A goal this year is to keep up with my NetGalley reads and to catch up on prior ones. So here we go with one from 2024.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this eARC.

I love a dual timeline, and this gave us that, along with multiple narrators, which also added to the story.

Blakely, Thera, Grace and Meg attended Camp Pendleton, a summer camp for gift kiddos. They started as younger children and became friends, and it was a strong bond by senior year, their last.

They came into senior year camp expecting the best year of their life, but that's not what they got. They got involved in something that would up with a man dead and his family blasted apart. They vowed never to speak of it. That was 26 years ago. And they haven't spoken to each other since. Until now - when they get a note from the man's widow that sends them all scurrying to Blakeley's house to meet and plan.

What happens from here was twisty and wild. And the ending - some apparently hated it, but I found it fitting.

Another amazing read by the Queen. I will literally read anything by Berry. The twists! The turns! Everything keeps you engaged! Quite the page turner.

If You Tell A Lie by Lucinda Berry was an easy to follow story that still provided shocking twists! I am always impressed by Berry and how they use different POVs to further tell the story. At first it may be confusing, but it all makes sense as it encourages you to focus on the finer details. While this may not be their best work, I was still super engaged, and her ability to control the pacing of her storylines without making it feel dragged out is commendable. I couldn't put the book down!!

This was my second Lucinda Berry book and it may be my last. I just don’t think she is the writer for me. I felt like it had great promise but fell short at the end. It also felt a little bit like a grown up version of Pretty Little Liars. Again, I just don’t think she is the author for me.

I loved this book it was such a great read. Things the first from this author and I’ll be reading more in future.

If You Tell a Lie by Lucinda Berry is a gripping psychological thriller that delves deep into the dark corners of secrets, manipulation, and the consequences of lies. From start to finish, this book kept me on the edge of my seat with its unpredictable twists and complex characters, making it an engaging and thought-provoking read.

The story centers around a tragic event that takes place in a small town, where the lives of several people are altered forever by a lie. The central character, Melanie, finds herself caught up in a web of deceit that threatens not only her own well-being but the safety of those around her. As the story unfolds, we learn about the hidden motivations, secrets, and tangled relationships that form the foundation of the lie at the heart of the narrative.

Lucinda Berry does an excellent job of building tension throughout the novel. The pacing is fast and sharp, and every chapter seems to bring new revelations, making it nearly impossible to put down. The plot is cleverly constructed, with multiple twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end. I found myself constantly questioning what was real, what was a manipulation, and how far people would go to protect themselves and their secrets. The author masterfully plays with the idea of unreliable narrators, which adds an extra layer of intrigue to the story.

One of the strengths of If You Tell a Lie is the way it explores the psychological toll of keeping secrets and telling lies. The characters are all deeply flawed, but they are well-rounded and believable. I particularly appreciated how the author handled Melanie's emotional journey, as she tries to reconcile the truth with her desire to protect herself and her loved ones. The book doesn’t shy away from showing the damage caused by lies, and it’s both unsettling and compelling to see how the characters navigate their guilt, shame, and fear.

The writing is sharp and evocative, and while the story deals with dark themes, it’s never gratuitous. There’s a real sense of emotional depth to the characters’ struggles, and while some of the events in the plot are extreme, they feel grounded in the real-world consequences of dishonesty and betrayal.

My only minor issue with the book is that some of the twists, while shocking, felt slightly over-the-top. At times, it bordered on melodramatic, which could pull me out of the otherwise tense atmosphere. However, the overall impact of the plot outweighed these moments, and I found myself thoroughly entertained.

Overall, If You Tell a Lie is an intense, suspenseful thriller that will appeal to fans of psychological drama and mysteries. Lucinda Berry once again proves her ability to craft a captivating story filled with twists, tension, and complex characters. If you're looking for a fast-paced, thought-provoking book that explores the power of secrets and lies, this one is definitely worth picking up.

**Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer, and the author Lucinda Berry, for the advanced copy of If You Tell A Lie.

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖:
Summer.....sleepaway camp.......teens ....... girlfriends..... remember the good old days?

My first Lucinda Berry book!
This book kept my interest and as I was reading through the twists, I tried to uncover what really happened that summer and who to believe!

Blakely, Thera, Meg, and Grace were best friends who saw each other every summer at camp. Their senior year, they pulled a “prank” that ended with someone dead, someone in jail, and a family ruined.

Now, 26 years later, they meet for a weekend because the one in jail has been released and Blakely summons them to her house to talk about it. Nothing goes as planned that weekend, and dark secrets are exposed.

This book shows how a psychopath/sociopath can seem so normal and have normal emotions when they actually have zero emotions. They can be the most convincing people when really they are conning you with every word they speak. Lucinda really knows how to surprise us.

I liked the book, but it's not Lucinda Berry's best. The ending seems abrupt, even though it isn't. The reading is engaging, and the reader becomes curious to see how the story will unfold.
Thank you NetGalley for making this work available!

I enjoyed the dual timeline of this one, shifting between the present and the past to uncover what happened all those years ago that led to a man’s death and a family being torn apart.

I also liked the way the multiple points of view layered the story, so we got a piece of the story from each of the characters as their stories were shared.

It felt like some of the characters were a little hollow and could have been utilized to create more tension. For example, the main characters didn’t really change much after twenty years, and the character voices didn’t feel particularly unique to each of the girls.

I really enjoy YA thrillers, which this read like, with most of the drama around the choices the girls made while they were at camp, but it felt like something was missing, and I was waiting for the big twist.

Overall an easy read, and the pace picked up toward the end. If You Tell A Lie is about peer pressure and the potentially lasting consequences of a big mistake. 3.5 stars.

Thank you NG & Thomas & Mercer for an eARC of If You Tell A Lie by Lucinda Berry. LB is one of my autobuy, favorite authors, so this is a tough review for me to write and it is ONLY because of the ending.

Friends are sworn to secrecy over events that happened years ago, at summer camp. Twenty years later, they get back together. What’s the worst that can happen?

I really enjoyed the dual timelines with this one, and was thinking it was going to be a hit until the book abruptly sort of ends. There are so many loose ends that I felt myself unhappy with becoming invested for everything to seemingly just fall apart. Maybe that was on purpose, but I really wanted more from this book. Regardless, LB is still an autobuy and can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

3.5 stars!
A wild ride and the plot twist kept me on edge! A fast paced thriller but I was expecting a bit more in terms of more developmental plot, but overall a great read!

One of the best books ever. Such a fun and quick read. Turns and twists at every corner. Every single time Lucinda has me in the edge of my seat.

As an avid Lucinda Berry fan, the way she structures her books and mixes timelines and points of view have always been such a strong selling point for her work and If You Tell a Lie was no different.
The book moves between the past and present and between main and side characters flawlessly in a way that leaves you second guessing each theory you develop, which is something I personally love about Lucinda and her writing and one of the many reasons I always come back to her books.

The story is fast-paced without feeling rushed, and although I feel as though the ending could have packed a stronger punch than it did, that didn't work to lower my rating as I do appreciate the consistent stylistic choices Lucinda makes with her endings as they make for fantastic discussion points with other readers!

Thank you to Lucinda Berry, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I always love Dr. Berry books - and I also did enjoy this one, but it was one of the more predictable reads I have read of hers. I felt like the ending gave me no sense of resolution, just kind of finished abruptly.

Lucinda Lucinda Lucinda!!!!!! You did it again!!!! You are the GOAT! I swear everything you write is gold!

This one became a DNF for me fairly quickly. I'm not sure if it's the pacing of the book or the story, but it just didnt work well for me and keep me captivated enough to continue .

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this read. Lucinda Berry imakes me wonder all the time. How does she come up with these unlikeable characters. If you like books that they, this will be a good read.

Another wild ride brought to us by Lucinda Berry! I ultimately really enjoyed the story and the unexpected way it ended. The beginning really pulled me in, but I felt the pacing slowed down a bit too much in the middle before ramping back up for the latter half. I struggled with keeping all of the points of view clear, particularly given there are multiple POVs as well as jumps between time periods. Once the physical characteristics and personality traits of the characters were more clear to me, though, this became more seamless.
Thank you to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

If You Tell a Lie by Lucinda Berry is an exciting novel with lots of twists and turns. The characters are not that likeable and that makes it a bit hard to get into. That being said, readers of thrillers should enjoy this book very much. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.