Betty Dawsey knows that breaking things off with Thom Lange is for the best. He’s nice, but boring, and their relationship has lost its spark. But steady and predictable Thom, suddenly doesn’t seem so steady and predictable when their condo explodes and she’s kidnapped by a couple of crazies claiming that Thom isn’t who he says he is. Thom is having a hellish week. Not only is he hunting a double … hunting a double agent, but his fiancé dumped him, and thanks to his undercover life, she’s been kidnapped.
Turns out Thom is Operative Thom and he’s got more than a few secrets to share with Betty if he’s going to keep her alive. With both their lives on the line, their lackluster connection is suddenly replaced by an intense one. But in his line of work, feelings aren’t wanted or desired. Because feelings can be a lethal distraction.
“Whoa! I went into this book cold, and the first chapter blew me away. I was NOT expecting that! So of course I had to keep flipping pages late into the night! It was a great ride.” —Sarina Bowen, USA Today bestselling author
“If you’re in the mood for a fast paced, action-packed page-turner, look no further! Kylie Scott’s most thrilling romance to date…” —Natasha is a Book Junkie
“Packed with adrenaline, suspense and red-hot chemistry, this is certainly one to be devoured in a single sitting.” —Vilma Iris
“This was one wild ride that will have you laughing out loud!” —MissPetiteBrunetteBookBlog
“Forget about functioning as a responsible adult until you have finished the last chapter, you’ll want to hide out and read what happens next with Betty and Thom…Lies gets 10 stars from me!” —A Book Lover’s Emporium Blog
“The characters, the emotions, the writing…everything was awesome! TRUST ME, IF MISSION IMPOSSIBLE AND YOUR FAV ROM COM HAD A BABY, LIES WOULD BE IT!” —PP’s Bookshelf
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Well this book just kept me smiling from the start. It is enormous fun, well written, funny and sexy. Betty (great name btw), and Thom are magic. His seriousness is masterfully balanced by Betty’s honesty and sense of the ridiculous. She is a fish out of water but does so bloody well in the coping stakes! Surrounded by items such as “Night vision headset thingies” etc she finds her feet quickly and retains her sense of humour. An absolutely fabulous read which cheered me up immensely
Betty has had enough. Her fiancé, Thom is a sweet man, but there isn’t any spark. She’s all set to leave him, but when the condo they share is blown up as she is leaving, and she is kidnapped, Betty learns that the Thom she thought she knew isn’t the real Thom. Thom has done all he can to make Betty happy, but keep things as normal as possible. After all she can’t know that he is an operative, and that his job is less than safe. As Thom’s secrets are revealed and Betty gets to see the real Thom, her feelings become hard to ignore. With Betty in danger and Thom trying to save both of their lives, the feelings and connection they previously shared, albeit, ones lacking any heat, have turned white hot. In Thom’s line of work feelings are considered a distraction, and one he can’t have, but when push comes to shove can he and Betty make it work? That is, if they can make it out of this situation alive.
From the very first chapter in this book I was hooked. I could kind of assume how things were going to play out from the description, but ‘Lies’ was full of the unexpected, which had my continuously turning the page to find out how things were going to play out. This book wasn’t all suspense though, there is also humor and romance involved. There were parts of this book that had my laughing out loud, I absolutely loved Betty. She is sassy and not afraid to put Thom in his place, which is my favorite type of heroine. Thom, we can’t forget about Thom, you could feel the love he had for Betty as the book went on, and he would do anything to protect her! This book hit all the marks for what I consider a great book, I’m crossing my fingers for this to turn into a series!
Lies is a superbly hypnotic adventure in up storytelling!!
Where you are so fully transfixed in the plot turns, the words! You’re transported to Betty and Thom’s world and you feel that you have become one with the book story! Only to be hypnotized with brilliant suspense of it all till every end!!! AMAZING!!!
Man did I get sucked into this book! It started off like a regular romance and then BOOM. If my husband’s action movies and my romance had a baby, it would be this book!
So, truth be told… Kylie Scott is a new author to me… I am bummed that I hadn’t taken the time to read her stuff before this book. She has a talent and she sucked in something good with Lies.
I love suspense, add in romance then I AM SOLD. I love a story that will hold my attention from page one all the way to the end and this book did just that. I was consumed and I could not put it down. The plot and the story line was fast-paced and had me on the edge of my seat and the way it played out was amazing. Each little detail mattered and when looking at a bigger picture of the story it all fell in to place perfectly. Kylie knows how to grab her readers’ attention. That is for sure!
Elizabeth has hit a low in her relationship with her fiance and she wants out. Her fiance is distant, emotionally, physically and mentally and to say it has taken it’s a toll on the relationship and on Elizabeth herself is an understatement. She wants to go, she wants out and she knows she deserves more. But it is not as simple as that.. Well, it turns out that it is not. Her life is in danger which means she can’t leave him, he is her only form of protection, so when he does in fact step up and protect her, she can’t seem to understand why the man she was so ready to leave would protect her life. But Thom hasn’t been forthcoming, and there are lies that she did not expect them to come to light.
The man she thought she knew, is not the man she is discovering now…
I adored Elizabeth and in a sense, I did with Thom too. These two were complex characters, and the relation between them was different. As the book progressed the more we saw of Thom and the more things changed about him and the more the relationship began to grow again. It was actually amazing to read. It was definitely not an easy road for Elizabeth but what surprised me the most was how her strength grew with everything happening around her. Whether it had to do with who and what was putting her in danger or her relationship with Thom, or both together. She grew stronger in bounds as the book went on and she taught herself to get back up and keep pushing on with every blow that came her way.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced, it was mentally stimulating, action-packed and full of twists and turns that kept my attention throughout the book and all in all, the book was brilliantly written, easy to read and it had the storyline flowing fast but perfectly.
5 Stars!
Firstly, I am in love with this cover and all its John Wick-ishness. Every time I have seen it over the past few weeks I have had to stop and have another look.
I am also a fan of when an author steps out of their usual zone and tries something different.
Kylie Scott has ramped up the adrenaline with Lies.
And oh my, how this story is full of lies upon lies upon lies!
Thom and Betty’s story is on the go right from the first chapter to the last. You don’t get time to catch your breath as our lovelies go from one Jason Bournesque adventure to the next. You never know what is going to happen next and who the bad guys are going to be – and I loved it!
I liked how Betty, when learning everything that has been happening, doesn’t act like a petty little teenager. Sure, she is p!ssed, sure she has every right t be, however i liked that she saw the big picture and acted accordingly.
There are some great secondary characters that I neeeeeeed to know more of – and some that got their just desserts.
I hope we get more stories like this from Ms Scott like this in the future.
Whoa! I went into this book cold, and the first chapter blew me away. I was NOT expecting that! So of course I had to keep flipping pages late into the night! It was a great ride.
Absolutely loved this read. This romcom mixed with a suspense element kept me hooked until the end. Loved the banter and chemistry between Thom and Betty as well as the supporting cast. This is s definite must read!
What a fun read!
Lies starts off with Betty packing up to leave her fiance Thom. He’s mostly ‘absent’ from the relationship, both emotionally and physically, and she’s over it. But then something explosive happens, literally, and she’s kidnapped and comes to find that Thom is not – at all, not even a teeny bit – what she thought he was.
Yet, what he really is…maybe isn’t what she needs either. Finding out your finace is a special agent and has been faking his relationship with you isn’t the best bit of information to surface while you’re fighting for your life.
Is it possible to fall in love with the new version of Thom, all over again?
I loved that conundrum. It brought some emotional levity to what is an otherwise action packed story. Thom is a great guy but he’s done some fairly shady things to Betty and it would not be easy to forget and forgive. I could completely empathize with Betty’s struggle to trust.
Thom works hard to not only keep her safe but to try to win that trust back. She’s quite the spitfire though and she doesn’t make life any easier for him. I really enjoyed them both trying to figure each other out all while trying to beat the bad guys.
This really was a fast paced and enjoyable story.
I received a copy from the author for review purposes.
Lies is one of my favorite reads so far this year! It’s action packed, funny, and sexy. Betty is hilarious and brave. I found the growth through honesty interesting in Thom. There was a point I was cussing Kylie but the emotion and reactions she pulled out of me are some of the reasons this is one of my favorites this year.
Kylie has done it again and wrote another spectacular book! I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I started, but I was pleasantly surprised! Grabbed me from the first page and kept me until the last page. This book is very action packed! I don’t think there was a page that didn’t have something going on. Betty leaves Thom. Betty disappears. Thom finds Betty. Thom is not who she thought he was. You’re intrigued now, I bet? Lies was awesome and you definitely need to pick this one up!
Murder, mystery, and mayhem meets second chance romance here, folks, in a very explosive, heart pounding, action packed drama sort of way. Betty, the heroine, is betting on finally getting some answers to why her mediocre relationship with Thom, her fiance, has never been all that it should be. Well, that is after she has completely given up yet sucked right back into the arms of a man she finds she never really knew. Turns out Thom keeps some pretty strange company and has been hiding mind blowing secrets she never would have guessed in a million years. All those calculated, sweet little lies lead up to one completely out of control lethal, life threatening situation where not everyone survives.
Though the graphic steamy scenes don’t heat up the pages until about 60%, you’ll still feel the heat, chemistry, and connection between these two destined to stay together lovebirds as they try to stay alive long enough to give their love the second chance it deserves.
The author chose a perfect blend of smart mouth sass and groveling to accompany the hunted and hunter drama as this couple newly discover each other despite having been together for some time.
Betty was the bomb here, my fellow romance book loving friends! I loved her sass and how she rolled with the punches, even throwing some of her own. Sure, she was a damsel in distress but she didn’t stand around wringing her hands waiting to be saved. She put her spunk into action alongside Thom’s unique skill set in this James Bond type setting read.
Speaking of which, I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed this book paves the way to a series featuring some of the sub-characters who came to life on these pages. Bear, in particular, needs a strong leading lady love to show him what real life and love is all about. Here’s to hoping that happens sooner rather than later.
Title: Lies, Author: Kylie Scott, Pages: 195, stand-alone, second chance romance, very steamy scenes, action packed backdrop, perilous shoot-out/dangerous situations, romance safe, no OW/OM drama, no love triangle, no cheating, sassy heroine, alpha protective hero, graphic fight scenes, some violence, kidnapping and beating.
(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review, nor is there any affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/PR firm.)
3.5 to 4 stars
Betty thought the worst thing that was going to happen that day was she was moving out and leaving her fiance’ Thom since things just were not working out. He traveled a lot for work and when he was home, things were just lukewarm. But when their home explodes and she gets kidnapped, things really go downhill.
It turns out Thom has some big secrets…and he is not the same boring, predictable man she has come to know. And while they are trying to stay alive, things get much more intense. And Thom is starting to look really good, even though his life is also dangerous and exciting. Betty’s eyes are opened to a whole new world.
Rekindling romance on the run and exposing their true personalities brings them closer together than ever. But will it just be in time for one or both of them to get hurt or even killed? His enemies are not playing around and it will take a miracle for them to get out safely.
This is a fast-paced, action-packed, humorous, and dramatic romantic suspense story with some twists and surprises. It’s rom-com meets black ops. It is told in Betty’s point of view and Thom is more mysterious, but I did start to like and understand him more as the book went on. Betty definitely shows growth along the way as everything about her life is questioned and changed. She’s sassy, spunky, and actually kind of a bad-as*. Thom is highly intelligent and skilled, but not always adept at real relationships. Together they have witty banter and balance well off each other. The side characters add some humor, drama, and depth to the story. Some of the plot and events are definitely over the top and maybe a bit rushed, but it is still an entertaining and fun departure from this author’s usual books.
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review
Kylie Scott is an evil genius ! Because all I can do after finishing Lies is sitting with dropped jaws and trying to organize my chaotic feelings. Because I cannot believe what I just read. It is not a thriller or a complete romantic comedy or a contemporary romance. IT IS THE PERFECT BALANCE OF ALL OF THESE! It’s totally different and unique. An undercover agent. His fake fiance. A bomb blast. And the consequences of lies coming out of closet and hunting them while they run for their lives. And in middle of all these; a weird swoony sexy insane relationship is blooming. Half the time I was chewing my nails and my heart was beating faster. Half the time I was dying over the intensity of Thom and Bettie’s chemistry. And the story line kept me on toes. All the time. I stopped breathing when the twist came in the end. The characters, the emotions, the writing…everything was awesome! TRUST ME, IF MISSION IMPOSSIBLE AND YOUR FAV ROM COM HAD A BABY, LIES WOULD BE IT! Curious? Sceptical? Well try for yourself!
Lies was a fast paced, entertaining and sexy read. Bettie looks and behaves like the girl next door. But when the pressure comes, she turns into this kickass woman with nerves of steel and witty as a sharp knife. I loved this woman full of contradictions. She can be soft, hard, rough and practically anything. She is full of surprises. I think it is becoming a pattern with Kylie Scott. That I would love the female lead so much more than the male lead. Thom is an intriguing character. He is definitely one of those super spy! He has the required swagger, confidence and deathly calm for the job for sure. But what made him really sexy is his possessiveness and protectiveness over Betty. A man who has been trained to be emotionally detached and ruthlessly calculating is breaking for a woman. He is willing to risk everything including his life. Seriously I cannot take so much swoon.
Kylie Scott’s writing was brilliant. She sculpted a heartbreaking, deep and heartwarming love story from the chaos and mayhem. It was a really difficult job and she excelled at it. She made it look so easy and effortless. She nailed the mystery part. The secondary characters were absoultely amazing. I want a story for them too. She hooked me in and caught my heart and left me emotionally overwhelmed.
Don’t be a box. Don’t put labels. Pick up Lies by Kylie Scott because I respect her and salute her for her out of the box thinking. She took a risk and put a dangerous twist to a sexy romance. And it has paid off handsomely. Lies has left a mark on my heart. Definitely a top read of 2019!
Received ARC for Honest Review
4.5 stars–LIES by Kylie Scott is a contemporary, adult, romantic suspense story line focusing on twenty-six year old floral designer Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Dawsey, and thirty-four year old Thom Lange.
Told from first person perspective (Betty Dawsey) LIES focuses on the aftermath of an explosion that destroyed Thom and Betty’s condo. Betty was all packed; ready to walk away from the man she loved, a man who was about to upend her world, and destroy the reality of what was and what will never be. Awakening as a hostage Betty would soon discover that the man she knows as Thom Lange is an undercover operative in a world she knows nothing about. On the run with her ‘former’ fiancé, and the group she comes to call the ‘zoo’, Betty is thrust into a world of assassins, covert missions, and more bloodshed than she could have ever imagined.
Betty Dawsey hasn’t been happy with her relationship to Thom Lange. Rarely home and emotionally absent, Thom was nothing like Betty had imagined but her imagination was about to come full circle. Thom Lange targeted Betty from the start: a pawn who was none the wiser as he tried to settle down and enter every day life but things did not go according to plan when his ‘other life’ is discovered, and Betty becomes collateral damage in the process. Our heroine must fight for her life, and become part of the zoo, or die in the crossfire. The banter between characters is fast, furious, frenetic and fun.
The relationship between Betty and Thom suffers in the face of secrets of lies; a relationship based upon deceit and dishonesty; a relationship that has deteriorated in the face of dishonesty and distrust. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
We are introduced to Betty’s best friend Jen, as well as Thom’s undercover operatives Betty has nicknamed the ‘zoo’: Bear, Scorpion, Crow, Fox and Hawk, as well as Thom aka Wolf. I would love for the author to revisit the characters adding stories for the rest of the zoo.
LIES is a fast paced story of suspense and mystery, secrets and lies. The premise is engaging and intriguing; the characters are energetic, colorful and charismatic; the romance is a rekindling relationship between two people caught in the cross-fire of international espionage, power and control.
*Received ARC copy from Social Butterfly for my honest opinion*
Lies by Kylie Scott was such a suspenseful great read! Lies was the first book I’ve read by Kylie Scott and I’ll be looking for her other work. Lies had great suspense, wit, banter, sexiness, mystery, and romance. The writing was fabulous. It kept me captivated and wanting more. The relationship between Betty and Thom was developed beautifully. Thom definitely ranks as top book boyfriend material, for sure.
Thom’s use of “babe” was so incredibly swoon-worthy. My heart grew three times larger each time he said it. I loved Betty’s character. She was such a strong witty female character.
The entire plot was such an interesting story line. It was definitely unique, well written, and full of great moments.
Do yourself a favor and pick this one up!
4.5 stars!!
This book is a mix of thriller, suspense, and romance. It is a stand alone, though I wish it was the first in a series because there are so many characters I would LOVE to know more about.
This book is awesome!! I love how it was a perfect mix of everything. Not too much action, or sexy time, or plotting. It was a very good book.
I enjoy all the characters and the mystery behind them all. The author really drew me in and had me puzzled. I did not see anything ahead of time it was all a surprise. The words on the pages were written so that this book is easy to read and makes you lose yourself in the book. This was a definite page turner!!
**I received this book as an ARC and in return gave my honest review**
4.5 stars
I love the author and when i had the chance to read an arc, of course, i didn’t want to miss the opportunity.
One of my favourite tropes is second chance romance and this book has a lot to talk about a married couple and their second chance at love.
When you get married, you think you already know everything about the other person in your life, because you trust her and give your hopes and dreams to them. They know all your secrets as you should know all of theirs. But some people are very good at pretending and hiding things from you in plain sight.
When Betty is in danger, Thom is revealing his true identity and everything is changing in their life and relationship in a span of minutes.
I liked the banter even if Thom seemed withdrawn at times or to quiet when i wanted him to be more opened and talkative with her. The chemistry between them was there all the time and the fact that Thom could be who he really was and talked about it changed everything in better between them.
Never assume things without asking or having the answers first handed.
A fast-paced story with a second chance at love and some great hot sexy scenes.
Loved it and can’t wait for more books by the author.
This was one wild ride that will have you laughing out loud! Betty Dawsey thought she knew her boring ex fiancé, Thom Lange, hence why she was leaving him. Well, she is in for quite the surprise when he shows up after their condo goes boom and is anything but boring…or the “Thom” she knew. This is one action packed romantic suspense book that gets you from the very first page and keeps you going through all the twists! Just enough comic relief from some side characters that add a little something. The Banter between these two will have you laughing the whole time! “Not only was the relationship fake, but you deliberately gave me bad sex! You’re a monster.” A very enjoyable read! Told in Betty’s POV
I literally got this one at 9:30 pm and finished at midnight.
Another fantastic, epic wild ride of a book. I do mean wild ride because it was non stop action!
This read had it all- adventure, danger, wit, intrigue, mystery, funny and hot sexy times.
Thom is going down a favorite book boyfriend. It was refreshing to have an ‘h’ that was a real woman…not a Barbie doll. Thank you for writing such a relatable character.
Lies is tied with Repeat(if you haven’t read it, please do) by Kylie Scott as my favorite must reads for 2019.
~BREAKDOWN OF RATINGS~
Plot~ 5/5
Main Characters (hero/heroine)~ 5/5 Thom and Betty – perfection
Secondary Characters~ 5/5 – the Zoo especially Fox, cracked me up!
The Feels~ 5/5
Pacing~ 5/5
Addictiveness~5/5
Angst~ 5/5
Steam/Hotness/Chemisty ~ 5/5
Theme or Tone~ 5/5
Flow (Writing Style)~ 5/5
Backdrop (World Building)~ 5/5
Originality~ 5/5
Ending~ 5/5
Book Cover~ Covert Thom
Series~ Stand-alone
Source~ Kindle eBook – ARC for honest review
Would I read more from the author? Hell Yes
Would I recommend this book? Hell Yes as well as every other book Kylie has written