Lizzie and Bex were best friends in college, but after Bex got married and moved West she ghosted Lizzie. Now a famous influencer, Bex uses her full name Rebecca. Out of the blue, she invites Lizzie to a swanky resort where an influencer conference is being held to write an inside scoop for her magazine. The next morning Rebecca’s husband has been brutally murdered, her children are missing and she is nowhere to be found. Lizzie is caught in the middle and does know who to trust.

An edge of your psychological thriller that keeps you guessing. I learned a lot about influencers and the behind the scenes manipulation. #tradwife

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I met Jo Piazza last year and learned about her book The Sicilian Inheritance, which I love. When I found out I got approved for the ARC for Everyone is Lying to You, I had to devour it.

Told from multiple points of view, the book focuses on social media/the influencer world and how things are not what it seems comparing to reality. Also one of the major themes is the power dynamics with who has power in society: generational influence in a location versus being built up over time. Like other Jo Piazza novels, it touches upon what is a woman's vocation in society: the traditional idea of getting married and taking care of kids versus having a career to make your own money. There are a few plot twists throughout the novel. It is layered as a murder mystery where you are not only guessing who committed the murder but the reasons why (again, it goes back to who has power in society & a woman's vocation).

Thank you Dutton for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Everyone is Lying to You comes out on July 15, 2025!

Amazing take on tradwife influencer culture! I finished it so quick- I didn't want to put it down! Definitely a must read for anyone looking for a good suspense novel.

Interesting story line that goes right along with today's world of podcasts and internet. Very realistic and thought provoking. Makes you wonder if anything you view on social media is even true. Nice twist at the end that makes you think back through the whole story.

I lovedddd this one. Insightful, scathing, unflinching and fast paced... this one has something for everyone. It def isnt for the faint of heart as there are some moments that are really disturbing and make you question all content you absorb/seek out. Loved the main characters and the weaving back and forth between time. Came together brilliantly.

Five stars. This was the best book I've read all year. When you look into the life of an influencer, from the social media side, you're never seeing the whole story. You're seeing what they want you to see, what they want you to believe about their life, and what they want to sell you, literally. But, when you get a real look, off script, what is their life really like? What secrets are they hiding? This book will show you the real life of one influencer who seems to have the perfect farm, perfect chickens, perfect kids, and perfect husband. But which of those aren't really what they appear to be?

𝑫𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇?

If you're thinking that this is just another book about influencer culture, you may want to think twice. There was a depth to this one that was missing in so many other titles, both in how the plot was executed and how the characters were developed.

Lizzie and Bex were best friends in college. After graduation, the two parted ways only to plan a reunion after Bex was married and on her way to becoming a mega influencer. Money is tight for Lizzie, but she scrapes together airfare only to be completely ghosted. When the short but devastating email later arrives, she pieces together her broken heart and moves on.

But every night before bed, she can't help but to scroll through Bex's Instagram feed. She's living the good life on a family farm as a traditional wife and mom of six. She's glowing, happy, and adored. To her surprise, Bex lands in her DMs one evening. Lizzie is struggling in her career as a magazine writer, a far cry from the investigative reporting she yeared for, so when Bex proposes an exclusive interview with her about her business ventures, her Influencer life, and an invitation to a high-profile influencing conference, Lizzie accepts. She figures she can at least get some insight into what happened to their friendship fifteen years before.

Right before her keynote speech at the conference, Bex disappears and her husband Gray is found brutally murdered on their ranch. Lizzie soon finds that her former friend's life is all a sham and she's been living a lie. I was absolutely shocked at the direction the investigation took, and after reading this book, I'm even more aware than I was before of how manufactured everything is on social media. There is some sensitive content and potential trigger warnings, but I believe the author handled them with care and never ventured into the overly gratuitous territory. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin/Dutton for this stunning early read. Look for this one July 15, 2025.

In Everyone is Lying to You, a fun and JUICY murder mystery, the author explores the darkness behind being a tradwife. It follows social media star Rebecca who has become one of the biggest tradwife influencers and her ex best friend who decides to take her up on an offer at a once in a lifetime interview (something she desperately needs because MONEY). But soon after, things start to go wrong, Rebecca has disappeared, and her husband is dead.
This was a really fun popcorn thriller, and I binged it in a few hours. The author knows exactly what she’s talking about when it comes to BEING a trad wife, so it was fun to see how she depicted it in this story. I also love books that take a look at the dark side of social media, so this one really hit the spot.

If you’re looking for a juicy thriller to binge this summer then you won’t want to miss this one! I very much enjoyed it and recommend it to fellow readers.

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley- thank you!

I thought this book really worked. The influencer storyline was fascinating, and the twists and turns kept it interesting. This one is definitely worth a read!

This one had me at Trad wife murder. It was fun, a quick easy read, and a setting that I find very entertaining. I only wish it had gone a bit more into the nitty gritty of the trad wide culture.

Let me introduce you to a book that just so happened to be my most anticipated summer!

If the people that write blurbs for books had hired me for EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU, here’s a taste of what I’d say: “A juicy summer read where Ballerina Farm (vibes are strong) meets The Secret Lives of Mormon wives (these vibes are loose) and it’s all written by the very talented gal who brought me THE SICILIAN INHERITANCE? Say no more!!!

Can you guess why I don’t write those blurbs?!

Again, I was desperate to get my hands on EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU as soon as I heard about the plot. Jo Piazza has always had her finger on the pulse of influencer culture and the social commentary that comes with it. She’s uniquely qualified to pull back the curtain on tradwives and social media and she does so with her trademark snark and propulsive writing.

This one didn’t totally blow me away and the mystery at the core of the story is pretty lackluster. On the one hand, I wish it had explored some things a bit more but on the other it was a fun popcorn thriller and anything deeper might’ve felt too depressing in light of current events.

Essentially, this was fun if you like reading about influencer drama but I don’t think you need to drop everything to read it the day it releases. That said, if a sequel drops 👀 I’ll definitely be scooping it up!

🏆THE SICILIAN INHERITANCE is still my fave by the author!

“They're all pushing this arcadian fantasy of homemaking and living off the land, the anti-girl bosses, when they're all building capitalist empires.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for the advance copy of this incredible book. Jo Piazza nails internet culture and the curated perfection of social media—I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

The story follows Rebecca—Bex, as she was once known—a former party girl turned tradwife, basically a modern-day Commander’s Wife à la The Handmaid’s Tale. She’s the picture of domestic perfection: lives off the land, bakes bread, homeschools six kids, and presents an aspirational life to millions as an Instagram influencer.

Then there’s Lizzie, her estranged college best friend, who’s been doom-scrolling Bex’s feed for years. As Lizzie admits, it’s the kind of beautiful that makes you feel terrible about your own messy life. Rebecca runs her home like a Fortune 500 CEO; Lizzie runs hers “like an illegal daycare overseen by Oompa Loompas.” It’s relatable, hilarious, and painfully honest—right down to Lizzie’s confession that quitting smoking in her twenties was easier than putting her phone down while on the toilet at thirty-six.

They reconnect when Rebecca invites Lizzie to MomBomb—a conference for momfluencers—and Lizzie, a journalist at a dying outlet, can’t say no. After all, influencing is the next frontier of journalism, right? But as Lizzie prepares to see her old best friend, she wonders: Am I going to get Bex or Rebecca?

One night back together is all it takes to leave Lizzie questioning Rebecca’s picture-perfect life, which might be more complicated—and darker—than anyone realizes. And then—Rebecca disappears, her husband is found brutally murdered, and the entire conference explodes into a frenzy. Lizzie’s left asking: where did Bex go, who killed her husband, and does she really want the answers?

This is sharp, timely, and bingeable—add it to your TBR if you love stories that peel back the pretty filters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the early copy of this book.
I loved The Sicilian Inheritance, so I was excited to get my hands on this book. Despite your social media usage, it seems like everyone is fascinated by influencing tradwives (myself included). Then add a murder and several twists, and I couldn’t put this book down. A great beach read.

So is there going to be a sequel? I’ve never fallen down the #tradwife rabbit hole but I’m sure glad Jo did. There is nothing traditional about their lives if they are making money off of it. I mean I’m all for empowering women but be honest about it. Jo knows how to write a story and I can say I’d read another one about this group of ladies.

This was a solid 4.5 star read for me until the final epilogue. (Yes, there were three epilogues, each from a different main character.) That last one pushed it over the top to 5 stars. Veronica’s epilogue was completely unexpected and saying much more would risk spoiling it for others.There were so many layers to this story. While a few twists were easy to spot, many more caught me off guard. I’m still trying to figure out Olivia, something about her story feels unfinished. Thanks to the author for teaching me what a trad wife is. It’s worth noting that this book deals with themes of physical and mental abuse, which may be triggering for some. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced reader’s copy.

This was a fun one! I love reading about behind-the-scenes type stuff when it comes to influencers and content creators. They all make it look so easy, their lives are so glamorous….so it helps the self-esteem to read about how effed up they really are and how awful their lives are behind the scenes. 😏

I enjoyed Rebecca’s chapters more than Lizzie’s, because I liked going back and learning how Bex ended up in the situation-and life-she has. Lizzie’s chapters were a bit duller; they moved the story along but I could bring myself to care as much about her as a character. Bex was much more interesting!

The final, final epilogue chapter was a nice little twist as well, and made up for what was otherwise a little bit too neat of an ending.

And I want to know more about Olivia. I NEED to know more about Olivia. I would like an entire book about Olivia next!

Everyone is Lying to You is a great summer/vacation read. Suspenseful, twisty, salacious, and engaging. Great for readers who love-to-hate tradwife influencer culture.

This book is well written, has all the necessary twists and turns to keep your interest. But, the world of traditional wives and social media influencers is just not my thing. I’m sure many readers will enjoy this story, it just wasn’t for me.

I had a blast reading EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU. EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU is a murder mystery set in the world of Trad Wife social media influencing, it has a lot to say about the struggles of being a mother and what the hell social media is doing to all of our brains. Despite that description, it’s also a ton of fun…there’s a few chapters of setup and then the train takes off, and it doesn’t stop until you get to the very last epilogue. I found that all the characters, even the more supporting ones, jumped off the page. They each had a distinct voice and I really enjoyed getting to know them. Some pop culture touchstones this book evoked: Law & Order: SVU, Beaches, Nancy Drew, A Simple Favor, and, though I’ve never actually seen it, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. If you like these things, I think you are going to like this book and you’ll be out ahead of the eventual miniseries that Netflix is going to turn it into in a couple of years.

Oh y’all, come sit a spell, and we’ll spill some tea 🫖
Thank you, Dutton Books, for the gifted copy of Everyone is Lying to You{ partner}
 
Genre: Fiction
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date:  7.15.2025
Pages: 336
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

“Everyone is Lying to you. Never forget it.”

I went in with an open mind and no expectations... and found myself completely hooked. Everyone Is Lying to You was such an addictive, propulsive read that I had to force myself to put it down to get things done — and then I’d sneak in a few more pages every chance I got.

This book peels back the curtain on the elite influencer world. I kept asking myself: How much of what we see online is real? Is it staged? Are they really happy? I know social media can be a highlight reel, and I try to remember that all that glitters isn’t gold… but wow, this story made me question it all.

Part dark comedy, part domestic suspense, this book surprised me at every turn. I can’t recommend it enough if you like your reads sharp, fast-paced, and a little unsettling.

cw: gaslighting, domestic abuse, violence. Feel free to message me if you want more info.

Read if you enjoy:
😱 Domestic suspense
🤳🏼 Influencer culture
📖 Layered stories
📣 Women finding their voice

I recommend reading Everyone Is Lying to You if you enjoyed Gone Girl, A Simple Favor, or the movie The Stepford Wives.