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Publisher: Atria Books/Simon & Schuster Audio
Release Date: June 12, 2018
Format: Hardcover/MP3 Download
Pages: Hardcover: 352 | Audio Length: 13 hrs 6 mins
Narrator: Corey Brill, Rebekkah Ross
Source: Booksparks/Audiobook Publisher
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 3 bookmarks
Synopsis: Lucy Albright is far from her Long Island upbringing when she arrives on the campus of her small California college, and happy to be hundreds of miles from her mother, whom she’s never forgiven for an act of betrayal in her early teen years. Quickly grasping at her fresh start, Lucy embraces college life and all it has to offer—new friends, wild parties, stimulating classes. And then she meets Stephen DeMarco. Charming. Attractive. Complicated. Devastating.
Confident and cocksure, Stephen sees something in Lucy that no one else has, and she’s quickly seduced by this vision of herself, and the sense of possibility that his attention brings her. Meanwhile, Stephen is determined to forget an incident buried in his past that, if exposed, could ruin him, and his single-minded drive for success extends to winning, and keeping, Lucy’s heart.
Alternating between Lucy’s and Stephen’s voices, Tell Me Lies follows their connection through college and post-college life in New York City. Deep down, Lucy knows she has to acknowledge the truth about Stephen. But before she can free herself from this addicting entanglement, she must confront and heal her relationship with her mother—or risk losing herself in a delusion about what it truly means to love.
*This audiobook was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: June 12, 2018
Format: Hardcover/MP3 Download
Pages: Hardcover: 352 | Audio Length: 13 hrs 6 mins
Narrator: Corey Brill, Rebekkah Ross
Source: Booksparks/Audiobook Publisher
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 3 bookmarks
Synopsis: Lucy Albright is far from her Long Island upbringing when she arrives on the campus of her small California college, and happy to be hundreds of miles from her mother, whom she’s never forgiven for an act of betrayal in her early teen years. Quickly grasping at her fresh start, Lucy embraces college life and all it has to offer—new friends, wild parties, stimulating classes. And then she meets Stephen DeMarco. Charming. Attractive. Complicated. Devastating.
Confident and cocksure, Stephen sees something in Lucy that no one else has, and she’s quickly seduced by this vision of herself, and the sense of possibility that his attention brings her. Meanwhile, Stephen is determined to forget an incident buried in his past that, if exposed, could ruin him, and his single-minded drive for success extends to winning, and keeping, Lucy’s heart.
Alternating between Lucy’s and Stephen’s voices, Tell Me Lies follows their connection through college and post-college life in New York City. Deep down, Lucy knows she has to acknowledge the truth about Stephen. But before she can free herself from this addicting entanglement, she must confront and heal her relationship with her mother—or risk losing herself in a delusion about what it truly means to love.
*This audiobook was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This is not a love story. This book is not romantic. This is a story about dangerous and obsessive love with a strong statement about mental health. From lack of empathy to low self-esteem and eating disorders, there is a lot of internal conflicts that feed into this unhealthy relationship from both sides. I'm sure the ongoing drug use didn't help things. Consider this story more a cautionary tale of young and dumb love.
The characters are so realistic that when bad things happened, it promoted an audible reaction from me. Lucy and Stephan have the type of relationship that I wouldn't wish on anyone. Very dysfunctional. If you've ever dated even a mild sociopath, then you will be jarred by some of the things that Stephen does and that Lucy accepts.
The characters are so realistic that when bad things happened, it promoted an audible reaction from me. Lucy and Stephan have the type of relationship that I wouldn't wish on anyone. Very dysfunctional. If you've ever dated even a mild sociopath, then you will be jarred by some of the things that Stephen does and that Lucy accepts.
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I had a hard time connecting with Lucy and understanding her motivations. I thought, is this what problems are for the affluent? She's too soft, insecure, and easily manipulated. Enter Stephen, polar opposite. He gets what he wants, he's confident and owes nobody anything. He will lie until he's blue in the face and then some. He takes advantage of Lucy's and other women's weaknesses to get what he wants. I really hated Stephen's character. Then we find out what he did years ago...just wow.
Even though I found none of the characters likable, I still couldn't stop listening. It was like watching a train wreck about to happen. You know it will happen and you know it's going to be bad, but you can't look away. That speaks well to Lovering's ability to draw you into the story. While I found myself speaking out loud to the character's stupidity, I kept listening.
Even though I found none of the characters likable, I still couldn't stop listening. It was like watching a train wreck about to happen. You know it will happen and you know it's going to be bad, but you can't look away. That speaks well to Lovering's ability to draw you into the story. While I found myself speaking out loud to the character's stupidity, I kept listening.
I found the two narrators really helped make the story even more jaw-dropping and engaging. This was my first time hearing narration by Corey Brill, and trust me, his voice as Stephen was totally spot on. I enjoyed Rebekkah Ross's performance as well. She did a great job as with other audiobooks narrated by her. I started reading this in hardcover, then switched to the audiobook. I'm glad that I did because the audio narration really improved the pacing.
When it came to the end of the book, I wanted something specific. Unfortunately, I didn't get it. I wanted Stephen to pay for his behavior. He didn't. I wanted more from Lucy in the end as well. I think that there was some opportunity lost when it came to resolving this ongoing yet gross relationship.
When it came to the end of the book, I wanted something specific. Unfortunately, I didn't get it. I wanted Stephen to pay for his behavior. He didn't. I wanted more from Lucy in the end as well. I think that there was some opportunity lost when it came to resolving this ongoing yet gross relationship.
Memorable Book Quotes
“Manipulation is not a bad word. It’s not a cynical mind-set. It’s a proactive approach to exploiting opportunities.”
“Well, time and space give you clarity, and sometimes you don’t realize things until . . . you do.”
Carola Lovering delivered a book worthy of a book club read because this will open up a lot of engaging conversation around relationships and mental health. There is lots of drama to discuss and I think that it will be an engrossing read, regardless of how you feel about the characters. A friend read Tell Me Lies at the same time as me and we literally had a 1-hour text message book club meeting about it!
If you've read Tell Me Lies, share what you thought of it.
If you've read Tell Me Lies, share what you thought of it.
