4.25-4.5 STARS

“Sometimes I Lie” is a compelling psychological thriller about a comatose woman who—from within her isolated world—is trying to unravel the critical events that preluded her current state. And as she tries to piece together her fragmented memories, fear takes root, fed by the belief that something more nefarious than a simple accident might actually be at play.

Officially, Amber Reynolds was in a terrible car accident that landed her in a coma. But the police aren’t quite so sure. Her husband, Paul, refuses to leave his injured wife’s side, except to answer their inquiries. And although her sister visits, the animosity between her and Paul weighs heavy in the air. Trepidation towards them both pervades Amber’s senses as she struggles to remember it all.

The story unfolds slowly from within Amber’s mind, as she recalls segments of her life, categorized as “now,” “then,” and “before.” Piecing together these segments to unravel the mystery is half the fun. Discovering the twists and turns along the way, surely make up the other half.

Although a little convoluted, the overall plot is compelling, if not a tad bit sluggish. But with a cast of complicated characters, each taking turns falling under my suspicious eye, reading “Sometimes I Lie” was a crazy, intriguing ride with an ending I never saw coming.

Sometimes I Lie is one of the best twisty thrillers I have read. The book is told in two ways, one follows Amber in modern day, before and after an accident she was in. The second way is through journal entries written as a child. As soon as one of these perspectives gets close to telling you something, it flips you on your side again and switches narrations. The book surrounds one of my greatest fears (and I cannot be alone here, can I?!) of waking up in a hospital and being aware of your surroundings, but unable to communicate to those around you. This book contains many layers of unexpected events - some of which you may figure out, but I highly doubt you will catch them all. It was a really enjoyable ride to be on. This book is due out on the 13th, so add this to your to be read list now!

This novel is hands down the best mystery/thriller of 2018 thus far!!! Sometimes I Lie is brilliantly written and will have even the most avid thriller fans stumped until the very end. This addictive read has twists and turns for it’s twists and turns and I enjoyed getting caught up in the web Alice Feeney has masterfully created for her readers. My mind is still spinning thinking about how completely original and mind-blowing the storyline is—love that! Sometimes I Lie is a 5++++ star novel that is at the top of my 2018 Favorites list- this book is a MUST READ!

Some people are ghosts before they are dead.

Hooooooooooooooooo boy. This is a double read book. As in, once the twists start rolling in, you will want to immediately flip back to the beginning of the book and read it all over again before you've even hit the last page.

Let's face it, the tag line of this book is such that it's almost impossible to not want to read it. I'm not going to lie, I thought it was going to be too good to be true. A lot of authors make big promises with their plot blurbs, and then leave me with a big giant donut hole. This is the full donut. A big fat bear claw, in fact. No jelly, because ew.

We start simply enough, if you can use that word. Amber wakes up in a coma...

Okay, well, regains consciousness while in a coma.

She's trapped in this bed, hearing her loved ones, hearing the nurses and hospital staff, but unable to speak, move, or even open her eyes. Her memory from whatever has led to this is completely wiped, so she spends days trying to figure out what has happened to her.

We get three angles to this story. The hospital plot, the flashback plot, and the childhood diaries plot. The hospital plot was so D plot throughout, but again. I casually turned the corner, and plot twists just started flying at my head and WHERE DID THIS...

I did start the book over. I mostly skimmed on re-read, but good lord, Alice Feeney is excellent at laying down some foreshadowing. There are plenty of moments that nibble at the back of your brain, but you figure that will make sense later.

Oh, it makes sense later, alright. Makes sense in a what the ever holy fuuuuuuu way. Good lord.

Just like with The Wife Between Us, I think we could've done with one less plot twist. Every time you thought you understood the plot, something else would knock you back down, until your limbs were all tangled and you started seeing little birdies. But finally, finally, you understand. You're a little sick to your stomach, but in a good way.

The final twist was unnecessary. And honestly, the book wouldn't suffer without it.

All of that being said, this was a truly excellent book. So well done, original and smart. High, high recommendation.

I was absolutely dying to get my hands on Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney much like I am antsy with anticipation over the newest Ruth Ware book. I was so excited and grateful to get a sneak peek of the suspenseful book and read it quickly, staying up past my bedtime to see how it was going to end.

A very interesting premise to have to main character in a coma, reliving the events that put her in the hospital and listening to people talk around her. I give the author an A+ for this because the reader felt the main characters frustration as she could not answer her husband and sister as they spoke about her.

I read this one very fast, a good story will keep you in suspense from beginning to end. I was a little confused at the very end, when you read it, you’ll see as other people have made similar comments. But all in all, it was a fantastic book and one you will want to read!

Everyone should read this book!!! This is the best unreliable narrator book I have ever read. It was thrown for SO many unexpected twists. It was amazing. I can normally see a plot twist coming but this book surprised me constantly. Just when you think you know, you don't.

The synopsis doesn't really tell you anything about the book which is great. You don't need to know anything going into it. JUST READ IT ALREADY!

After so many thrillers that overpromise and underdeliver, Sometimes I Lie is the rare gem that really lives up to the hype. You know from the beginning that the narrator may be unreliable- "Sometimes I lie" is one of the first things she tells you. But the lies are so unexpected, and some are so small that it's easy to get wrapped up in the story and get surprised by Amber's lies. I'm unwilling to talk much about the plot- not knowing much was one of the great pleasures of this story! It's wonderful to read a story that has many of the elements of books that have become tiresome over the last few years (unreliable female narrators, "twists!") and still find it to be fresh and enjoyable.

Very interesting format, switching between the past, where the protagonist is struggling with work, her marriage, and her family, and present day, where she is in a coma and able to hear but unable to speak. This ratchets up the tension as we learn more about her husband and then cuts to her being alone and comatose with him. Very well done and gripping from start to finish.

5 STARS!

There are three things you should know about me:
1. I’m in a coma.
2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore.
3. Sometimes I lie.

Welp. I finished this book this morning and I had to take a few hours to process this one. To say I loved this book is an understatement. It had so many twists and turns I'm honestly still processing it all. There was a point where I thought I had the next twist figured out and then the next one but I was frankly surprised by all of them.

We meet Amber, who is in the hospital in a coma but can't quite remember what happened. This book goes back and forth between the past and present of about a week. Basically either before or after Amber went into a coma. There's also chapters in there of diary entries that explore one of the character's childhood. We meet her family, her husband, ex husbands and co-workers who may all be intertwined in the reason why Amber is in the hospital or maybe not....

I don't want to say too much more as I don't want to spoil it for anyone who plans to read!

I have to give it up to Alice Feeney. I've never read it book with so many clever twists and I will be a Feeney fan for life!

I would highly recommend this novel for someone who likes suspense/thrillers!

Thank you to Flatiron books, Netgalley and the Author: Alice Feeney for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This novel quickly sets up an interesting premise, but one that failed to captivate me.

Thanks Flatiron books and NetGalley for an advanced read in exchange for this review!

"My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me:
1. I’m in a coma.
2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore.
3. Sometimes I lie."

Sometimes I think I read too many thrillers because I find myself struggling to find one that locks me into the story. Same with this one. It's good, but some of the stuff is not believable. This prevented me from getting sucked into the story like I had hoped. It's not bad, and I am sure most people will enjoy it. I just couldn't get lost into the story like I wanted to!

Yes, this is the twisty turny mindbender we've been hearing about, complete with the ultimate in unreliable narrators and diabolical plot events. It was a page turner, certainly. For this reader, though, the direction changes in the story while clever, felt ultimately excessive and almost tiresome.

Told in a series of flash forwards and flash backs, this story was very twisty and surprising. Most of the characters were not particularly likeable. I thought that I had things figured out, but I was surprised at the twists. A well done thriller that leaves you guessing.

Wow, what a ride! A compulsive story that I couldn’t put down. The twist was really good and totally unexpected. Short chapters that make you want to keep reading. This reminded me a lot of Gone Girl & Girl On The Train. Like those I think this has great potential for a big screen adaptation.

Phew! What a glorious fireworks explosion of twists and turns right up to the very last page. What a brilliant psychological turn of the corkscrew leaving me to think I had the plot all figured out when I couldn’t have been More .Wrong. Feeney has created such a complex storyline that will leave your jaw dropping to the floor. Seriously, I have read other great suspense novels but none so deceiving and rich in structure.The novel begins with Amber in the hospital stating three truths: “My name is Amber Reynolds. 2.My husband doesn’t love me anymore 3. Sometimes I lie.” And from their the race is on.Just don’t forget to tie up your shoelaces.

Amber wakes up in a coma. She can hear people but she can not wake up. She can not remember the accident. This book is told by Amber now, in the weeks leading up to the accident, and by 20 year old journal entries. This book was quite a thrilling ride and kept me reading into the night. I was surprised many times during the book. I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Flatiron Books. All opinions are my own.

4 solid stars.

This is a good book to read during the Winter Olympics, because the twists seem to come at the same pace as moguls. A real head spinner —more than any other suspense novel I remember reading. In fact I must admit that I’ve re-read the last few pages a few times and I’m still trying to figure out if I got it right.

There are a lot of enthusiastic reviews for this one, and many suggest going in blind. I agree. It opens with the narrator telling us there are three things we need to know about her: 1) she’s in a coma, 2) her husband doesn’t love her anymore and 3) sometimes she lies. And to say more would be to say too much.

It had me fully engaged. I read it in a day, keeping me up past my bed time. It had me impressed at some really clever twists — one in particular was especially spectacular.

I have two reservations that prevented me from jumping on the 5 star bandwagon for this one. First, the plot takes precedence over character so at times it felt that it was more about showy twists than anything else. Second, there is a subplot that leads to a scene in the hospital that was really disturbing and to me didn’t fit in with the general feel of the book.

The first reservation didn’t really prevent me from enjoying Sometimes I Lie. This is a display of cleverness — not a deep character study. It just means that this was entertaining and nothing more serious. The event giving rise to my second reservation threw me off for a while and seemed unnecessary.

Anyways, I’m still trying to figure out if I got the end right. I’ve heard rumours of a sequel. I could be persuaded.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

Thank you for the honor of reading this book.

Amber is in a coma and can hear everything going on around her. She’s afraid and has no idea how she ended up this way. She has lots of thoughts going on and so many things that have happened to her both before the accident and while in a coma.

Is it all real?

This was an author I have never read before but I will in the future. I loved this book. It kept me guessing all the way. I had a lot of surprises. Lots of on edge times wondering what was going to happen next. It was one of those stories that just grips you from the start and does not let go until the very end. Even then you wonder what will happen next. Is there going to be a sequel or was that the ending the author intended. Either way it was a very good book. I enjoyed the whole story and had to give it a 5 star review.

Sometimes I Lie is one of those books that mess with your head. I started reading this book thinking that the book was going in one direction. I wasn’t expecting the plot twist at the end of the book. I also didn’t expect the mystery of who the second narrator was. The author did a great job keeping that person’s identity secret until the end of the book. Any book that can successfully keep plot twists hidden and use red herrings correctly is a book that I recommend to anyone!!

Sometimes I Lie’s plot starts off with Amber waking up in the hospital. Having no memory of the accident, she realizes that there is something wrong with her. Her fears are confirmed when her husband and sister visit and start discussing why Amber is in a coma. She starts to relive the past few weeks, trying to figure out why she ended up in a coma. She needs to find out what happened leading up to the accident. She needs to remember what happened the night of the accident. She needs to wake up. But will she?

I didn’t like Amber at first. Her issues made it very hard to like her. Once the book started getting into her past, my dislike for her started to wane. I started to feel bad for her. She had been through a lot and was starting to heal when the accident happened. But, the more the book went on, the more I realized that Amber caused her own issues. I also realized that Amber wasn’t as helpless or a victim as she liked to think she was. My feelings for her at the end of the book were mixed.

I had mixed feelings about the journal entries when they started. At first, I couldn’t understand why they were included. But, as the story went on, I began to understand why the author chose to include them. I thought the author was genius for not naming either girl, except for the friend’s last name. It made me assume things that turned out to be wrong.

Let’s talk about plot twists. I love a good plot twist….when they are done right. In Sometimes I Lie, they were definitely done right. I was shocked when things turned out the way they did. And the huge plot twist right at the end. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor.

I would rate Sometimes I Lie for Adults only. There is language, violence, and sex. There is a sexual assault on a bedbound hospital patient. That could trigger people reading the book. There is also a miscarriage scene that could trigger. Depression, anxiety, and OCD are also discussed…along with an unnamed mental illness. I would recommend Sometimes I Lie to family and friends but I would warn about what I listed above. This is a book that I would reread.

Pros of Sometimes I Lie:

Plot twists galore
Not knowing where this book was going to go
The journal entries
Cons of Sometimes I Lie:

Amber. I had mixed feelings about her
Claire and Paul. I couldn’t figure out what their relationship was.
The very ending of the book. While I liked it, I didn’t want to see a happy ending.
I would like to thank Flatiron Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Sometimes I Lie.

All opinions stated in Sometimes I Lie are mine

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book follows the story of Amber, who is in a coma, and how she got there. It alternates between three different timelines, her current situation being in a come, the days leading up to how she came to be in a coma, and a diary from when she was 11 years old. This was one reason why I really enjoyed this book. The alternating perspectives helped hold my interest. If the entire story was told from Amber being in a coma, it would get very boring real quick.

With the different timelines came the different possibilities of how she came to be in a coma, and who doesn’t love a who-done-it? I definitely guessed that part wrong, and it kind of came as a shock to me, which was nice. There were also two big twists at the end that had me shook! I won’t spoil anything but I love twists and this one was pretty big.

As for the characters, they fell a little flat for me, not super dimensional but I also didn’t mind it that much since I feel like adding too much about who the characters are would lead to long, boring stretches which I would not be a fan of. Although, the ending definitely left room for a sequel so hopefully the characters would develop some more depth in a sequel. I would most definitely read a sequel.

If you’re looking for a fun read with some twists that will blow you away, definitely check this one out!