What do you think?
Rate this book
Lies and Truths #1
The Lie That Traps
Lies will trap you, but the truth will set you free
I always believed that.
But what happens when the lies run so deep that no one even remembers the truth?
I was a lie; a ghost in my own life playing by someone else’s rules.
Until him.
Instead of seeing the lie, he saw me.
But secrets never stay hidden forever.
Now we’re both imprisoned, him by guilt and me by revenge.
Can we find a way to be free, or will we be trapped by our lies forever?*Please note that The lie that traps was previously published in its original format as The Spare – parts 1&2. However, the story has been extensively reedited and reimagined with significant addition content added.
I always believed that.
But what happens when the lies run so deep that no one even remembers the truth?
I was a lie; a ghost in my own life playing by someone else’s rules.
Until him.
Instead of seeing the lie, he saw me.
But secrets never stay hidden forever.
Now we’re both imprisoned, him by guilt and me by revenge.
Can we find a way to be free, or will we be trapped by our lies forever?*Please note that The lie that traps was previously published in its original format as The Spare – parts 1&2. However, the story has been extensively reedited and reimagined with significant addition content added.
506 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 23, 2020
70 people are currently reading
318 people want to read
About the author
Gemma Weir
56 books1,859 followersGemma Weir is a half crazed stay at home mom to three kids, one man child and a hell hound. She has lived in the midlands, in the UK her whole life and has wanted to write a book since she was a child. Gemma has a ridiculously dirty mind and loves her book boyfriends to be big, tattooed alpha males. She's a reader first and foremost and she loves her romance to come with a happy ending and lots of sexy sex.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
June 7, 2024
3.75 Stars ⭐️
February 11, 2025
Trading Places
That is one messed up way to use your relationship with a twin! The story had so many twists and messed up situations and at one point yes in tears at what happened with Izzy. But a cliffhanger! It ends yes but with so many questions! I wish it would’ve ended without going to another book while only somewhat settling one story while about 100 are still a question mark and even this one might blow up! Still the story was good, spice was great- not too much of an Alphahole like the other men in Weir’s books- but it was a possession that was tolerable. The villains are from page 1 who you think they are and just get progressively worse to end of book- and really if they’re willing to go that far little scared for the characters in book 2. Bring it!
That is one messed up way to use your relationship with a twin! The story had so many twists and messed up situations and at one point yes in tears at what happened with Izzy. But a cliffhanger! It ends yes but with so many questions! I wish it would’ve ended without going to another book while only somewhat settling one story while about 100 are still a question mark and even this one might blow up! Still the story was good, spice was great- not too much of an Alphahole like the other men in Weir’s books- but it was a possession that was tolerable. The villains are from page 1 who you think they are and just get progressively worse to end of book- and really if they’re willing to go that far little scared for the characters in book 2. Bring it!
May 31, 2025
I feel like the only thing she's rewritten is the hero's name 🙈 and who TF names her hero "Gulliver"? 🤡🤣
May 16, 2024
Gemma Weir can undoubtedly make a reader go full-on rageful with the characters in her books. “The Lie That Traps” had several characters that had me incredibly frustrated with their antics right from the beginning. The identical twins Izzy and Penelope, with only one distinguishing difference in their eyes, have been switching places due to some significant stipulations in their grandfather’s will that would provide all the money to Penelope when she fulfills specific tasks. To ensure Penelope successfully fulfills them, their parents use Izzy a lot without care or thought. When Gulliver, a suitor, discovers the truth, he decides to step in and interfere with the family’s plans, creating more lies. But what Gulliver doesn’t plan on are these feelings he has towards Izzy.
“The Lie That Traps was quite a doozy read, but I was here for every drama-filled moment. It was great!
“The Lie That Traps was quite a doozy read, but I was here for every drama-filled moment. It was great!
May 16, 2024
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy of this book and realized a bit later that it was a remake of an older duet that the author did quite a few years ago. I had never read the previous duet so this was a totally new title for me and it appears that it was extensively redone. "The Lie that Traps" is a departure from her Mountain Men series. The H, while possessive didn't start off that way and there is plenty of spice but it's really the plot that kept me engaged. Twins Izzy and Penelope attend an elite high school but most don't even realize that Izzy exists. Penelope as the older twin is set to inherit a vast fortune if she meets certain and nearly impossible expectations and guidelines. Their parents are obsessed with the power and money that this inheritance will give them and ignore and use Izzy to ensure that Penelope inherits. Izzy is invisible to everyone until she accidentally catches the eye of Elite Gulliver. There is a bit of mystery and suspense and a small cliffhanger at the end that has me ready for part 2. I really enjoyed seeing Izzy break free from the chains of invisibility to be seen and to be able to be herself and the tiny glimpses of Penelope give us hope that there is more to her. Can't wait for questions to be answered in the next part of the duet.
May 14, 2024
This book was SO incredibly good. I was apprehensive at the beginning, but before I knew it I was reeled in and didn’t want to put it down until the end! The ending did leave room for more, so I’m hoping that it continues in another book.
It starts out with a long disclaimer and trigger warnings, to say the least. However, it wasn’t as intense trigger wise as that had lead me to believe.
Please be aware that there are still some big triggers in here such as smex scenes, a part with violence/gore, and a lot of possession/possessive language.
This book was filled with steamy scenes, romance, a unique and strong story line, and so much more that make it worth the read!
It starts out with a long disclaimer and trigger warnings, to say the least. However, it wasn’t as intense trigger wise as that had lead me to believe.
Please be aware that there are still some big triggers in here such as smex scenes, a part with violence/gore, and a lot of possession/possessive language.
This book was filled with steamy scenes, romance, a unique and strong story line, and so much more that make it worth the read!
May 16, 2024
I’ll admit I was a bit hesitant when I started this book, as I normally don’t read characters this young (high school). I decided to stick with it, and I’m so glad I did! I loved everything about it! The characters, the growth of the h throughout the book, the plot,the direction the storyline went.. all of it was great! The supporting characters were all amazing, and I hope we get to see their stories in the future. Definitely looking forward to the second book!
May 12, 2024
ARC REVIEW:
This book is so Gossip Girl vibes, I loved it.
Obscenely rich and rotten with power, it was such a ride reading as our main characters unweave themselves from the futures their parents chose for them. Our FMC finds herself and her strength, while our MMC is totally OTT, in love & obsessed with her. Gemma is known for her crazy male characters, and Gulliver does not disappoint! I can’t wait for book 2!
This book is so Gossip Girl vibes, I loved it.
Obscenely rich and rotten with power, it was such a ride reading as our main characters unweave themselves from the futures their parents chose for them. Our FMC finds herself and her strength, while our MMC is totally OTT, in love & obsessed with her. Gemma is known for her crazy male characters, and Gulliver does not disappoint! I can’t wait for book 2!
May 24, 2024
I liked the beginning half since I love books that have that Cinderella-y feel to them. And I know a lot of people in facebook groups ask for the shy, quiet, invisible heroine type. This author took this to heart and ran with it.
The book starts out with identical twins who were both from a wealthy family, but a new will put one of the twins as the recipient of a billion dollar ish amount of money if she did a few things like stay a virginn, get a 4.0 GPA in school, etc. Her parents changed after this and made their focus on Penelope instead of Izabella. Izabella stepped in one time for Penelope to take a test for her and then it became a thing. Even identical twins aren't truly identical. its super super SUPER FUCKING rare for them to be EXACTLY the same. Izabella in this case has bright ass violet/purple eyes and Penelope has regular blue eyes. and nobody notices *eye roll* I understand that izabella keeps to herself and is quiet but.....really? How realistic is it for an ENTIRE fucking school to not know that there are identical twins at their school? like.....HOW? And no one would remember from growing up with them previously that there are two? ANYWAY.
He meets her at a dinner party and she switches places with Penelope one night. He notices how shes not sexually promiscuous and out spoken like her sister and gets intrigued by her.
He tells everyone that theyre engaged and she has to go along with it because he blackmails her with a very shallow reason.....saying that he'll tell everyone that it was her idea and shes jealous of her sister or some nonsense like that. i can't remember exactly.
her parents beat the shit ou of her when they find out that she landed Gulliver (haha, that fucking name......there was no other name to use except GULLIVER. jaysus crust) and she runs to a hotel. I liked the part where he goes looking for her but i honestly wanted her to truly disappear and leave! give him something to really cry about! but nope. he finds her and takes her home to his dad's house. cuz hes in high school with no job and living at home. fucking high school books.
From 50-75% of the book is so fucking boring. They go to school functions to make sure everyone sees them as a couple and they go to school. I wanted to stab my eyeballs out, so fucking boring.
and then it got weird. for the most part, Penelope acted like a whore bitch to everyone and her sister. Towards ~75%, the h's parents invite Gulliver, izabella and gullivers dad to their house. Penelope tells her not to drink the champagne because the parents drugged it. They wanted Izabella to be drugged and asleep and they wanted Penelope to rape Gulliver while he was out. That was a bit too far out there for me. MAYBE some parents would do this but......it was just so farfetched. Penelope helps her sister out and grows a conscious all of a sudden out of thin air and helps them leave. okur.
at 98%, they realize they love each other and say it and i know this is a duet but the whole time reading this book, i wasn't feeling any love between them. maybe he got good dick game but what is there to love about either? hes just a rich "elite" boy living at home with no job and shes quiet, not super lovable or funny in any way. to me at least haha!
anyway, you can tell who are the arc readers and who are not. There is another book but I don't think i give a shit what happens next to be honest.
The book starts out with identical twins who were both from a wealthy family, but a new will put one of the twins as the recipient of a billion dollar ish amount of money if she did a few things like stay a virginn, get a 4.0 GPA in school, etc. Her parents changed after this and made their focus on Penelope instead of Izabella. Izabella stepped in one time for Penelope to take a test for her and then it became a thing. Even identical twins aren't truly identical. its super super SUPER FUCKING rare for them to be EXACTLY the same. Izabella in this case has bright ass violet/purple eyes and Penelope has regular blue eyes. and nobody notices *eye roll* I understand that izabella keeps to herself and is quiet but.....really? How realistic is it for an ENTIRE fucking school to not know that there are identical twins at their school? like.....HOW? And no one would remember from growing up with them previously that there are two? ANYWAY.
He meets her at a dinner party and she switches places with Penelope one night. He notices how shes not sexually promiscuous and out spoken like her sister and gets intrigued by her.
He tells everyone that theyre engaged and she has to go along with it because he blackmails her with a very shallow reason.....saying that he'll tell everyone that it was her idea and shes jealous of her sister or some nonsense like that. i can't remember exactly.
her parents beat the shit ou of her when they find out that she landed Gulliver (haha, that fucking name......there was no other name to use except GULLIVER. jaysus crust) and she runs to a hotel. I liked the part where he goes looking for her but i honestly wanted her to truly disappear and leave! give him something to really cry about! but nope. he finds her and takes her home to his dad's house. cuz hes in high school with no job and living at home. fucking high school books.
From 50-75% of the book is so fucking boring. They go to school functions to make sure everyone sees them as a couple and they go to school. I wanted to stab my eyeballs out, so fucking boring.
and then it got weird. for the most part, Penelope acted like a whore bitch to everyone and her sister. Towards ~75%, the h's parents invite Gulliver, izabella and gullivers dad to their house. Penelope tells her not to drink the champagne because the parents drugged it. They wanted Izabella to be drugged and asleep and they wanted Penelope to rape Gulliver while he was out. That was a bit too far out there for me. MAYBE some parents would do this but......it was just so farfetched. Penelope helps her sister out and grows a conscious all of a sudden out of thin air and helps them leave. okur.
at 98%, they realize they love each other and say it and i know this is a duet but the whole time reading this book, i wasn't feeling any love between them. maybe he got good dick game but what is there to love about either? hes just a rich "elite" boy living at home with no job and shes quiet, not super lovable or funny in any way. to me at least haha!
anyway, you can tell who are the arc readers and who are not. There is another book but I don't think i give a shit what happens next to be honest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2024
4 stars
Tropes : high school romance, YA, J/P H, touch her and 💀, twin swap, mistaken identity, rich people
Ending : hfn with a little cliffy
Triggers : abuse, blackmail, violence
Spice : 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ /5
Angst : 🔥 🔥 🔥 /5
OM/OW drama : slight OM (one of the H’s bestfriend)
Intimacy details : virgin h, rough sex, oral, no condom
Standalone / Series : part of a duet but different couple
Hero : Gulliver Winslow (18)
Heroine : Izabella ‘Izzy’ Rhodes (18)
From the whole book there was one thing that bothered me, the fact that people just didn’t really know who Izzy was. I get that her twin was more famous but how could you not realize that there were 2 people? Didn’t the teacher ever called her name? Or is it just Ms. Rhodes?
I’m Indonesian and we here called people by their first name so I’m not 100% sure about American.
Other than that ‘I enjoyed this. Not gonna read the next book since it was about her evil twin sis.
Tropes : high school romance, YA, J/P H, touch her and 💀, twin swap, mistaken identity, rich people
Ending : hfn with a little cliffy
Triggers : abuse, blackmail, violence
Spice : 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ /5
Angst : 🔥 🔥 🔥 /5
OM/OW drama : slight OM (one of the H’s bestfriend)
Intimacy details : virgin h, rough sex, oral, no condom
Standalone / Series : part of a duet but different couple
Hero : Gulliver Winslow (18)
Heroine : Izabella ‘Izzy’ Rhodes (18)
From the whole book there was one thing that bothered me, the fact that people just didn’t really know who Izzy was. I get that her twin was more famous but how could you not realize that there were 2 people? Didn’t the teacher ever called her name? Or is it just Ms. Rhodes?
I’m Indonesian and we here called people by their first name so I’m not 100% sure about American.
Other than that ‘I enjoyed this. Not gonna read the next book since it was about her evil twin sis.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2024
“I am Chuck Bass”
You said it best!!! I literally could not put this book down. Except for when a character made me mad. Then I would have to give myself a pep talk about how we actually like these people. Let’s just say my kids looked at me a little funny when I started fussing at my kindle😂. It was so good. This was the first read from Gemma Weir and I have to see this was an excellent start to the rabbit hole. The only thing is that now I have to wait for the next book because I have been left on a cliff😩🤦🏽♀️. Do check the trigger warnings because the parents in this book are off the 📈. These are high schoolers so be aware of that as you read because they might do some things that you might not agree with. There is a warning page at the beginning of the book so read that please. I loved that page by the way. It set the tone for the book. Go read it and let me know what you think!,
You said it best!!! I literally could not put this book down. Except for when a character made me mad. Then I would have to give myself a pep talk about how we actually like these people. Let’s just say my kids looked at me a little funny when I started fussing at my kindle😂. It was so good. This was the first read from Gemma Weir and I have to see this was an excellent start to the rabbit hole. The only thing is that now I have to wait for the next book because I have been left on a cliff😩🤦🏽♀️. Do check the trigger warnings because the parents in this book are off the 📈. These are high schoolers so be aware of that as you read because they might do some things that you might not agree with. There is a warning page at the beginning of the book so read that please. I loved that page by the way. It set the tone for the book. Go read it and let me know what you think!,
May 16, 2024
I was such a goner by chapter 3. It has a great storyline, great spice , and how all the elements just flow from one piece to the next.
Isabel, you can feel her pain and how utterly unhappy she is about everything she has to go through until someone sees her from the shadows.
Gulliver is possessive, gritty, and alph all the way. At first, I was not sure how this was going to go.
But I will have to agree with Isabel that "Gulliver is a beautiful f#@$ ING nightmare" (sigh)
Can't wait for more to come ...
Isabel, you can feel her pain and how utterly unhappy she is about everything she has to go through until someone sees her from the shadows.
Gulliver is possessive, gritty, and alph all the way. At first, I was not sure how this was going to go.
But I will have to agree with Isabel that "Gulliver is a beautiful f#@$ ING nightmare" (sigh)
Can't wait for more to come ...
May 16, 2024
I really enjoyed this book and read it within 2 days.
I’ve read a lot of Gemma’s books and found this one to be just as enjoyable.
Gulliver was slightly more tame then previous main male characters and found him quite soft towards Isabella a lot of the time but still managed to deliver an intense presence.
I found Izabella to have the perfect amount of fire!
I also hope we see more of the side characters in future books!
Can’t wait for part 2 and to see what develops with Isabella’s family and sister!
I’ve read a lot of Gemma’s books and found this one to be just as enjoyable.
Gulliver was slightly more tame then previous main male characters and found him quite soft towards Isabella a lot of the time but still managed to deliver an intense presence.
I found Izabella to have the perfect amount of fire!
I also hope we see more of the side characters in future books!
Can’t wait for part 2 and to see what develops with Isabella’s family and sister!
May 17, 2024
A story of twins, one who is to get the family fortune, if she completes the terms of the will and her sister, Izabella who assists her, however unwillingly to succeed. Penelope is living the life until Izabella, has to attend a dinner party pretending to be Penelope, when Gulliver notices a difference he takes the time to find the truth. The story goes through the drama, the intense family betrayal and friendships that forge through Izabella coming into her own.
This is one book that held me captive until the very end.
This is one book that held me captive until the very end.
May 20, 2024
Could not put this down!
I absolutely love this book - I page turned all day! couldn't out it down! I definitely got some Gossip Girl Elitist vibe , and i was here for it all! The Steam was well done and the whole book i kept thinking - is this a why choose??! Can't wait to see what happens in book 2!!
I absolutely love this book - I page turned all day! couldn't out it down! I definitely got some Gossip Girl Elitist vibe , and i was here for it all! The Steam was well done and the whole book i kept thinking - is this a why choose??! Can't wait to see what happens in book 2!!
May 16, 2024
One think about Gemma is that she will write the most possessive OTT/ toxic men but im here for it. This book was not an exception and the whole twin sister and forced marriage was chefs kiss. The spicy was spicing and the drama was there. A hot and quick read which I definitely recommend!!!
May 16, 2024
This was originally released as The Spare, but this is so much better! The extra that had been added to this story just makes it even better and makes the reader wanting more. I cannot wait for the second part of this series and to see what Gemma has added to it! Definitely recommend reading.
Read
May 17, 2024Gemma does it again! A little less ‘mean’ than the alphahole series, but grittier than the mountain men. It was nice to return to the GAA universe, and this was yet another wonderful foray into a complex, brave heroine stuck in her ‘caterpillar’ stage by the external forces of money, power and circumstance, discovering her power to transform, with a little help from her delicious alpha bad boy (who discovers he wants to be good, just for her). We are expertly steered through her journey emerging as the beautiful butterfly she was always meant to be. Pt2 will be a ‘must-read’ conclusion!
May 21, 2024
I don't normally do high school based books, but I'm so invested to see where the story goes!
MC's are above 18 for reference.
MC's are above 18 for reference.
June 1, 2024
so addicting!!
LOVED this book! So addicting! Honestly didn’t know which way it was going to go with every chapter!! Guessing right to the end!! So so good! 5 star read!
LOVED this book! So addicting! Honestly didn’t know which way it was going to go with every chapter!! Guessing right to the end!! So so good! 5 star read!
May 21, 2024
Everything I wanted to read!
I wrote this at nearly 3am, having forgone sleep so that I can finish it.
and now I don’t know what to write that would do this book justice.
I solidly cried for at least 49% of the book, was absolutely taken aback by the absolute horror and the sprinkle of typical GW possessive alpha MMC…just everything I wanted to read.
I wrote this at nearly 3am, having forgone sleep so that I can finish it.
and now I don’t know what to write that would do this book justice.
I solidly cried for at least 49% of the book, was absolutely taken aback by the absolute horror and the sprinkle of typical GW possessive alpha MMC…just everything I wanted to read.
May 17, 2024
Omg! This one was so exciting! It had me on the edge of my seat! Looking forward to the next one!
June 24, 2024
Holy Fuck!!
And again! Holy fuck! What a story! Having not read the original, I went in blind with book one and this, book two and I am blown away!!
Book one had me all kinds of stabby! But this one? I was in fear of my sanity and my kindle!!
What a bloody read! I have loved every single word!!!!
And again! Holy fuck! What a story! Having not read the original, I went in blind with book one and this, book two and I am blown away!!
Book one had me all kinds of stabby! But this one? I was in fear of my sanity and my kindle!!
What a bloody read! I have loved every single word!!!!
January 3, 2025
Gemma Weir was a new to me author and I was lucky to get the possibility as an ARC reader.
"The Lie That Traps" starts with some warnings. So please put the book down if you have some triggers, like violence/ abuse.
I like books where the FMC finds her strenght/ spine and stands up for her own life. I like that she doesn´t fall for the MC right away and he has to fight a little.
I also really love how they have the back of the FMC and help her to get her life back.
There is a little cliff hanger but the second book is right behind the corner and I´m excited to read this one, too.
This book is well written and easy to read even if it is not my mother language. ;)
Happy release day by tomorrow. (16th of May)
I received a free copy of this book via Gemma Weir and am voluntarely leaving a review.
"The Lie That Traps" starts with some warnings. So please put the book down if you have some triggers, like violence/ abuse.
I like books where the FMC finds her strenght/ spine and stands up for her own life. I like that she doesn´t fall for the MC right away and he has to fight a little.
I also really love how they have the back of the FMC and help her to get her life back.
There is a little cliff hanger but the second book is right behind the corner and I´m excited to read this one, too.
This book is well written and easy to read even if it is not my mother language. ;)
Happy release day by tomorrow. (16th of May)
I received a free copy of this book via Gemma Weir and am voluntarely leaving a review.
May 17, 2024
Izabella's family wants nothing to do with her since the announcement was made that her twin, Penelope would be inheriting everything. Nobody knows she exists at school. She only exists to make sure her sister gets the money. Gulliver can't stand Penelope, their families are pushing for them to get married. He didn't expect to find out she had a twin, and definitely didn't expect to fall for her. I love Gemma Weir's books, her OTT MMCs are great. I didn't start liking Izabella until she started growing a backbone. The chemistry between the 2 MCs is off the charts but Izabella can't grasp the fact that Gulliver really likes her. I cant wait to see the lengths Gulliver will go to keep her. I hate that it ends in a cliffhanger, I'm looking forward to book 2.
May 23, 2024
I read ‘The Lie That Traps,’ Book 1 of Lies and Truth series, by Gemma Weir… and I gotta say, I’m a FAN 👏🏻! (FYI, I’m not affiliated with the author and there are NO spoilers! 🙌🏻)
Ok! So first off 👆🏻! This is Book 1 in a Dark Contemporary Romance DUET that has an alph@hole MMC and a FMC that has had a rough go of it in life 😭. I DO think there are varying shades of DARK in the Dark Contemporary Romance genre (⛓️💥🔪🩸), so let me elaborate a little more on this one! This does NOT contain actual t0rture 😱, bl00d 🩸 play, or non-consensual ⛓️ scenes. However, this is DARK in the way of how the FMC is treated by her family 😭, and the fact the MMC is not a cinnamon roll sweetie 😘 who worships 🙏🏻 the ground she walks on (not initially, anyway 😉.) Nope! He’s quite focused 👀 on his own goals (again, initially 😉) and DOES NOT 🚫 care about the fallout OR if our girl gets burned 🔥in the process! 😐🙈
Honestly, I gotta say I LOVED ❤️ the drama 🎭 in this book! I loved that our girl was mistreated for years 😵, and that our guy had NO idea 😳… until well, he DID 😬 … which means, the anticipation of him finding out was SO FREAKING GOOD 👏🏻👏🏻! And when he does… oh boy, oh boy 🙌🏻! There were actually a few DRAMATIC 🎭 reveals in this book and all of them were chef’s kiss… 🤌🏻💋!
But I am getting ahead 🚗 of myself 😆! So what is the story about 🤔?! Well! It starts off with a FMC that is like a GHOST 👻 in the hallways of her school 🏫. Head down, shoulders hunched 😞, literally doing her best to be UNSEEN 🙈 and UNNOTICED 🤨. Enter our MMC ➡️. Who of course, notices 👀 her 🔥. But things are not adding ➕ up 🤔… why is SHE leaving the dark room at school, as if she doesn’t want anyone to know? Why does SHE walk 🚶🏻♀️THAT way? He has always H@TED 😡 her, but this girl coming out of the dark room seems ENTIRELY different from the b!tch 🙄 he has always known her to be. Throw in her desperate 😩 parents, who are doing their absolute BEST 👆🏻to get him to MARRY 💍 their ONLY stuck-up 🙄 daughter in order to form an alliance 👰🤵🏻of sorts with their very wealthy 💰 families, and our guy is pulling out all the stops ✋🏻to keep their daughter far away from his marital 🍆 🍑 bed. Except… there’s something about this GHOST 👻 in the hallway that intrigues him… draws him in. How is it possible that THIS girl- that he can’t keep his eyes 👀 off of- is the SAME girl he has always loathed 😡😡😡 ⁉️
Honestly folks, I can’t say 🤐 much more without giving it away! When I realized 💡 what this story was going to be about, I LITERALLY said out loud to myself… “ohhhhh, that’s a cool 😎 concept. I haven’t read this one before 😮!” Which really, is one of the BIGGEST compliments I can give an author these days 👏🏻! Oh and I will say, this DEFINITELY has a similar vibes to her other series set in the same world (it’s legit called called the Alphaholes series 😅.) But you DO NOT 🚫 have to read that series first (although I totally recommend reading it 😁, because it’s GREAT too 🤌🏻! But make sure to check the triggers ⚠️!)
So if you LOVE ❤️ a Dark Contemporary Romance where the FMC is mistreated 😵 (yet still STRONG 💪🏻 despite it all,) the MMC is a HOT 🥵 alph@hole & will be FURIOUS 😡 when he finds out what she’s truly been through, a unique 💎 plotline that hasn’t been overdone, and some great SPICE 🌶️… give this a shot! It’s free on KU and you never know, it may TRAP ⛓️💥 you too!
Ok! So first off 👆🏻! This is Book 1 in a Dark Contemporary Romance DUET that has an alph@hole MMC and a FMC that has had a rough go of it in life 😭. I DO think there are varying shades of DARK in the Dark Contemporary Romance genre (⛓️💥🔪🩸), so let me elaborate a little more on this one! This does NOT contain actual t0rture 😱, bl00d 🩸 play, or non-consensual ⛓️ scenes. However, this is DARK in the way of how the FMC is treated by her family 😭, and the fact the MMC is not a cinnamon roll sweetie 😘 who worships 🙏🏻 the ground she walks on (not initially, anyway 😉.) Nope! He’s quite focused 👀 on his own goals (again, initially 😉) and DOES NOT 🚫 care about the fallout OR if our girl gets burned 🔥in the process! 😐🙈
Honestly, I gotta say I LOVED ❤️ the drama 🎭 in this book! I loved that our girl was mistreated for years 😵, and that our guy had NO idea 😳… until well, he DID 😬 … which means, the anticipation of him finding out was SO FREAKING GOOD 👏🏻👏🏻! And when he does… oh boy, oh boy 🙌🏻! There were actually a few DRAMATIC 🎭 reveals in this book and all of them were chef’s kiss… 🤌🏻💋!
But I am getting ahead 🚗 of myself 😆! So what is the story about 🤔?! Well! It starts off with a FMC that is like a GHOST 👻 in the hallways of her school 🏫. Head down, shoulders hunched 😞, literally doing her best to be UNSEEN 🙈 and UNNOTICED 🤨. Enter our MMC ➡️. Who of course, notices 👀 her 🔥. But things are not adding ➕ up 🤔… why is SHE leaving the dark room at school, as if she doesn’t want anyone to know? Why does SHE walk 🚶🏻♀️THAT way? He has always H@TED 😡 her, but this girl coming out of the dark room seems ENTIRELY different from the b!tch 🙄 he has always known her to be. Throw in her desperate 😩 parents, who are doing their absolute BEST 👆🏻to get him to MARRY 💍 their ONLY stuck-up 🙄 daughter in order to form an alliance 👰🤵🏻of sorts with their very wealthy 💰 families, and our guy is pulling out all the stops ✋🏻to keep their daughter far away from his marital 🍆 🍑 bed. Except… there’s something about this GHOST 👻 in the hallway that intrigues him… draws him in. How is it possible that THIS girl- that he can’t keep his eyes 👀 off of- is the SAME girl he has always loathed 😡😡😡 ⁉️
Honestly folks, I can’t say 🤐 much more without giving it away! When I realized 💡 what this story was going to be about, I LITERALLY said out loud to myself… “ohhhhh, that’s a cool 😎 concept. I haven’t read this one before 😮!” Which really, is one of the BIGGEST compliments I can give an author these days 👏🏻! Oh and I will say, this DEFINITELY has a similar vibes to her other series set in the same world (it’s legit called called the Alphaholes series 😅.) But you DO NOT 🚫 have to read that series first (although I totally recommend reading it 😁, because it’s GREAT too 🤌🏻! But make sure to check the triggers ⚠️!)
So if you LOVE ❤️ a Dark Contemporary Romance where the FMC is mistreated 😵 (yet still STRONG 💪🏻 despite it all,) the MMC is a HOT 🥵 alph@hole & will be FURIOUS 😡 when he finds out what she’s truly been through, a unique 💎 plotline that hasn’t been overdone, and some great SPICE 🌶️… give this a shot! It’s free on KU and you never know, it may TRAP ⛓️💥 you too!
July 23, 2024
DNF at 59%
Absolutely highly recommend if you’re looking for absurdity, bad writing, and something which will make you laugh out loud (because of how terrible it is). If you’re looking forquality writing or simply a good plot, you may need to search elsewhere (and far away).
But I digress. I was reading this with mild amusement at the absolutely insane plot.
Exhibit A: A whole school not noticing a set of identical twins in the same year.
Exhibit B: A pair of caricature villain parents who are so obsessed with money they make their daughter pretend to be someone else AND the plot is that they start out nice but money is what made their brains melt. Worse than Cinderella and also clearly completely INCOMPREHENSIBLE.
Exhibit C: A further caricature of a sister villain.
Exhibit D: An MMC who decides, upon discovery of the secret abused twin, that he will just propose to her for fun AND THEN decides that actually he likes her (but no real explanation why) and decides the engagement should be real? (With zero discussion with the said fiancée I will add)
In sum: none of it more believable than the next.
But really the cherry on the cake was when the FMC, after having been badly beaten up by two no better than cardboard parents, decides to get the MMC to REINTRODUCE her to “society” so she can get revenge on everyone? Lollllls.
I would say this reads likea bad the worst a REALLY terrible fanfiction but that would be an insult to fanfiction.
Ultimately, though, this is LAUGHABLY bad. To be saved for a day when I feel depressed and sad - will surely make my day brighter to know that I can DNF this book again.
Absolutely highly recommend if you’re looking for absurdity, bad writing, and something which will make you laugh out loud (because of how terrible it is). If you’re looking for
But I digress. I was reading this with mild amusement at the absolutely insane plot.
Exhibit A: A whole school not noticing a set of identical twins in the same year.
Exhibit B: A pair of caricature villain parents who are so obsessed with money they make their daughter pretend to be someone else AND the plot is that they start out nice but money is what made their brains melt. Worse than Cinderella and also clearly completely INCOMPREHENSIBLE.
Exhibit C: A further caricature of a sister villain.
Exhibit D: An MMC who decides, upon discovery of the secret abused twin, that he will just propose to her for fun AND THEN decides that actually he likes her (but no real explanation why) and decides the engagement should be real? (With zero discussion with the said fiancée I will add)
In sum: none of it more believable than the next.
But really the cherry on the cake was when the FMC, after having been badly beaten up by two no better than cardboard parents, decides to get the MMC to REINTRODUCE her to “society” so she can get revenge on everyone? Lollllls.
I would say this reads like
Ultimately, though, this is LAUGHABLY bad. To be saved for a day when I feel depressed and sad - will surely make my day brighter to know that I can DNF this book again.
May 14, 2024
“The Lie That Traps” takes the reader back to the world of Green Acres Academy and links to the author’s “Alphahole” series, although those books don’t have be read prior to this one. It is such an appropriate title as both the two main characters become entrapped and entangled by the lie that they’ve woven.
I spent much of the first part of this book feeling utterly wretched for poor Izzy and what she was going through and how she was being forced to live her life: alone, mistreated and invisible to everyone with cruel and manipulative parents. Then along comes Gulliver and I thought at last someone to help her, but apparently not! Privileged, used to getting his own way, full of swagger, cold, calculating and initially showing no remorse for the events he puts in motion. It serves him right when his plans come back to “bite him on the backside”!
Izzy is strong and resilient, even though her life is not her own but, with the support of Gulliver and his friends, she not only finds the strength to become the person she truly is but is also determined to help her twin sister too.
Personally, I felt the ending seemed a little sudden. I turned the page, expecting a bit more, not realising that was the end. Even though the two main characters had resolved things, I wanted to read a bit more after Izzy’s and Gulliver’s revelations to each other. Perhaps the reader will learn more about them in the next book in the series…
I spent much of the first part of this book feeling utterly wretched for poor Izzy and what she was going through and how she was being forced to live her life: alone, mistreated and invisible to everyone with cruel and manipulative parents. Then along comes Gulliver and I thought at last someone to help her, but apparently not! Privileged, used to getting his own way, full of swagger, cold, calculating and initially showing no remorse for the events he puts in motion. It serves him right when his plans come back to “bite him on the backside”!
Izzy is strong and resilient, even though her life is not her own but, with the support of Gulliver and his friends, she not only finds the strength to become the person she truly is but is also determined to help her twin sister too.
Personally, I felt the ending seemed a little sudden. I turned the page, expecting a bit more, not realising that was the end. Even though the two main characters had resolved things, I wanted to read a bit more after Izzy’s and Gulliver’s revelations to each other. Perhaps the reader will learn more about them in the next book in the series…
May 12, 2024
Gemma Weir? New book? Sign me up! Though I guess technically this is a revamp of a previous 4 book series into a duet, but since I had not read that series, its new to me. I literally devoured this book in one sitting, staying up until after 2am to finish it. It’s told in 1st person and dual POV’s and written so well that you feel like its you in the story instead of a story being told to you.
Poor Izzy, my heart broke for her from the way her family treated her. I loved to see her growth throughout the book, from basically invisible to the world as her twins stand in to the center of Gulliver’s universe. Speaking of Gulliver, one of my favorite tropes happened (at least I think it’s a trope?) where he gets blindsided for how much he actually cares for her.
Yes, Gulliver is OTT/JP even when he doesn’t know why. Yes, a lot of the way he acts are all huge red flags in real life. Thankfully, this is fiction and we all get to live out our fantasies through Gemma’s words. And since it’s a duet, yep, you guessed it. Theres a cliffie. Like one heck of a cliffie. I can’t wait to read book two and see where our teenage lovers end up and how/if Penelope makes it out too! Oh! And the spice in this book, is like spicey spicey!! 😉🥵🥵🥵
Poor Izzy, my heart broke for her from the way her family treated her. I loved to see her growth throughout the book, from basically invisible to the world as her twins stand in to the center of Gulliver’s universe. Speaking of Gulliver, one of my favorite tropes happened (at least I think it’s a trope?) where he gets blindsided for how much he actually cares for her.
Yes, Gulliver is OTT/JP even when he doesn’t know why. Yes, a lot of the way he acts are all huge red flags in real life. Thankfully, this is fiction and we all get to live out our fantasies through Gemma’s words. And since it’s a duet, yep, you guessed it. Theres a cliffie. Like one heck of a cliffie. I can’t wait to read book two and see where our teenage lovers end up and how/if Penelope makes it out too! Oh! And the spice in this book, is like spicey spicey!! 😉🥵🥵🥵
May 16, 2024
Be prepared to be sucked in and hang on for a tumultuous ride with a classic Gemma Weir hero (i.e. OTT crazy and laser focused on his heroine). Although Gulliver begins his pursuit of Izzy for all the wrong reasons and is beyond antagonistic towards her, he quickly changes when he realizes that his perception of her was all wrong.
Izzy, for her sake, is the downtrodden heroine that is painful to watch at first because of the scope of mistreatment she withstands from her own family. I will say that I am a little tired of reading about heroines that are almost superhuman in the amount of mistreatment they suffer, including from the hero. That is what caused my dip in rating, although the hero quickly got his act together, bumping the rating back up. Taking into account my feelings about downtrodden heroines, watching her decide to take back her life and power had me shaking my kindle a bit while whispering "YES!"
Set in the academic world of the super elite and powerful, of COURSE there are requisite ruling group, which of course Gulliver and his cadre of hot guy friends are part of. It was a fun read, and my only quibble was that I didn't realize that it was the first part of a duet and now I have to wait for the next part!
Izzy, for her sake, is the downtrodden heroine that is painful to watch at first because of the scope of mistreatment she withstands from her own family. I will say that I am a little tired of reading about heroines that are almost superhuman in the amount of mistreatment they suffer, including from the hero. That is what caused my dip in rating, although the hero quickly got his act together, bumping the rating back up. Taking into account my feelings about downtrodden heroines, watching her decide to take back her life and power had me shaking my kindle a bit while whispering "YES!"
Set in the academic world of the super elite and powerful, of COURSE there are requisite ruling group, which of course Gulliver and his cadre of hot guy friends are part of. It was a fun read, and my only quibble was that I didn't realize that it was the first part of a duet and now I have to wait for the next part!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews