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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Hold onto your hat because what a ride this book is! I was hooked from the very first page and could not put the book down until I finished it. I was a little concerned with the multiple narrators in a nonlinear timeline but everything seemed to flow flawlessly and all the ends were tied up in the end.
I am not going to comment on the characters and/or the plot because this is a book you just have to read and I do not want to give anything away or spoil anything for anyone.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this fantastic read that I still keep thinking about in exchange for an honest review. This is one of my favorite reads for this year and is deserving of more than 5 stars.
This was a really different suspense with some psychological thriller thrown in. There are three different points of view and even a different time frame, so I was feeling a little lost at the beginning, but as I got involved in the story, I began to understand what was going on better. Skye Starling is a trust fund baby who is about to turn thirty and come into her inheritance. She has difficulty establishing long-term relationships because she is OCD (think, like Monk on the TV show). When she meets Burke Michaels, they have a whirlwind romance and get engaged. The second POV is a teen named Heather who has a boyfriend named Burke and who is determined to find a new life in NYC. The third POV is Burke’s who is writing letters to his therapist and discloses that he is already married and has a plot to capture Skye and her money. Okay, enough disclosures. I haven’t spoiled anything, but I hope to have made it easier to anyone reading this review to understand what is happening from the very beginning. Anyway, the first half of the book was fast-paced and absorbing. Then, there was a big reveal about halfway through the book and the second half was almost a ho-hum, I already know all of this. Nevertheless, the characters and their stories were compelling enough to keep me interested and reading to the end. There were no real surprises after the middle, but there were several unexpected twists. Fans of suspense will enjoy this book, especially its surprises and unique presentation.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
At last, a psychological thriller told from the point of view of the three main characters. A tragic event continues to influence the lives of three people thirty years later. Romance has eluded beautiful, wealthy Skye Starling because of her obsessive compulsive behavior that began when she was twelve years old and lost her mother. Finally, she’s met the man of her dreams, the man who loves and understands her. But as soon as her dream comes true, her world falls apart and Skye wonders if it was all a deceptive lie. A page-turner to the very last page!
Too Good to be True had me changing my mind about who is telling the truth so many times I lost count.
The pages turn themselves as you try and wade your way through lies, deceit and just downright evilness.
Betrayal is huge and can you get past the biggest betrayal of all.
Curve balls are thrown at you through out the book so be prepared for a wild ride.
Don’t hesitate to add Too Good to Be True to the top of your TBR list.
Thanks to Net Galley and St Martin’s Press for a great read.
Wildly imaginative! Wonderful characters. Interesting plot. Vivid descriptions. Simply a GREAT read!
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
Skye Starling knows that money cannot buy happiness. If it could, she would be able to find true love. However, her illness prevents her from truly being herself around another person allowing them to see her debilitating OCD. Everything changes when she meets Burke Michaels. They are so perfect together, and he accepts her, even cherishes her, the way she is! This is a dream come true… or is it? Just after their wonderful Italian honeymoon, she discovers that this man might actually be “too good to be true”.
This is truly a book that you cannot put down. Narrated by the three main characters, the plot unfolds enticingly slowly, taking twists and turns that are totally unexpected! Full of surprises with each chapter, these realistic characters take the reader through a winding maze up until the very end. This has to be read to be appreciated! All I can say is, “Wow! What a ride!”
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
Compulsively readable, my whole day was shot once I started this. Soooo worth it.
I was instantly pulled into this story of deceit, betrayal and lies. But who is doing the lying and why? I absolutely had to find out and it was spectacular.
Do yourself two HUGE favors:
1. Read as little as possible about this book before diving into it.
2. Read it the minute it comes out.
Thank you to Carola Lovering, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Whoa that was a whirlwind of what just happened!! The writing was excellent and the plot was original. In hindsight I think I should have seen “it” coming but didn’t.
As mystery thrillers go this story was certainly on target with some romance to boot.
This novel has a clever twist I didn’t see coming. There are three primary characters of focus. Heather and Burke Michaels and Skye Starling carry this tale through to it’s twisted end.
My heart absolutely broke for Skye, her past and her ongoing issues. As for Heather and Burke, I still don’t know how I feel long after the last page was turned.