3.5/5 stars rounded up

Thank you HighBridge Audio for the advanced listening copy!

SYNOPSIS -- A twenty year old secret, dead teenagers and a secret baby. What could go wrong? Scarlett Russo has spent the last twenty-two years forgetting about the night of her senior picnic, when she and best-friend, Pepper, were involved in a car accident that killed two of their classmates. Having not talked to Pepper since that night, she's shocked when Pepper's daughter, Zoey, now twenty-one, shows up with a cryptic letter and news of Pepper's recent death. Suddenly all the memories and accompanying secrets are starting to bubble up. Can Scarlett get to the truth before Zoey does? Or, more importantly, before the police?

This book was a total mixed bag! I really enjoyed the premise and thought the story was super fast-paced. Hillary Huber is a fantastic narrator, and I always enjoy listening to the book she reads. I loved the timeline jumps and the pacing between these; it added a ton to the dimension of the story and had some great parallels. While there were some good twists, I predicted one of the major ones, which is always disappointing to me. The characters were, overall, super unlikeable and I wasn't really rooting for anyone, just wanted to find out the secrets.

Also, major nit-picky point, but why did Scarlett have to say "my boy" so many times?! Those repetitions always get me on audio and I could NOT let it go lol

Overall, pretty fast paced and interesting story, just lacking a bit of "wow" factor.

I liked the pace of this. The characters were meh to me, besides Pepper being someone I could picture and understand. For some reason I want onboard for the ending.

This was a solid story. I liked the alternate time lines and the added POV of the mystery daughter.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

1999: The night of their senior picnic, Scarlett Russo and her best friend Pepper were involved in a car accident that left two of their classmates dead. Afterward, they lied to the police, protecting each other from the consequences. Then Pepper left town and Scarlett never heard from her again…

I’m loving all these fast paced thrillers! Once I started I didn’t want to stop. This one was hard to figure out because no one really seemed to be innocent. There are a handful of characters that aren’t likable when you first start off, which made it fun to try and figure out who was guilty.

So many secrets to unravel and so much crazy! Lies from 22 years ago that just keep getting worse. Addictive read with a perfect ending!

This novel gripped me from page one. If you love toxic friendships, dual timelines, high school secrets that haunt, and twists that keep popping up and shocking you just when you think you know what's happening, you'll love this one.

Jamie Lunn Hendricks is an amazing writer and great story teller. I went into this audiobook knowing nothing about it, except that there was lie, as applied by the title. Going in blind, I was drawn from the first chapter to the last and there were twists and turns and a whole bunch of mystery I did not see coming. Would I have guessed half of it? No. Could I have seen some of what happened from far off? Maybe. I liked this one and the narrator did a fantastic job of telling this story. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free audiobook of A Lovely Lie by Jamie Lynn Hendricks for my honest review.

Senior picnic changed Scarlett’s life forever. All because Pepper did not get what she wanted from a boy that wanted nothing to do with her. 21 years later Peppers daughter uncovers the truth about what happened and finds out her own answer she was looking for.

A Lovely Lie

Last summer I read I Didn’t Do It and loved it. The setting, the pacing, and the small twists along the way really captured my attention. When A Lovely Lie came on my radar I knew I needed to pick it up. Thank you Netgalley and Highbridge Audio for my ALC.

Set a book in the 1990s and I’m already on the path to liking it. This book toggles between current day and 1999 with the events of 1999 slowly informing the present. I so wanted to enjoy this book but….the characters drove me crazy. They felt like stereotypical ones who acted exactly as you would anticipate them to. And the underlying story played out in manner that likely will shock no one. The book, for me, plodded to its conclusion and I was not sad for it to reach its conclusion.

Needless to say this book and I were not a fit. I did appreciate, however, the narrator. I will certainly try this author again and hope it’s a match the next time out!

⛧A Lovely Lie by Jaime Lynn Hendricks - Dang, that was really good. Nothing ✨️BAM✨️ fantastic about it, but it was well written, had a great storyline, and characters, and it even had a little bit of investigating, which I always love. The ending? Like the very, very end of the book, yeah, I definitely saw that wedding coming.

This audiobook is narrated by Hillary Huber

•Thank you to @highbridgeaudio & @scarletsuspense

Absolutely loved this book. It was first from the author and definitely won’t be my last. The narrator was wonderful too. She was easy to listen to.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

Quick, fun read with plenty of drama! I mostly hated all the main characters for various reasons which made it fun to figure out who did what. The narrator did a good job, especially with the alternating perspectives.

Twisty until the end! I could see a few of the hints along the way here and there, but a storyline I just KNEW was going to happen (re: Luke) did not. And that was okay! It would have taken away from the original story to have a plot that involved. What a title! I binge listened and will even admit (just to you) to reading a bit at work because I just had to find a better stopping place. I know our "stabby book" thriller readers will love it! Can't wait to add it to our collection!

2.5 stars. I did like this book as it was a quick, entertaining read that I flew through, but I felt that it was bogged down by such unlikeable characters and such an unsatisfying ending. The narrator was good for this story,

I am an avid audiobook junkie & A Lovely Lie by Jaime Lynn Hendricks has been one of my favorites so far this year. I loved the story, the characters, & the narrator. I found myself constantly finding an excuse to listen- check this one out!!

Thank you NetGalley & HighBridge Audio for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

#ALovelyLie#
By: Jaime Lynn Hendricks
A lie in the past between two teens to hide their involvement in a homicidal car crash is forgotten as life moves on. Years later, the daughter of one of the teens discovers a letter her mother wrote to the other teen. The letter reveals secrets between the two that affect this daughter's life. She wants answers. Confronting her mother's long-ago friend brings dire consequences. The plot keeps you turning pages as you don't know what to expect next.

This may be Jaime Lynn Hendricks's best thriller yet. Told in multiple POV and in two different timelines (although the past timelines is not always consecutive), A Lovely Lie tells the story of cheating teens who died in an unfortunate accident--and that's what it is: a story, because Scarlett Russo has been hiding the truth of what really happened that night twenty-two years ago. And when a woman appears claiming to be the daughter of Scarlett's former best friend, searching for her father, the story unravels, revealing truths even Scarlett knew nothing about. Truths that may destroy her marriage and threaten her liberty.

Several times I thought I knew what was going to happen, and then a twist threw me for a loop. Even reveals I sort of expected led to more twists. The ending is satisfying and the characters fleshed out and realistic. Scarlett was admittedly not the strongest in the past, but over the course of the book she finds her inner voice and takes charge of her life. The book is excellently narrated by Hillary Huber, to the point that even young Scarlett and Pepper sound distinct from the more mature selves. If you only read one psychological thriller this month, A Lovely Lie should be at the top of your list.

This book has a really interesting storyline. None of the characters are particularly likable but you can’t look away from their dysfunction. I wish the last few chapters had been tighter to heighten the suspense but other than that the pacing was good. The book also has an egregious amount of f-bombs. So if you can’t handle that, skip this one.

I loved this one!!! I am a huge fan of Jamie, her writing is beautiful, and her twists and turns are my favorite. Although I listened to this one, I also read it and the day it came out I was at Barnes and nobles 0900 to get my hands on it on that certain Tuesday. Oh. My. God. With methodical plotting, dynamite characters, and a whole pile of delicious secrets, A Lovely Lie was one heck of an epic rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. What got me the most, however, was the fast pace and intricate plot. Alternating between multiple POVs and dual timelines, it was clear that Hendricks must have had a spreadsheet to keep track of who knew what when. As for the best part of this sublime tale of domestic suspense, the twists and turns certainly took the lead in a very packed list. Each delivered in a subtle but perfectly timed way, they took the plot I suspected and morphed it into one that was truly unguessable. So much so, in fact, that I gave each and every character the side-eye as I looked on them with suspicion. After all, they each had their own motives and, as their lies and betrayals were unearthed, I simply held on for dear life.

A Lovely Lie is a tale of friendship, lies, and betrayal. Scarlett is confronted by the daughter of her high school best friend. She is shocked to hear that her friend, Pepper, is dead. She is even more surprised to learn that her husband, and Pepper’s ex high school boyfriend, may be the father of Pepper’s daughter. Zoey has come to Florida to find her father, and also uncover what happened 20years ago at the graduation party that left two graduates dead.
This book does tell an interesting story about how secrets have a way of coming back to haunt you. Told from several perspectives, the narrative does get a bit muddled, but the slow reveal of the mountains of lies will keep you reading.

Hendricks has a knack for crafting binge-worthy books, and this one is no exception!
Her stories are consistently gripping and I'm quickly drawn in from the start.

Narrated from various perspectives and across alternating timelines, we're treated to a captivating array of characters, each intriguing in their own right, even if not entirely likable!

The storyline is entertaining, tense, and irresistibly juicy! It's a top-notch popcorn thriller, ideal for a summer read!