TW/CW: Alcoholism, infertility, sexual abuse

Lies Lies Lies was everything it says in the title. I've never read a Adele Parks novel, but this one didn't disappoint (not me anyway). Please be cautious while reading it though, as it contains a lot of strong content.

Daisy is a teacher and her husband Simon is a interior designer. They got married and had their daughter Millie after multiple fertility treatments. Somewhere down the line Simon gave into his demons and started to abuse alcohol. We all know what alcoholism looks like and how certain people (especially spouses) like to make excuses for their loved ones's behaviors. That's exactly what Daisy does for Simon. Things start to go sideways for them and their relationship.

Throughout the story it gets very intense. Simon spirals into an even darker hole and keeps on lying to Daisy about everything. She just accepts the lies and continues dragging her self-esteem and peace of mind through the dirt in the process. The book really kept me on my toes. Huge thanks to Mira Books, NetGalley, and Harlequin book tours for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I thought that the overall plot was decent, and there was a good theme throughout. The first third was straightforward and drew me in. There was a growing layer of tension. The middle of the book really dragged with long periods of introspection, inner monologues, and copious details. The last third was okay, but I didn’t feel that it lived up to the promise of the first section. I had hoped for a better payoff in the end. Others may have a completely different take on it, but it was just ok. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for a digital copy of the book.

In Lies, Lies, Lies, Simon and Daisy both have a lot of secrets that will be revealed. As the title suggests, there are lies on both sides--small and great--that comes out. Simon struggles with alcoholism and his wife and friends all make excuses until his daughter suffers because of it.
As if that isn't enough, there are so many other tragic plot points - think of the most traumatic events you read about and it is in here - that I am left shaking my head.
The author did a great job showing the downward spiral associated with alcoholism. But there were many scenes and descriptions in the narrative that were too too many. I skipped through pages and was still able to get the main plots of the story. It took me awhile to finish.
The twist at the end had me trying to visualize, HOW? and Say what, now?
But it is a creative concept. The cover is amazing and makes you want to read.
Thank you, Netgalley!

Lies Lies Lies is a mix of a hard-hitting drama and an over-the top thriller. The first half of the novel was successful in bringing me in and I was really enjoying the drama aspects. There is a very tense introduction that was exactly what I was looking for and it was just interesting reading about these people’s daily lives. Gradually this transitioned into an account of alcoholism that was just so vivid and realistic and I was totally enraptured. The novel then took a turn that I didn’t really see coming and it just got crazier from there. This is where it totally lost me, as the two portions didn’t even feel like the same book.

The characters felt like real people and I was always interested in what they were doing. This is a massive page-turner, with even the most mundane aspects of life filled with a tense atmosphere and the writing was just perfect at creating this felling of unease throughout the novel. I really enjoyed the stream of consciousnesses narration used for Simon in the story, especially in the middle where the twists were most realistic. The author also did a good job of making every single character feel separate and that made the mystery components much more interesting in the latter half of the novel.

That half did suffer from a huge difference in pace between the first and second section. If the novel was as slow and tense as the first half throughout I would definitely have liked it better. I did enjoy the first half immensely, but the second half did drag the whole novel down quite a bit with much of the tense atmosphere from the first half turned up to eleven. Usually I like a high octane thriller, but after enjoying the first half as much as I did I just couldn’t get into it.

With great writing, interesting character dynamics, but a unrealistic thriller ending I can definitly see the appeal for this type of novel. Hardcore drama readers looking for something with a bit more of thriller aspects would love this novel. Happy Reading!

3.5 stars

Simon and Daisy have been married since college. Happy as a couple, they knew they would be even happier with a baby, but many years of trying, hoping, and IVF failures left them feeling defeated. Once their miracle baby Millie comes along, everything is right again. Until Simon starts drinking heavily again. Honestly, this man stayed drunk it seemed. He was a raging alcoholic, and while his character was despicable, he was the only one whose chapter really kept my attention. As Simon's drinking escalates after figuring out something in his life is a lie, one tragic night throws his and his family's whole life off course. 

There was obviously a lot of lies being told, and the build up to THE biggest one took forever and didn't even seem plausible. I didn't really care for any of the characters except for Lucy and at the very end, Simon. This was a very dark and slow-paced domestic drama with a little mystery.

Thank you to MIRA Books and the author for my copy and inviting me to take part in this blog tour.

Daisy and Simon tried for years to conceive a child. When Millie comes along, it's nothing short of a miracle. When Millie is six, Simon is ready to have another child, but Daisy isn't interested. She agrees, though, to go to the fertility clinic with Simon to see what their chances are of conceiving. Simon meets with the fertility doctor and learns some news that sends him into a downward spiral. When an unforgivable accident occurs, will it destroy their little family forever or will the lies that have been hidden for years do it?

Thank you to MIRA/Harlequin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.



This is another book that was good in spurts. It starts with a quote that gives you an idea of how the book is going to go. "He'd never admit as much, but we've been together seventeen years and I know him better than he knows himself." Usually when I read something like that, my first thought it, "No you don't ..." What I thought was going to happen in this book, did not happen at all. I was surprised by every lie that was revealed. Getting to those lies though was a tough road. If you are reading this book and struggling, I urge you to keep with it as it is totally worth it in the end.

You always think it's going to be the husband who is going to be the bad guy in a book like this. Simon does a lot of awful things, most of which he doesn't remember because of his drinking. I don't want to give too much of the story away, you will just have to read it to find out who is holding all the Lies, Lies, Lies.

So, this book ended up not being for me. I found most of the book kind of boring and I really think it should have came with some trigger warnings after what happened towards the end. I found it hard to really like any of the characters too. There a twist at the end of the book that I thought was really wrong and completely turned me away from the book.

Sadly I didn't like this at all , there was nothing about that I liked, yes there was lies, and secrets but the hole story had problems with that and the biggest one that I didn't agree with was how you can stay with someone who has a really bad drinking problem and by doing so your endangering not only yourself but that of a child, now I don't have kids but even I know that its best to walk away when a person is a Danger to not only themselves but to others.

Title: Lies, Lies, Lies
Author: Adele Parks
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 2 out of 5

Daisy and Simon spent almost a decade hoping for the child that fate cruelly seemed to keep from them. It wasn’t until, with their marriage nearly in shambles and Daisy driven to desperation, little Millie was born. Perfect in every way, healing the Barnes family into a happy unit of three. Ever indulgent Simon hopes for one more miracle, one more baby. But his doctor’s visit shatters the illusion of the family he holds so dear.
Now, Simon has turned to the bottle to deal with his revelation and Daisy is trying to keep both of their secrets from spilling outside of their home. But Daisy’s silence and Simon’s habit begin to build until they set off a catastrophic chain of events that will destroy life as they know it.

It’s a small wonder I actually finished reading this. The characters—to me—were so unlikable as to be almost intolerable. Simon was awful—completely selfish and self-absorbed throughout almost the entire novel, and hateful to boot. Daisy…I’ve never seen someone so passive. Her internal dialogue is full of anger and impulses, but she sits around and lets horrible people do horrible things to her like she’s incapable of doing anything for herself. With all the mystery surrounding Millie’s parentage, the truth was even more horrifying—and disgusting—than I imagined.

Excellent writing and description just could not save this novel from my dislike of and distaste for these characters.

Adele Parks lives in Surrey. Lies, Lies, Lies is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

Here's the thing, I want to start out by saying I don't want to spoil anything with this review, but you have to know this book has a trigger warning for sexual assault.

Now, this is a 'on-the-edge-of-your-seat' 'slow-burn' read. You will need to invest your time, and be prepared for some discomfort. In saying this, I thoroughly enjoyed and took my time with this read.

Simon is an alcoholic, a blackout drunk with no self-control. All he seems to think about is where his next drink will come from. But he also loves his wife, Daisy and his daughter, Millie. For him things went downhill fast with a suspected secret his wife seems to be keeping.

"Some people like maple syrup in their coffee, he liked whisky. It didn't mean anything. It certainly wasn't a dependency."

Daisy was timid, shy, introverted, insecure. She keeps her secrets close, hides her insecurities behind her smile. All the choices she makes are to keep Millie safe.

"It's not that I'm wise or considerate. It's more that I've never had the self-assurance to trust my gut. The thing about people is that it takes years, and years, and years to know them. Really know them. Because we hide things, all of us, all the time. We're ashamed, cautious or secretive. Sometimes, we just have trust issues and feel people need to earn the right to knowledge about our true selves. We don't gift it generously. And even when you finally think you know someone, something changes. We can't know each other. It's a fool's game trying to."

So much happens and you're right there going through it all with Daisy and Simon. The twists and turns had me gasping at times. I, at one point, had to stop reading to get some fresh air. It's intense, the web of lies spun, being unspun slowly...

If you love thrillers that make your heart ache and turns you inside-out, pick this one up. It will stay with you long after you've finished reading!

So, where do I begin with this review? I had some very mixed reactions to this book and in the end that is why it gets 5 stars from this reader.

I'm not going to say much about the details of the plot because the manner of reveal of the details is super important to the enjoyment of this story. Simon and Daisy seem to have an idyllic marriage, but there are some cracks starting to form. Simon's desire for a sibling for daughter Millie pushes this already-tense marriage to a breaking point and ends up with disastrous consequences.

The first half of this book is slow moving. Nothing much happens and I was a bit annoyed. Based on the title of the book, I was expecting some big revelations, but it doesn't get delivered quite like that. The story really takes off around mid-point and the last half has me turning the pages and getting surprised a few times. Once I got to the end, I did like the creative way the story was presented to me as a reader.

What really made me love this book are the questions that this story asks, especially about secrets, lies and motivations. It's the type of book you want to read with someone else and then discuss and I really enjoyed that about Lies,Lies, Lies. I wasn't expecting that sort of book and it was a pleasant surprise. A few days after finishing it, I'm still thinking about Simon and Daisy's actions. To me, that's the sign of a five star read. The book has stuck with me.

This is my first book from this author and I will be on the lookout for more in the future.

An ARC was provided. This is my honest review.

Distasteful characters are full of Lies Lies Lies in this new domestic suspense tale.

Daisy and Simon should be happy. They’ve been married since their youth. After some fertility issues, they were blessed with the perfect daughter, six-year-old Millie. Sure, Simon likes a drink, or ten, in the evening. And Daisy has some secrets of her own. But they are comfortable with each other—flaws and all.

However, they disagree on having another child. After all, with Daisy at forty-five and with their infertility history, a good result is unlikely. Over Daisy’s objections, Simon insists that they visit a fertility clinic, where Simon hears disturbing news.

Lies Lies Lies is an entirely appropriate title for a book so full of liars. There are also drunks and cheaters in the mix. Overall, every major adult character is morally or ethically challenged. I, personally, need at least one hero to root for in a family drama. I failed to find one here, which makes my rating 3 stars.

Thanks to MIRA, Harlequin Books, and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Daisy and Simon have been married for years.  As in all marriages they have had their ups and downs.  So when they finally got pregnant and had their daughter Millie five years ago they were ecstatic.  Now Simon wants to have another child and Daisy is reluctant.  Millie is a handful. But Simon insists they at least go for the consult.  Daisy agrees not knowing that Simon has already started the process behind her back. And what Simon discovers will change their lives forever.

Daisy notices Simon, who has always been a heavy drinker, begin to spiral out of control with his drinking.  They begin to fight.  He drinks even more.  Daisy cannot understand what has happened to Simon.  Then Simon loses his job and begins to resent Daisy.  Now at home, he drinks even more.

Then a horrible accident destroys their family.

Daisy and Simon, who both have had secrets and lies between them are shattered to the core.  They are haunted by what happened.  Daisy refuses to see Simon.  Simon finally begins to get what little life he has left back together. But Simon has been lying.  Daisy tries to move on and begins a not so healthy relationship with someone she knew from college. She has her own lies to deal with.

But Simon and Daisy even with a shattered marriage have one common denominator...Millie, who they both love unconditionally.  They will do anything to keep her safe. No matter what that entails.  

With so many lies, can either of them really trust the other to offer up the truth? Could they possibly work through all the falsehoods they have told? For Millie's sake?

Up until the last page, this is an unpredictable story with hidden nuggets which make you want to read a second time to see what you may have missed.  With each lie, there is a surprise and with each surprise there is a consequence. The story will make you gasp out loud at times.  It is a masterful heart-thumping page turner, with characters you think you know, but perhaps you really never did.

Thank you #NetGalley #MIRA/Harlequin #Lies,Lies,Lies #AdeleParks for the advanced copy.

This book started out so slow. I almost gave up reading it. It finally picks up some but it’s still not one I liked. Alcohol about. Domestic abuse. Lies, lies, lies. The perfect title for sure.

When Simon and Daisy finally have a baby things seem ok. When they start trying for another things take a dark turn. Simon finds out he is sterile and that of course makes him wonder if Millie is really his child. He starts drinking even more and being already unlikable to me that makes him even more so. He has a lot to hide too. But so does Daisy it seems. Things start picking up when they go to a party to renew their wedding vows. Things really take a dark turn. Lies are exposed.

To me this was by far not a thriller. It was a domestic abuse, alcoholism story. A story filled with lies and deceit. It dragged so bad that I had a hard time finishing it.

Thank you #NetGalley, #AdeleParks, #HarlequinMIRA for this ARC. This is my own review

2.5/5 stars and I can’t recommend this book. It was just not good.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

Last year, I read I Invited Her In by Adele Parks and loved it. I knew I would be reading more from this author, so I was thrilled to be invited to be on tour for Lies Lies Lies and let me just say...this book also delivers on the psychological thriller front!

When a title involves the word lies, you know you going to be in for some secrets but I was not expecting the magnitude of what we get here. This book takes us on quite a ride and I loved every minute of it. It's dark and it has characters that you love to hate - my favorite kind!!! - but it's also the type of book that you just cannot walk away from. I was glued to the pages, wondering just where things were heading. I had my guesses but I never got to where it ultimately ended up.

The book is told from alternating perspectives of Daisy and Simon, who are married, and it is so addicting. The first part of the book sets things up and then the second part is where the lies just start coming out left and right. This is the type of book that you are going to need to make sure you have a huge chunk of time for because once you start reading it, you are not going to want to put it down.

I love reading books about flawed characters and this one has that in spades. As I already mentioned it has characters you love to hate and I always find that so appealing. Do they have any redeeming qualities? Perhaps but those qualities are few and far between. What's interesting to note here is that it's not our female character that is the alcoholic but the male character...that's quite the spin on what we are used to and I loved that.

This book took me on quite a ride and the surprises kept coming right up until the very end. It grabs hold of you and never really lets up and I always love books like that. There really never was a lull in this book. I definitely recommend picking this one up and I know that I will be checking out Adele Parks back list while waiting to see what comes next from this very talented writer!

Lies, Lies, Lies by Adele Parks is a domestic noir/psychological thriller that managed to surprise me with several plot twists. I have not had an easy time with this genre lately and been in a slump, but I was pleasantly surprised with this story.

Daisy and Simon were married young along with their circle of friends. While their friends started having families, Daisy and Simon had difficulty getting pregnant. Finally, after years of trying they were blessed with a beautiful baby girl they named Millie.

Their family of three was perfect in every way, so when Millie turned five-years-old, Simon asked Daisy if they could try for another child. Daisy does not want another child, but she will not tell Simon why. Simon’s drinking has been a problem and it is only getting worse. As they argue on their way home from a party with friends where Simon has once again been drinking and out of control, they are in an auto accident that will change the happy little family of three forever.

This is a tale of a marriage that has each partner keeping secrets that lead to lies that ultimately poison the relationship and after a tragedy, the marriage implodes. Ms. Parks does an excellent job of keeping the reader engaged with plot twists that can completely change their perspectives. I feel she also does an excellent job of describing the fall from functional alcoholic to nonfunctioning. Yes, most of the problems, except for Simon’s alcoholism could have been solved if they just told the truth as problems occurred, but that does not happen until “The End”.

I recommend this domestic noir/psychological thriller.

Did you ever wonder what happened if Gatsby was able to find Daisy before she married? Did you ever wonder what they would have been like? In Lies, Lies, Lies, I could not help but think of how Gatsby's life would have been destroyed even further by Daisy. The Daisy in this book is a little less frivolous and more pragmatic. Quite honestly, this book was dreadful for me to slosh through the first 80% of it. At 90%, I was so close to done and pushed through it. I'm glad I did because close to the 90%, information Simon reveals just about has me see red and cursing the author.

First off, I didn't realize this was a chick lit book. I do not ever read this genre because I do not enjoy them at all. This book was tough because there were so many things about Simon that made me livid and disgusted. Simon's drinking is a hot button for me. Having dated a guy who was a functional drunk, this story only bought back bad memories.

Second, the characters were appalling. I loathed them. These people are people I do not ever want to be around in real life. Daisy and Simon are the people who are toxic and emotionally draining. All they do is take take take. There is no giving from them because they are so unhappy with their lives. There is very little redeeming about them. Ms. Parks does a very good job in creating completely unlikable characters. She does give them a bit of depth.

Third, this story moved slowly. I am not sure if this was done on purpose to hit home how dreary Daisy and Simon's life were and how soul crushing their existence can be. At one point, I just wished they would be put out of both mine and their misery. What is even worse is the flashbacks to when Daisy and Simon were in love and had better times. The compare and contrast were well done. It emphasized just how desolate and meaningless Daisy's life had become. If it were not for Millie, their daughter, my guess is Daisy would have either divorced or killed herself.

The lies comes in when Simon pushes to have another child. It was already difficult for the first and Simon has... lazy sperm. He finds out something he did not want to know. Instead of talking with his wife, he goes on a drunken binge. This conflict is all to easy to see happening in real life and still mystifies me. Their lack of communication seems to be prevalent across the board and is depressing.

What I did like was the ending. It did get a bit dark and for those who are triggered by sexual violations, there is a little bit of it. It does fade to black so it may be okay for those who are sensitive to it. When the lies are out in the open, the conclusion bring hope for a better future. In the end, after being dragged through the worst of it, this ray of light brought the story up to a 3 star for me. This contemporary romance is recommended for readers who enjoy chick lit.

I thought this was a very intriguing book. It starts out innocently enough with parents with one child want to have a second. Then the husband finds out he can’t father children so the daughter he loves is not his. Then the lies start coming and keep coming.

I enjoyed this book because of all the twists. Just when you think you know what happened, something else come out to prove you wrong.

Lies, Lies, Lies by Adele Parks is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Harlequin-MIRA, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Daisy has put up with a lot from her alcoholic husband, but she knows he loves her, and she loves him too.  They both adore their daughter Millie, who finally arrived after many attempts.  Along with some very close friends, their life is good.

But there are always little things in every marriage, little things that niggle away, and if those things are not so little, and not addressed, they can blossom into the unimaginable.  And when there are lies told, even something good can turn bad. 

When an accident turns their world upside down, both Daisy and Simon look hard at their marriage, and their lives.


My Opinions:

I was annoyed with myself for picking up a book about a weak woman and an alcoholic.  Been there, done that, and didn't enjoy it in real life, so why do I want to read a fictional tale about it?

So, the topics were very dark, and included physical, emotional, animal, and alcohol abuse. Then there was the bullying, and of course the secrets and lies.  However, there was also deep love and friendship.  Although there were obvious "villains", there were others that hid behind lies, and some that could easily be judged harsher than they should be.

Other than the alcoholism, my biggest problem with this book was the slowness of the story.  Yes, there was one major event near the beginning, and then.....nothing for a long time.  During that time, I wasn't sure the narrators could be believed -- something didn't feel right, and eventually I found out that I was correct.  I thought I knew the twist that was coming, but I was wrong -- it was darker than I had thought.  At about 75% of the book, I was not putting it down for any reason.  However, this was entirely too long for me to suddenly be engrossed in the book.

So, overall, the writing was good, as was the premise.  The best thing for me was that I liked the last quarter -- very much.  Other people will probably love this whole book, and to be fair, it was good (eventually) ....it's just not enough to make me re-read it - ever (which is my criteria for a 4 star book).

After reading Lies, Lies, Lies you’ll almost be grateful that Covid has put an end to parties. Almost.

Daisy thinks three is the best number. It’s:

“the first number that forms a geometrical figure . . . it’s the number most often associated with time past, present and future; beginning, middle, end; birth, death, life.”

It’s the number of her perfect little family – mommy, daddy and baby Millie. It had taken years of fertility treatments, years filled with tears and stress, but Millie is perfect and all they need. At least for Daisy.

Daisy’s husband Simon adores Millie but he longs for another miracle. Both he and Daisy have siblings and he wants that for his little girl as well. They are in their forties and if they don’t act soon, it will be too late. He makes a reluctant Daisy agree to a visit with a fertility specialist – but a mixup with the sitter finds him seeing the doctor alone. What he learns there has him questioning everything about his perfect life and his lovely wife.

Simon’s drinking has always been a problem but after that visit he goes from being a functional alcoholic to just an alcoholic. Daisy is still trying to figure out what, exactly, to do about that when the annual anniversary party comes around. She and Simon had met at a friend’s anniversary party years ago and the two couples have almost always celebrated their unions together. Daisy had planned to skip – she’d been making her excuses the last few years – but Simon is determined to go and show everyone how perfectly happy they are. It doesn’t work out quite as he’d planned.

One of the things I loved about this story was the author’s ability to surprise me. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, something occurred that was completely shocking. Ms. Parks does a wonderful job of subtly dropping clues while simultaneously convincing you to look elsewhere, so that when the big reveal comes you have the pleasure of putting all the clues together and realizing you should have expected what you in fact found unexpected. I absolutely loved that.

The author also does an amazing job of creating completely ordinary people who find themselves facing extraordinary circumstances. Daisy is a mother, a teacher, a woman with wonderful friends and family who lives a very typical middle-class existence. The horrors that enter her life from a simple party seem unbelievable. Simon is achingly familiar to anyone who has experience with alcoholism; an average guy who would have had a regular existence if he hadn’t lost himself to the bottle. The story of how that happened and how those events continue to inform his life is told with simplicity and clarity, making him a surprisingly sympathetic character. I loved how the author let us see glimpses of the past, when he was sober, rather than just the drunk he is now. It lent poignancy to someone who could have simply been a villain.

But while the story was amazing in many ways two things kept if from DIK status. The first is that some aspects of the tale were simply unbelievable. Most thrillers stretch our suspension of disbelief but after finishing this book I found myself thinking about all the really simple things the characters could have done to avoid the mess they were in. Fortunately, while I was reading I was completely engaged and this flaw didn’t manifest until I sat down to write my review.

The second was that I grew frustrated with the helpless nature of our ingénue heroine. I empathized with the trauma and confusion Daisy felt as she faced unanticipated, irregular circumstances in her life but I slowly became irked as she took few, if any steps, to deal with her troubles. I could certainly understand her being overwhelmed at the beginning but she stays in that state far too long.

The wonderful prose and excellent pacing of the story ensure that these issues aren’t noticeable until after you set the book down. Lovers of domestic thrillers will find plenty to enjoy in Lies, Lies, Lies and fans of the author will doubtless love this latest offering.