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bridgetteramirez's review
DNF. Not sure if it’s me or this book, but we aren’t meshing.
bhreanna's review
4.0
great message & execution!
I really enjoyed how the story was written. I loved the 3 parts and how each was in a different perspective. Overall this book gives off a great message about our self worth and to make sure to not let anybody bring you down. While this story is more of a slow burn, there are some elements that keep you hooked throughout, definitely recommend the read :)
I really enjoyed how the story was written. I loved the 3 parts and how each was in a different perspective. Overall this book gives off a great message about our self worth and to make sure to not let anybody bring you down. While this story is more of a slow burn, there are some elements that keep you hooked throughout, definitely recommend the read :)
jamie_o's review
5.0
This is the story of Presley and Micah, best friends since childhood who find a connection in their brokenness. Both were abused as children by their parents. Now they are in their late twenties and have a codependent relationship and a lot of baggage. Then comes the love triangle when Micah gets a new co-worker named Mara. I'm not a big fan of love triangles, but I still enjoyed the book.
It's told from three points of view: Micah, Mara (her section is brief - but it's necessary to fully grasp her level of crazy), and Presley. There is significant internal monologue and I think it works here, as do the intermittent flashbacks to Micah and Presley's childhood. Both effectively elicit understanding and compassion for them, despite their repeatedly wounding one another. I was impressed with the authenticity of Micah's male voice - as usual the male lead was my fav. Presley was a close second though.
The story is emotionally compelling (without feeling forced) with heartache, loss, and ultimately healing. The happily ever after was believable and satisfying. The writing was pretty good so I'll not nitpick, probably worth 4 stars, but I'm giving it 5 stars for personal enjoyment.
*it's pretty clean, but gritty - there are very few profanities and no sex, although there are detailed kissing and make-out scenes
It's told from three points of view: Micah, Mara (her section is brief - but it's necessary to fully grasp her level of crazy), and Presley. There is significant internal monologue and I think it works here, as do the intermittent flashbacks to Micah and Presley's childhood. Both effectively elicit understanding and compassion for them, despite their repeatedly wounding one another. I was impressed with the authenticity of Micah's male voice - as usual the male lead was my fav. Presley was a close second though.
The story is emotionally compelling (without feeling forced) with heartache, loss, and ultimately healing. The happily ever after was believable and satisfying. The writing was pretty good so I'll not nitpick, probably worth 4 stars, but I'm giving it 5 stars for personal enjoyment.
*it's pretty clean, but gritty - there are very few profanities and no sex, although there are detailed kissing and make-out scenes
readfineprint's review
5.0
This is a fun romance book but it also has some deeper themes of self worth, recovering from abuse, and of course denial, the LIES WE TELL OURSELVES .
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The author wrote the book in three different perspectives, but my favorite character is Micah. He tries to drown the pain of his past in his success: his great career, women, charm and good looks. His best friend Presley has been there for him all along, but will he wake up soon and realize how important she is to him? Or will he continue to fall for Mara, a girl who seems to have everything he’s always wanted in a girl?
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The minute I thought I knew how the story was going to go, there was a fun twist that I wasn’t expecting. I read this pretty quick because I had to make sure it ended like I wanted it to!
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If you haven’t ever read any of Matayo’s books you definitely should. Her books aren’t what you would call religious, or Christian, but they are definitely cleaner than your average romance novel.
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The author wrote the book in three different perspectives, but my favorite character is Micah. He tries to drown the pain of his past in his success: his great career, women, charm and good looks. His best friend Presley has been there for him all along, but will he wake up soon and realize how important she is to him? Or will he continue to fall for Mara, a girl who seems to have everything he’s always wanted in a girl?
•
The minute I thought I knew how the story was going to go, there was a fun twist that I wasn’t expecting. I read this pretty quick because I had to make sure it ended like I wanted it to!
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If you haven’t ever read any of Matayo’s books you definitely should. Her books aren’t what you would call religious, or Christian, but they are definitely cleaner than your average romance novel.
cctblog's review
4.0
This book! It is so, so good. Emotionally engaging with characters you want to hug (or slap, depending), Lies We Tell Ourselves definitely doesn't live in fantasyland. It deals with real-life issues like child abuse, dysfunctional relationships, mental illness, and the emotional baggage that goes along with a rough childhood.
Presley and Micah are two very broken people who meet as children and form an incredibly co-dependent relationship. When Lies We Tell Ourselves begins, the two have been loving—and hurting—each other for the better part of two decades. While the novel does contain romance, I'd hesitate to label it a romance; really, it's far more about Micah and Presley each discovering their own value and taking strides to work through prior hurt than it is about falling in love.
The novel is told in first person present tense from three alternating perspectives: Micah's, Presley's, and Mara's. First person present tense doesn't always work for me, but here it feels very intimate and personal, and it helped me to understand the characters (even Mara, who is ... difficult to like).
Really, I have just one criticism: Most of the novel takes place within six months to a year, but at the 80% mark (according to my Kindle copy), the main story ends and the epilogue begins. It jumps ahead multiple times before finally ending roughly four years later. And all the jumping forward just left me feeling a bit off kilter. Matayo did a good job of filling the reader in on what happened in the time that was skipped, but it still seemed odd to me to have such a large chunk of the book be the epilogue and to have so many time jumps. It's a bold artistic choice that didn't land with me; however, most readers probably won't care as much as I did.
So that's why I'm giving this book 4 stars instead of 5. But don't let that deter you—this is a magnificent novel with a powerful message: you are loved and you have worth, no matter what anyone has told you or what you tell yourself.
Note: If you're a longtime Matayo reader, watch out for a fun reference to The Wedding Game!
Disclosure of material connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author. All opinions in this review are my own.
Presley and Micah are two very broken people who meet as children and form an incredibly co-dependent relationship. When Lies We Tell Ourselves begins, the two have been loving—and hurting—each other for the better part of two decades. While the novel does contain romance, I'd hesitate to label it a romance; really, it's far more about Micah and Presley each discovering their own value and taking strides to work through prior hurt than it is about falling in love.
The novel is told in first person present tense from three alternating perspectives: Micah's, Presley's, and Mara's. First person present tense doesn't always work for me, but here it feels very intimate and personal, and it helped me to understand the characters (even Mara, who is ... difficult to like).
Really, I have just one criticism: Most of the novel takes place within six months to a year, but at the 80% mark (according to my Kindle copy), the main story ends and the epilogue begins. It jumps ahead multiple times before finally ending roughly four years later. And all the jumping forward just left me feeling a bit off kilter. Matayo did a good job of filling the reader in on what happened in the time that was skipped, but it still seemed odd to me to have such a large chunk of the book be the epilogue and to have so many time jumps. It's a bold artistic choice that didn't land with me; however, most readers probably won't care as much as I did.
So that's why I'm giving this book 4 stars instead of 5. But don't let that deter you—this is a magnificent novel with a powerful message: you are loved and you have worth, no matter what anyone has told you or what you tell yourself.
Note: If you're a longtime Matayo reader, watch out for a fun reference to The Wedding Game!
Disclosure of material connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author. All opinions in this review are my own.
fiction_aficionado's review
5.0
Wow. What a powerful story. It’s raw, intense, bold, and gutsy—because, to be quite honest, for most of this book Micah Leven is a selfish jerk. But he’s also one of the most brilliantly-written characters I’ve come across, written in such a way that you can see he has the potential to be so much more; he just doesn’t know it yet. And that’s largely because of the lies he believes as a result of his mother’s abandonment and his father’s abuse.
Presley’s story is no prettier than Micah’s, but instead of being a selfish jerk, she’s become more of a doormat. Or perhaps a dog on a leash. She’s learned to settle for scraps. And one of the most painful things about this story was that you could see the kernel of a precious friendship between Presley and Micah, buried beneath the layers of toxicity. But those layers . . . yeah. Toxic.
And Mara . . . I think it’s probably best I leave you to discover her for yourself. Yowser!
I cannot overemphasise how brilliant this story is. The psychological insight is so subtly woven into the story, and yet it bleeds from every page—and sometimes that might as well be literally, for all the pain it uncovers. It’s that insight that makes the characterisation so strong and the story so compelling. But it’s the example ultimately set by these characters—the consequences of believing those insidious lies, and the process of recognising and rejecting those lies—that gives this story its power. And its pain. But . . .
I am worth it. YOU are worth it. And this story is most definitely worth it.
I received a copy of this novel from the author. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Presley’s story is no prettier than Micah’s, but instead of being a selfish jerk, she’s become more of a doormat. Or perhaps a dog on a leash. She’s learned to settle for scraps. And one of the most painful things about this story was that you could see the kernel of a precious friendship between Presley and Micah, buried beneath the layers of toxicity. But those layers . . . yeah. Toxic.
And Mara . . . I think it’s probably best I leave you to discover her for yourself. Yowser!
I cannot overemphasise how brilliant this story is. The psychological insight is so subtly woven into the story, and yet it bleeds from every page—and sometimes that might as well be literally, for all the pain it uncovers. It’s that insight that makes the characterisation so strong and the story so compelling. But it’s the example ultimately set by these characters—the consequences of believing those insidious lies, and the process of recognising and rejecting those lies—that gives this story its power. And its pain. But . . .
I am worth it. YOU are worth it. And this story is most definitely worth it.
I received a copy of this novel from the author. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
marylinfurumasu's review
5.0
Lies are so damaging, yet we tell them to ourselves all the time. I’ve heard many of the comments in this book. “I’m not good enough?” “I’m a mistake.” “I’ll never be worthy.” For a long time, I told people I was the middle child, left-handed, and the oddball in the family. My sisters told me I was adopted. (I wasn’t!) But it still stuck with me even as I grew older. However, one day, I realized, I’m chosen and a child of the King. I need to lift my head up and not let Satan speak those lies in my ears. I will say that some days it’s not easy.
I’m not sure how the author, Amy Matayo was able to hear all those voices in my head. This book was written in such a way that I truly felt all the pain and thoughts Micah and Presley went through. I was never abused physically, and I have a wonderful family, but there were still those things Satan used to speak into my head to make me doubt my worth as a person.
If you’ve ever struggled with issues of worth, depression, and loneliness, then this book will touch you in a deep way. I know it will stick with me for a long time. I loved many of the quotes in this story and plan to make graphics to remember them.
Amy Matayo is a fantastic author who gets to the heart of issues. Her writing will wrap around you and not let go. I personally want to thank her for her wonderful words of encouragement.
When I started this book I truly couldn’t stop until I finished the whole thing. Wow! It’s that good!
I was given this book by the author for an honest review, all opinions are my own.
I’m not sure how the author, Amy Matayo was able to hear all those voices in my head. This book was written in such a way that I truly felt all the pain and thoughts Micah and Presley went through. I was never abused physically, and I have a wonderful family, but there were still those things Satan used to speak into my head to make me doubt my worth as a person.
If you’ve ever struggled with issues of worth, depression, and loneliness, then this book will touch you in a deep way. I know it will stick with me for a long time. I loved many of the quotes in this story and plan to make graphics to remember them.
Amy Matayo is a fantastic author who gets to the heart of issues. Her writing will wrap around you and not let go. I personally want to thank her for her wonderful words of encouragement.
When I started this book I truly couldn’t stop until I finished the whole thing. Wow! It’s that good!
I was given this book by the author for an honest review, all opinions are my own.
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