I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

So I Lied by Chelsea Ichaso is a first person multi-POV thriller about three friends on vacation in Wales before one of them gets married. Rowan, Joss, and Cady have been best friends since high school and been through a lot together, including the death of Joss’s brother who was also Rowan’s former boyfriend and father of Rowan’s daughter. When they reach the inn run by Joss’ aunt, they meet Magnus and Valentina and their fun vacation now risks exposing their secrets.

Of the POV characters, I think Rowan was my favorite. She is still struggling with losing the love of her life and raising her daughter on her own, but also tries her hardest not to be bitter. Her main flaw is that she steals small things that she thinks won’t be missed, including a jacket and a stuffed toy, though she does try to fight the urges when they come up. Another thing I liked about her was how she does try to be understanding because she knows she isn’t perfect.

Joss, Rowan, and Cady are all messy. Their friendship is riddled with secrets that are self-destructive and would destroy another member of the group. All three of them have done something that is unforgivable and all three of them know it. I love messy women, I love messy women narratives, and I love it when they have to face the consequences of their actions, but we can see their logic when they made a decision in the moment or we’ve spent so much time with them that now we feel empathy.

Magnus and Valentina are a big part of the suspense elements as a girl who went missing in London, Lisa. Joss, Rowan, and Cady are convinced Magnus had something to do with Lisa’s disappearance but Joss is also attracted to him despite her impending marriage. I can’t go into more detail without going into spoilers, but I really liked how Valentina’s role evolved throughout the narrative and where she ended up.

I would recommend this to fans of thrillers starring messy women, readers looking for a book about the destruction of a friendship, and those searching for a thriller that slowly unspools all of its secrets.

Three best friends are headed to Wales for a peaceful bachelorette trip at a beautiful BnB in the countryside...what could possibly go wrong right? Try EVERYTHING!

Rowan, Jocelyn, and Cadence head to Wales to stay at Jocelyn's Aunt Helen's BnB. Her marriage to her fiancé Landon is coming up and she just wants some girl time with her two best friends. Told in 3 points of view, we quickly come to realize that all 3 women are carrying some deep, dark, heavy secrets. They end up meeting two other guests, Magnus and Valentina, and through their interactions with these two guests, secrets start to be exposed causing riffs between the three friends. How far will they go to keep up their lies and keep their secrets hidden???

I enjoyed this book overall. The mystery of it is really what kept me reading although some parts lagged and were slow. I always hate when people keep secrets from their friends in books, though, and the secrets these women were keeping from each other were truly disturbing. Like....how can you keep that kind of stuff from your best friends???! I love a good twist at the end of a thriller, but this one felt like the twists were overdone because there were so many. On the other side of that coin though is that every time I thought I knew what was going on, I was wrong.

The only critique I would give this book is just a little bit more character development. All 3 of the women almost read the same to me. There weren't really distinct characteristics to each of them to where I knew at all times who's chapter I was in.

With that being said, I enjoyed this book and would reccommend it.

Thank you for the E-Arc NetGalley!

Chelsea Ichaso has become an auto read author for me. So when she posted that this was available on NetGalley, I ran and downloaded it! I was not disappointed! This was different than most of her books in that this was about adults. I loved it! Every time I thought I knew the answer I was wrong or something else was thrown in! I liked the complexity of the 3 woman friendships. I think it was pretty accurate in that everyone has secrets, but if they were to be talked about things could be a lot better! I highly recommend this book, especially if you are looking for a quick thriller! 4/5 for me!

This book was addicting. I was hooked off the bat. The switching POVs and fast pacing made me want to keep reading. This toxic friend group was so intriguing to read about. The setting of Wales felt perfect for the story. I would 100% pick up another book from this author! Read this!

This had a good premise but I thought the book itself was boring. It centers on 3 friends named Jocelyn, Cadence, and Rowan, who take a weekend trip for Jocelyn’s bachelorette party. They are immediately faced with some threatening characters and also long buried secrets come to light.

The chapters alternate between these 3 main characters but I had to keep checking back to remember whose chapter it was because the voices were not distinct. I couldn’t relate to any of them and when it’s introduced that one of them dies I didn’t care which one it was. The ending was interesting and there were some twists but I just couldn’t get invested because I just didn’t “get” any of the characters.

Overall, this was not for me but hoping others who like the psychological thriller genre enjoy it. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So I Lied by Chelsea Ichaso is an engaging and suspenseful read that hooked me. The story is full of twists and turns, and the well-developed characters make it easy to get invested in their journey. Chelsea Ichaso does a great job of building tension and keeping the reader guessing until the end. While a few parts felt a bit predictable, the plot was still compelling and entertaining. If you enjoy thrillers with strong characters and unexpected twists, this book is worth a read.

I have been reading this author's YA books for so long and was looking forward to Chelsea's adult thriller. I loved the premise of this and the remote location + girls' trip. This novel didn't disappoint and I look forward to what Chelsea does in the adult space next!

2.5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book seemed right up my alley. Three friends with secrets go on a bachelorette trip in a remote location where a killer may be on the loose. Ultimately this wasn't very good. The chapters were told in alternating perspectives from the three women and it was hard to tell them apart. They also kept alluding to their big secrets to be unveiled. And then there was a timeline shift where we found out that one was dead and, to keep it a surprise, they were just referred to as "friend." I've seen this dome well in other books but it didn't work here.

This book will make you rethink friendship – life long friendships – were they true? Did the other have something to gain? Wait? What? The more I read, the more nosy I was with each character. The twists, turns had me guessing each ones friendship. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC #SoILied #ChelseaIchaso #NetGalley

Chelsea Ichaso never lets me down!

When three friends go on a girls only bachelorette trip to Europe, they get a bit more than they bargained for. Friends since high school, secrets, lies and deception follow them as does a strange couple, Magnus and Valentina. They pop up everywhere, no matter how many times the girls try to dodge them. The couple seems to know quite a lot about Jocelyn, Rowan and Cady and try to pit them against each other. But why? When Valentina goes missing, the girls know they’re no longer safe. Can they figure out why they’re being targeted and how to outrun him and their lies before one of them ends up dead?

This was fast paced and intriguing! The author has a way of writing that keeps you engaged and wanting to read until the very end. I read this in one sitting and I absolutely did not regret it. The storytelling was immaculate. Well thought out and told in a way that had revelation after revelation coming and egging you on to the finish line. The ending definitely had be boggled. This one is a must read thriller!

I love a mutli-POV thriller because it lets you into the minds of multiple characters as the plot unfolds. So I Lied did not disappoint in that sense because there were just so many secrets that this trio of "best friends" had kept from each other over the years.

The NOW sections take you through a current timeline investigation of a murder, and it's not until about 2/3 of the way through that you know who was killed. The POV chapters start a few days earlier and develop a few different layers of the friendships and give some insight into the flaws of each character, including some absolutely tragic decisions that altered the futures of each of them.

The end of the book took a bit away from me as it was a bit too convoluted, but all in all it was a solid 3 star read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advanced copy!

In this gripping tale of friendship and secrets, Jocelyn, Rowan, and Cadence head to North Wales for a bachelorette trip that’s supposed to be all about fun. But as the trip unfolds, the cracks in their friendship begin to show. Jocelyn is eager to escape her own problems, Rowan is burdened by her tragic past, and Cadence harbors secrets that threaten to unravel everything. As tensions rise, their unspoken truths become the only things that can save them—or destroy them. A suspenseful and emotional read that explores the complexities of female friendship.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this arc by Chelsea Ichaso. This book will be published 25 January 2025.

Three friends from highschool get together for a bachelorette trip to North Wales. Rowan, Cady and Jocelyn used to be best friends but cracks are starting to show in their friendship and everyone is hiding something.

Let me tell you this book took me for a spin. It had me guessing right from the start with the dual timelines. Every time I thought I cracked it, something happened and I had to think again.

This was a good read and I recommend it :)

I rated it 3/5 stars.

This book engaged me from the start. Joss, Rowan and Cody are three friends off for an adventure, at least on the surface. Beneath the surface they are all three keeping secrets from the others, very dark secrets for one of them. The pace is fast and the dialog is very engaging. The characters have plenty of depth and you become very immersed in their life. Plenty of plot twists to the very end of the book. Perfect for fans of darker suspense.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫- This book follows 3 friends (Jocelyn, Rowan, and Cadence) as they are on Jocelyn’s bachelorette trip in North Wales. Each of them have secrets they are hiding from the others and as the plot progresses they panic as they discover they have a stalker who’s slowly spilling the secrets each of them have covered up. Rotating between each of the girls as narrator and a fourth unnamed narrator for “Now,” this book shows the unraveling of friendships and how far they would go to hide from the truth. Ichaso has a knack for twisting plot lines that keep you invested and not knowing who to trust. The characters are developed and the plot keeps you hooked. It starts off a little on the slower side but once it gets going it flies by. Thank you so much to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Chelsea Ichaso for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Talk about a bachelorette trip for the book? I am glad I am not part of this friend group! Very thrilling! Lies, Secrets, Secrets, and more Secrets!

What just happened?!? So I Lied by Jen Alvarez is definitely labeled a psychological suspense thriller. I feel like I was dropped down the rabbit hole and just managed to find my way out accidentally. Beware there is no way to fully review this novel with giving some spoiler to the twists and turns this book just provided me. Cadence, Joslyn, and Rowan are coming together for one last hoorah as bachlorettes and best friends, but what meets the eye with these three is far from what anyone would expect for "best friends". Alvarez drops you in the middle of this tangled web of lies and deceit disguised as comrade and loving support. Readers will embark on this journey while Alvarez masterfully unveils snapshots at the darkness and complication that surrounds the history of the three main characters. A foreign country, hidden secrets, and a few strangers later and you have web of deception and manipulation that readers will be just as desperate for answers as the characters of the story. I palpably felt every mysterious presence and unanswered manipulation as if I was living this journey, and the unraveling was as impossible as improbable. Alvarez masterfully and beautifully created this maze of unknowns so carefully that it was not even an ending that could have been anticipated or predicted. In the end, I find myself questioning everything including just what do you do when you feel even the victims are as broken and dark as the villains of the story.

This is a crazy, wild ride about three girlfriends who go to Wales when wealthy bachelorette, Jocelyn--engaged to Landon--convinces them she needs a weekend with her friends before her wedding. They plan to stay with her Aunt Helen in a cozy cabin away from everything where they can relax, hike, and just have a good time. But there are two other guests there, Magnus and Valentina who quickly come under the girls' scrutiny as seem to appear everywhere the girls go even when the girls aren't even sure where they themselves are going! Long-standing secrets, lies, and conspiracies all play a part in this novel that will have you gasping even on the last page!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This story revolves around three friends, one of which is now dead. The thing is you don’t know who is dead at the beginning. You wonder throughout the book and ponder about what happened. You get really invested in the story that you finish the book in three days (a real page turner that one). I loved that about the book, but it lost a star because of the relationships between the three girls. I could not believe that with all their secrets, they could actually be “best” friends. We get each one’s POV and they all have things to say about one another. I did not really get how they stayed friends after all these years. Overall, it was a fast paced book with all the things you need for a fun quick read.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me an ebook copy of this book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5! So many unexpected twists in this book keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. You’ll think you have the twist figured out then another amazing twist comes along! This book is in the POV of 3 characters who all have their own crazy stories! This book is definitely worth the read!