‘Just WOW! Totally unputdownable.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, Goodreads reviewer‘THE best book I’ve read this year.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, Goodreads reviewer‘Amazing book, her best yet!!!!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, Goodreads reviewer‘Gave me shivers – gripping, heart-wrenching, consuming.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, Goodreads reviewerThe truth can set you free, or make you a prisoner… Nicola Watson lived with her parents and older brother in a respectable suburb. At ten years old, she didn’t yet understand why her stomach tightened when she heard her father’s heavy tread as he returned home late at night, or why it made her brother Graham’s stammer get worse, or why one night her mother Carol woke them both, wide-eyed and whispering, and took them out of their home and into the unknown.
Now a successful lawyer in the city, with a life poles apart from her dark beginnings, Nicola has returned home for her mother’s funeral. But as she stands in her mother’s house, remembering the woman who sacrificed everything for her children, Nicola has to confront the guilt that she feels for leaving her family behind. And the belief that she played a part in the events that led to her brother going to prison for murder.
All Carol wanted was to protect her children, but escaping her husband was only the beginning of the story. And when Nicola learns the truth of what her mother did, it will change everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.
A gripping, emotional story of family secrets, and the strength of a mother’s love in the darkest times. The next powerful read for fans of The Silent Wife, Kerry Lonsdale and Emily Bleeker.
Readers are loving The Lies We Hide!
‘There are not enough stars in the world to describe my love for this book! A million stars and more from me!’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This book was beautifully written and brought me to tears. One of the best books I’ve read this year.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This is one of those books that kept me on the edge of my seat from the beginning to the very end.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Amazing… a story so deep and heartbreaking with so many twists you won’t be able to put it down. I would give this book more stars if I could. Loved it and will be definitely recommending this to all my friends.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘You know when you find one of those books that you know you are going to love right from the first few pages? This is one of those, it’s fast paced and kept me up reading nearly all night last night, I couldn’t stop! I can’t recommend it enough, it’s my favourite read this year so far.’ NetGalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘The Lies We Hide is a story that will take hold of you. When I wasn’t reading it, I was constantly thinking about it. … Absolutely outstanding!’ By the Letter Book Reviews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A brilliant domestic thriller! WOW!! Loved this book – almost read it straight through… The end has a twist I did not see coming!!!’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This is such a moving story and one I would highly recommend. In fact, thanks to the author, I stayed awake far longer than was sensible in order to keep reading.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Wow, what a book. It grabbed me from the first page and I’m gutted that I’ve finished it. I’ve loved this author’s other books, however this is definitely my favourite so far.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This is one of those books that kept me on the edge of my seat from the beginning to the very end.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This book pulls at your heart. Grabs you from the very first page and doesn’t let go until the very last!’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐more
Although it deals with a very serious issue (spousal abuse), this book gets everything right and should be considered a must-read. The author does a phenomenal job illustrating how personal choices can affect others without being preachy or overbearing. The reader gets the point solidly through the characters’ experiences, and those are artfully written. The importance of belief in someone and the conviction that an action is the right one (even if it seems to be wrong) are also well-explained. This novel affected me deeply, and I highly recommend it. For more details, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of this book.
This is a book which will be hard to put down and will stay with you long after. It is like watching a car wreck on the should of the road – you have to look no matter how uncomfortable or sad. I struggle to find the words to convey what I’ve read – it is intense, real, heartbreaking and almost unbearable. This should be required reading for anyone interested in human nature, psychology, sociology and the human condition.
Excellent, gripping tale of family tragedy and rebirth
I ended up loving this novel about a fractured family and their sacrifices made to protect each other. This was a powerful story and often dark and depressing, but so realistic and ultimately uplifting. Carol and her son Graham weather so many trials as a rage-filled bully starts the path to abuse, flight and murder.
I loved the twists, the suspense and the supportive side characters like neighbors Pauline and Tommy, chaplain Richard and Jim, Carol’s giant Scotsman. But broken Carol and troubled Graham are the heart of the drama which is told alternating between the present after Carol’s funeral, in the early days of her marriage, her early years as a single mother, and at a crucial transition time in Graham’s adult life. The conclusion is a shocker for Nicola, Graham’s successful younger sister, as some long-held secrets are unveiled and others don’t bear exposure to the light of day.
Definitely a recommend from me!
Thanks to publisher Bookouture and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
The Lies We Hide is a domestic family thriller. Ted and Carol are married and have two children, and lead a turbulent life, as Ed is a very abusive man. The children grow up witnessing the abuse of their mother. The book describes the strong will of a mother that would do anything to save herself and her children. *** The book was very emotional and a tearjerker. It entails how being in a situation such as this affects the entire family, even as you grow older. This is the first book I have ever read by this author and I definitely will read more. Thanks so much @Bookouture @Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book. It will be releasing Dec 4. A definite must read!!!
This is one of those books that kept me on the edge of my seat from the beginning to the very end. This book is done in a then and now format starting in 1968 to present day 2019 with a lot in between. Ted Watson and Carol Green get married and have two children, Graham and Nicola. Ted is an alcoholic and is very abusive to Carol and after trying to strangle her in the bathtub, she takes the children and goes to a safe house. There are several different story lines going on that are all nicely tied together in the end. I really enjoyed this book and the way the characters developed and changed during the story. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this fascinating book in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good thriller.
The Lies We Hide is moving, absolutely moving beyond measure. I had a feeling early on that this was going to be a five-star-read and I’m so glad I was right! Author S.E. Lynes has succeeded in crafting a read so dark in nature, yet so full of love. We all have our secrets, some are just undoubtedly deeper than others. As the tagline states, “The truth can set you free, or make you a prisoner.”
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Bits and pieces of the ‘Watson’ family truth are uncovered from start to finish. We’re provided with narratives from multiple perspectives given in a now and then type format. The now is mainly told from Nicola’s perspective as she relives the memories of her family’s somber past and reflects in her own guilt in the aftermath of her mother’s death. Nicola made it, she’s a successful lawyer (barrister) in the city, but at what cost? In the end, Nicola learns a truth that changes everything she thought she knew to be true. Simultaneously, the past narrations explore their family life as told from the perspectives of Carol and her eldest child, her son Graham.
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Everything Carol does is to protect her children. She’s put up with so much abuse from her alcoholic husband until finally one day enough is enough. Due to her own near-death experience and the love shown to her by friends she dares to escape with her children in the dead of night. She survives. They survive. But what is survival really? How much does our past play a part in shaping our futures?
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We’re also given insight into Graham’s upbringing and find out exactly what lead him down his own destructive path. Children see and hear, experience, more than we think they do. As a parent, that’s a hard pill to swallow. Graham’s eventual prison sentence takes him down a road to redemption as he puts in the hard work with the new prison chaplain, Richard.
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The Lies We Hide is written in a way that truly makes you feel apart of the story. I got the sense that I knew these characters and I felt for them. I felt like I experienced growth with them. I cried with them. I smiled with them. I was in horror for and with them. I was proud of them and I forgave them while drawing from similarities of my own. Not with domestic abuse but rather the sheer, pure and powerful feelings of a mother’s love.
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I recommend this book to absolutely everyone. There is so much raw emotion, so much love, and much-needed awareness brought to the subject of domestic abuse and the effects it has on the survivors. For those who have read Lynes’ work before, please note this is not the psychological thriller that you’re used to seeing. She says it herself in her closing letter to the reader, “For me this book is about so many things: family, fear, the legacy of abuse, violence, politics, compassion, friendship, grief, redemption, kindness and, mainly, love.” – A letter from S.E.Lynes.
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Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and the author S.E. Lynes for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this title in exchange for an honest review. I am very thankful to have been able to read Carol’s story. I know that this is one that will never truly leave me. Absolutely unforgettable.
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I just reviewed The Lies We Hide by S.E. Lynes. #TheLiesWeHide #SELynes #NetGalley #Bookouture #MistysCornerReviews
The Lies We Hide is a book about many things: love , abuse, trust, faith, family,secrets , consequences and new beginnings
The characters are all strong, not all likeable, but you have such empathy for Carol and her kids as they escape her abusive husband and their father.
I found myself turning the pages to see what happens to Carol , Graham and Nicola. How hiding even the littlest thing from someone can change so many lives.
The book can be dark at times but more than that it is an uplifting read and well worth your time.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read The Lies We Hide.
A good read. I recommend this book
A beautifully written book with believable characters . It is a family relationship story based upon love but with many twists right up to the end.