This is the first book I've read by Emily Griffin and have heard amazing this about her. This wasn't my favorite book and I feel like I should read another by her. This book was really hard for me to connect with and I couldn't relate to the characters. I got half way through and had to stop forcing myself to get through it.

After breaking up with her boyfriend of four years, Cecily Gardner was sitting in a pub in New York, toying with the idea of calling Matthew and getting back together, when the man sitting next to her said, “Don’t do it – you’ll regret it.” Deciding the man – Grant - was correct, he and Cecily share shots of Goldschlager and talk, ending up back at Cecily’s apartment. As their relationship progresses, Cecily falls for Grant, even traveling to London with her best friend Scottie to see Grant when he takes his twin brother Byron to enter a clinical trial for ALS. Once Grant returns to New York, on September 10, he spends the night with Cecily and then disappears, one of thousands missing in the tragedy that was 9/11.

Even in my little town in California, we felt shock and horror at the events of 9/11. The streets were empty, people were pulling together to do what they could to help, and I can’t even begin to imagine what it was like for those directly involved. With that said, I didn’t get that sense from The Lies That Bind. Cecily was not a character I was able to relate to, and I felt that 9/11 was used as a gratuitous backdrop for the irresponsible decisions she was making. Though I normally like Emily Giffin’s writing, this was not one of my favorites.

The author's horrible racist comments aside (and I'm not putting them aside except for the sake of the review, I won't ever buy or request another book from her again), this is an awful book in its own right.
Using 9/11 in such a disrespectful way and disrespecting the victims and their families with an incredibly inane "plot twist"
The main character starts out naïve and ends up stupid. She is a woman living in New York City, the stupidity is unforgivable.

Emily Giffin is a favorite author of mine. Her writing is thorough and her plot’s are what I’ve come to expect from her. Always recommend Giffin’s books.

Os poucos livros que li da Emily Giffin, gostei bastante. Tramas românticas e cheias de clichês, uma pitada de drama... aquela leitura sem grandes expectativas, mas que certamente aqueciam meu coração. 

Em “The lies that blind” eu reconheço o traço de sua escrita leve, a forma como ela trabalha os clichês, mas fiquei completamente incomodada com como a protagonista da história Cecily foi trabalhada. Não tenho problema com instalove, em alguns livros acho que funcionam super bem, mas nesse... não rolou. 

Tudo começa com Cecily triste, após o término de um relacionamento sério em um bar. Ela não tem a pretensão de entrar em outro relacionamento, mas antes mesmo de pensar duas vezes, já está completamente apaixonada por Grant, um homem que pouco conhece. Infelizmente o livro usa o trágica data do 11/09 de uma forma que soou boba, e em 2021 sabemos o peso dessa tragédia histórica. 

Depois da tragédia Cecily então se vê presa em uma teia de mentiras e é desesperador como ela toma suas decisões, tem a chance de seguir em frente e não consegue. Sem contar com o quanto que essa teia é pequena, conectando todos os personagens de uma forma um tanto absurda. 

É uma história sobre segundas chances, outro tema que eu amo, mas no final de tudo, o mais importante é que torci para que ela pudesse ser mais honesta com ela mesma o tempo inteiro. Que pudesse ser a protagonista de sua vida independente dos imprevistos que ocorrem em sua vida. As reviravoltas do livro em alguns momentos soam absurdos...

Dessa vez, a história não funcionou para mim. Quem sabe na próxima?

I really love Emily Giffin's writing, but unfortunately this book did not do it for me. It felt really "unbelievable" and too far fetched for my linking. I truly pushed myself to read this book and can only give it 3 stars.

This was not the book for me. I felt that the characters were vapid and condescending. There were several points I did not appreciate about this book, including:
⁣
+ The author chose to use 9/11 as a plot device for why a romantic relationship ended. There are ways to reflect on difficult events in history with nuance and grace, but this was not it. Forcing people to relive trauma (Griffin chose to include bits about people jumping to their death and being burned alive) just so you can explain why some characters didn’t end up together is insensitive. ⁣
+ The cultural Christianity was rampant in this one. I feel very frustrated about that in real life, and I don't want to spend my time reading preachy books. The main character is sleeping around with multiple people and, spoiler, gets pregnant. When someone suggests an abortion, she is aghast, in part because of her religious beliefs. But I’m like “Girl, you’re sleeping around with everyone and if you take the Bible to mean you shouldn’t get an abortion, it also says you shouldn’t sleep with people outside of marriage.” I was over the judgemental, I’ll-choose-the-rules-that-cater-to-me-and-skip-the-ones-I-don’t-like attitude real fast. I am not shaming her for having sex before marriage; I was frustrated by her cherry picking of the Bible as it suited her beliefs and imposing that on others. ⁣
+ The main character is self-centered and selfish. Also, she’s incapable of being without a man. Rather than take time to heal her hurting self, she pushes herself into relationship after relationship hoping it’ll fix her. News flash, romantic relationships do not fix you.

I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this novel, but unfortunately, it was not an enjoyable read for me.

I have read several Emily Giffin books in the past, but this one was not my favorite.  I think the early chapters that included the romance seemed rushed to me, so I didn't really get to know the characters.  I did enjoy the book more as it went on, though.

I was disappointed in this trite love story. Two immature adults meet in a dive bar in NYC.  there is a spark, and eventually they develop a relationship. Then, 9/11/2001 happens, and they are ripped apart. In the aftermath, the main protagonist starts to look for her lost love, only to discover someone else is also trying to hunt him down.  It was an okay read for me.

This was a superb book! I had a hard time putting it down.
In the spring of 2001, Cecily Gardner finds herself sitting in a bar in New York, wondering if she has made a mistake in moving to the big city from the Midwest. In doing so, she broke up with Matthew, her boyfriend of several years. 
Just before Cecily broke down and decided to call him, a man at the bar says, “Don’t do it — you’ll regret it.” The conversation between the two of them goes on through the night, but Cecily isn’t sure she wants a new relationship, and furthermore, Grant is supposed to be moving overseas.
September arrives, and Grant is still in New York, but he disappears on Sept. 11. Cecily is searching for him, and then discovers that someone else is as well. Being a reporter, investigating comes naturally to her, and what she finds brings even more questions — and some answers she’s not sure she wants.

I usually love Emily Giffin books.  I had a rather hard time getting into this particular title, though. The characters just weren't as relatable to me.  I am grateful for the ARC copy from the publisher and netgalley. Looking forward to the next book by Giffin

Alone in a bar after a bad breakup, twenty eight year old Cecily Gardner is contemplating her life and how off track she has gotten. A chance encounter with a stranger changes everything for Cecily, giving her hope for a promising future. When tragedy strikes, will Cecily make a decision that will change the course of her life forever?

There was a lot to like about The Lies That Bind, but there were plot points along the way that seem to be there only to push the author's planned agenda for the characters. I have read many books, based in New York, that have used the events of 9/11 as a backdrop. Emily Giffin's narrative, through Cecily's eyes, is very clear and brought up memories of my own thoughts and feelings at the time. I liked Cecily and her decisiveness, her strength, and her capacity for compassion. I did not like her story nearly as much as I liked Cecily, though, as it seemed too scripted. The Lies That Bind was a good book, but would have been great had the author taken Cecily to less expected places in her life.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Lies That Bind, courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, Ballantine Books. The choice to review this book was my own.

Love Emily Giffin but this book was not my favorite. I didn’t like the storyline and gave it a chance but it just struck a wrong chord. It won’t keep from reading Ms. Giffin in the future though.

I am a huge Emily Giffin fan, and this book didn't disappoint.  In "The Lies that Bind," we meet Cecily, a twenty something living in New York.  She has just broken up with her boyfriend Matthew, when she makes a connection at a bar with a guy named Grant. They spend the summer together, even traveling to London, but Grant disappears during September 11.  We find out that Grant has a secret life Cecily didn't know about, as someone else is also searching for Grant. Unlikely friendships form, and Cecily muddles her way through grief as this riveting story unfolds. The ending doesn't disappoint, and one of her titles I will be thinking about for years to come.

Cecily is sitting in a bar contemplating calling her ex-boyfriend when she meets a handsome stranger. He is charming, intelligent, handsome, and Cecily takes Grant Smith home that spring night in 2001. She even takes him home that night, but nothing happened. And Cecily knew that Grant Smith was special. Over the next few months Cecily falls hard for Grant, she sees him as her future. She even traveled to Europe to spend time with him while he was there taking care of his twin brother. But then one September morning the world changed and Grant was gone. Like the rest of the world, Cecily is stunned and left enshrouded in grief. And then she discovers that Grant was keeping secrets and she is left to try to figure out the man she thought she loved. Will she ever find the happiness she was sure she would find with Grant?

I absolutely love Emily Giffin and I have for nearly twenty years. But, The Lies That Bind was tough to read. Not because the book wasn't really good, because it was, but because of the reliving of  9/11 and the days after that day. Given the heaviness that has enveloped our nation with the death of George Floyd, it made it difficult to immerse myself in reliving the anguish of 9/11.  Having said that, I loved the throwback to the early days of this century. The references to the music, clothes, and technology were a fun "throwback."I loved Cecily as a character. I think she is the kind of character that I could have been friends with back in 2001. It was interesting to watch her struggle with her moral dilemma.  I didn't really care for Matthew, he seemed arrogant and opportunistic.  I will say that I was shocked by the big reveal, but I loved how Cecily handled it. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS. 

Bottom Line - If The Lies That Bind had released at a different time in history, it probably would have made the "Best of ...." list, it is that good. It takes a really rare situation where a 9/11 book doesn't leave me a sobbing mess, but 2020 has left my emotional well quite dry. 

Details:
The Lies That Bind by Emily Giffin
On Instagram
Pages: 352
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: 6.2.2020
Buy it Here!
Thanks to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s May of 2001, and Cecily meets Grant soon after she broke up with her long time boyfriend.  They have a whirlwind summer romance, until 9/11 happens.  Grant is missing from the twin towers. She sees a missing poster for him, and when she calls the number on it, she soon learns things weren’t what they seemed. The next few months are full of highs and lows, lies and revelations.  Is Grant who he said he was? 

The story kept me reading and wanting to know what happened next.  It’s a quick read, as it’s hard to put down.  

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

The search for and discovery of love through romance, kinship, and ambition is an endless loop. This story is felt on a visceral level.

One Saturday Cecily Gardner finds herself sitting alone in a dive bar in New York’s East Village, questioning her life. Feeling lonely and homesick for the Midwest, she wonders if she’ll ever make it as a reporter in the big city–and whether she made a terrible mistake in breaking up with her longtime boyfriend, Matthew. As Cecily reaches for the phone to call him, she hears a guy on the barstool next to her say, “Don’t do it–you’ll regret it.” Something tells her to listen, and over the next several hours–and shots of tequila–the two forge an unlikely connection. That should be it, they both decide the next morning, as Cecily reminds herself of the perils of a rebound relationship. Yet despite all their obstacles, they can’t seem to say goodbye, and for the first time in her carefully constructed life, Cecily follows her heart instead of her head. Then Grant disappears on a tragic day. Fearing the worst, Cecily spots his face on a missing-person poster, and realizes she is not the only one searching for him and the questions pile up fast. review: The past few Emily Giffin novels have been misses for me, but I decided to give this one a shot anyway. I was enjoying this book until I got to the part where Grant disappears on 9/11. And from that point on the story went downhill fast for me. It doesn’t sit well with me when books use 9/11 as a crucial plot line. In this particular book it was used to create a “love triangle” of sorts and that felt crass and inappropriate. Cecily was a problematic character for me. She claimed to be overwhelmed by a lot, but had the ability to bounce back from each situation with almost no issues, which wasn’t realistic at all. Much of the last half of the book seemed far-fetched and unbelievable. I can’t say that I would recommend this one. rating: 2 out of 5 ⭐️

The Lies That Bind is the first book I've read by Emily Giffin, and if this is an accurate sample of the author's work, it will be the last I read by her. The story had potential, but nothing about it worked for me. The characters were flat at best, and I found Cecily to be unlikeable and selfish. I've read other books that were written around the 9/11 attacks, but I have to say that none were handled quite like this one. Cecily's attitude and actions just felt disrespectful to what was a horrific tragedy in this nation's history. I started to DNF this one several times but pushed through, hoping things would improve. Sadly, they did not and the conclusion went exactly where I was afraid it would go. In the end, I couldn't find anything that I liked about this story and just came away disappointed.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

I was nervous heading into this book. I usually enjoy Emily Giffin, but I had heard that this offering was controversial. I will say, I agree with the criticism that the 9/11 plot line was poorly done. She could have accomplished the same thing without using 9/11, and she really glossed over the catastrophic events. For better or for worse, when a book takes place around 9/11, it can’t just be mentioned in passing.

Outside of this, I almost DNFed this at the beginning. I found the premise to be unrealistic and the characters poorly drawn. However, I wanted to see what happens so I pressed on. To her credit, the book is easy to read and get through. I was eager to know how things would unravel and be resolved. However, my original assessment was correct. We didn’t get a lot of insight into what made these people tick. Because of this, their actions didn’t always make sense. The ending was a little icky to me, but I feel like more could have been done to make me feel as though it was the correct course of action. 

Overall, mostly a miss for me.