“We are all living in tragedy of Shakespearean proportions while pretending we don’t know the inevitable ending. . .”
--Excerpt from Grant’s email

An interesting read set a few months prior to  9/11/2001 that dissects the natural weaknesses of human nature when people make mistakes and tell lies! In a story that contains a few too many coincidences, the reader meets Cecily Gardner, a reporter from New York City and Grant Smith, a financial consultant on Wall Street. Cecily and Grant meet in a bar in New York City like many other young adults. 

As the story unfolds, a web of lies is woven by Grant and Cecily that will eventually affect many of the people in their lives.  In the months after 9/11, the lies will begin to unravel.  Is one lie worse than another? How important is the truth? The story explores the issues involved and lives affected when a good person makes mistakes and the complexities of how one lie often leads to another even when we tell them to ourselves.

A thought-provoking contemporary read exploring morals and the ramifications of telling less than the truth! The story also explores the theme of unconditional love, forgiveness, and the importance of listening to our head as well as our heart. I definitely recommend this book for readers of women’s fiction, contemporary fiction, and romance. A good start to your summer reading! 

This ARC copy was received from Ballantine Books and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own. 
#TheLiesThatBind #NetGalley

Emily Giffin does it again!  This book totally captured my attention from the start.  I couldn't read it fast enough!  I loved the characters and was so intrigued and surprised by the plot and all of the unanswered and unexpected questions!

Couldn’t finished. Maybe it’s me, not sure. She’s such a popular author, so I’m sure I’m in the minority on this one. Just didn’t do it for me. I’ll try it again in a couple months, maybe it’s a mood thing. I’ll update my review after I try it again.

Let me start by saying that I love Emily Giffin and her last book, All We Ever Wanted was and is still one of my favorite books.  Her writing style is so easy and sucks you in from the beginning. The Lies That Bind has that same easy writing style that grabbed my attention.  I couldn't keep reading and finished the book in a day. The bad news is that the story didn't really seem to go anywhere for me. It was quite predictable and a bit far fetched. 

Cecily and her boyfriend Matthew have just broken up. While in a NYC bar, Cecily meets Grant. A man that seems too good to be true. The chemistry between the two of them was instant and a romance begins. While Grant quickly declares his love for Cecily, things seem just a little off.

The tragedy of 9/11 ends everything and Cecily and Matthew find their way back to each other. New lies are told. Old lies are uncovered. 

I would definitely give this book 5 stars for the writing, but sadly only 2 stars for the story and plot.  Overall, a really good read that kept me turning pages, but disappointing when it was all said and done. 

3 1/2 stars.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for an advanced copy for my honest review.

The reviews have been so mixed on this and I can see why but I still really enjoyed this read.   

Cecily, is a journalist in NYC.  I Iiked her, but she always second guessed herself having to call her best friend to have him tell her what to do in every situation which got annoying.  She finally got her act together near the end and started being more confident in herself and standing up for what she wanted.   She  just got out of a serious relationship because she felt that he wasn't ready for long term commitment.  So she's at this dive bar having a drink feeling sorry for herself, when what appears to be the most perfect man, Grant, starts talking to her.  They start a relationship that she quickly feels like she is in love with him.  Grant's twin brother has ALS, doesn't have long to live he's all over the place trying to get him into clinical trials and help him. Cecily is so understanding  of his situation. Fast forward and 9/11 occurs and Grant goes missing. From here things become quite ridiculous &  somewhat far fetched in my opinion but I still couldn't stop reading.

Cecily is in a bar, mourning her recent breakup with her boyfriend, Matthew, and trying not to give in and call him. When she decides to call, a complete stranger stops her and tells her she'll regret it.  From that starts a seemingly perfect relationship and Cecily finds herself falling in love. But then tragedy strikes, and when Cecily reaches out to his family, she finds out he wasn't the man she thought he was. Was it really love or just infatuation? 
While I really wanted to like this book, I was frustrated by how clueless Cecily was. Even Scottie, her gay best friend, sees the signs and warns her off. She's in love with love, but doesn't seem to know what love is. She was in love with Matthew, then immediately after their breakup finds Grant and falls in love, then a month later back with her ex claiming she loved him all along! So frustratingly shallow!
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you for the giveaway book from Goodreads and Random House! 

I loved the storyline and got into the characters. Lots of twists and turns! But I have to say, having a fictional story use a real tragic event as  9/11 in its storyline is very tricky. You either have to use it as the deep tragedy in the emotional level or you need to undertake lots of factual research on the political aspects of it if you are going to broach it that way. I found this book would have done well if it would have touched On it on the emotional level only, but the author’s odd few paragraphs talking about Sunni extremism and Al qaeda in a Fictional romance story seemed inappropriate towards the non fictional events of 9/11 and the lives it touched in real life. Hence why it got a low rating in my books.

As a long-time fan of Ms. Giffin's books, I was not disappointed in this one. What a roller coaster of a book! The twists and turns had me almost dizzy and definitely had me glued to the page.

It's 2001 and Cecily is fresh out of a relationship when she wanders into a NYC bar in search of a distraction for her wounded heart and runs smack into Grant. Floored by the seemingly instant attraction she feels for him yet confused by the air of mystery surrounding him, she finds herself putting that last relationship behind her in anticipation of a bright future with Grant. Then 9/11 happens and Grant is working in one of the World Trade Center towers when it goes down. In the course of following up on a flyer she found with Grant's photo on it, Cecily becomes friends with Grant's wife (yes, he's married!), and then finds herself right back with the same guy she had broken up with prior to meeting Grant. It's a sticky mess, and it gets even stickier. 

One thing I really like about Lies (and most of Emily Giffin's other books) is that the main characters are so relatable. Who hasn't had a bad breakup and found themselves trying to numb the pain? Who hasn't told a lie that seemed minor at the time, but over time becomes a huge obstacle to overcome? All through this novel, characters are telling lies for what seems at the time to be fairly good reasons, but of course the truth always comes out in the end.

When things aren't as they seem. I love Emily Griffin. Her uncanny ability to place real people in unbelievable situations. This book does not disappoint.  Cecily can't read herself away from Grant after meeting him at a bar but what if he isn't who he appears to be?  I loved this book and it's ending.  A great read

Wohoooo! This one was awesome... I’ve only read a couple of Emily Giffin’s novels nut after this one I am definitely going to read more!

***4-4.5 Stars ***
Publication Date: June 2, 2020

Ahhhh.. I'm conflicted. The reviews have been so mixed on this and I can see why but I still really enjoyed this read. First let me start with saying I love Emily Giffin, she is a wonderful story teller that really has a way of pulling you into the story.  

Alright lets get into it. Cecily the main character, is a journalist/reporter in NYC and I really loved her. Easy to relate to,  just got out of a serious relationship because she felt that he wasn't ready for long term commitment.  So she's at this dive bar at 2AM, having a drink feeling sorry for herself, when what appears to be the most perfect man, Grant, starts talking to her.  Grant's twin brother has ALS, doesn't have long to live he's all over the place trying to get him into clinical trials and help him. Cecily is so understanding  of his situation. Fast forward and 9/11 occurs and Grant goes missing. From here things become quite convoluted and seriously far fetched in my opinion but I still couldn't stop reading. 

Now... the negative reviews say how 9/11 was described is insensitive and I get that. I'm struggling to fully give an opinion on how I felt about the writing because this is such a sensitive subject. Its one of if not the worst tragedy to ever occur in the US. So my thinking is because she wrote about it "in real time" as people were trying to process what was actually happening, now that we know what happened, it seems insensitive. 

So bottom line.. was the complicated dramatic story line far fetched? YES. Did I eye roll at times? YES. But I also couldn't stop reading and loved Cecily so much I really enjoyed this book. Hence 4-4.5 star rating. 

*** Special Thanks to NetGalley and DoubleDay for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ***

I have enjoyed all of Emily Giffin's novels. Her something borrowed series was a fun series and I enjoyed it. This novel is not even in the same ballpark. This story follows Cecily who is not a likable character. She's a journalist who has broken up with her boyfriend of 3 years. One night she heads to a bar to drown her sorrows and find Grant. Sparks fly and they instantly connect. Grant sweeps Cecily off her feet. Then 9/11 happens (a long lengthy chapter covering the towers and how the morning of 9/11 happened) A plot point that in my opinion did not need to be included AT ALL. It was distracting and sad to relive those moments in history. 

Cecily was unrelatable. She did not connect with me and never felt really loved by Grant or Matthew. The ending was completely silly and wrapped up too neatly and was just unbelievable.

I loved this book! The characters were so real - with faults and unrealistic expectations.  When I thought I knew what would happen, the author surprised me, and it worked our well.  The decisions made didn’t seem contrived at all.  I definitely recommend this book!

Not my favorite from her. A little predictable and I’m not sure how I feel about the ending. If you like romance, you’ll probably like this book.

This book had me hooked from the very beginning! I loved the character development, and I heavily related to all the descriptions from the early 2000’s that she used. As for the plot, just when you think there can’t possibly be any more surprises, here  Emily Giffin goes throwing another one in the readers path. I loved this book!

NetGalley ARC | One of my most anticipated book releases of June 2020, Giffin's The Lies That Bind offers a quick, engaging romance set against the more intense backdrop of 9/11.

If you are looking for a book club book that will leave you with thought-provoking questions, The Lies That Bind forces you to examine and ask whether or not the truth can really set us free.  Is love ever pure and untainted, and is love still love even when mixed with false realities?

Find the full review on The Uncorked Librarian: https://theuncorkedlibrarian.com/june-2020-book-releases/

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with a free advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.   Emily Giffin has always been one of my favorite authors so I was beyond excited to read this book before it was published.  She has a writing style that draws you in right from the beginning and will keep you engrossed until the very last sentence.   This book has several twists and turns throughout that take you back to past events such as 9/11.  I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read!

I like how THE LIES THAT BIND is a fast-moving page turner. I was anxious to see what would happen next. Giffin treats the 9/11 tragedy with great sensitivity and respect. I didn't rate this book higher b/c I had such a difficult time connecting to the characters. Cecily in particular seems so immature and I didn't necessarily sympathize or understand her world view and her desperate need to be with a man. For a reader who can connect with Cecily, the novel's treatment of the theme of forgiveness is handled nicely.

I just feel like Emily has lost her ability to get the reader to bond with her characters and this one is so no different. I miss the something borrowed author and hope she can find her way back to that writing style.

This book is giant roller coaster. First, I think the book description says way too much and spoils a lot of the twists. It’s pretty obvious what is coming and would have been much more powerful had some of the earlier twists been more surprising. I did think the way the author described the immediate aftermath of 911 from the characters’ perspectives  to be incredible powerful. It was a quick read that I couldn’t put down, but the ending was shocking and all wrong in my opinion. It will however make for a great book club discussion!