Thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing me an advanced ecopy of Too Good To Be True by Carola Lovering in exchange for an honest review. I will start by saying I really really really enjoyed the novel. The novel is told from three different characters' perspectives: Skye, Burke, and Heather. Skye is a beautiful, wealthy, twenty-something who has struggled with OCD since her mother died when she was twelve. Burke, an older man woo-ing Skye, but with selfish motives. Finally, Heather is Burke's wife and we meet her back in the early 1990's and follow her life and relationship with Burke until present day.

I was enthralled the whole novel. I was rooting for Skye from the start. I loved having a character to root for since so many novels these days have no characters worth rooting for. I was invested in Skye figuring out she was being conned, but I was also hoping for her to get a happy ending. Heather and Burke were the more common type of character in modern thrillers....to say more of what I mean would be spoilerish.

I liked that this novel made a person who deals with mental illness the main character and made her relatable. I loved that Skye had very strong, very realistic friendships with other females. The dynamics between Skye and Burke, Skye and her friend Andie, Skye and her stepmother, Burke and Heather, and Burke and Skye (to a bit of a lesser extent) were all engaging and realistic. Now the plot of the novel was not 100% believable, but it was good escapist thrills and would recommend it to any of my fellow thriller loving friends.

Carola Lovering, the author of TELL ME LIES, returns with TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, an enthralling thrill ride about one man, his two wives and the three versions of the truth that exist between them.

Skye Starling has never had it easy as far as romances go. Although she’s a total knockout with a glamorous job and a hefty inheritance, men are turned away by her OCD, a condition she has struggled with ever since the tragic death of her beloved mother. In her friend group of four --- all beautiful, ambitious young women living in New York City --- Skye is the only one who has never had a serious romance, and as her friends are starting to settle down, she has never felt more held back by her OCD.

However, that all changes when she meets Burke Michaels, a 46-year-old financial advisor who is tall, dark and movie-star handsome. They fall head over heels in love almost immediately, and when Burke proposes just six months later, Skye feels as if her life has finally begun. Her best friend, Andie, has qualms about the speed at which the two became serious, but Skye knows she has found her person. Burke has said and done all the right things, from accepting her OCD to formally requesting her hand from her father. If alarm bells aren’t ringing in your head right now, I’ll spell it out for you: Burke is TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.

In alternating chapters, Lovering cuts right to the chase by revealing Burke’s real motives. In diary entries to his marriage therapist (yes, you read that right), Burke explains his perfect plan. He and his wife, Heather, have three wonderful kids and a decent house in New Haven, Connecticut, but kids and houses come with serious bills attached. After being laid off for no good reason, he is seriously strapped for cash. His marriage has been on the rocks for months, and he knows the only way to fix it is to finally give his wife the life she deserves: financial security, a gorgeous forever-home and the freedom to live on their own terms, not held back by their credit card debt or empty wallets.

When Burke takes a weekend away from the stress and meets a gorgeous young girl for a little fun, he can’t believe his luck when he learns that she’s an heiress. Desperate to save his marriage, Burke comes up with a plan to tell his wife that he is on a contract gig, fully commit to Skye for a few months, marry her, and then flip the switch and push her toward a divorce. When the dust settles, he’ll have not only the cash that he slips from their joint account during the engagement, but hopefully a cushy divorce settlement.

But there’s another player involved in Skye and Burke’s whirlwind relationship: his wife. Jumping back 30 years, Lovering invites readers to the tiny upstate (very upstate) town of Langs Valley, New York. Low-income and drug-filled, Langs Valley is not the sort of place that fosters dreams, especially for its citizens who want nothing more than to get out, like teenager Heather Price. With two parents who are addicted to drugs, Heather has grown up fiercely independent and sharp, her street-smart traits balanced by her almost maternal love for her baby brother, Gus. Her devilishly handsome boyfriend, Burke, likes to party, but she knows he has her back and that the two of them are each other’s real family.

When Heather meets glamorous, wealthy Libby Fontaine, a Connecticut housewife with the perfect life, her complacency in Langs Valley starts to crack. Seeing how the wealthy live --- how their money gives them freedom in so many ways --- she realizes that she has to get out of there and starts planning for a life in New York City, even if it means leaving Burke behind.

Alternating between Skye’s wedding planning, Burke’s confessional diaries and Heather’s past, Lovering expertly blends these three perspectives so that the truth always seems just out of reach. All three characters are masterfully drawn --- Skye’s battle with OCD is heartbreaking and endearing; Burke’s motivations perfectly fiendish; and Heather’s ambitions utterly relatable --- and together their stories propel one another forward, always adding new details to the overarching narrative that make you question everything you thought you knew.

In terms of technique and character development, no single storyline is better than the other, but I found Heather’s the most compelling. As the character with whom we spend the most time, it was her growth and motivations that kept me absolutely riveted. Her desperate desire for more, simply more, was painfully relatable. Through her, Lovering touches on so many prevalent issues in today’s world, like the opioid crisis, financial inequality and the fight to live the American dream.

As a thriller, TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE is practically perfect. Lovering is a taut and clever writer, and even when you think you’ve spotted a plot hole, she quickly fills it --- usually with yet another shocking twist or revelation. There were so many times when I thought “Aha, I’ve got it!” while reading, only to be completely thrown off by the next chapter. This is a masterfully plotted, intricate book, and Lovering’s control of her narrative, characters and big reveals is spellbinding. I read it in one night for its unputdownable, fast-paced plot, and I already want to read it again to marvel at its mechanics.

Perfect for readers of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, Alex Michaelides and Paula Hawkins, TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE is a must-buy for thriller readers who want an ending they cannot predict and characters they cannot forget.

Skye Starling comes from a wealthy family. She is beautiful and smart. And, she has had OCD since her mother died when Skye was just a child. As a result, she has found it difficult to maintain a relationship. That is, until she meets Burke Michaels, an older man who seems to be able to understand Skye and her issues. But, as the reader soon finds out, Burke has issues of his own.

Too Good to Be True is a story that is told from several points of view, as well as journal entries, and there’s a backstory. It will pull the reader in, as it become obvious that this story has many layers and it’s difficult to make assumptions. The author does a great job handling the various characters and timelines. The pace is perfect, the suspense will keep the reader engaged, and the characters are very well-drawn. The final pages are well-crafted and brings the book to a satisfying end.

I thoroughly enjoyed Carola Lovering’s book and I highly recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Well written, interesting mystery. Has lots of twists and turns. Interesting characters development.

Thank You to NetGalley and the Author and publisher for a copy of this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Domestic suspense is my favorite sub-genre and I have read countless books involving cheating and spouses scorned. Too Good To Be True upped the bar for all to come! With a super tight plot, the use of diary entries, and dual timelines, the story kept me on the edge of my seat and racing to find out the truth. So well done.

First off, this book undersells by saying “One love story, Two marriages, Three versions of the truth” - you get a LOT more versions of this story 😂

Told from 3 unique POV’s across a 30 year span, this book has all the domestic drama you could ask for and its setting (Fairfield & New Haven, CT) is basically in my backyard!

I don’t want to say too much and spoil anything, but if you love breaking out your sleuth hat to hunt for small clues and connections between storylines, this one is for you!

Fun extra fact: when I started dating my husband, I lived in New Haven County and he lived in Fairfield county so the fact that characters go back and forth between these two locations without was nostalgic 🥰 Although I will say the idea of no traffic on I-95 between these two places had to be satire, right?? 😂

This review comes with a couple cautionary tidbits. First off, I'm posting the book blurb after my review (for a change). It just gives too much of the story away, so be forewarned its best to go into this book blind. I get the need to mention parts of the plot but I prefer to discover things for myself.

Secondly I'm kinda going against popular opinion here. But that being said I am conflicted with my rating.

This book started slow for me, I was advised to persevere, which I did. My issue was the number of times I had to suspend my belief and yes I even did a few eye rolls. But at almost the half way mark the tone switched, it turned more mysterious and had me genuinely curious about what was going on.

This book is told from 3 different POVs with some unreliable narratives that seriously was enough to leave me scratching my head. This isn't what I would call a dark and twisty suspense mystery. It was entertaining abed slow moving with a rather unsatisfying ending. To Good to Be True released a few weeks ago.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press (via Netgalley) for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Carola Lovering and it will not be the last. I was captivated by the end of the first chapter and stayed up way too late reading this one. I highly recommend it!

Even though Skye is successful, wealthy, young and beautiful, she has crippling OCD, from a terrible past experience, that keeps her from getting involved in any sort of relationship. Then she meets the handsome older man that is Burke, who appears to be the love of her life, even with her OCD, and in we go: to their relationship, as well as Burke's OTHER relationship..

I love the three different, and very telling, perspectives in this book! I felt like I was never sure what was going on and they definitely keep you involved until the big twist towards the middle. The second half goes a little slower, but is still interesting enough to read through. I could have done without the mushiness that evolves, because it brought the suspense factor down for me, but still a phenomenal read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!!

Skye Starling has suffered from OCD since her mother passed away. It keeps her from having serious relationships until she meets Burke Michaels, and he can see past her issues. They start dating and have a whirlwind relationship and get engaged only a few months later. But Burke isn’t all he seems to be. In fact, he’s married to his high school sweetheart, Heather.

Too Good To Be True is told from three perspectives - Skye’s story, journal entries written by Burke, and Heather’s story from 30 years earlier.

There were definitely a lot of twists in this book, but unfortunately I figured out what was going on early into the story. I did think the writing was good though so that didn’t make me want to stop reading. I just wanted to see how it was going to end.

Speaking of the ending, that definitely let me down. I can’t say anything without posting spoilers, but I really wish this book ended differently.

A lot of people loved this book, and I can definitely see why. I would have given it a higher rating if I hadn’t figured out the biggest twists.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Too Good to Be True was a wonderfully written mystery suspense.
The characters are well written and fleshed out.
There were quite a few twists and turns that I enjoyed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this well-crafted novel. The twist was perfect--wasn't expecting things to end well for anyone. My favorite character was Skye--very nice job with her character development.

Told in alternating points of view, Lovering takes readers on a while ride. The twists are completed unexpected, but the clever execution keeps you reading to see how it all finally fits together.
4.5 Stars

Wow this book was so good. I loved it so much I hope there’s a second one following up with Skye and Burke. What happens to Heather? The whole story had great twists and turns. I would 10/10 recommend this to everyone.

Skye comes from a wealthy family, educated and works from home as a book editor. Has a great group of friends. She has OCD that some people find strange but I think that’s what makes her such a good character. She meets and falls in love with a man named Burke who’s married with 3 kids. He is trying to get skye to fall in love with him to get money for his family. But he really does fall in love with sky. The way it all unfolds is well written with no loose ends. But I have to know what happens after.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have another smart thriller to add to the list! Thoughts on TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE by Carola Lovering!

Here’s what you got- a husband and a wife and the husband’s second (as in additional), much younger wife. The story is told from alternating viewpoints and you get to watch in slow motion as Burke cons poor Skye into marrying him. There’s also a third perspective from thirty years before, that of Heather, a babysitter who slowly ingratiates herself into the lives of the wealthy family she nannies for. Just when you think you know what’s coming... things take a turn.

I loved this! I was a major fan of Lovering’s prior book, TELL ME LIES, and let me tell you, she has now claimed her throne as Queen of writing fuckboys 😅 These characters annoyed me and intrigued me but I’ll tell you, I couldn’t turn away. The author did such a good job with really digging in to their backstory and really got me to care for them- I love moral ambiguity! Also, I listened to parts of it and it was A+ on audio.

My minor gripes are that there was a lot of body talk (this one is skinner than that one, etc) and a particularly disturbing sexual assault. However, I also thought the author portrayed grief and mental illness very well. It got way more involved than I was ever expecting and it’s a very clever plot. If you like domestic drama, cons, or rich people problems, this could be for you!

Already a fan of the author after her first book, Tell Me Lies, I jumped into this one blind and highly recommend you do the same! No summery here, folks, but if you like books about revenge, drama, deception, unreliable narrators and mind games, definitely add this one to your TBR.

The three multiple POVs are really well done and keep the reader guessing. I love a book the integrates different features and the journal entries were a great addition.

I'm a big fan of Lovering's writing and I was engrossed in the story from page one. I like the way she combines domestic suspense, psychological thrills and just fun drama in her books. You're going to need to suspend belief at some points, but just sit back, enjoy the ride and let Too Good to Be True whisk you away.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the gifted ecopy. All thoughts are my own.

I absolutely loved the author’s first book, Tell Me Lies, so when I spotted this one on @netgalley it was an instant request.

Definitely go into this one blind. It’s a fun ride. It has taken me a bit to write this review because I was hoping I’d have more clarity on my final feelings....I’m still torn on how I feel 😂 so bear with me.

Things I loved:
-the first half was so propulsive, I could not put it down
-one twist completely blew me away (but I had my detective hat on and figured out another big twist immediately👎🏻)
-the more I think about it, the more I loved the ending
-this is a book I have not stopped thinking about since I finished

Things that weren’t my favourite:
-after one big twist, I found the pace really slowed down. The last half/third didn’t pull me in as much as the start
-as much as I loved the ending, there are still some things that bug me about it....but I also kind of love that they bug me....see? Told you I’m still torn

Thank you to St Marin’s Press for the #FreeBook to review!

Well, I was pleasantly surprised that I really enjoyed this novel once I got into it. The twists and turns were very unexpected. It is hard to believe that a wife can be so devious. It's a thriller. It's a romance. It keeps you on your toes.

The blurb for this book sounded so intriguing, and psychological thrillers have been my trope of choice this past year so I was so excited to read this one. But sometimes when you go into a book blind, they just don't work out for you. That was the case for me with this one.

I struggled way too hard to try and form any kind of connection with Skye and Burke, and forget Heather all the way around. As I was reading, I just couldn't suspend belief enough times to give this story any kind of credence. The plot that Heather hatches, and Burke just went along with it? It was just so not believable?

If you are a firm believer in Karma, this book is not for you. I was actually super frustrated when I finished reading, and annoyed at how this story ended. Oh well, as I said in the beginning, you go in blind and you get what you get, not every book is going to work for a reader.

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Too Good to Be True is a domestic thriller that is crazy in the best way.
2 marriages.
1 man.
3 perspectives.
What is the truth?
Lovering pulled me into the story from the first page. I loved the different perspectives. Skye quickly falls in love with Burke and is so excited about their wedding. Skye is beautiful and rich, but people usually judge her for her OCD. Burke is keeping secrets and is writing letters to his therapist that reveal the truth. Thirty years ago, Heather breaks up with her boyfriend, Burke, but based on family events Burke reenters her life. The past and present collide in this well written story. Everyone thinks they know what is going on but nobody can be trusted. There were twists and turns throughout the book. Nothing is as it seems, and I love being surprised. There are red herrings throughout the book. This story is very entertaining and interesting. I loved experiencing the story from the different character’s perspectives because I was constantly trying to figure out what would happen next. I couldn’t figure out which characters I should be routing for. All of the characters are realistic and flawed but also have relatable good qualities. Cheating, manipulation and embezzlement are present in Too Good to Be True. I recommend Too Good to be True to anyone that likes twisted domestic thrillers.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for Too Good to Be True.