I am a big fan of DeBoard's and this book did not disappoint.

Here We Lie is an incredibly timely read.  I do not want to risk spoiling any portion of the plot so I will just say that Here We Lie adds another useful and thoughtful perspective on an ongoing social/political issue dominating the news today.  The book touches on numerous thought-provoking topics including female friendships, family ties, male dominance, and the harmful effects of brushing horrible events under the rug instead of addressing them head-on.  

I struggled a little with Lauren and Megan’s relationship.  Both girls are attempting to find their places in life, but they are such polar opposites and really on’t have what I would call a true friendship – it is more based on lies, privilege (on Lauren’s part), and the fact that they are both intrigued by the other; clearly as the story plays out they don’t really know each other that well.  But maybe that is what DeBoard is getting at- ultimately how hard some female relationships can be.

I definitely enjoyed Here We Lie.  I received this book to read and review.  All opinions are my own.

I have to admit this one snuck up on me. 

Here We Lie is the story of the friendship between Lauren Mabrey, the daughter of a US senator has never felt at home in her skin or perhaps, more accurately, the skin her mother wants her to live in and Megan Mezeros, a small-town Kansas girl who end up as roommates at an all-girl’s college.

Nobody expected them to become friends, let alone, best friends, but somehow their friendship works. Until it doesn’t.

Somewhere between their beginning and their middle, I fell in so deep that I lost track of time and responsibility—only reading. I loved the evolution of these characters as they came into their own together and separately. If you’re looking for an intriguing story of friendship, secrets, and revelations, this is a good one.

It amazes me when a writer can foretell the future (our present)---as this book is very timely to our current state of affairs—do you have a crystal ball, Ms. DeBoard? 

I received an advance review copy of this book from Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

This is the third book I’ve read by this author and definitely my favorite! While I don’t want to give anything away, I will say Here We Lie deals with incredibly timely issues, like sexual assault by those in positions of power. This is an important book and a great examination of why things play out the way they do in society. I’m certainly looking forward to reading whatever else Ms. DeBoard writes in the future.

4.5 stars.

 A close college friendship and the circumstances surrounding its abrupt end lie at the heart of Paula Treick DeBoard’s newest release, Here We Lie. Weaving back and forth in time, this incredibly fast-paced novel is an intriguing mystery with a socially relevant storyline.

 Megan Mazeros and Lauren Mabrey form an unlikely and exceptionally close friendship when they become roommates at an exclusive all girls college. Megan is from a small town in Kansas where she worked as waitress while helping care for her father as he was dying from cancer. The youngest child of a US Senator, Lauren’s attempts to break free of her family’s expectations are met with disdain and derision from her rather cold mother. With enough money to pay for her four year degree, Megan carefully counts every penny and works hard to get good grades.  Despite her family’s disapproval, Lauren has a generous allowance and she maintains her careless attitude toward her education although she excels in her newfound love of photography. Despite all of their differences, the women forge a close friendship yet they each keep secrets and tell some rather elaborate lies and jealousy and anger occasionally come between them. However, their bond remains unbreakable until a shocking act and family loyalty rips them apart.

 Megan and Lauren are very well-developed characters with all too human strengths and weaknesses. Megan is surprisingly comfortable at school despite the fact that most of her schoolmates are wealthy and privileged. She is slightly uncomfortable with Lauren’s generosity when they first begin spending time together, but their easy friendship soon eclipses her reservations. Lauren’s desire to be her own person, make her choices and experience life on her own terms is understandable yet she is quick to rely on her family’s money and connections to ease her way.

 The novel begins with a press conference in the present then quickly flashes back in time to before Lauren and Megan meet. The story is written in first person and alternates between Lauren and Megan’s points of view.  They each have very distinct personalities and each of the perspective shifts are clearly marked but it is sometimes difficult to keep up which women is the currently narrating the story.

 Most of the novel takes place during Megan and Lauren’s college years but there are brief glimpses of their lives in the present. Both women are in relationships but only one of them has children. How they arrived at this point in their lives is a bit of an unknown but a brief recap eventually provides answers.  What truly drives the story is the circumstances surrounding the mysterious  press conference and the flashbacks of Megan and Lauren’s friendship which gradually lead to the horrific act that destroys their friendship.

 Here We Lie is an absolutely entrancing novel that explores the bonds of friendship.  While not a conventional mystery, Paula Treick DeBoard does an excellent job building and maintaining suspense about the incident that ends Megan and Lauren’s friendship. With a storyline that could very well be ripped from today’s headlines, readers won’t have too much difficulty guessing what happened, whereas figuring out the who will be much more difficult.  This riveting novel comes to a heartwarming conclusion that is quite touching.

Here We Lie
By
Paula Treick DuBoard



What it's all about...

Megan is from Kansas...she comes from a reasonably normal middle class family.  She is an only child...very close to her father...who is dying from mesothelioma.  Lauren comes from a very privileged family...tons of money, an island home, a father who is a senator.  Lauren is the wild child...her mother is always regretfully paying her way out of distasteful situations.  Megan...begins her friendship with Lauren with lies...many many self deprecating lies.  In spite of everything they become friends...until something happens on the island...Megan leaves in the middle of the night...literally stealing a boat to get off of the island.  Fourteen years go by until Megan deals with the  incident that brings them back together...literally face to face.  

Why I wanted to read it...

I love books like this one...I loved this one...private schools, budding relationships, jealousies and major dysfunction all pull this book together.  

What made me truly enjoy this book...

Very simply...this book deals with women and their friendships, family dysfunction, sexual intimidation and assault and a political scandal...kind of relevant to today.  I love the readers guide and I would love to have the opportunity to discuss this book with a book club...it has great potential for that kind of discussion.  

Why you should read it, too...

Readers who love all of the dramas I have discussed in this review should find this book very rewarding.  I plan to read The Drowning Girls...another book by this author that has great reviews.  

I received  an advance reader’s copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and Amazon.  It was my choice to read it and review it.

After previously enjoying “The Drowning Girls” by Paula Treick DeBoard, I was excited to have the opportunity to read this novel.

This was another fantastic read.

October 2016

Lauren Mabrey is desperate to attend a press conference that’s about to begin. It’s not open to the public and the guard at the door tries to turn her away. However, when Lauren whispers that she’s family, the guard takes pity on her and lets her inside. The press conference begins and a woman says…

“I’m here today to tell you what happened to me fourteen years ago, and why, for far too long, I’ve kept silent.”

1998-

Megan Mazeros always promised herself she wouldn’t get stuck living in Woodstock. Originally she was to attend Kansas State but that wasn’t to be. But now, Megan is finally getting out. She’s getting away from everything and everyone in Woodstock…and for that she’s thankful.

Lauren Mabrey comes from a very well known, powerful, and influential family. To say they are well-off is an understatement. With houses in different states and even a private island, Lauren has never wanted for anything…financially anyway. As Lauren says “ We’re the all-American family on steroids .” However, Lauren knows she doesn’t fit the “Mabrey mold”. She’s nothing like her perfect siblings; she’s a disappointment…the "wild child".

“You’ll never get anywhere in life like this”

Megan Mazeros and Lauren Mabrey both end up at the all-girls school – Keale College in Connecticut. They are both there for very different reasons. When they meet, they realize right away that they don’t have much in common. Megan had a very modest upbringing and Lauren is the daughter of a senator. But despite their differences, they grow a friendship so strong that they feel comfortable sharing their deepest darkest secrets, things no one else knows.

Megan enjoys some of the perks that come with having a friend who has money. However, there are times when the differences in their backgrounds are made very apparent, times when Megan thinks that she doesn’t belong in Lauren’s “ other life ”.

“I was only a guest in this life, an actor pulled in for a bit role. I was supporting actress to the golden girl”

However, Megan isn’t the only one with insecurities. But their friendship continues to grow. They make plans for the future, positive that they will always be in each other’s lives.

Then comes the night when everything changes. Guilt and shame. So many secrets…so many lies.

But eventually something happens that makes it impossible to keep quiet any longer.

What really happened all those years before?

The story-line moves between the past and present, alternating Lauren and Megan’s point of view. Well-written and engaging, the story was easy to follow, and I had no problem figuring out whose point of view it was.

Reading the description, I had an idea of what was to come. However, I still found the journey getting there so interesting. I felt like much of what happened came across realistically. This is a story that explores family dynamics, the complications of friendship, and the power of secrets and lies. There were some very emotional moments, but I feel that the author handled these sensitive issues with great care.

Paula Treick DeBoard’s writing makes me ask myself some tough questions. I thought a lot about my own friendships. I wondered how I would react in situations like the ones in this novel. What can a friendship survive? What does it mean to be brave?

I really enjoyed this novel and I’m hoping I don’t have to wait too long to read more from Paula Treick DeBoard.


Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

What an incredible story told with such compassion. With today's culture where victims are becoming survivors, this story adds much to the conversation of #metoo. This novel needs to be read in all the book clubs and the conversation must continue because as with Megan, we need to move from victims to survivors! Excellent novel! Highly recommend!

From the critically acclaimed author, of The Drowning Girls, The Fragile World, and The Mourning Hours (all five glowing stars-review links below), Paula Treick DeBoard follows with her latest riveting suspense, coming Jan 2018— HERE WE LIE. 

Rich in character, a look inside the secret lives of two different, unlikely friends from two different social classes. A world of privilege and secrets. The lies and secrets they tell themselves, and to one another —with devastating consequences. 

Ripped from today’s headlines: Scandal, power, cover-ups, and deadly secrets. Messy, complicated and imperfect lives. 

Told in alternating first-person perspectives, moving between past and present. Megan Mazeros and Lauren Mabrey. Each views the world differently— from diverse backgrounds.

As the book opens, it is 2016. A press conference. Someone is about to spill a lie. Age thirty-five. Female. A lie kept silent for fourteen years is about to be exposed to the world. 

“Fourteen years was a long time. It was long enough to forget, forgive, move on.” A long time to keep a secret. 

Megan is from Kansas. She lived for years watching her dad die each day slowly from asbestos fibers (a poor man’s cancer) from the mesothelioma with his job. She holds a secret. Her father’s dying wish.

“Something had to die so something else could live.”

With the life insurance money, Megan can attend a college of choice in combination with a scholarship and her good grades. She wants nothing more than to escape this town and her past. Her mom has moved on to Gerry, her boss at the accounting firm. 

She decides on Keale College in Scofield, Connecticut— a unscale private girls-only school. She realizes that wealth lives here and people of privilege. People different than herself.

She meets a regular local boy named Joe on her first day. Soon after that, her roommates commits suicide, assigning her another roommate.

Lauren Mabrey is the wild child with continued reckless behavior from a wealthy family. From the elite, boarding schools, and old money pedigree. The cars, wealth, homes, status, power, and the best education. She is the daughter of a U.S. senator from Connecticut. Lauren has a poor GPA; however, with her parent’s money, she can pretty much do as she pleases. 

She also feels like an outsider in her only family and goes against the traditional values, causing disarray in her family. Often she wanted to be regular so as not to have to live up to the expectations. 

A bit rebellious, she encounters some problems with drugs before she goes off to college, which lands the guy in jail, and ultimately ended up dead in a prison yard. This event haunts her. However, her parents manage to keep this out of the news. Her mom warns her they cannot continue to bail her out. 

Lauren loves photography and takes her talent a little too far. Her family dismisses it. After an encounter with her current roommate, Erin she is assigned a new one.

Lauren and Megan become best friends in their freshman year 1999-2000. Lauren is everything Megan is not. Lauren sees Megan as normal. Due to her family environment, she finds herself attracted to Megan, Joe, Marcus, and others she meets, unlike her status.

However, Megan distorts her life offering shocking lies about her family. She exaggerated about how poor her family was and how many boyfriends she had. She wants to be someone else, someone different from the dull girl she is. To feel better about herself. Both girls are insecure in their ways. 

Lauren loves Megan’s wit, and the two develop a friendship based on lies. Telling each other their best and worst truths and lies. As time moves on, they also become jealous and angry with one another. 

Megan meets Lauren’s family and becomes exposed to a different way of life. Their home, a job, and a private summer island off the coast of Maine. This trip was to be their last vacation before senior year. 

However, one night something happens which changes the course of their lives. A house of money. To cover up the dirty deeds of its family members. 

Dreams of Harvard are no longer in view. Shattered by one night. Worse than her father dying. A choice to make. A decision. Who would believe her—a girl from nowhere? The Mabrey's had the kind of power that could buy justice—that could shape truth. 

The lies she had told. She could not put herself through it. She would remain silent. One girl all alone. Dreams shattered. Another one left clueless about the events unfolding around her. Where was the trust in one another?

Many years later when the girls have their separate lives and families of their own, someone comes forward with rape and sexual assault. A political scandal. If someone had come forward earlier, could it have saved others down the road? 

The silence broken, shattering lives and the ugly truth revealed. Allegations, investigation, and a trial. The what ifs.

What a fabulous story— highly relatable to the events which surround us today. Even though fictional, unfortunately, it is all too real for many women who experience sexual assault at the hands of famous figures such as politicians and celebrities. The victims often are viewed in a negative light; therefore they remain silent. 

An avid fan of the author, for years—her books continually land on my top books of the year. Unique and compelling, her stories possess a common thread. Thought-provoking, she writes of powerful bonds of friendships, family, and betrayal. 

Paula’s writing is superb! The dual timelines and alternating perspectives keep the reader engrossed in the lives of the two young women at different ages. From college years to the present, the author gives a glimpse of the gap and how words and actions have consequences resulting in hurt and resentment. A convincing look at lies and how they come back to haunt (no matter the age). 

From teenagers to young women with families of their own to their true selves. In addition to the topic of friendship, a strong focus on daughter/father and daughter/mother relationships. 

Highly charged topics: enjoyed how she tied female friendship, sexual assault, political scandal and moral complexities together in one dynamic story. HERE WE LIE,  an ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions (Reader’s Guide Included).

An added bonus—a insightful Q&A with the author! Highly recommend. A "read-in-one-sitting" kind of novel. 

JDCMustReadBooks 

A special thank you to the author for the lovely print copy and Park Row and NetGalley for the digital advanced reading copy. 

The Drowning Girls  Top Books of 2016 
The Fragile World    Top Books of 2014 
The Mourning Hours

This book could not be more timely with the #metoo movement. Told from two different perspectives during two different time periods, the author does a great job of keeping the reader feel for both of the main characters. I could not put this book down and will definitely be reading the author’s other books!

This was a fantastic read, and is particularly great for a women's book club pick. I loved the balance between Megan and Lauren coming from such different worlds, and ultimately being ripped apart when their worlds are brought together one fateful summer night. I was so emotionally connected to these characters, I felt burning anger for both of them, and utter heartbreak too. I would recommend this book to my girlfriends, for sure.

An addicting tale of lies, jealously, and friendship. What another brilliant story by Paula Treick DeBoard!!

One of things that I love about DeBoard's style is her ability to flawlessly connect her characters with her readers. The sense of depth and experiences that the author creates through her characters is absolutely amazing. 

Megan and Lauren are quite the opposite of one another when they meet attending an elite college in the 90's. Lauren comes from a privileged family who is the daughter of a senator and Megan primarily comes from a middle class family who has worked for opportunity her entire life. The two girls become best friends quickly until an earth shattering event tears their friendship apart. 

What I love about this novel is the dual POV. The story alternated between present day of 2016 to the 90's. As a reader, you gradually see the friendship of Megan and Lauren unfold. But, I asked myself reading this novel... how many lies can one spin until the web is destroyed? Megan and Lauren shared their deepest and darkest secrets with one another as their friendship spiraled out of control. I mean really... what does a few lies here and there do to a friendship? 

I highly recommend this novel! I was fully engaged in the story of Megan and Lauren. Addicting, emotional, thrilling, and unique! DeBoard truly has a talent for her characterization. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for an advanced arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars :).

The review is scheduled to post on January 15th

Megan Mazeros dreams of going to college and getting out of her small Kansas town. Her father's illness keeps her from achieving those dreams. That is until mesothelioma ends his life and she and her mother learn he'd taken out a large life insurance policy when he suspected he was sick. With the money in hand, Megan heads off to Connecticut where she starts her journey in a private women's college.



As the daughter of an esteemed senator, Lauren Mabrey seems unable to do anything right. She's involved in a relationship with a bad boy that goes wrong. After that, her mom has her sent off to a private woman's college in hopes that Lauren will straighten up. It's there that Lauren discovers a passion for photography, something her mom does not approve of. 



Surprisingly, Lauren and Megan hit it off and become close friends. On one summer break, Lauren invites Megan to join the family at their remote island home off the coast of Maine. It's there that horrific circumstances tear the young women apart forever. Many years will pass before Megan decides to speak up and reveal the things she never told Lauren or others.



Strengths and Weaknesses


Here We Lie features two girls with very different upbringings. Despite that, both have a certain naivety that made me feel for them. Lauren's been brought up in a prominent family where every action is scrutinized. Later, I found myself really just hating her parents. Read the book and you'll get why.



Megan's situation is completely different. She's been hurt, hurt others, and is haunted by some of her actions. She was hard not to like, even when you knew she was making poor choices for the right reasons.



With such strong heroines leading the story, I did want to get to the point where all of the story comes together. It starts in the present, goes back into the past, and bounces back and forth from there. Don't let the shifts throw you off, keep reading and you'll get how it all ties together.



RTR's Bottom Line


I've read another Paula Treick DeBoard novels and both have grabbed my attention and held me riveted to every page. The secret in Here We Lie wasn't too difficult to guess, though I had one part of it wrong. Even knowing what was going to happen, I was still hooked. If you're looking for a women's fiction that has a touch of mystery, this book is a good choice.

As soon as I started the book, I couldn’t put it down but I honestly have to say that I wanted a different ending…

Clara Kelley comes to America with pre-planned destination but through a case of mistaken identity, she attains a better job with nicer living conditions as Mrs. Carnegie’s personal maid.  Clara misses her home, yearns for news about her family and longs for Ireland.   

Clara works hard to assume her new role to ensure she maintains her place in the Carnegie home.  Her family is desperately counting on the money she sends. 

She can’t help but notice the people living within these opulent surroundings don’t have a carefree existence.  They are striving to fit into a society that looks down upon them.  They are vying for their mother’s affections and always trying to come up with the next great business idea.  It’s not what Clara would have surmised. 

Andrew Carnegie spies his mother’s maid reading a book in the library.  Instead of chastising her, he encourages her to keep reading the books and slowly they develop a friendship.  It’s a friendship that had it been discovered, would have been detrimental to them both.  They yearn to spend time with one another and if things were different they might have loved one another forever.  

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Story of Megan and Lauren's broken friendship, long kept secrets, and shattered dreams that are relevant in today's social climate of political scandals and sexual assault. 

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I think this book is very reverent to the time in our society. So many women are brave and speaking out at this time. 

It was easy to relate to Megan and Lauren was a very likable character. It was interesting to watch their friendship grow.

I definitely liked how the story line was resolved in the end. I won't spoil anything but the ending did not leave me frustrated with the author. This is my first book by DeBoard and it won't be my last. 

I received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

This was an amazing story of friendship and life. This book was told in alternating voices of Megan and Lauren and the girls are completely different. They are college roommates and become best friends. I loved both the main characters in their own way. Megan is smart,and gutsy and just wants to make her way in the world. Lauren is spoiled by her family but really becomes a different person as the book goes on. By alternating between the girls, you get the entire story and see each person as a whole. This book had many twists and turns and I did not see the ending coming! It was a great read from start to finish! I received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

I received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thoughts Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.
Meet Lauren and Megan who became roommates, at Keale College, by accident but quickly become inseparable despite the vast differences in their upbringings. The book opens with Lauren attending a press conference where Megan reveals something that happened to her in the past. What follows is the alternating perspectives of Lauren and Megan and what got them to that point. I like that the author took me on a slow journey to what happened that brought Lauren to the press conference. 
This is the first book I've read from this author; I will definitely check out her other books. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys flawed characters that recognize their faults with enough suspense that makes it hard to put down.

I received an advanced review copy of this book from The Great Ninja Reviews Team. All opinions are my own. I wish that I could give this book is more than five stars. It was emotional and gut wrenching. The characters are engrossing. It is a book that you will savor and enjoy. The story will linger with you long after you have finished the last page. Happy reading!