Many thanks to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This is narrated by Hillary Huber who does an ok job. I do not like it when the narration sounds automated and unfortunately, there is not a lot of emotion in this reading. This one should be read and not listened to.

This is the story of a high school drunk driving accident that claims the lives of 2 students and the coverup that continues 20 years later. The relationship dynamics between the characters smacks of a Housewives episode. Told in alternating timelines of then, 1999, and now, this one kept me on my toes. I had to have a cheat sheet of who dated who and who was cheating on or married to who.

The pacing is fast and I did not like the majority of the characters. But I did think that the ending was good. My only complaint is that parts of the story had holes in it and other parts were unrealistic. Otherwise, this is a juicy, faced paced read.

3.5 rounded up

I thought this was a really easy listen, in large part to the narrator. This book was listed in the thriller genre but I feel it was more of a mystery/suspense.

Thank you to NetGalley, HighBridge Audio, and Jaime Lynn Hendricks for a copy in exchange for a review.

I absolutely loved this audiobook. I was instantly drawn in, and wanted to know what was going to happen. There were many instances when I thought I had it figured out, but I was wrong!! Highly recommend.

Please see link attached for the rest of my review on my social media.

I really enjoyed the book, it just felt a little rushed at the end. I didn't quite believe the relationship between Pepper and Julian.

One thing that bothered me as an RN: During Julian's murder, the narrator said: "His breathing is already anemic, just like the rest of him." ---This bothered me because anemic is the wrong medical term. It would be apneic; which is transient cessation of respirations. Anemic refers to having a lack of healthy red blood cells--which I understood the connection to be the fact that Julian had lost so much blood. However, it just didn't make sense. The word anemic cannot be used to describe respirations.

Overall, I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator was great, and the story was interesting. I recommend it to others, and I would read or listen to other books from this author.

A deeply woven web of suspense and secrets unravel when Zoey turns up at Scarlett’s workplace. Zoey’s mother, Pepper, was Scarlett’s best friend in high school until a night when two of their classmates wound up dead. Told in a now and then format from different characters’ point-of-view that is full of drama and secrets and high school nostalgia, I enjoyed face paced suspense/thriller as well listening to the female narrator of the audiobook.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

Hilary Huber does a great job with the narration on the this book! She was clear and concise and after you learn all the main characters names and backgrounds, it makes it easier to keep everything straight. I kinda saw some of the twists coming but there were other large ones that I didn’t. It’s basically about a group of friends in a town trapped by its past secrets. I would definitely recommend if you like psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators and lots of drama!

Wow! This thriller had me hooked from the minute I started it! Thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for this audio ARC. A Lovely Lie by Jaime Lynn Hendricks follows the unraveling of a high school "accident" and the lies that followed. Zoey shows up on Scarlett and Vince's doorstep claiming to be the daughter of Vince and Scarlett's ex best friend Pepper. Soon the web of tangled lives starts to unravel and more questions than answers pop up about who Zoey's dad is and what really happened the night of the Senior Picnic. I loved this audiobook. The main character was sarcastic at times and I was really getting "Listen For The Lie" vibes. My jaw definitely dropped a few times at the end of chapters when new details were revealed. I highly recommend this thriller!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC audiobook. Loved the narrator’s flow and expression.

When a girl, Zoey, looking for her father returns to a small town, a tragic accident from the past comes back to light. The accident may not have been what it seemed, and the secrets of Scarlett, Vince, and Pepper come to light.

Zoey is an aspiring investigative journalist and decides to dig into the accident when she finds a letter from her mom, Pepper, to her old best friend, Scarlett that makes her question her mom’s past.

A fun past to present perspective, I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would after reading the plot and feeling like I’ve read about 20 similar books. I guessed most of the twists, but it was still a fun read.

The characters were engaging . I loved how dedicated their son was with the support he gave the family. I always wonder how people can actually get away with the mistakes they commit. There were surprising twists. A few characters were not likable, but toward the end became more likable. It was a fast read. This author does not let down the readers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Scandalous
Suspenseful
Thriller

This book is written with multiple first person perspectives.
Zoey the daughter of sultry fiery Pepper is back in town to find out who her father is . Is she the product of young love or is she the product of a long forgotten secret?
Zoey, currently facing difficulties of her own will stop at nothing to get answers but around every corner she only finds more question.
Zoey knows she must find her mother’s childhood best friend Scarlett to address a suspicious letter she found in her mother’s belongings 💌 but Scarlett seems to have secrets of her Own. Something big happened the night of the senior picnic and she is determined to uncover it. Scarlet is hiding something and Zoey will stop at nothing to figure it out even if that means making scarlets life a living hell.

This book will have you analyzing every detail to help Zoey uncover pepper’s secrets 👀. Small town vibes and tight knit friends, they all know a little something but only one of them truly knows what happened that night. Who’s to blame and who has fallen victim to love?


This book will keep you on the edge of your seat, slamming your fist at the scandal as it unfolds!
Plot twist, tension, unsolved murder all make for the perfect thriller.

I enjoyed this audiobook so much! It was just twisty enough to keep me guessing! I can’t wait to read more by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for the ARC.

I devoured this audiobook!!! It was really good! I found myself sucked into the wild drama right away. It really makes you hate certain characters and so frustrated with others. But I liked how it kept me invested and wanting more. I liked that we got several different character povs with out being too overwhelming! This was a fast, addictive one that I really enjoyed the audio format! If you're looking for an addictive thriller this is a good one although I will say the twists aren't too wild and I saw some coming, I still really enjoyed it! I liked how it ended too! Although, it felt a touch fast!

A Lovely Lie was a fantastic popcorn thriller. It was messy, with diabolical characters who you loved to hate. And a lot of them were just the worst. The literal depiction of a narcissist. I had a lot of fun with this one, alternating between reading and listening to it. It was easy to fall into the drama of it all, and I really think this one is worth all of the hype.

LOVED THIS AUDIOBOOK!

Talk about drama, lies, and deception. I loved everything about this story. Yes, the trope has been done before, many times. Friends in high school do something stupid and deal with the repercussions in their adulthood in someway. HOWEVER this was so well done, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

All of the characters in this are horrible in some way. They all make you hate them that at some point in the book. However, some eventually have redeeming qualities that make you end up rooting for them!

This narrator is always one of my favorites! I love her voice. I listened to this at 1.75x and it was perfect.

Such an entertaining listen after listening to a bunch of duds! 10/10 recommend

Years have passed since high school, but this group of friends can’t seem to shake it off. 2 of them got married to each other, 2 died, 1 went MIA…but the past is coming back to haunt them. What really happened the night their friends died?

This was an intriguing domestic-y type thriller that kept me engaged throughout. I especially enjoyed the ending.

Hillary Huber was a great narrator and fit the part perfectly.


You won’t regret reading this one!

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Highbridge Audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this suspenseful thriller that held my interest from start to finish. The ending is perfect and everyone gets their just rewards!!
The narrator was excellent!

Fans who love Shari Lapena, Lisa Jewell and Michelle Campbell will deliciously devour this great read!

I liked how it was written- Short, descriptive chapters, clearly identified POV and a timeline that bounces between present day and 1999. There’s enough intrigue to keep things interesting.
Hillary Huber’s narration of the audiobook is well paced and clear. Her pleasant voice is very easy to listen to. I liked it!
Thank You to NetGalley, HighBridge Audio and Jaime Lynn Hendricks for the opportunity to listen to and thoroughly enjoy the audiobook version of this ARC.

🎧Song Pairing: I Had Some Help - Post Malone ft Morgan Wallen

💭What I thought would happen:

Anyone else getting a Jeepers Creepers vibe from this 😂

📖What actually happens:

Scarlett has a visitor, her high school best friend’s daughter who also may be her husband’s bastard child. Oh and she’s annoying AF.

Zoey wants to know who her father is and what happened 20 years ago that made her mother flee

🗯Thoughts/sassy musings:

This one had a very All The Missing Girls by Megan Miranda vibe except no missing girls 😂

Some characters grew on me but originally I wanted to wood chipper them (yes I turned that into a verb)

I liked it? I liked parts. The ending is out for debate in some aspects. I listened to this while road tripping in a storm so it very much had an ambiance 🌧️

Read if:
🥔You’ve drank too much vodka
😉Love daddy issues
🩷Love to hate characters

Thank you Netgalley, Jamie Lynn Hendricks and High Bridge Audio for the audiobook! A highly entertaining narrating by Hillary Huber. A twisted thriller that had me hating certain characters but then liking them at the end and transferring that hate to the ones who deserved it! The past will always come back to haunt!

The story is centered around Scarlett Russo and the secrets she kept buried with her old high school best friend Pepper. Scarlett has long since moved on from her senior year secrets with her husband Vince and their son Luke. However, when Pepper's daughter shows up asking for answers, specifically trying to get to the bottom of something she has always wondered, Scarlett's life begins to unravel. Pepper has died and her daughter Zoey wants to know what Pepper was hiding from her. As Zoey begins to dive into her mother and Scarlett's lives, Scarlett begins to wonder how long she can keep up the charade. What happened at their senior picnic that Scarlett wants to keep buried at all costs?

This book was so juicy and fun. I had such a blast getting to see Scarlett and Pepper's journey as teenagers and I loved to hate almost every single person here. This is juicy juicy JUICY fun. A LOVELY LIE is the perfect popcorn thriller to dive into when you are looking for something fast-paced. This will be the PERFECT beach read this summer!