Romy’s new life seems to be on track, until something happens to cause a huge dilemma.
I enjoyed the emotions of the characters, although some of the coincidences were a bit hard to believe!
A good, easy read.

3.5 stars
I’m so turned out about this story. It’s my first book by the author although I’ve had my eyes on her books for a while now.
Most of the times, I chose books by the cover and blurb and maybe I had my expectations too high up for this one. What I can really say it’s that I don’t know exactly where to place it as a subgenre because it has a bit of everything, from the suspense to romance to traditional fiction in my opinion.
When a long term marriage is ending due to a past secret revealed where involved more of the trust in each other and the “Do I really know you ?” after thirty years plus of marriage, you expect more family drama and suspense and a new beginning with another person someday. All this happens but for me, it felt like I was betrayed because I was rooting for the second chance at love for Romy and I was actually disappointed with the turn of the events.
It’s a story that covers well nowadays family issues, friendships and trust, a fresh beginning and new feelings as well as new dreams when everything you knew has come apart.

This is another emotional read from Hilary Boyd, told from the viewpoint of characters that are easy to empathise with. I like the fact this story takes shape a couple of years after Romy receives a letter out of the blue that leaves her questioning her husband Michael and ultimately separating from him as it gives a unique balance of moving on and yet still tied to Michael due to unfortunate timing and circumstance. I think I would have liked a few more flashback to the time of the letter to give me a greater understanding of Romy’s doubt however the way she feels affected by it is very apparent. This is undoubtedly as much a story about moving on as it is about the letter and it’s fall out and is very thoughtfully narrated.

A well written novel of middle-aged middle-class people who inhabit a world buffered from the harsh realities of life by their wealth.
It does however confront some of the key issues affecting families today.
The outcome is no surprise but it is an easy read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for this ARC.

I thought this was a good, easy read with very likeable characters. It didn’t wow we though. Romy receives an anonymous letter and the writer of it states she was assaulted by her husband Michael some years ago. Micheal denies this and it leads Romy to question the man she thought she knew and results in their marriage breakdown, with Romy moving to their cottage and eventually meets Finch. It was a nice romance story and I guessed who the assaulted girl was before the reveal. Romy and Finch were very well written characters and their thoughts, feelings, fears, doubts and emotions were shown in the book very well. Even Michael grew on me towards the end. 3.5 stars

A well thought out plot, that kept me guessing throughout. A thought provoking story, which handled sensitive issues well, from a variety of perspectives. The plot had lots to think about.
Very descriptive, but not too much so. Gave a good portrayal of life in both a village and large city, from a human angle.
The characters were well thought out, interactions between them were natural and realistic.
The characters showed different facets of themselves and ranged from engaging and likeable to loathsome.
A very enjoyable read

Romy and her husband Michael are married with two grown up sons. Her happy marriage of over thirty years is shattered one day when she receives an anonymous letter claiming that her husband had sexually assaulted the letter writer fifteen years earlier when she was just sixteen years old and on placement in Chambers. She alleged that he attacked her in his office and that she only managed to escape when he paused, distracted by an incoming phone call from a client. Michael is a well respecter barrister; a dedicated and hardworking man who was both determined and driven, but not at all aggressive. She can’t believe what she is reading but she couldn’t ignore the sad and disturbing letter. She just couldn’t get it off her mind. She tackles him about it and he categorically denies that the letter is genuine. Still on her mind and feeling less sure of her husband’s honesty, the marriage crumbles over time until Romy decides to take time out, leave their London flat and go to stay miles away at their holiday home by the sea. She immediately feels more settled and her life goes by until one day Michael phones her and casually mentions a divorce.
Finch has dedicated himself to raising funds by collecting sponsorship money for charity after his wife’s illness and subsequent death. He finds running a great release and becomes a major fund raiser, with more marathons upcoming. It is at one such event that he meets Romy, now settled in and trying to make a new life for herself. The spark of attraction is there right from the very beginning. He is a widower, she had been separated from her husband for a while and gradually they go with the flow as their relationship flourishes. Finch is totally different and leads a totally different life to Michael, but somehow both of them feel so right together. It feels as though their future together is assured, until Romy receives a call from her son. First a letter and now a phone call bringing more bad news are heralding yet another big change in Romy’s life.
This novel is about so much more than marriage failures and grieving widowers who are rocked by secrets and lies. It brings with it family dilemmas, even abuse, loyalty and trust, deceit, regret and loss; real human emotions and quandaries that can ruin the carefully laid pathways of lives in seconds. These are relevant issues of humankind, choices that have to be made and behaviours that are abhorrent and bring real misery to families. I loved this busy storyboard and the beautifully told story in equal measures. I thought it was absorbing, well-paced and relatable. I have followed Hilary Boyd eagerly since I read the very first novel. I like the way she tackles issues full on and does not shy away from unsavoury matters. She writes with honesty, compassion and empathy, exploring different points of view fairly. Her characters are always richly created and become like personal friends so that you are really rooting for them and care about what happens. She has immense talent.
I received this superb novel through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher Penguin, sent in return for an honest review. This is my 4.5* review. Believe me this is a very poignant, moving and an unforgettable novel. All the opinions are my own with no influence from other parties. I highly recommend this novel as thought-provoking and a terrific read.

With a cover resembling a psychological thriller and a vaguely worded blurb, this book was not what I expected at all. I struggled to get through it as I really didn’t care what happened to any of the characters. The plot went off at a bit of a tangent - I know more than I ever wanted to about Argentinian farming - and I skim read from that point just to fulfill my obligations to Netgalley and the publisher.

I'm not really sure what I was expecting with this book and it seems this book didn't even know what it was trying to be either. Other than 'the lie' and a minor 'twist', nothing else really happens in this book, it just seems to be one character endlessly dithering. The characters are dull and the story bland and I hate not finishing a book so ploughed through. Truthfully, I couldn't wait for it to finish and was pretty much skimming the pages by the time it got to the (predictable) ending. Unfortunately, I would not recommend.

I really enjoyed this book so much. It has a really great plot, superb main characters and I read it in one sitting. I would highly recommend this book.

What a great read, you could feel the emotions pouring from the pages, I really did not see the twist coming. It’s a real page turner and the plot was completely believable.
I would definitely recommend this book to my friends. Thanks to NetGallery for the opportunity to read read this book.

An enjoyable book if you can believe the incredible coincidence regarding Romy's husband, Michael, and Finch's daughter, Grace. Romy moves to Cornwall to escape her marriage to Michael, ruined by a poison pen letter. There she finds a new life with the enigmatic widowed Finch, but when her husband has a stroke she feels obliged to return to London to nurse him. Will she stay, or return to Cornwall? Great holiday read.

An enjoyable book full of conflict with many twists and turns. A story of the times and how something that happened in the past, and thought to be got away with, raises it's ugly head and disrupts totally the life of so many in the future. Another well written book by Hilary Boyd which will make the reader question and reflect on how society has changed within the last few years as what is acceptable and what not and how seemingly small events in the past can have such a huge impact today. A few niggles with the flow, creating a little frustration with some of the characters and how they deal with the situation. A good read nonetheless.

For me, books like The Lie are the hardest to review as I had no strong feelings for it either way. I didn’t hate it exactly, but I didn’t like it either. It was just one of those ‘This book is okay and I’ll keep reading it to find out what happens and because I made a contract with NetGalley’ At the end of the book I didn’t feel like my time and efforts were wasted, but I don’t feel the pressing need to find more books by Hilary Boyd, either. The Lie sits firmly in the; this was an okay read, category.

Romy Claire, the main protagonist is torn between her old life and her new one. After leaving her dead-end marriage for a new life in Sussex – where she meets ‘Finch’ her enigmatic love interest – she is unwillingly pulled back to Micheals side where their pasts come to the fore and her new life is torn apart.

What I struggled with throughout The Lie is the incredibility of it all. Romy has only recently left her husband after years of unhappiness and being placed 3rd – behind her husbands work and himself – only to be dragged back to care for him after he suffers from a major health condition. She is just feeling the flutterings of love in her life and she casts it aside because there’s no one else to look after Micheal. This is a man that, at times, she cannot even stand to look at, so great is the rift in their marriage. On top of this, The Lie has one of the biggest coincidences in plot that I hurt my head rolling my eyes at it – it just made the whole experience ring hollow it was at this reveal that I felt the urge to stop reading, but because the book was so easy to read I ploughed through and kept giving it second chances.

The blossoming romance between Romy and Finch is well written and enjoyable, but feels a little flat compared to other books of this genre; it’s one of those that feels like an unexplored potential and I found it rather disappointing as a whole. The struggles with Micheal and Finchs step-daughter, Grace keep the romance rocky and the regret and tensions are what carry The Lie. But, it didn’t make me feel much as a reader. There is very little passion for the book and for a romance novel, I was expecting it to be a bit more emotion-evoking than it was.

The most thought-provoking aspect of The Lie, is the main hook of the story and how someone believes a version of events so easily compared to another's point of view because they have been with that person for 30+ years. Romy stands firm in her beliefs of Micheal’s character due to having been with him so long, absorbed in his lie. (Not exactly lies like the synopsis had me believe) The slither of doubt in Romy's mind kept the pages turning and it was interesting to see the change in Romy's perspective when the truth finally comes out and I found this part the most interesting, but again, I don’t think it was really enough of a story on its own to keep me invested throughout the book. I found the answers frightfully vague, too. How far did the accusations actually go? The resolution didn’t feel quite enough for me – with some of Micheals answers and explanations leaving me questioning, rather than leaving me fulfilled.

As I said, I didn’t hate The Lie and there are some positives too – I enjoyed Romy as a lead, she was sensitive and caring and I could relate to her choices as incredulous as they may seem. Just because you’re separated from someone doesn’t mean you stop caring about them. The love she has for her sons felt wonderfully realistic and I enjoyed the time she spent with her family as it was very heart-warming to read about; compared to the coldness surrounding Micheal – I found the scenes where Micheal tried to win Romy back awkward and uncomfortable, but that I suppose is a good thing as it’s unwanted affection – and Finch as a character felt honest and realistic. He is a grieving widower who doesn’t want to rush into a new relationship for fear of guilt over moving on. The Lie itself is nicely written and I enjoyed the slow pace of it.

Overall The Lie was a decent book, but not one that I could recommend whole-heartedly or with any enthusiasm.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have enjoyed reading.
The Lie by Hilary Boyd was a totally engrossing read and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Michael and Romy have been married for over 30 years, when Romy receives an anonymous letter from a woman, who claims her barrister husband sexually assaulted her when she was 16 and on work experience with his firm.
Romy leaves Michael and goes to live in their holiday home and meets Finch, a grieving widower. They begin a relationship which comes to a halt when the young woman, who claims she had been assaulted by Michael, is Finch’s stepdaughter, Grace. Her husband has a serious stroke and Romy goes back to the London flat to help look after Michael. It becomes complicated, as relationships do. And it looks as if Finch and Romy will never get together or Michael will never own up to what he did.
It is a very relevant story and very involved and complicated as life does gets at times, but one of Hilary Boyd’s best books to date.
Highly recommended.

I enjoyed this novel about Romy who has walked out on her marriage and moved to live back in the country. As she starts to rebuild her life again she meets a new man who opens up her eyes to the truth of her marriage but when her husband suffers a stroke she has to return to look after him and finally confront some truths she has buried for some time. This is an honest account of life and love and I really enjoyed it.

On the whole I enjoyed this book.

A little bit jumpy in places as didn't always feel that the story flowed as well as it could do. I felt engaged with the characters and although there was not really a feeling of suspense or thrill, the story was good.

I would say this is a recommended read though.

Thank you Penguin UK and NetGalley.

I felt that story never really got anywhere. There was no real weight in it. Assault and infidelity and lying are all discussed and well written about. The story is readable but I expected more out of it.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Well written and engaging. I very much enjoyed this novel, and it did have Joanna Trollope like characteristics as another reviewer suggests. Clever and astute, I would recommend.

This was a nice book with a lovely character in Romy whose life is torn apart when a letter arrives to casting doubt on Michael, the person she has been married to for many years. The revelations are many and the marriage flounders. Romy beings a new life and meets lovely Finch, an ex soldier and happiness returns. Then everything is spoilt by her decision to return to Michael when he is taken seriously ill with a stroke. I'm not sure that I would have done that with Michael's past and character still uncertain amid the allegations but then Romy is a nice, caring character. This wasn't a thriller but a slow, pleasant read. I really did enjoy Hilary's previous book which was a little better than this follow up.