This book packs a punch. Schemes, secrets, drama- page turning goodness. Lovers of politics, women's issues, social media hijinks will adore Truth and Other Lies. Well written and evenly paced, a solid and entertaining read.

Thanks NetGalley for my copy of this amazing book. I thoroughly enjoyed the read. How some people live their lives manipulating and taking advantage of others to make them selves great, how others suppress their lives with secrets forced on them through society and how truth liberates some and surpasses others. I highly recommend this book

I wasn’t sure what to expect from my very first ARC, but it seems I chose wisely because I found Truth and Other Lies to be an intriguing story with a whole lot of relevance to current events and politics.

I tend to gravitate very far away from politics when I can, but I couldn’t help but be engaged by Smith’s writing and the drama she created between the main characters, with deceit and lies and blackmail poured onto every page.

I found the story to be very believable and the characters likable (well, most of them anyway…I’m looking at you Jocelyn Jones 😒) and the issues brought up pertaining to Planned Parenthood, the #MeToo movement, white supremacy and more really hit home.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in journalism, politics, women’s rights, and some good old fashioned Twitter fights.

This is a very strong debut. Megan Barnes is forced to return home to Chicago after she loses her job as a reporter in New York. Back home, she's living again with her mother, who on the opposite side of the political spectrum and running for Congress, and eager to find a new job. When Megan meets prominent journalist Jocelyn Jones, she hopes that Jocelyn can help find her a new role in journalism. Jocelyn instead offers Megan a surprising opportunity -- work with Jocelyn team to help promote her upcoming memoir. Megan agrees and is quickly fully integrated into Jocelyn's life. When an anonymous tweet accuses Jocelyn of misconduct, Megan is shocked, and directed by Jocelyn to find and expose the anonymous tweeter. As Megan pursues her investigation, she finds that secrets are all around her -- and wonders what it will mean for her and those closest to her to expose those secrets.

This was a terrific read, thought provoking and exciting. Highly recommended!

"Three women's careers hang in the balance: a famous journalist, a fledging politician, and the young reporter with ties to each who must navigate the tricky terrain between secrets and lies."

Loyalty, love and passion are featured in this story of Megan's finding of herself and what's important to her. Coming off a broken relationship and a lost job she returns home to put the pieces together and start anew. She is faced with difficult relationships and needs to determine what's most important for her. Done with suspense and just the right amount of detail!

The story line is so well written i loved it
And even though it’s about her mother running a campaign , the book is continually full of political opinions . If I wanted to read about politics I’d scroll fb.
The plot. Fantastic
The consistent politics. Turned me off

Megan Barnes has just lost both her job as a reporter and her boyfriend in the same day, Her life in shambles, she makes the decision to head back home to Chicago determined to reinvent herself and her life. Its not long before she remembers the frustration of living with her over-protective mother, especially when her mother announces a run for Congress; With so m any hot topics becoming a focus its not long long before Megan and her mother are sparring constantly from the major differences in their opinions. After receiving a job offer from a woman she idolizes everything is at stake once again.

Sharp, Witty, and completely raw, Truth and other Lies shines a spotlight on what its like to be a woman, a mother, and a journalist by weaving together the lies, secrets, and ambition with different motivations painting a brilliantly crafted picture of how our choices mold not just our lives but the lives of everyone we're close to, making this story readers won't be able to put it down.

Thank you to netgalley and publisher for providing me with an advance e-copy, providing me with the opportunity to honestly recommend this book to every one looking for a relevant and compelling story

This book is about Megan, whose life comes crashing down around when she lose her job and her boyfriend...she goes back to Chicago to her Mothers house but with their two very different personalities, they begin to immediately clash. Soon, Megan is wrapped up in politics with a #Metoo campaigning domino but does she have secrets in her past that could destroy her whole reputation??

Between her Mothers conservative beliefs reigning her in and new boss pushing her to her into the cut throat world of politics, which way will Megan turn???

A good read for anyone who likes political issues and women's issues.......

https://mams.ie/forums/topic/the-truth-and-other-lies-by-maggie-smith/

Megan Barnes had a rough day – she was fired from her job as a journalist the same day her boyfriend dumped her. She moved back home to Chicago and her overbearing mother. Frustrated with life, she puts a woman-hating troll in his place and simultaneously lands herself an audience with one of her heroes - Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Jocelyn Jones. Jocelyn offers her a temporary PR position, with the promise of pulling strings to get her a job in journalism after her autobiography is launched.

As the PR campaign heats up, an anonymous hater begins publicly accusing Jocelyn of plagiarizing her most famous work. Megan and her new love interest undertake the daunting task of uncovering the truth and other lies about Jocelyn, her mother and herself.

I truly enjoyed this fast-paced thriller. This book provided an interesting perspective and made me wonder how many of those I admire have sacrificed their integrity to get ahead in careers and in life. This book was very well written and had excellent character development. It kept me guessing until the last page.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I will post my review to my book blog and other sites closer to the publication date.

This is an excellent debut novel from Maggie Smith! Truth and Other Lies delves into difficult topics but does so with language that really enchants the reader.

This was a great ride! I held my breath as I learned more about Megan, Helen, Jocelyn, and everything going on. The progression felt realistic, I never knew what or who would be revealed next, and I found myself guessing what happened to try to solve this along with the characters. There's no clean-cut happy ending (as there isn't in our everyday life,) which makes this so much easier to relate to. Unanswered questions can be interpreted many ways, and we can all speculate about the outcomes of the decisions the characters make. We all make mistakes and say things we shouldn't, but this fantastic whirlwind reinforces the idea that making amends and trying to be the best we can be will never go out of style.
Thanks for having a book club discussion guide at the end, I could see this easily being utilized by readers.
And thank you Ten16 Press, NetGalley, and Maggie Smith for the ARC.

This book was a great read -- quick-paced, witty, and with a powerful story line and lots of surprises. Megan Barnes is a journalist struggling at a career crossroads, and her affection and devotion to a seasoned reporter she happens to meet sends this book on his roller-coaster journey. I love how Smith created such strong characters who make tough decisions and must live with the consequences of their actions. And I also oved how she held her characters accountable for their decisions, and how the climax led to new revelations -- for both Megan and the reader. A well-told story that feels very relevant for our time.

Maggie Smith gives the reader a timely page-turner in this engrossing debut. I love a book that deals with secrets and lies and Smith hits us with that on every page. Politics, dirty journalism along with the itchiness between mothers and daughters makes this a novel you don’t want to miss.

I really really enjoyed this one. Was definitely captivated throughout by the whole world of PR wrangling and the fast-paced world of the media.

After losing her journalism job and a devastating break up with her boyfriend in New York, Megan heads back home to Chicago to start over. Moving back in with her mother who she seems to have a love hate relationship with and having to start over and find a new job soon feels like it’s all going to be too much. Unfortunately for Megan, with her mother running as a candidate in an upcoming election, none of the newspapers will hire her for fear of being seen as biased towards the campaign.

Megan’s luck changes however when she is given a chance by Pulitzer Prize winning author Jocelyn Jones to work on her PR campaign for an upcoming autobiography she has coming out Although not a role she is entirely familiar with, Megan throws herself at the chance for a leg-up in the industry of which Jocelyn is Queen. Throw in a sexy new love interest and things are certainly starting to look up.

Unfortunately the euphoria is looking like it will be short lived when Jocelyn becomes the target of a cyber-bully. Hiding behind the screen as they are target her with mysterious yet obviously threatening tweets. Determined to find out if there is any truth behind this smear campaign, and desperate to protect the woman she idolises and looks to as a mentor, Megan leans on her journalistic skills to find out the truth. But what happens if the truth isn’t what she wants to hear, and what if finding the truth also puts her on a path where dangerous secrets can be exposed?

I found this really well written and really punchy, and other than a few personal annoyances, such as my own career choice apparently being enough to throw Megan off guard as it wasn’t prestigious enough. How dare she be described as an assistant of Jocelyn’s on a name badge (personally I’m quite proud of being an Executive Assistant thank you very much). Plus Megan’s attitude towards her mother and the flippant comments that seemed to suggest the fact that because she had chosen to stay home to raise her daughter it somehow meant her mother had no ambition and no drive and she was certainly in no way going to follow on in those footsteps…..hmmm…..

Hey, we can’t love every fictional character, and even though these thoughts/comments made me want to reach into the book and slap Megan stupid, it wasn’t enough to make me dislike the book, if anything it shows how strong I found the storyline.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Ten16 Press for the opportunity to read Truth and Other Lies.

Maggie Smith’s debut novel concerns three women trying to find their way in the world. They’re of different ages with different backgrounds and different secrecy’s that may hold them back. Their stories are artfully woven together and challenge the reader to decide what’s allowable when you want to have a career. Lots of discussion possibilities for book clubs.

“I believe girls with dreams become women with vison. But the path is not easy. There are roadblocks along the way…” For three strong-willed women – Jocelyn Jones, the epitome of journalism; Helen Watkins, a leader in the pro-life movement running for Congress; and Megan Barnes, a young journalist searching for truth – their dreams intertwine which could cause serious detours for the others.

Truth and Other Lies pulls you in right from the title, alerting the reader from the cover that the truth isn’t always what it seems, foreshadowing the lies to come. Maggie Smith perfectly balances Yin & Yang, showing how completely different, opposing forces can find ways to coexist in the most unlikely of circumstances.

Megan moves back home to Chicago after losing her boyfriend and her job, only to be confronted by her overprotective, helicopter mother that she is running for Congress on platforms that Megan does not agree with. Unfortunately, Helen running for office dampers Megan’s immediate plans of getting a new job in journalism until the election is over, so it seems like kismet when a Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist takes an interest in her. Megan is loyal and headstrong, landing her on Jocelyn’s public relations team at Arrow to promote her new memoir. But when a troll @freethetruth tweets that Jocelyn may not always tell the truth – Megan needs to determine where her loyalties actually lie.

This was a great novel; it effortlessly weaved the cutthroat world of journalism and PR nightmares with politics, ambition, reputation and integrity. Smith also tackles some controversial issues with ease, demonstrating that everyone is entitled to their own opinions which can be shaped by numerous factors that aren’t always apparent to our family and friends.

I have to say, at times these three women were not always the most likeable of characters. It is interesting, however, how this book makes you think about how an action or inaction from years ago can cause a series of consequences years into the future.

Lastly, this story reminded me of a study I once saw on the news awhile back saying that overprotective, nagging mothers raise more successful daughters. (I remember immediately pausing my TV and taking a picture to send to my mom!) I wonder why this is more of a mother-daughter thing primarily though!?

I would definitely recommend this book – with my law partner currently holding the title of Vice Mayor of our village and running again for the city council (throwing me into local politics) and having a mom that pushed me to become the best version of myself (driving me crazy at times growing up) – it was an entertaining read. However, I still would recommend it even if you have no interest in politics or journalism!

I thank NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review!

Thrilled to be able to have read this ARC from Ten16 press before the March 2022 release. This is my honest feedback.

I enjoyed this book very much and thought it kept up good pacing throughout, with just enough questions to keep me turning pages. I didn't always feel invested in the MC, but just when I was finding myself wondering if she was worth the continued read, I'd get a connection point and it kept me invested. That's a sign of masterful writing, in my opinion, because writing unlikeable characters is always a risk. Maggie Smith is a great storyteller and weaves an interesting tale with twists you don't expect and makes for an entertaining read. I wanted to know the mother a little more intimately, but I understand the craft of keeping her at somewhat of a distance. Overall this was an excellent book and I would recommend it.

A perfect summer read! Maggie Smith has written a great story you'll want to pick up to take on your next travels, a mystery where almost every character holds a secret of some sort. While personally, I wish there would have been a big twist or more adventure at the end, I really appreciated the dynamics between mother and daughter in the story and found it satisfying. This story works under an overarching theme of thinking you know all to a story when you're younger and as you age, you realize there's so much you don't know. As a now middle-aged woman, I saw a lot of myself in both the role of the mother and the daughter throughout different periods of my life. How quick we are to jump to conclusions and miss the details, thinking we know the answers. How we hide the truth to protect the people we love. How time and age change us and shift our perspective and values. It's a great read!

I am fortunate to have read an advance copy of this engaging and well written novel. Thank you Ten16 Press!

Hurray to Maggie Smith for writing about many of society’s current conflicts from the perspective of women - some good, some not so good, but all very strong.

The many dilemmas the protagonists face revolve around the multi-faceted ethics surrounding issues of truth, lies and secrets. Smith has woven this into a story line that quickly becomes a “I-can’t-put-this-down”novel. Truth and Other Lies is a modern day “Truth or Dare”. I loved it!

Following a failed relationship and being fired from her first job, Megan Barnes is back in Chicago living at her mother’s house. The last thing she wants to be is a “Boomerang” like others of her generation. Her relationship with her overly protective mother is fraught with conflict, Megan wants to be on her own and for that, she needs a job. Returning home she learns that her mother has another surprise, she is running for US Congress. The problem is that she and her mother are politically polar opposites.

Megan is a journalist but she quickly learns that, through no fault of her own, no local paper will hire her while her mother is a candidate due to the perception of conflict of interest or bias. Jocelyn Jones is one of Megan's idols, a highly successful, charismatic journalist with politics similar to her own. When Jones offers her a temporary job as a PR person for her memoir, she agrees.They quickly become friends.

Things begin to unravel when @freethetruth starts trolling Jones on the internet making accusations that she had plagiarized another journalist's work. Megan cannot believe that could possibly be true. Her goal indeed, her job, is to expose the troll and prove Jones’ innocence. Still, the more she learns, the more Megan wonders if there isn’t more to Jocelyn’s success than she initially believed. As Megan nears the truth blackmail becomes the name of the game. Could salvaging Jones’ reputation cost her mother hers? Although predictable in parts there are plenty of surprises along the way. I really enjoyed this book. In fact, I could not put it down. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Publication Date: March 8, 2022. Thank you to #NetGalley and #Ten16Press for this #ARC in exchange for a fair review.