Loved, loved, loved this story! This book gave me all the feels many, many times over. I found myself rooting for every character at many different times.

Wow, I devoured this entire book in one sitting! Emily Griffin does an amazing job of making the main character Cecily, so complex and relatable. Cecily is torn between 2 men, her love for both of them, & what she wants for her future, which is something every person I know struggles with. The entire book is filled with drama, love, mysteries, family, friendship, and even laughs. This book is one of the best I’ve read in a long time!

I love Emily Giffin’s books, so I was so excited to receive an advance copy of The Lies That Bind.
Cecily has just gone through a breakup with Matthew, and she meets Grant at a bar in NYC. They have an intense, instant connection and spend the summer of 2001 falling in love. The attack on 9/11 leaves the city, and journalist Cecily, shaken to the core. She’s devastated to see Grant’s face on a missing poster, but who is the woman looking for him?
The Lies That Bind explores love, loyalty, trust, and deception in a thrilling, heartbreaking way. Cecily is left reeling, wondering if the men she’s loved felt the same, and can she trust her own feelings in hindsight?
I was so happy to see that Ethan, Rachel, and Darcy from Something Borrowed/Something Blue make a brief appearance, I love that Emily Giffin’s characters exist in the same universe! I absolutely recommend The Lies That Bind, you won’t want to put it down!

Enjoyable and quick read with honest and believable characters set against the backdrop of the late 90s/early 2000s and 9/11. This is the perfect book for a long car ride, plane trip, beach day, or just a lazy day at home.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48376596

Whenever I get read to read an Emily Griffin book I get the tissues handy just in case! All of her books are so different but very touching in sometimes-unusual ways. When Cecily has just broken up with boyfriend Matthew she is drowning her sorrows in hometown New York at a local bar when she meets Grant and she is immediately drawn to him even inviting him back to her apartment where she awakens in his arms after just a cozy night that doesn't involve sex. Both are infatuated and the relationship grows. But then 9-11 happens and we all know how that affected not only the inhabitants of the city, but everything that we believed to be good and true. Cecily and Matthew reconnect and that's all your'e going to get for plot here. Just know that it's worth reading and if you love Griffin as I do, you won't be disappointed!

Wow. Just wow. This book adds an element not normally explored. The ordinary lives of New Yorkers, 9/11, and the tragic aftermath, this book holds little back! Add in some romance and a lot of lies and it is a perfect trifecta!

This story takes place about the time of 9/11. However , I had issues with that story.line. It was an issue of lying through the book-the the title. The characters had little redeeming qualities and seem to jump from one relationship to another. Secrets secrets secrets...the reader wonders what is true and what isn’t. It is not a sit by the fire with hot hocolate type of read. It is not a book that one wonders what will happen next. It is in reality let’s finish. Sorry but I just did not live this book. This is a good author, and other readers might like this story more. Give it a try.

As 'Something Borrowed' is probably my favorite novel to date, I attempted to set aside any lingering bias and judge this title on its own merit.

The premise of this story is how one woman's maturation was affected by 9/11. After the event, she reunited with her ex-boyfriend while mourning the loss of an enigmatic man. Overall, I really liked the story and would recommend it, however, I felt it lacked that something special.

The characterizations of Cecily, Matthew, Grant, Scottie, Amy, and Cecily's friend (whose name I can't remember) were all so very vanilla and forgettable. An inordinate amount of head space was spent on Cecily and Matthew's engagement and Cecily's obsession with Grant—it was a slog to get through the middle. The ending was satisfactory, although predictable. It was a solid story; but it just didn't didn't have the wow factor.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Emily Giffin for an ARC of 'The Lies That Bind' in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

I enjoyed this novel a lot. Very well written and spellbinding, with an engaging cast of characters. Highly recommended - Emily Giffin never disappoints!

Pretty much read this in one sitting. I LOVE HER BOOKS. Period. End of story.

Ok so this is definitely NOT the dark and twisty deep kind of literary book I usually enjoy, but Emily Giffin and also Elin Hilderbrand can get away with it. They both have the ability to make romance and the so-called chick-lit smart and good and compulsively readable. This story begins in May of 2001. Girl meets boy in NYC, boy works in the WTC, yea you know where this is going...except you don’t. You don’t know shit. I really liked the narrator (Cecily) and I LOVED her bff, Scottie. One of the men in this story was so lovable-even with his complications, and one was detestable-even with his generosity and do-good acts. I loved how she wrote the morning of 9/11. I remember that morning and will for the rest of my life-as most readers will, I imagine. The descriptions and the feelings were so well done. There were many twists and reveals and while some of it was a bit of a stretch, it really is a small world and six degrees of separation is real. Also, if you’re a fan of Something Borrowed/Something Blue, you will recognize some cameos that preceded those books :) To conclude, I really enjoyed this, as I always do with Emily’s books. I expect this to be a very popular 2020 read and I’m so grateful to have had the chance to read and review before the release date of June 2, 2020. Thanks, Net Galley & Ballantine Books for the approval.

I have been a fan of Emily's since the very first book. That being said, this was not my favorite of her works. The overall concept (girl meets boy, finds out he is married, befriends the wife, etc.) I had just literally read in another upcoming book so it just wasn't something new and exciting.
It is 2001, Cecily is a late 20 something who has just ended her relationship with Matthew. Rather than sit and home and drown in her sorrows in pints of Ben and Jerry's, she decides to venture out of her NY apartment and ends up at a local bar. After a few drinks, she goes to pickup the phone and call Matthew, but hears a voice behind her saying "don't do it." That voice belongs to Grant Smith. Cecily and Grant begin a friendship that slowly evolves into something more. They finally consummate their relationship on the evening of September 10th. Grant, a trading partner, works in the World Trade Center. He goes "missing" on September 11th in the terrorist attacks. While near the site, Cecily and her best friend Jasmine spot a missing poster with his name and a strange phone number on it. They call the number only to find out that Grant has been lying. His "ex" Amy is actually his WIFE! Cecily befriends Amy, first by writing an article about him for her newspaper. The friendship blossoms and they become good friends. Amy has assumed by now that Grant is dead.
Meanwhile Cecily and Matthew end up hooking back up. A few weeks later, Cecily discovers she is pregnant. She and Matthew plan to wed and raise the baby, even though she is not 100% certain whether the baby belongs to Grant or Matthew. At the 11th hour, Grant mysteriously shows up, having faked his death to avoid being charged for trading fraud. From here the book skips a few years and ends (no spoilers!) with the resolution of the Cecily/Matt/Grant situation.
Don't get me wrong, it is a good book, just would have liked to see a little different storyline twist!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I’ve always loved Emily Giffin’s books, and this one did not disappoint! It’s both a love story and a love story to 9/11 era NYC.

I was only able to read about 100 pages of this book and really enjoyed it. I do not remember reading in the initial synopsis that it had anything to do with 9/11 and that is a trigger for me. I was not personally involved in 9/11, nevertheless I am unable to read or watch anything about it, still, without having overwhelming anxiety so I will not be able to finish this book. HOWEVER, I do plan to recommend it to many customers as her writing is always impressive. Thank you for sending me this copy.

I generally enjoy Griffin’s novels, so. I was excited about reading this. But, I was sorely disappointed to read this hodgepodge of coincidences and miscommunication that the author chose to set around 9/11 as a way to try to glue the pieces together.

The plot smacked of immaturity and downright silliness. The BIG plot twist was imagined by many before and really doesn’t work. Though Cecily is a perfectly lovely protagonist, everything around her is just too convenient and senseless.

Sorry, but for the first time, I cannot recommend a Griffin novel.

Thank you Netgalley for this book.

Emily Giffin has done it again! The story of Cecily, Matthew, Grant, Amy, Scottie, and Byron was so beautifully interwoven and well-written. I was entranced by this tale of love, loyalty, and lies. Big lies. Very big lies. Lies that lead to heartbreak, a possible shot-gun wedding, and even prison. The ending was a little abrupt but overall, it was a great story.

I love all books by Emily Giffin and this one was one of her best. Loved the story and the writing was excellent. Can't recommend this book enough!!!!

I felt a bit ridiculous trying to explain the plot of this book to someone else. It seems like the author threw together every soap opera plot element (unhappy relationships, proposals, extra marital affair, tragic death, tragic illness, a faked death, white collar crime, twin swap), mixed them up, and came up with this book. That being said, if you are in the mood for that kind of escapist read, you probably will enjoy this book. It is well plotted and you probably won't see the twists coming because they are that outlandish.

I've been a huge fan of Emily Giffin since her debut novel "Something Borrowed" 15 years ago, so I was thrilled to get an advanced copy of her latest book, coming out this June. And I think it's one of her best books ever! It's about a 28 year old woman named Cecily and her romantic travails over the course of a year or so - I will say no more about the plot because I think it's best to just let it unfold without any spoilers. Interestingly, instead of being set in the present, it's set back in 2001, and she did such a good job with the setting that it really brought me back to my own 20s living in Manhattan at the turn of the century. Adding that to Giffin's characteristically great writing, I really felt like Cecily was a real person and I was very invested in her story. I seriously couldn't put this book down - I read it all in one day including staying up way too late last night to finish it. I'm not sure I'm 100% sold on the ending, but I'd love to discuss it with someone - I think this would make a great book club selection as there is definitely a lot to discuss about various choices Cecily and other characters make during the book and what you would do in that situation. 4.5 stars.

Nearly 20 years after 9/11 I still get a lump in my throat reading about that horrible day. Impossible to believe almost two decades have passed. The Lies That Bind begins in May 2001, and the tragedy looms large-especially difficult because the characters obviously have no idea what's coming. Cecily is whallowing in sorrow after breaking up with her longtime boyfriend Matthew. Sitting alone in a dive bar on the Lower East Side of Manhattan Cecily is about to call Matthew when she hears a voice behind her say "Don't do it. Don't call him." When Cecily turns to the handsome stranger who uttered those words she finds Grant-another lonely soul also nursing a broken heart. Cecily and Grant spend the rest of the night talking, ending at Cecily's apartment where she and Grant go to bed and sleep- but nothing else. Cecily is smitten with Grant and he appears to feel the same about her so Matthew is soon forgotten. Although their physical relationship takes awhile to develop, the chemistry and passion between Grant and Cecily is undeniable. Sounds like the perfect opening to an Emily Giffin book, and it is-except for one very large detail-Grant and Cecily's relationship is built on lies from the get go. Cecily thinks it's sweet Grant doesn't want to rush into sex, not bothering to look deeper for the reason. The Lies That Bind is a hard book to like- every charcter except for supporting ones (Miss Giffin fans will recogonize several from her earlier novel Something Borrowed) are among the most selfish and shallow you'll find. Cecily gets over Matthew with warp speed, and Grant has more baggage than Southwest Airlines. Even so, in Emily Giffin's masterful hands The Lies That Bind is heartbreaking and stunningly poignant. It's only flaw-besides the deeply flawed characters-is Miss Giffin goes overboard in trying to explain away Grant's awful behavior. Still, The Lies That Bind is a lovely read-amazing considering the horror surrounding it.

A wild roller coaster ride of a story.
Love, lies, illness and tragedy and still
a happy ending. So many twists and turns my head was spinning yet I loved it. A challenge to the definition of love.
Age old questions of loyalty, honesty and respect. A rare tapestry of real life.