I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

The Lying Club is a gripping psychological thriller that explores the dark side of privilege, deception, and obsession. Annie Ward, the author of the acclaimed Beautiful Bad, delivers a fast-paced and twisty story that will keep you guessing until the very end.

The novel centers on three women whose lives are intertwined by a secret that could destroy them all. Natalie is an office assistant at Falcon Academy, a prestigious private school in the Colorado mountains, where she envies the glamorous and wealthy mothers of the students. Brooke is one of those mothers, a stunning heiress who has a habit of cheating on her husband with younger men. Asha is another mother, a protective and devoted wife who suspects her husband of having an affair. And Nicholas is the handsome assistant athletic director who is loved by Natalie, wanted by Brooke, and needed by Asha.

When two bodies are found at the school one morning, the police launch an investigation that reveals a web of lies, betrayals, and scandals. Natalie, Brooke, and Asha all have something to hide, and someone is willing to kill to expose them. But who is the real victim, and who is the real villain?

The Lying Club is a captivating and suspenseful read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Ward skillfully creates complex and flawed characters that you will love to hate, and hate to love. She also paints a vivid picture of the setting, from the snowy peaks of the Rockies to the lavish homes of the elite. The plot is full of surprises and twists that will shock you and make you question everything you thought you knew. The Lying Club is a must-read for fans of domestic thrillers and psychological dramas.

| BOOK REVIEW |

Title: The Lying Club
Author: Annie Ward
Format: 🎧 (Originally received ARC from @parkrowbooks)
Rating: ✩ ✩ ✩

This was a fun, salacious read about women connected to the athletic department at an elite private school in Colorado. I can't say it's one that I think I will remember in a few months, but in the moment, it was an easy page-turner!

Despite a little slower start, I actually was hooked at the beginning and was eager to learn more. There were a couple times when I wondered when the action would come, but once it did, it moved quickly! There were a decent amount of clues left behind from the beginning which was clever but I was certainly still surprised at some of the final reveals!

Recommend this one if you want a twisty slowburn to take your mind off of things!

Key Points:
• Speedy, fast-paced read!
• Rich people problems
• Unlikeable characters


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Brooke and Asha only want the best for their daughters (who happen to be best friends) and have the means to provide the best. As the girls navigate their freshman year, the moms begin to be pressured with preparations for entrance into the best colleges. Enter Nick, the school's soccer coach who also offers expert coaching and mentoring for "extra." Natalie, the office assistant, has also noticed Nick. The three women are in disbelief over what is being revealed about the real Nick, and become determined to stop him.

Pretty typical domestic thriller novel, but with some added factors. Usually these factors are distracting from the storyline but Ward has managed to use these instances as nuances in the story that add to rather than take away: the addiction, the pregnancy, the bad business deal, etc. If this is your genre, this is a great book to grab. You know what you are getting, but there are some subtle twists that actually make the story more believable.

Title: "The Lying Club" by Annie Ward - A Deceptive Tale with Missed Potential

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

"The Lying Club" by Annie Ward had the potential to be a captivating exploration of deceit and its consequences, but it ultimately left me feeling underwhelmed.

The novel unfolds a storyline centered around a group of women bound together by their shared secrets. While the initial concept held promise, the execution fell short. Ward's writing is competent, but the characters lacked the depth and complexity required to make their struggles resonate with the reader. The plot had moments of intrigue, but it often felt disjointed and left unresolved questions hanging in the air.

As a reader, I found it challenging to fully invest in the story due to the lack of a strong emotional connection with the characters. While "The Lying Club" may appeal to some readers who appreciate tales of secrets and the complexities of female friendships, it ultimately didn't live up to my expectations. With a 2-star rating, it's a novel that, despite its intriguing premise, didn't fully deliver on its potential.

SUPER intriguing and as gorgeous as its cover promises, this book was thrilling and I can't wait to tell my book club all about it.

This one started out decent. The writing was good and I was getting into the story. But it's one of those stories that tells you what happened before the end. That's where it lost me. I felt like after that, it was just all a bit too "convenient" and everything fit together too smoothly. There was no wow factor and I wasn't even shocked at who was doing what.

I'm torn on this one. Part of me loved it, the other part of me didn't particularly enjoy it. But I know many of my reader friends that absolutely loved it.

Three women connected over a tragic accident at an elite private high school. This was darker than I usually choose. I didn't love the sexual abuse by a trusted teacher and wish I had known that this was a major theme - I probably wouldn't have read it. It wasn't explicit but it was icky for me. I enjoyed the quick pace and the authors writing style. I enjoyed the changing viewpoints. I did enjoy the second half of the book - the intensity and urgency picked up and more things fell into line. I liked how things came together at the end. There was a slight twist that I probably should have seen coming, but I didn't which I did enjoy. I felt bad for a few of the characters and found that the ending was fine in my opinion. If you like domestic thrillers, rich kids making bad decisions, people hiding secrets, gaslighting, parents not parenting, rich adults acting like spoiled kids, and more - you'll probably like this one.

Thank you to the publishers, author, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

A little too housewives - dramatic for me, but could make a great popcorn thriller for someone else! I'd definitely try this author again.

Set in a prestigious school in Colorado, The Lying Club details the affluent lives of entitled teenagers and their parents, along with the school faculty. From adulterous relationships, underage drinking and illegal drugs, this whole story was just a mess. None of the characters were likable and the “big lie” was disgusting and difficult to read about, and unfortunately just ended up not being enjoyable, with the exception of what finally happened to Nick.

Thank you to Park Row Books for my copy.

In Annie Ward’s The Lying Club, this compelling thriller will scintillate you and keep you enthralled on every page. It all started for Natalie Bellman, who worked as an administrative assistant in a prestigious private school called Falcon Academy near Denver Colorado, when she discovered a bloody dead body on the ground, and later interviewed by the local police. There, she fell for the charms of the much-loved athletic Nicholas Maguire, who had her under his twisted spell of deceitful lies. For Brooke Elliman and Asha Wilson, these two soccer mom would do anything for their sophomoric daughters to get into the college of their dreams. But at what price, when they were all spellbound by Nicholas’s deceit, when he attempted to ruin their lives and tear them apart? They weren’t the only ones who had a bone to pick with them. Together, they joined forces and swapped stories about how they hated Nicholas Maguire by lying to the police and bonded as newfound friends in a secret conspirationship.

This intriguing thriller will keep you at the edge of your seat. I cared for Asha, who was suspicious of her husband having an affair, and having her third child. I also cared for Natalie, who was duped by a cold-hearted snake, and Brooke Elliman, who wanted to do right for her ex-husband and her daughter. I also liked how diverse it was, when Asha was an Indian-American character. I also liked how it talked about teen athleticism and dealing with a bit of addiction abuse. The location of Falcon Valley, Colorado was perfect and cold for this chilling thriller with epic scenic settings. The theme of the story is looks could be deceiving when you should trust your gut.

This captivating thriller is twisted and top-notch to keep you hooked from the first page. I rated this book, four out of five stars for no reason. If you love compelling dark thrillers with heart-stopping twists and turns and plenty of dramatic suspense, grab a copy of the Lying Club today. his book is recommended for thriller fans who love Liane Moriarty’s One of Us is Lying and Jamie Lynn Hendrick’s It Could be Anyone.

This one is definitely a crazy ride. Private school mothers battling for the attention of men and their daughters. A little over the top, but a fun read nonetheless.

I loved the twists and lies in the book. It kept me wanting to read more and not put the book down. Highly recommend this book.

This was a good thriller with a couple great twists thrown in. You really didn’t know who to trust! I also checked out the audio book and it was good for this one!

Multiple storylines with a few MC's in the Colorado Mountains at a Private School. The preface grips you when it starts off with two bodies found at the School. You're in for a dark and plotting thriller.
I think the storyline could have a been a bit more twisty. The ending wasn't extremely jaw dropping but still had a good close off.

The Lying Club takes us into the world of an elite private school where we meet Natalie, the office assistant with a few vices; Brooke, divorced, mother of Sloane; and Asha, a realtor and the mother of Mia who is best friends with Slaone.

Each woman has a lot of baggage and comes with a lot of drama! Rich people behaving badly and books set at schools are some of my favourite subgenres so I was immediately intrigued. Add in drama, lies and murder? Sold!

The book surprised me with how it tackled some serious topics - drugs, abuse, infidenity and more - and didn't just skim over them as plot devices. Instead, Ward spent time diving into the topics and not shying away from some serious stuff. The book is a slow burn, but stick with it. Everything comes together.

I look forward to reading more of her books!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row & NetGalley for the gifted arc in exchange for a review.

The Lying Club was a trashy, entertaining, beach read for fans of Lifetime movies. We've seen these characters and stories and plot twists before, but it was all laid out in a satisfactory way that kept me turning the pages. Scandals arise, children are threatened, alliances shift: you know the drill. A fun, easy read that will still leave you hungry for something more..

The book opens with Natalie Bellman, administrative assistant at a high-dollar, very exclusive private school, confused as to where she is and why she’s there. She stumbles into the school gym, sees someone apparently dead, and wonders what exactly she’s done. Did she commit murder in an altered state? Or is there more to the story?

First off, there wasn’t really a lying club, unless it’s just implied. But there was definitely a whole lotta lying goin’ on. Husbands lying to wives, kids lying to parents, coaches lying to everybody, I don’t know how everybody managed to keep their stories even remotely straight. To me, a lot of that lying seemed unnecessary, but then, I prefer open and direct communication. Apparently many of these characters did not.

And was there a likable character in the bunch? Bitchy moms with too much money and a big entitlement chip on their shoulders (both for themselves and their children). Children who were horrible to parents (although I suspect Mia would have been a normal, sometimes moody teen were it not for Sloane’s influence). Coaches who thought they were a law unto themselves. Natalie could have been a lot more likable, but her tendency to make colossally stupid decisions spoiled that just a little. Her brother Jay and her fellow school admin Yvonne were probably the best characters in the book in terms of likability. And Jackson, the dog. He was cool.

Very twisty and turny. I knew at the outset that somebody was likely dead, but I had no idea who. Ward leads us down a lot of roads, takes detours, and backtracks, and she does all of this to great effect. She tells a heck of an engaging story, and does it with style.

Dark. Very dark. Maybe a little too dark for my taste, and I prefer books where I feel at least some twinge of empathy for the main characters. But still, worth the read. If you like a book that digs into the deep, unseen corners of the human psyche and love a good story regardless of whether you’d actually be able to stand any of the characters in real life, go grab The Lying Club.

The Lying Club is a domestic/academia slow burn twisty thriller that could be compared to Big Little Lies. Rich families, private school, dark event happens and it all unfolds.