“Find one thing to feel good about, and focus on that. There’s always at least one good thing.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So I love a Karen M McManus book and I was excited that this one was a new story.

When a mother and daughter end up on a heist together it gets personal. Twist after turn has something happening to go against them pulling off this final steal that will set them free once and for all. But the question is how far will they go?

I really loved the concept for this one, how y was a bit different from all the other mysteries and I really loved the dynamics of the characters throughout the story.

Thank you to Karen M McManus, Netgalley and Penguin books for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. I will be now getting a physical copy of this to complete my set!

Kats mother Jamie got pregnant very young and then made a series of poor decisions including a 48hour Las Vegas marriage to Liam’s con man dad. 12 years later Jamie is a small time jewel thief and wants out but her boss has her do one last job. Steal a necklace from some rich lady at her family’s massive compound during the patriarchs 80th birthday bash. No biggie. Obviously it all goes terribly wrong and the kids are left to save the day. This was a complete and utter romp of vast proportions and I was absolutely here for it. It has gaping plot holes and a conveniently unconscious mother but I was happy to set that aside because the rest of it was so entertaining. It’s so far fetched and preposterous I had a great time reading this and loved every second of it.

(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

For a book about a heist, there was very little heist action, which was kind of disappointing given how much it’s marketed as that type of story. The characters were fine, but none really stood out. The romance was cute, though it felt a bit forced—probably because the whole thing takes place over just a few days, so there wasn’t much time for them to really connect.

The plot was pretty slow for the first half, but it definitely picked up in the second half, with the last 15-20% being the best part. I just wish the whole book had been as strong as that final section. As for plot twists, I saw the main one coming from a mile away, but some of the others were actually very surprising (which I always love). The mystery itself was a bit confusing because there were so many characters involved, each with their own side plot. It made it hard to keep track of who did what, especially when all the big reveals started happening at the end.

Overall, not my favourite book by this author but it was still a somewhat entertaining read.

I'm so sad that I think this has turned out to be my least favourite Karen McManus book that I've read. I didn't feel invested in the plot or the characters, it didn't feel particularly twisty like her books usually are - it just felt like I was trudging through the story. I didn't understand what was going on at all? It's still very well-written, if that makes sense, because she's a talented writer... but this was just boring, sadly. This makes me so sad, because I love this author normally - this just didn't work for me.

4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an early copy of this book!

Haven’t read a YA book in a while so was nice to mix things up with this book!
Karen M McManus always brings great things to the table and this book was so fun! Felt a little different to some of her other books (?)
Interesting plot, entertaining characters and an overall entertaining story! Would definitely recommend if you’re looking for a good ya book.

Karen M. McManus is back with yet another page-turning mystery!

Kat and her mother Jamie are risking everything for one last job, one last heist in the hope for a new life away from crime. It's all set and planned to perfection, that is until they run into Luke and Liam, a father and son from their past they did not expect to see. Soon, all plans start to unravel leaving Kat to think on her feet but when a murder takes place on the compound she realises just how much danger they're in!

I'll admit, I wasn't too sure how a heist novel was going to play out but I needn't have worried because, of course, McManus knew exactly what she was doing! This book was so great and a really fun read! I loved Kat and Liam, the relationship they have and how it developed was really sweet and was a nice balance to all the drama. The story itself was engaging and had quite a few twists throughout; as I said, it was a lot of fun.

Such Charming Liars definitely had a different feel to it but it was still classic McManus; unpredictable, non-stop action, entertaining and a proper page turner! Thank you @netgalley and @puffinbooksuk for this copy! I'll be patiently waiting to see what McManus does next!

Thank you to Puffin Books and Netgalley for the advance reader copy of this book for an honest review.

Such Charming Liars follows main character Kat, all her life it has just been her and her mother Jamie except for the 48 hours where Jamie was married and she had a step-brother Liam.

Now Jamie is a jewel thief working one last job before going straight. That last job being a massive heist at a billionaires mansion where Kat has found a way to tag along. The last two people they expect to see are Liam and his father who is a scammer with his sights set on Ross's daughter.

When a Sutherland dies on site the night of the party Kat and Liam are thrown together trying to get out of the killers crosshairs. They can't trust anyone except each other. Or can they as the one thing they have both learnt is how to lie.

Another strong YA mystery thriller from McManus that leaves you guessing and then second guessing right up until the end.

The books plot is incredibly smart and well thought through right up until the end. I was a fan of the multiple perspectives we were given from both Kat and Liam throughout the story. However for a trained from a young age thief Kat does make a fair few mistakes that leave you thinking why. I get it it drives the plot.

The characters were all fleshed out really well and you came to a understanding for most of them how they are where they are with the background they have had.

Overall a fantastically crafted YA mystery thriller. A joy to read and I can't wait to read more from Karen M. McManus.

What a great mystery with relatable characters and a compelling storyline.
Who wouldn't be drawn into the world of heists, jewel thief's, privilege and murder?
The pace was good and the sub plots nicely woven in. I loved the touch of romance too.
Definitely characters I could get behind and a book I couldn't put down

Having been a big fan of Karen McManus and read all her previous books, I was very excited to be approved for Such Charming Liars! I don't read blurbs as I like to go in not knowing too much so I wasn't sure where the story was going.
I did find it a bit slow to start as it took a while to get to any murders so I was wondering at first if it was just going to be a heist. I didn't really connect with Kat as a character so I struggled to get through the beginning.
I did find that it picked up a bit towards the middle and end with a much more fast pace ending but I found some of the conclusion to be a bit anticlimactic. Not my favourite although I will always read more Karen McManus!

Another great twisty YA thriller from Karen McManus.

McManus is great at suspense and intrigue, and this story with dual POV doesn't disappoint.

A murder among the rich and elite, a party with hidden agendas, a jewel thief and a con man...and then there's their kids, who are smarter than they look.

This book was an absolute whirlwind. Just when I thought the story was winding down, another twist would throw everything into chaos, making it tough to keep track of all the developments.

That said, the writing is superb. Despite feeling a bit overwhelmed at times, I was never bored. Confused? Definitely. But not once did I lose interest. Some plotlines seemed designed purely for dramatic impact and then were wrapped up rather quickly, but overall, the book was a lot of fun. I tore through it in a single sitting.

I have to say, even though I don't typically gravitate towards YA, this author is an exception. She crafts such engaging stories that I barely even notice the genre. Her work is the perfect palette cleanser between heavier reads.

Oh wow, that was a twisty twisted ride. Not like her other books which I loved, this one, in my opinion is not as good.. still very much worthy of a read. 4/5

Great to have a new Karen McManus book to share with YA readers. I know it will go down well and it's a definite page turner!

Was really messy. I really struggled to follow along with what was going on. Couldn't keep track of the characters, particularly the Sutherlands. The plot twist was predictable but didn't feel well thought out. It just wasn't entertaining overall. I wasn't invested in a single one of the characters and just spent the whole book feeling confused and like I was trying to catch up.

This book was just pure chaos. every time I thought the book was wrapping up another plot twist would happen and that happened multiple times and it was hard to keep up with as to what was happening.

this being said, the writing was fantastic and while being overwhelmed i was never bored, confused, yes but never bored.
Certain plot lines were written for dramatic affect then had a hasty ending.
but they book was enjoyable and i managed to read it in one sitting as i flew through it

This book is intended to be the story of a heist, but there is a lot more going on here. The main characters are Kat, a 16 year old and her mother Jamie. They haven't had a great life so far, but Jamie is working for Gem, who has a cleaning business which is a front for being a jewel thief. Jamie wants to go straight, so swapping a ruby necklace from a rich heiress is going to be her last case. Kat tags along, though that was not the original intention. When her mother becomes ill, she tries to replace her and in the process witnesses the murder of a family member. She also meets up with her ex stepbrother, Liam. The book is told from Kat and Liam's point of view.
There is a lot going on in this book though the action and pace is up and down, sometimes too slow moving. Also lots of characters and although the 3 teenagers are well portrayed and likeable,, most of the adults could do with more depth. I also thought that Jamie was too naive and trusting given what she has been doing (jewel theft) for the last 12 years. There are lots of twists and turns in the book and I am still not sure about the credibility of what was behind the murder. It was a fairly entertaining read though.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

As someome who has been a Karen M. McManus fan for around 4 years now, 4 books binged when I first discovered her and 4 highly anticipated and read upon release, I always get excited when I see she has a new book out and Such Charming Liars was no exception.

Such Charming Liars follows Kat and Liam, whose parents were briefly married for 48 hours and realise that may not be the only thing they have in common when things go wrong and someone dies at billionaire Ross Sutherland's birthday party.

This definitely had a different feel to Karen M. McManus's previous books which have felt a lot more contemporary with characters who you feel like you could meet on the street, and while Kat does have the same realness to her nobody is bumping into her the same way they are Bronwyn and Nate. Saying this though it still had the other key elements I have come to associate with her books - characters you can't trust nor rule out, a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat and twists that are well foreshadowed so looking back they don't surprise you but you still can't predict them.

Something else that I really liked about this book was getting both the POV's of Kat and Liam and with that feeling like you really did get to know them, who they were and what impacted them. It was interesting to see their relationships with their parents, how similar things happened but the reactions and consequences were completely different and also how they felt their relationship as siblings was developing.

I think that compared to the speed of the rest of the book the ending does have a very different pace with maybe around twice as much happening in the same number of pages and I think that if it had slowed down a wee bit so still a faster pace but not quite as fast it might have finished the story off nicer.

Overall this was a really enjoyable Karen M. McManus book even if it doesn't hold up as well compared to some of her other books that are just so fantastically done. I am glad to have read it but I do hope with her next book we are back to more of what I would typically expect from one of her books, as I just enjoy that type of story more. However if she goes in a completely different direction again, I won't ne complaining abd instead interested fo see how she does it.

19. Such Charming Liars by Karen McManus

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I particularly liked Kat and Liam’s characters but I never felt entirely invested in the plot.

💎 jewellery heist goes wrong
💎 long lost family / friends
💎 lies, deceit and chaos

Karen McManus got me into reading in 2017 and she has been an auto buy author for me since! I LOVE her books and the twists throughout. I loved all of the characters and the short chapters. This book was so easy to read and I loved the dual POV.

Sixteen-year-old Kat and seventeen-year-old Liam have more in common than the fact that they were step-sibling for forty-eight hours when their parents married in Las Vegas and then quickly divorced twelve years earlier. Kat’s mother is a thief, while Liam’s father is a con-man and they are both headed to the birthday party of billionaire Ross Sutherland. For Kat’s mother, this is her last job before retiring as a thief and starting a new normal life as an accountant. The plan is to infiltrate the party as a waitress to steal a ruby necklace.

Liam’s father has his eyes on Annalise Sutherland, Ross’s daughter, and has been invited to the party as his boyfriend. Following his mother’s death six months earlier, Liam has been living with his father, doing his best to protect the women he tries to con, so he tags along to the party to make sure that Annalise doesn’t become another one of his victims. Things take a turn for the worse when one of the Sutherlands turns up murdered and someone seems to be after Kat’s mother. As things take an unexpected turn, it seems that Kat and Liam can only trust each other.

Karen M. McManus is back with another smart and gripping YA novel. The story is told from the perspective of the two protagonists, and, even though I didn’t agree with many of the decisions Kat made, I adored the character of Liam. Kind, sweet, not-able-to-lie Liam was my favourite character and, as the story progresses, I started to like more the character of Kat who would do anything to protect her mother, including foolish and dangerous decisions.

Such Charming Liars is fast-paced, addictive, and well-developed and it’s the perfect read for all YA readers!