Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Four previous high school friends meet up 20-ish years later for a vacation at Cape Cod, near where they grew up. One of them will not survive.

I have a hard time forgiving an author for an ambiguous ending - I HATED the ending of this book. The character and background setup in the first few chapters also felt contrived. Once the book got going, I really did enjoy the middle - the well-written awkwardness of old friends who haven’t hung out recently, and the peace and beauty of an oceanfront getaway.

Danvers builds a suspenseful, female-driven story full of moral gray areas and shifting alliances. Each woman arrives with secrets—and none are afraid to lie to protect them. Half-truths unravel steadily throughout the novel. The pacing is sharp, the twists come at just the right moments, and the final reveal in the epilogue—though something I saw coming—was still satisfying to watch play out.

That said, the story is more plot-driven than character-driven. I wanted more emotional insight, backstory into the women’s long-standing friendships, and why they waited so long to reunite. Also, the dialogue also leaned a bit flat and clunky at times, pulling me out of the story. Still, the plot was engaging enough to keep reading.

If you’re looking for a quick popcorn thriller to enjoy by the pool or beach, Lie in the Tide offers sun-soaked tension and secrets to untangle before the tide rolls in. 🌊 😉

If you're a fan of this author's cozy mysteries you definitely do not want to miss this one! This checks lots of boxes if you're looking for a twisty tale. Lots of suspense, interesting characters, and a well-planned whodunnit! It will keep you guessing until the very last page where you will find out another tasty tidbit that you didn't see coming! I definitely would like to read more suspense books by this author!

I was loving the book…until the last 10 percent. The whole reveal just started changing the way I saw the book. Almost as if a different author wrote it. And the very end…nope. I was no longer loving the book. I do not even know what to rate it.

🌊 T H R I L L E R T H U R S D A Y book tour review 🌊 featuring “Lie in the Tide” by Holly Danvers!

MY RATING: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Four old friends are meeting up for a long overdue reunion in Cape Cod for a week. It has been twenty years since they have seen one another and this trip will allow them the time to catch up and reconnect. Or at least that’s what they think. They have all grown apart over the years and each of the friends are hiding a secret: A secret love child? A degeneration disease? A failing marriage? A shocking affair? Which secret belongs to whom … well you will just have to wait to find out 🤐!

Remi, Mori and Avery arrive at the beach house and soon become concerned when Calista hasn’t yet made her entrance. What follows is a tidal wave of twisted events, juicy secrets and little white lies that just aren’t adding up. Can these women really trust each other after all these years?? And will they need to expose the skeletons in their closets in order to not become suspects when one body is found on the beach??

🍷 Talk about scandalous! This book is beyond wild and the perfect read for a book club served with perfectly chilled wine! The Cape Cod setting for a girlfriend’s reunion was spot on and I enjoyed getting caught up in the whirl wind of the group’s longwinded history and backstories! If you are a fan of Big Little Lies, Dead to Me and The Perfect Couple, then this book is totally for you!

Thank you kindly to @authorhollydanvers @severnhouseimprint @thrillerbookloversthepulse for my #gifted advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review and a spot on this book tour! This book releases on June 3, 2025 and is definitely the summer thriller you need for your beach bag!

This was an OK read, but I found myself losing interest throughout and ultimately didn’t feel it was a particularly strong mystery or thriller. While I liked the characters, I found it dragged in some spots and wasn’t able to keep my attention.

Thank you #NetGalley for the eARC of #LieInTheTide by Holly Danvers!

Lie in the Tide by Holly Danvers is a great addition to my beach reads book list. It is a twisty, beach-y thriller that explores the dark side of old friendships, including buried secrets and the lies we tell to protect ourselves. Four high school friends—Mori, Remi, Avery, and Calista—gather for a reunion in a Cape Cod beach house. Unfortunately, their celebration quickly unravels when one of them turns up dead, and the others are left wondering: how well do we really know the people we once trusted most?

Each woman comes to the reunion carrying a secret: an affair, a hidden pregnancy, a failing marriage, a silent fear—and as the truth starts to surface, so does the tension. The drama is juicy, the pacing is ideal, and the characters are REAL. Alliances are made and broken, and your left wondering who's lying and who's telling the truth. I definitely recommend. It's an easy read, but incredibly entertaining and twisty.

Four high school female friends are getting together for a reunion 20 years after last seeing each other. They haven’t really kept up with each other’s lives through the years so are a bit apprehensive about how the week will go. Three of them arrive at their scenic Cape Cod reunion destination but the fourth woman doesn’t arrive. It turns out they all have big secrets and have told little white lies including the missing friend that they later discover deceased on the beach. Who could have killed her and why? The suspense ramps up as they question each other and call out the secrets each of them are keeping. I enjoyed this thriller and the twists and turns. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

This Cape Cod reunion had me intrigued from the start…beautiful setting, juicy secrets, and a twisty mystery.

The story follows four high school friends reuniting for a 40th birthday celebration, but when one of them goes missing, everything turns mysterious and dangerously twisty. I was very surprised they got together for a reunion because it doesn’t seem like they even like each other. Lol

Overall, this is a fun, quick read that is perfect to read at the beach. If you enjoy mysteries with drama and suspense, be sure to pick this one up.

I loved this read I would recommend to my friends and book buddies ithe book kept my interest it was a page turner

This book is perfect for summer. It will be a great beach read (especially with the Cape Cod setting!) This was a quick and easy read. I loved the premise of this book: Four friends from high school reunite 20 years later…and all of them have secrets.

There are so many great twists and turns (with a sprinkle of gossip) and you’ll never see the ending coming. No spoilers here - I like how we get to know each character and we follow along as they work to uncover a mystery.

Mori is an introvert turned erotica writer who is hiding divorce number three. Remi is a yoga instructor who is happily married with a baby on the way…but no one knows the baby’s paternity. Avery lives on a farm with her kids…but she is worried she won’t see them again. Calista is a suburban housewife and teacher…with the darkest secret of all!

✨What To Expect:
⁉️Thriller
🔍Suspense & Mystery
▫️Little White Lies
🥂High School Reunion
🤫So many secrets
🌊Beach Setting

LIE IN THE TIDE by Holly Danvers

3 STARS

I'm a sucker for these sort of thriller books - old friendships, a getaway trip and secrets waiting to come out. This has it all. The setting and atmosphere was good; the characters a mix between infuriating and intriguing. However, it did feel the book lost momentum about 2/3rds of the way through and the ending felt a little disappointing.

Overall, worth a read - a good beach pick.

I was accepted to read this book before official publication through NetGalley and below is my honest review.

I really wanted to enjoy this book as I liked the premise however it just didn’t hit for me.

The plot started off strong with a lot of suspense and had you questioning but mid way it lost momentum and the ending just left me a bit deflated.

I would recommend this book, I do think people might enjoy it more than I did. It’s a solid story, just not as gripping or unique as I had hoped.

Overall, I give this book 3 stars.

I really enjoyed this book about a deadly girl's weekend. All of these girls are all keeping secrets (aren't we all). Only as everyone's secrets start to come out they begin to make everyone look guilty. The more the lies came out the more I couldn't put this one down. This would be a great book to read by the beach!

Thanks for the advanced reader copy from Netgalley! This was soooooo good!! Unpredictable twists, suspense and shock.

Lie in the Tide by Holly Danvers

Thank you to Netgalley and Severn House for my eARC!

The beach? ✔ Champagne? ✔ A thriller about old friends, secrets and lies? ✔

Four high school friends decided to reunite about 20 years apart for a 40th birthday celebration. They meet in Cape Cod at a beach front cottage for some relaxation. But, after 20 years, a lot can and has changed between the four old friends. Mori is an erotica novelist, Remi owns a gym, Avery is a stay-at-home mom on a farm in Iowa and Calista is an English Teacher not too far from her childhood hometown. Each of them is harboring a secret, each secret more deadly than the last.

I absolutely loved the setting and wished I was lying on the beach in the hot sun while reading this. Lie in the Tide is a wild ride, keeping on the edge of your seat with several twists throughout. Just when you think you have figured it out, Danvers pulls out another twist, which will have you thinking long after you’ve read the last page. I found some of the dialogue clunky and forced between the characters. Additionally, some choices of characters made me frustrated, causing me to scream at my kindle.

I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy friendships that unravel with one innocuous white lie.

Favorite Line: “But that’s how the brain of a writer operated. Taking things as far as they could go on the page, so as not to lose the reader. Keep them reading long into the night until their eyes were practically bleeding.”

This book is like a story inside of a book. The twist at the end is crazy and I didn’t see it coming at all. I liked all the characters in the story and their development throughout the book. It really shows how lies can ruin friendships and lives.

Four friends reunite after twenty years, each hiding a devastating secret. Mori is a successful erotica author facing her third divorce. Remi is concealing her pregnancy and the paternity of her child. Avery, a farm wife with a house full of kids, fears losing them. Calista, a suburban mom and teacher, harbors the biggest secret. Their friendship is tested as they realize that one little white lie could have deadly consequences.

I am thrilled to have been invited to read this book! The story started off slowly, allowing us to catch up with the lives of each character. However, it quickly picked up pace and maintained it throughout the entire book. I am particularly excited that this is only the first book in the series, as the ending left me feeling open-ended and a bit confused. I am eager to see what lies ahead for these four friends.

It can be challenging to keep track of multiple characters in a story, but the author did an excellent job of making each character easily identifiable. The characters were gradually developed, keeping the reader in suspense. Each of the four friends brought a unique personality to the story, making some more relatable than others. The plot was clever and suspenseful, leaving me unable to turn the pages fast enough.

The setting was vividly described and had a chilling effect. Having lived in Massachusetts, I could easily picture the places described in the book, which added to my enjoyment. As a military member who has traveled to many states, I appreciate stories set in familiar locations.

If you enjoy stories about loyal friendships with hidden secrets waiting to be uncovered, this book is perfect for you. The unexpected and open-ended conclusion left me eagerly anticipating the next installment. I highly recommend giving this book a try, as there are plenty of twists and turns to keep you engaged!

Thank you, Severn House and the Pulse Team, for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book! What did I just read?! The end had me questioning absolutely everything! This is the story of a reunion between high school friends gone wrong. The friends have not seen each other for 20 years and are reuniting on Cape Cod. Mori is a best selling novelist and arranges the house on the water. When Calista is late showing up the friends wonder what to do and how well they know each other. Each friend is keeping secrets from the others. What is the truth and what is a lie and can any of them be trusted? I thought I had this book figured out until I didn’t. I recommend this book to readers that enjoy thrillers with unexpected twists.

In *Lie in the Tide*, Holly Danvers delivers a gripping psychological thriller that artfully unravels the complexities of friendship, secrets, and the dark undercurrents that can lurk beneath seemingly idyllic reunions. As four friends—Mori, Avery, Remi, and Calista—gather at a picturesque Cape Cod beach house to celebrate Calista's fortieth birthday, the warmth of nostalgia is quickly overshadowed by the weight of the hidden truths each woman carries.

The author does an excellent job of establishing the characters and their backstories, making it easy for readers to become invested in their lives. Mori, now a bestselling author, battles feelings of shame with her impending divorce. Remi, a yoga instructor, grapples with the complexities of her unexpected pregnancy. Avery, a quiet farm wife, worries about her children’s futures while feeling marginalized among her more scandalous friends. Calista, the quintessential suburban mom and teacher, hides the most significant secret of all, setting up a tense atmosphere for the unfolding drama.

As the story progresses, Danvers skillfully reveals how one seemingly innocuous white lie can unravel relationships and lead to devastating consequences. The narrative is laced with suspense, creating a sense of tension that escalates with each passing moment. A notable strength of the novel is its exploration of the characters' emotional depths; readers will find themselves questioning their own perspectives on friendship and trust as the plot thickens.

A particularly poignant quote encapsulates the theme of the book: “In the tide of friendship, even the smallest lie can create the greatest currents.” This evocative statement highlights the idea that hidden truths can shift dynamics in relationships and lead to unforeseen outcomes.

*Lie in the Tide* is an edge-of-your-seat suspense thriller that keeps readers guessing until the very end. With well-crafted character development and a plot that intricately weaves together secrets and lies, this novel is a satisfying read for fans of Liane Moriarty and Lucy Foley. Danvers has crafted a compelling tale that explores the fragility of friendship amidst deception, proving that the threat of betrayal can be just as dangerous as the lies we tell ourselves.

This book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a thrilling story that delves into the dark side of human connection, making it a worthy addition to your reading list.