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A review by jkjoy_books
A Lovely Lie by Jaime Lynn Hendricks
5.0
This is a story written by an author who masterly intertwines the past and the present by taking readers on an emotional rollercoaster to reveal the unfortunate truth of a fatal night and its consequences.
The book is set in 1999, as Scarlett Russo and her best friend Pepper witness a severe car crash that claims two lives of their classmates. Struck with panic and fear, they decide to lie to the police, shielding each other from the repercussions. However, their lives take a new turn as Pepper walks out of Scarlett’s life, leaving her with many unanswered questions and a massive burden of guilt.
Skip twenty-two years, and Scarlett has successfully buried the incident in her mind and created a relatively comfortable life for herself and her family. However, everything changes when Pepper’s daughter Zoey comes back with a tragic message that her mother is dead. Zoey goes on the mission armed with a cryptic letter from Pepper addressed to Scarlett to find out more details about her mother’s past and her identity.
Readers are taken on a journey with Scarlett as she must face her past, with the author effectively exploring the intricacies of guilt, forgiveness, and lengths that people would go through for the ones they cherish. The characters are developed strongly and understandably have their own problems and secrets. Scarlett’s internal struggle, as if trying to choose between a beautiful lie and a horrible truth, is palpable, and readers will question their beliefs and values.
The narrative smoothly shifts between present and past, chronicling what happened on that tragic night and the subsequent repercussions. The timing is excellent and keeps readers interested and excited to uncover the next piece of the mystery. So, the author’s style is descriptive and evocative, illustrating bright pictures of characters’ feelings and the surroundings one can imagine them in.
One of the strengths of this novel is that it depicts the concept of motherhood and the family life affected by the secrets. Scarlett and Zoey have a heartwarming relationship as well as an utterly tense one, considering what they were through and what was discovered along the way. The author’s skill is exemplary in this novel, as readers emotionally hook into the characters’ lives, hoping they will get out of their circumstances and understand them.
“Is it better to believe a lovely lie or know the horrible truth?” This is an engaging and provocative read that will leave readers pondering the nature of truth, forgiveness, and how far people will go to shield the ones they love. This novel, with its developed characters, thrilling plot, and in-depth study of intricate themes, is suitable for anyone interested in psychopathological thrillers and dramas about families. I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to Penzler Publishers, Scarlet, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.
The book is set in 1999, as Scarlett Russo and her best friend Pepper witness a severe car crash that claims two lives of their classmates. Struck with panic and fear, they decide to lie to the police, shielding each other from the repercussions. However, their lives take a new turn as Pepper walks out of Scarlett’s life, leaving her with many unanswered questions and a massive burden of guilt.
Skip twenty-two years, and Scarlett has successfully buried the incident in her mind and created a relatively comfortable life for herself and her family. However, everything changes when Pepper’s daughter Zoey comes back with a tragic message that her mother is dead. Zoey goes on the mission armed with a cryptic letter from Pepper addressed to Scarlett to find out more details about her mother’s past and her identity.
Readers are taken on a journey with Scarlett as she must face her past, with the author effectively exploring the intricacies of guilt, forgiveness, and lengths that people would go through for the ones they cherish. The characters are developed strongly and understandably have their own problems and secrets. Scarlett’s internal struggle, as if trying to choose between a beautiful lie and a horrible truth, is palpable, and readers will question their beliefs and values.
The narrative smoothly shifts between present and past, chronicling what happened on that tragic night and the subsequent repercussions. The timing is excellent and keeps readers interested and excited to uncover the next piece of the mystery. So, the author’s style is descriptive and evocative, illustrating bright pictures of characters’ feelings and the surroundings one can imagine them in.
One of the strengths of this novel is that it depicts the concept of motherhood and the family life affected by the secrets. Scarlett and Zoey have a heartwarming relationship as well as an utterly tense one, considering what they were through and what was discovered along the way. The author’s skill is exemplary in this novel, as readers emotionally hook into the characters’ lives, hoping they will get out of their circumstances and understand them.
“Is it better to believe a lovely lie or know the horrible truth?” This is an engaging and provocative read that will leave readers pondering the nature of truth, forgiveness, and how far people will go to shield the ones they love. This novel, with its developed characters, thrilling plot, and in-depth study of intricate themes, is suitable for anyone interested in psychopathological thrillers and dramas about families. I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to Penzler Publishers, Scarlet, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.