I had the opportunity to read Lie in the Tide, a mystery/thriller genre. While it was a quick and engaging beach read, it ultimately fell short of my expectations.

The book's strongest aspect lies in its initial character development, where the author skillfully weaves together the separate narratives of the four female protagonists. However, as the story progresses and the characters have a reunion on the Cape, their dynamics become increasingly unconvincing and even off-putting.

The plot thickens when one of the friends is found dead on the ocean shore, and the remaining three embark on an amateur investigation to uncover the truth. Unfortunately, the story lacks emotional depth, particularly in the aftermath of the character's death. The protagonists' reactions to the tragedy feel surprisingly muted, which makes it challenging to become invested in their plight.

Furthermore, the characters' behavior and dialogue often come across as entitled and whiny, particularly during their interactions with the police. The author's attempt to create suspense and tension falls flat, and the twists and turns that do occur feel predictable and anticlimactic.

Overall, while Lie in the Tide is an easy beach read, it fails to deliver a compelling and suspenseful thriller. Fans of “She Started it” may find some similarities in tone and style, but ultimately, this book did not live up to my expectations.

*Rating:* ⭐️⭐️⭐️

*Disclaimer:* I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Oh wow!

I loved the writing style of this book first and foremost. It was easy to read and flowed nicely. I was NOT expecting that ending. The epilogue was unique & added a nice little surprise!

It did take quite a bit for the story to get going and get thrilling. That would be my only complaint! But once it did pick up, I couldn’t stop reading!

This is the definition of a good beach read.

There were a lot of characters in this book. I usually love stories about reunions amongst friends. It just ended up being predictable like so many thrillers I am reading lately. I did enjoy the setting, but that was about it.

LIES IN THE TIDE BY HOLLY DANVERS.
Release date set for the 3rd of June 2025.
Book 1 in The Little White Lies.
I thought this was a good suspense mystery thriller.
I found it rather twisty at times.
I love the cover.
I read this book so fast today.
It held my attention throughout.

From the very start, I was absolutely hooked and could not put this one down!!! All the twists and turns will have your head spinning.. And I thought I had it all figured out but wow.. You need to add this one to your TBR!!!

Thank you for the advanced copy, NetGalley!

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

A semi-enjoyable thriller that I found hard to get into and finish.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I really did not connect with the characters, if anything I found them incredibly annoying and unlikeable, as a result I did not really care what happened to them. I also could not believe some of the actions they undertook which did not help. The plot was also frustratingly obvious and I wanted something to happen that would take me by surprise.
On a positive side I did like the location for this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for an advance copy.

An OK read. Bit far fetched for me. The reunion after so many years was a bit of a stretch as the reason for the group to get back together.

Loved this! I’m a big fan of Lucy Clarke and this reminded me of one of hers called one of the girls- beautifully written, kept my guessing, gorgeous location- amazing! Perfect holiday read, thanks for my advance copy!

Such a great book. Couldn't stop reading it. Thank you for my advance reader copy. Can't wait to look up other books from this author.

Four best friends reunite after 20 years. Sure, it may be a little awkward at first, but it can't be too hard to fall back into the swing of things! Despite being excited to see one another, each girl holds a dark secret - but don't we all have them?

This was a fun read! While not as action-packed as most thrillers I read, Danvers somehow managed to make this one cozy yet still suspenseful at the same time! The secretive nature gave me a grown-up "Pretty Little Liars" vibe which was fun, and overall this was an easy, engaging read. Some of the character development felt a little forced, but it wouldn't prevent me from reading something else from Danvers. Thanks so much for the ARC!

Secrets, old friends reunited, drama, lots of wine, and a lovely setting - what could possibly go wrong? When four friends decide to get together after twenty years, they're in for much more than just a nice week down at The Cape. One of the friends actually won't make it out of the week alive.

I loved the setting of this novel. Living in Massachusetts, I'm familiar with The Cape and Danvers did a good job describing the scenery, the lush hydrangeas, and the pristine beaches. I appreciated some New England charm that was thrown in including Boston accents and -isms and some traditional coastal fare.

The characters were reuniting after two decades. They were formerly good friends from high school, but anyone twenty years out knows that quite a bit can change in that time. I related to the women in that I am at the same point in my life though I had to suspend belief that I would spend an entire week away from my life to vacation with people I had hardly spoken to in such a long time.

There were a lot of secrets and juicy gossip, so if those books intrigue you, I definitely recommend. The women also became amateur sleuths and completely ingratiated themselves in the mystery. Much of the writing did have an air of cozy mysteries so while I'm not familiar with Danvers, it doesn't surprise me that cozies are her usual genre.

This was a quick read and would be fun for a lighter mystery by the beach. Thanks to the Pulse for putting this one on my radar!

This was a great book about friendship. How close we are. How close we think we are. And how much we change. Friends gather in Cape Cod as a reunion after many years apart. The rich one, the farmer, the entrepreneur, the stay at home mom. One woman will not be going home. Three women will be changed forever. Will the friendship between them survive? This book had me staying up way too late to find the answer.

Premise: Four friends that haven’t seen each other in person for 20 years plan a reunion on Cape Cod to celebrate a 40th birthday and catch up. The friends don’t know each other like they used to, and each of them is hiding a secret. When one of the friends fails to show up at the beach house, it sets off a cascade of events that threatens all of them.

Thoughts: This was my first novel from this author, who has previously focused on cozy mysteries, while this is a thriller. There were many positives in this novel for me: the setting was Cape Cod which is a favourite destination of mine; the characters were appealing and had interesting backstories; the psychological tension with all the secrecy was high; and there was a juicy, gossipy atmosphere that I enjoyed. However some of the character interactions and dialogue felt forced and awkward, and I was equal parts baffled and frustrated by the ending. Readers that enjoy a psychological thriller with unreliable characters and juicy secrets may like this one.

Four friends decide to reunite at a cape code beach house. They each carry a painful secret with them. This book had me on the edge of my seat. I was shocked by the ending!

Thank you NetGalley, Holly and Severn House for the e-ARC! I’m looking forward to the next book by Holly!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication Date: June 3rd 2025

#NetGalley #LieintheTide

This book is an edge-of-your-seat, compelling page-turner that will keep you guessing until the final pages and give you a gripping read. With its intricate web of secrets, lies, and old friendships, this story unfolds in a way that kept me on my toes right until the very end. Holly Danvers has masterfully crafted a narrative that's not only entertaining but also thought-provoking. You won't want to put it down! Trust me; this juicy read is one you won’t regret diving into. Highly recommemd.

Thank you ThrillerBooksLoversThePulse #partner, for the advanced e-copy of Lie in the Tide in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first of what is going to be Holly Danver’s Little White Lies series and I am all in! I was captivated right from the beginning by each of the four women’s stories and found that I could not out this book down, reading it in just two sittings. It’s so atmospheric and suspenseful and kept me guessing all the way through. ⁣
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A reunion between friends who haven’t been in touch in a while is a trope we’ve all read before, but Danvers definitely adds her own spin here. Really focusing on those white lies we tell in relationships, relationships of all types, she is able to build on the secrets of the past and the consequences of both those lies and secrets & how once they start coming out, it’s like a house of cards falling down. ⁣
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Every time I thought I knew where this was going, something new would be revealed to shake things up and it really kept me on my toes. ⁣
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I thoroughly enjoyed this one, especially that final chapter, and am curious to see how this series moves forward.

I'm not sure how I feel about Lie in the Tide. The book dragged a bit and the characters were pretty one-dimensional. There wasn't a lot of character development nor was there the twist I look for in a book that is tagged as a thriller. This isn't really a reunion story from hell, more like a reunion with a whimper.

A Cape Cod reunion of 4 old friends who haven’t seen each other in 20 years and are celebrating a 40th birthday… what could go wrong?

Meet the characters:

Mori- a former awkward child is now a famous spicy romance author doing really well for herself. She is hiding a secret love interest and heading for divorce. She knows some other secrets from high school as well but she’s keeping those to herself

Calista- married with a teenage son, Devon and teaches English at the local school. She has a secret.

Avery- works and lives on a farm in Idaho with her husband and several children. She lives a simple life-she’s fascinated by the Keurig machine in the home where they stay

Remi- married to Gabe, and they own a gym together. Has a couple secrets held close to her heart.

Unique characters, a familiar setting to me (Massachusetts and Cape Cod), and lots of secrets made for a fantastic read. Little tidbits are revealed piece by piece which left me turning the pages. When these friends begin second guessing each other after someone goes missing, tensions rise and trusts are tested. I could not put this down! I found the ending to be a little bit predictable, but the journey made up for it. I was frustrated with the characters for interfering with the police investigation but it made for even more drama. A highly recommended read and I’ll be sure to check out others from this author! Thank you so much for the arc @netgalley and @severnhouseimprint.

2 stars
Expected publication - June 3, 2025

Thank you, NetGalley and Severn House, for this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.

Four friends reunite after 20 years on Cape Cod. One of them end up dead, and they all have secrets.

These characters were awful. I went from being annoyed by how stupid they were to how annoying they were to how terrible they were.