This was a fun read, if not a very deep one.

The topic is ripe for picking, and the author is not shy about pulling real life drama into the plot (the main character is pretty much based on the Ballerina Farm, there is a mentioning of the "soft-swinging" that the Mormon Wives did, and the speech of one of the "bad guys" resembles the speech Harrison Butker gave, except the book character is a professional baseball player.)

I got pulled into the story in the first chapters, but the final few lost me a bit - the mystery is resolved rather quickly, with everything hinging on the boundless powers of Olivia Jackson, who can do absolutely anything. The fact that every "good" character got a piece of pie at the end, some very far-fetched, was a bit of a turnoff. And really, Rebecca needed a kid number 7 with a guy who did not seem that big a love for her? She just got out of a marriage to immediately get into another one? Poor woman.

Overall, an easy and fast read for those of us who do have hobbies, like reading (according to the main character, "men have hobbies," and moms have no time for such frivolities).

Thank you, NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, for providing an early reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

I'll read anything and everything Jo Piazza writes, and her take on Trad Wives did not disappoint. I flew through this in a day, could not put it down!

Don't let the pie fool you -- or the cheerful, pleasant Trad Wife holding it out to you. In Jo Piazza's excellent EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU, truth depends on who's wielding the story and this story is twisty, thrilling terrific. This story kept me up way too late reading, delving into the Trad Wife culture, social media, and what happens when humans are their unpredictable, incorrect selves, murdering, covering up, and evading reality. I had a great time with it, delighted with a view of a culture and place I never want to go. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

A fast paced thriller the ties in to a lot of contemporary concerns--definitely kept me guessing until the end and made me think about social media in a different way.

Oh my goodness. I devoured this tradwife thriller! Fast-paced writing and interesting plot with some sinister characters. I loved it!

It is definitely the era of the Tradwife which admittedly I did not know much about, so was looking forward to reading this book (and The Tradwife’s Secret) and I wasn’t disappointed. It was a great summer read with all the things I look for in a book: mystery, twists, compelling characters, and a bit over the top (the secret rooms blew my mind). I’m not really on social media, so the peek behind the scenes was interesting and reinforces my belief that most people on line are not telling the truth behind their perfect facades.

This turned out to be much better than I was expecting - a thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining read. Great thriller!

Truly enjoyed this book. It was a fun glimpse into the ever popular influencer world. We all know its fabricated, but it was intriguing to get a glimpse into the inner workings. I enjoyed how the story unfolded and how you got to see more and more into how crazy Bex's husband was and how he and his best friend had dark history. Having Bex find out that her children were not entirely from her marriage was pretty crazy!

I found this book mostly enjoyable, but there were a few aspects that kept it from reaching its full potential. The plot was engaging enough to keep me turning the pages, but the character development left a lot to be desired. I found it hard to really connect with the characters and wanted more depth. There were some interesting ideas that kept me hooked, but I was not very invested in the characters.

In the end, it is a fun read. If you’re someone who loves action or a fast-moving plot, you’ll probably enjoy it. But if you’re looking for a more character-driven story, this might not be the book for you.

Thank you for providing the details for your book review. I'll write a review for Everyone Is Lying to You by Jo Piazza based on the information you've given me.

Jo Piazza's latest novel, Everyone Is Lying to You, is a compelling and suspenseful ride that will have you turning pages late into the night. Gifted to me by NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton in exchange for my honest review, this book was a solid four-star read. While it wasn't the most memorable story I've ever read, I was absolutely enthralled while I was in it.

The story centers on two friends, Bex and Lizzie, whose friendship ended abruptly fifteen years ago. Now, their lives couldn't be more different. Bex has become a massive influencer, meticulously curating a seemingly perfect life on social media. Meanwhile, Lizzie is a struggling writer for a magazine, grappling with her own insecurities.

When Bex invites Lizzie to a high-end "momfluencer" retreat, the two are reluctantly reunited. But what starts as a tense reunion quickly devolves into chaos when Bex suddenly goes missing. As Lizzie gets to the bottom of the disappearance, she begins to question if Bex's picture-perfect online persona is the truth, or if it's all a carefully constructed farce.

Piazza masterfully builds a world of glossy facades and hidden secrets, using the disappearance as a lens to explore the deeper issues of authenticity, friendship, and the pressures of social media. The suspense is palpable, keeping you guessing until the very end. Beyond the mystery, the book also offers a poignant look at the power of a strong female friendship and the lengths we'll go to protect the people we care about.

Overall, Everyone Is Lying to You is a quick-paced and entertaining read. It's an insightful story that is both informative about the world of influencers and a great escape. While it may not stay with me forever, it was a thoroughly enjoyable journey, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a thrilling mystery with a modern twist.

Review will be posted on 9/10/25

Bex and Lizzie were best friends in college, but after a falling out, they haven't spoken in years. Sure, Lizzie has stalked Bex, now Rebecca, and a "tradwife" influencer on Instagram, but they haven't actually talked in years; that is, until Bex sends Lizzie a message. Bex would love to reconnect with Lizzie and involve her in an interview with her to break some big news that Bex is hinting at. Bex isn't on social media for fun; this is her livelihood, and she is raking in the dough as she peddles farm life, baking, and other "tradwife" hobbies. Lizzie, a struggling journalist, jumps on this opportunity despite her hesitation and agrees to meet Bex at Mombomb, an influencer conference. After a night of reconnecting with Bex and many drinks, Lizzie wakes up to the news that Bex is missing, along with her six children, and her husband, Greyson, is dead...murdered! Lizzie, the journalist, wants to find out what is happened, but also wants to help her friend. And that's when the murder mystery part of the story unravels, and it will keep readers guessing. Jo Piazza's Everyone is Lying to You is a fun murder mystery that kept me flipping the pages, but it is also a peek into the behind-the-scenes life of an influencer.

I am always a fan of Jo Piazza's novels, and Everyone is Lying to You was no different. The story felt like readers were peeking behind the curtains at not only the type of women that are featured on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Duggars, etc, but also influencers that come across your feed on Instagram. I like how Piazza peels back the layers in that none of this is real. These influencers are a business, and while they are trying to tell women to just bake cookies at home or milk their own cow, they are actually raking in the dough with endorsements, partnerships, etc. While this message felt a little preachy over and over again, I was still invested in what happened to Bex, her husband, and I wanted Lizzie to uncover not only what happened, but also what Bex's life is actually like on the farm with her sexist husband and her gaggle of kids. Originally pitched as a summer read, I am glad I left this book for September, because it's the perfect fall read, especially with the murder mystery.

When Jo Piazza’s book came out a year or two ago she talked about this one and #tradwives. I didn’t know anything about them at the time and I have noticed it more since she brought it to my attention, all while eagerly anticipating this book. It was worth the wait - not only is it an “expose” of tradwife life, it adds a mystery, when the husband of the main tradwife character is found brutally murdered.

Bex (Rebecca Sommers) is an incredibly successful tradwife influencer on a ranch. At a conference, she re-unites with her college best friend Lizzie, who is a reporter. After the two friends catch up, and Bex promises Lizzie information on her next big move, Bex becomes missing, and her husband murdered on their ranch. We learn Bex’s story meeting her husband and many events that have happened since until we get to the present.

This was a compelling tradwife thriller - two former best friends are brought back together when one is invited to the other's grad-wife conference. Will highly recommend and would be a great book club pick.

Lizzie is shocked when her former best friend-turned-tradwife influencer Bex reaches out to her for an exclusive interview and a trip to an influencer conference. Once there, Bex’s husband is found brutally murdered—and Bex herself is missing. I truly could not put this down. The mystery is compelling and twisty and it’s generally a ton of fun to read. The quote on the front calls it an influencer-y version of GONE GIRL, and while it’s not as iconic as GG, it’s pretty dang fun. VERDICT? Buy!

Lizzie and Bex were best friends in college. Years later they reconnect when influencer Bex reaches out to Lizzie, offering her an opportunity that's too good to resist. Lizzie has no idea what she is getting into when she agrees to meet Bex at the upcoming MomBomb influencer conference. No one is as them seem online and everyone is lying. When Bex disappears at the same time that her husband turns up murdered, all evidence points to Lizzie's former BFF. It's up to Lizzie to discover the truth amongst the lies and clear Bex's name.
This book was fine. Just couldn't really get invested in the characters. The mystery was decent leading down multiple paths but I guessed pretty early on who it was.

Everyone Is Lying to You by Jo Piazzo explores the intriguing and often tense world of trad wives and social media influencers, blending sharp social commentary with a suspenseful narrative. The book dives into themes of identity, image, and the pressures behind curated online lives. While it held my interest and offered a thoughtful look at modern cultural dynamics, it was an okay read overall—engaging but not quite a favorite.

Tradwife murder mystery! I’ll be looking for more from this author. The culprit was a surprise so this was well written.

As someone who has spent quite a bit of time following momfluencers and snarking on them on reddit, this was a great hook. I loved that there was some back story about the main characters and their old friendship before we got into the thriller part--which really hit a breakneck pace with some surprising twists in the last quarter of the book. But the twists all made some nasty sense in the tradwife influencing community. Loved that mostly the powerful women found their way through.

This sucked me in with great premise of the murder mystery, but the real drama was stepping in to the world of the influencer! This was a great depiction of the differences between internet persona and reality, with compelling plot every step of the way!

Ballerina Farms meets an episode of Dateline... I"M HOOKED! Bex is a trad-wife instagrammer and invites former BBF and writer LIzzie to a Momstagram retreat. During the retreat Bex goes missing and her husband ends up dead. Lizzie is thrust into the backstabbing influencer world as she tries to figure out what happened to her friend and save her life.
I'm new to this author and will definitely be picking up more of her books and checking out her podcast. I've recommended this book to quite a few friends and all have enjoyed as well.