ONE LOVE STORY. TWO MARRIAGES. THREE VERSIONS OF THE TRUTH. Too Good to Be True is an obsessive, addictive love story for fans of Lisa Jewell and The Wife Upstairs, from Carola Lovering, the beloved author of Tell Me Lies.Skye Starling is overjoyed when her boyfriend, Burke Michaels, proposes after a whirlwind courtship. Though Skye seems to have the world at her fingertips—she’s smart, … world at her fingertips—she’s smart, beautiful, and from a well-off family—she’s also battled crippling OCD ever since her mother’s death when she was eleven, and her romantic relationships have suffered as a result.
But now Burke—handsome, older, and more emotionally mature than any man she’s met before—says he wants her. Forever. Except, Burke isn’t who he claims to be. And interspersed letters to his therapist reveal the truth: he’s happily married, and using Skye for his own, deceptive ends.
In a third perspective, set thirty years earlier, a scrappy seventeen-year-old named Heather is determined to end things with Burke, a local bad boy, and make a better life for herself in New York City. But can her adolescent love stay firmly in her past—or will he find his way into her future?
On a collision course she doesn’t see coming, Skye throws herself into wedding planning, as Burke’s scheme grows ever more twisted. But of course, even the best laid plans can go astray. And just when you think you know where this story is going, you’ll discover that there’s more than one way to spin the truth.
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Told in alternating points of view, Lovering takes readers on a while ride. The twists are completed unexpected, but the clever execution keeps you reading to see how it all finally fits together.
4.5 Stars
The blurb for this book sounded so intriguing, and psychological thrillers have been my trope of choice this past year so I was so excited to read this one. But sometimes when you go into a book blind, they just don’t work out for you. That was the case for me with this one.
I struggled way too hard to try and form any kind of connection with Skye and Burke, and forget Heather all the way around. As I was reading, I just couldn’t suspend belief enough times to give this story any kind of credence. The plot that Heather hatches, and Burke just went along with it? It was just so not believable?
If you are a firm believer in Karma, this book is not for you. I was actually super frustrated when I finished reading, and annoyed at how this story ended. Oh well, as I said in the beginning, you go in blind and you get what you get, not every book is going to work for a reader.
Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
I didn’t really enjoy Too Good To Be True, it was very slow moving to me and didn’t keep my attention.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC.
This was exceptional writing. The plot twists and turns kept you guessing until the very end. I could not put this book down. From page one I was captivated.
This book is told by three different people and three different time frames. Each chapter is dedicated to one of the three main characters.
The synopsis is pretty straight forward. There are 3 people, Burke, Heather, and Skye. And their lives become intertwined. Their stories about their pasts shape how their future and present will pan out. It is a crazy story indeed.
This is my first book by this uniquely talented author. I’m so excited to read other books by her. Don’t pass on this book. It’s truly addicting.
Have you ever had mixed feelings about a book, then about half way through fell in love with it and couldn’t put it down? That is what happened to me in Too Good to Be True by Carola Lovering. I will be recommending this book for a long time!
I hated Burke Michaels, I loved Skye Starling and felt sorry for Heather Michaels. About halfway through my understanding of what I was reading suddenly changed. I don’t know how the author lead me to this realization because it was very subtle. She is a genius. I love a book that plays with my mind. There were so many subtle hints and twists along the way. Not only was I engrossed in the story, I was trying to figure everything out along the way.
I love a good Thriller. Some of them smack you in the face with the twists and like I mentioned earlier, this one is very subtle. I really liked the love story. That was definitely a big plus. Her writing was so easy to follow. Her characters were down to earth and most of them were likable. See if you can find the character that I hated throughout the entire story.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley for a fair and honest review. Thank you!
Burke was definitely deceitful. Heather wasn’t bad at it either.
He knew how to keep secrets, and they were big ones.
We also meet Skye who has her own problem of having an addictive compulsion to count and can’t find a boyfriend because of it. Burke solved this problem for her.
Then we meet Libby who became friends with Heather and showed Heather what a good life could be when you had money.
Did the obsession with money have Heather making wrong choices in her life like marrying Burke?
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE was difficult to keep the characters and even the story line straight at the beginning.
We meet all the characters in detail in each chapter.
I couldn’t tell who was the worst offender when it came to being loyal or being naive.
Burke’s chapters had his diary entries, and they showed what a bad person he really was.
Skye’s chapters showed how gullible and trustworthy she was and how anxious she was to find a boyfriend even with her gobs of money from a trust fund.
Heather’s chapters showed how her sordid life growing up made her want more.
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE was slow for the first quarter of the book, but I kept reading because I wanted to see how Burke’s devious plan would work out.
Continuing to read was a VERY good decision.
Once the story line got going despite the wordy sections, it kept me glued to the pages with the twists and surprises.
Readers who enjoy domestic suspense will enjoy this book.
The uniqueness and the deviousness of the characters makes it one you don’t want to miss. 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! What did I just read? There are so many twists, turns, and connections that I was not expecting. And how can people be so evil?
This is a story spanning many years, told from the perspectives of the three main characters—Heather, Burke, and Skye. While multiple perspectives and timelines can sometimes be confusing, this time they were not. The timelines and characters flowed very easily for me. And then the ‘aha’ moment when I figured out how their lives were all connected. Mind blown!
Carola Lovering is a new-to-me author but I am excited by what I read and will definitely be watching for her next book. Too Good to Be True is an exciting, page-turner that you will want to devour!
4.75-5 STARS
“Too Good to Be True” is a riveting, fast-paced, psychological drama that is quite a suspenseful page-turner! The story’s very foundation is built on a myriad of secrets and lies, but obsession and vengeance is what propels this story forward. Boasting intriguing characters with alternating POV’s, it’s a cleverly constructed story that delivers several twists and turns that I never saw coming.
This is my first Carola Lovering book. I will be reading more of her work.
This book actually blew me away. From the very beginning it grabbed me. I thought it was going to be a slow read but it wasn’t. It has so much going on that you can’t be bored with it. You will want to know what is happening and why. Who is the bad guy and who isn’t. It’s the story of a love that wasn’t suppose to happen.
There are three main characters in this book: Heather, Burke, and Skye. Their lives are intertwined in a way that will leave you breathless. You will be rooting for one thing one second then something completely different the next. You won’t know who is doing what to whom until after the fact. You will wonder if things are at all as they seem. This book is really about love, deceit, betrayal, vengeance, hate, hurt, obsessions, weakness, strength, and loss. It’s about a boy and a girl. A man and a woman. A truth and a lie.
I wanted very badly to hate Burke, but couldn’t. He kind of grew on me. I knew who Skye was not too awful far into the book and it didn’t take away from the story at all. I liked her. Heather is another story. I hated her and liked her. I mostly despised her though. I tried hard to like her. In the beginning I felt bad for her but ultimately she got on my last nerve. She was too petty. Self absorbed. Wanted too much. Didn’t want to give much. She was so obsessed with things and other people that she could not see the good she had right in front of her face. No I didn’t much like Heather. Though she did work hard to get where she was and she was maybe a good mother. I still have a few doubts about that.
There are a lot of secondary characters in this book that you will like too. They play a huge role in this story. In the way it plays out. In all that happens and why it happens. You will not know what is coming until it does. This book is in two parts. The first half makes you feel one way and the second makes you feel a bit differently. There are a lot of emotions in this story that will keep you turning the pages. You will love it all. It’s very well written. In the first part you hear the now between Burke and Skye and the before from Heather. It’s just full of so much but very easy to keep up with.
It’s honestly a great story.
This story will bring a few tears to your eyes. It also talks about OCD, addiction, and touches on molestation of a woman.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #CarolaLovering, #StMartin’sPress for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.
5/5 stars and a very high recommendation. A must read!
Wow! This book had more than a few twists. I had guessed some of it, but not nearly enough. I can’t say that I really liked any of the characters, which usually helps me enjoy a book more. Even though I didn’t, I did enjoy the books. The writing was good as I was able to imagine everything as it occurred. The book kept me hooked and I wanted to find out everything. I thought the ending was interesting. It really did keep me guessing at how it was all going to end up. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Can anything be Too Good To Be True? As I love the title, I thought it only fair to stick with this suspense novel which begins with the main female character’s personality conundrum. However, after reading more chapters, it didn’t have that thriller feel. Don’t get me wrong, twists abound, but you know the saying…two’s company, three’s a crowd! Although I have nothing against love triangles, it all seemed a tad unrealistic and not what I expected.
Goodness me! Is it possible for someone to have such a peculiarity? Well, according to Skye Starling who has had to learn to live with one, it’s all a matter of control. I felt sorry for her. So, when the dashing but older Burke Micheals walks into her life and takes her at face value, I applauded them both. Ahem, I shouldn’t have been so quick off the mark.
Little clues encouraged me to keep my eye on Burke. For the want of better words, deception is in the air. He voices his feelings on paper, slowly unravelling what was to be a shocking revelation. Unfortunately, it came too early for my liking. Although Heather’s story is in a different period, it most certainly reflects in the present day. All three involved having their say one way or another.
Despite having trouble getting through the second half of the book, seeing how their stories would meld together was worth the wait. The character development is good, the dialogue strong, and the plot interesting enough to keep me guessing.
4 stars. I have really mixed feelings about Too Good to Be True. I could not put this book down for a little over half of the book. I was anxious to see how everyone was connected and what would happen. There are three narrators. Burke’s story is told by writing letters to Dr. K in his diary. With Heather, we go back to the 1980s and move forward. Our final narrator is Skye who writes in 2019. The chapters are short and move quickly (for the first half). I found I did need to take notes so I could keep characters straight. There is a big twist just over halfway through the book. At one point, earlier in the reading, I thought about this twist but later put it aside. After the twist, I started feeling like I was in a soap opera. The pace slowed and seemed to take forever to finish unraveling the plot. It was work for me to finish. I am giving this book 4 stars based on the first half of the book. Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.
One Love. Two Marriages. Three Points of View.
Skye Starling lost her mom at age twelve, and despite having an older brother and father, has felt adrift. Her mom was her best friend. At her mom’s passing, Skye developed some OCD behaviors, which at thirty years old, has left her single. The one serious relationship left her deeply wounded. That is until the day, Skye met Burke.
Burke Michaels is much older than Skye, and what started out as encounter, Burke has developed strong feelings for Skye. Despite only knowing her for six months, he gives her a ring and pops the question to get a resounding: Yes!
Heather Price feels stuck, she grew up in a dumpy town, with parents who weren’t interested in being parents to her or her younger brother, Gus. Heather puts up an ad for babysitting services, and is surprised when she gets a call. Heather goes to work for Libby Fontaine watching her four year old and three month old, but mostly Heather and Libby become friends. Libby is missing companionship because her husband is fixated on his work. Libby and her husband are well off, and Heather quickly gets comfortable making more money than she ever has, and after Libby takes Heather under her wing; Heather dreams of how one day, she’ll live the lifestyle just like Libby does.
Libby doesn’t care for Heather’s boyfriend, Burke, and convinces Heather to break up with him. Heather believes it’s the best thing in order for her to move forward. Things are wonderful, until there is a falling out between Libby and Heather, that leaves Heather devastated. Heather wants nothing more to do with Libby, and finds herself consoling herself with Burke. They leave their hometown, to start college.
This story goes back and forth between Burke’s letters that tell his point of view, Skye and Heather. Just when I thought I had things figured out, a twist would come up and make me rethink and consider who is pulling the strings. There are lies, guilt, devious & conniving behavior, but also, heartbreak in more ways than one. There was a reveal later in the story, that I never contemplated, but pulled the story together. I enjoyed this very twisted story filled with secrets involving three players.
I requested and received an ARC from NetGalley via St. Martin’s Press and I voluntarily reviewed this book.
An absolutely twisted tale. The lives of Skye, Burke and Heather intersect in a most destructive way. The diary method that the author uses to give the characters perspective really ramps up the tension especially when it becomes clear that it may not be from the true person. Even though the characters are flawed there are are still parts of them that you can like. The ending is not what is expected, but still great.
Too Good To Be True is an incredibly well-plotted story revolving around three very distinctive and well-crafted characters. While I didn’t go in without reading the synopsis, I didn’t allow myself to dwell on it allowing me to be open to the twist upon twist in the story. This made for an incredibly addictive read, a book I longed to return to when real life interrupted. The drama unfolds through the present and past accounts in the lives of Skye, Burke, and Heather. These three have deep connections that not all three are aware of. With multiple reveals, you’ll question what you thought you knew and just who was sharing the story.
Skye runs in a crowd of twenty-something affluent New Yorkers. She has, at times, debilitating OCD and PTSD. When she meets and falls for Burke, her life becomes seemingly perfect, and things progress at a quick pace. Meanwhile, we are also learning about Heather and Burke and just how they connect to each other and Skye. Again, it was a hard read to put down and it left me contemplating all I thought I knew. That said, this is a book worthy of a second and third read through and I’ve found myself doing just that much. it’s actually pretty fun when you know what you know by the end of the book. I’ve wondered how I missed some of the clues.
Too Good To Be True is now one of my favorite reads in the domestics suspense genre. All three main characters evoked strong emotions, with right and wrong, and desired outcomes all mixed together. Carola Lovering is a new to me author and since finishing this I’ve also read her debut Tell Me Lies, which was a great read as well. 5 Stars ad recommendation!
OMG, this book is an addictive read! It’s a head game you can’t get out of your head, a train-wreck that you see coming but can’t look away from.
I don’t want to say ANYTHING that can take away from your enjoyment of this book, other than it has three main characters giving narratives that you don’t know are real or not. They contradict even as they complement each other, and you don’t know who or what to believe. There’s some major human malfunctions at play here: to charactarize them as flaws would be the equivalent of reducing the story of someone getting hit by a bus by saying a fly landed on their arm.
Not the highest form of literature, surely, but you’re in for a wild, twisty, and entertaining read!! Well done, Carola Lovering! Well done!
My thanks to NetGalley and to St. Martin’s Press for generously allowing me to read an advance copy of the book which is scheduled for publication on 3/2/2021. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.
I really enjoyed this book. It had a few twists I never saw coming. I could not put it down! It is a must read for everyone! What started out as a love triangle…… WOW!
If you like psychological thrillers and want to read Too Good to be True, then do what other reviewers have recommended: do NOT read the blurb first! It gives too much away. As the entire basis of many psychological suspense/thrillers depends on the “big twist”, then it’s best to start reading cold. Otherwise the story might not work as well for you.
Anyway. Consider yourself warned.
As I’ve written before, psychological suspense/psychological thrillers are hit-or-miss for me. This book, unfortunately, was mostly a miss. The times when it was a “hit” were the times when it was least like a thriller and most like a women’s novel.
POINT OF VIEW
The story is told from three points of view. Skye Starling, a single, beautiful, incredibly wealthy young woman with OCD. Burke Michaels, her “too good to be true” boyfriend who is handsome, caring, sensitive, and accepting of her compulsions–lying. In flashbacks, we get the point of view of Heather, a poor but ambitious teen raising her young brother after her parents succumb to addiction.
CHARACTERIZATION
For me, the characters felt over-the-top, as if the author took the most dramatic aspect of their personalities and exaggerated it. Skye’s insecurity and naivete. Burke’s manipulations and reformed-bad-boy charm. Heather’s ambitions and aspirations, plus her conviction that life has treated her badly.
Of all the characters, HEATHER irked me the most. On the one hand, she acts helpless, like when she whines that her husband hasn’t written their daughter’s college tuition check. (She can’t do this?!) Yet she’s clearly capable of elaborate schemes to get what she wants. That said, she has been dealt a raw hand in life and an early tragedy leaves its mark.
BURKE: probably the less I say about him, the better. In his “too good to be true” version, he’s adorable–but is that the real Burke?
SKYE. I actually liked her. It’s sad to see her compulsions regulate how she navigates the world. Yet at the same time, she has a supportive network of longtime friends. When all the world turns upside down, they are there for her.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BOOK: RELATIONSHIPS
One of the best parts of the novel is watching these friends navigate the transitions in their relationships. They’ve been friends since childhood, but adulthood (along with lovers, husbands, careers) has changed them and their relationships to each other. It’s great to see them support Skye.
The other highlights for me were Skye’s relationships with her trusted therapist and the reality of living with crippling OCD. Her psychiatrist helps her process her emotions but also forces her to dig deep inside to find answers and grow from her experiences.
Skye lost her mom at a young age, and her death was the catalyst for Skye’s compulsions. The author did a good job conveying Skye’s compulsions, in my opinion.
Yet while I enjoyed these aspects of the book, these aren’t great sources of suspense. They do add depth to a fairly basic storyline, though.
SUSPENSE/PLOT
The story’s suspense seems to come from flashbacks and dire hints about bad events in the past. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it doesn’t.
Skye’s repeated vague thoughts about MAX LAPOINTE are an example. Several times, she hints that something bad happened with him, but doesn’t elaborate until 50 percent of the way through the book. This exasperated me, as the hints are too vague to even guess what the issue was. It’s a bit like a friend who starts hinting about some juicy gossip but won’t state any specifics because she wants you to beg for answers before she’ll spill the tea.
The eventual story about the devious Max is a doozy, and the continual delay in its telling could have worked. (It increased my sympathy for Skye.) But for me, it didn’t completely work because the hints were all the same level of revelation, and didn’t build upon one another.
Certain twists are obvious to anyone who reads a lot in this genre. The less said here, the better.
WHODUNIT vs HOWDUNIT
The second half Too Good to be True often felt repetitious. If the first half of the book was the “who-done-it”, then the second half was the “how-done-it” part usually reserved for an epilogue or the killer’s confession in a murder mystery. Only in this case, the confession is several chapters long and interspersed with the other points of view from the present time. These confessional/explanatory chapters are mildly interesting. But since I already knew the outcome, I didn’t feel much suspense, only annoyance.
But oddly, I enjoyed the second half more than the first and couldn’t stop reading. Other than the explanatory chapters, I liked watching the other two characters deal with (and perhaps grow from) their troubles. It didn’t feel like a suspense novel at that point, though, more like women’s fiction. So don’t expect an exciting showdown, an adversarial courtroom battle, or anyone pointing a gun at anyone else. It doesn’t happen.
3 STARS
Overall, I somewhat recommend the book. If you like psychological suspense, you may enjoy Too Good To Be True or you may not. Some reviewers loved the book; check out the five star reviews on Goodreads. As I’ve said, psychological thrillers are a hit-or-miss for me. While this one was mostly a miss for me, it might be a hit for you.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
A truly unique story. With numerous complicated relationships and an intriguing plot, it’s easy to see the author understands human behaviour. Too Good to Be True won me over. All the characters are relatable with Burke by far my favorite. The way he is presented combined with his growth and ability to surprise me had me pulling for him even when all sense said not to. This is a story I would suggest going in blind and enjoying the ride.
Lovering masterfully weaves together past and present. I highly recommend reading Too Good to Be True.
Title:
Author:
Number Of Pages: 339
Genre: Psychological
Publication Date: 03/02/2021
Rating: (4.5 stars)
This is the first book I have read from this author. Thank you @stmartinspress for the #gifted copy. This book comes out on 03/02/2021 so make sure you pre-order your copy today!!!!
This is the type of psychological Thriller that you should go into blind without knowing anything. The tagline is all you need to know. One Love story. Two marriages. Three versions of the truth. This book has a lot of twists and turns in it which had me emotionally invested from start to finish. Domestics psychological thrillers are my favorite sub-genre to read, and this one definitely did not disappoint. If you are a fan of juicy psychological domestic Thrillers with a lot of secrets and lies this is your book. I don’t want to go too much in detail and spoil the book. I would have liked a slightly different ending, but overall loved this book.