What a terrific read! I loved Meredith as a protagonist, especially her intelligence and career success. The plot is fast-paced and super intriguing as Meredith tries to figure out what's going on at the Wall Street firm and with her former colleague. At the same time, her home life is spiraling out of control. This story served as a great reminder of how to handle difficulties life throws at us. I admired Meredith's finance acumen. The faith element is also handled beautifully.

I understand some readers had difficulty with the finance jargon, but I'm honestly not sure why this is an issue. There should not be a problem relating to a smart and successful female narrator, especially when the terms used are explained within the narrative where necessary. For me (a lawyer), it was refreshing and inspiring to see a Christian woman operating in this space.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

With such a title and the background of the author, I should have expected money matters to be a big part of the book. Indeed, it started with a lot of words like funds, ETFs, and data. As such, I never managed to get into it. People who are really into investments as well as family drama might find it interesting and engrossing though. It was just not for me.

Look, I came for the insider trading drama and Wall Street secrets… and left feeling like I accidentally walked into a Finance lecture.

The Lies We Trade had delivered on power, betrayal, and high-stakes suspense, but between the financial acronyms and market talk, my brain checked out and I needed to push on knowing I just am not ever going to commit insider trading.

Was there corporate scandal? Absolutely.
Was I too busy asking my husband “what is an ETF” to catch it? 100%.

If you love financial thrillers and want to flex that CFO energy, this will be your jam.

3.5 stars for the vibe and story line I managed to understand —but my financial portfolio - that doesn’t exist - will be staying that way.

I'll be honest, I know absolutely nothing about Wall Street or the finance world... but the story very quickly draws readers into that world, regardless of prior knowledge. And what a world it is--full of it's own share of drama and suspense. But it's not just her workplace that is bringing drama into Meredith's life! Struggles in her marriage and with her teenage daughter also kept me at the very edge of my seat as well. This was a complex story with a lot going on, that's for certain... while I admit it wasn't quite what I was expecting (and as a mom, there were some moments that I found really difficult to read), it was an intriguing story with twists I did not see coming. If you enjoy Christian domestic suspense and family drama, this is one worth checking out.

**ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.

Another great fiction read! The Lies We Trade by Kristine Delano was an interesting story, dealing with family issues, illegal stock/trades, and learning whom to trust. Kristine worked on Wall Street for 20 years, so she was able to write from some of her experience and make an interesting story.

I really liked the characters and the story line. You don’t have to understand stock trading to understand the story, as I didn’t. I am sure I could have asked my husband to explain it more, but it has never been something I have been interested in learning or knowing nor about. This story is about family, friendships, overcoming past issues, connecting together, learning to trust, figure out what is important, and give grace.

A couple highlights I took from the book:

Holding on to it now makes me yearn for something lost, or maybe something I’ve never truly found.

It’s hard to trust, but that’s the point: we need to learn. And we are. We’re finding that trusting in a God who knows us and created us is a whole lot easier than in the people who’ve hurt us.

This intense thriller kept me turning pages long into the night! It is fast-paced, high action, and full of suspense and emotion to keep you engaged and trying to figure out who is behind the madness. Great characters like Meredith that you could easily see snippets of yourself in.

Even though I know nothing about the world of investments or Wall Street, I was easily able to follow along and immerse myself in the story. With Meredith trying to discover what exactly is happening in the firm, you were really able to see the story through her eyes and all the different masks people wore wondering who she should really trust.

As if the workplace drama isn’t enough, Meredith is faced with a strained marriage and dilemma’s with her teenage daughter. You could really feel the emotional turmoil she experienced as you read the story tugging at your heart strings.

This was an excellent story that did not disappoint! I struggled to put it down wondering what would happen next. I highly recommend this book!

I was given a complimentary copy of the book by the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

This mystery was interesting and took me a while to get into. I feel like one needs more than a very basic knowledge of Wall Street and the world of investments to fully appreciate this story. That said, I'm glad I stuck with it, since it was interesting once things started coming together.

I could not put down THE LIES WE TRADE by KRISTINE DELANO! I read it in one day. It is an exciting family and office drama in which we follow Meredith Hansel, lead analist at Garman Straub, struggle with a disintegrating family, whose members have forgotten how to communicate with one another, and threats from a member of her team at the prestigious Wall Street firm. When her home and family are attacked and some documents come to light that could cause her professional downfall, Meredith does not know who she can trust. This causes the family to draw closer together in their fight for survival…….
The characters and their emotions are well portrayed and the story will keep you on the edge of your seat.
I cannot recommend this well written, exciting and inspirational read strongly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Tyndale House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Meredith had sacrificed much to be respected in a typical male world of managing company portfolios to find that this all could be lost when a mysterious character is attempting to undermine her work with use hidden offshore accounts and mismanagement of funds before she is due to present the success to the company. Should she trust those she has been working for all this time or maybe Betsey her trusted colleague who has been fired and now has a restraining order? How does she interpret Betsey's calls for help and the data that drops into her lap? Can Meredith tie this all together before it's too late, along with save her marriage and support her teenage daughter who is also facing her own unwanted pressures.

The Lies We Trade is a compelling domestic thriller that expertly weaves together high-stakes Wall Street intrigue with the complexities of family life. Meredith Hansel seems to have it all—a successful career, a loving family, and a promising future—but the cracks beneath the surface soon start to show in shocking and dangerous ways.

The novel brilliantly captures the tension of juggling career pressures, personal secrets, and the fear of losing everything. When Meredith receives a cryptic threat from a trusted colleague, the story takes a sharp turn into a suspenseful cat-and-mouse game full of twists and unexpected revelations.

What I appreciated most was how the author balanced the fast-paced corporate drama with deeply emotional moments, making Meredith a relatable and compelling protagonist. The exploration of trust, betrayal, and resilience felt authentic and gripping.

If you enjoy women’s suspense novels that combine workplace secrets with family drama, The Lies We Trade is a must-read. It’s perfect for book clubs too, with thought-provoking questions to discuss after.

This was a great read! There were so many twists and turns and kept me on the edge of my seat! I couldn’t put it down!

A career high for Meredith Hansel quickly sinks to a career low when her sales manager and trusted ally Betsey is fired right as she's in the spotlight for the innovative funds she's created as a portfolio manager at a competitive Wall Street firm.

Right as things start to crumble at work they also start to crumble at home with her marriage strained to the point of breaking and her teenage daughter's behaviour taking a mysterious turn.

As things continue to unravel it's clear to Meredith there is people at the firm that can't be trusted and that her family is at risk too. Meanwhile Betsey keeps popping up despite a restraining order, and Meredith has to question whether she's the enemy she's been made out to be?

***
This is a great story, but a little slow. The significant amount of financial lingo may also make it less thrilling for the average reader. But the plot itself is really well done.

Meredith Hansel emerges as a promising figure in the finance sector, enjoying the façade of an enviable lifestyle characterized by a prosperous career and a seemingly idyllic family life. However, her circumstances begin to deteriorate as she gains notoriety for her innovative strategies as a portfolio manager. The pressures from her personal life intensify, highlighted by the decline of her marriage, her daughter’s concealed struggles, and unsettling incidents such as vandalism to her residence. In her pursuit of clarity, as Meredith investigates recent events, she suspects that the turmoil in her life is not merely coincidental. She begins to link her personal adversities to deeper issues within her investment firm.

This domestic thriller, notable for its absence of violence yet rich in intrigue and suspense, provides an engrossing exploration of the high-stakes financial landscape. It has a gripping, relatable style that plunges you into the everyday life of Meredith, before it begins to unravel. It caters to readers who favor narratives centered on psychological tension rather than physical confrontations. I look forward to reading future novels by Kristine Delano.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my review.

A great read with a twist. When a mystery mingles with the making of funds you will not want to put this book down!

I requested this book on NetGalley without even knowing anything about the Wall Street, just the basics. However, this was such a good book for a debut novel! Kept me up on my toes. I just had a trip in reading the digital copy because it was only available through PDF!

If you want to read a thriller with no violence, this is one that you should pick up! It's a good insight on how the financial world works without it boring you. The mystery is also good as it will want you to read until the end and see if Betsey is really a friend or foe.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the author for giving me an eARC to review. All opinions are mine.

Meredith is a wife and mother who works at a Wall Street firm as a portfolio manager. One of her coworkers mysteriously falls under scrutiny at the firm and has been let go. At the same time, Meredith's daughter starts to encounter some harassment online. Meredith does her best to juggle her attention between home and work. When Meredith's coworker starts secretly reaching out to her, she soon starts to discover that everything might not be on the up and up at the law firm but is uncertain of who she can trust. But what exactly is going on? Could the home and work problems be related?

Even though I know next to nothing about Wall Street, this story was fast-paced and kept my attention throughout. Kristine Delano does a great job of simplifying the subject matter.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Lies We Trade by Kristine Delano

Meredith Hansel, portfolio manager of a prestigious Wall Street firm, should be riding high on her success, but her life is falling apart. Her home has been vandalized, her marriage is falling apart and her teenaged daughter is in trouble. Her job is in jeopardy and perhaps even her family’s lives are at stake. Betsey, her coworker, has been fired but keeps reappearing trying either to threaten or warn Meredith. She must sort through the debris to look for clues as to what is happening and why.

This book was unusual in that it covered the life of a woman working on Wall Street. Because of that, there were some parts of it that went over my head. Still, the action was fast-paced and contained enough drama to keep me reading to try and figure out what would happen next.

It was a very clean read and had some elements of faith, especially when Meredith remembered her grandmother’s example. As the story resolved, faith played a bigger part in Meredith’s life.

I am grateful to the publisher for this complimentary arc in exchange for this, my honest review.

I requested this ARC because it was by award-winner Kristine Delano, not because I know anything about Wall Street or the financial world. Now I know enough to know I'd never want to work there. 😆 Kristine does a good job explaining things for us who know nothing so we at least know, "oh, whatever happened here made the character scared/proud/frustrated" when we newbies couldn't have made those connections ourselves. So I was able to follow the emotional plot, which is my favorite part of books anyway, and learn a little, expanding my world. There's a light touch of faith and a struggling marriage and family that work their way to healing. You won't know who to trust and can't help but be surprised!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the eARC so I could write an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a new Author for me and holy whizz, I was hooked from the first few pages, the story is full of scandal, twists and many lies. I loved the characters and the things we will do and lengths we will go to for keeping things hidden is so evident in this diabolical read. Perfect for Summer reading. Happy Binging!

I’m so sad I have no read more books by Delano sooner, because her writing brought chills! This book was intense and crazy until the last page! I was shocked by the ending.