Amelia has to spend a week with the writer at her secluded Washington estate. Amelia vows not to squander this opportunity and to make her mother proud. But is she ready for what she is about to discover about the real woman behind the legend that is Gloria Diamond?

When she meets Gloria, Amelia is disappointed by how distant, aloof and disrespectful the woman idolized and loved by millions really is. Gloria is rude and unavailable to Amelia and the actress wonders whether she should just go back to Los Angeles. However, Gloria’s handsome son Will convinces her to stick around. As Amelia begins to look deeper into Gloria’s life she stumbles upon a secret that has her wondering just how far this ambitious writer was determined to go in her determination to reach the top.

As she keeps delving into Gloria’s past, more shocking secrets come to light leading Amelia to wonder who is the real Gloria Diamond? And will getting too close to the truth about the romance writer’s life lead to Amelia losing everything?

A juicy, unpredictable and addictive read, The Greatest Lie of All by Jillian Cantor blends secrets, deception and scandal in one irresistible page-turner that readers will find difficult to put down. A compelling tale about dangerous lies, devastating decisions and impossible choices, The Greatest Lie of All by Jillian Cantor is just crying out for a screen adaptation.

The Greatest Lie of All is a book about Amelia Grant, an actress, who has just lost her mother and broken up with her long term boyfriend. She decides to take an acting job portraying the author Gloria Diamond in the movie about her life. Amelia moves in with Gloria for a few days to learn the “real” Gloria so she can portray her accurately. Nothing appears to be how Gloria really is in real life which is opposite of what she wrote in her books. There are a few twists and turns and the book keeps you in suspense until the end.

After the sudden passing of her mother and breaking up with her long-time boyfriend, when Amelia Grant is cast to play Gloria Diamond, a best-selling romance author, in her biopic, she thinks her life is finally getting back on track. But after moving into Gloria's secluded house in the woods, Amelia starts to think that maybe there's something not quite right about Gloria and the story she's told the world. But Amelia could never guess how Gloria's true-life story coincides with her own in this mystery.

I really enjoyed the character development in this book. While I couldn't quite get a feel for Gloria, I loved Amelia's character. Her pain about both her mother and ex-boyfriend were relatable and heartbreaking. And the flashbacks slowly revealing Gloria's past was compelling and kept me turning the pages. I really liked the romance waved throughout the book, both in the past and present and the storyline kept me guessing until the end. I flew through this book and really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this, and honestly did not expect it to go quite where it did! A book about an author and an actress, and the threads connecting them and their stories over decades. There’s a solid romance subplot (more in the present than past, but it’s there in both!), and really interesting character growth for both main characters. It’s told primarily through dual timelines, with actress Amelia Grant starring in the Gloria Diamond biopic, and Gloria Diamond as she lives the life that led to her success as a romance author. All while Amelia falls for Gloria’s son. It’s a bit of a mystery, a bit of two love stories, and mostly the story of two very ambitious young women trying to find their places and purposes in the world. Fiction and fact intertwine in a search to discover the truth. I had a fun time reading it even as it feels more like something my mom would pick up than me, and I think it’s worth the read if it sounds interesting!

“The Greatest Lie of All” is the story of Amelia, an up and coming actress who is hired to play the part of Gloria Diamond, a famous romance author, in a movie about Gloria’s life. Seems straightforward, right? As Amelia starts to get to know Gloria in preparation for the movie, though, she starts to realize all is not as it seems with Gloria.

It’s hard to categorize this book or figure out how to describe it or what to liken it to – it’s got slight shades of “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”, “Great Circle”, and “Did You Hear About Kitty Carr?” to it so fans of those may enjoy this. Although I’d say it doesn’t have the same level of character development as those books so I wasn’t really invested in the same way. Also, it was a little predictable at times, although I definitely didn’t guess what I’d describe as the final twist.

I loved the book Beautiful Little Fools by this author, so I've been looking forward to this book. I loved the characters in this story! Gloria's story has many layers and I loved how it unfolded. Annie is a great young actress too and she is playing Gloria's character in a movie. The Hollywood aspect, but also the flashbacks are so well done and so well intertwined that I couldn't stop reading!

Amelia Grant is a young starlet in Hollywood who is given the role that will make her famous. She is to star in a biopic about the glamorous and very famous romance novelist, Gloria Diamond. The biopic is based on Gloria’s memoir and as part of her contract, Amelia is to go to Gloria’s house in Seattle to meet her and get to know her before filming starts. However when Amelia gets to her house she finds that Gloria’s is rude, cold and uncooperative. Amelia’s mother recently died and she loved Gloria’s books and had all of them on her bookshelf so Amelia couldn’t wait to meet Gloria and tell her how much her mother loved her books but Gloria is nothing like she thought she would be.

Filming will start soon and Amelia is becoming increasingly nervous about it. How can she accurately portray Gloria in the film if Gloria keeps shutting her out? The story starts in the present and then flashes back to the past as Amelia slowly uncovers some disturbing and confusing secrets about love, lies and betrayal.

The Greatest Lie of All was a page turner for me. If you enjoy novels with a mix of mystery, romance and family secrets you will be drawn into this book just as I was.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing/Park Row and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.

Courtesy of Netgalley, I received the ARC of The Greatest Lie of All by Jillian Cantor. This novel swings between present day and flashbacks, each section revealing more about the romance fiction writer and her earlier years, and her connection to the young starlet about to portray her in a biopic. I found the characters interesting and multi layered, and the concept of writing fiction as truth resonated. This was a compelling story, kept me reading, and had me surprised at the outcome!

A mix of mystery, history, romance and family drama, The Greatest Lie of All asks readers whether we can ever create our own truths—and then slowly untangles truth from lie. Though one of the main characters is far more likable than the other (it won't be hard to guess which), both are compelling and complex characters. This one will appeal to readers who have ever wondered what their idols are really like.

At the start of this novel, actress Amelia has been cast as a last minute replacement to star as bestselling author Gloria Diamond in a biopic based on Gloria’s memoir. As a method actress, Amelia wants to meet Gloria, so she is invited ti spend a few days staying with her before the movie shoot begins, but she just can’t get a handle on her, though she does find Gloria’s adult son intriguing. Interspersed are chapters from the perspective of Gloria (then known as Mare), from her time in college in the early 1980s through adulthood, and they don’t seem to match up at all with her biography.

I really enjoyed Amelia’s part of the story, but found Gloria/Mare a frustrating character. And I felt that while there were some developments in the books I didn’t see coming, there were other things that just felt a little contrived just to move the plot a long. Overall I guess I’d say I enjoyed it but wouldn’t tell anyone it’s a must read.

This is the third book I’ve read by Jillian Cantor, and each one has been totally different - a Great Gatsby retelling from the perspective of the female characters, a modern day thriller-y retelling of Rebecca, and now this contemporary novel that as far as I know is not a retelling of anything. I definitely enjoyed it, but it’s going to also be the third book of hers I rate 3.75 stars, because I just never quite love her books, even though I enjoy them enough to keep reading them.

The Greatest Lie Of All is a story about a celebrated romance novelist, Gloria, and a struggling actress, Amelia, who are both trying to navigate the uncertainty of life while keeping their secrets, desires and complicated relationship all from the prying eyes of others. Amelia Grant find herself at the crossroads of life due to her career being in shambles and her personal life scarred by a cheating ex-boyfriend. She is given the opportunity to start as Gloria in a movie about the author and her life and she grabs on to it. This is her chance to escape Los Angeles and immerse herself in the world of a famous author. Gloria however is shrouded in mystery, a comes off cold and unapproachable. But as Amelia spends time with her she begins to admire her while also learning of her own personal struggles in life. Even though at times their relationship has tension and challenges Jill Cantor chooses to write it in a way that only adds depth and likability to the characters. Gloria's son, Will, also add a bit of romance to the book, due to the fact that the chemistry between Will and Amelia seems sweet yet complicated. However, Amelia learns of Gloria's secret past and it challenges what she thought she knew about her new mentor. Amelia is forced to face her own demons and what she is willing to do for the truth. The Greatest Lie of All is my first book by Jill Cantor and I enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what else she comes up with. If you are a fan of contemporary romance or anyone who has ever faced the challenges of reaching for their dreams while juggling difficult relationships you need to read this book.