This was a good read. I was hesitant about the plot and some of the twists seemed a bit choppy BUT the story line flowed well the characters and the way the twists were done were unique and well done. It was not dragging or lagging it moved at all good pace.
The suspense level was good for the type of plot. The end was wild!

Jen wakes up with no idea who she is or where she is. A woman walks into the room who says she is Rachel, Jen’s sister and that she has been in an accident. With fractured memories and strange things happening, Jen cannot be sure what the truth is but feels something is wrong.

This was an easy ready with an intriguing mystery and some interesting twists and turns. I have enjoyed the amnesia trope in the past, however this seemed quite similar to the ones I have read, therefore did not overly stand out or offer anything new. I enjoyed trying to figure out where it was all going but felt as though parts were quite unbelievable. For me this was not a bad read but not one that will stay in my mind. It’s worth a read though for those looking for a quick easy popcorn thriller. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

“I don’t trust myself. It’s like I’m trying to walk on fragile glass over a ravine, and at any minute I’ll go crashing to the ground.”

What if you woke up from a coma with no memory, haunted by visions of a husband and baby who, according to your sister, never existed?

That’s the unsettling reality Jen faces in Holly Down’s latest psychological thriller, Everyone Is Lying.

The premise is undeniably gripping, delivering a masterclass in gaslighting, paranoia, and the eerie feeling that nothing is as it seems. Amnesia is a well-worn trope in the genre, but when done right, it’s an effective way to trap both the protagonist and the reader in a maze of uncertainty, filled with unexpected twists and turns. For the most part, Down delivers, though the journey to the truth drags in places.

The novel leans heavily on exposition rather than immersive, show-don’t-tell storytelling, which keeps the suspense at a simmer and left me wishing Jen would stop passively tiptoeing around for clues and start demanding answers from those closest to her.

That said, fans of the genre—especially those who devour the popcorn thrillers of Freida McFadden and Lisa Jewell—will appreciate the eventual payoff. The final chapters provide answers, however, they don’t tie everything up neatly. The truth is messy which seems fitting for a story where everyone is lying.

Many thanks to Bookouture for the ARC 📚

My opinion is my own.

EVERYONE IS LYING checked all the boxes for me! I am a big fan of psychological thrillers and this one kept me on the edge of my seat. The author was able to keep me guessing what is going to happen next throughout the entire story! The ending was perfect as well. If psych thrillers are your thing, read this one as soon as possible!

Many thanks to Bookouture for my gifted copy.

This review will be shared to my Instagram account (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the future.

2 sittings an this one was done and dusted. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going on. I really wanted the pace to move faster but I suppose that was the idea to build the suspense. It’s a cleverly written storyline that will have you suspicious of everyone and my mind went into overdrive. I’m delighted to say any conclusion I’d come to couldn’t have been further from the outcome. The characters are both likeable and unlikeable depending on the moment. Really enjoyed this one and definitely recommend as there is many a twist and turn 😉…

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review #EveryoneIsLying

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Everyone Is Lying’ written by Holly Down in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Jen Vincent wakes up after being in a coma following an accident where her car leaves the road and hits a tree. She’s being cared for at home by her sister Rachel and male nurse Bryce as they believe her recovery will be quicker if she’s in familiar surrounds. Jen can’t remember the accident, her friends and family, or the people caring for her, but she has vague memories of a husband and daughter although Rachel tells her it’s in her imagination and they don’t exist.

‘Everyone Is Lying’ is a psychological thriller of lies and deception with the story told by Jan who believes she’s not being told the truth but doesn’t know why they should lie to her. The plot is well thought-out with realistic characters and plenty of suspense and twists and turns, but although the plot was building up to what I thought was going to be a thrilling ending, it didn’t really blow me away apart from the twist in the final pages. It’s nevertheless been an intriguing and well-written story that’s kept me absorbed from beginning to end and is a novel I can recommend.

Wow! What a page turner! Such a thrilling adventure! Can’t wait to read more by this author!! This book kept me captivated from the first page.

This book had me feeling as clueless and trapped as Jen and I absolutely loved it.

I found myself, when I had the time to sit and read, flying through the pages as the writing was just immaculate and clearly made for thriller books. I also found the characters to be intriguing and full of their own mysteries which was fun to read about.

The plot/starting elements of this novel, while not unique to this genre was done in a way that had me feeling as though it was. it was gripping and had my head absolutely going round in circles at times trying to figure out what was going on and who was who alongside who is lying. I had a million different theories going through my mind at one point, which is something I do crave for within a thriller book..

This book however, while I did enjoy it, just lacked that true thriller element. I felt as though I was in the unknown yes, but I wasn't ever on edge as I knew it would all be revealed and what I had expected to happen, did. The ending did then add a little bit more thrill to the novel but I just wished we had a bit more of that energy throughout. Especially due to the situation our character was in. I just think something was missing.

With that said, I did still enjoy this book and could totally see this being someone else's 5 star novel. It had many differing characters, a great basis and an overall, unique and interesting foundation to the story.

An absolute thrilling read , full of surprises and twists. I was guessing right up until the last chapter and the ending!! This is brilliant, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

I loved this book. I did not see the twists coming and the ending c0mpletely surprised me. It was a bingeable read for me. I thought I knew what would happen, but absolutely did not and at a few times I blurted out the word wow due to the shocks.

Enjoyable and Unputdownable!

Oh, how I love when a book grips me from the very first page and never lets go and that is exactly what happened with Everyone Is Lying. This story is told almost entirely from the POV of Jen, who is our main character who is suffering from amnesia. I liked that as the reader, we were only allowed to know as much as Jen knew and that any revelations were told to us as Jen learned them. This helped to increase the tension and build suspense throughout the book as I, along with Jen, questioned everything and everyone. While the story got a teeny tiny bit over the top at times, it was still very enjoyable and exactly the type of suspenseful escape I needed. I tore through this in two days. I did not want to put it down. 5 stars for a fun mystery ride with some good twists and a satisfying ending!

With thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture Publishing and Holly Down for the opportunity to read this fantastic book before its release.

Oo oo oo I was racing to read this. And when I started I was jumpy and angst ridden needing to keep going and going!
A stellar thriller. And this really did show you what a THRILL in thriller books can be. Bravo.
I was trying to figure out and out clever the twists ha
But I didn't. Which was even better.
Poor Jen though. I was just imaging being in thar bed. Waking up and soon knowing things were very very off. But what do you do from your bed when everyone is lying. Ans where are the people meant to love her!?
Read this.

Oh my! This book started on the first page and did not stop until the last sentence! 😳 The twist and turns were abundant, and I absolutely couldn’t put it down! Jen has been in a coma for 6 months, and when she wakes up she has no memories. But the information that the people, who supposedly love her, provide her just doesn’t seem to fit. The more Jen finds out, the more crazy it all seems. And I never saw the ending coming! Fantastic!!! 5 ⭐️

Gripping from the very first page, Everyone is Lying by Holly Down had me flipping through the pages to get to the end. Poor Jen was in a horrific car crash and has lost her memory. Her sister Rachel and her caregiver Bryce are taking care of her but she has reasons to believe they are all lying to her. I wasn’t sure where this was going and found it hard to put down. I didn’t see the end coming and loved how it ended. It’s a doozy that’s for sure!!!! Very cleverly executed! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review. Looking forward to Holly’s next thriller.

Who is the unreliable one? Jen, who narrates or Rachel her sister who insists that Jen was not, as she believes ever married or had a child. Jen's just woken up from a coma and Rachel, along with Bryce the nurse, are controlling everything. But there are weird things-like being locked in a house and not in a hospital. It's a zippy thriller that has a few surprises. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. No spoilers from me.

I don’t even know where to begin!! You know when you read a thriller and you figure out the ending early on…this is not that book. Our narrator was in an accident and has no memory of her past and the way it was written put you in her shoes. I was uncomfortable not knowing who to believe just like Jen. I wanted to know who was believable and who was not. It made me want to keep reading to find the answers and I did. I gobbled it up in one day and was left very satisfied!

A great read! I love amnesia thrillers and this one definitely delivered the twists!

When Jen wakes from a coma after a car accident, her first thought is for the safety of her husband and baby, but a woman claiming to be Jen's sister, Rachel, gently tells her that she's not married and doesn't have a child. Jen has no choice but to believe Rachel, but something feels off; actually, everything feels off. As Jen begins to regain her physical strength and recovers some of her memories, she realises that she can't believe anyone. They all claim to have her best interests at heart, but why are they all lying to her?

There were some really clever twists, plenty of red herrings and well written characters who were morally grey, to say the least! I flew through this book, hooked from the very beginning and needing to know the truth, almost as much as Jen!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Holly Down and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Read this book in a couple of days whilst and holiday and the storyline was intense and kept me guessing up to the very end, fantastic and thrilling

This book starts with a woman waking up in bed, completely confused. She doesn’t know where she is, or even her own name. She can barely move. She’s hooked up to tubes and needles, but she can tell she’s not in a hospital room. Then a woman walks in…her sister, Rachel.

Jen was in a bad car accident and has been in a coma for six months. Rachel has been taking care of her, along with a nurse named Bryce, and they promise that a neurologist is also on the case. Jen feels like something is wrong, though. She remembers a husband and a child. She doesn’t remember their names or what they look like, but she can’t shake the feeling that she’s married - but Rachel insists she’s never been married or had a child.

As the days go on, Jen starts remembering bits and pieces of things, and she also starts to mistrust Rachel. Why isn’t she in a hospital? Why does she feel like she’s a mother? Why does Rachel lock her in the house when she leaves? When she ventures outside and meets her neighbor Cathy, things become even more confusing, soon leaving her not knowing who to trust.

This story is entertaining, but I felt like something was lacking. It was pretty similar to some other thrillers I’ve read, and while the ending was good, the whole book left me with a feeling like “is that it?”. I’ve seen some great reviews for this book, but to me, it was a bit dry. Still, I recommend it as a very quick popcorn thriller. 3.5 stars.

(Thank you to Bookouture, Holly Down and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on February 26, 2025.)

This was a super quick read and I read it in two days! Very suspenseful and I could not wait to see what would happen. This is my first book by this author, but will not be the last!