I was surprised how much I liked this book. This book was so creeoy because it was so plauible and relatable because it is every parent's worst nightmare. Each character's story is related but how..... hmmmm. The twists were well placed and I thought this book was going to be a predictable mess; it was not!

I have never read anything by this author prior but if her next book is as good as this one, I am here for it. Definitely recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley, Willow Rose and Buoy Media Mystery Series for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available.

Ex FBI agent Eva Rae Thomas and her three children find themselves to be on their own when Eva’s husband leaves the family for (wait for it) a younger woman. Eva returns to her Florida home town to be closer to her parents and literally comes face to face with her high school boyfriend (a cop…..what else) as well as a serial killer of young children.

Now I am probably one of the few readers who found this novel less than satisfying. First, the plotline has been done over and over and over again. Then there are a bevy of characters who are dead on the page…….no backstories to speak of and no reason for most of them to be included since they do nothing to advance the story. All I really got from this saga is that Eva has questionable talent and motivation in the areas of romance and motherhood and that divorce damages the developing psyche of young people.

Sorry, but this is an indigestibly sour work of fiction that lacks juiciness but overflows with messiness.

wanted to like this book, I really did. I was intrigued at the beginning and felt like this book had real potential to be great but after the first couple of chapters it just falls apart for me. I didn’t find Eva Rose to be relatable at all and there are just too many side plots and stories to appreciate the “twist” at the end. I read this book and then also gave a go to listening to it on audible as well. Probably wouldn’t recommend this one.

She is not a stranger to me. I've read several books. This was one was just as entertaining as the others. Very interesting.

The book summary pretty much introduces the first part of the story. The prologue was chilling with the kidnapping of Sophie, a local, 12yr old surfing champion, who was taken from her tent one night during a girl scout outing. The cast of characters in this story is large: there is Eva Rae, newly divorced mother of three and former FBI profiler from D.C. “comes back home” (that usually leads to no good) to Cocoa Beach, FL to be near her parents. There is also Matt, a local detective of the Cocoa Beach PD and an old friend of Eva Rae’s. While the book summary makes it sound like they were childhood sweethearts, that wasn’t the case. Matt has pined for her since then, but the feelings were not mutual.

There are also Sophie’s parents Jenna and Todd, who are divorced and bitterly fought over custody of Sophie and the money she earned surfing. There is also a kidnapped victim named Maddie (10yrs old), who lives with her sex worker mother, who disappears for days at a time. This happened pretty early in the story so it’s not a spoiler.

The story flips back and forth between now and then. In the then period, there is a secondary storyline around a boy and his younger sister whose parents divorced, and the kids are supposed to split their time between their parents. However, the mother, a drug addict, is really neglectful and is always forgetting when it’s her time for them and when to pick them up. There is also another secondary storyline about the nightmares that Eva Rae has regarding the kidnapping she witnessed of her sister, Sydney, when she was a kid, that her own mother blamed her for when she was a kid. Lastly (yeah, I know, a lot going on here), there is another secondary storyline of one of Eva Rae’s friend who lands in the hospital after a pretty severe beating. I can’t say anymore or that would be a spoiler.

Now, I’m not the kind of reader whose enjoyment of a story is contingent on the level of believability of the story. That’s why it’s called FICTION!!! However, I was even rolling my eyes at some of the ridiculous behavior of Eva Rae. For instance, she is no longer an FBI agent, yet she insinuates herself into the investigation of a kidnapping and tells the parents that she’s FBI like she’s still active and leading them to believe that the FBI are involved in the case. OMG!!! Impersonating an FBI agent!!! Seriously??? What an idiot!!! Stupid stuff like this didn't end there.

Well into the second half of the story, another kidnapping and death are revealed and at this point, I’m at a loss as to who the kidnapper(s)/killer(s) are; it could be any number of people. The end comes pretty quick in a shocking (never saw that one coming) and intense standoff with the Eva Rae, the killer, and two kids. Without a doubt, the ending was the best part of this story.

I’ve got mixed feelings about this book. While some readers don’t have to like the MC in order to enjoy the story, I do, and I didn’t like Eva Rae or most of the other adults in the story. Eva Rae got on my nerves with her stupid and annoying behavior and all her whining about how she couldn’t understand why her husband left her to take care of the kids all by herself. Oh please! While I don’t condone her husband’s infidelity, I’m certainly not team Eva Rae either. This is a woman who was pretty much an absent spouse and parent off pursuing her FBI career for most of her marriage and kids’ lives while her husband was at home and the primary caregiver for their kids for most of their lives. Now a single mom, she is absolutely clueless about how to take care of her kids and now depends on her parents and her oldest daughter to pick up the slack where she falls short. Pretty much everything is more important than taking care of her kids. I actually felt sorry for every kid in this story for getting stuck with such crappy parents. This is one of the reasons I end up not liking a lot of domestic thrillers.

Anyway, for me, a halfway decent ending can be the difference between a 2star or a 3star rating, hence, the 3star rating, which is actually pretty generous. This series is going to be a one and done for me. I want to thank NetGalley and Buoy Media for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #BuoyMedia #DontLietoMe

When a young teenage girl goes missing it’s the worst nightmare of any parent. Three months later, young Sophie is found dead in her sleeping bag. Former FBI profiler Eva Rae Thomas takes on the investigation to catch the monster who did this. Will she find out who did this before another child
gets hurt? The clock is ticking…..

Eva Rae moved back home with her children. She promised them that their lives would be less eventful. As soon as Sophie is found Eva Rae knows that, as a mother herself, she has to do everything in her power to catch the killer. She never expected it to hit so close to home.

Don’t Lie to Me is a dark ride and I couldn’t put it down. Author Willow Rose surprised me with some exciting twists and turns which kept me glued to the pages. If you’re looking for a fast paced, thrilling story I’d certainly recommend this first book in the Eva Rae Thomas series.

While this book was in the romance section, there wasn't a whole lot of romance. Becuase of that, I will highly recommend it to people in my bookclub who prefer suspense with light romance instead of vice versa. Eva Rae Thomas was an FBI agent who specialized in serial killer profiling. She had to move home becuase her husband left her with three kids. So, she "retired" and is writing books. While she is having trouble acclimating to civiian life, she works on recouping old friendships including a police investigator who is in the process of solving a missing child case. Well, when Eva rolls into town - all the pieces start popping up and it is up to her to step on toes and get the crimes solved. This book is book 1 in a book of series of 5 so far on KU.

Exactly what i need in a thriller. i have to get blown away at the end and can’t predict what’s going to happen. I found it hard to connect with the main character at first but after i past the first half i was so into it.

It was hard for me to like the main character, Eva Rae. It was hard to follow Eva Rae as an experienced FBI agent. There was not much depth or development of the characters and the relationships. The book was fast pace with events happening back to back. The ending was a surprising twist. This book does include missing children which can be triggering to some.

Great thriller that will leave you guessing. Great read that went by quickly because it was so well done. Definitely recommend this one if you enjoy a thriller/ who do it type book.

I'm pretty good at figuring out mysteries for the most part but not with a Willow Rose book. It is always a surprise at the end who did it. It is told from the point of view of the main character Eva Rae and I was guessing until the very end who it was that did it.

The characters were well-developed, and I found myself invested in their lives. The plot was well thought out and had enough twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat. I appreciated the attention to detail, and the author did a great job of creating a vivid world that was easy to picture in my mind.
The themes explored in the book were thought-provoking and gave me a lot to consider. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story with well-developed characters.
Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with this book and would definitely read it again. It was a great addition to my reading collection, and I can't wait to see what else this author has in store.

Don't Lie To Me is about Eva Raye, a single mother who has moved back to her hometown after being abandoned by her husband.
After children keep disappearing and being found murdered, she goes back to work as an FBI agent to help catch the culprit.
Despite the main character's profession, you don't get to see much of the police. This story had me hooked from the first page.
The ending was satisfying, but felt a bit rushed to me.
If you are going to pick up this book, be aware that there is a lot of violence against children. It was much more brutal than I would have expected from a summer read.
All in all, it was a great book that I thoroughly enjoyed! I believe this will be a series, so I definitely pick up the sequel.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Buoy Media!

this book is great and thrilling! I was at the edge of my sit most of the time. so brutal and true, so heartbreaking. a story of lost children and trauma and hurt. it actually is so graphic so if you're not ok with violent scenes this one is probably not for you. an amazing plot twist at the end and all and all a very good strong read. this was my first read by the author but I'm gonna read all her work for sure!
thanks to NetGally for providing my copy of this book.

Don’t Lie to Me by Willow Rose.
POV - Eva Rae Thomas: Main Character
Mystery/Thriller
Main Description - About Eva Rae Thomas moving to Cocoa Beach with her three children. Going through divorce. Ex FBI agent.
Thank you #NetGalley , Author, and Publishers for opportunity to read and review #Don’tLieToMe with my honest thoughts and feelings.

I could have sworn that I had read Willow Rose before, but I guess I haven’t. I was so sure I went through all her books she’s written on Goodreads to see if I had, but none of them I had read. I guess I have just saw her name a lot and thought I’d read her. Anyway, I really love her name….but on with review *smh (I know get on with review 😂).
It was just okay for me. It’s all set up to be great, but it just didn’t turn out for me that way. For Eva Rae to be an ex FBI agent (and supposedly a great one) and Matt (her ex boyfriend/childhood friend) with local law enforcement in Cocoa Beach, they just don’t seem to be too knowledgeable of what they do or did do. I saw all kinds of missteps when trying to catch the killer. I kept thinking “Do they actually know what they’re doing???” But it was an interesting story plot and I was intrigued to keep reading even with them not seeming to be too smart. And also, didn’t care for the ending and who the killer was. Didn’t make sense to me. But that’s for you to find out for yourself if you read. I gave it 3 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️because it was interesting enough to keep reading.

Sophie Williams is a twelve year old child who goes missing from camp. Three months later her body is found wrapped in a sleeping bag on Cocoa Beach. Now the child of a well known senator has gone missing. FBI profiler Eva Rae Thomas begins to investigate alongside her old flame Matthew Miller.

Pros:
- short chapters
- fast read

Cons:
-hard to follow and unorganized
-many side stories that did not relate to main plot
-lacking chemistry between characters

Thanks to Netgalley and Buoy Media, Mystery Series for a free copy.

This is the first book I have read from Willow Rose but it has made me want to read more from this author. A fantastic cross between a crime and thriller storyline which was in places, so emotive it was uncomfortable to read. When multiple children are found murdered in the most horrific ways, it becomes a race against time to find the perpetrator and reasons in order to save lives. Although I guessed the ending, it didn't take anything away from the overall read.

This was the second Eva Rae book I had read, and it blew me away. The ending was once again, something I never saw coming and something I will not soon forget. The author has a genius for dropping little hints here and there, that make the reader think that maybe this person is the killer, but then the next hint drops for a different person, and so on.

Eva Rae Thomas has recently divorced, is unemployed and has come home to regroup. A much loved young surfer who had won awards had been missing for months, and then is found dead. Then a second child is missing and a hideous video is sent to the parents. The new chief (an old boyfriend) asks for her help, since her previous job was as an FBI profiler.

I recommend this book and the whole series to any one who enjoys a good mystery that keeps you guessing. I've already bought several books in this series. Thanks to the publisher Buoy Media and NetGalley for the review copy. It was a pleasure to voluntarily read and review this book.

An awesome book with so many twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages until the end!

Eva Rae is a separated mom of 3 and an ex FBI agent who returns to her hometown to write a book. While there, children go missing and murdered and she is asked to help by the local police.

There are several characters that could be behind the crime but you will never believe who the murder is!

I recommend to anyone who likes thrillers with many plot twists!

Thank you NetGalley and Buoy Media for the chance to review this book. I submitted review to Amazon .
#NetGalley #Buoy Media #Don’t Lie to Me

This book was so not one I would consider my usual cup of tea. But I'm so glad I decided to give it a chance because with this being the first book in the series, I have a feeling that I just started a new series I will be continuously waiting for the next one to come out each time. On top of this being a new series, Willow Rose is also a new author for me. So I was really taking a chance on this one. And I'm glad I did!

Eva Rae is a newly single mom who is also an ex-FBI agent and has decided to return to her hometown. She has also promised her kids that she is all done with investigative work and police work in general. But we all know that lifestyle doesn't end so easily or clearly cut. Especially when there is a serial killer on the loose in that hometown. Eva is a great investigator and with things hitting that close to home, there is no way she isn't going to get involved.

I'm glad that this is the start of a new series because the author had a lot going on in this book. And while everything came together exceptionally well, there is so much room for so many more books in the series. I found the twists and turns to be unpredictable and exciting. There was plenty of action going on to keep me hooked and I loved the character development as well. I strongly recommend this book! I received and ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.