The problem with secrets is that they’re too easy to keep collecting.Luna Allen has done some things she would rather no one ever know about. She also knows that, if she could go back in time, she wouldn’t change a single thing.With three sisters she loves, a job she (mostly) adores, and a family built up of friends she’s made over the years, Luna figures everything has worked out the way it was … out the way it was supposed to.
But when one of those secrets involves the man who signs her paycheck, she can’t find it in her to regret it. Despite the fact that he’s not the friendliest man in the world. Or the most patient.
Sometimes there are things you’re better off keeping to yourself.
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Luna Allen is living her life under the radar. Running away from physically and verbally abusive parents at the age of 17, she found a job in an auto body shop that she loves and keeps her bills paid. Mr. Cooper, the owner, and his wife Lydia, show kindness by taking in Luna and eventually her 3 younger sisters, saving all 4 of them from a dangerous life. Her life is simple, she lives by the words “I am safe, I am loved, I have a roof over my head and food to eat”. With no warning, Mr. Cooper announces that someone has bought in to the shop, Lucas Ripley (Rip), would be helping run operations. Saying that Rip and Mr. Cooper do not get along is an understatement, they spend the majority of their time fighting, with Luna being the only one brave enough to break it up. Rip is stoic, temperamental, and definitely not friendly. Luna tries to remain unfazed by Rip and his attitude, opting to kill him with kindness no matter how he’s treating her. Pushing her feelings for him aside so she doesn’t risk getting hurt, Luna is more and more confused by Rip and his possessive actions. When her youngest sister moves to Galveston the summer before college, Luna’s coerced into dating by her friends and sister. Secrets swirl between Rip, Mr. Cooper, and Luna, each afraid of coming clean to the others out of fear. When Mr. Cooper lands in the hospital after a heart attack, the secrets start to come out, and all 3 of them have to face demons from their pasts.
This was another delicious slow burn from Mariana Zapata. Luna was a great character, her self preservation tactics were spot on for someone who grew up feeling unloved and like a nuisance in her family. Rip was very similar to some of her other male characters in that he was stoic and harsh because of some of the things that he had lived through. MZ didn’t give many “crumbs” of affection between Rip and Luna as their attraction was building, it was definitely more subtle, maybe even a little bit of a shock when he finally started returning her affections. The set up in the beginning was a little slow, and there is a lot of doubtful internal monologue. All of that just added to the story in my opinion. From 85% to about 95% my heart hurt because I could relate to Luna and her doubts and feelings. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who’s an MZ fan.
I got so involved in devouring Luna and the Lie, I didn’t even hear the phone ring one Saturday afternoon. With this author’s stories, I blissfully lose hours and hours. She’s such a great storyteller. Hope she has another book ready soon!!
At seventeen Luna left her old life behind and disappeared to a new town. She meets Mr. Cooper the owner of an auto body shop and is mentored in everything automobile. The people in that shop become her family and Mr Cooper a father figure. When Mr. Cooper takes on a partner, Luna puts a smile on her face determined to be happy in the face of Ripley’s grumpiness. One day, Luna tells a lie for Ripley and he is determined to return the favor, to even the score. When Luna finally asks him for help it’s the start of a friendship and then so much more.
Mariana Zapata is the queen of slow burn romance novels where the build up of the relationship is 90% of the novel. Luna and the Lie didn’t detour from Zapata’s norm however it is a little bit of a darker novel than she usually writes. I wasn’t surprised by Ripley’s character. He is gruff, grumpy, and talks by grunting a lot. Pretty typical of her alpha male hero’s. What was surprising was how he had to overcome Luna’s, dare I say damaged (?), persona. Luna is determined to be happy and live the life she has always dreamed about. When I say determined, I mean she hangs onto that emotion with a fierceness I am just not used to seeing in a romance heroine. Ms. Zapata writes sassy, independent women, which I love! Luna is sassy and independent, but she also lives in her head a lot. Reminding herself of how she is loved, has a good job, and is happy. Repeatedly. Like she is talking herself into those things. When the relationship between Ripley and Luna finally happens, I am so happy that she is finally getting that dream that she’s been pursuing, and with a man that will love and protect her at the risk of his own life.
This novel was one of my most anticipated releases in the latter half of this year and it did not disappoint. It did make me think. Ripley was an interesting character and although Luna’s thoughts and dreams revolved around him, he wasn’t the heart of this novel. Luna was. Ms. Zapata did such a great job of portraying Luna’s despair and hope that it was those emotions that I felt when the novel concluded. Yes, despair that the book was over and hope that she’ll write one quicker than the last, but also that hope that those who need love and security from others will find what their heart needs. Not all do in life, but in fiction we can write our own happy endings. The despair part is still sitting in my gut. This is a novel that will stick with you for a little while. It was wonderful, but it was also hard to read and yet I want to pick it up again immediatley because I believe that’s what I need to exorcise these feelings.
My first book by this author and I loved it. What a beautiful story! I definitely recommend this book and this author.
What a rollercoaster ride?!
Reading Luna and Rip’s story is like a watching a ball go back and forth at a tennis match. Try to keep up with them as they navigate their relationship. Luna is hilarious and one of a kind and Rip will leave you scratching your head more than once.
Dont miss out on this book.
Love all her books…this might be one of my favorites!
3.5 Stars – There was just something missing for me with this one. I was hoping for more between Rip and Luna. The twists in the story I had figured out early on and it really left me wanting more. After reading the banter in Kulti and WOW, I was hoping this would have more of the same
Per usual Mariana Zapata does not disappoint! I’m not gonna lie I’m totally obsessed with everything she writes. Im kind of crazy about this book! Luna and Ripley are complicated, flawed, real and totally suck you in. I could not put this book down! The story was amazing and unpredictable! So stoked to read anything else she writes!!!!!
I hate saying this, as I am a huge Zapata fan, but I really did not like Luna. She was so annoying!!
She was constantly “balling up” her feelings and “throwing them in the trash”….so walking away and never asking questions about situations. A least questions that would matter. She kept talking and pushing, even when the person asked to be left alone. But she didn’t want to be a bother?!?!?!?
Her doormat personality just really rubbed me the wrong way. Jason, a crappy person and co-worker, continuously treated her like crap and she blamed herself! “Maybe if I would have genuinely tried to be nicer”….basically blaming herself for HIS bad behavior. I loved Rip though. I just wish we would have had his perspective on things. Luna thought so little of herself, she never had the correct view of his actions. Also, this was sooooooo long with tons of repetitive text that could have been eliminated.
Another amazing story by Mariana Zapata. I can’t get enough of her writing.. Luna and the Lie was not the exception..
This is the story of Luna, a young lady who is trying to survive and work hard to forget her past and awful memories that keep lurking around trying to make her feel less.. she was strong and she didn’t want anything from her family and past to tarnish this positive attitude that she is fighting so hard to keep.. but life has another plan for her and her past will come back and bite her even if she has now a new knight ready to save her from her own self.
“I reminded myself that life was a gift—sometimes one you wanted to return, and other times one you’d want to keep forever, but it was still a gift. The grass might look greener on the other side, but at least you still had grass.”
Rip has a past that doesn’t want to come out, he is desperate to hide it and don’t ever see it again, his only goal was to keep “his business” working but he wasn’t expecting to fall from her, she was a new air, an air he is so desperate to breathe every single day and night even if that means falling for her..
“I liked Rip the same way I liked Louis Vuitton purses that I realistically knew I would never own because there was always something else I had to spend money on. Just because they would never be mine didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate them”
The chemistry between Rip and Luna was something so subtle that not even them could really feel it and see it but for us rather we could spot as far as 10,000 miles away.. they way Rip always took care of luna, how he was always taking care of her and watching her even if she didn’t know it.. he was always protecting her in his own way..
“Life was a choice. You get to choose how you handle things. You get to choose how you deal with those things. You get to choose if a rose is beautiful or if its thorns are a menace to your fingers.”
One of the things that I love about this book was the strong character of Luna, she was always very positive trying to be strong and not let anyone around her put her down, she had a heart of gold and even if some people like some co-workers where so mean to her, trying to sabotage her work, she was always very polite and well educated, never letting her emotions take any bad or wrong decision from her. I love how people saw her and appreciate her but also I didn’t like how her own family was the one that didn’t saw all this beauty in her, and kept hurting her over and over again.
“I just… wanted somebody. Not just anyone, but someone special. A best friend and a lover. A partner. A life partner. I was fine being alone, but I didn’t want to be lonely, and there was a clear difference.”
Rip was an awesome character too, he was dark, quiet and even strong but under all that silence and mystery, he was also very strong compassionate and had a heart of gold.. he didn’t want anybody to see that but Luna and Mr. C knew him better than anyone and knew that he was hiding a lot of love to give..
“You calm me. You know that? You do to me what all that jewelry you wear does for you. Just looking at you makes me feel better. And not just fucking better but better. Different. Like you look right through me and my bullshit and you know what’s in there better than I do.”
Rip and Luna are one of my favorite couples for sure!! love their chemistry and love the slow burn of the story that made us crave to see them together.
“You’re too young. You’re too sweet. You’re too good for me. But I’m done standing around trying to suck up all the goodness you make me feel without you even knowing, Luna. You are my girl. Just you. Nobody else ever has or will be.”
Definitely, you’re also going to love the secondary characters that also brought so much to the whole story.. and the main characters..
as always love Mariana’s Books and stories I can’t wait to read more..
“All I had ever wanted was to be loved.”
Yet another slow burn and a fantastic read.
Another slow burn masterpiece from Mariana Zapata. I absolutely loved this story. I found parts of Luna’s character so relatable (although she is much nicer than me!) I love her sunshine outlook and forgiving nature.
I was crying on and off for most of the book, totally falling in love with Luna and Rip. It was obvious from the outset that he was a good guy with a very protective nature.
If you have read any of Mariana Zapata’s books before than you know that her stories are all slow burn stories and told from the woman’s POV. If you are new to this writer than you know it now.
I love Mariana Zapata her books. There is no question about it. I have read all her books and now I have read her latest new book ‘Luna and the lie’ too. I liked it but there were a few things in it that made that I didn’t love it as much as ‘The wall of Winnipeg and me’.
This story is about Luna who works in a custom car shop and her boss Lucas Ripley. I loved the fact that the story took place in a custom car shop and that Luna worked there, doing a man’s job.
Luna may be young (age wise) but after a difficult childhood and taking care of her three younger sisters at a young age, Luna knows a lot about how tough and difficult life can be. I liked the fact that Luna tried her best to be happy no matter what and worked hard for a better life.
And I liked grumpy, tough Ripley very much. He was totally asocial and very bossy but he was there whenever Luna needed him. That was something that I loved very much. Luna was the total opposite of Ripley, she was social, open, good hearted and I would even say naive. The problem with being naïve is, that you can be too naïve and that was the case with Luna in some situations. Especially in her relationship with Thea (one of her three sisters). I was really waiting (and hoping) for the moment that Luna would speak her mind (or have a fight) with her sister but that never happened. And I really think that the story (and the characters) needed that. And even though the story was long, I still was left with the feeling that there was more to tell.
But overall, I liked the story, especially the way how Luna ‘teased’ Ripley.
I LOVED this book! I teared up so much throughout this book that I needed to keep tissues on hand. Luna was tough because she had to learn how to be but she was also sweet and thoughtful. Another excellent book!
This is the kind of book that sucks you into the characters and you just have to keep reading, and reading to see what happens! (and reading… seriously, this is LONG!). It’s a slow burn, with a long build but the tension is there all the way through. I just had to keep going once I started… and I loved the strength of the heroine and how she kicked some butt in her male dominated career. Great (by which I mean twisted, but realistic) family dynamics going on in this story. If you like a good, emotional roller coaster then give this one a read 🙂
Absolutely a great story! This will be a definite re-read!
Marina Zapata’s Luna and the Lie is a slow burn, heartbreaking, emotional, beautiful story.
Luna is vulnerable, yet strong and resilient and so sweet. Rip is a man with a past—broody, harsh, and a bit of an a-hole.
I had a love/hate relationship with Rip. Sometimes he made me sigh. Other times, he made me want to break a pan over his head. But, he was always there for Luna, which is why I loved him in the end. The apology, wooing, groveling, and epilogue . . . I loved!
• Slow burn romance
• Older man, younger woman
• Office romance