This was a slow burn for me. I didn't initially feel much for the main character Megan Barnes but as the story progressed I was more interested. For me, I was more engaged by the plot rather than the characters (but I did love Nick!). I liked the exploration of ethics and the purpose of journalism- these questions encouraged me to consider my own ideas of the media. By the end, Megan was an easy protagonist to like and I wanted her to succeed.
This is a solid debut and I really enjoyed reading it.

Maggie Smith, Truth and Other Lies, 1016 Press, 2022.

Maggie Smith has written a novel that resonates with some of the most important issues affecting understanding events today. Truth and lies are seemingly acceptable alternatives, with the coining of the phrase ‘alternative truth’ becoming a part of the language of media stories and acceptance of news coverage. The narrative touches on these issues in a story that brings a young journalist into the aegis of a famous journalist, as well as her connection with a political figure. The three women carry the story, becoming the vehicle through which important issues are raised, at the same time as they are developed as women with personal attachments and aspirations.

It takes time for Megan, a young and ambitious journalist who has recently lost her job and her lover, to work through her own problems. These colour the way she looks at truth, her family and friends, and the world of journalism. Megan is an uneasy character to like. Her childlike behaviour grates, particularly at the beginning of the book. She returns home, expecting her mother to be as usual – someone she tolerates and sees in a rather one-dimensional way. The two clash over political views, and over their relationship. Megan finds her mother controlling, but while criticising her, ignores her own qualities which might give rise to her mother’s concerns. Megan’s lack of perception is strange for a journalist – but there is a lot of evidence, both in her previous job, her understanding of older women as exemplified by her mother, or ambitious women as exemplified by the older journalist, to suggest that this character has a lot of maturing to accomplish.

Megan is determined to find a career path again and begins working as a publicist after a fortuitous meeting with an important public figure, Jocelyn Jones. Here she finds that her dilemmas are twofold: her mother, Helen Watkins, has become a political figure, thus publicising their different political commitments; and her relationship with her employer, not her first choice of occupation, mixes glamour and anxiety.
Megan’s eventual work towards acknowledging the reality about the women around her is well drawn, and as she becomes involved in seeking the truth, her motives are more meaningful. When Megan is forced to acknowledge her own mistakes, as well as those made by the other two women, her character becomes more nuanced.

The developing relationship between mother and daughter is well made, with truths being told and secrets uncovered. At the same time, the relationship between Megan and her charismatic employer also involves secrets and truths – or are they lies?

This novel has great potential. It works on raising serious issues, in both politics and the media, that resonate with the social environment of the 2020s. In addition, the characters develop, at times demonstrating some complexity as they come to grips with personal as well as worldly agendas. Although they are often unlikable, their flaws and their stories are believable. The ending was satisfying as Megan, thwarted initially, demonstrates her journey to a future where her impact as a professional journalist is a possibility. However, I was a little disappointed as I felt that the full potential of the idea was not fully realised.

Integrity vs. ambition—how far will you go to be successful? Truth and Other Lies explores this dilemma as the protagonist, Megan, maneuvers her way through the glamourous world of a famous journalist as her protégé.

A young woman who calls herself a boomerang returns to live with her mother after a failed relationship and a job loss. Megan Barnes, a twenty-five-year-old newspaper reporter, comes back to her home in Chicago and discovers her world has changed. Her mother wants to be a politician, her best friend has cheated on her longtime boyfriend, and snagging a newspaper job is more complicated than she thought. Until Megan meets Joselyn Jones, a world-renowned journalist who Megan sees at a rally and finds she has idolized for years. Jones is impressed with Megan’s convictions and bravado when she defends Jones’ principles, hitting a skinhead in the nose. That gets Megan a public relations position for Jones’ upcoming memoir soon to be released.

The story unravels as Megan seeks the truth about Jones, who is being attacked on Twitter and accused of unethical behavior. And Megan’s mother reveals a shocking secret that happened to her as a young mother that changed her beliefs and threatened her candidacy for Congress. Using her journalistic skills, Megan digs deeper to find the truth and what integrity truly means.
I loved this story filled with strong characters, good dialog, and a fast-paced plot. I thank NetGalley for allowing me to read and review it. #Truth and Other Lies #NetGalley #Political Fiction

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced read!

Megan Barnes recently lost her job and caught her boyfriend in bed with their neighbor. Megan instantly packs up her life and returns to Chicago. When she returns home, she learns her single, conservative, divorced mother is running for political office. She thinks they are always on opposite sides and not very close. When Megan was visiting with her best friend Becca, she finds herself at a college lecture where she got into a fight with a skin head. The speaker of the event came up to compliment Megan and ends up offering her a drop until she gets her life figured out. During this time, Megan, journalist, protects Jocelyn and becomes her right hand man. However, things may not be as good as they seem when a twitter troll wants to reveal secrets. We follow Megan as she investigates not only Jocelyn but eventually her own family.

This book is hit all the right chords with me: fast-paced plot, journalism angle, slight mystery, hot topics in current events, family secrets. What’s not to like?

Megan, an aspiring journalist, has moved back home to Chicago with her mom - who she learns is running for the local seat in the House of Representatives. Megan stumbles across a potential career opportunity when she unexpectedly meets Jocelyn Jones, a famous and well-respected journalist, who promises to pass along her connections if Megan will work on Jocelyn’s PR team in preparation for her new memoir. Things get dicey, though, when anonymous threats come in calling Jocelyn out for plagiarism in her past, and Megan doesn’t know whether to trust her idol or trust an online stranger. Mix in some political drama - specifically about abortion (TW) - and this book was the perfect mix of fun and light while keeping you on your toes and turning the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a good book! The characters stay with you long after you finish the book and I loved all the twists and turns. My first time to read a book by this author but I cannot wait to read more!

Megan Barnes is a twenty five year old investigative reporter who lost both her job and her boyfriend on the same day and has returned to Chicago to reinvent herself.

Her mother, Helen Watkins, is a former stay at home mom whose politically conservative, pro-life beliefs have made her the frontrunner in a local Congressional race.

Pulitzer Prize winning, legendary journalist Jocelyn Jones plans to cement her long, successful career with a best selling memoir until anonymous allegations surface on social media.

What these three women have in common are the lies they have told, the secrets that they have been keeping and their ambition. What they will do with that ambition makes the difference.

Truth and Other Lies, a compulsively readable novel, is part romance, part criticism of social media and part thriller. The plot is strong and fast paced. The characters, although not all likable, are well drawn and realistic. I especially enjoyed Megan and Nick’s budding romance, Helen’s attempts to have a closer relationship with her daughter and Dragan’s computer prowess. Serious subjects are treated: Computer hacking, mental illness, the Me Too movement, abortion, rape and others. This is a must read novel! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ten16 Press and Maggie Smith for this ARC.

This one dug deep to not only our relationships with friends but with ourselves also. It was a mesmerizing story of self worth and being true to what you know is right. I could not put it down.

Interesting story, I like how the writer interwove lies and secrets. In the end one can see the difference between lies versus secrets.
It is a story of how women view their struggles to get what they want, be unethically or how they see as it is what I do.
A mother protecting her child rightly or wrongly. Another woman Jocelyn thinking she can take what she wants, and no one can stop her.
A young woman learning how to judge people, how to judge life in general.
Over all a great read