After reading two dark horror novels in a row, I was longing for something lighter to read. Don't get me wrong, I love diving into books that challenge and shock me, but there are times when I just want to read for the pure escapism of it all. Enter Meg Mitchell Moore's latest novel Two Truths and a Lie. I was pleasantly surprised to see this one arrive on my doorstep. It was included with a few others sent to me from the publisher in exchange for a review. From the cover, I wouldn't have picked this one as something I'd normally read. Still, comparisons to Big Little Lies and books by Elin Hilderbrand were more than enough to pique my interest.The small seaside town of Newburyport, Massachusetts is the perfect place for starting over. Newcomer Sherri Griffin is hoping to do just that. She's recently divorced her husband, gained sole custody of their teenage daughter Katie and is ready to move on with her life. Sherri soon comes into contact with the Mom Squad, a group of local women who have their finger in every aspect of the Town, professionally and socially. To the shock of the other moms, the squad's former head Rebecca welcomes Sherri into their ranks. The pair bond over a common sense of misfortune. You see, Rebecca was widowed not too long ago, so she knows a thing or two about starting over.
Beyond learning about the mothers, Moore equally devotes pages to the story of their daughters. Rebecca's daughter Alexa is the pinnacle of popularity at the local high school. She has combined her gorgeous looks and natural knack at deciphering financial information into a successful YouTube channel. At the urging of her mother, Alexa agrees to babysit Sherri's eleven-year-old Katie. With Katie fast asleep, Alexa turns to snooping around the Griffin's home. She stumbles upon a composition notebook filled with Katie's writing. There's the usual stuff, of course, but Alexa is shocked when she finds information about Katie's past. The past has a funny way of catching up with the present. Armed with the dark knowledge of the Griffin's past, Alexa struggles to keep these secrets to herself. Worse, that dark past is threatening to invade the present, endangering everyone who stands in its way.
Going into Two Truths and a Lie I was really in the mood for juicy drama mixed with light thrills, and that's exactly what Meg Mitchell Moore delivered. This is the kind of breezy summer read that provides just enough depth to sink your teeth into without becoming overwhelming. Comparisons to Elin Hilderbrand's summer novels are the most appropriate, though I don't think I enjoyed Moore's characters in the same way. Their past hardships were enough to motivate their actions, but not enough to excuse some of the cattier confrontations. The mystery element serves more to keep the plot moving than to shock or thill in the traditional sense. Instead, Two Truths and a Lie spends most of its time fleshing out the characters. While I had a few qualms about the way some of these women acted, I did find the mother-daughter relationships to be the most believable part of the book. Either way, Two Truths and a Lie never tries to be anything more than a diversional summer read. It is the kind of escapist story that more than satisfied my need for something different and something that I could read on a summer afternoon. If you are looking to lose yourself in a story while soaking up the summer sun, Two Truths and a Lie by Meg Mitchell Moore should more than suffice.
For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2020, 31)
I think remember seeing a game like this played on a television show or something, but I can't pinpoint where I saw it.(lol) Sound slike an interesting read though. RO
ReplyDeleteI've done this as an icebreaker with several work teams before. It is a fun way to find out more about people!
DeleteI don't usually read books like this one, but you make this one sound so good! :)
ReplyDeleteLight and breezy was the theme of the week. It was a nice change of pace before diving into my current historical read.
DeleteVery interesting to read
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely!
DeleteI love playing Two Truths and a Lie with students as an ice-breaker/get to know you game at the beginning of the year. It is a lot of fun, and also really interesting to see what lies the kids come up with. I would also like to just receive boxes full of books from publishers, like you do!
ReplyDeleteI'm very grateful to have such strong partnerships with several publishers. There's nothing better than getting new books at your doorstep!
DeleteNo kidding! That is the dream right there, people jut send me books and I read them. Perfection.
DeleteI've also been blogging for 8 years now, so those relationships predate the whole "influencer" culture that seems to dominate the publishing industry now.
DeleteThat's good! That part does frustrate me sometimes. Though, I have developed relationships with authors from social media, and in turn publishers here and there. But so many of the books I love are first published in the UK, so I almost always get digital copies instead of the beautiful physical ones. There has been an uptick recently in physical copies from here in the US though, so am very thankful for that!
DeleteThe physical copies definitely come and go in waves. With COVID-19, shipping has become quite an ordeal. I also think establishing those relationships with authors and publisher has gotten more difficult just because the web is more saturated than ever with book reviewers.
DeleteI wonder what she finds now
ReplyDeleteYou'll have to read to find out!
DeleteI am curious about the final story of the book Two Truths and a Lie ..., I want to read the book. Thank you for your good review.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Indonesia, Ethan.
Thanks for commenting! You really should give it a read!
DeleteI am more of a low-drama reader, but glad to hear you were able to escape for a bit via this book.
ReplyDeleteThis one has all the drama haha, but nothing too crazy.
DeleteI'm reading this one now! It's a fun summer read, but I've got about 100 pages left, and I feel like I'm still waiting for something to happen?!! Still, I'm enjoying the journey!
ReplyDeleteI hate to spoil things, but don't expect any big twist or shock with this one. What you see is what you get.
DeleteWell now l'm intrigued to find out more about this story. it sounds good.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed it for what it is. Nothing spectacular, but still fun.
DeleteYou have been reading some darker stuff. This one sounds like a great porch read - and you had me at juicy drama....
ReplyDeleteThis was the perfect change of pace!
DeleteI'm looking forward to this one!
ReplyDeleteI think you'd enjoy it.
DeleteYou've been finding a lot of good summer/beachy reads!
ReplyDeleteKaren @ For What It's Worth
The past couple weeks were full of dark reads, so this was a much needed change to those beach reads!
DeleteCatty behavior aside, this does sound like an entertaining story. Perfect diversion!
ReplyDeleteYou probably won't fall for any of the characters, but enough happens to keep you invested!
DeleteThis sounds like such a good read -- and the mother/daughter relationships interest me, especially in something like this.
ReplyDeleteIt was the perfect summer read for sure!
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