Not for me 😔

The Lie She Told is a fast-paced and easy read, though it would benefit from slowing down to give readers a chance to better know the cast.

All Kate wanted was a peaceful life, all Ryan wanted to do was destroy it.

Living in the remote Scottish Highlands under Witness Protection, life is finally happy for Kate Ward and her young son Joe, until someone from Kate’s past appears. Ryan Albright is the only person that knows all of Kate’s secrets, and what she had to do to escape her previous abusive relationship.

Ryan is determined to complete the mission set for him by Kate’s ex-husband. Systematically and violently, he pulls Kate’s new world apart with devastating consequences for everyone around him, including Kate who must face up to the lie she told.

Synopsis

Kate Ward has done something to warrant being placed in Witness Protection. One can assume from the title that she told a lie and, given her anxiety regarding that decision, it’s a big one.

At the beginning of the novel, Kate leaves the courthouse and meets up with her sister, Fiona, and Kate’s young son, Joe. Fiona drives them home and, upon arrival, Kate and her son are immediately swept away to live in Scotland, well away from friends and family.

Witness Protection works differently in “The Lie She Told”, which takes place beginning in 1998. Nowadays, one does not get to choose their location or get to keep their name: they are moved somewhere not of their choosing to protect them from those who would do them harm. (Such as criminals that would target the witness’ friends and family.) However, in this story, we have Kate who, known formerly as Kathryn, keeps a similar-sounding name, relocates to one of her family’s holiday destinations, and remains in contact with the family she left behind.

This doesn’t bode well for keeping Kate, or her family, safe.

Kate, now in Scotland with her son, eventually crosses paths with someone from her past: Ryan Albright. Ryan and Kate have a history which, based on Kate’s initial reaction to his presence, is not a good one.

It was jarring to go so quickly from Kate panicking and distrusting Ryan to Kate giving her complete loyalty to him. The people around Kate all see her level-headed, sensible, and strong, but Kate’s actions aren’t reflective of that. She is far too quick to trust someone dangerous, that same someone everyone was telling Kate was dangerous. A flawed character is good to have, of course, but it would have been more believable if other characters saw these flaws too.

I had high hopes for this story! The plot was promising, the location charming… but it lacked the suspense I sought as many of the conversations between characters felt abrupt and lacking natural flow. The characters made the connections to reach their conclusions, but the reader was not always privy to those thoughts. Add in events that seemed to be building to an emotional climax that was almost entirely glossed over, and I was left feeling as if I had missed out. I wanted more

The appeal of a story like this one is that it can be quick, perhaps read in a single sitting. Personally, it felt much too fast. I wanted to slow down and take the time to get to know the cast, care about them, and understand the force behind their actions.

Unfortunately, The Lie She Told was not for me.

Check out this review on Reedsy Discovery!

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