I very much enjoyed this twisty, you-never-really-know-whats-going-on story! We know from the outset that everything is not as it appears - the first-person POV of our protagonist Evie (as she is known at that current time) makes it clear that there is a lot more than meets the eye, and we are drip-fed the truth through the current narrative and flashbacks into Evie's past.
As with some books of this style, there is a certain amount of suspension of belief required, but it did not dampen my enjoyment of the story at all. A great read.

First Lie Wins is a fast paced enjoyable read, following twists and turns as Evie Porter takes on missions and finds out about those who employ her.

It took me quite some time to get to review this book as I abandoned it twice before I could actually finish it.
The premise sounded so very intriguing that was really looking forward to it and the beginning kind of held up to my expectations but then it just all fell completely flat for me, unfortunately.

There was just no character building whatsoever and many things seemed to just be so unbelievable that I just couldn't get invested in the book at all. Clearly, there are many who really enjoy this book, and it might very well be your favourite book of the year - for me it didn't work though.

I thank Netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Liked the characters and loved the premise of the story, a few twists and turns. From the title I thought it would be a good read, however the book surpassed my expectations, I would recommend.

This was a 3.5 read for me, rounded up.
The concept of First Lie Wins is that Evie Porter is a lie, she's not a real character and Evie Porter is not her name.
She is employed to go undercover and inhabit a new persona each time, so that she can uncover information or data that is invaluable to her employer.
We first meet in her in a small Texan town; she has started a relationship with Ryan which is going strong. She is skilled at deflecting questions about her own background and gathering information about Ryan and his associates.

Its soon revealed that this is not Evie's first undercover work, and as the story unfolds, we find out more about what she's been up to and the characters that she has played. We also start to discover what is driving Evie to this undercover lifestyle.

I liked the set up, the various characters, and Evie is so entertaining to read about. What I wasn't so keen on was how overly complicated the story line became as it developed, the multiple characters (particularly the ones played by Evie) became too intertwined and I couldn't keep up with who was doing what.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I have to be in the right mood for a thriller
This has me hooked from the beginning and couldn't put down
Loved the pace and the writing
Loved the twists
This kept me guessing to the end which I loved

Completely engrossing. A well paced, complex but rewarding thriller. The shifting time frame adds intrigue and depth. It will keep you guessing, highly recommended.

I was so excited to read this book after hearing lots about it on social media and in various online book groups I’m in. Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. I struggled the whole way through it and really felt like giving up at times. I found it to be a very long and drawn out read with too much hopping about between past and present, I know I’m in the minority here but this is one that just didn’t do it for me.

Thankyou to Netgalley & the publisher for the Ebook.

Unpopular opinion

I have seen a lot of amazing reviews for First Lie Wins so i had high expectations. I wasnt hooked, it took me a while to read and i didnt really care about it. It was ok but didnt blow me away. I did enjoy the writing style and would try other books by this author but this one wasnt for me and didnt live up to the hype

I seem to be in the minority with this one, again! Maybe majorly hyped books just end up falling flat for me, maybe my expectations are too high.

Evie Porter has a new job. A new Job in Ryan Sumner. Her boss is a ball buster and after her last job was a bust, she has some making up to do. Her boss - Mr Smith, identity unknown, speaks through a voice changer and never meets with his employees in person. Evie Porter is his best asset and she knows it. But she doesn't anticipate the feelings that Ryan brings out in her. A man with his own secrets, his own lies. She moves into his home, a place she'd dreamt about as a child, a place her mum fantasised about. She knows Ryan, but he doesn't know a thing about her. Evie Porter is nothing more than an alias. One of many.

This is a job to her, again, one of many. She's done it so many times, she knows it like the back of her hand. That is until she hears a name she'd thought she'd never hear again. Her real name - Lucca. She's always fiercely protected the identity. The plan was to always go back to it when she got out, but clearly Mr Smith has no intentions of letting her go.

Going to be honest - this one intimidated me. Everywhere I've looked 5 star reviews seem to follow this book. But for me it isn't the perfect read I was expecting.

The book is slow for about 60% of the book.
I unfortunately worked out the twist way before the hints were revealed.
All the characters were unlikable to me.
It felt less about plot movement and more about Evie's internal conflict - Am I good or evil?
I also felt we were told the story and not shown.

What a great read! Absolutely absorbing. The story gripped me from the first chapter and the characters were very believable. It felt that there should be a second book as lots of presumptions at the end

Twisty and engaging, this story kept me guessing all the way to the end

Such a fast paced story with a plot as entangled as a spider's web. I kept trying to figure out what's the connection between characters but I kept being thrown from one side to another

I absolutely loved it

Totally bingeable

Brilliant book. Really enjoyed it. Kept me interested from start to finish. Look forward to more from this author

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Evie Porter is given a job by Mr Smith. Evie learns everything about Ryan Sumner her mark for job. Evie starts to enjoy her life with Ryan however, Evie Porter doesn’t actually exist. Can she stay one step ahead and make no mistakes so she can go back to her real identity?

Wow! I did not see that ending coming at all. I was way off with what I expected. I really loved this book - read it in no time and it was enjoyable start to finish. The storyline of these sorts of novels can get a little repetitive, but First Lie Wins was fresh and unique. I'll definitely be adding Ashley Elston to my autobuy list! The characters in First Lie Wins made me question everything and really helped me stay intrigued in the outcome.

I really enjoyed this pacy little thriller, it certainly isn't groundbreaking or would win any awards, but it was full of ideas and surprises.
The main character Evie/Lucca is ahead of everyone, including the reader, leaving clues and get out options for herself all over the place. Of course, her presence of mind and ability to think ten steps ahead would probably be unlikely in the dangerous situations she finds herself in - but it had the feel of a kind of James Bond type narrative so just about worked and hung together (if not wholly realistic)
I liked the idea of the first lie winning, and how Evie was able to implement that theory into her underground criminal lifestyle, plus the book had a satisfying end.
A good read.

I’ve recommended this to a couple of my friends who enjoy psychological thrillers. I thought the characters were believable and enjoyed seeing them develop as the story continued.

💙Twisty & full of suspense
💙A page turner
💙Dual timeline

📖Evie Porter has everything from a beautiful house to a doting boyfriend. But Evie Porter doesn’t exist. She is given an identity and a location by her employer and then the work of destroying her target begins.

I LOVED:

💙I’m not usually a thriller girl, but this had so many accolades I had to pick it up! What a page turner!

💙I love a dual time line in thrillers, it fascinates me to see how and why a character has turned out in a certain way!

💙A pacey and quick book with lively short chapters (a readers dream)! I don’t enjoy when thriller are too false but this has just enough thrill and suspense to keep the action fresh and believable.

✨This is also the @reesesbookclub book for January and Reese knows a good book when she reads one! I’d love to know your thoughts on this one if you’ve read it!

Thank you @headlinebooks for my gifted copy!

This book kept my interest until about halfway through and then I just completely lost it. I was expecting more of a thriller but it was more a secret agent story which has never really been my thing.

It flits back and forth between past and present and shows us the identities and jobs the main character has had and they really pulled me out of the story.

Going by the other reviews though this book is generally well loved so I think it's more that its just not my cup of tea.

I had been hearing about this book everywhere and I was so excited to read it,. It did not disappoint! Once I started it I could not stop and I finished it all over the course of a weekend.