4☆ Full of Secrets, Lies and Deceit!

My Husband's Lies is a book about secrets, betrayal, friendship, lies, relationships and affairs.

I had mixed feelings when I was reading My Husband's Lies.
Firstly the amount of characters that was introduced at the start was slightly overwhelming.
I have to admit it got me very confused and I had to keep skipping back to try to get my head round who was who.

There are several main characters.
The main ones are 'The A Team' ... best friends since school.... Dan, Nick, Jen and Will.
There partners Geri, Lisa, Ian, Penny and Will's brother Seb.

Ok so each of the couple's have their issues.
They are all so desperately flawed.
To be honest there wasn't one character I particularly liked or related to as most of them was self conceited and only out for themselves.
But that was the point I wasn't meant to like them.
Each character had their own agenda.
However Caroline did create characters that knew just how to manipulate and taunt perfectly. Keeping the reader hooked into the drama.
It was like watching a soap opera.

So much so the opening scene we see Wills wife Penny attempting to jump off a window ledge at Nick and Lisa's wedding..... But Why you ask?.... you will need to read it to find out.

For me the title didn't really fit with the story as it wasn't one husband that was lying. They all was lying. From Affairs, sexuality confusion, mental health the whole book was based on lies and deceit.

What I loved about this book was how the best friends and their partners/ families related to each other.
How their relationships weaved together. From over protective parent's, stroppy teenager/ kids, A Mum to Be, a protective brother, to parent's that favoured one child over another it was interesting to see how they coped.
How they went about there day to day life not truly knowing what was going on behind the scenes.

Do you truly ever really know your best friends?
Or what happens behind closed doors?
How long can a secret stay buried before it comes crashing down?
These are all the questions Caroline had me thinking about whilst reading My Husband's Lies.

Each chapter is told by one of the four members of the 'A Team ' including Penny's liaisons with her therapist. I enjoyed this because each of the stories told weaved perfectly together.

Despite the fact there was a lot of characters. I did really enjoy reading My Husband's Lies.
Caroline created an engrossing storyline with a cast of multi-layered, Flawed yet challenging characters, that weaved deceit, secrets and lies into the mix perfectly.

If you enjoy Dramas with a thriller feel, with a fairly large cast of characters, then you will really enjoy My Husband's Lies.

After reading the synopsis, I couldn't help but pick up the book..

But as the learned have said, do not judge a book by its cover, I say do not judge a story by its blurb. Thus book took me 15 days to finish. It was shocking to me, I have read only 1 book this month. Gawd! This news was far worse than the story of the novel.

There were a lot of characters, a-lot, so keeping track of them was seriously confusing in the beginning. Then came the secrets, so convoluted are they that I got confused about who, what, and why. And then there were the affairs, some ongoing since many years with the characters being married to others, and there was a budding discovery of a secret leading to affair while having a pregnant girlfriend, and there are parents who are actually the grandparents, and some past secrets, some children of those secrets. Have I confused you enough? Good! Now you know what I went through for 15 days!!

I didn't enjoy the book as I was too busy trying to keep track of all the characters and their secrets and unbelievable reveals. Author Caroline England's concept was good, shocking us with the dark side of humans, but the delivery failed with just too many characters, secrets, yet not enough of a plot or a story.

Twisted and turned were the humans in the story, yet called themselves the best of friends while cheating each other. My husband's lies became everybody lies!!! Yet we don't enjoy!! I didn't.. Duhh 15 days 1 book!!

I liked this book, but there were so many characters that I actually had to make a little cheat sheet of who was married to who and who was seeing who. I felt like I could relate to all the characters.

Truly rated 2.5 stars but rounded up to 3 as it was closer to a 3 star book than a 2 star book.

The first few chapters seemed to be slightly dull and dragged on a bit. However, after this the book did get more interesting but also confusion was starting to build as it jumps around quite a bit between each person's personal story the many lies contained within which makes it hard to keep track of whose story is whose. The title of the book is slightly wrong as even though the husbands do tell the lies and hide secrets from their loved ones, there are a least two of the main female characters which do exactly the same so maybe would have benefited from a better title such as 'My Partner's Lies'.

I do wish that the book concentrated more on Nick's story as it was the most interesting with all the small twists and you do find yourself connecting and feeling sorry for him as he finds out about a big lie in his family which keeps on unraveling the more he digs to find information. Nick's storyline could have easily been developed to work alongside Will and Penny's story and the two would have been enough as a doubt a group of four friends and their partners would have has many big lies as this group did.

Sadly the book does end slightly on a cliffhanger but it is very well hinted at what does happen, it's just never confirmed.

Overall this book is worth reading and wouldn't say no to reading others books from Caroline England.

I found this book quite confusing at times due to the amount of characters introduced in the first chapter. I noticed another reviewer even had to take notes to keep track of who was who!
The book is about a close knit group of people, and most of them are lying about something.
The ‘A Team’ are a group of school friends, Dan, WIll, Nick and Jen, who have moved on in their lives, but have all remained friends.
The chapters are written from the perspective of different characters and it can get confusing.
I wasn’t really gripped by the story and must admit I kept expecting something groundbreaking to happen but it seems the story is just about the secrets that are kept in some relationships, and the lies that are told.
Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

What a cast of completely damaged individuals. Pretty much every one of the main characters in this book, and there were a lot of them, had something sinister going on. Either in their present or their past, both known and yet to be discovered. Sometimes I read a book where there is a group of people who have been friends for ages and I really want in on their gang. Definitely not with this one. Talk about secrets, lies, duplicitous behaviour on steroids!
My main issue with this book was that I was introduced to a lot of characters at the same time. We meet them all at a wedding so there is a big dump of initial character introductions all at once without actually getting to know them properly. This really confused me until I started writing them all down, along with their initial associations and relationships. As things progressed through the first third of the book, I added notes to this list with addition info and connections until finally I got them all straight in my head. That done, the rest of the book flowed well enough but I think it did affect my overall enjoyment of the story as a whole.
So, we have what is called the A Team. Dan, Will, Nick and "token guy" Jenny; a group of school friends who have remained close into adulthood. We meet them first at Nick's wedding to Lisa where there is an incident with Penny, Will's wife. Also present is Dan's partner Geri who is pregnant, as well as Jen's husband Ian. There are also various other family members, some of which are revisited later on with even more being subsequently introduced to add to our already bulging cast list. Honestly though, they do all become more distinct later on as more is revealed.
What follows is a really rather bizarre and interconnected tale of the aforementioned secrets, lies and more than its fair share of duplicitous behaviour that really left me reeling.
Told from the perspective of several of the main characters, this book delivered so many twists and turns. Some I saw coming, others that maybe there was an inkling of, but some still that came as a bit of a sucker punch to me but, with hindsight, were not without substance. Although I do love wounded and complex characters, I can't help but feel that this book was a little over the top crammed full of them. So much so that, at times, I felt that some of the important stuff was somewhat glossed over with the sheer volume of shocks that the author kept on delivering. I'd love to give examples but specific ones would inevitably include spoilers so sadly I can't. Suffice to say that a psychiatrist or psychologist could make their names in their professions by living off these characters and their behaviour for a very long time!
But, all that said, despite this book being very busy and completely over the top with dysfunctional behaviour, I actually really enjoyed it. Maybe I'm just a sucker for a voyeuristic look into wounded people's lives. In amongst all the rest of the behaviour that went on throughout the book, each of the individual characters did have some kind of redeeming feature that meant that at least part of me cared about what happened to them. I guess that's down to the skill of the author with her characterisation. Also, the endings for each of them were, on the whole, satisfying.
All in all, despite initial misgivings this turned out to be a quite a good read for me. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I feel a bit grubby after reading this - sort of how I would expect a peeping tom to feel. I've been a fly on the wall among this group of friends and I know all their innermost secrets . . .

I'm pleased that the blurb doesn't give much away on this one; I'm not really keen on waiting for something to happen which I know is coming in a book. No such worries here - it's a cracking read. As you would expect, there are secrets and lies and boy, are they whoppers! I have been glued to this one, almost afraid to let it out of my sight! Each time I laid it aside, I found myself pondering on what I had learned so far and, trust me, you don't have to wait long for the revelations to pop out of the woodwork. What an amazing read!!

Like most of us, Caroline England's beautifully created characters would like to think they are honest and straightforward people. But how well do we really know about our friends? Enough to trust them with all our secrets - and to keep theirs? This is one of the most thought-provoking novels of recent times and it will make you look at almost everyone you know with suspicion in your soul. Very few relationships are completely and totally honest but this bunch really take the biscuit!

This is my first experience of this author's work - and I'm quite surprised to find out it's only her second novel. This is a really accomplished piece of writing, and not one to be forgotten easily. I have found myself rooting for just about everyone at sometime or another. This is an eye-popping and breathtaking read, and one I'm so glad to have added to my list. As soon as I can fit it in, the first novel will be on my kindle too! In my opinion, this is quite a masterpiece and as such I completely recommend it.

My grateful thanks to publishers Avon Books UK for approving my copy via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

I really did struggle with this one.. I really liked the sound of the story but it just didn't work for me.

There were so many characters and I was confused as to who was who and how they all related to each other. It just wasn't for me.

Thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest opinions

Do you really know your friends?

On the afternoon of Nick and Lisa’s wedding, their close friend is found poised on a hotel window ledge, ready to jump.

As the shock hits their friendship group, they soon realise that none of them are being as honest with themselves – or with each other – as they think.

And there are secrets lurking that could destroy everything.

I started off not liking this book very much, but I got drawn in and eventually I couldn’t put it down. Secrets, lies – all make this a very enjoyable book. 4*

I really enjoyed this book and it was exactly the type of book I enjoy, lots of lies, betrayals and complicated relationships.

The book is about the A team, a group of school friends, (Will, Dan, Nick & Jen) and their partners and families. To start with it took me a little while to remember who was who and who they were with but after a couple of chapters I soon got the hang of it. We learn about the characters, their families and also their past. There are lots of lies and betrayals going on but I really enjoyed discovering all their secrets.

This is a great book that will keep you hooked right til the end, where we do actually find out what decisions the friends eventually all make.

If you enjoy a bit of relationship drama with lots of deception then you will love this book.

This book had a great story line and plot. The only problem with it was there were too many main characters with pivotal roles in the story line. I ended up having to make a flow sheet to help me keep track of who was who and how they were connected to each other. I found myself having to backup numerous times to try and figure out who was doing the talking. I did enjoy reading this but it was very confusing.

Wow! I loved this book. A group of people - four old friends from school and their partners. A wedding, a baby on way, a long term relationship and other normal things going on in a bunch of 30ish houses. However, lots of behind closed doors struggles and dilemmas with life and relationships. This book read so well and had a fantastic list of characters. Great stories from each person. A touch of Cold Feet about it. I really enjoyed and thought so cleverly written. A new favourite author.

Not quite sure on the title of this book....it didn't seem to just be the husband's who were telling lies.

The story begins at Nick and Lisa's wedding when a 'blip' happens, the 'blip' is a guest needing to be rescued from jumping out of a window. The story unfolds with the repercussions from that event. and it would appear that the 6 main characters, the 'tight knit' group of friends all have their own secrets. Whilst they may call themselves the A'Team - it's clear that they don't actually know each other at all.

The story is told from the perspective of a different character for each chapter, there are definitely twists that you didn't see coming. Ultimately I'm not sure if any of these characters are particularly likeable and I was left with a feeling that I'm glad my friends lead less complicated lives!

It was a good read and I was intrigued enough to want to know how things worked out for all the characters. Not sure if I was wholly satisfied with the ending....

Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to review this book - this is my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved this. The characters were all likeable and relatable and the threads woven between them all were intriguing and felt real and well developed. I love this type of novel where it’s “family drama” and relationships and what makes people tick. Very Liane Moriarty so if you like that sort of thing this is the book for you. I would have liked a bit more closure - didn’t like the abrupt ending.

I absolutely loved this book. It has become one of my best reads so far this year. The author does an amazing job of bringing the reader into the story and absorbing them in it.

When I started reading this I’ll admit I thought, what is this? The first and second paragraphs I was literally questioning if the book I’d received was the wrong copy. I kept thinking, there is no way a publisher published this. It doesn’t make any sense. I kept reading and then realised I was inside the mind of the character Penny who was having a psychotic episode and everything clicked into place. It was brilliantly done. I was so confused reading this and that was exactly how the character was feeling.

I quickly continued reading, sucked into what was going to happen to Penny.

The book is told from four different point of view. We have Penny, Nick, Dan, and Jen. There are a lot of characters to get to grips with and it wasn’t until I reached 10 percent that I had a firm grasp of each of them and their partners as well as the other characters who play a role. My advice don’t give up if you feel a little confused because once you get into the story you won’t want to stop.

The book and each character has their own interweaven story and I wanted to become a member of the A Team. I felt every emotion for all teh characters although I wasn’t overly fond of Lisa, but I think she was written this way. My heart broke for Dan at times and Jen, and Will. They all became so real to me, like my own best friends and I didn’t want the book to end.

At 72 percent I started to feel the loss and emotions I knew I was going to experience when this book ended. I knew I was going to miss each and every one of the characters. They’d become a part of my world and I theirs. I wanted to go out for a drink with them. Each character had their own strengths and weaknesses and that is what made them so real.

the writing is excellent and this author can tell a gripping story.

The end of this book was a total shock and surprise to me. I wasn’t expecting it. The last couple of chapters are emotional especially for Dan and Jen, but the last chapter was completely unexpected. I won’t spoil it but I will say....wow fantastic writing and an ending that totally leaves the story open for more.

This book gets a massive 5 stars from me and I look forward to reading more from this author.

I'm afraid this was a DNF for me. There were just too many characters for me to understand what was going on. I was confused right from the start.

In any group of friends there will be secrets. This book explores how the secrets that we tell ourselves and others, big or small, twist and tangle and wind themselves around our lives and the lives of those around us.

I found the first half of the book difficult because there were so many characters all interacting with each other at once. It made it difficult to keep the characters and relationships straight in my head. I wish that we spent a little more time with them as individuals or couples at that beginning of the book, so that we could get to know them them a little better before exploring all the interactions between them. The book does however reward you in the end.

In the second half of the book, as you start to know the characters, you see how everyone's lies twist and tangle into each others lives. There is definitely some delicate and intricate background created for this group.

Overall, I would say this is a good book.

Thank you to Avon UK and NetGalley.

So loved this book and hated for it to end. It kept me guessing what would happen till the end. Would recommend this book to any thriller lover.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy. 2.5*

I really struggled in the beginning of this book. We are introduced to so many character so quickly who all had a major contribution to the plot that I found myself constantly referring back to sort out who was partnered with whom. When I find myself having to make notes it takes away the enjoyment of the book.

This is the story of a group of childhood friends and their transitioning relationships into adulthood. They all have secrets they are keeping or secrets that others are keeping from them. I found the story dragged and most of the characters were unlikable. All these affairs and none of them seemed to think they were hurting anyone!!!

None of the main characters thought about the consequences of their actions and were just shallow and selfish.

I really enjoyed this book, finishing it in one sitting on a train. The characters are interesting although I must admit I didn't like them all. But that's life.