A Lovely Lie

By: Jaime Lynn Hendricks

Narrated by: Hillary Huber

1999: The night of their senior picnic, Scarlett Russo and her best friend Pepper were involved in a car accident that left two of their classmates dead. Afterward, they lied to the police, protecting each other from the consequences. Then Pepper left town and Scarlett never heard from her again . . .

Now: Twenty-two years later, Scarlett has buried that deadly incident deep in her mind and built a comfortable life for herself, working in a hotel on the west coast of Florida and raising her teenage son with her husband Vince. Her peace is disrupted, however, when Pepper's daughter shows up with news of Pepper's death. Zoey is twenty-one and studying to be an investigative journalist. She has a cryptic letter from Pepper addressed to Scarlett that alludes to the events of that fateful night and Pepper's initial intentions to get an abortion. Now Zoey wants answers about her mother's past. Who is Zoey's father? And what really happened after the senior picnic? As Zoey continues to dig into the past, all of Scarlett's buried secrets threaten to rise to the surface.

Jaime Lynn Hendricks, "the queen of the page-turner" (Ashley Winstead), will have you questioning who you can trust in this intricately twisted thriller.

©2024 Jaime Lynn Hendricks (P)2024 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Fun dramatic thrilling heartfelt

I really enjoyed this book. it left no plot holes, and the character development is believable. Everyone got their just desserts in the end, well, kind of. Narrator did a great job as well.

Good domestic thriller

Good Character development and twists and turns. Looked forward to listening each time I was in The car on a cross country road trip. Recommend!

Kept my interest

Zoey is trying to find her father and goes back to her mother's high school town to meet her best friend from high school. She has a letter that her mother wrote and never sent to her talking about an accident. Zoey wants to be an investigative journalist
and uses her skills to question the adults that knew her mother. The story is set over a few days with flash backs to their high school days and moves quickly. The story has enough twists to keep one interested. The narrator has a pleasant voice.

Surprise at the end

I liked the character development and how the truth of "the accident" came out, little by little. The narrator was good.

Good Plot Twists

The story was unpredictable enough to keep it interesting. Well written believable characters. It was a little hard sometimes to know which one was speaking based on the performance. The read was worth the time and money.

Frenemies, Brenemies & Unrequited Love …. Oh my!

None of the characters are likeable when you first meet them… they seem selfish, self-absorbed, and like they all have secret agendas. But through suspenseful reveals and excellent storytelling, you find the truth, redeeming qualities, and see a story that started in 1999 come full circle.

Full of twists and turns, including some OMG! what?!! moments - I finished this in 3 days. My first Jamie Lynn Hendricks novel, and already on the hunt to find my next read from the author.

Really Good Complex Story

Kind of like Mean Girls meets Carrie but not so dramatic! Character development was really good especially when it came to the characters not so great! The story unveiled itself well and the ending was complete. It was an enjoyable listen.

Narration was really good capturing various character voices and emotional ranges!!

RE: Not Exactly Believable, but Close

So this story has elements that are not exactly believable, or likely, though time with any narcissist tends to enlighten those around her about the absurd nature of exploits, so, maybe it is not that far from truth. Still, it is pretty well written. I will say this: the narrator(s) tone may have made it more difficult to embrace these characters. Really. The tone and inflection combined with the relatable elements keeps one from dismissing them altogether, though as the story wanes on, it is easier to relate to and/or feel empathy toward Scarlett. It most definitely sheds light on how damaging, intrusive, selfish, abusive, and diabolical a narcissistic mother can be in the lives of her children.

TW: false accusations, toxic mothers, unplanned pregnancy, emotional/mental abuse

Ridiculously Juvenile

Shallow characters with virtually no depth. A story that goes on and on ad nauseam about a high school incident. One of the worst books I’ve listened to in a long time and do not recommend.

Outstanding performance by the narrator.

Too much was revealed early in the book so that everyone could guess the jest of the story. However, the switch of narrators presenting different angles was a welcomed touch and the slow trickle of information provided each piece of the puzzle. The twist
ending was surprisingly undramatic but nonetheless satisfying.