The Greatest Lie of All by Jillian Cantor is one of my favorite romances of the year!

Jillian Cantor is a masterful storyteller. She wove historical fiction, Hollywood, and love to capture me and encapsulated me in their world. Told over multiple story lines and different points of view, I couldn’t put this book down. I’ve read a few Jillian Cantor books in the past, each one just gets better. I’ll be first in line to read whatever she writes next.

If you enjoyed Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by TJR and you’re looking for a beautiful love story pick up The Greatest Lie of All in December.

Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row for an advanced copy of this book!

Amelia Grant is given the role of Gloria Diamond, an author she and her mother loved. As she spends time at the author's house she gets to know another side of the author and what made her the woman she is today. As she speaks to Diamon's son and he reveals who is mother really is, Amelia finds a connection to her that she was not aware of. The reveal seemed sudden and took a little away from the story for me.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Greatest Lie of All by Jillian Cantor is a mixed first and third person multi-POV contemporary that takes place in the present day and in the 1980s. Actress Amelia has recently discovered her boyfriend cheating on her with his co-star and is throwing her all into her next role to help her move past the situation. Gloria Diamond, the Queen of Romance, has weaved a very careful, curated identity of herself for public consumption that hides a much deeper story and she’s not very forthcoming when Amelia wants to learn more about what makes Gloria Gloria.

One of the things I really liked was Amelia discussing Method acting and how her ex, Jase, used it as an excuse to try to explain away his affair. Method acting has come under fire in recent years mostly because some of the actors who subscribe to it act like jerks to their fellow cast members and the crew. I’m sure there are some actors who subscribe to it who aren’t jerks and who use it in the way it was originally intended in terms of craft, but for the sake of a story, the way Jillian Cantor used it worked really well without completely demonizing it.

Amelia has a connection with Gloria’s son, Will, pretty quickly. The two have the traditional misunderstanding of a romance novel (while this book is definitely not a Romance genre book, the author understands the conventions of the genre) and grow closer together the more time they spend together in Gloria’s home as Amelia tries to learn everything she can before playing Gloria in a biopic. It was interesting to see Amelia being concerned that there would be consequences for her having a relationship with the son of the woman she’s portraying, but I guess it would be strange to a lot of people even if both are consenting adults. I personally liked their romance arc and I liked how Will respects both Amelia and his mother even if there are complications in those relationships.

The real intrigue of the story is the truth behind the very careful veneer Gloria presents to the world. Her and Amelia have both taken names for the sake of publicity, they both have public personas, and they both have faced tragedy in their lives. But Gloria sold the world on her past being one with a tragic romance and Amelia keeps her tragedies pretty private. It makes Amelia curious about Gloria’s deceased husband and makes the rest of the world sympathetic, helping to boost Gloria’s public image. It’s not wrong for Gloria to talk about her past, but she also wasn’t being completely honest. Seeing the layers peeled back so we get the full picture made me better understand why Gloria would make the choices that she did and I cannot say that I blame her for those choices even if many would probably condemn her.

Content warning for depictions of cheating, domestic abuse, and pregnancy

I would recommend this to fans of contemporary books with a strong mystery element that isn’t a mystery, readers who love the set-up of an actor learning more about the figure they are portraying, and those looking for a book that delves into public personas of artists

This a quick read with a great characters and good writing. I enjoyed how the story bounced between the present time and the past to tell bits of the story until close the end when the reader finds out how the pasta and present intersects.

Some of the plot was easy to guess what was coming, but there was a couple of surprises. I liked how the story wrapped itself up and the author didn't leave any unanswered questions.

Thank you to @netgalley and @HarlequinTradePub for this ARC. Amelia Grant has been cast to play romance novelist Gloria Diamond in her biopic. After finding her boyfriend in bed with his co-star, she decided it would be best to stay with Gloria for a few days to study her as a person. What Amelia learns in their short time together is way more than she bargained for and realizes that Gloria's life is as fiction as her books. I loved this book! What a great story! #TheGreatestLieofAll #JillianCantor #HarlequinTradePub #Dec2024

I would like to thank Net Galley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. I have read several other books by Jillian Cantor and have enjoyed them. This was no exception. Amelia Grant is an actress. Her mother has recently died, her father lives across the country with his new family and her boyfriend is cheating on her. This sounds like a recipe fo disaster, but Amelia is strong. She gets a part in a biopic of a romance writer which will film in Seattle. Her mother has all of the writers books in her library and feels like this is a rile she should take. The movie talks about the love story of the romance writer, Gloria and her late husband. As Amelia begins to study Gloria for the part, she begins to think that not everything was as it was written. And when Amelia meets Gloria's son, she starts to have strange dreams and flashbacks-what is Gloria's true story? This is a good study of people, and love and the lies they tell for the people they love. I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I felt I really got to know the characters of Amelia Grant and Gloria/Mare. I love how they were intertwined in the end. I liked how the author gave us the story of Gloria in little bits through the book which made me want to keep reading to find out what happened. Her story was sad and she had a lot of loss. There was many lies in this book but they all come to light in the end. I want to read all the other books by Jillian Cantor now!

Thirty-something Annie, better known as Amelia Grant, was ready for some better luck. Her mom died suddenly, her partner of 10 years was caught in a very compromising position with a younger actress, and Amelia's career was not going as well as she had planned. Luckily her agent called with great news-the current lead dropped out and she was selected to play Gloria Diamond in a biopic of the great romance writer's life (think Danielle Steel.) But she had to be off script in a hurry as the shooting commenced in two weeks. Her mother would have been so happy for her as Diamond was her favorite author.
Annie was a Method actress and wanted to study her subject up close and personal. Diamond's biopic was based on the memoir of her early romance and marriage to her husband George, who tragically died at 32. She never remarried, and George was the inspiration for her first bestseller.
Annie is allowed to spend a week with a very reluctant Diamond as she prepares for the movie shoot, Diamond seems to be angry with her for some unknown reason, and is extremely uncooperative...but Annie finds an ally in her son, Will, who has taken a week off from his law practice to help his mother. Why is Diamond so negative towards Annie, when her reputation was made on being nice? Why does her memoir seem too good to be true? And why does Annie begin to dream of childhood incidents that never happened-or did they?
In alternating chapters, Annie narrates the story of making the movie, while Mare (Diamond's real name) delves into her complicated past and why Annie might be a part of it. Can't give away more than this, just that I enjoyed unraveling all of the lies and secrets in this book...especially "the greatest" one.

Advanced Book Review! Thank you @htpbooks, @parkrowbooks and @netgalley for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
“A glamourous romance novelist and an aspiring starlet share an unexpected secret in this addictive story about love, ambition and how far we’re willing to go to protect our hearts.”
I really enjoyed this book – couldn’t put it down. It definitely has Evelyn Hugo vibes, which is one of my favourite books.
Actress Amelia Grant is coming off of a really terrible couple of months, with the death of her mother and catching her tv star boyfriend cheating on her. She gets the opportunity of a lifetime to portray the world’s biggest besselling author, The Queen of Romance, Gloria Diamond, in her biopic. Amelia heads to Seattle to spend a week living at Gloria’s house, getting to know her before shotting the movie. Amelia, a method actor, says that “to play Gloria, I would have to become Gloria, understand what she was truly like beneath her dazzling, but always guarded, public persona.” However, Gloria, values her privacy “above everything else.”
I’m a big fan of dual timelines so I loved getting Gloria’s backstory throughout the novel along with Amelia and Gloria’s son, Will, in the present day trying to figure out her secrets. And I obviously knew it was leading to something but I wasn’t fully sure what. It kept me fully absorbed and on the edge of my seat right up until the end.
While I did feel that some of the aspects of the plot probably could have been beefed up a bit, I thoroughly enjoyed it and stayed up late to finish.
The Greatest Lie of All was my first book by Jillian Cantor, but it definitely won’t be my last.
4.5 Stars

Actress Amelia Grant has been chosen to play reclusive romance author Gloria Diamond in an upcoming biopic. To prepare for her role, she spends a week living with Gloria. She soon realizes that Gloria Diamond is not the person she shows to the public. We learn Gloria's past through a dual timeline. This book has romance, mystery, betrayal, and an ending I did not see coming. I flew through this book.

Thank you, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this interesting book..

Amelia Grant is an actress who needs a break in life, and she receives it when she is offered the lead role in a biopic about romance author Gloria Diamon. She spends time with Gloria to learn more about her before filming begins, but Gloria is quite guarded about her past. After connecting with Gloria's son Will, the two of them explore old pictures, memory flashes, and uncover some secrets. This story explores some deep emotions, love, and ultimately, the truth about Gloria.

OUTSTANDING and A MUST READ!!!
The latest novel by Cantor is another MUST read! Gloria Diamond is a romance author who is a bit of a recluse. She is best known for her romance novels inspired by her tragic love story.
Amelia Grants is an actress who signs on the play the famous author in a movie. Part of the deal Amelia gets the chance to meet with Gloria to find out more about her than the tradition stuff posted. When they meet Gloria does not present the way her “the world” sees her. She is cold, rude, and stand-offish allowing Amelia limited access to her. She also meets Gloria’s son, which provides a tension, and some romance. He knows how his mother is, and the tension between everyone is felt in many levels.
Already pre-ordered to add to my other Cantor books. Thank you Park Row for the gifted e-ARC.

After actress Amelia Grant finds her actor boyfriend in bed with another actress, she retreats to her mother’s home, her mother who has just passed away.

Shortly afterwards Amelia is selected to be the lead in a bio of Gloria Diamond, a romance author who used her own tragic life for the base of several of her novels, and her mother’s favourite author. Amelia goes to stay with Gloria for a few days to get into character, but finds a cold, aloof woman not the friendly author she saw on Oprah.

Why does Gloria seem to despise Amelia and why does she insist that Amelia stay away from her son, Will? As filming begins Amelia and Will discover a secret that Gloria has been keeping for 3 decades.

For fans of Barbara Taylor Bradford and Taylor Jenkins Reid, who both tell stories of behind the scenes in Hollywood home. Excellent read

This wasn't what I expected, and I was happy for the way it turned out. Instead of a traditional romance, really this is a story about the lies we tell ourselves and the people we make ourselves out to be. I think we all play roles in our lives to either hide our true feelings or to act the way others want us to, so the themes felt very relatable even if the actual events were not. I liked how you discovered the character's past in small doses through flashbacks, so it was a mystery I was uncovering throughout the read. Amelia and Will were lacking a little in character development, but they mostly felt like vehicles to tell the story of the past anyway. The epilogue really didn't work for me, so I'm gonna pretend it ended before that haha. Thank you so much to Harlequin and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book has a similar vibe to the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but with more twists and turns. I really enjoyed the story and the development and complexity of the many characters.

The Greatest Lie of All by Jillian Cantor
I read this courtesy Net Galley and Park Row. Reeling from her mother’s death and over her boyfriend’s infidelity, actress Amelia Grant agrees to star in a movie about the life of Gloria Diamond, a famous romance author, based on her memoir. She goes to spend some time with Gloria at her home outside of Seattle, when she finds that the woman is nothing like what she had imagined and there are questions that are raised with no discernable answers. With Will, Gloria’s son, Amelia starts to unravel the mystery of Gloria Diamond’s real life—and how she herself is somehow connected to the woman. This story worked well, but there is a deus ex machina kind of reveal that came out of nowhere. Despite that, it is an absorbing tale of legacy, regrets, and secrets that is worth a read.

#TheGreatestLieofAll #NetGalley #WashingtonState #HarlequinTrade #ParkRow #MethodActing

This one kind of has it all. From family dynamics, love lost, not so happy endings and lessons learned. A solid absorbing read. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

Jillian Cantor brings us the story of actress Amelia Grant and the role she felt she was destined to play. When she insists on spending time with the famous author in order to play her properly on the big screen, she is met with cold disdain from best selling author Gloria Diamond. While struggling with the role, Amelia realizes that Gloria's life story does not quite match the narrative she has put out to the world. Along the way, she enlists the help of Gloria's son, Will. Will their attempts at finding the truth really set them all free, or will it cause friction between them? And how will it affect the movie that she is preparing for if what she finds out doesn't match the script?

Follow along with Amelia and Will as they try to uncover the mystery that is Gloria Diamond. We get to read from all the players in her life as we go between past and present and how the actions and misconceptions shape the present. See how much Amelia and Will find out about Gloria's past and how their lives are intertwined. Read to find out how much people are willing to go for those they love and at what cost would they go to hide the truth and perhaps uncover it as well. You keep turning the page to see what these characters will do next and to find that common thread and how everything is somehow connected.

I have read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row for this privilege.

✨✨✨𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰✨✨✨
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑳𝒊𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑨𝒍𝒍
By Jillian Cantor

Please swipe for @goodreads synopsis

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Harlequin, Netgalley and Jillian Cantor for the advanced reader copy of this novel.

This novel captured my attention within the first few chapters. The dual pov coupled with past and present narratives between Gloria the glamorous author and Amelia the B-List Actress, Cantor did an amazing job tying both FMCs together.

The romance was actually interesting. It wasn't the main focal point but a nice additive for Amelia. Gloria's love story is one I think can be seen as "but why??" "Why did she make this decision?" I was frustrated with her but then felt empathy for her because she had to make some hard decisions based off of duty and possibly fear.

Gloria's perspective made me think of What lies do we tell ourselves to get through the day? Or what lies do we tell ourselves to make our self stay in situations we know to not be right? What lies do we tell to make us acceptable to society?

The Greatest Lie of All is a great read that can spark different discussions and could be a wonderful pick for your next book club!

Keep an eye out as this book is set to be released December 3,2024!

A lovely romance in Ruby's childhood dreams about an ideal job and an ideal husband starts to come true! However, there is the problem of her present live-in boyfriend, who wants to control her whole life....and when disaster happens at work, all her dreams are going up in smoke. What can she