I sped through 65% of this on a Sunday afternoon, and finished immediately Monday morning. It was such a gripping, fun, wild ride. Perfect popcorn thriller for something not too dark but still highly entertaining.
Very surprised to find out this was Sophies debut too, fantastic 👏
I enjoy an unreliable narrator anyway, and to know Sloane is a liar from the very beginning separated this from other novels in that category.

There’s a buzz around this book and I was excited to try it.

Main character Sloane is a habitual liar, she’s also quite sweet and guileless, seemingly telling lies to appear interesting, to ease her loneliness and fit in, rather than for any nefarious intentions. After lying her way into a job as a nanny for the perfect couple, things start to go wrong.

I loved getting to know Sloane, but after the switch up the plot started to feel a bit familiar. There are some interesting twists, but it had lost the aspects that most appealed and grabbed my attention by that point.

Not bad, but would have I loved a whole book of Sloane as her past transgressions are gradually revealed and threaten to catch up with her.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone

Thank you to Netgalley & Cornerstone for allowing me to read the ARC of Count My Lies in exchange for honest feedback.

The description for this book absolutely reeled me in - I love a thriller!

However, I feel like I've read a very similar storyline before... I guessed pretty early on where the twist was going to go and the story needed a wee bit more background to explain why the characters are the way they are. I know there's always 'flare' to these stories but it was definitely more unbelievable than possible.

There were parts of the book that I really enjoyed and the pace was quick enough but there was quite a lot of unnecessary information in the book that could have reduced the length by at least 50 pages - plus quite a few references to Taylor Swift...

Overall, I'm rating this story 3.5 stars.

Thank you!

I loved this book it hooked me in from the first page and I could not put it down.
Very well written, the characters were believable - I loved the twist and the whole story and would thoroughly recommend.

The premise of Count My Lies immediately grabbed my attention—an unreliable narrator who gets tangled in a web of deceit while nannying for a seemingly perfect family? Yes, please.
The book is fast-paced, making it an easy read that keeps you turning the pages.

That being said, the execution left a lot to be desired. Some of the situations were so unrealistic that I found myself pausing just to process how absurd they were. More than once, I had a wait, what?! moment that pulled me out of the story.

And while the ending was supposed to be great, it didn’t really deliver. Sure, it wrapped things up, but it felt way too easy. The kind of thing that, in reality, would never go so smoothly. It was hard to suspend disbelief that much.

Overall, Count My Lies had an intriguing concept and a quick-moving plot, but the believability (or lack thereof) and an irritating main character made it a frustrating read. If you enjoy messy, twisty domestic thrillers and don’t mind stretching reality a lot, this might be entertaining enough. Otherwise, sadly, it’s a bit of a letdown.

Absolutely brilliant. I read this on a long train journey when I would normally flick between reading a book and playing in my phone but this time I was hooked. One of these books where you just have to keep reading at the expense of everything else to find out what happens next. I thought I’d figured out what the ending was going to be about two thirds of the way in but no - didn’t see it coming!

4.5 stars

firstly, I want to say thank you to netgalley and the publisher for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an review!

I enjoyed every minute of this book. I was hooked from the beginning and flew through it so quickly!

the writing style is fast-paced and reads well. the plot was really intricately written and planned. there was more than one twist throughout this book that shocked me! while reading, you knew that there was something more going on, but the reveal left me in shock each time.

I loved the addition of Violet’s daughter Harper, I thought she was so sweet! I think the family and friendship dynamics were so interesting to see, especially when the perspectives changed.

there were so many lies and moments of deceit, and also secrets that were constantly being revealed to us. I felt this kept me on my toes, as I never quite knew whether to believe what I was reading or not!

I loved this book and would definitely recommend it!

Highly enjoyed this one. With strong Patricia Highsmith vibes we follow our female protagonist who works in a nail salon after being fired from her job as a school teacher. Her past is drip-fed to us and we follow as she meets hot dad, Jay, in the park after lying that she’s a nurse. Over weeks she meets Jay’s wife, Violet, who invites her home for dinner. Gradually Salone finds herself in the attractive couple’s life and becomes a nanny. But the family isn’t as perfect as they portray themselves to be.
There is a midway twist here, after a slow burn of a first half. At first, I found the midway twist too similar to The Last Mrs Parrish and The Housewife and was worried it would follow the same trajectory, however the climax was surprising and completely blew me away in an unexpected way and definitely elevated the story for me. A confident and outstanding debut novel, I can’t wait to see what the author writes next.

Perfect for fans of Freida McFadden with vibes of Mr Ripley. This follows Sloane, who meets a hot dad in the park and gets obsessed with him and his wife. It’s not long before she’s a nanny for them and has worked her way into the their lives. But who is playing who?
There are twists and turns aplenty, and with strongly sketched characters I was enthralled by Sloane. I found myself sympathising her and while her actions are questionable, I still found myself caring for her and wondering how is she going to get herself out of this knot of a situation. A suspenseful, grip lit at its finest. If you’re looking for the perfect, addictive popcorn suspense read then this perfect for you.

Yes Sophie Strava! An unreliable narrator trope executed with steely precision. The main three characters were engaging, enthralling and utterly tempestuous at times, but this just added to the palpable thrill. The tension was high throughout and I couldn’t turn my self away from the horrors that unfolded in front of my eyes. An excellent read!

COUNT MY LIES BY BY SOPHIE STAVA.
Release date set for the 22nd of May 2025.
This is my first book by this author and it won't be my last.
Well well well that is one compulsive liar and I've loved every single second of this book.
This character honestly lies all the time for no reason at all.
UNBELIEVABLE.
Really good book and i devoured this book in two sittings.
Congratulations to Sophie on your debut novel

I really enjoyed this, was a complete crazy ride that I didn’t want to get off
Literally picked this up and couldn’t put iit down it was brilliant.
The twists just kept coming and kept me on my toes
Brilliant thriller amazing characters fantastic twists and story line

An adrenaline fuelled read. I found this really uncomfortable but also compelling. Sloane works in a nail salon, she hides a dark secret and desperately wants what other people have. It is only when she meets Violet that Sloane’s life becomes everything she has ever wanted. But Violet has a reason for inviting Sloane into her life and that reason is terrifying. Lies upon lies leading to a huge twist which I did not see coming.
A truly gripping psychological thriller that never stops giving.

This is quite an amazing book! I found myself in awe of the creativity and innovative ideas revealed by the author, Sophie Stava! I look forward to reading more of her books.

This is the first book I have read and enjoyed despite not liking any of the characters in it at all (well, apart from Harper). I liked the insight provided into relationships and deception. People can be very difficult to understand!

The plot was outstanding and the pace really picked up to be laser speed at the end. You have to remind yourself this is a fictional book - not true crime reporting!

What can I say about the ending! I cannot even explain why it was most pleasing! Big smiles from me here. Did "karma" play a part - I wonder!

Anyway - the book provided first class entertainment and is thoroughly recommended.

I find this incredibly difficult to review without giving away too much of the plot and its twists and turns.

However, I think I can safely say that the start of this book grabbed me immediately - I was intrigued by Sloane's character, which is really well crafted to make the reader identify with and root for her, despite (or because of?) her lies.

The first half of the book was a real page-turner, as Sloane's world was fleshed out. The second half became even more of a page-turner - but unfortunately not in a good way. I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. And honestly, when it did, the final fifty pages or so was just ludicrous, and undid a lot of the good work that came before.

Everyone's mileage will vary with this one, I'm sure. Most of the book was actually quite enjoyable and will lend itself to fans of Lisa Jewell and the like, as a twisty, frothy filler - if you can suspend disbelief for the end.

With thanks to Netgalley, Random House UK and Cornerstone for the ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. At first, I thought I had it all figured out, but then, around 60% in, everything changed. The point of view shifted, and everything I thought I knew was thrown into question. I won’t lie, at this point the story did get a little ridiculous, but it was also quite enjoyable. I can definitely see this making a great TV thriller. I won’t delve into the plot, but if you enjoy twisty thrillers and aren’t put off by a far-fetched narrative, I’d recommend giving this one a go.

When Sloane/Caitlin immerses herself into the life's of the Lockhart's it's just a case of waiting to see how her lies unravel. The twists make it enjoyable but there was one part that I found unlikely to happen in today's world. Other than that it was a good read.

Taut, Compelling..
Inveterate liar, Sloane, knows what she is but insists to herself that it’s harmless. Her lies are simply a way of making her own life a little more interesting. Right? Wrong. When a situation occurs where Sloane feels that another lie is in order, she does not hesitate to use it and soon weaves her own narrative around it - but is Sloane the only liar? Soon, the very truth itself may be the most dangerous thing of all. A taut and compelling, slow burn suspense with a cast of well crafted and often truly appalling characters populating the taut plot.

Bit of a slow start to this one however did pick up some pace and the twist at the end was good. Can’t say it was a book I couldn’t put down as I think it didn’t hold my attention nor leave me wanting to read late into the night. A good read for the beach but def not in my top 20.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

An easy psychological thriller style read, ideal beach fodder.
You do need to suspend belief, pretty much throughout but especially at the end, hence the 3* . That said it was enjoyable and light. I didn't warm to any of the characters but think that may have been intentional.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC which was very much appreciated.