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
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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.

I liked this book!! Kind of slow!! Read one book by this author will read more of her books!! I didn't connect with any of the characters!!

I was not a big fan of this book. I actually feel like the story almost disrespected everyone who was impacted by 9/11. I am kind of surprised that she wrote this because I have loved other books written by her.... This book seemed insensitive towards 9/11 victims and their families and all of us pretty much. Sorry to say I don't have much else to say. Very disappointed....

Cecily Gardner is at a crossroads. She breaks up with her longtime boyfriend, Matthew because of his commitment issues. Cecily wants some idea of Matt’s plans for their future. Matthew wants to continue as they are. His actions make Cecily feel that she is a convenience more than a girlfriend. She decides to breakup but questions her decision constantly over the next month.

One night after their breakup Cecily is fighting insomnia due to overthinking her decision. She goes for a walk then stops in a little neighborhood dive bar to drink away her troubles and disappointment with Matthew. After drinking a little too much her thoughts go to Matthew. As Cecily pulls out her phone the guy on the barstool next to her, tells her if the call is to an ex don’t do it. Grant introduces himself. They spend the night talking and getting to know one another. By the end of the night, they both agree to spend more time together.

The Lies That Bind starts out with as excellent story. The way Grant and Cecily meet and talk is charming. The slow burn exploration of a relationship is believable. Grant’s twin brother is fighting ALS. He is taking Byron to England for a new clinical trial. Grant explains to Cecily that his brother is his priority right now which Cecily understands. At this point, I’m all in for Gant and Cecily. How can I not love this guy even though he does send out some negative vibes? Cecily agrees to visit London while he is there. It is during this trip that the story begins to fall apart for me.

Emily Griffin is an excellent storyteller. Her writing is outstanding. She creates wonderful characters who are relatable. My problem is the number of romance tropes thrown into The Lies That Bind. It has everything but the kitchen sink. The first third of the story is excellent. I love getting to know Cecily. The middle third flows at a slower pace. Grant becomes a questionable character that I trust. The last third of the story feels
unbelievable and this from a reader who doesn’t have a problem with a lot of eye-rolls or handwaves during a story. The ending, while the author wins me back a little, I’m still asking myself if this can happen. The overall story decent entertainment with an okay ending, unfortunately I never get back to the love I had for the characters at the beginning.

Excellent character development with a unique storyline and unexpected twist. Although the 9/11 backdrop strays from the general feel of most of Emily's previous books, this is a must read.

This one gets a hard pass from me. It reads like one giant cliche wrapped in a bunch of unraveling twists that I spotted coming a mile away. There are those who will love this one and at one point in my reading life I probably would have been one of them. I also really don't like the use of the 9/11 tragedy as a plot point - but that's probably just me pontificating from a pedestal.

Okay, first of all, this is my first Emily Giffin book. Um what?! Crazy, I know!

Second of all, I don’t know what it was for sure, but this book had me enthralled from start to finish! I went into it basically knowing nothing, not even reading the synopsis beforehand. I think that that made this book even better for me since I didn’t go into it with expectations or assumptions.

Anyway, I was so invested in this story and the characters. I really could not put this book down! There were some super shocking parts and the ending wasn’t exactly one I would have chosen, but I absolutely loved this story nonetheless!

5 stars!!

I’ve really enjoyed some of Emily Giffin’s books so when I saw this one available on NetGalley I requested it immediately. I finally got around to starting it this week, and I was totally sucked in for about the first quarter of the book. However, around halfway through, the plot gets weird and the tone changes in a way that made me lose interest. I had a pretty solid guess about what the twist would be so I did a thing I rarely do and skimmed ahead to see if I was right. In the process of doing so, I saw just enough to know that the plot gets REALLY absurd along the way, and that while I didn’t totally call the twist, I was close enough. Seeing how unbelievable the plot gets turned me off from finishing it, so this is going to be a Did Not Finish.

The Lies That Bind is Emily Giffin at her best! TLTB reminds me of her early work (and not just because some of the characters pop up at the end), which was fast paced, filled with great character development, and even though tough topics are involved - enjoyable reading.

TLTB follows Cecily through her journey as a newly single, meets a guy, falls in love with said guy, 9/11 occurs, and the aftermath. Was Grant - the man she spent almost one summer with too good to be true? You’ll have to read the novel to discover the answers... And can we just talk about Scottie?? Every person needs a BFF like Scottie - he made me laugh out loud and just want to hug him every time he spoke!! He is that one person every one deserves to have as a BFF.

I definitely would recommend The Lies That Bind to anyone who not only loves EG, but readers who enjoy Women’s Fiction, Chick-Lit (there is some romance in here!!), and Fiction in general.

Whiile I loved the early 2000's nostalgia, its a tough time to return to emotionally.. Even though I didn't lose anyone personally, I still tear up when I think of the events.. and that made it hard to finish

3.75 stars, rounded up to 4. And I thought her last book was really heavy subject material... this one had some difficult parts to process and I had a hard time really getting into a groove, but overall I thought it was a good plot.

WOW! What a page turner, I could not put it down. Emily Giffin has spun such an incredible story around one of the US's most horrific events, 911. When Cecily meets a stranger in a bar, there is an instant attraction, which leads to an almost too-good-to-be-true romance. And that's just what it is - too good to be true. After spending time together, we see her fall hard for this man she really doesn't know. Then he disappears during the collapse of NYC during 911. Turns out, someone else is looking for him too. But who?