Friends and Liars

Friends and Liars is a totally immersive and addictive read about a group of friends and the things that both bring them together and divide them. In the aftermath of the suicide of one of their own, all of them must face up to the truths about themselves and each other.

As we meet them both in the past and in the present, their story is authentically compelling. As a tight knit group of children, “the crew”, none the less they all have wavering loyalties and secrets that they keep – Friends and Liars is a brilliantly insightful look at the group dynamics of friendships formed, those that endure. Danny, in death, forces a kind of reckoning, it is utterly gripping and often very emotional.

The characters, all of them, are layered well, Kaela Coble unravels their lives in an intelligently woven plot that allows you to feel everything right along with them. Much of the focus is on Ruby and her one time best friend Murphy, the rest of the group rippling around them with Danny, the damaged and troubled soul right at the heart of things. The author plays on the readers sympathies, keeping you engaged, in some ways this is like a mini thriller as each secret comes to light slowly over the course of the story. Ultimately there is a kind of redemptive feel to things, sometimes the truth really does set you free…

Really I loved it, I read it in two sittings, the small town vibe, the ebb and flow of family and community, this group of friends who are genuinely tied together by those invisible threads no matter where they are in the world, it all made for quite wonderful and often unpredictable reading.

I’ll miss them all. I feel like I’ve lived it with them.

A very addictive read, I found it hard to put this book down and was desperate to see how it would all turn out. I really did enjoy this book and would recommend it to others

Excellent story that unfolded in a great way and pace. Really enjoyed the characters and dialogue.

Friends and Liars

This debut novel by Kaela Coble is nothing short of addictive! It explore friendships, love, secrets and lies, and it completely draws you in! I enjoyed the way this book was written, jumping between the past and the present with some fantastic character dynamics-totally recommend this book! 4*

Friends and liars is the first novel by kaela Coble and I found this an enjoyable read.
Ruby, Murphy, Ally, Emmet and Danny are the "crew", a group of friends that have been together since school, they made a pact that there would be no secrets and everyone presumes there's not until Danny's funeral where he has written a note for all the members of their lie which he stipulates they must share with everyone.
The book is mostly based around Ruby, nearly all the chapters are from her viewpoint and split into now and before. It took me a few pages to get into this book but when I did I couldn't put it down. I particularly liked Ruby as I felt she wasn't as attention seeking as some of the others, not that the other characters were annoying but I found her more genuine, especially after finding out her secret.
This book twisted in ways I didn't expect it to and there were quite a few WHAT??!! moments which made me ditch the housework to find out what other characters reactions were going to be.
I would like to thank netgalley and Corvus, Atlantic books for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Ruby thinks she last left behind her alcoholic mother and clique of friends in her small Vermont home town.But when Danny, the rebel of the group commits suicide she feels obliged to return 10 years after she left. But Danny left more than his own suicide note. He also left behind letters detailing his friends biggest secrets....and Ruby is terrified hers will be revealed.

God I love this book. Despite a summer cold/flu/zombie virus attacking me I couldn't put this down. It was just not what I was expecting. From the cover and it been branded as a mystery/thriller I was expecting more of a twist in the tale type of affair. And to be fair it does have twists but not of the usual "oh my god I KNEW he was a wrong 'un" variety. No instead it's a story about growing up and letting go of the past. And a very moving story it is. In spite of their foibles (or maybe because of them) the characters are relatable and likeable. I found it easy to recognise my teenage 'crew' from growing up in them. I felt quite bereft when it was over.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this review copy for an honest review.

I didn't know what to expect from this book, it was the cover and the title that drew me in.

The storyplot was certainly an interesting one, deals massively with the topic of secrets. The story interchanges from present to past and back to present. I liked this as you really got an insight into the characters lives in the past and as to how they are now in the present.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters and gradually finding out each of their secrets and then experiencing how those secrets have affected their lives in more ways than one. It just goes to show that secrets (no matter how big or small they are) can be very powerful.

Not going to beat around the bush here- I inhaled this book!

I’m kind of sitting here, bursting with all the things I want to write about, but there’s just so much that I can’t because spoilers! What I can tell you, is this:

This is a story about a group of friends. ‘The crew’ they called themselves. Ruby, Ally, Murphy, Emmett, Danny. They’re all grown up now but back in school they were the bestest of friends. Ruby was the only one who left the small town they lived in and has cut her friends out of her life. But Danny’s suicide is not only a catalyst to get Ruby to go back home, he has decided to seak some hard truths and bring the secrets from dark to back out into the light!

The story is delivered in present and in past. There is the NOW that brings the crew together again under tragic circumstances for Danny’s funeral. And then there is the THEN which serves a purpose to unravel all sorts of juicy details from the past. Danny? Danny opens the book with a prologue from behind the grave and sets the tone for the reading experience…

Friends and Liars is horribly tragic in parts, but beautifully executed. In fact, the suspense and intrigue got me right hooked! It’s not just about being nosey, though, because the way our characters’ lives were entwined in the past was very – very – relatable and the way these past relationships still have an impact on the present- not that far fetched, at all. I loved the THEN paragraphs so much because it brought on an air of nostalgia for me. I felt like going back 15 years to MY crew and do the crazy we did all over again. But we all grow up… and we all still have those certain secrets we never shared with even our best friend…

So, all well and good, having some drama, dysfunctional families, tragic deaths and HUGE secrets… but none of these would really matter (in a book, at least, let us be honest) if you didn’t come to care for the characters. You need someone to root for, you need someone to be excited for, someone to dislike…

Our set of characters covers the spectrum of personalities. The dynamics in between them is as much heartwarming and hilarious, as it is heartbreaking, frustrating and most importantly- used as a bag of goodies where clues and bombshells hide. Every chapter is a moment of a silken kimono being opened a little bit more… Another glimpse!

Even though there is a whole 10 years in between the ‘then’ and ‘now’ chapters from 2-3 POVs, not only did I get character development, I also got moments when I thought- hang on, have I been rooting for the wrong person here? I felt betrayed! I felt betrayed by a character as if they had caused me personal insult. But that is the thing with relationships… They’re messy and never straightforward… So, really… where does the misunderstanding begin? Who is to blame for saying the wrong thing or not saying anything at all? And my most favorite pondering from the book: causality… The what ifs…

And to add to that… Danny! I just can’t get past him… thinking back on the book now, it’s just odd how he seems to be standing out the most. It’s not Ruby (even though her story was a motherload), or Murphy, Ally or Emmett… It’s Danny that will linger in my mind even though in the ‘now’ chapters he was a ghost, and in the ‘then’ chapters more of a background operator, but… Oddly, I feel like Ruby, who was always protecting Danny… there’s something about his character that makes me feel regret, as well…

While there was a particular scene that was a bit too telenovela for me, I have to say I was completely addicted to the intrigue. I shamelessly admit- I could not wait to find out about everyone’s secrets! In fact, the minute I read the blurb on Netgalley (thanks NG and Corvus!) I knew damn well I wasn’t going to be able to sleep until I got my mitts on this guilty pleasure! Yes, sure, it’s a book I would class as ‘something for the chicks‘ and I don’t often indulge in this genre, but blimey, did the whole thing get my knickers in a twist!

It is rather chilling to create such dramatic ‘relationship drama’ around a suicide. Things get even darker with some of the themes in the book… drugs, abuse, murder. But that is not the point… I think the point of this book is to show how no one is perfect; about how one decision flicks over one domino piece which flips the whole set to its side; about how everyone will always have a secret!

I’m not normally that big on epilogues… but in this case? The epilogue from Danny’s POV? From behind the grave? Bang. On. The epilogue worked for two reasons… I came the full circle with the characters. That’s it. Closure. Bittersweet. The door is closing… but Danny, the Dark Horse? I think he just about managed to get his foot in the door… Because… I have a feeling Danny is not quite finished yet!

What you’ll get in this book: Drama bombs!

Should you read this book? Oh, hell yes, if you’re into relationship dramas, tragedy and addictive reads.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
I really enjoyed this book, particularly in the way that the individual's stories both present and past are slowly revealed building up the tension. The characters are interesting and developed. The story is well told from the perspective of the main characters in the present day and the past, with secrets between the friends slowly being revealed.
A really good debut novel which i found hard to put down.

4.5****

Excellent book. Great main characters and plot. I would recommend this book.

great read and easy to follow story line. look forward to reading more from this author.