I had the pleasure of reading an arc of this book. It is like a tangled web woven around a obsessive friendship. The characters were strongly written and the book touched on many aspects of life and how they impact relationships.

Obsession, lies and more lies and a touch of murder are at the center of Seven Lies.

Jane and Marnie are life long friends in fact they are inseparable but as life changes so does their relationship.

Jane is having none of that !

One lie becomes seven .

Things are not going to end well , you can just see that coming.

I wont give anything else away . It is a dark story that somehow you keep wanting to see how things turn out for the friends.

The pages turn quickly, twists and turns and an ending I didn't see coming.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada, Viking for giving me the opportunity to read Seven Lies.

Reviewing this book is easy - reading it is not. This book will make you uncomfortable, but in a most delicious way. This twisted tale of obsessive love is a brilliant debut novel. The main character, Jane, is addressing someone directly throughout, having a lengthy conversation. . We are never sure just whom Jane is speaking too, and this makes for a clever device in this instance. Jane's description of her friendship with Marnie and how close they are leads the reader surely and firmly to an explosive denouement. Even if you catch Jane's drift earlier in the book, the course the "seven lies" takes will keep you hooked and possibly anxious. Very hard to believe this is a first novel and I won't hesitate to recommend it to young women, just starting their lives, because sometimes a friendship isn't what all it seems. (I received a free advanced copy from the publisher in return for a review). Seven Lies by Elizabeth Kay (Pub Date 16 June 2020)

Seven Lies is a story of a dysfunctional friendship. Jane is obsessive about Marnie to the point that she will do anything to keep her friendship with her alive. She hates any interference at all and dreams up the perfect life with the two of them together.

Wow, what a rollercoaster. This story really crawled under my skin and bothered me. The author did well that way as I rarely let books bother me or when they should they don't. I will definitely be having some conversations with customers about this book on the sales floor to encourage them to give it a read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for sending me a free digital ARC in return for an honest review.

A very enthralling read. Quick paced and twists how you feel about Jane almost every chapter. I found the ending a little flatter than the majority of the book, and wished the Valerie storyline was furthered a little more, but overall a very enjoyable, enticing novel.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: June 16, 2020
Elizabeth May’s debut novel, “Seven Lies” is an obsession-driven, powerful novel about the intensity of female relationships, and how one little lie changes everything.
Jane and Marnie have been friends since childhood, and they have shared everything, from clothing to secrets. Even as they grow up, the two remain inseparable. Until the inevitable day when Marnie meets Charles, and she becomes enveloped in talk of living together, marriage and babies, leaving Jane on the sidelines. Desperate to once again be the most important person in Marnie’s life, Jane develops a plan to re-immerse herself into the life of her best friend. So she begins with a little lie, and soon the lies spiral out of control until Jane is trying desperately not to be caught out by the only person she has ever needed, Marnie.
“Seven Lies” is one heck of a story. Jane is quite clearly in a spiral of twisted, psychotic jealousy, desperate for the complete love and attention of her oldest and dearest friend, as Marnie goes on living life completely unaware of the level of Jane’s obsession. A story of childhood friendship turned into dangerous obsession, it is definitely entertaining, full of disturbing and gripping twists and turns.
The story is told through Jane’s perspective, as she dictates it to someone else (until the very end, it is not revealed who Jane is telling her story to). I enjoyed the story being told this way, as it allowed for a more personal, one-sided view of Jane’s background and standpoint.
The novel also touches on both dementia and bulimia, as members of Jane’s family struggle with these disastrous and life-altering illnesses, providing heartbreaking honesty and somehow encouraging a little bit of empathy for Jane.
For a debut novel, I was very impressed with Kay’s creativity and talent. Well-developed characters and a strong story, “Seven Lies” was able to pull me in from page one. The story itself is a little bit “Single White Female”, and the theme is definitely not a unique idea. But Kay writes very well, and I am very excited to see what she comes up with next.

I found this book is not right for me and I really don't want to review it. I think I found Jane unlikable and spending time with her was time wasted. On one hand, I think she was brilliantly presented by the author, but on the other hand I wish the novel was shorter.

I wasn't surprised by Jane's action. Jane is lonely, sad and Marnie is really her only friend. I am surprised Jane's husband wasn't an imaginary one. The way the book ended I think book two might come in the future and I can honestly say I am not going to read it.

I am thanking you for letting me read this. I think Elizabeth Kay is a great writer. She just needs a different story to tell, either more wicked characters or more likable ones.

p.s. a part where journalist showed up story picked up, but then 'call me when it's over' comment from the journalist never went anywhere and I found that just blend.

This book takes the unreliable narrator to a whole new level! Jane has an obsessive attachment to her best friend, Marnie. Jane reveals each of the seven lies she has told Marnie over the years, but it isn't clear until the end whether she is addressing the reader through her narration or another character in the book. Jane's character made me uncomfortable: even though I felt sorry for her at times, I found her unlikeable. She has a twisted view of love and her obsession becomes darker and more predictable as the story unfolds. Jane became so sinister in my mind that I felt sure she had committed acts she was not even guilty of. I would like to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. #NetGalley #SevenLies

Great read! A page turner! A bitter-sweet friendship between two women that meet in public school to current day. Light and and at times very dark. I could not look away, I had to know what happened next. The story takes place in the U.K. but is accessible for North American readers.

I was thrown off when Jane ordered Takeout food. I thought in the U.K. they ordered Takeaway food.

Loved the story, though at times it was very dark and occasionally felt the author was talking directly to the reader causing me to emerge from the story.

London, Canada

This was one suspenseful story. Being friends and sharing everything is the ideal way. When one gets married, things don’t work out and lies start. You can definitely feel the suspense building. Don’t miss out.

Ah, what a spine-tingling, edge-of-the-seat, dark and creepy pageturner!
Right from the very beginning, I felt uncomfortable with Jane's disturbing tale!
It gripped my heart and soul, completely, and I was anxious to find out what happened!
I was left wondering about a couple of things (perhaps I missed something?):
what exactly was wrong with Emma?
why was Jane disowned, what happened to her family?
I also thought perhaps something more would happen with Valerie.
The ending was satisfying yet left me wondering!
It's a definite recommend from me!

I wasn't as drawn into this story as I'd expected, but once started I found I had to continue to find out what happened. The ending surprised me and saddened me. Sad for a friendship lost in the story and making me think of one of my own that was lost. All in all it was a good read containing a story line I'd never read before.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

This is a story about friendship, not a normal healthy relationship but a toxic and obsessional one. Marnie and Jane have been friends since childhood and have always been there for each other until Marnie met her husband Charles. This storyline itself was interesting and cleverly told in the first person.

My problem with this book that I felt the author tried to shoehorn too many subjects into it, widowhood, Alzheimers, eating disorder, neglect, family relationships etc. I just wanted more focus on the toxic friendship.

I enjoyed this story of obsession with it’s twists and turns. I initially felt sympathy for the narrator character Jane but as the story progresses and more details are revealed it becomes clear that this is a disturbed individual. The book does a good job of painting a picture of obsessive friendship. I was caught up in the story. I thought there would be a predicable outcome but the ending was unexpected. I felt the book had some rambling details that weren’t pertinent to the story but overall I enjoyed it.
The book is written from the narrator character’s perspective which did work, however I would have liked to have seen Jane from another characters perspective.
Overall a good read which I would recommend.

Overall, a good read. I enjoyed being in the MC's head as she recounted her past and relayed the details of the various lies she told. Alternately you felt sorry for her and then not as much. Each lie was a little white lie in the beginning, no big deal. But you see how those little lies can build and grow and become way bigger in the end.

I enjoyed the "twist" of sorts at the end where you are shown who she has been telling this story to the entire time. I'm not sure the ending is realistic, I can't see how she would have avoided ANY repercussions. Jane did not strike me as a brilliant psychopath.

The ending was suitably creepy. I would read another book by this author.

I enjoyed this story of a troubled woman who becomes obsessed with being her college friend's one and only friend and expects to alway be her central focus of her life. Her friend marries and the lonely girls naturally hates the husband which leads to a terrible event. She continues to spiral out of control before "almost" getting away with another crime against her long-time friend. I liked the characters and liked the story but thought it could have maybe had a little more excitement. Each chapter ended on an ominous note, but I was a little disappointed when it turns out to be nothing interesting and is sort of a let down, but overall, I enjoyed it.

3.5 stars

With a tempered pace and a narrator that seems to be talking to the reader, Seven Lies follows Jane through her young adult life. Jane has been dealt some hard blows with a mother who has dementia and a father who cheated on her mother and left the family to start a new one. Fortunately Jane has Marnie, her best friend since they met at 11 years old. Jane and Marnie live together during University and afterwards for a number of years. They still continue their regular communication and Friday night dinners. Jane has always felt deeply connected to Marnie. Unfortunately Jane really hates Marnie’s husband Charles, like really hates him and everything he says or does. She doesn’t tell Marnie this when she asks and this becomes the first lie. Lies are difficult because you need to keep track of them and keep them in order aren’t they?

The struggle I had with this book was its’ classification. It is listed as both general fiction and mystery/thriller. As a general fiction book I found it a bit slow but had an interesting story. If you handed this book to me however and told me that this was the latest mystery/thriller I would have been disappointed. This book has an ultra slow burn and the burn is fairly minor.

If you like stories with obsessive characters and aren’t looking for the fast-paced thrill of many other books in this category, then I can confidently recommend this book to you.

Thank you to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is out June 16, 2020.

A good effort for a debut novel. Kay provides us with some wonderfully developed characters but spoils it with some overly needy and rambling pacing. The two main characters Jane and Marnie are perfect opposites that come together beautifully in this fast-paced story. I look forward to what this author has to offer us in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't get into this book. It rambled on for too long without much point. I think by about halfway into the novel, we "got to the point" that the heroine was trying to get at for the first half of the novel. It did not capture me, I did not finish.

I enjoyed this book! It was a twisty thriller that kept me engaged until the last page. This is a dynamic debut!

The plot follows Marnie and Jane who have grown up up together. Jane is dark, intense and fiercely loyal to her best friend. Marnie on the other hand is the joyful, friendly and also naïve. She believes exactly what other people tell her. The story explains that Jane has told seven lies to her friend, starting with the fact that she actually likes Marnie's husband. The lies grow from there, and Jane unveils her confession to her misdeeds. It is dark, diabolical and unexpected.

Elizabeth Kay builds tension expertly across the pages of this novel. I would say that I hoped for a little more development in some of the other characters in the novel. Overall, Elizabeth Kay has spun a great psychological thriller and I cannot wait to see if there is a sequel!