I really enjoy Emily Giffin’s books and this one did not disappoint. I read this in two nights and all of the characters were so relatable. Her easy writing style allows you to resonate with Cecily and sympathize with her crazy predicaments. Enjoy this book!!!

This book had me all over the place. Cecily made me want to scream and shake common sense into her, but I also felt sympathy, or maybe just pity, for what she went through. But she created so much of her own misery and it seems like with each main character, they all had pretty crap character traits. I will give the author credit for bringing me right back to 9/11 with just the right amount of detail. I’m not sure how I felt about the ending...maybe it was too easy and too nicely tied up in a bow. Or maybe because the book took at least 50% of the book to cover 3 months but then rushes through 5 years in 5 pages? Ugh, even as I’m writing this I’m tempted to lower my rating to 3 stars, but I’ll give it 4 because Emily Giffin is an author I like a lot and like her previous novels, this one makes me wonder how I would behave in a similar situation.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I don't read a lot of chick lit, but Emily Giffin is one of my go-to authors. Like so many of Giffin's previous books, this one really resonated with me on a personal level and left me feeling a lot of emotions. I think it's tricky, even now almost 20 years later, to do a 9/11 story well, but this one does that. I too remember sitting and watching Katie Couric and Matt Lauer, in real time, and wondering what was happening as the events of that day unfolded. I was fortunate enough to be safe in my NC home at the time. Giffin does a fantastic job presenting slightly flawed characters here and more than anything, this is a novel about relationships. This book was hard to put down and I strongly recommend it.

Secrets and lies abound - so much so that the characters can’t keep them straight. And though I knew something was a little off at the beginning, as soon as the Big Tragedy happened, the plot twists became more evident. There’s a romance in here, but I really didn’t like the dirty way it began. My discomfort had me skimming some chapters, hoping to avoid any more dishonesty. All i can say is, karma came through in the end.

I am BLOWN away by how much I loved this story. I normally like Emily Giffin's stuff, but this....this was incredible, even with a few minor "hiccups".

Contemporary Fiction (or chick lit) is usually quite surfacey and vapid -- that's why we love it. We want an escape, a laugh, a distraction from our own real lives. But in "The Lies That Bind", Giffin catapulted the reader back into a very uncomfortable time and into a web of tricky life situations.

As someone who remembers 9/11 very vividly, those painful images will never go away. The main character, Cecily, watched the terror unfold on the "Today" show, then hosted by Katie Couric and Matt Lauer. Giffin used actual quotes and descriptions to recreate that horrific morning we all watched in real life. She perfectly described the timing, the comments, the shock, and the fear every American experienced that day. And while reading those pages, I did something I hardly ever do when I read a book: I cried.

However, one thing I liked was that the story didn't START on 9/11. It started months before and introduced us to a heartbroken woman who was navigating life in NYC in the early 2000s. Too often, I feel that 9/11 is the focal point of stories. This book involved 9/11, but it wasn't ABOUT that day. It was about a woman who had a life before and after those towers fell.

Giffin wrote such a beautifully complex piece that made the reader really feel part of Cecily's life. The trend in today's chick lit is to write from multiple perspectives. It was refreshing to only follow Cecily and her thoughts, her fears, her emotions. It genuinely made me connect with the main character, more than a multi-narrated book.

As the book progressed, I enjoyed watching Cecily's romance with Grant. I loved when she traveled to London (one of my favorite places) and even Googled the pubs she mentioned. I was WITH HER throughout the whole experience. And then I was with her when the world fell apart. And then I was with her when her personal world was thrown into a tailspin. I truly felt everything she experienced. Perhaps because it closely mirrored my own life at that time (that's a whole other story), I was riveted by this book. It was sweet and romantic, yet painful and heartbreaking. It left me still thinking about it when I did have to put it down and make dinner or put the kids to bed or (heaven forbid) work.

While most of the characters were beautifully constructed, I did feel a bit of a hole with Amy. I felt that her character was a tad unrealistic and undeveloped. Often I found myself thinking, "Huh? That doesn't make sense. Why wouldn't she ---- or why would she ---?" The attempts to explain her actions and reactions were ok, but somewhat weak. I felt there would be more of a twist coming, but there wasn't. It just was what it was.

These things didn't detract from the story; they simply brought it from a freaking amazing novel to just an amazing novel.

As I was reading, I wanted to share my love of this novel with all of my social media book friends. But I waited so I could write this review and explain exactly WHY this book was so addicting:

- Complex, imperfect, realistic main character? Check.
- Well-written storyline? Check.
- Thought provoking situations that make the reader think, "What the hell would I do?" Check.
- A less-than-predictable ending? Check.
- A rich story that I read in a day, but felt like I experienced a lifetime with Cecily? Check.

Do not wait for this book to be a .99 Kindle special in a year. Get this book in hardback as soon as it is available. It is THAT good.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read an advance copy of The Lies That Bind in exchange for an honest review.

This book is one I didn't want to put down. It is set in New York City in 2001, shortly before 9/11. I love how Ms. Giffin captures life in the city before and after the attack.

The main character is Cecily, who has been in a dead-end relationship with Matthew for three years. She has broken up with him and meets a tall, dark, stranger one night named Grant. They instantly connect but he leaves the country shortly after they meet.

Everything changes after the attack. I don't want to spoil the plot, but it's a journey for Cecily to determine who she is and what she wants. And to uncover more information about the mysterious Grant.

This is a beautiful novel about unconditional love (among friends, families, and significant others) and what will stand the test of time.

Very readable, typical Giffin story. The story was a bit predictable but not so much so that I didn't want to read to see where it was going. Will be a great summer beach read. If you have enjoyed her previous books, you'll like this one.

I’m typically a very fast reader. Once in a while, I am so taken by a story, that I slow down to better take in the details.
More rarely, I savor each chapter, in the hopes it won’t end. The lies that bind is that book. I absolute fell in love with Cecily and Grants love story and the ins and out of their relationship. While the story may be predictable, you can count on Emily Giffin for a happily ever after ending. 5 stars.

I have yet to read an Emily Giffin book that I didn’t love the entire way through, from the first to the final word. The Lies That Bind was no different. I always kind of think of Giffin’s writing as a romcom, or maybe it’s just that I’m so excited for the book to become a movie?
The Lies that Bind was definitely not a romcom, but it still had that extremely relatable vibe to it and so maybe this one will be more like P.S. I Love You when it comes out as a movie -which it really kind of has to at this point. Yes, I realize P.S. I Love You was a book first!
I think that one of my huge connections to Giffin’s writing is that her characters are so completely relatable. They are always cute, but not beautiful, successful, but not wildly so, and they all have hang-ups and doubts just like the rest of us. Cecily is no different. And even though I’m now an old married lady, there’s a part of me that still feels like that carefree, single, 20-something year old. Tragic, isn’t it?
I can’t lie, I didn’t read the book’s description before I started reading it. So when 9/11 happened it in the book, I was kind of like, oh wow. I think it’s a hard topic to tackle because there is so much wrapped up in it. It’s hard to make a 9/11 fictional narrative ring true. Giffin did a decent job, not focusing too much on the event itself but rather on how the event acted as a catalyst in her character’s lives.
Ultimately, The Lies that Bind was classic Giffin, destined to be a “lighter read,” even with the subject matter and a favorite among book clubs and all those ladies like me who are all still living the fabulous 20’s life (albeit in our minds) into our 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for an e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This one is out June 20, 2020. You are going to want to pre-order this one. This review will be published on my blog, Women in Trouble Book Blog on May 20, 2020.

I was excited to read this since Emily Griffin writes so many great books.
I found it a bit hard to accept how naive the main character seemed in just accepting that she is told. I thought the 9/11 backdrop of the story was interesting, but thought it was unbelievable that G was just hanging out at his cabin and that the feds hadn't found him. So it's an okay book, but has some holes in the story for me.

NOTE: I received a free advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Very mixed feelings about this one. The book is a page turner and I stayed up til 2am finishing it last night. So in that sense, Giffin did a great job writing - the book keeps apace, she builds up to a test that you try to guess, she weaves in some favorite characters from her previous books as is her trademark. I do think she could have captured the feeling that was surrounding NYC after 9/11 more vividly. I was in NYC at the time, and I believe Giffin was as well. I just feel she is a good enough writer to have brought that feeling of sadness, anxiety, community to life better than she did.

Also, I was disappointed in the main character. I think she makes bad decisions throughout the book, including the ending. Again, the writing was good in the sense that I had several guesses on the potential twist and I stayed awake reading trying to see which, if any, of my guesses were correct. But in the end, I didn't like the choices made and that left me feeling disappointed overall.

If you are a fan of Giffin, definitely read this book, particularly for the cameos. If you've never read her books before there are others that I'd recommend more highly than this one.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I will be posting a full review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

You know I read so many books and truthfully the majority of them have been a big disappointment lately. The Lies That Bind by Emily Giffin was not a disappointment.
I am a reader that prefers the focus on characterization and we do get to know Cecily very well. Do I agree with all her decisions? Absolutely not and while I do think some of her decisions are not believable, I still enjoyed the book and I think it's because of the writing. I've read a lot of Emily Giffin's books and not all are equal. But I've always enjoyed her writing and that is everything! Her characters are rich in emotion and I like it that we know what Cecily's thinking most of the time. She is a character torn throughout most of the story and does cling to a short fling that left her with profound sadness. ( don't want to spoil this)
I do recommend this book highly simply because it's good writing and an interesting story. Thanks so much to NetGalley!

So, I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to start checking those chick lit book boxes on questionnaires about my favorite book genres. I literally started this book today. It was a school holiday and I am feeling a little blue because today was suppose to be my flight to Argentina for a study abroad week with my NYU grad program... so I started on this arc, courtesy of @ballantines @netgalley and @randomhouse — needless to say, I could not put it down. It pulled at my heartstrings, it made me cry, and it made me a little more hopeful. @emilygiffinauthor has a magical ability to make you feel all the feelings when you least expect it. *sigh. Now I’m sad that it’s over. Make sure to pick this gem up on June 2 and grab a box of antiviral Kleenex just in case (I’m mean, for so many reasons at this point!! And now I’m pretty sure I need to binge read (again!!) some more Emily Griffin since I’m off all week..

Another great book by Emily Giffin!

Such a great story and yet heartbreaking to be taken back to 9/11.

#teamgrant

This story is about Cecily who meets a man named Grant, shortly after breaking up with her boyfriend named Matthew. Something felt off to me about Grant, but their relationship blossomed and things turn out okay. The story has a hint of mystery/intrigue as we learn more about Grant, and takes some surprise turns that I didn't expect.
As I just got to the end of the story, i'm not sure if i feel like there was good resolution to the story. It feels a little disjointed, and just has me thinking "huh..."

Another emotionally packed novel from Emily Giffin! A love affair cut short by 9/11 is the center of the novel with suspenseful twists and turns throughout. The book will hook readers from the start all the way to the twisty finish. A few tears might be shed, too.

The Lies That Bind has to be the best novel Emily Giffin has written in years! So rarely do we get a novel set in the early 2000s that combines our recent history with well developed (and for me, relate-able) characters. Giffin clearly knows her audience - I could not put the book down, and I couldn't stop thinking about Cecily when I was not reading. She even got me with a twist and an ending I found satisfying. I am looking forward to reading it again. Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to preview #TheLiesThatBind by @EmilyGiffin

Beautiful story about real life people, decisions we make, and the ripple effects those choices have on shaping our lives.
Cecily and Mathew have a three year relationship that doesn't seem to be going any where. Deciding that she wants more, Cecily ends things. To drown her sorrow she goes to a bar, and upon contemplating calling Mathew and admitting she made a mistake, she hears a voice telling her not to call. Hence her introduction to Grant. Grant and Cecily have an instant connection, at times it almost feels too good to be true. And the saying goes, if something feels too good to be true, it probably is! What starts out as a rebound love turns into a life altering relationship. But after Grant is presumed dead on 9/11 things about Grant's life come to light, and most of it does not add up to the Grant Cecily knew and loved. There are many twists and turns to Cecily's life and story, and I truly enjoyed following along.
This is another great book by Emily Giffin.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Emily Griffin has done it again! I love the way she writes this bittersweet love story! Perfect for this long summer days coming up.