I found this to be a well written, suspenseful tale of two women's lives and relationships. I enjoyed the exploration of their motivations, particularly how the more Cassie investigates Lore's life, marriages, and motivations, the more she has to deal with her own. It did make you think about the choices they make, particularly Lore's, and that made for a more interesting read than a traditional crime novel. I also liked the twist at the end. A really good debut.

Unfortunately not to my tastes. I found it quite slow and it required a lot of my attention to focus.

3.5*

I thought this was a well-written debut novel and the author's writing style will no doubt continue to become more confident with time. Or perhaps it's just that the editor needed to do a little more pruning back of the work, which felt slow to build and sagged in parts.

The characters here are believable and whilst they might not be likeable, I felt that made them all the more realistic.

I would certainly read more. by this author.

It took me a while to get into this book whilst it ventured back and forth in time. Towards half way through, I couldn't put it down! I was desperate to find out what had happened to one of Lore's dead husbands. I enjoyed the 'detective side of the story as well as finding out about the crime writer''s, Cassie Bowman's, past.
An enjoyable book to read, in the end.

This is a debut novel by a new Mexican-American author – how did crimeworm get on with her writing?

Well – wow! This was such a difficult book to put down, so the heatwave gave me a perfect excuse to read all night to finish it off – I could probably have slept, now I have a fan, but hell! Why sleep when you have a book like this you can pick up?

Now, the last book I read with a Mexican setting would have been one of Don Winslow’s Cartel trilogyi, which I absolutely adore, but I must say, it’s refreshing to read about another side of Mexico. Although crime does feature in this book, it’s a very different kind of crime…

Tell us more about the characters…

The book is narrated by two characters: first of all, there’s Cassie Bowman, who’s scunnered churning out true crime stories for a blog of trashy stories, mostly featuring dead women. But needs must, and Cassie and her partner Duke are living on a shoestring in expensive Austin, Texas. One news story catches her eye: that of Lore Rivera, who bigamously married a second husband in Mexico City, despite having a first husband and twins in Laredo, Texas. Murder ensues when Lore’s two worlds collide: Andres, her Mexico City husband, goes to Laredo, where Fabian, husband no.1, shoots and kills him in his motel room. But can Cassie possibly persuade Lore, who has never spoken to any reporters, to talk to her? Cassie is desperate to find a different kind of story – one exactly like this – to lift her out of her day-to-day shock-and-horror blogging job, and into the classier kind of crime writing – that of long form journalism, like ‘In Cold Blood’ once was.

The other narrator is, of course, Lore, and we learn what really happened back then…and of course there are a few surprises in store.

So you enjoyed this book?

I did, very much. It’s not a straight crime story – it’s definitely more literary than that. But both women are compelling characters, and both have secrets. It’s fairly lengthy, but definitely doesn’t drag, as Gutierrez is a very talented, lyrical writer, who spins a fascinating tale with great raw material. The people, and the places, really come alive. It’s a fantastic debut, spun out a superb idea, and will probably be one of my favourite books of the year – and this has been an exceptional year so far!

A wonderful read that’s oh-so-hard to put down!

I was looking forward to this book. However I just couldn't get into it, I tried a few times but it just wasn't for me. Thank you netgalley for the arc of this book.

Two women marry one man, I did enjoy the book and was engrossed by it I thought it was real.

Only thing I wasn't keen on where it was set but that me not the book.

Wow! What a book. Honestly, a few chapters in, I wasn’t into this book, it felt like a real crime book and was perhaps a little heavy on the facts, to the point I double checked a few times that it was in fact not a true crime book. Anyway, something made me stick with it, and I’m so glad I did. This book is brilliant, it is definitely one of those books that builds and builds until its climactic ending. This book really does deserve all its praise. It is so cleverly written and so very real! The main characters are very believable flaws and all. I really enjoyed being with them on their journey as the truth is revealed.

Thanks to netgalley for my ARC.
This is a debut novel and I really want to be positive about it. But I have mixed feelings over this.
I really enjoyed the start of the book. We learn about the wife in both of her relationships, how they started and how much she loves them both.
The characters are well crafted and you’ll love most of them.
My problem is with Cassie and her life. Cassie is writing the book about the murder and this could be her big break. At the start I did think it was an incel book because Cassie as an author doesn’t come out straight away.
However, I feel lost about the ending. What happened to Cassie’s boyfriend and did she ever text his family back?
Lore’s story seemed to take over at the end and I wasn’t prepared for so many unanswered questions.
The pace seemed to slow for me in the second half of the book as the interviews deepened. But I did think that the ideas around the necklace and the driveway were clever.
It’s a good book but it didn’t blow me away.

I’m a little mystified by the hype around this one. A Good Morning America book club pick billed as a true crime thriller, this was like a long, melodramatic telenovela mashed up with a boring true crime podcast where the host blathers on for ages before getting to the meat of the story. I kept reading, hoping it would get better. It didn’t.

Dolores (Lore) Rivera is a married mother of twin boys when she meets the handsome philosophy professor Andres on a business trip to Mexico City(/DF) in 1983. Dissatisfied with the state of her marriage to Fabian and falling head over heels for Andres, Lore embarks on a passionate secret affair with Andres, culminating in their marriage and her new life as a bigamist.

Cassie is a true crime blogger and writer who stumbles upon Lore’s story when she reads about Andres’ violent death. Fascinated by what drove Lore to commit bigamy and lead a secret double life, Cassie makes contact with Lore and is met with more than she bargained for when she begins to scratch the surface of the story.

I have several gripes about this book (a cast of characters that were for the most part neither likeable nor interesting, an unnecessary amount of detail provided which led to a lot of repetition, a lot of detail about Cassie’s own backstory which proved largely irrelevant) but my chief complaint is the length of the book. It’s a story that could have been told in 300 pages or less but is dragged out to 435 pages.

The book had potential - I felt there was an direction it could have taken that resulted in a different ending. How the book panned out in the end however was very disappointing. I’m afraid it’s a no from me this time. 2/5 ⭐️

It took me a while to get into the story, it felt way too long.
A journalist seeking her first big break via telling Lore's story, a woman who had a secret life with another family, and uncovering her secrets.
The back and forth, and the dialogue of the two women were quite confusing and the story of the fiancé irrelevant.

Cassie is a gem. So likeable and realistic the journey through this book has been an unpredictable yet enjoyable thrill. I was pulled in quickly.

The best-performing murders were outlandishly gruesome with an element of brilliance or ineptitude

This is something I think all true crime fans can relate to. This book starts with Cassie’s fascination with Lore’s story. We are taken along as she approaches Lore to tell the truth behind her story.

Cassie has her own troubles, younger sibling, alcoholic father and a fascination with true crime which I have felt isn’t always supported by her partner.

This is slower paced than I usually prefer. However, we are given a full insight into the lives of the different characters. The book is set into three parts and although slow at the beginning, it definitely ramps up in the latter half of the book.

This is well written and has managed to transport me to the pages. I have felt like I have been on the journey with Cassie. There have definitely been moments I have gasped and been completely captivated by this one.

I loved reading about Lore and Cassie. This is a book that takes you on a whirlwind and you may not agree with the actions of the characters but you will definitely be caught up in wanting to know exactly what is taking place.

This book has been completely unputdownable. I cannot believe this is a debut, I have been keen to look up other books by this author and disappointed I have to wait.

This was an interesting mystery story, it wasn't quite like anything I've read before. This is a mystery but it feels more about why Dolores would risk having a double life rather than Andres murder. We are drawn into Lores life and we can see the kind of person she is and why she decides on this double life. It really is a story about family and how the actions of one family member can change the others and impact their lives. I thought it was an interesting take on relationships and infidelity.

The story swaps between Cassie and Lores perspectives and between the 1980's and 2017. Cassie is a true crime enthusiast and writes for a blog, her stories are aimed towards women so often she is writing about men killing women. She comes across Lores story when researching and becomes fascinated about why this woman would risk everything to lead a double life. She decides that she wants to write about this but from Lores perspective and why it happened rather than the gruesome end.

I did find this an interesting book about two woman and their life stories. It was most interesting to get into Lores head and it really made me question why people are unfaithful. It gave a different idea of why a woman who seemingly had everything would cheat. Lore was quite selfish and did think of herself a lot without really truly considering how her actions would affect those she loved. It was interesting to see such a flawed character that we could also kind of relate to, she was just a woman who wanted to be seen as more than a mother and wife. Cassie was also an interesting character struggling to come to terms with family and what that means and working hard to make a career in crime writing.

I thought this was a well written story but I did find it quite slow, it was a lot longer than it really needed to be. I also don't feel Cassies part was really needed to tell the story but I liked it. I'm not sure how I felt about the twist at the end however. Overall it was a good read that does make you question infidelity and how people are capable of loving more than one person at a time. Its something we don't really think about happening for the most part but I can see how it could happen and why Lore ended up with both men and not wanting to choose.

I loved this book and bought the audiobook to listen to as well. So well-written and also fast-paced. I needed to know what would happen, but I was sad to finish the book. Already want to read more from this wonderful author.

Cassie is a true crime writer for a blog, when she stumbles upon Lore and her 2 marriages and families at the same time, (one husband dead and the other in jail for his murder) she can't help but be intrigued. Just how did Lore get away with keeping the secrets for so long? And how did neither Andres or Fabian question why she was away for so long at a time? Cassie wants to write a book about Lore and her experiences, but can a woman who kept 2 husbands, her twins and Andres children a secret from one another for so long ever be telling the truth? Who knows what actually happened on that fateful night anyway, just how did Fabian come to kill Andres? Just when you think you've got it figured out, the ending has a real twist you won't see coming.
This was so well written you care about the characters and what's happening to them! Utterly fantastic debut novel from Katie Gutierrez, highly recommended. Deserving of more than 5 stars, can't wait for more from Katie. Many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this and to Katie love your style of writing!

I’ve read and reviewed More Than You’ll Ever Know as a paperback copy and as part of Penguin Michael Joseph blog tour. Today is my turn on this tour, and I received a copy of this clever debut novel in exchange of honest feedback.
I think this novel is witty, extremely intelligent, and makes great reading. The story is told simultaneously in two differing timelines, namely the 80s and modern day, in two different countries and by two very different main characters. It explores love, tragedy, family relationships, marriage and journalism and the ethics of journalism.
While reading this story, multiple times, I thought how can this be a debut novel? It feels so well thought out and put together, and if this is a debut novel, I cannot wait to read more by this author in the future.
I really liked this novel, I liked the strength of the two leading female characters. They were both survivors in their own way, the keepers of secrets. I loved the two exotic locations in the book, namely Mexico in the 80s and a small border town in America. I liked the two very different timelines in the story especially the references to the 80s. I liked the clever writing style, the plot and the character development. It’s a great 5 star read!

I’d describe this book as a slow burn, and a family drama. I was interested in finding out where the story would go, but I wasn’t in any way gripped. I thought the main characters were written well and I really enjoyed the style of writing. It’s definitely worth a read and I recommend it. Thank you #netgalley

This book is a long read but so worth it. Cassie, a true crime blogger, is set on writing a book after learning that Lore, although happily married and living with Fabian and their twin boys, embarks on an affair with Andres who she also marries. Both men are oblivious to Lore's deception until one day the truth is discovered, Andres is murdered and Fabian is jailed. The story is set both in the present and the past with Cassie gradually unearthing the truth about what really happened with surprising results. Stick with it as this has a brilliant storyline that leaves you guessing right to the very end. A very talented author!

It all starts with a dance at a wedding for Lore, which leads to an affair, and then marriage, but Lore is already married and has twin boys.
A double life, how long can she sustain it for before Fabian or her 2nd husband, Andres find out.
The story is told by a journalist, Cassie, who is writing a book about Lore’s life though she has promised not to ask about the night where one of her husbands is murdered.
It’s a complex story of families, secrets, lies, love, acceptance and forgiveness.
I was hooked from the beginning, it’s a slow burner but a great read, very well written.
Many congratulations to the author. I love reading books from new authors.
Thanks to Net Galley and Michael Joseph Penguin Random House for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

As I started to read this book, I truly wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy it. But I was rather captivated by the way Gutierrez describes things. I mean everything. It is set in Texas and Mexico City and I particularly liked the description of Cassie’s future in-laws’ farm.

Lore intrigued me as a character being a bigamist. She certainly seems torn as the book progresses about whether she is making a big mistake by leading two lives. She is still in love with her husband Fabian and she is blessed to have her twin boys, Mateo and Gabriel. But she falls for Andres and pretends she is a single woman. She becomes fond of Andres children but can’t admit that she has her own.

I did become hooked as I continued to read and it does indeed have a plot twist that I didn’t see coming.