Susan Lewis just gets better and better with each book. This book is brilliant from the start and keeps you gripped throughout.. a well thought out idea and well written. I look forward to Susan’s next book if this is anything to go by.

Joely is a ghost writer, as her marriage falls apart she goes to meet an reclusive author to write her autobiography but nothing is what it seems. Brilliant from start to finish would recommend. An unexpected twist

After a slow start the action Ramos up in this book by Susan Lewis . In it she tackles the subject of the sexual relationship between an underage pupil and her 25 year old teacher. An eccentric And unbalanced Freda employs Joely to act as a ghost writer of the terse story she wants to tell. In so doing Freda subjects her to mental torture and a kind of incarceration. The unravelling of the enigma unearths untruths from various places before the final denouement and reconciliation.
It was a good read but perhaps an ending that left all the ends unbelievably tied and happily resolved after some intense bitterness

Really surprising, fun and clever plot. It was the highlight of this book. I had a great time reading it, and couldn't guess the twist.
Good writing, and well-developed plot.
Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

Shortly after her husband leaves her for her best friend, ghostwriter Joely accepts an assignment, helping a reclusive author write a memoir, in a remote area of Devon. The story, about a 15 year old schoolgirl’s relationship with her music teacher, seems quite straightforward, until Joely discovers a darker secret. Can she and her family get through it together?

My Lies, Your Lies, is almost a story of two halves. The first - the memoir tale, of illicit love in a 60s boarding school - moves along gently, with only minimal hints at the darkness to follow, and then, wham, the second half - the darker tale of the revelations and consequences there of - suddenly kicks in. The pace of the action increases significantly, and, although at times I felt there was too much description of events, it was a cracking read, and one I didn’t want to put down. Couple this with the beautifully described location, around Lynton and Lynmouth, and some great characters - my favourite is Joely’s daughter Holly, who’s refreshing approach to all events was brilliant, and you have a great story.

Much enjoyed, and worth a read.

Brilliant!!!

Susan Lewis has done it again! This book is absolutely brilliant. A real page-turner that had me gripped from beginning to end.

The book had so many twists and turns that never turned out as I thought they would.

It is hard to write much without giving away the plot. However it is lovely to see old characters return as bit parts as well as meeting many new and wonderful characters. I loved Holly and Joely and came to like Freda, although she was always intriguing.

The book looks at love of various kinds. What is right and wrong in love and how age affects the morality of this.

A brilliant and ethical dilemma.

I've never read this author before and if I'm honest I found this a little hard to get into initially. First up there was a lot of talk about the main character's marriage breakdown and family relationships, which at the time seemed irrelevant particularly as I just wanted to get on with the mystery.

Chapters also switched between the present-day narrative and the past story of an as-yet-unidentified 15-year-old girl. The two were written in such different styles - and even fonts - that it was quite jarring and almost like reading two completely different books/authors.

Thirdly, Freda asks her ghost-writer Joely: "Do you think sex should be portrayed in graphic detail or should it be approached with the use of subtle innuendo and metaphor?" To which Joely answers: "Probably the latter" and with which I totally agree. And, as such some of the early extracts of the young girl were a bit much for me particularly given the age of those involved. This leads me to a warning that this book does include paedophilia or more correctly hebephiliac (involving adolescents rather than children) - it's not stomach-churning but it is there nonetheless.

Anyway I preserved and I am so glad I did because from about a third of way in I became totally and completely hooked, didn't want it to end and would even go so far as to say its one of favourite reads of the year so far. And, once you get into it you realise how relevant the seemingly irrelevant actually is, the reason for the different styles and the subject matter also becomes less significant.

Once underway this kept me continuously guessing - even though every single thing/sentence is totally relevant meaning that the clues are there all along, I just didn't predict any of the many twists and turns. And, there were so many (twists and turns), and Susan Lewis so masterful at dropping them at the exact right pace, ie just before you worked it out.

I also loved the characterisation and development. I don't want to give anything away but I was totally fascinated by one of the main characters who's somewhat accurately described as "Cool. Weird but cool." I loved the way that the others rallied around that person in the end despite some of the despicable things they'd done - it was a truly fitting and great ending. There's also a bit at the end where the 'weird character leaves a parting gift for another character which was genius and the exact thing that the character would've done if they were real.

I know (now) that the author is the best-selling author of over thirty gripping, page-turners but I can't adequately put into words how well written and thought out this was in every respect. I literally cannot wait to read some of her other work.

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Another super read from Susan Lewis, although not one of my favourite, possibly because I disliked Freda, one of the main characters, she is bossy, rude and manipulative.
Freda is writing a memoir, she hires Joely, as a ghostwriter to finish the book for her., and to stay with her in her reclusive old home. Jokey is happy to escape her own life for a short time as she has marital problems, which haven’t helped her relationship with her teenage daughter.
The timeline between present day and the happenings of 1968 is very cleverly written, with lots of references to the pop songs from that period, I could hear them playing as I was reading the story of a relationship between a school teacher and a young girl, so many emotions involved, love, betrayal, heartache and grief, all play apart in the story that emerges.
Freda goes to great lengths to reveal the past to Joely and there is a reason why she has chose Joely to tell this story, which has many twists to it. Love , forgiveness and family relationships are at the heart of this book.
4.5 stars

Do you love twisted mind games, and even better literary twisted mind games? Then you need to hear about My Lies, Your Lies by Susan Lewis.

MY THOUGHTS ON MY LIES, YOUR LIES

This is a good read filled with twisted mind games involving an author and a ghost writer. I felt it took a bit of time for the story to really get going, however Susan Lewis’s lyrical writing made that build up very atmospheric.

What’s really cool about this book is that it’s a very meta read, as it’s a book within a book. The story within features a tale of dizzy young love that will have you feeling confused, a bit uncertain but also totally absorbed. The characters scatter lies and half-truths and I loved trying to work it all out.

I adored the isolated old house setting, complete with an idyllic writers room in it’s own tower. It oozed creepy vibes. The perfect location for a crazy tale of obsession, betrayal and revenge to be etched out.

The ending annoyed me a little, as I wasn’t too sure how realistic everyones reactions felt. That aside this was an emotional and engaging page-turner for me, as I just had to know where it was all going.


WHO SHOULD READ MY LIES, YOUR LIES BY SUSAN LEWIS?

I recommend this to you if you like suspense, and layers within your books. Or if you appreciate complex characters. Fans of Diane Chamberlain, Samantha Hayes and Adele Parks should also enjoy.

A ghost writer offered an assignment to detail the events related to an episode of a reclusive many decades ago. This strange and complicated old lady in bad health wishes to put right a wrong as she relates a situation from when she was a 15 years old.student in a relationship with an older teacher. The reader becomes entangled in a situation where , dependent on perceptions, was the young girl seducer or seduced. Only one version of events available and how trustworthy is the person, Freda’s , memory or is it intentional fabrication. How much danger has our ghost writer put herself moving into an alien environment in an effort to remove herself from a complicated and difficult family situation. Many obtuse threads to this story although the focus is mainly on the history of abuse which has reared its ugly head to shake up the very foundations of a respectable family attempting to separate fact and fiction, right and wrong. An unusual premise moving at a good pace with well written characterisation until the latter stage of the book when revelation after revelation from several protagonists seem to dilute the disclosures related to the main story line. Also feel obliged to highlight the judgement of the authors apparent suggestion that a love affair with strong feelings by both parties somehow is not abuse of a vulnerable minor by an older person in a position of authority and trust.

I love Susan Lewis's writing and this was equally as good as her previous books. It is a different kind of story but the plot was gripping and I had no idea how it would end. Highly recommended

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

well i can tell you i really struggled with this book in the beginning, i couldnt stand frieda and i didnt like the story she was writing with the ghost writer joely, who herself was having problems with her family

so much so i ended up having a break and reading another book inbetween..but i went back to it and boy was i mistaken..it suddenly went into a totally different direction and i was hooked couldnt put it down and ended up with tears in my eyes at one point...

boy that ending....
so yes stick with it and you to will end up godsmacked by this book...sorry thats the only word i can think of that can actually describe how you feel after reading it

brilliant

When I started reading My lies, your lies, I didn’t really like it, the part where Joley is ghost writing for a famous writer with a supposed autobiography but I struggled with the story of a young girl falling for her teacher in the 60s, but I’m glad I stuck with it as the second part of the novel really grabbed me with the surprise twist and it was quite emotional in parts.

My lies your lies by Susan Lewis tells a story of a young schoolgirl’s crush on and subsequent relationship with, her teacher. The telling of the story to a ghost writer, Joely, becomes a tense mystery where things are not as they first seemed and Joely fears for her safety. A very readable book with a little twist in the tale. Just the thing to keep you entertained during the current Covid-19 lockdown.

This is a decent read by an accomplished author.

It's a family drama that is based around a ghostwriter, Joely who is recruited by a famous reclusive writer to write her memoirs.
What follows is a well written, unfolding drama with an unsettling element and many secrets and lies. It's well constructed with a satisfying ending. For me though, I didn't really engage with the characters although I did very much enjoy the relationship between Joely and her girlfriend and Joely and her daughter, Holly.

Overall, I'd say it's a 3* Good Read, just not as gripping as some of this author's previous works.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

There are two main characters in this fabulous dual time frame novel, told with fluency and flair. The first one is Joely whom we meet straight away in the modern story, and the second is Freda who is a much admired but reclusive author who writes as FM Donahue. They meet when Freda plans to write a memoir and she knows Joely is the right person to ghost-write it for her. Freda has done a huge amount of research. Her ghost writer had to have specific skills and attributes. Freda’s publisher offers her the job that will entail her leaving London and re-locating to Devon. She is at a time in her life that this is a Godsend.
Joely’s husband has dropped a bombshell and has left Joely, taking their daughter to live with Martha, his mistress and Joely’s former best friend. This assignment will take her away from the constant reminder of this double betrayal. She takes the train, spending the night with her friend Andee Lawrence and her husband. They enjoy a meal together and catching up with all of their news. The next morning Andee drives Joely towards Lynton and Lynmouth, the nearest twin towns to Freda’s impressive but remote house near the moors. She is welcomed and eventually meets Freda, and soon the job is underway.
She listens to Freda narrating the story of a fifteen-year-old schoolgirl at a boarding school who falls in love with her music teacher who she calls Sir. It is 1968, in the swinging sixties where everything seemed possible. Her teacher is young and very handsome and she takes piano lessons with him. They are compelled to embark on a passionate, intimate affair, careful to be discrete and careful. Day by day Joely ghost-writes this engaging and lyrical story, ever more curious as to how the story will continue in the next few listening and taking notes sessions. Progress is limited because telling the story tires and saddens quite easily. She is filled with emotion and regret. Freda’s story has never been revealed before and she is determined to tell it with honesty and full disclosure.
However, the memoir becomes a catalyst that Joely could never have predicted in a month of Sundays. It impacts directly on her in a way that causes personal secrets and lies to be revealed. This highly emotional novel has a dream-like storyboard that very nearly costs Joely her very life and in which other lives are indeed lost. It is a dual story that throbs with heartbreak, desertion, a passionate affair, not only secrecy and lies, but revenge, healing and forgiveness. Along the way are harrowing scenes laden with shocking twists that will take your breath away time and time again. The careful creation of vivid characters is gorgeously developed and the setting described purposely so that you can envisage them. Susan Lewis is a much admired and very popular author oozing with talent, expertise and creativity so that her exquisite writing is both involving and absorbing. This book is destined to excite and delight her many fans and my review will, I hope, introduce her many more new readers.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher HarperCollins through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you so much for my copy. These are my own honest opinions without any outside influences. It’s an exceptionally good read and an all-round 5* review from me. It is an unmissable page-turner that will stay in your thoughts ages after you have finished reading it.

Wow what a book!! This is my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. Joely is hired as a ghostwriter for Freda, who has secrets she needs to get out. Who knew these secrets would have twists and turns and such an impact on people's lives. Beautifully written and the descriptions really took me back to Lynton and Lynmouth. Would definitely recommend and will also look into other books written by this author.

I've read most Susan lewis books this one was bit slow to start with which I was surprised at but once it did it turned in to a page turner.

Joely, callum and Marianne part in the book all surprised me I didn't see it coming as always I've really enjoyed this book.

I have long been a fan of Susan Lewis, and this book was another delve into fantastic storytelling,
Joely is reeling from a marriage that is collapsing, due to her husband embarking upon an affair with her best friend. The betrayal doesn't end there. He. decides to move out and their daughter decides she wants to leave too.
An opportunity arises for Joely to work away for a while, as a ghostwriter for an established enigma of an author who ends up with much more than just her own story to tell.
Forbidden love, loss, revenge, lies and secrecy: it's all there and more.
Such a compelling story, I finished it in a day!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Brilliant!!
Although sometimes a little wordy with description, I was hooked into this read, quickly and deeply. The setting was foreboding, and the reclusive Freida a great character.
Took my mind off everything else, which is always a sign of a great read.
Highly recommended.
Thanks Netgalley and Susan Lewis for the opportunity to read and review.