2.5 Stars rounded up to three.
I've been a Tarryn fan for many years but An Honest Lie may be my least favorite of all her books. The story has dual timelines and when it comes time for the two timelines to merge it wasn't done well in my opinion and the storyline felt rather unbelievable. The cult timeline was the more interesting part of the story. I will say the last part of the story has more action and I liked that part best. I thought it was pretty easy to figure out who was who and found the ending predictable. If you are looking to pick up a Tarryn Fisher book for the first time I would recommend with checking out one of her other books.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2 stars

You can always count on Tarryn Fisher for an interesting story. I don't always *love* the stories but I don't think that's the point with her books. With this one, I was drawn into the characters and was trying to figure out where things were headed through the whole book. The story itself got a little far-fetched and it almost felt like started out as one story and ended with something totally different. It was this shift in storyline that really ruined this one for me.

Requested after publishing date so review was done after as well.

Whew, what can I say! I love me some Tarryn Fisher. She’s one of those mindception authors. I know when I pick up one of her titles that I am going to be in for a journey into a dark and deeply flawed person that also has such humanizing characteristics, that you can’t help but come away thinking about them for months to come. Her storylines are always twisty and bending and you never know where the journey is going to end up.

As always you don’t want to give too much of the plot away with her novels because they are best gone Into blind. Rainy has completely left her old life behind when she moves in with her boyfriend Grant. Trying to get to know his lifelong friends just doesn’t seem to be working out but she agrees to go on a girls trip to Vegas with them, against her better judgement. Part of the reason of not wanting to go there is because that is where her past lives. As we get to see her past thru her eyes and understand what exactly she’s running from we also have to deal with Braithe, a friend she went with, going missing. Rainy knows this is related to her and sets out to set her past right and rescue Braithe. The shocking things that follow will leave you turning back pages to read things you think surely you missed.

With some clapping hands I highly recommend this one, and all her previous novels.

High society housewives ✔️
Cults ✔️
Double lives ✔️

This book was a wild ride. Told in alternating timelines, we learn the backstory of Summer and the current story of Rainy. How they intertwine is told over time.

There were many aspects that kept me on my toes throughout, but at times it did seem to drag on a little bit, but by the end I realized how much all of the details mattered.

I like the housewife and cult plot lines. Two things I did not imagine I would read about in the same book. This was my first TF book so I’m looking forward to discovering some others.

An Honest Lie by Tarryn Fisher was… it was ok. Was it the best thing I’ve ever read? No. It wasn’t the worst either soooo…

So Summer and her mom move to the outskirts of Las Vegas after her dad dies. They are left high and dry and Summer’s mom does not want to go live with her parents so she does the next best thing in that situation-she joins a cult.

In the good ol modern day Rainy (who is Summer but all the modern day folk don’t know that) lives in Washington on a mountain filled with divas and mean girls and does not fit in, her boyfriend pushes the issue to be friends with these people who are his circle of people and she’s like “I really don’t want too but ok..” thus comes a girls trip to-you guessed it-Las Vegas, where Rainy/Summer’s past comes back to her and she’s ready for it.

Some parts were predictable. Some parts were not. It’s not a “bad book” and I finished it so it held my attention and it does get points for that.

*I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion*

I couldn't get into this book. I didn't care about the characters, and the writing was so slow moving. Normally I am a fan of Fisher's work but this one fell flat for me. It was a DNF.

Reading Between the Wines book review #35/135 for 2022:
Rating: 4.5 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 📱 🎧: An Honest Lie
Author: Tarryn Fisher
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: If you like flashbacks then this is the book for you. This book is told in a present/now and then narration. The blurb on this book does not do it justice. I really loved the premise of this book although it had me so mad and screaming at the characters. I felt like I was there in the throws with “Rainy” and wanted her to win so badly. Her frenemies in this book made me remember why my circle of friends are so small. Grab this book to add to your summer reads. It will read right nice on a beach or lake somewhere.

Cheers and thank you to @HarlequinTradePublishing, @GraydonHouse and @NetGalley for an advanced copy of @AnHonestLie.

#AnHonestLie #TarrynFisher #HarlequinTradePublishing #GraydonHouse #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

An intriguing thriller that alternates between timelines involving Rainy, the main character, and what in her past led her to the situation she was in today. There were several other characters who had their own motives as well that makes it for an interesting thriller. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC.

What I liked: I really enjoyed the past timeline about the cult and the strong female lead of this story. What I didn’t: I found it tough to keep up with all the secondary characters and I wanted a little more from the ending.

This author writes with building strong intrigue with well-developed characters and meticulous detail. An Honest Lie was no different. Told from the view of Rainy, readers unpack a story that started in Vegas and has impacted a friend group to the core. By the title alone, I went in questioning each statement by each character and analyzing their actions. Some friends I could see gelling and others I didn’t buy. The non-linear plot line gave the book suspense and maybe some frustration to the reader when I got to the point of just wanting to know. Overall a good read for those who love mystery.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this. I absolutely loved it. I was sucked in from the beginning and couldn’t guess the ending. Will be recommending to everyone!

An Honest Lie is the first book I have read by Tarryn Fisher and I can’t wait to read more by her. An Honest Lie follows a reserved artist who escaped from a cult years earlier. Wanting to keep her past a secret she doesn’t let others into her life easily. While on vacation with a group of acquaintances , history unravels and things go awry. This is a story of perseverance, and overcoming obstacles and trauma. I love the writing style, going back and forth between present day and the past kept the story engaging. This book will keep you captivated, rooting for Rainy’s success and will leave you wanting more!

I loved this book! It was very well written and kept my attention from the beginning. My heart was beating so fast when I was reading the last few chapters! The suspense and twists were perfect! I would definitely recommend!

Intriguing pageturner but a messy plot

An Honest Lie, a cult thriller by Tarryn Fisher lured me in with an interesting theme. The story follows Rainy, an introverted artist pressured into going on a Las Vegas girls trip. Unfortunately, Rainy struggles to get close to people due to her past trauma escaping a cult. This cult being within spitting distance of Las Vegas causes her to have flashbacks while on the trip, and some of her worst fears are realized. Something about this concept is attractive, but I felt like the delivery fell short. A majority of the story is her talking about the strained relationship between her and the women of the posh Tiger Mountain Club. Then, there are flashbacks to her time in the cult. No real action happens until the last 25% of the book and there's minimal buildup to the climax. There are actions Rainy takes that don't make sense with her personality and trauma. For instance, she makes such a huge fuss about anything reminding her of the cult verging on panic attacks, but she takes a pit stop in the town the cult is in? The plot holes were the only thing I disliked about this story. The author does a great job of giving personality to each character. Rainy is likeable and relatable. I liked that she is a strong woman in an environment of misogyny. Her descriptions of how she felt in certain situations made this a page turner for me. I empathized with her and was really invested in how everything would play out. I would recommend this to readers interested in cult themed thrillers and favor character development over plot.

3.5/5 Stars

I did not know this was a cult book when I picked it up.

This book had a solid start. Annoying, nosy neighbors invite the main character on a trip she does not want to go on seemed appealing. However, this book was just a bit confusing. It was almost as if there were two different novels written and then the author decided to tie them together. I like this author. I have read her previous thrillers. I like the way the author creates characters and the setting. I love the dialogue and the male characters in a female driven thriller. However, the endings are just not logical and I wonder how this seemingly smart protagonist decided the ending was the only possible solution to the problem. I just did not believe the ending.

Thank you to Harper audio and htp books for my copies! I get so excited for Taryn fishers books they always seem amazing, but they keep falling short for me. I wasn’t a huge fan of this one I found it slow and a little difficult to follow on audio because it didn’t keep my attention. I thought the audio was pretty good narrator wise, and the beginning of the book did get my interest, but the last half I just couldn’t focus on the story anymore. I never want to tell anyone not to read something because we all have different taste, so if you do read I hope you enjoy!

I enjoy Tarryn Fisher’s fast paced thrillers and An Honest Lie, was another great read for me by her.

I am so fascinated by cults and what could possibly lead them there; however, in this book the reason this mother and daughter showed up was unlike many others. I wasn’t sure what type of cult it was, because it was very similar sounding to many polygamists compounds.
Summer as a child growing up thought her mom was a fool for disrespecting the leader and the man who saved them. However, she soon realizes that may have been a mistake.

Told in two different timelines from Summer’s childhood to now as a renewed version of herself taking a girls trips with her boyfriends friends wives.

Thank you for the gifted copy

An Honest Lie

⭐️⭐️
Rainy, previously Summer, has a new life with her boyfriend and a town with a group of women she’s trying to blend with. As her friends try to push her to go on a trip to Vegas, Rainy is extremely reluctant, due to her past. Rainy escaped a cult years ago and going anywhere near there had strong repercussions. She reluctantly goes, and when her friend Braithe is kidnapped, it’s up to her to face her past & right all the wrongs to save her friend.

I like the idea of the cult escape & making it out and becoming this whole new person; but sadly for me I just felt like it was very loosely tied together and lacked real “gusto”. I wasn’t dying to turn the page like I had with her previous novel “The Wives” (which I highly recommend). The lure of the premise failed to deliver for me and I somewhat forced myself to finish.

But every book is worth your own opinion so check it out!

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me the chance to read this first & review!

(Reviewed on IG : nic_reads_at_night)

An Honest Lie is a psychological thriller that is a very plodding book.
Told in the present and the past by two different characters that don't quite mesh.

An artist with a tormented past goes to Las Vegas with some "friends" (aka mean girls). An innocent person becomes caught in the sins of the artist's path.

A cult figures in and a lot of nasty characters float around.

It isn't a book I cherished.

My first 5 star read of 2022! I loved this book and I loved the MC Rainy! Definitely so much more than the synopsis!