It was an okay read. It was a bit predictable and it was a bit slow at times. I didn't really care for any of the characters which made it harder to get through.

I love to read stories about sisters and this book was so good!! I loved it from page 1..... highly highly recommend

👯‍♀️

*Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

This book doesn’t seem like it was written in 2020, even though it doesn’t pass entirely in the present, the author makes word choices so old-fashioned that in various parts of the book I felt kind of bad for reading certain things while reading I had the feeling that I was reading a book from before 2010, in terms of how to refer to various subjects, such as marriage, sexuality, sexism, family, and cheating.
Aside from that, I didn't like any of the characters, they are all hateful and extremely unpleasant to read about.
But I read the book quite quickly because I really wanted to unravel the mystery and know what happened.
So I could say despite the author's terrible choices when dealing with the themes she proposed to bring in the book and the detestable characters, the plot of the story itself was very well constructed and well done making it a quick and addictive read, that why I am giving this 3 stars instead of 2.
But be careful when reading this book because you will find very unpleasant things in this story

I was instantly engaged when reading this book. The book begins with Graham Alexander’s dying words to his daughter Lillian, “Hemingway knows.” Just days later she is given the key to his desk drawer and discovers a letter from her father that leads to a quest for the tuth about her parents relationship, the death of her mother and shines some light on the antagonistic relationship with her twin sister Layla.

The chapters are either from Layla’s present of from her father’s memoir which reveals the truth about his marriage to Ivy Stoney.

There is an element of Southern Gothic to the Stoney family – decaying mansions, lost fortunes and generations of death and dysfunction behind the prestige of the name.

As twin sisters. Lillian and Layla are chalk and cheese. Lillian is quiet thoughtful and artistic and Layla is ambitious, selfish and materialistic. The death of their father and the revelations of the past highlight the gulf between them.

The story of Ivy and Graham is gripping and the book is well paced – as you know that Ivy died when the girls were young from the beginning there is a great slow and shocking reveal.

I really enjoyed this book and the different dynamics between the characters. Lillian’s relationships with her father and housekeeper/surrogate mother, Trudy are so warm and loving and completely juxtaposed to scenes with Ivy and Layla. The title is so apt as even after death Ivy continues to have so much power over the lives of the characters.

Overall, this was a really great read and Charleston has definitely been added to my future places to visit list. I was part of the Blog Tour for this book

Tangled in Ivy is hands-down one of my top reads of ALL-TIME!!!

The book opens with Lillian saying good-bye to her beloved father after his battle with cancer. Her twin sister arrives but too late even though she had been calling her for days. This is just one more thing to add more animosity and friction between the two of them. It’s funny that Lillian has never felt the twin bond she has always heard about. Not long after her father’s funeral and learning that their entire fortune is gone, Lillian goes searching for answers, especially when she finds a letter left to her from her father. She never expects the answers she finally finds.

This was such a unique read. It was a story within a story. It’s Lillian’s story, but for her to be able to discover things about herself, she has to read the story of her father and mother. And, my what a story that is!!!! The plot twists wouldn’t stop! It was exciting to see where the story was going to go next.

It is also a complex story of family and what it really means to be family. Lillian comes to learn a great deal about herself and the reason why she has the complicated relationship she has with her sister.

Farley is a wonderful writer, but she is also a storyteller. She definitely knows how to tell a story. I am always a fan of fiction based in Charleston because I was raised there, and she captures the special essence that is the South Carolina Lowcountry. I live elsewhere now, but I will always be a South Carolina girl at heart! This was indeed a love letter to the Lowcountry! She took me back home even if just for a little while.


I highly recommend reading this gem of a book! It took me longer than usual to read this book, but not because it was a slow-moving book that didn’t hold my interest….it was because it WAS SO GOOD!!!! I didn’t want to rush it because I was so immersed in the storyline, the characters, and the setting. I wanted to savor it until the very end!!!! Excellent, excellent read!!!!

Wow, what a ride! I read this book in a single sitting, hooked from the very beginning...Farley never fails to pull me in, her writing somewhat like wizardry. Magical in its delivery, the scenery, characters, and prose are unlike any author I’ve read.

So, with this story...

Generations of southerners, set in Charleston, South Carolina...starting with the present but moving into a story of the past, Lillian is our main gal, caring for her father, Graham, who takes us back to his own love story, unlocking secrets surrounding their family, his sins, and how generations of love can be toxic when not treated properly.

My favorite part to this, being a deep southern rooted story, is Trudy. Her life working with and for the Stoney family, how she and her family lived good lives and the love she had for her girls...all of them.

I found myself turning pages faster and faster to find out what secrets would be revealed next....I wasn’t disappointed. Farley gave me everything I was hoping to find in her very real, relatable story of sisters, family ties, and learning selflessness through years of pain and turmoil. Growth from every character in this story and while we may never know the motives of some...I was satisfied to understand sometimes we aren’t meant to.

<b>**5 Southern Charm, Stars**</b>

In this book, Lillian’s recently deceased father has left her a key. That key sets her on a journey to understand her own family's history as well as herself.

This is a tale full of grits, both for eating and for surviving. The mysteries throughout did feel a little like we were tangled in ivy, just like Lillian's memories. You can really feel her struggle as she attempts to uncover within herself the memories she blocked as a child while her body continues to protect itself from the truth.

This is definitely a twisted story with lots of Drama but so very good. I won’t say the plot was shocking but it was extremely entertaining and compelling. I'm completely here for entertaining books with mystery and intrigue that don't depend on a shocking twist to gain an emotional response from the readers. I was invested in this story because of the characters and the writing.

Not only was Ashley Farley's writing style so perfectly suited to the story, but she managed to make this book a complete sensory experience. With sights, smells and tastes, like grits and gardenia, sprinkled throughout the book, really letting the reader immerse themselves and escape into her world.

I really enjoyed the relationship between the sisters, as they attempted to bridge the gap in their fractured bond. It was a really intriguing take, especially given that twin sisters are usually portrayed as having extraordinary links to one another.

Just a great example of the power trauma and tragedy.

I was really intrigued by this book - it's not the sort of novel I'd usually read but the blurb and the cover drew me in!

Lillian and Layla are twin sisters who have never gotten along. Lillian enjoys her own company, reading and painting. She has been caring for their father with terminal cancer for the past three months in their family home in Charleston, South Carolina. Layla is outgoing, dramatic and works as a fashion designer in Atlanta, and hasn't been to see their father since he got sick. The book begins with their father passing away and his last words to Lillian are: "Hemingway knows. The truth about my life." This leads Lillian to her father's memoirs of his life with their mother, Ivy, who died 27 years before - and uncovers her father's secrets.

This is an intriguing, character-driven novel that looks at the secrets kept within families, in a story that spans several generations. It's told from the perspective of Lillian and switches to their father, Graham, while she reads his memoir. The story itself is relatively fast-moving, with several twists and turns - especially towards the end as she reaches the section retelling Ivy's death.

I found Lillian really easy to relate to and sympathise with. She has been a caring daughter, caring for her father throughout his illness, and bullied throughout her childhood. Her reconciliation with Marcus is really sweet - though I did think he was a little presumptuous (turning up at the holiday home with an overnight bag when they'd had just two brief conversations after 10 years apart!), I can see how you would still have that familiarity after being together previously!

I really found it hard to like or care about her sister, Layla - she is selfish and immature, and only gets worse as the book goes along! Even Trudy, the housekeeper who has been like a mother to both girls growing up, describes Layla as a "bad seed". I couldn't really understand why their father wanted the two girls to reconcile, or why she seemed keen to try and establish a relationship with her (I'm not sure that I would!).

I really enjoyed reading Graham's memoirs, and there are quite a few twists in the story. I certainly hadn't expected the revelation about Ivy. Plus, the descriptions of the house and Charleston are really vivid - I felt swept away in the family's two beautiful homes! It was great to escape reality into their luxurious lives, if only for a little while.

Tangled in Ivy is a well-written story with realistic characters. It has some romance plus a couple of shock twists that make this a perfect escapism read. I read this over one afternoon while curled up on the sofa on a rainy day!

Wow.

Can I just say that this book was a rollercoaster of emotions?  I've loved so many of Ashley Farley's other books and I'm happy to report that this novel did not disappoint.  In fact, I would dare to say this is her best work I have read so far.

Lillian is on a soul searching quest after the death of her beloved father.  She follows his hints and finds his memoir hidden in a Hemingway book.  As she delves into her father's truth, she discovers things about her parents, her upbringing, and even clues to her dysfunctional relationship with her twin sister, Layla.  For Lillian, life has changed in the wake of her father's death, but through his words, she finds her way to discovering her truth, her path, and her identity.

As a southern gal, I thoroughly enjoy books that are set in the South, because it's like returning home. I was even stationed in Charleston, S.C., so this novel left me walking the streets once again.  The plot is a simplistic, yet intriguing tale of uncovering family secrets.  While Lillian's journey leads to her self discovery, I also found it to be a tragic love story.  But not in the way you would expect. It's the love of a father and his faith in his daughter to accept him despite his flaws.

I will admit that I did figure out Ivy's "secret" (No spoilers, sorry!) right away.  I don't know if it's just my distrusting nature or if I'm just really good at piecing things together, but I was not surprised by the revelation after her passing.  I did not see the twist that involved Lillian and I was almost on edge when I thought Farley was going to keep the truth from the reader. I'm happy to say I guessed correctly on that one.  I actually am sad this is a standalone. But some of the best novels are.

I would highly recommend this to all of you bookworms who enjoy tales of family secrets and generational sagas. This is an amazing novel and I couldn't put it down!

I have to start by saying that what first attracted me to this book was the cover. I had absolutely no idea that behind the beautiful cover would lie one of my favorite books.
This is about Lillian and when her father dies of cancer, her and her sister must deal with troubles of the past in order to move forward. There's a dual timeline aspect when Lillian discovers her father's memoir.
The first thing I realized that I adored about this book was the writing. I could just tell that Ashley Farley was an experienced author, her writing is effortless, so easy to read and very immersive. The way that she was able to turn her characters into real people in my mind was incredible, and we need to talk about the characters RIGHT NOW. Lillian grew so much on me as the book progressed, her growth was remarkable. But Graham, Trudy and Melanie: I wanted them to be part of MY family.
I could not guess any of the plot twists in this book, they were very well concealed under my eyes, and they were revealed with maestry.
I would recommend this book to pretty much everyone, but specially for adult fiction and mystery readers out there. It brings something new to the table, and I'm so glad I got this ARC.

This story was captivating. Twin sisters Lillian and Layla, who don't seem to have the typical twin bond or any semblance of a sisterly relationship, are struggling after the death of their dad. Lillian finds her fathers memoir and through reading this stumbles on some long kept family secrets. The story within a story is so well done and the characters were complex, flawed and endearing. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

An emotional family saga that spans the generations through dual timelines and perspectives.We follow Graham and Lillian through both their lives with Ivy, Grahams wife and Lilians mother.Lillian is on the cusp of coming to terms with childhood and secrets that have been hidden in order to make sense of both her twin sister and her lives, when her father Graham passes away.Lillian can't help but think that he was attempting to tell her something as he was dying and with her sense of guilt that she has always carried from being young makes it her mission to try to get to the root of everything. After discovering a thumb drive from her father she immerses herself in the history of her family.
I was myself Tangled In Ivy throughout this book! An immersive journey through the years with a family that have plenty to bury. It deals with bullying, sibling arguements, self harm and death to name a few. Not a quick read on a sunday type of book. Plenty of characters to love and hate throughout. Needless to say, although it dealt with delicate subject matter ,it was a great journey throughout the generations, I fully enjoyed it. Thanks go to Rachels Random Resources for the ARC in order for me to be a part of Tangled In Ivy Blog Tour today.

So I stayed up way too late so I could finish this book!
A beautiful Southern women’s fiction novel full of family drama and mystery. I loved everything this book had to offer- the secrets, lies, dysfunction and tragedy.
All the characters are so real, they felt like friends.

Thanks to Netgalley for my ebook copy.

This book is full of secrets, family drama, and beautiful southern scenery. The many twists and turns of this book kept me turning the page to get deeper into the story. The characters were rich and full of life and jumped off the pages. Farley's descriptive writing style had me daydreaming about the beautiful Charleston family home. I also liked the beautiful cover of this book.

Wow! The cover captured my attention and the amazing story captivated me and left me not wanting it to end. The characters are loveable, the plot was full of family drama and the details for this southern story left me wanting a sweet tea!
I would highly recommend this wonderful story.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to express my honest opinion.

Thank you to @rachelsrandomresources and @ashleyfarleyauthor for allowing me to be a part of the blog tour for Tangled in Ivy! .
I absolutely adored this book, first off I was really attracted by the cover and the title and as you read the book you can understand why the author (who is new to me) chose this title because it is so apt! .
A web of lies, secrecy and unknown that haunt poor quiet and timid Lillian through her life that all unfolds when her father passes away and leaves clues about where his memoir is kept! .
A full on sister Layla who is controlling and takes over all situations through intimidation.
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A loveable house maid who you can’t help but want feel a lot of respect for and just want to cuddle.
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And a godmother who as the story unfolds you can’t help but dislike! .
I was well and truly tangled from the first sentence of this book and didn’t want to take my nose out until the end. #blogtour #bookaddict #bookworm #tangledinivy

4.5 STARS

I read this book for a blog tour, so thank you to the blog tour organiser and author for letting me take part in this tour and thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a very different book than what I'm used to but I ended up enjoying it very much. We follow Lilian and Graham, simultaneously in the past and in the present through two different plots, timelines, narratives and points of view, as they both describe their lives with Ivy (mother and wife), but also, as Lilian tries to come to terms with her childhood and some long-hidden secrets that she is determined to uncover and find out the truth quickly in order to deal with her life and that of her twin sister when her father dies.

Lilian and Layla, twins, lost their mother Ivy when they were 6 years old and Lilian has felt guilty and partly responsible for her death for the past 27 years. When her father dies and her sister turns up minutes after he is gone, Lilian feels like she needs to go on a personal quest to find out the truth. I found Lilian to be really relatable and I identified with her really easily, she is shy and bookish and much like her father Graham, her narrative felt very personal to me, even though I felt that the story was lacking an emotional side.

This book has a lot of quite complicated and sensitive topics, such as death, self-harm, depression, repressive memories, bullying, family secrets, sibling quarrels and adultery, among more. I found this book to be quite heavy, but nonetheless read it in one single sitting and just couldn't help but turn the pages to work out what exactly had happened. Equally, I felt like I had worked everything out quite soon on in the story, but I actually just let all my theories go and kept on reading because I was very interested and enjoyed it a lot.

I was definitely surprised by this book, pleasantly so and I think that a lot of people will really like it. My one problem with it was that I felt it was lacking an emotional level throughout and I thought that it would have made it perfect otherwise. I really liked a lot of the characters, although I hated Layla the whole way through. I thought that Ivy, even though we don't get an insight into her intentions and feelings because, even though in my opinion she was the main character, we meet her and see her evolve and live through her husband's eyes mainly, I found her to be a really unreliable character and I thought that the author did a really good job of portraying her.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, I gave it 4.5 stars because I felt that there was quite a lack of emotions despite quite tense themes, but otherwise, it was very enjoyable. I would definitely recommend to mystery and thriller fans, it does have that more familial side to it and it was more of a mystery type story than a thriller for me personally.

Tangled in Ivy by Ashley Farley is a wonderfully written story. There was some suspense in the story but not scary suspense. Many surprises.

Tangled in Ivy by Ashley Farley is captivating as you read the story of two twin sisters. Their lives are about to change forever and it will depend on how they choose to react as to whether they will survive as friends. Lillian is the kinder sister and Layla seems to be selfish and unfeeling toward others. The sisters have a long history of conflict since their mother died when they were young girls.
Their father has died and left the family estate in financial trouble. Lillian and Layla inherit together but problems arise when Lillian wants to keep the mansion and Layla wants to sell. Lillian was with her father before he died and he was struggling to tell her something about Hemmingway knowing his life secrets.
Lillian decides to go to their lake house where her father would stay and write. She searches through his books by Hemmingway and finds a letter from her father and a USB drive with his memoir written for her to read. As Lillian reads her father's book, old secrets are uncovered which will turn her world upside-down!
I won't post spoilers but the story has layers of secrets that affect both girls and causes many heartaches in their lives.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A great story about family, secrets and memories. When their father dies memories surface and truths are told. Those truths are not what anyone, least of all them, would expect. The story is a wonderful tale of how you deal with what you least expect to find out, memories that surface and old love. The author knows how to give her readers characters with such depth and is so descriptive you feel like you're with them on their journey of discovery. A book that you can't help loving, as is the case with all her books!