Never Lie

So this is my first thriller, and idk, I am not sold. I do think it was interesting, and I enjoyed reading it, it was suspenseful without being downright scary, and I blasted through it wanting to know what happened.

But, it was just so inconsistent and I did not think it made sense. things were alluded to that ended up being wrong, which can be fine for a twist, but when they don't make sense? That is where I think it becomes more inconsistency and less 'twist'.

The build up on the husband being EJ and then it wasn't was not my favorite. It just made perfect sense for him to be EJ, and then it wasn't at all? Tell me more about him then, because ya boy was suspicious and should have been EJ. Nope, he just randomly killed his mom. Nevermind the fact that he is overly obsessed with this house, encourages Tricia to wear Adrienne's clothes, etc. Clearly we were being directed down this path and then at the end randomly twisted away.

I did enjoy (Pa)Tricia and her twist, it totally makes sense for the most part. I do think there is inconsistency from the beginning few chapters to the end, but it wasn't as bad as Ethan.

Unless there is a part 2, several things were just left out: why did she continuously mention she only has known her husband for a year and doesn't really know him if it doesn't matter at the end? Why is Luke randomly there, perfectly poised like a little lamb in the den of lions? just so he could die? Why didn't we get a kill scene for Adrienne but did for this random stalker EJ?

Personally i hoped they all died but alas that is not the HEA we received. Instead we got a look into their happy family while also learning Tricia is ready to kill her husband at any time.

It was enjoyable and a quick read, but the inconsistencies bothered me and made it less enjoyable.

This is 100% brain candy. And for what it is, it's fun. For you hyper-critical readers (like me) you'll be rolling your eyes at the redundancy of detail and the syntax issues. But suspending that, it was a pretty good time. Palate cleanser for sure.

I have heard so much about Freida McFadden and was a bit skeptical when I started this book. It has an isolated house in a blizzard, which I love. The couple was suspicious and I didn't really like them, but I never felt like I was supposed to like them. So McFadden did a great job characterizing them. I was doubted myself if they were as bad as my first impression said and that is what a good thriller should do, make me doubt my reading. Dr. Hale is also very suspicious. I suspected part of the ending, but there were parts that I was surprised about as well. That was a good mix of surprise outcomes and expected outcomes. This was a fabulous book to start with for Freida McFadden. I look forward to reading more of her work.

I had so many thoughts and theories while reading this. Lo and behold, I only got like one or two things right and the rest were unexpected! This kept me entertained despite some little parts that were irksome due to the FMC being kind of annoying. Despite that, I would still definitely recommend!

So much fun. I thought I had it figured out immediately and I was not even close. Very entertaining.

I never thought I'd say I found a Freida McFadden book predictable but this one I did. It's been my least favorite I've read of hers so far. 

I called a couple of the twists early, the ones I didn't didn't surprise me. I loved the setting and the vibe but the story just fell flat. 

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator was great and kept it interesting. 

I didn't ever not want to finish and I am glad I listened to it. But it felt just very generic in the end. 

Nope this murderous couple does not deserve that happy ending.
All their excuses for killing those ppl were petty and immature.
So no. I do not agree. Justice for Dr. Hale!!!!!!!

First few chapters Tricia says she barely knows her husband.
Now in the last chapters she suddenly reveals she's obsessed with him and actually set up their whole relationship with all her prior knowledge.
I mean I know author wants us to be oblivious of the plot twist but this just makes me reader look stupid.
Really messy. I wish it was written more wisely.

Never Lie mengikuti pasangan pengantin baru, Tricia dan Ethan, yang terjebak dalam badai salju saat mengunjungi sebuah rumah terpencil yang pernah dimiliki oleh Dr. Adrienne Hale, seorang psikiater terkenal yang menghilang secara misterius beberapa tahun sebelumnya. Selama terjebak di rumah tersebut, Tricia menemukan rekaman sesi terapi Dr. Hale dengan pasien-pasiennya, yang mengungkap rahasia mengejutkan.

Buku kelima Freida yang kubaca dan sejauh ini, menurutku ini yang paling bagus. Masih dengan ciri khasnya, bab-bab pendek yang mudah diikuti, misdirection dari awal buku, dengan plot twist yang sangat tidak terduga. Penyelesaiannya menurutku agak kurang memuaskan, dengan pengungkapan yang tidak terduga tadi.

Aku merekomendasikan novel ini untuk penggemar thriller & misteri.

Book is amazing 😍 ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

The plot twists were unexpected.

Must read book by Frieda McFadden.

Excited to read more books of her.

Okay I am SHOOK.. I thought I knew exactly what was happening until like 85% of the way in. I do wish it had been slightly easier to connect but then again I'm impressed I was so off. 3.5/5.

Simple and easy to enjoy book

Top of the list for best thrillers of 2024!! (or even all time)

I feel like the author was so desperate for readers to believe her red herring that she ignored the all set up for the actual twist.

From chapter seven I was angry that I was being spoon fed these very coincidental “clues” and then I ended even angrier because we are literally in the MC's head for the whole book and only at the magical point of the twist does she suddenly reveal she knows so much more information than she let on. Girl has literally been in the house so many times yet acts like it's the first time she's seen it?? She's listening to herself and yet acts like she doesn't know who it is. She put herself in this very specific situation and acts like she can't wait to get out. And it would make sense if it was third person pov but we are literally reading her thoughts like it does not work!

The more I think about it the more mad I get. Don't deliberately mislead your readers just to have a shock reveal. It's a shock because it doesn't make any sense.

I started this review with a two star rating but you know what? It deserves a one.

Not my most favorite Frieda to date, but good nonetheless!

Some of the chapters are a little drawn out and would lose my interest. The ending is shocking that I couldn't predict who the killer actually was! But the way it ends didn't leave me satisfied.

When they describe thrillers that are ‘one-sitting' reads, I imagine that this is the kind of novel one would expect. The strong execution/delivery of each individual element - plot, prose, pace, dialogue, character depth, POV, structure, length, reveals, and even the twists - is what makes it standout as a near-perfect read for this genre. While it's possible that none of the individual elements were mind-blowing alone, the quality of each individual part added up to a sum that should leave you wanting more - if not from these characters, then at least from this writer.

⭐️⭐️⭐️


Find more on my IG @kayreads_romance

⚠️ !! Please be sure to check any TWs before diving in !! ⚠️

Tropes:
* Thriller
* Dual POV
* Shifting timelines


Spicy chapters:


My thoughts while reading:

Just when you think you have it all figured out, she throws you for a loop! Wow!

I really enjoyed this book. Although my initial and follow-up thoughts were somewhat dismissive, there was a plot twist—and then another. Frieda McFadden definitely keeps you guessing.

Great writing and great character development.

And Laura Howard's narration was good as well.

Nope.

Every time I try and read something from the thriller/mystery pile of books people recommend to me, I come away disappointed. Maybe it's me?

The rest of this will be in spoilers. Know that there's heavy ending spoilers here.

Okay, so I have a major problem with authors who try so hard to be smarter than their readers, and this book had that in spades. When The Twist happens in the last 2o% of the book or so, I think us, as the readers, are supposed to just ignore the first part of the book and pretend like it never happened, because after The Twist it just doesn't matter anymore. The author's doing the "GOTCHA!" finger guns in the background, and we're supposed to ignore the fact that the entire book was written in first person and thus in the mind of the actual killer, and none of this is even hinted at. All for the sake of The Twist and The Gotcha. Her mind, her thoughts, all of it indicates this is her first time in the house, and yet if she's the killer, it very clearly isn't. It feels like lazy storytelling.

None of the characters are likeable. Except maybe the real estate agent Judy, who knew better than to go driving out to a house in bumfuck nowhere in a blizzard and who has high standards for the houses she shows. You go girl, and good on you for staying out of the book.

I gave it a star for being a quick read, and it at least kept me reading until the end, if only for maybe the wrong reasons.

a brilliant mix between omg and wtf! very well crafted i hadn't seen it coming at all. read this on the train in like 5 hours.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4 Stars= It was a very good read. Might read it again.

TRIGGERS: MENTAL HEALTH, MURDER

POV: Dual, First PersonSeries/Standalone: StandalonePart of a series: NoSafe or Dark: Safeish (see trigger warnings)

“I believe that any human being is capable of terrible things if you push them hard enough.”

Tricia finds out she is pregnant much sooner than the couple had planned. It was accidental. She was taking birth control but was not taking extra precautions while on an antibiotic for an infection, since she didn't know that antibiotics often counteract birth control pills. She even says, "Who knew?". Everyone, honey, 95% of doctors will let a woman on the pill know that antibiotics can cause them to be less effective. She needs to get a new primary care provider. Once Ethan found out the news, he was very happy (surprise, surprise). He even insisted on doing everything for her since she was pregnant and needed to rest. At this point, she wasn't even showing and was maybe 3 months preggers at the most. She was very capable of doing things on her own.

TWO

chef's kiss

I really liked the atmosphere and the great suspense. I did not mind some mild repetition. It was another great page turner and kept me guessing until the end.

This one managed to completely surprise me! I fell for the red herrings and did not expect that ending.

Wonderful Plot Twists

Wow!! What a great story, I was shocked up until the very end. Freida McFadden is a genius!

Tricia and Ethan are newly married and have decided to go and see the estate of former author and psychiatrist Adrienne Hale. Upon their arrival a terrible blizzard strands them in the home where Tricia believes someone is squatting in. When Tricia finds a hidden door behind a bookcase filled with Dr. Hale's recordings of patient sessions she can't help but listen to the tapes. It turns out she has stumbled upon Dr. Hale's final days via these tapes!

I highly recommend this book, the plot twists alone are worth it. The characters are so well written and the setting is amazing.

Rating: 3.75 leaves out of 5-Characters: 2.5/5 -Cover: 3.5/5-Story: 3/5-Writing: 4/5Genre: Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Thriller, Suspense-Psychological Thriller: 4/5-Mystery: 5/5-Suspense: 4/5-Thriller: 4/5Type: AudiobookWorth?: yeahHated Disliked Meh It Was Okay Liked Really Liked LovedWhat a ride that was. The amount of theories I had going on and not one of them was that...well up until I got more evidence. It was a bit creepy, especially being here by myself and hearing things I shouldn't. 2nd book my Freida and I def am going to have to read more by her!