This is my first Claire Contreras book and I need more! It was a little dark, very angsty, plenty steamy, and there was a lot more plot/plot twist than I ever expected. I went into it thinking “hmmm hockey romance, but no cartoon couple or half naked man on the cover, interesting”. It was not an adorable meet cute sports romance. It read a bit more stalker/mafia with a disproportionate amount of athletes, considering the sports didn’t really come into it until near the end when the seasons started. But did l love it? Yes, absolutely. I love a broody MMC and a sunshine FMC. I love a HEA, and I really liked that Claire didn’t use a third act breakup or miscommunication trope to get to the endgame. Well done!

I listened to this book as an audiobook and the narrators (both) did an amazing job. My litmus for good narration is if I get distracted by quirks or accent or pronunciations but there was nothing out of the normal which means they did a great job. They were so clearly into the acting part of their narration that I had to be careful who could hear if I didn’t have headphones on, but that just means they were doing their jobs right.

When We Lied by Claire Contreras is a spicy contemporary romance that pulls you in with its intense characters and addictive storyline. Finneas Alexander Barlow, a broody, obsessed ex-hockey player, had a one-time hook-up with our heroine four years ago. Fast forward to now, and he’s back in town, determined to uncover the secret about what happened to his sister.

I love a good jerk hero and Finn was possessive and a bit obsessed with our heroine. maybe we can even say stalkerish. and he certainly thought that was a good trait. Was it sexy though? Hell yeah. There’s an intensity to him but also his attraction and chemistry with the heroine. it felt addictive and consuming. He falls hard and I loved it!

The heroine is confident, independent, and a total badass, balancing Finn’s intensity and her undeniable attraction. The competitive spirit between these two star athletes makes them such a great match.

The book dives into some difficult themes, so definitely check trigger warnings. When We Lied by Claire Contreras is a gripping read that you won’t want to put down.

As much as I wanted to love this one, it was not for me. The characters seems gimmicky and phony. I struggled the whole time. Not a fan.

🏒Boy Obsessed
🏒Sports Romance
🏒Romantic Suspense
🏒Dark Romance
🏒Touch Her & 🔪
.
“How is she even real? I’ve never had a type, but if I did, Josslyn would be it.”
.
Review: This was my second book by Claire Contreras, and I'm hooked! I heard such good things about this book, and I could not wait to dive in!

Josslyn is a social media influencer and an all-star college basketball player. Finn plays professional hockey with Lachlan from Until I Get You.😏 Finn is a growls and scowls and Josslyn is a ray of sunshine. The draw these two had to one another and their chemistry was sooo good! I couldn't get enough. Finn was a boy OBSESSED when it came to Josslyn and I loved EVERY second of it! His jealousy is everything I LOVE in a hero!🫠 He was not giving her up for ANYTHING! I loved the push and pull between these two and the banter was so fun! I loved the communication and the relationship they built. Then there was that twist! I didn't see it coming and it kept me hooked! I was so excited to be back in Fairview. I love these characters, and I LOVE obsessed men!!!😝

“There’s no universe in which I exist without her.”

I loved getting to catch up with Lyla and Lachlan and their little family.🥰

““Is it even love if there’s no stalking involved?” Lyla asks in a deadpan tone and smiles at Lachlan when he smirks at her.”

I got to listen to the audiobook by Stephen Dexter and Janina Granda. They absolutely nailed the narration and were the perfect Finn and Josslyn! Janina is a new narrator to me, and I loved her as Josslyn!

Ok totally called who T was. Though that wasn’t hard.
Oh it was so fun to be back in this universe. I loved all the little snippets of Lach and Lyla. But there were not nearly enough if you ask me.
The mystery aspect of this was good. Partially predictable, but good. It was honestly my least favorite part of the story, but helped move the plot along so it worked.
The ending felt rushed. And while everything was wrapped up nice and tidy, it still felt like something was missing.
All in all this was such a good book and hopefully not that last. I could read about these characters over and over again.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape for the audio copy.

I love Claire Contreras' books, and When We Lied is another excellent hockey romance in a series of excellent hockey romances. But be warned, her books are super smexy (smutty and sexy). These aren't your grandma's supermarket romances. (This book even has a sEx cLuB scene at like 6% into the story.)

Long story short, WWL follows Finneas Barlow--a notorious playboy and hockey star--and Josslyn Santos, a college basketball player and social media influencer. For Finneas, it's lust at first sight and he has to have her, just once, to get her out of his system. But when it comes to Josslyn, one night isn't going to be enough...and for her, he breaks his "just one time" rule, and before they realize it, they've fallen into an actual relationship. But there's more than just their bedroom antics (although there's plenty of that, too). There's some suspense. A bit of a mystery. Some serious third act drama that goes down, threatening their happy ever after. But don't worry--Claire brings it all back together at the end and wraps it all up nicely.

If you're looking for an audiobook to keep you company on a long drive or while running errands, this would be a great one to pick up. The narrators, Stephen Dexter and Janine Granda, do a great job with their dual narrations.

TW: suicide, graphic adult content

Claire Contreras I thought you had me At Until I Get You, but then you introduce me to Finn. Oh Finn, and his possessive behavior. I was all for it. Finn is not a relationship guy but when Jocelyn turns his head, she turns his heart. This was a great romance suspense with a fabulous plot twist. Narrated by Stephen Dexter and Janina Granda. They did a wonderful job with these characters. Such a great book! Thank you Claire Contreras and Valentine PR for this ALC

When We Lied was a fairly decent read. While, there were a lot of elements I enjoyed, I just didn’t love it as much as I’d hope. This is the second book in the Fairview Hockey series, but can absolutely be read as a standalone.

I was able to listen to the audiobook and the duel narration was fantastic and definitely made the story more enjoyable. Both narrators were amazing.

It’s dual POVs of the main characters, Finneas and Josslyn, and there were some great tropes like an obsessed hero, mutual pining, sports romance, he falls first, and best friend’s brother. I would recommend checking the content and trigger warnings before reading just in case.

The overall premise was okay, there was some romantic suspense and mystery. I was able to guess the plot twist early on though. The first half of the book was really interesting and there were some amusing, steamy and intense moments. However, the second half the pacing of the story lagged and I was quite bored while reading.

The romance between Finneas and Josslyn was good. Their connection was very intense and steamy. They had some very passionate and kinky moments as well. It did feel at times though that their relationship was mainly physical. So I would have liked just a bit more romantic development between them.

There was no third act breakup, which I appreciated. But the conflict that did occur was quite rushed and resolved too quickly in my opinion. The ending was really nice though.

Overall, this was just an okay audiobook with some very spicy romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Dreamscape Select/The Wicked Pen for the ALC!

I’ve been working my way through Claire’s backlist and I was so excited to get to listen to this one! The narrators did a great job bringing the story to life. This was definitely a darkish romance and it kept me on the edge of my seat, particularly the last 20%!

ARC Cordially provided by NetGalley and Dreamscape Select~


Here goes~When we lied
Genre~ Sports Romance/Contemporary Romance
Series~ Fairview Hockey #2
Love triangle~ No
Cheating~ No
HEA~ Maybe?
Would I read more by this author~ Yes
Rating~ 4 stars

Story is about an influencer named Josslyn Santos
Of course she's gorgeous and an athlete and has a hefty amount of followers

Then there's the broody hot guy who is an athlete himself and his name is "Flinn" or Finneas Barlow
Only he is not into relationships and has the one rule of only 1 time and that's that
no seconds or anything else so a relationship or even an adventure is out of the question

Except when it comes to Josslyn~Flinn is the one who can't seem to
get her out of his mind and I hope that you read this book and find out the reason as to why!

I will give this to Claire Contreras~my hats off for turning this yummy romance into
a twisty freaky thriller!
I normally can't get into "THRILLERS" per se but u may have found the right way to sneek that in just the right
way!

Love it~Thank u!

All in all~Bravo!

I'm calling it quits at 35%.

This one seems to have a whole lot more steam to it than substance. Which I can hang with if other things are working for me. But I absolutely cannot stand a toddler hero - you know the kind...one who doesn't want the heroine for himself (because he "doesn't do relationships"), but doesn't want anyone else to have her either. One who gets irrationally angry if the heroine dares have a conversation with another man, who gets ragey because she wore another mans jersey because she lost a bet playing one-on-one basketball.

The narrators are doing a fine job, but I've rolled my eyes too many times so I'm out before my eyeballs get stuck that way.

* thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select | The Wicked Pen for providing an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review

When We Lied is my first read by Claire Contreras and definitely won't be my last. It gave me everything I didn't know I needed, and I devoured this story. Finn and Josslyn's story is a wild ride!

Finneas (Finn) Barlow is a professional hockey player known for being grumpy, broody, and having a one-night rule. Josslyn Santos is an all-star college basketball player and a social media influencer. Women basically fall at Finn's feet, and Josslyn is not immune to his charm. While out one night, Finn sees Josslyn talking to his sister, and he is immediately interested in her. They have one night together and then go their separate ways. A couple of years later, Finn's sister perishes in a fire. Finn is convinced there was foul play and thinks Josslyn knows the truth. Josslyn is determined to keep her secrets close and doesn't want to revisit the past.

This story is phenomenal! Claire masterfully pulled me into this story. I loved the romance and the suspense. I generally can predict what will happen in stories, but this one shocked me. The secrets revealed, twists and turns, had me on the edge of my seat. I loved the characters. Finn and Josslyn's chemistry is SIZZLING! Finn was obsessed with Josslyn, and I loved every second of it. Everything about them was amazing - the tension, push and pull, the banter...everything. They tried to deny their attraction to each other, but fighting it was useless. I really enjoyed the character growth and the development of Finn and Josslyn's relationship. I could not get enough of this story! I am so happy I've been introduced to Claire's writing, and I can't wait to read more.

NARRATION:
This was honestly one of the best audiobooks I've ever listened to. Stephen Dexter and Janine Granda gave a masterclass, and their performances were fantastic! They provided the perfect voices for Finn and Josslyn and brought them to life. Stephen portrayed Finn's broodiness and grabbed my attention from the start. Janine portrayed Josslyn's strength, vulnerability, and fierceness. I loved the dual narration and felt Stephen and Janine nailed this one. This story is great, but the narration makes it even better.

When We Lied is the 2nd book in the Fairview Hockey Series, but can be read as a standalone alone.
Man! What did I just read and listen to. CC knocked it out of the park. I fell in love with her writing from the first book in this series Until I Get You. But, this book didn’t disappoint. Dare I say that I might love this book more. From the beginning I was suck in. The banter, tension and chemistry between Joss and Finn is palpable. They fight their feelings for so long. The rubber band finally snaps. We get the heat, the sass, the overprotective alpha with touch H& D vibes. Then we are thrown into the depth of this story, and what a ride it is. The backstory, lies, deceptions, secrets, hidden truths, and suspense just keeps you flipping the pages. And, the plot twist. I figured part of it out but the other plot twist I didn’t see coming at all. I loved to the growth of Finn, especially in this story. Loved getting to see Lachlan, Lyla and getting the family updates. This story does contain some sensitive topics so please check the warnings prior to diving in.
The narration performed by Stephen Dexter and Janina Granda was a great listen. The way they embodied the characterization of Finn and Joss was perfect. So many emotions that are felt while listening to the audiobook. Great read and listen.

I have to say I liked this book a lot more than the first but you don’t have to read the first to read this book. I’m not always a fan of “instalove” but I am a fan of hockey romances and Finn isn’t as much of a jerk as he comes off to be. I really enjoyed Josie and Finn’s story. If you’re into spicy hockey romances, I do recommend this one.
Thanks netgalley and publisher for the chance to read this book for free in return for my honest opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I love it when the boy falls first and hardest. I was initially scared that Finn would be the token hockey-playing alphahole, but he was lovable and sweet in his stalker ways. I adored his total confusion regarding his feelings towards Josslyn. His epiphany, “holy sh--, does this mean I am in love?” His jealousy. His utter refusal to allow Josslyn to slip through his fingers.

Aside from the romance, there was the underlying mystery of what happened to his sister and a crazy twist I didn’t see coming. It only elevated the story and got me quickly invested.

This fast-burn MF romance starts with a one-night-only situation and ends with a sweet HEA.

I read this as a complete standalone, my first book from the author. I plan on picking up more of her books in the future.

Highly recommended read. I listened to it in audio and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Dual-style narration. The narrators were ideally suited to their characters and injected emotion into their performances.

Overall Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice Rating 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Audio Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you Netgalley for the Audio Arc of this book! It was a pleasure to listen to <3

🤍 Hockey/Basketball Sports Romance
🤍 Contemporary
🤍 Suspenseful Plot
🤍 Loads of Spice
🤍 Bully Romance Vibes/ Angst
🤍 Alphahole MMC versus Baddass FMC
🤍 Mutual pining, and insta attraction
🤍 Obsessed MMC
🤍 One time hook-up turned to...
🤍 Fast-burn spice, slow-burn romance & fast paced plot

Audio
🤍 Dual Narration
🤍 Stephen Dexter and Janine Granada
🤍 Blush worthy

It has everything if you're looking for a suspence and character driven story with loads of steamy angst, questionable attractions, s3x club shenanigans, pining (my fave) and spice, you've come to the right place! The audio was enjoyable but had me blushingggg. I liked that the story was fast paced, and I enjoy a bit of 'first they hook up then they slow the romance right down to pick back up' - the angst and pining is impecable.

I was so excited when I saw that another book was coming out in the same world as Until I Get You, and this did not disappoint. Same dark and broody vibes from our MMC and a badass FMC to go along with it.

I loved that there was tons of pining and angst as they were constantly fighting their attraction. Also, having no third act breakup really was the icing on the cake. I also really enjoyed the mystery element to this book. It kept me on my toes the whole time.

The narrators definitely helped bring these characters to life for me. I’m usually really critical of male narrators especially when they’re trying to fill this role, and Stephen Dexter was great.

2⭐️
Thanks to Netgalley for this arc
Im sad to say that this book was a total waste of my time, the only reason I didn’t drop it is cause it’s an arc. From the moment the book started and the insta-lust began, i got annoyed. It’s just not my thing at all. Insta-lust isn’t the worst, but the fact that i felt no connection between the couple made it worse. They went from not knowing each other to “im jealous of every man you know” in 2 seconds, and it was just so random and not believable. I didnt like the MC or MMC, they were both annoying me. The MMC was supposed to be “broody” and “mysterious”, but he just came off as annoying and weird. The MC was spineless. Their chemistry was off and made the book very unlikable. The plot was SO predictable, i mean i guessed it the second it was even brought up. Anyway, this book wasn’t the WORST thing i’ve read, some parts were okay which makes it 2 stars instead of 1.

I think Claire is one of my new favorites! She’s writes such great romantic suspense. The plot moves quickly and the spice is fantastic.

Set in the same world as Until I Get You but you really don’t have to read it before. I hate when interconnected standalones spoil the next books but she does a great job leaving you guessing about what happens in the previous book if you haven’t read.

Both narrators were fantastic. They each had a great speed and also were great at opposing gender voices, which can really deter me. Great read!

I haven’t read a book by Claire in a while, and I have no idea why that is because her writing is fantastic.

This book has so many of my favourite things.

Hockey hero - check.
Alpha male brought to his knees - check.
Strong heroine - check.
Seggs club shenanigans - check.
Suspense - check.
Plot twist - check.

Janine and Stephen do a great job bringing Jocelyn and Finn to life. They convey all the emotions, build suspense, and effortlessly switch between different voices.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.