June 17, 2020 
Seven Lies by Elizabeth Kay

A special thank you to NetGalley, and Penguin Random House Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Generally I’m not a fan of first person novels, however Elizabeth Kay weaves a compelling story with her “Jane”. From the title we know there are seven lies, and the revelation of each one leads to the frightening ending. 
The language throughout the story is engaging, making the reader feel like they are part of the story. At times, she even chastises, and challenges the reader to accept her version of the events that unfurl. A unique voice for sure. 
Characters were believable and fully fleshed. 
I will definitely look for more from Elizabeth Kay.

So this book has decently written and developed characters but the story itself wasn't exactly thrilling.
It was actually pretty boring which is not what I was expecting. I think part of the reason may have been way too much inner story. A common word I have seen about this book was "rambling" and I cannot disagree. 

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

If you love books with a narrator that has obsessive tendencies and a penchant for lying, welcome to your new favourite read! 

Jane and Marnie have been best friends since they were young girls. Marnie is everything that Jane is not and she quickly realizes that a friendship like this must be cherished...and protected. Then one day, Marnie meets Charles, her future husband. Jane loathes him, but when asked by Marnie what she thinks of him, she tells a little white lie. From there, the lies begin to spiral out of control and what follows is a page turning thriller about what one woman will do to keep a friendship safe.

The story is told from Jane’s perspective and from the start you get the feeling that something is not quite right. Kay did a wonderful job in creating a character that is creepy, but interesting enough to keep you reading! The narration style is engaging as you are pulled into Jane’s world.

A great debut that was well-plotted and engaging. The narration, at times, was quite wordy and provided lots of detail - some of it unnecessary. Overall a good read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an advance copy of this e-book in exchange for a review.

Well written and compelling story. I wish I had more sympathy for the narrator, but perhaps that was the point. Just as a personal comment - I'm getting a bit tired of the "unreliable narrator' trope especially as it is applied to women.

Seven Lies will have you thinking deep about the lies we tell and the lies told to us. Marnie and Jane's friendship will keep you hooked as Jane unveils the lies she's told to Marnie. It starts with a simple lie--Jane says she likes Marnie's husband. But then one lie turns into more lies. As the lies evolve, you'll find yourself turning page after page trying to figure out what will happen next as you wait for the next unpredictable twist. This was an enjoyable read that kept me on my toes. Thank you Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An inseparable bond formed on the first day of secondary school, Jane and Marnie’s friendship is the focus of Seven Lies, the captivating debut psychological thriller from author Elizabeth Kay. Ultimately a story of confessions as Jane shares the lies she told her best friend with the reader. This masterful tale filled with a dark obsession created from the secrets and lies people tell, had me eagerly turning the page. Kay was able to tell an original, fast-paced and unpredictable thriller that kept me guessing. 

I throughly enjoyed being kept on my toes throughout Seven Lies and recommend for those who enjoy twist and turns.

Jane and Marie are a perfect picture of best friends. They met as kids when they both felt alone and friendless, and have been inseparable since. That is until Marnie falls in love and Jane can’t stand her new husband. Jane tells Marnie her first lie when she says that she likes him, then that lie turns into another, and another, and another. Maybe if Jane had just told the truth in the first place Marnie’s husband wouldn’t be dead.

I would like to start off by saying thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an advance copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review. And congratulations to Elizabeth Kay on the publication of her debut novel!

This book told its story in a unique way. The main character, Jane, is telling her truth about what happened but often breaks the fourth wall, calling her audience out for laughing or rolling their eyes at what she’s saying. I really enjoyed that quirky aspect of the narrative, and the way it portrayed Jane’s character. She seems like your regular 20-something women but each chapter had her looking crazier, and crazier. By the end she’s a full blown psychopath.

There is a constant edge to the story that keeps you turning the page. I found myself repeatedly trying to poke holes in Jane’s lies, to figure out when Marnie was going to realize the truth.

Although I enjoyed the story, it took a long time for the book to get going. It wasn’t until about page 140 that I felt like we were past the introduction and moving on to the real action. Over all it was worth the read just to be able to see inside Jane’s psychopathic mind.

It’s a thriller.  Friendship can be good or a nightmare for Marnie and Jane it was a nightmare.  Jealousy is a powerful emotion and denied.  Didn’t like the characters.
Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada and Elizabeth Kay for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

thank you Viking books for my Galley of Seven Lies by Elizabeth Kay.  WOW!  What an interesting read about obsession and the lengths one will go to in order to be the centre of attention.  The story follows Jane and Marnie and their friendship, which turns deadly over the years.  Jane is an obsessive friend and very selfish, wanting Marnie only to herself, despite what she has going on for herself.  This was an entertaining read - a slow burn but an enjoyable read nonetheless.

BOOK REVIEW: SEVEN LIES; Elizabeth Kay – pub date June 16, 2020
2.5 besties out of 5
*
Seven Lies by Elizabeth Kay has an interesting premise pertaining to 2 bosom buddies, Jane and Marnie, who meet in elementary school and grow together in years and milestones. Their story see’s two enmeshed besties navigating parallel journeys which is comforting but also a bit unusual, especially following the death of Marnie’s husband. Over the course of the book, readers are provided narration by flawed protagonist, Jane, who admittedly asserts that her version of truth and the lies she told are hers alone. In yet, readers must also dissect her perspective and “truth” from reality which can be obscured by context and her lone point of view. 
*
Unfortunately, this book fell a bit short of my expectations for a thriller as it felt more like a diary with a predictable unfolding of events. This is not to say that other readers won’t be drawn in by the authors ability to create a rich atmosphere and scenery amongst an interesting take on this trope. In addition, the two friends entangled relationship is relatable in its portrayal of the human need for connectedness and belonging. We can see ourselves in Jane as she grapples with creating an identity, largely hinged on another (Marnie) and struggling when her footing is shaken as they two friends mature including the normative distancing with life’s stages.
 *
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada and Viking for the electronic ARC in trade for an honest review.
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I hate giving negative reviews, but this book was a serious yawn.  It was slowwwww.   It was boring.   It was all things that you don’t want a book to be.   For a book classified as a thriller, I was the antonym of thrilled.  

Jane and Marnie are bosom buddies; the best of friends since childhood.  But Jane starts to feel that their bond is threatened by Marnie’s romantic partner, Charles.  And that deep seated insecurity exposes that Jane is one twisted sister.  Her obsession with Marnie and preserving their friendship drives her to the edge.  Jane quickly becomes tangled in her own web of lies (...seven of them!).  If she could have just told the truth, maybe Charles wouldn’t have needed to die.  

Thrillers are a difficult genre.  It’s supremely saturated and there aren’t many that hit it out of the park.   This book had a great premise, but I didn’t love knowing what happened off the hop and then just waiting for it to all come together.  Maybe you’ll feel differently, but I was bored out of my tree.  


#sevenlies #elizabethkay #netgalley #vikingbooks #penguinrandomhousecanada #thriller #mystery #torontoreaders #sloane_reads #🇨🇦bookenablers #bookstagram #og🇨🇦bookenablers #bookreview #goodreads #bookstagramreviews #bookclub #bibliophile #bookrecs #canadareads #quarantinereads #booksofinstagram  #newrelease #newbook #booksofig  #readersofinstagram #bookishlove #reading #bookworm

I really enjoyed this book. The story is told from Janes point of view it is about lifelong best friends Jane and Marnie. And man oh man what a friendship. 

This book is so well written, it concise and to the point, no extra details it’s very factual. You watch the main characters unravel in front of your eyes.  It’s beautiful and chaotic. I will read anything Elizabeth Kay puts out!

Have you ever told a lie that morphed into another, then another then suddenly it becomes so easy that you’d rather tell more lies than speak the truth? No? Meet Jane, an obsessive compulsive lying psychopath, who’s one lie becomes seven. Jane and Marnie are best friends that know every little detail about one another, well at least Marnie thinks she does. How well do you know your best friend? Would she lie for you? Kill for you?

I was truly swept in by the novel. I couldn’t put it down, I craved more and wondered, what would crazy Jane do next. The writing was amazing. It can sometimes be tough for authors to get it right on their debut novel, but Elizabeth Kay got it right. Seven lies was a crazy wild ride that kept me turning the pages until end. 


-I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley for in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are that of my own.-

Seven lies by Elizabeth Key is written solely for Jane’s voice.  It’s her account of a long friendship with best friend Marnie.  Her first lie is innocent enough, she simply does not want to hurt Marnie’s feelings, or is that the real reason?
Jane takes lots of time to describe and explain the special relationship Marnie and she have. It`s a slow narrative that spans the first half of the book.  I am glad, I persisted and read until the end, because the second half is the best, even though the pace of Jane`s story telling remains slow. I couldn’t help wanting to know what about the other lies and was not disappointed.
Thank you Netgalley, for an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

SEVEN LIES is the debut psychological thriller novel by Elizabeth Kay. It is a compelling thriller about the toxic friendships between women, obsession and what we stand to lose in the name of love.

Marnie and Jane have been best friends for more than eighteen years. Growing up, Jane and Marnie shared everything. They knew the other's deepest secrets. 

Marnie is open and invites warmth and love. Self-confident. She is light. Persuasion came naturally to Marnie. 

Jane is an introvert who lacks confidence and is always waiting to be ridiculed. She is dark.

They were still two, Marnie and Jane, after University, when they moved into a flat. They were bonded by their intense friendship. Marnie was freelancing alongside her job. She wrote a blog about food, that quickly grew.

Then Marnie meets Charles and soon marry, but Jane is afraid of losing her best friend. Jane does not think that Marnie and Charles have a love greater than theirs. But when Marnie falls in love, things begin to change.

Because Jane has a secret: she does not like Marnie's wealthy, husband. When Marnie asks if she likes him, Jane tells her first lie. After all, even best friends keep some things to themselves. If she had been honest, then perhaps her best friend's husband might still be alive today. . .

Then one lie leads to another…

Jane moves in with Jonathan when they were both twenty-two, as Jonathan filled a gap for Jane, providing the home she always needed but had never really known, as her parents argued al the time and were later divorced. Soon after Jane and Jonathan were married.

They were two people that had shared so much, and over time they had been separated by romantic love.

Favorite Quote: 
“Life moves in only one direction. Every decision that you ever make will be written in stone, permanent, never to be undone.”

Seven Lies is Jane's confession of the truth--her truth. It is a story about love, toxic friendships between women, hardships, changes, obsession, jealously, and grief. This novel will have you hooked and keep you guessing until the very end. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, Penguin Random House Canada (Viking) and Netgalley for my digital copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and a Penguin Random House Canada for a DRC of this book.

Childhood friends.... an ill sister ... a mother with dementia ...  a love lost too soon ... obsession ... Murder... accidents ... lies ( well actually 7 of them) ...

This story started off quite interesting, but often I felt like the narrator was rambling on , and I didn’t connect much to the story. There seemed to also be a lot of side stories that didn’t contribute  much to the overall plot or even character development.  Jane our narrator was definitely a disturbed soul. The ending was  a bit surprising - I was expecting it to go in a bit different direction .

While the story seem great and all, I just can’t get into it.    After several week of forcing myself to read it I decided  to just let it be I will accomplish nothing forcing it on myself.  So I will not finish it, but will give it  a 3⭐️ from what I read so far.

Thank you netgalley and publishers for the change to read this book in exchange for an honest review.    I’ll try to read it again later in the year.

Jane is a very sad disturbing person. While she has suffered tragedies she feels that she is not to blame for wrongs that she has committed.  A must read for psychology students

Jane has done some very dark things and has told a lot of lies. All of these deeds have been done in an effort to maintain her relationship with Marnie, her best friend of 20 years. In Seven Lies, Jane is confessing and detailing her obsessive need for Marnie, as well as recounting her relationships with her loved ones and with Marnie's husband. We don't find out until the end just who is on the receiving end of the confession. 

This was a very good debut novel. I enjoyed the story, although I did not love the ending (even if it was fairly appropriate given the overall tale). My one issue would be with how much the writing drags everything out. I think that it could have been more concise and thus more enjoyable. I'm rounding up from 3.5 just because I liked this one.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Penguin Random House/Viking for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley/Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with this review copy.

Seven Lies is a book about Jane’s obsession with her best friend Marnie and the lies Jane tells which causes their friendship to unravel.  

I don’t think this book was for me. It did keep me  hooked because even though I wanted to stop,  I had to know what happened.  I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I do think it was well written, and would try reading another book by Elizabeth Kay