noveldeelights's review
3.0
All my reviews can be found at noveldeelights.com
Holly used to be a model with a drug addiction. Until one day, Simon spots her on the runway and decides he wants her in his life. He helps her get her act together, they get married and are now expecting twins. Holly splits her time between a flat in London and a beach house in Cornwall. Life is good.
Until Holly gives birth and only one of her twins survives. She's convinced her son is alive and will stop at nothing to find him.
It's becoming increasingly clear that the psychological genre and I are having some sort of relationship crisis. We're at that stage where there's angry shouting and door slamming and maybe some plates you never really liked will end up in pieces on the kitchen floor.
Based on the description, Behind The Lie had a lot of potential. I was expecting an intricate plot with lots of twists and turns but unfortunately for me, I figured the whole thing out quite early on and I thought it all became too predictable and slightly far-fetched.
I couldn't connect to any of the characters. They all came across as highly unlikeable, which doesn't always have to be an issue but in this case, for me, it was. I couldn't even muster up sympathy for Holly, which felt all kinds of wrong since she'd just lost a baby.
However, I did enjoy Amanda James' writing. Since this was my first time reading a book written by her, none of what I said will stop me from reading another one at some point. This is quite clearly a case of "it's not you, it's me" and the psychological thriller genre and I desperately need some time away from each other.
Many thanks to HQ Digital UK and Netgalley for my advanced copy, which I chose to review.
Holly used to be a model with a drug addiction. Until one day, Simon spots her on the runway and decides he wants her in his life. He helps her get her act together, they get married and are now expecting twins. Holly splits her time between a flat in London and a beach house in Cornwall. Life is good.
Until Holly gives birth and only one of her twins survives. She's convinced her son is alive and will stop at nothing to find him.
It's becoming increasingly clear that the psychological genre and I are having some sort of relationship crisis. We're at that stage where there's angry shouting and door slamming and maybe some plates you never really liked will end up in pieces on the kitchen floor.
Based on the description, Behind The Lie had a lot of potential. I was expecting an intricate plot with lots of twists and turns but unfortunately for me, I figured the whole thing out quite early on and I thought it all became too predictable and slightly far-fetched.
I couldn't connect to any of the characters. They all came across as highly unlikeable, which doesn't always have to be an issue but in this case, for me, it was. I couldn't even muster up sympathy for Holly, which felt all kinds of wrong since she'd just lost a baby.
However, I did enjoy Amanda James' writing. Since this was my first time reading a book written by her, none of what I said will stop me from reading another one at some point. This is quite clearly a case of "it's not you, it's me" and the psychological thriller genre and I desperately need some time away from each other.
Many thanks to HQ Digital UK and Netgalley for my advanced copy, which I chose to review.
zooloo1983's review
5.0
Ok, this was one crazy mad intense story! Some of it took place in Crazy Town but this time most of the madness is in London so Cornwall can’t be to blame! I spent a lot of my time reading this torn between did Holly’s son die or was he taken? Is she going crazy or is she completely sane? I warn you now my review will not do this book the justice it deserves!
Even though you are given an inkling to what is going to happen at the beginning you still can’t help but wonder if you can believe what happens. Then when you find out the truth, according to the book, it’s enough to make saints swears. (I loved that!)
The true story is shocking, absolutely cruel and terrifying that something like this all could happen. I can’t talk about the plot, I don’t want to ruin it but OMG it was awesome in my opinion.
Mandy has written a story which gets your pulse racing, makes you question everything, even the written word. People are most despicable and just quite simply wrong. Not quite sure how some people slept at night…well we do, just awful oh the anger I have!!!
So, Holly, she was a runway model when Simon spotted her and had to have her. He saved her from her drug addiction and now they are married and about to have twins. He’s the perfect husband, he buys her a gorgeous house in Cornwall by the beach so she is back to her roots, yet this could be the beginning of the end. Especially when she keeps dreaming a little boy in dungarees and a little girl in a summer dress playing on the beach, but how can this be when her son is dead.
This will be seen at the end of the year in my book list, I swear Mandy has cast a voodoo spell on me! I flew through this book in just over a day, outside my adulting, I stayed up past midnight (I didn’t eat after midnight so no Gremlins here!) and I hid in the bath to get Behind the Lie read, it was relentless and it wasn’t letting go of me. All the while I was nervous as I was getting near the end. Then I got to the end…
Even though the book has finished, I know the ending, I am still on edge because I still feel like some is going to happen and that it may not be the ending we have. Yes, I know this highly illogical as the book is over, yet I am still sitting here waiting for the sting. Mandy laughed at me and told me there is no sting, but yet…
Here I am still waiting…..
Even though you are given an inkling to what is going to happen at the beginning you still can’t help but wonder if you can believe what happens. Then when you find out the truth, according to the book, it’s enough to make saints swears. (I loved that!)
The true story is shocking, absolutely cruel and terrifying that something like this all could happen. I can’t talk about the plot, I don’t want to ruin it but OMG it was awesome in my opinion.
Mandy has written a story which gets your pulse racing, makes you question everything, even the written word. People are most despicable and just quite simply wrong. Not quite sure how some people slept at night…well we do, just awful oh the anger I have!!!
So, Holly, she was a runway model when Simon spotted her and had to have her. He saved her from her drug addiction and now they are married and about to have twins. He’s the perfect husband, he buys her a gorgeous house in Cornwall by the beach so she is back to her roots, yet this could be the beginning of the end. Especially when she keeps dreaming a little boy in dungarees and a little girl in a summer dress playing on the beach, but how can this be when her son is dead.
This will be seen at the end of the year in my book list, I swear Mandy has cast a voodoo spell on me! I flew through this book in just over a day, outside my adulting, I stayed up past midnight (I didn’t eat after midnight so no Gremlins here!) and I hid in the bath to get Behind the Lie read, it was relentless and it wasn’t letting go of me. All the while I was nervous as I was getting near the end. Then I got to the end…
Even though the book has finished, I know the ending, I am still on edge because I still feel like some is going to happen and that it may not be the ending we have. Yes, I know this highly illogical as the book is over, yet I am still sitting here waiting for the sting. Mandy laughed at me and told me there is no sting, but yet…
Here I am still waiting…..
booklady72's review
4.0
Holly used to be a model and a drug addict, but then she met her husband Simon who saved her. They are expecting twins but she is told that unfortunately one twin seems smaller than the other and when Holly gives birth the smaller twin dies and she is devastated.
One day she receives a letter telling her that her son is alive and living with other parents. How can this be? When she talks to her friends they don’t believe her so Holly sets out on a mission to find out the truth of what happened to her son. Along the way she meets up with an ex boyfriend who believes her and together they find out what happened.
I figured out what had happened quite early on in the book but it didn’t spoil the story for me in anyway and I was quickly turning the pages to find out what would happen.
Many thanks to The TBC reviewer group and Amanda James for letting me read and review this book.
One day she receives a letter telling her that her son is alive and living with other parents. How can this be? When she talks to her friends they don’t believe her so Holly sets out on a mission to find out the truth of what happened to her son. Along the way she meets up with an ex boyfriend who believes her and together they find out what happened.
I figured out what had happened quite early on in the book but it didn’t spoil the story for me in anyway and I was quickly turning the pages to find out what would happen.
Many thanks to The TBC reviewer group and Amanda James for letting me read and review this book.
sharonleavy's review
3.0
Ex-model Holly is happily married to Simon. He prides himself on having "saved" her from a world of addiction - and now she's giving birth to their twins. Unfortunately, while her female twin survives, her male twin does not.
Holly is devastated, and goes to their beach house in Cornwall for a break. She can't shake the feeling that something is wrong - that her son is still alive. When she receives a letter stating just that, she's determined to find out what happened and get her baby back.
This was good, it was a quick read, and nicely paced. A little predictable, but that's always a risk when you've read a lot of thrillers. I'm also the type of reader who is immediately suspicious of everyone - bus driver appears for a second? He did it! Receptionist? She did it! Little old lady? She did it! It does become tiring, because I can't switch it off, so it meant that I didn't fully appreciate a couple of the characters here because I thought they were involved (my fault entirely, not the author's). I liked the setting, any book that includes Cornwall is enjoyable for me, it's a beautiful place and so atmospheric.
It wrapped up well, even though J drove me NUTS (make up your mind, seriously). I liked how Holly discovered how strong she really was and how she knew she could rely on herself.
Might make a nice, quick holiday read, good for a beach or flight.
Thanks to HQ Digital for providing me with an early copy via Netgalley!
Holly is devastated, and goes to their beach house in Cornwall for a break. She can't shake the feeling that something is wrong - that her son is still alive. When she receives a letter stating just that, she's determined to find out what happened and get her baby back.
This was good, it was a quick read, and nicely paced. A little predictable, but that's always a risk when you've read a lot of thrillers. I'm also the type of reader who is immediately suspicious of everyone - bus driver appears for a second? He did it! Receptionist? She did it! Little old lady? She did it! It does become tiring, because I can't switch it off, so it meant that I didn't fully appreciate a couple of the characters here because I thought they were involved (my fault entirely, not the author's). I liked the setting, any book that includes Cornwall is enjoyable for me, it's a beautiful place and so atmospheric.
It wrapped up well, even though J drove me NUTS (make up your mind, seriously). I liked how Holly discovered how strong she really was and how she knew she could rely on herself.
Might make a nice, quick holiday read, good for a beach or flight.
Thanks to HQ Digital for providing me with an early copy via Netgalley!
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