“A sizzling, chemistry-filled enemies-to-lovers romance, which is both crackaliciously addictive and angst-central. I couldn’t get enough of Nash and Em. One of my favorite books of the year.” – L.J. Shen, USA Today Bestselling AuthorFrom USA Today bestselling author Parker S. Huntington comes an enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn romance full of revenge and a dash of fate.“She could enjoy her pretty, … fate.
“She could enjoy her pretty, perfect world a little longer. Soon enough, everything she owned would be mine.”
I had a plan to escape the friend zone.
Step one: sneak into Reed’s room.
Step two: sleep with him.
But when the lights turned on, it wasn’t familiar blue eyes I saw.
These were dark, angry, and full of demons.
And they belonged to Reed’s much older brother.
Four years later, Nash Prescott is no longer the help’s angry son.
I’m no longer the town’s prized princess.
At twenty-two, I’m broke, in need of a job.
At thirty-two, he’s a billionaire, in need of revenge.
Who cares if my family ruined his?
Who cares if he looks at me with pure loathing?
Who cares if every task he assigns me is designed to torture?
I need the money.
Simple as that.
I’ll suffer his cruelty in silence, knowing there’s one thing he wants more than revenge…
Me.
Note: Devious Lies is a 145,000-word standalone in the Cruel Crown series. If you love banter and angst, this book is for you! Welcome to Eastridge. Enter if you dare.
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Devious Lies was my first read by Parker S. Huntington and what a gem it was! Parker has created an addicting, hot enemies-to-lovers romance that is packed with suspense, intrigue and a slow burn connection with incredible chemistry.
Emery is my kind for heroine. She is made of some thick skin and has strong attitude. The way she stands up against her whole family and specifically her mother (Virginia) was seriously kick-ass.
Nash exudes dominance. He is 100% alpha male. He puts up a good front with his angry hateful attitude towards Emery but right from the beginning you see tiny glimpes into his real heart and it was addicting and made you want to keep turning the pages to enravel more of him.
From Nash to Emery:
“Love is the most expensive thing you’ll ever own. You pay for it with grief, tears, and a piece of your soul, but in return, you receive happiness, memories, and life.”
I adored their chemistry and the witty lines and banter between these two were EVERYTHING!
Parker’s writing is PHENOMENAL! I devoured this story and although it was a long one I could not put it down. For anyone that loves the enemies-to-lovers trope you absolutely NEED this book in your life. You will not be disappointed.
5+++ STARS.
Thank you to Social Butterfly PR & Parker S. Huntington for providing me with an ARC in exchange of an honest review.
Can I just say OMG WHY HAVE I WAITED TO READ THIS AUTHOR! I picked up Devious Lies and I read the whole book in one sitting. And let me tell you, it is a long book but that does not mean it is slow by any means. Each word just completely devoured my soul! Between the concept and the character build, this story will totally have you engrossed and have you begging for more.
For every action there is a reaction and the same goes with holding a vendetta and seeking revenge. It will consume you. It will jade you. And that is exactly what happens with Nash. He seeks to destroy but when the dominos start to fall, things are not quite what they seem. Emery lives with the shadow of what happened in the past and she tries to atone for it regardless of how much she neglects herself. Her heart is just one of those that wants to take care and love no matter what had happened, even if she had no part in it. When Nash and Emery enter each others lives after not seeing each other for so long, it is a massive implosion. It is sizzling. It is raw. It is passionate. The lies of the past make for such a tangled web as the truths are exposed. My heart ached with them. It soared. Honestly, it was breathtaking and just absolutely everything.
This book is a prime example of a slow burn with quick wit and epic banter. Emery gives as good as she gets with Nash and he dishes it right back. Their pull is magnetic. The story is one that is heartbreaking yet uplifting once everything is out in the open. Redemption is only as sweet as you make it and sometimes it will sour, sometimes it will flourish but in the long run, it is what you make of it. And both Nash and Emery get a lesson of this together and it is down right awe inspiring! This is a book that is made to be devoured!
Nash Prescott is the absolute perfect love to hate character he will infuriate you even when you love him. I could not get enogh of this story the dynamic between Nash and Emery is everything. The writing flows, the mix of suspense and love and betrayal was intoxicating to read. The characters became my addiction, I felt like a fly on the wall eavesdropping into little pockets of their lives. An intense rollercoaster ride that everyone should read.
OMG…everything Parker S Huntington writes I love and Devious Lies was no exception. This enemies-to-lovers novel had me consumed from beginning to end. I could not put it down. The story was well-written, gripping and engrossing and without a doubt one of my top read for 2019. The suspense, the lies, the witty banter, the chemistry between Nash and Emery were all reasons why I enjoyed this novel so much.
These two complex characters stole my heart. I love Emery’s strength and intelligence and the way she stands up for herself and speaks her mind. Nash was the definition of an Alpha male with his ruthlessness and arrogance yet I loved his protectiveness for those he loved.
Devious Lies was a phenomenal read worthy of more than 5 stars. I would highly recommend it to all lovers of enemies-to-lovers romances.
Emery Winthrop is the poor little rich girl in love with her best friend Reed but unwittingly ends up in bed with Reed’s handsome brother Nash, a bad boy from the wrong side of town. Four years later, Em is still mortified by what happened so when Reed urges her to work for Nash, she refuses. But sheer desperation causes Em to change her mind … after all, Nash’s company is huge so he won’t know Em works there. Self made billionaire Nash blames Em’s father Gideon for destroying his family and wants vengeance and because he can’t find Gideon, he decides Em makes perfect collateral damage. What happens when Nash finds out Em works for him?
Devious Lies is an intense, angsty and streamy rollercoaster ride that will suck you in and leave you wanting more
I loved this book! I was really excited when I saw that it was a dual POV story. Nash is super sexy and Emery is a strong, fierce female. If you love age gaps you will love this!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Standalone romance
This is my first read of this author’s work, and I really enjoyed it. I would definitely read more of their work, and recommend this one!
Emery and Nash are likeable characters, that bring a good level of angst and sassiness to this story. They complement each other…. eventually.
A fun read!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Emery and Nash can only be described as their yin and yang, total opposite that together clash and banter like crazy.
This is a slow-burn, age gap, enemies to lovers story that’s gonna light your kindle. It’s twisty, devious, full of drama, revenge, and romance.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Meet Nash and Emery, a couple that you are rooting for through all drama. Nash is an a**hole to everyone and Emery is his light that he fights every chance he can. This book is one that you will not be able to put down and hate to see end.
3.5*
In the elite drenched city of Eastridge, you are either one of the ones on the top or you are at the bottom. Emery Winthrop is supposed to be one of the “tops” but she doesn’t fit the mold. Her best friend/boyfriend is Reed Prescott, son of her family’s housekeeper & groundskeeper, she doesn’t care for her mother (nor her mother her) and she is intrigued by Reed’s older brother, Nash. Nash is the town’s resident bad boy. Fighting and “servicing” the town’s bored housewives is his stock in trade until the night he gets blackmail information on Gideon Winthrop and decides he is going to burn everything to the ground.
This (kind of) enemies to lovers story has well-developed characters with Nash as the disillusioned teen turned bitter man and Emery the rich girl with a conscious. Emery’s mother, Virginia, is one of the clear villains. Vain, wealth-obsessed and haughty, she is the anthesis of her daughter. Gideon Winthrop is an enigma within the story with his involvement in the scandal that almost destroys Eastridge murky. The same holds true for Reed Prescott who at times seems to be a true friend to Emery and a good guy, but his actions don’t match that depiction all the time.
The story starts off strong with good action and tense situations, however, it drops down to a low simmer as Nash and Emery cross swords with Nash becoming Emery’s boss and tormenting her. Nash’s enmity toward Emery, based on a single partially overheard conversation, doesn’t pair well with his intelligence but is used to fuel his revenge. There are miscommunications and misunderstandings that push the conflict and, for me, several situations that don’t make sense such as Reed’s anger at Nash and just how Nash became as powerful as he did.
Overall, Devious Lies is a good tale that just needed a bit more clarity.
A Masterpiece; there is no other way to describe this magnificent book.
I’ve been obsessed with Parker’s writing since day one, and reading Devious Lies just confirmed my shameless addiction.
Parker is capable of making you feel her words in your veins in a way no other author can do. Her flawless writing makes you believe in the power of love and redemption till the point where you will feel consumed by a story that will keep resonating for eternity. It’s simple incomparable.
Silence is the best response to people who don’t deserve your words
Everything starts with silence in this story. Putting each one of the characters at a great crossroads that only time can reveal.
I won’t say anything else about the story, simply because this is a book you need to savored it from beginning to end without spoilers, but I will tell you how much I loved Emery and Nash’s stories.
Nash was so broken, it was almost beautiful how he had erected walls of thorns and poison ivy around himself.
I can only describe Nash’s journey as “There are means to an end”. We find so many j*rk characters but we don’t often see their real journey. How they become who they are and how live can be so unpredictable when just one event, can be the catalyst for our future.
I absolutely loved Nash (some may think I’m insane lol), but in all honesty, I loved his arc the most. I think Parker did an excellent job with his background and all the secrets we reveal along the way. Everything in this book has a meaning. Every small gesture or word is another piece of this huge puzzle that is Devious Lies.
“Isn’t it crazy how we mind our own business, not knowing our next step can be the one that determinates our forever?
Being able as a character to accept that you did wrong and make others to believe it, it’s not easy. A simple “sorry” does not do the job, but this author gave us MORE of Nash. She gave us a character that was capable of do wrong in the name of revenge but also saw the mistakes he did, grown from them and become a better version of himself. That’s how I see Nash Prescott. Unique, stubborn, loyal and authentic like no other. You can’t judge a book just by its cover, right?
She believed in words, and magic, and storms. In fighting back, going down hard, never giving up. In blind loyalty, jumping first, dealing with consequences later.
Emery is extraordinary. I think her biggest strength is her heart. No questions about it.
I saw someone who was determinate to deal with all the ugliness in her live by being a giving person. But it wasn’t a choice, she was like that. Someone who puts others first than her own. Money didn’t define her as a person even when she was born in that world. And that’s one of the things I loved about her the most. That’s how a deep connection is form between her and Nash, even thought they only see it later in the story.
Emery was a force of nature you couldn’t control even if you wanted to and it definitely made her one of the best heroines, I’ve seen this year. Someone you can admire.
“If I tell you anything worth learning, it’s this. Love is the most expensive thing you’ll ever own. You pay for it with grief, tears, and a piece of your soul, but in return, you receive happiness, memories and life.”
This was an epic love story. With all the ups and downs, there is no way for you to stop reading every single page with a hunger you won’t be capable to stop. It’s the raw and poetic way Parker writes that makes her one in million and I know for sure, after reading this book you will become one of her loyal readers till the end of times.
This book was sinfully good!!! Emery and Nash’s story is intense, emotional and angst filled. As the enticing story unfolds you are treated to a compelling blend of drama, tension, sharp banter, sizzling chemistry, scorching heat, powerful emotions and stunning twists as this slow burn enemies to lovers tale that completely ensnares you in its devious web. I though Emery and Nash were both very likable and I loved them as a couple. This is my independent, impartial review.
Nash embodies the Mark Twain quote “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured”. Nash holds on to anger like a lifeline, clinging to it with the mistaken hope that it will save him eventually, never realizing that it is actually an anchor around his ankle slowly dragging him under.
Devious Lies follows Nash & Emery over the span of well over a decade, starting when Emery is 15 and Nash is 25. They weren’t always enemies and to watch their decline is woeful and depressing. I loved Nash’s character from the very beginning. He is a good guy who does bad things, always trying to make things better and not always succeeding. Emery was fantastic as well, but for different reasons. She is so resilient and strong, she bends but she never breaks. They work so well together!
If you are planning on reading this book please note my one recommendation. Clear your entire day of any other activities. This is a book you will get lost in! Huntington’s first foray into a non-mafia romance is absolute perfection. The subtitle is “a cruel crown novel”, I’m incredibly hopefully that there will be more to come, not for Emery and Nash, but in this line of writing for Huntington. I truly enjoyed every minute I spent reading this book and highly recommend it!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Excellent from beginning to the end
The story is very well written, unpredictable, full of twists, bitterness, while being hot between Nash and Emery who however spend a long time hating each other. The story is fascinating from start to finish.
Emery loves her best friend Reed, but by a combination of circumstances, she sleeps with his brother, Nash. He hates her over the years because Emery’s father has disappeared, ruining everyone in the city as well as their family business, and killing his father who was sick. Emery refuses any help from her rotten family and she plunges into poverty, hating Nash because having become rich, he cannot be better than her father.
Both tortured by revenge, resentment mainly linked to their prejudices, they meet over time, and hate each other as much as they attract, sometimes even without knowing that they are talking to each other.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
Nash & Emery has set the World of Fire.
My god where to begin? Parker absolutely killed this one. I was reeled in from the moment I read the blurb and couldn’t get enough. The story is so enticing, and nothing is quite what it seems. The twist and turns throughout the story have you waiting on baited breaths every time you turn a page.
My absolute favorite part of this story is the character development. I love the growth of the characters. How you can see how the events shape them while never really change the essence of them.
Nash and Emery are connected in ways both known and unknown to them. Their personal struggles and emotional pain are so intertwined its gripping and fascinating in ways that cant ve defined.
As they discover and learn what each other has done and is currently doing as their personal penance it reveals so much about the other they had no idea was happening.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Words : – can be
– a command,password or signal
– plural noun
– verb
You see, Parker Huntington managed to cover every aspects and meaning of the word “WORD”.
She didn’t just use words but got in dept with literature, history and thesaurus that she explains this in detail and I’m in awe that she had written devious lies giving us more than a story but power of knowledge too.
Who does that? Her. Only Parker Huntington.
Book well done and this is an easy 5 stars for me.
Nash and Emery connection is not physically nor chemistry but mentally and emotionally. The Chemistry part comes later on, Emery asked “you think this is just lust?”
I didn’t expect this kind of story, this is completely different from the previous book she have written. I couldn’t compare it because its just impossible to do.
Selcouth Miss Huntington, you are one of a kind.
Simply Exquisite
I think I’ve found my favorite book. Of the year. And for this trope.
Emery is a rebel, a free spirit, and loyal. A tiger. A little off her rocker at times, but it’s because she feels deeply – whether it’s love, hate, regret, or compassion. She feels it so much she needs outlets, magical words, spoken out loud, on her shirt, muttered under her breath, or yelled at the sky. She doesn’t back down from a challenge and fights about…everything. And the funny thing is, she’s often the sanest and most honest person in the room. Nash is angry – at himself, at life, at circumstances…everything. He’s ruthless, broken, scarred, hateful, cruel, and filled with a burning desire to seek out revenge…and penance. But more than anything, he’s a protector who is loyal to those he loves. Throw these two together and you have a pair of incredibly strong characters whose connection creates fire, chaos, and endless conflict filled with banter and bite. But most of all, you have an amazing (slightly twisted at times) love story that will consume you and leave its mark.
This is more than a romance, it’s more than an enemies to lovers story. It’s a story about love, family, loyalty, deception, revenge, and pain. It’s a story of two people who are, without a question, destined to be together. And fate loves to rub their nose in that, pushing them together in different ways throughout their life. There’s a strong cast of characters and each of their personalities – however hateful they may be – come to life on the page. Even Rosco. The love story between Emery and Nash is strikingly beautiful and filled with an overwhelming amount of moments that will squeeze your heart.
I can’t imagine this story in the hands of another author. This author has a gift with words and an amazing skill in storytelling that absolutely flows with poetic beauty and power. She weaves a complex tale with so many levels that sucks you in and refuses to let you go until you finish. And I was pulled into that Emery-Nash vortex. And it was messy and beautiful and the best book I’ve read this year.
Parker S. Huntinton transported me to an unreal world set in reality in Devious Lies. I am still reeling from all the jaw dropping emotions, breathtaking moments and pure perfection of Parker’s words. An unbelievably complex and insanely beautiful romance that will claim your heart.
Nash Prescott and Emery Winthrope-now-Rhodes has a long, winding, painful, tragic and unique history. Emery’s uber rich and entitled family destroyed Nash’s family. Now years later Nash has established himself as equally rich and successful businessman. And he wants revenge. When Emery drops into his life, he does not know how to handle this quirky, magnificent and incredible woman. Same goes with Emery. She is supposed to hate this arrogant, cruel, intimidating and hateful man. But something strong is brewing between them. A storm is coming.
I do not have enough words to describe and explain my feelings. Parker always surprises me with new things, new words and new informations in her books. She goes into uncharted territories with ease and win over. I love Emery. Period. Like more than any female character I read this year. She has so many shades and facades. She is unique with her soft soul, heart strong like a tiger, pride flowing in her veins, imaginations of a visionary and darkness of broken pieces. She enthralled me, mesmerized me and cast a spell on my heart. Nash Prescott is an enigma. A mass of contradictions. A man whose heart was blackened and frozen with the tragedies of his life. He is a shell of a man who is a complete a$$hole and will not need anyone to stand in his way of revenge and penance. Emery came back and staged a surprise attack on his heart. A hate intense like most delicious love spans between them. Their conversations are pure brilliance and epic. The emotions filled my heart to the brim. They clash. They collide. They kill each other with sufferings and hurt. They also bring each other back to life. You need to read it to feel the passion, the vulnerability, the misunderstandings, the trust , the bond and the soul deep love flowing between them like electrical charges. Parker is going to break you with the never ending twists in the stories and I threw my device away quite a few times.
My heart is still pounding from the adrenaline filled story line. My soul is aching from the angsty, mindblowing and tragically beautiful emotions. I never wanted to come back to reality from this enticing and captivating world of lies, deception, redemption and love.
Received ARC for Honest review
I wanted to inhale his smoke, coat my tongue with his ashes, and bury myself in his lies.
A slow burn enemies to lovers romance, where the relationship between a boy and a girl is doomed from the very beninning.
And I completely devoured it because I was simply captivated from the very first page. The story is so intense I was hooked and on edge all the way through.
Absolutely gripping!