Emily Giffin has been my favorite author for years, but this one is really different and similar to her previous work...in the best way.

The story is about an immediate reaction to a new person, and how chemistry can be instantaneous...until you find out it might have all been a lie. Emily Giffin uses her characteristic emotional depth, character development and fluid storytelling in combination with a unique story about what's forgivable, what isn't, and how a real connection can change everything.

Loved the book. She just proved why she's still my fave!

Cecily has just broken up with her long-term boyfriend, Matthew. She loved him, but he didn’t seem to put her first in the relationship and wasn’t eager to take the next steps toward marriage. When she’s on the brink of breaking down and calling him, she meets Grant---and the connection is instant. Even within a few weeks, Cecily realizes she has feelings for Grant like she’s never before, not even with Matthew. And even though she sees things she wants to ask Grant about, she knows there’s time for all of that. Except then 9/11 happens, and Grant goes missing, presumed dead…by his wife. I am a big fan of Emily Giffin’s and this book is right up there for me. She has a way of writing very relatable characters and very real situations, and she did it again with this book. And as someone who can remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when the planes hit the World Trade Center, I’ll say she got all of that part right, too.

Special note of thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book. From the first page, I could not put it down and finished in less than 2 days. I loved how the story was intricately woven and how the characters were developed. I truly did not know how this was going to end and wrap it, but I ended up loving the end and how it all tied together. Definitely recommend!

Thank you to netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This novel is slow to start, but it really gets going in the last third. Cecily, a single journalist, is living in New York when she meets Grant. They connect instantly. However, tragedy strikes and Cecily struggles to find herself in the aftermath of 9/11. I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Nice novel about a girl who falls in love and her beloved dies unexpectedly. His death leaves many questions unanswered.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.
Fast read. Kept me Interested from page one.
It's a love story like all the rest but different than all the rest in how they get there.
Would make a great read at the beach or lounging by the pool.
Super cute ,fast paced.

I have read all of Emily's books and find them to be a good escape. This was no exception. A fun diversion for an afternoon read when the rest of the world seems to be coming apart, more every day. The book was some what predictable but always enjoy the writing and the occasional surprise.

This book gutted me again and again ... I love a love story and this was a pretty great one with twists and turns for interest. This book is a must read ! Thank you to the publisher for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

OMG! I’m so confused! I’m pissed! I’m entertained! I’m heartbroken! I’m surprised! I’m so flabbergasted right now!

Normally I’m not indecisive person but this book seems like written by so many different authors or one author suffers from mood swings because that’s a first for me to love this book so much but also hate it truly.
It starts charmingly intriguing, hot and riveting then makes you curse to the characters for several reasons and in the middle a big bombshell changes everything: you turned into a toddler, dripping off saliva and talking gibberish, shaken to the core, and then more drama, angst, trauma….. Then what? The one of the worst endings of the book history (I can compare it with GOT’s, Lost’s final episode or unbelievably the most stupidest screenwriting of Alex’ Karev’s leaving episode of Grey’s Anatomy)

Let me tell you my problem with examples:

Firstly, we’re introduced with our heroine Cecily, suffering from bad breakup, blabbering nightmare about Rachel Green and her “break” with Ross Gellar. (She should see the letter she wrote 18 pages-back and forth-)
She misses her boyfriend so she decides instead of whining at the house, heading to the bar to drink herself numb but a perfect charming stranger stops her before she make a drink dialing to her ex and you know the drill, they talk, they like each other’s company and they decide not to talk about their names, having one night stand. (So, I think this book’s fast, hot and sexy chemistry, a little chic-lit-ish start deserves 4 stars!)

But then the charming, sexy hero gives his name: GRANT! It should be ended with one night but yes unfortunately our soooo naïve, blind Cecily falls in love with Grant who has so many neon plates pointing at him as an “untrustworthy guy”. There were so many signs implicate that she should run without looking back.
He doesn’t take her to his home, introducing her as friend, appearing at her place in the middle of the night, seems like he’s living a double life. What this asshole is hiding?

Okay Cecily, you are young but you shouldn’t act like you just donated your brain cells for saving money for your grocery shopping. Come on girl: the guy says he has a twin suffer from terminal disease and he has to take care of him. But don’t you think most of his excuses he told you are too fishy!

But I have to admit the brother was real and I feel like he was evil twin. I couldn’t connect with the character so well. Eventually my points start to go back and forth between two and three stars.

And then: BANG! Of course from the blurb and the dates, you may see it coming: one of the most painful, tragic events of the world history occurs. Grant dies at 9/11: I have to admit those parts of the book telling the tragedy and afterwards, the psychological breakdown it created on the civilians, their sufferings, anxieties, PTSD, grief are told by the author incredibly impeccable. That was the great example of the perfect writing. It’s so much better than “The girl you used to know” novel’s approach.

And there are so many bombshells, twisty, surprising facts Cecily has to face after Grant’s death which are magnificent. And eventually she returns back to her ex. Now she can have her happily ever after and I’m so ready to give FIVE STARS because of those amazing and powerful chapters.
BUT…. Yes I don’t wanna spill the beans but guess who’s back, back again, Shady’s back, tell a friend! I know we need a little controversy cause it feels so empty without him. ( See! I start to quote Eminem’s Without Me, that’s the side effect book caused on me!)

And more angst, blab la bla, more tears, more painful chapters later (my stars drop to 3 by the way after Shady is back!) we have a really bad conclusion of this starting great, developing well but ending unsatisfyingly story!

Don’t get me wrong! I love Emily Griffin’s books so much and I was delighted to have an opportunity to read this ARC and even though I was agitated by MCs and too many meaningless angsty and heart tearing parts, I was so ready to give 4 stars because it was still above the average and especially 9/11 parts of the story mesmerizingly heart-wrenching and poignantly described. But I didn’t like the ending just a little bit. This is not fair for me and I found it abrupt and awkward.

So unfortunately I’m giving three solid stars. I wish there would be miracle and the author could write another ending to conclude her characters’ stories.

So much special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine for sharing this promising ARC (even I have questions about ending) in exchange my honest review.

I love the way Emily Giffin writes a story and this did not disappoint! It’s a bittersweet love story with a 9/11 element added. There were a lot of twists and turns in the story that compelled me to keep reading. Her characters were interesting and their personalities were thoroughly examined. Highly recommended! #TheLiesThatBind #EmilyGiffin #NetGalley

I'll start this by saying Emily Giffin is one of my favorite authors so when I dived into her latest, The Lies That Bind, I went in with high expectations of loving it...and I did...at first. The first half of the book and second half of the book were vastly different for me. I don't want to spoil it but I loved the first half and didn't love the second half of the book. The first half was classic Emily Giffin and the second half was just fluff until the last few chapters when she tried to tie everything together but it just didn't hit the mark for me.

I am eagerly awaiting her next book now that I just devoured this one in a few days time!

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House and Emily Giffin for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Emily does it again! As a big fan of hers I was honored to get this ARC.
I have read all her books.
I loved the characters. locales, and the entire story line. The way it all came together with even some twists and turns, made it an even better heartwarming and bittersweet story.
What an awesome book!

I am a big fan of Emily Giffin but I found this book confusing. Giffin seems to be trying to bridge the gap between her light but poignant early works and her last book ALL WE EVER WANTED that deftly addressed some important social issues. THE LIES THAT BIND is a story of a young woman caught between two men but in the middle of the book, she adds considerable intrigue and the events of 9/11. For me, the story became too complicated and frankly so unbelievable that it just didn't work for me. In spite of this, I can hardly wait to see what Giffin writes next.

This was such an entertaining book! I love Emily Giffin and this book did not disappoint. I loved how the story was about a girl trying to find love with a mix of surprises and mystery mixed in. I'm not sure if I liked that she ended up with Grant in the end. There was a lot of lying and cheating that I'm not sure I'd be able to make peace with personally. I loved how Emily portrayed the 9/11 tragedy from the NYC resident's perspective. I read this in two days and will recommend to friends!

I have mixed feelings about Emily Giffin’s latest. The writing felt choppy and the storyline was just ok and somewhat predictable. The novel almost felt written by two different authors with the protagonist being presented very differently in the first half of the book versus the second. I can somewhat understand why given the events that took place - she would be a changed woman - but it still felt quite unnatural. None of this felt realistic - the relationships were somewhat shallow and underdeveloped. Having said that, I appreciated the emotional complexity of the ending.

I was happy to have the opportunity to review this title by Emily Giffin. There's a 9/11 component that was cleverly put into this plot about Cecily, on the rebound from a broken relationship, who finds the person she thinks might be "the one" only to have him go missing on 9/11. Only then she realizes what they had might've been built on lies. Cecily is trying to find herself and her future. What is love? Is it that high of a new relationship, or is it sticking with a relationship through all the ups and downs. This was so well told that I read (on my most hated night of the year: the spring time change) until 2:30am to turn the last page. That's a high recommendation from me. Grab this title; you won't be disappointed. Thank you to Random House/Ballantine and Net Galley for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

If the deal seems too good to be true, it must not be, right?

In this newest novel by Emily Griffin, Cecily, shortly after breaking up with perfect Matthew who is afraid of commitment, meets Grant, a handsome stranger who she falls into a whirlwind romance with.

With taking care of his ill twin, Grant's focus sometimes is not what Cecily expects, but she continues to be understanding. Then the World Trade Center falls, and Cecily realizes Grant is missing.

From here, the book adds mystery to the romance, with Cecily working to find the truth about Grant while Matthew enters her world again.

I like the setting and much of the romance of the books, plus I found the mystery to be very satisfying. The only thing I did not enjoy were some of Cecily's reactions to Grant, which I found hard to understand.

Another winner from Emily Griffin just in time for summer.

Emily Giffin consistently writes good books, and "The Lies That Bind" is no exception! The main character of this novel, Cecily, has two good men in her life: Matthew and Grant. Should she choose the reliable, practical love or the reckless, passionate love? And then what happens when one of these men is presumed dead after 9/11? I really enjoyed this book and all its unexpected twists and turns. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good love story. (And who doesn't?!)

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. Cecily heads to the nearby bar to drown her sorrows over a beak up with Matthew. She meets Grant and they have the most wonderful whirlwind romance. Grant dies on 9/11 and when she digs further into his life, she finds out way more than she bargains for. I liked this book but didn’t love it. If you like a Emily Griffin (like me), give it a look!

Emily Giffin has been known for 2 things, beautiful book covers and writing stories that explore difficult subjects and characters who grow from it and her new one The Lies That Bind is no exception.

The story centers around Cecily, who is going through a difficult time in her life career and love wise and finds a silver lining when she meets Grant. I think a lot of the emotions in this story are also heightened by the fact that it also centers around the events of 9/11, which I thought was a great way to showcase love and lost.

While there was a lot of realism to this story, I also found that she used a lot of far-fetched ideas which I bought into for the sake of the story. There were a lot of themes explored and there was so much drama that I wasn't sure who to root for anymore. Overall, I enjoyed reading the story.