This book was fine. It wasn't ground breaking, or anything that made me feel much of anything, but it was fine. It's basically a story of friendship, with a really heartbreaking trauma in the second half of the book. The characters were OK, the plot wasn't too slow but just right, it just didn't make me feel. I guess when the subject matter is so dark and horrible, I think a book should make you feel something, one way or the other. Anyway... it was fine. Not something I'm not going to pick up and read again, but I didn't hate reading it.

Due to be published at the end of January 2018, Here We Lie is my second encounter with Paula Treick DeBoard’s literature following The Drowning Girls, her enthralling novel of domestic suspense which I read a few months ago and very much enjoyed. Paula Treick DeBoard reinvented herself in Here We Lie in the sense that she left the realm of psychological thriller/mystery/suspense that she had explored in her previous publication and switched focus to the anatomy of female friendship intertwined with the themes of sexual assault and political scandal. I have always held the novelists unafraid to try different literary genres in high regard.

Here We Lie reconfirms the quality of Treick DeBoard’s storytelling skills. It is a slow-paced novel filled with well-done characterization and realistic, thought-provoking events. The chapters are told from Megan and Lauren’s perspectives and follow the past, when the two were roommates at Keale College and close friends, and the present, when the former friendship is non-existent. Even though the author opted for a dual timeline, the past accounts for a greater part of the story as it provides an explanation for the current state of the relationship between the protagonists.

Speaking of the protagonists, Lauren has always been the rebellious member of her political and very wealthy family, whereas Megan comes from an ordinary family and has been able to afford college tuition following her father’s death. Despite the evident antithesis regarding their backgrounds, the two form a close friendship when they become roommates, both being haunted by past secrets. While these characters are undoubtedly flawed and I have constantly wondered whether their friendship has ever been genuine, I wouldn’t say they are despicable. I appreciated the fact that both Lauren and Megan were well-aware of their defects most of the time.

All in all, Here We Lie is a spellbinding novel that requires slow reading in order to savour the beautiful and flowing writing of Paula Treick DeBoard. I definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a well-written and complex female friendship-themed book.

I was fortunate to be provided with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Special thanks for this opportunity go to NetGalley, Harlequin (US & Canada) and Park Row Books.

This is my first book by this author, but it will not be my last. In fact, I just purchased The Drowning Girls from Amazon. I loved the dual perspectives that also slipped from one time to the other. You need to read carefully in the beginning, but you soon get the rhythm. For me, this was the perfect read. I don't think there is any great mystery, but the writing keeps you on the edge of your seat to see how it is all going to play out. And it covers some pretty tough topics that are especially pertinent in today's climate.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author and this book is excellent as was The Drowning Girls. This is a story of two unlikely friends who couldn’t be more different. Although the are best friends, one night changes everything. And the effects span decades.

Another utterly engaging read from the author of one of my favorites last year—The Drowning Girls. 

What I appreciate the most about Paula Treick DeBoard’s writing is how effortless she makes the reader/character connection. Abandoning my own sense of self, to allow for the voices and emotions of these characters to take over, was done with ease. The complexity and depth of the two women at the center of it all—how their flaws, issues, experiences and choices all intermingle—makes for an enthralling and somewhat relatable read. In my eyes, this is the epitome of a character driven novel. 

Lauren and Megan are dual leading ladies and they couldn’t be more different. They meet during freshmen year, at an all girls college, and sort of latch on to one another, becoming fast friends. For Lauren, the senator’s "wild child", it’s about finding herself away from the Mabry name, earning something on her own merits, that drives her. For Megan, it’s forging a new path away from the small midwest town she grew up in and the very place that holds the heartbreak and haunting memories of her father’s final years. Despite their differing perspectives, upbringings, world views and struggles, they find the strength to cope in one another. 

The story opens with Megan holding a press conference, fourteen years post-friendship with Lauren, ready to the let the painful truth out for the world to see. Naturally, you have to wonder, what happened? From that point, the author circles back to the beginning and starts unraveling the downfall of Megan and Lauren.

Over the course of the story, I found myself waffling with my feelings for the women—I was team Lauren at some points and Megan all-the-way during others. I didn’t agree with all of the decisions either one of them made and I had to wonder, were they ever truly friends? I'm not sure if the exchange of their deepest darkest secret made up for the fact that they lied about so many other things. How can you call someone a friend when they have no idea who you really are?

A twisted tale of lies, jealousy and ultimately forgiveness, Here We Lie examines how far loyalty and the pledge of friendship really extends.

Lauren was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and given anything her heart desired while she was growing up. Megan didn’t have many lucky breaks and she’s worked hard to find a place at a pricey private college where she’s paired up ro room with Lauren. Even though the girls would seem to have  nothing in common, they soon become fast friends. It’s during the summer of their senior year that everything changes. Megan is spending the summer with Lauren and her family at their private family campground on an island off the coast of Maine. What happens that summer tear the two girls apart. Megan keeps quiet about her ordeal for years, but then one day Lauren learns that Megan intends to go public with what happened to her that  fateful summer. DeBoard’s characters are fascinating to watch grow and evolve in this book about dark family secrets and long-buried animosities