Books Don't Lie, Husbands Do

by L.J. Epps

After a failed marriage, Grace Nightly’s desire to get her life back on track seems hard to do when secrets and lies are around every corner.

Grace Nightly thought she married the love of her life—boy is she wrong. Putting all she has into a marriage that ultimately fails, Grace finds herself struggling emotionally, mentally, and financially after her husband up and leaves her. Her failed marriage isn’t the only thing wrong in her life—the bookstore that she runs with her elderly mother is struggling.On top of that, her six-year-old daughter Isabella is obsessed with a fairy-tale book because it’s the last thing her father gave her before he left town. Grace tries to stop her daughter’s obsession with the book and keep the failing bookstore she and her mother own afloat.

Grace tries to move on with her new boyfriend Phil, but that relationship is doomed to fail if Grace can’t get out of her own head and learn to trust again. Along Grace’s journey, she finds out many secrets and lies. Some are almost too much for her to handle.

Can Grace fix her love life and move on with her new boyfriend Phil, even though she now fears love? Will she track down Craig to find out why he left her and Isabella to survive on their own? Will Isabella ever get over her father leaving? Can Grace stop her daughter’s obsession and save her struggling bookstore, or will she succumb to the pressure of everything failing around her?

This is a story about secrets and lies, how secrets make everything worse, and how they always seem to come out in the end.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

402 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 18, 2025

About the author

L.J. Epps is a lover of all things related to books: fiction and nonfiction novels, as well as biographies and autobiographies. She has also been known to sit and read comic books from cover to cover, several times over.

Over the last few years, L.J. has written several manuscripts; her mission is to publish all of them. She enjoys writing fiction in several genres, including contemporary romance and women’s fiction, as well as young adult dystopian, science fiction and fantasy. She loves to write because it immerses her into another world that is not her own.

Reviews

[Patricia Aguadeiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books Don't Lie, Husbands Do, by L. J. Epps, tells the story of Grace Nightly, a single mother whose biggest desire is to bring her life back on track. She owns a bookstore with her mother, and despite their best efforts, time has made their business much slower than usual.
Grace's daughter is obsessed with this fairytale book that her father gifted her when she was only three years old, and this is the only connection she has to her dad. Grace's life is full of twists and turns: between her six-year-old daughter, who is obsessed with a book, and her mother, who is a very strong-minded person and thinks she knows better than anyone else, Grace has a lot to deal with on a daily basis. On top of that, her new boyfriend Phil is starting to be impatient towards Grace's distance and lack of commitment towards him. Adding to all of this, Grace soon will find out secrets that can affect her life, and a lot of unexpected situations will develop around her, and she will have to deal with all of them in order to get her life together.

This is a beautiful book that is impossible to stop reading and contains a lot of beautiful and meaningful moments, as well as moments when we feel empathy towards Grace and her life. This is a book that can tell a story that can happen to anyone: when we least expect it, our world can fall apart, and sometimes it takes a lot of strength to get back up again and keep 'fighting' against the bad things that happen around us.

Personally, I loved reading this book and couldn't put it down until I finished, and when I wasn't reading it, it was all I wanted to do! I definitely recommend this book to everryone that loves a book that catches your attention from page 1, and once you finish, you feel sad that there is no more of it to read! Definitely, one of my favourite types of books to read!

Lovely book. Would read it again from the beginning.

Many thanks to Netgalley for sharing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

[Katrina · Rating 1 out of 5]

We meet Grace, a single mother for a few years now to her daughter Isabella (Izzy). She is still technically married, but has had no contact with her estranged husband in 3 years, until recently receiving divorce papers in the mail. She has been dating a childhood friend, Phil, for about a year, and seems to keep him at arms length both physically and emotionally. She works with her mother, Rose, at her late father’s bookstore, where she seems to have no real passion for the job except for the fact that her and her father had a wonderful relationship and the store was his dream.

I need to start off by saying, I do not understand the book title. Yes, Grace’s husband Craig is a total loser who does lie, but it doesn’t seem as though Grace reads, is passionate about books, is into reading in any real way that you could say makes sense to title the book this way.

This book was extremely repetitive, and the writing almost seemed basic and childlike. The use of the word “thump” as a verb appeared so many times, it was comical. Her car thumped, doors thumped, people thumped, SO MUCH THUMPING. Every single smell made Grace’s nose twitch.

There were a lot of physical descriptions that also didn’t make any sense, like people’s eyes widening over basic things, a lot of shaking and trembling, chests rising, people “stomping” when they were just walking. People also “muttered” and “mumbled” a lot of sentences, and then someone would ask “what was that??” And they would respond back “nothing”.

My least favorite character was probably Izzy. I know her POV was from a six year old, but she was so cringe, whiny, and annoying. Sometimes she was smart, but also the whole book she had no idea what “crying” was and just described it as people’s eyes leaking. Also didn’t know the word appetite, but literally said the sentence “You do more than that grandma, you spoil me”. Also, I don’t know if she had a speech impediment, because that wasn’t mentioned, but she stuttered a lot, or it was w-written t-that w-way.
This book wasn’t even that long but there was SO MUCH UNNECESSARY DETAIL, it probably could have been shortened to a novella if it was taken out.
“Bacon was expensive but it was on sale at the store that week” “She grabbed a bag of apples, they were on sale this week” and she literally described everything everyone wore to the town meeting in detail. But then we had no storyline at all for seemingly important things, like the fact that her and Sophia are best friends but we don’t see the relationship at all. Or why Phil even likes her, because they acted like strangers and it honestly seemed like she hated him and only came back around to him when she found out that Craig had a new family and wouldn’t be coming back to her and Izzy so she finally signed the divorce papers. I think Phil was kind of a creep too, every time he spent a day with Izzy, they did some activity that he would ask her to keep secret from her mom (red flag), and as soon as Phil and Grace broke up he was already hooking up with Kate even though he said he had no feelings for her (gross).
I would have DNF’d if I wasn’t writing a review for this.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, thank you to the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Alicia Garcia-Webster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a lovely book! So cozy and so inviting! Most of the characters are good people trying to do their best with the situations that they have been dealt in life. The small town in which they live is warm, welcoming, and a place of forgiveness. If I had to classify this novel as being in a particular genre, I would say it's a love story, but not just romantic love between two people. It's about familial love, i.e. mothers and daughters, grandmothers, step-children, old friends, new friends, best friends, co-workers, babysitters, neighbors, etc. It shows that if you live in a place long enough, that the tendrils of your life's tale get all tangled and intertwined with the tendrils of others. In this small town, the actions or inactions of each member affect the lives of everyone that they come into contact with. What I love most about reading this story is how real the people seemed, and how the plot was one that could easily happen anywhere in the real world, and probably has! It made me reflect on the importance of being honest and straightforward with our loved ones, even when we know that it might cause some pain and discomfort to do so. **I was provided an ARC by NetGalley, but all opinions are my own.

[Stacey (Bookalorian) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book review - Fiction - E-Arc - women’s fiction - contemporary romance

Title: Books Don't Lie, Husbands Do by L.J. Epps

⭐ Star Rating: 3 🎯 Vibe Check: PASS

This book felt like… an emotionally charged drama with some suspense
I was hooked… about half way through. It was a slow start

Did I care about the characters? I liked Grace but I wasn’t overly invested in her.

Tropes included: bookshop in distress, second chance romance, small town, miscommunication.

Did they deliver? Yes but I hate miscommunication and it irritates me hardcore!!

This book made me feel: heartbroken while uplifting me.

This book might make you want to open a book store:

What didn’t work: it was seriously repetitive. I didn’t dig that. I found the parent dynamic bizarre too.

Perfect for readers who love….. who like stories with intense personal stories

🚫 Not for readers who dislike… child trauma

😈 Petty Complaint… I was expecting more. It was just ok for me.
Thank you to @netgalley for my gifted copy.

[Natalee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an engaging, drama-filled read that kept my attention from start to finish. LJ Epps delivers a story packed with emotional tension, betrayal, and relationship complications that felt both messy and realistic. The pacing was strong, and there were several moments that genuinely surprised me, making it hard to put down.

The characters were layered and frustrating in the way they’re meant to be, which made the story even more compelling. I appreciated how the author explored trust, love, and deception without making the plot feel over-the-top.

While I really enjoyed the storyline, there were a few areas where I wished certain scenes or character motivations had been expanded a bit more, which is the only reason this wasn’t a full five-star read for me.

Overall, this was a solid and entertaining book that fans of relationship drama and emotional twists will definitely enjoy.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title of this book caught my eye. If I wasn't reading this book for a review it would have been a DNF for me. I typically read romance and suspense books.

Grace runs a book store with her mom and is struggling in her life. She has trouble communicating with her mom, telling her daughter the reason why daddy is no longer around and keeps her boyfriend and arms length. The book goes into great details about certain things which was a bore to me. The ending was decent with Grace's lift getting better.

[Jacqui · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️.25 I really wanted to like this book as I liked the title but I struggled through this book. I felt the descriptions were too numerous, unnecessary and cumbersome. I could care less that Rose’s dress was at the knee. We get it, her car was old. The door was squeaky, the heat didn’t work. The house was old and creaky. The descriptions became more and more distracting the further I read. I also thought similes and metaphor were overused.

Most character’s behavior were extreme. I did not like Grace’s attitude, it was too pessimistic. Rose was stern and too cantankerous. She was basically only nice to Izzy. Izzy was a too bratty and got away with some bad behaviors like sassy, stomping when she was angry and disobedience. Phil was too nice and took too much poor behavior from Grace. Craig was just an awful human being. He did seem to change for the better at the very end, not sure if I trust this change was long lasting.

The children interactions did not seem authentic. Sometimes their conversations were older than their age. Other time they were younger sounding than their six years. Izzy’s letter to her dad didn’t sound like a six year old wrote it. It sounded so much older. Grace was concerned about children dealing with adult issues, but their insightful conversations, sounded like they had been overhearing a lot of adult interactions. In fact the six year olds act and talk much older.

When the new family moved in to town, I had many questions. Why were they here? Where was the husband?

This book was categorized as a romance. It was hard to see the romance for all the turmoil going on in this town. Their life was just awful. Then there was plot twist after plot twist. From the whole store situation, the new family’s true identity, and the Rose of it all. They couldn’t catch a break. There was avoidance behaviors all around. The whole story was lack of communication and secrets, secrets, secrets. Just talk to someone and tell someone what’s going on.

I was shocked when I read Grace was twenty-seven. She was written much older. The happy ending came in the last two chapters. All the storylines came together quickly at the end.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a journey, a newly separated/divorced (for the past 3 years although she hasn't signed the paperwork) FMC Grace, is struggling. She is in a state of what I sense is emotional turmoil with coming to the end of her marriage. She has a 6-year-old Izzy, who is smart and witty. Husband walks out on Grace and Izzy and leaves them behind to start a new life. He just literally up and left (all through the book he didn't feel bad about it either, which I absolutely hated). Then there's Phil, Grace's current boyfriend who is always there for her but she keeps him at arm's length. I almost feel bad for the man cause Grace has dated him over a year and a half and doesn't want to go further in their relationship even though he shows up for Grace and Izzy always. Grace owns a bookstore after her father passed and left it to her and her mother. Grace is scraping by and at least putting food on the table but Rose, Graces mom is keeping secrets surrounding the bookstore and money issues.

I want to say that my mood throughout this book was extremely depressing. Things just kept piling up on Grace and at times I felt that she was just helpless. Phil her boyfriend lends a hand and treats Izzy as his own but Grace is so caught up in money issues, the business amongst her feelings she hasn't come to terms with along with trust issues that she doesn't see Phil's value to her life. At times I wanted to go through the book and shake up Grace and tell her to get herself together and handle business. She was always in that helpless state and I wanted her to scream and say what she felt without holding back. When she finally came face to face with the dead beat, I feel like she didn't do enough even though he was where all her problems stem from and I wanted her to go crazy put him on child support and not wait 3 years. I wanted her to fully express her anger. I felt like she went easy on him honestly. Her daughter thinking he was coming back all those years and when he finally comes back he has another WHOLE family. Girl, Grace is better than me. Especially after he ran away with all the bookstore money.

Listen, I think this read was enough for me to keep pushing to see what happens next so I will say it was entertaining; however, the ending and epilogue was just missing something. I think it was missing rage. Izzy was already calling Phil daddy, but of course here comes dead beat Craig asking to meet her after he done rejected that poor little girl, and Grace says she will think about it......SHE WILL THINK ABOUT IT !!??!! hell no. I think Craig hasn't learned any lessons and where is the justice for Grace? I give this book a 3 star as I think Grace should've grown a backbone.

In conclusion, was it a good read, yeah. The pacing was a little slow with all the secrets but I felt so down while reading this book to where my husband was like "are you alright?" and I had to tell him I need a drink. Overall good read just wish the FMC had a little UMPH in her step. 3 stars for me.

[Ciara Hartman · Rating 2 out of 5]

📝 ARC Review: I originally thought this sounded like an emotionally moving story, but after reading it, I was mostly just frustrated and angry.

I did appreciate that it included POV from her 6 y/o daughter and that POV was very well written and realistic to how a child perceives things! - I felt for the boyfriend who had been dating her for almost two years with barely any romance and no real progression in the relationship. He had to have really loved her to have stayed.

However, the dialogue through the entire book felt rushed and disjointed. There were wayyyyy too many descriptions of creaky and noisy doors to showcase that she was driving a barely functioning car and living in a falling apart house. She blamed her mother for being stubborn and refusing to listen, yet that’s all she herself ever did. Despite many people trying to tell her she needed to tell her child the truth, she continued lie after lie to supposedly protect her child… but it was obvious her daughter was very smart and catching on to the lies and also falling down a deep hole due to her misbeliefs about her father, which her mother had perpetuated. I understand not wanting to ruin childhood with adult matters, but when they pertain directly to your child, I have to disagree strongly with how this mother handled things. And don’t lie to your kid and tell her lying is bad and then just keep lying to her. 🙄 The FMC refused to communicate literally anything and that was a theme through the entire story that drove me nuts. Every time her boyfriend wanted to discuss something important, it wasn’t the right time, she didn’t wanna talk, or she’d just change the subject repeatedly. She had the gall to be mad with her own mother for hiding things from her and not communicating, when she herself constantly did the same! So yeah… that drove me nuts and because it was so prevalent, it really left a sour taste in my mouth.

Genre: Women’s Fiction/Family Drama
POV: Third Person; Multi
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️ 2/5
Release Date: November 18, 2025

Vibes: I don’t want to talk right now; now’s not the time; let’s change the subject; let me lie to you, but tell you not to lie… let’s just change the subject again because I don’t wanna talk about it.

Tropes 👇

- Financial struggles
- Broken family
- Trauma from loss & abandonment
- Lack of communication/failure to communicate
- Child’s perspective
- Bookstore in distress

CW’s 👇

- Loss of a parent
- Sudden death
- Cancer
- Spousal/child abandonment
- Theft
- Lying to a child
- Brief instance of child running away
- Brief instance of injury to child

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Britney Ireland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you #NetGalley for this read.

An Enthusiastic Five-Star Review: A Flawless Dive into a New Genre

I am thrilled to give this novel a resounding five stars. As someone relatively new to this particular genre, I don't have a vast personal library of comparable stories, yet this book stands out immediately. The sheer quality of the storytelling is undeniable—the narrative arc was flawless, intensely intriguing, and kept me utterly captivated. I can honestly say there was never a dull moment from the first page to the last.

Compelling Characters and a Central Truth

One of the book's greatest strengths lies in its character development. I became completely invested in every single character, from the youngest to the oldest, finding their struggles and triumphs deeply resonant. The title itself is brilliant and perfectly encapsulates the novel's central theme: Books Don’t Lie but Husbands Do. This truth becomes shockingly clear through Grace's heartbreaking ordeal.

The Husband's Deceit and Its Emotional Toll

The core conflict is ignited by the return of Grace’s husband after a mysterious and unforgivable three-year absence. His reappearance is not a moment of hopeful reunion but a devastating betrayal: he has returned engaged to another woman and is soon to become a new father with his fiancée. The callousness of his actions—his utter disregard for Grace and, more importantly, for their six-year-old daughter—is truly astonishing. He is, to put it mildly, a monumental piece of work. The heartache of his daughter, who spent three long years clinging to the hope that her father loved her and would eventually come back, is palpable and emotionally wrenching.

A Deeply Satisfying Conclusion

Despite the emotional turmoil within the story, I was incredibly relieved and satisfied with the conclusion. The ending felt earned and perfect, leaving me genuinely happy for the characters who deserved peace and joy after enduring so much.

A True Emotional Journey

This novel took me on a profound emotional journey. It successfully elicited a full spectrum of feelings: happiness, sadness, anger, and frustration. Yet, the dominant, lingering feeling I was left with was one of overwhelming happiness, cementing this book as a must-read for anyone looking for a story that is as emotionally complex as it is wonderfully written.

[Kathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Books Don’t Lie, Husbands Do” follows Grace, who is navigating a separation from her husband Craig while raising her daughter Izzy and tentatively dating Phil. She works alongside her mother in their family bookshop, which is facing serious financial strain. As an investor shows interest in buying the store also the ex husbands makes his appearance again...
The premise has plenty of emotional potential: a woman trying to rebuild her life, a struggling bookshop, complicated family dynamics, and the lingering sting of betrayal. There are moments where the story touches on the vulnerability of starting over and the weight of carrying a family legacy forward.
However, the character portrayals made it difficult for me to fully connect. Izzy shifts between precocious wisdom and toddler-like innocence — sometimes calling crying “your eyes are leaking” — which creates an uneven sense of her age and maturity. Grace herself often behaves more like a frustrated teenager than a grown woman, reacting dramatically, resisting her mother at every turn, and escalating minor conflicts into major ones. These choices may resonate with some readers, but for me, they made it challenging to root for her.
The writing style also didn’t quite land for me. Some scenes lingered on small details that didn’t contribute to the story, while other parts suffered from timeline inconsistencies that pulled me out of the narrative.
All that said, the book does explore themes of identity, motherhood, second chances, and the emotional messiness of divorce — and readers who enjoy character-driven domestic drama may find something here to connect with. Even when the execution didn’t always work for me, the heart of the story — a woman trying to redefine herself while everything around her shifts — remains relatable.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I read this book for NetGalley.**

This one was a slow start for me, and I had a hard time really connecting with the characters. Grace, the main character, is juggling a lot—her strained relationship with her mom, a major lie she’s telling her young daughter, and a tendency to keep her boyfriend at arm’s length—but instead of adding depth, these elements made it difficult for me to fully invest in her.

I also felt like the boyfriend wasn’t developed enough to make their relationship compelling. Because of that, their dynamic lacked the emotional weight it seemed to be aiming for.

The storyline involving her ex (and her daughter’s father) stood out the most to me, but not necessarily in a good way. His decision to return to town while actively avoiding them felt unrealistic—especially in a small-town setting where running into each other seems inevitable. Maybe I just have more faith in how people handle those situations, but that part of the plot didn’t quite land for me.

The writing style itself was also tough to get through at times. There were too many repeated descriptions of the same things, and it often felt like several descriptive words were used where one would have been more effective. Instead of enhancing the story, this made parts of the book feel unnecessarily drawn out.

Overall, there were some interesting ideas here, but the pacing, character development, and writing style made it hard for me to fully enjoy the story.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars- This book is about the lies people tell and the secrets they keep from those they love. I enjoyed how the lies within the story took on a life of their own and really because the villain of the story, slowly poisoning the trust and the relationships within the story.

I really struggle with the miscommunication troupe within books, and that was no different for this one. I kept wishing the characters would just open up and be honest with each other. I really struggled with how motherhood was portrayed in this book, both Grace and her mother have some very toxic and manipulative tendencies and I wish there were more places within the story for heart felt connection.

What the main character, Grace, really needed was to learn how to set boundaries and build a loving support group. I wish that was shown within the book as a tool to over come some of the bad mothering and bad relationships within the book. Most of the book dragged a bit for me and I felt I wanted more character development and growth.

About 60% of the way through the book, the plot picks up and the suspense and drama were great. I wanted there to be fewer conflicts with the book focusing more on well developed conflicts instead of everything feeling like it was falling apart.

But sometimes that is the appeal of these types of book is when the world is against us in every way we have to learn to trust ourselves and find the courage to build the life we want.

[Alice · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was annoying. The characters were annoying. The plot was annoying. The story was annoying. I don't know what else to say. I wish there was one positive thing I could blame from this book. But I've read the whole entire thing hoping that there was going to be some kind of Metho, positive something coming up from this starry. But there's not grace owns a bookstore with her mother. Grace is very whiny, annoying has a daughter who is addicted to a book about fairy tales in a very unhealthy way, and she doesn't really seem to do anything about it, the child is also written very annoying. Grace has AA husband who ran off and left her. And the daughter Isabella alone, and she's trying to keep the bookstore. Her father left her running and grace's mother rose, is an awful character who even at the end with the twists that put in. I could not tolerate. Grace has a very loving man friend.For lack of a better word who loves isabella and her, and she treats him awful.I don't know.This book was just bad there's obviously more to the story as well as dad comes back in a twist and some other things happen.But I honestly wish I would have just had this be a dnf because it was not for me

Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

[Daniela Nero · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one had a really relatable setup… a woman trying to rebuild her life after a failed marriage while raising her daughter and keeping a struggling bookstore afloat. There’s a lot going on emotionally, and you can feel how heavy everything is for Grace.

I liked the idea of the story more than I actually connected to it. It leans heavily into real-life struggles, family dynamics, and trust issues, which made it feel very grounded, but at times it also felt like one thing after another piling on without much relief.

The pacing felt a little slow for me, especially in the middle, and I found it harder to stay fully invested. I also had a tough time connecting with some of the character choices, which made it harder to really root for them the way I wanted to.

That said, there were still moments that felt real and relatable, especially around starting over and trying to figure out what you actually want after everything falls apart. Overall, this didn’t fully land for me, even though it has elements I usually enjoy. It just didn’t pull me in the way I was hoping.

Thank you to NetGalley and the autor for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story beautifully captures how real love and real life are far from fairy tales—because people are messy, and life is too. It blends heartbreak and hope, showing the ups and downs of everyday life and the true meaning of family.

The book is emotionally charged, making it easy to connect with the characters. Grace, a single mother whose husband walked out, is incredibly relatable as she struggles with how to trust love again. The love interest is wonderfully patient and genuinely lovable, truly her prince charming, if fairy tales can come true. And Isabella (Izzy), her quirky six‑year‑old who adores fairy tales and dreams of her father returning, adds warmth and innocence to the story.

Set in a small town with a failing bookstore run by Grace and her mother, the atmosphere is cozy, charming, and practically Hallmark‑movie ready. Yes, the ending is predictable, but it’s a romance, so of course we expect a fairy tale finish.

Thanks Netgalley for sharing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books Don’t Lie, Husbands Do is one of those romances that sneaks up on you with its heart. It’s cozy in all the right ways with soft edges, emotional undercurrents, and characters who feel like people you’ve actually met (and maybe vented to over coffee). At its core, it’s a true second‑chance romance, the kind that leans into vulnerability, forgiveness, and the messy work of rebuilding life when the cards all fall down.

The emotional beats land beautifully, and the story balances warmth with just enough tension to keep you invested. Most of the cast is deeply relatable… except Craig. Craig is just an ass, and the book knows it. Every romance needs a catalyst, and he fills that role with gusto.

If you love heartfelt stories about healing, rediscovery, and choosing love again wrapped in a cozy, comforting vibe, this one is absolutely worth picking up.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨️Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In this story, you follow the life of Grace: a mother to a young girl, co-owns a bookstore with her mother and navigating life and trying to keep it all together.

This book is about family bond and love, you meet Grace's daughter and get to see life through her eyes but overall I think we could have done without the focus on the daughter. You meet Grace's mother who was not a very likeable character and you can understand why Grace is the way she is.

I was looking for more growth from the characters, there was a lot of emotional turmoil and I just needed something to bring uplift to the story. I wanted to love it but it fell flat for me.

[Olga Maxwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read for free. I chose to read the book because of the title and the cover. I quickly got into it at first, but it was kind of hard to read until the end. There were some avoidant-dependent attachment going on, unhealthy family dynamics with lies upon lies. Also, I initially thought the daughter was about 3 but it was later mentioned she was 6, there was a lot of inconsistency in her presentation. I’m glad things worked out at the end but all the characters need to go to therapy.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just okay for me. I didn't like the main character, Grace. Her and her Mother, Rose, run the family owned bookstore. They are having a hard time making ends meet. Grace is dragging her feet on signing the divorce papers. Her husband Craig walked out on her and her daughter Izzy, three years ago without a word of explanation. Grace was just so wishy-washy. She couldn't make a decision and her and her mother had a strained relationship. I really don't even know why I finished reading this book.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

I just couldn't connect with the characters in this one. Grace is constantly beaten down by life. Izzy has issues that are never addressed and comes across as a brat. Phil is almost too nice, and is constantly pushed away by Grace. Rose is a nearly unredeemable mother figure. Craig and his new family are terrible. It just felt like one thing after another, without any character growth or silver linings.

[Antonietta Booksncoffeebyant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was heartbreaking. A little girl who has so much faith in her dad coming home to her after leaving her and her mother. I fell in love with Isabella. Her 6 year old spark reminded me of every little girl out there in the world. All she wanted was for her dad to love her. This story tells chilling truths about family dynamics that not many realize are out there. Definately worth the read .

[barbi ⋆｡°✩ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel bad dnf-ing an arc but I just couldn't finished it. I read the book until 55% mark but it was too much and I just didn't care.
It might appeal to some people but I, unfortunately, wasn't one of them. The characters were annoying, the dialogues felt unnatural and the writing just wasn't good. I'm sorry.

Thank you NetGalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Joan Drage · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like Izzy

Decent story, but the 2 main characters weren’t that likable. Izzy, age 6, was constantly described as whining, stomping and screaming. What a shame. The mother was simpering. And if I never hear or read the word “wet” again, I’ll be happy. Could have been so much better.

[Aysia Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a simple easy read book.

A book about family life, single parenting, co parenting and how secrets can impact.

I didn’t love this story but I was intrigued as to how it all ended.

It’s a slow burner and didn’t pick up for me until just over halfway through.

Unfortunately it is not something I’d eagerly recommend.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grace is struggling with being a single mother and running a failing book store when her husband returns after three years, now engaged to another woman.
This was such an interesting read. I was invested with all the characters, adults and children. It’s emotionally charged with drama, secrets and a satisfying ending.

[Elle]

I enjoyed the struggling bookstore setting, but the story reads more like literary fiction than a standard romance. I would have preferred an older FMC to better suit the themes of the book. There is a very large cast of characters to track in this small town, and while not all of them are likable, they keep the plot moving.

[Rosi Colmenares]

Sadly, this was a no for me. I had to DNF :(

[JXR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous and fun book with sometimes an excess of details but some fantastic plotting. 4 stars. tysm for the E-ARC.

[Janna Felix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books Don’t Lie, Husbands Do delivers an engaging premise and emotional stakes, but ultimately lands as an average read. Grace Nightly’s struggles with heartbreak, single motherhood, and a failing bookstore are relatable, and the story does a solid job capturing the weight of betrayal and uncertainty. However, the plot leans heavily on familiar tropes, and some of the twists feel predictable rather than impactful. The pacing can also drag in places, especially when revisiting the same emotional beats without much progression. While the themes about trust, secrets, and resilience are clear and meaningful, the characters, particularly Grace, could have benefited from deeper development to make their journeys more compelling. Overall, it’s a decent story with heartfelt moments, but it doesn’t quite stand out from others in the genre.