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Lying Is My Love Language
Telling the truth was never part of the plan. Neither was falling in love.
Jamie Hayes lies to keep things light and casual. It’s a foolproof formula full of strong cocktails and even stronger exit strategies.
That’s until she meets Luke at an outback wedding and discovers there’s one flaw in her he doesn't believe a word she says.
Devastatingly handsome and infuriatingly stubborn, Luke is completely immune to her city charm. So immune they end up in bed together. Twice. Their connection is electric, but it’s only a game. At least, that's what she tells herself . . . until they crash back into each other’s lives and she's forced to confront the one thing she's always the truth.
Now Jamie must decide whether she’ll keep running from anything real, or risk it all for something bigger than the life she curated. Because the man who sees through her lies might teach her how to love without them.
Jamie Hayes lies to keep things light and casual. It’s a foolproof formula full of strong cocktails and even stronger exit strategies.
That’s until she meets Luke at an outback wedding and discovers there’s one flaw in her he doesn't believe a word she says.
Devastatingly handsome and infuriatingly stubborn, Luke is completely immune to her city charm. So immune they end up in bed together. Twice. Their connection is electric, but it’s only a game. At least, that's what she tells herself . . . until they crash back into each other’s lives and she's forced to confront the one thing she's always the truth.
Now Jamie must decide whether she’ll keep running from anything real, or risk it all for something bigger than the life she curated. Because the man who sees through her lies might teach her how to love without them.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
August 26, 2026
I got this because the blurb captivated me. I found the premise genuinely interesting, but just a few chapters in, there’s an overtly positive mention of ChatGPT, which immediately made me cringe. I find it idiotic when creatives so casually endorse generative AI in their work.
Unfortunately, as the novel went on, I couldn’t shake the feeling that much of the dialogue read exactly like AI-generated prose: stiff, forced, oddly disjointed, and constantly explanatory rather than sounding like actual people. On its own, that isn’t proof of anything, and I wouldn’t claim a book was written by AI simply because it resembles it. Whether AI was involved or not, that’s exactly how it reads. Even putting that aside, the book still fell flat. The characters are one-dimensional, pathetic, and painfully underdeveloped, and the ending feels rushed. The dialogue never convinced me that these were real people rather than mouthpieces for the plot.
What baffles me most is that this made it past a major publisher’s editorial desk. You’d expect higher standards from Penguin Australia, but they seem to have been absent here. It pissed me off even more knowing there are so many talented Australian writers struggling to get published. I can’t imagine how many trees were cut down for this shit.
Unfortunately, as the novel went on, I couldn’t shake the feeling that much of the dialogue read exactly like AI-generated prose: stiff, forced, oddly disjointed, and constantly explanatory rather than sounding like actual people. On its own, that isn’t proof of anything, and I wouldn’t claim a book was written by AI simply because it resembles it. Whether AI was involved or not, that’s exactly how it reads. Even putting that aside, the book still fell flat. The characters are one-dimensional, pathetic, and painfully underdeveloped, and the ending feels rushed. The dialogue never convinced me that these were real people rather than mouthpieces for the plot.
What baffles me most is that this made it past a major publisher’s editorial desk. You’d expect higher standards from Penguin Australia, but they seem to have been absent here. It pissed me off even more knowing there are so many talented Australian writers struggling to get published. I can’t imagine how many trees were cut down for this shit.
August 3, 2026
30 per cent of the book was just farm chores. Glamourised.
August 14, 2026
This was a book of two halves for me. It was so engaging, funny and entertaining but I was left feeling underwhelmed with where the story went.
The plot is right up my alley. Jamie is a Sydney girl who is sleeping her way through Tinder, compulsively lying to her dates, with set rules about how these dates will go. She is invited to a remote cattle station in the Northern Territory for her best friend's wedding, where she meets the hot, witty neighbour Luke who sees through her act. One night turns into two nights and he is already breaking through her strict set of rules. But Jamie is as city as they come and Luke is as country as they come, so what's gunna give?
This book HOOKED me, I love a book with a great opening. The banter between Jamie and Luke was top notch - funny, sharp and self-depricating creating genuine tension and chemistry. I was INVESTED. The outback setting was so fresh and Australian. There were the cliche lying themes, which were central to the plot and could have been a little less in your face, but nothing to complain about.
But then... things started to shift. Jamie started self-sobotaging and her decisions became increasingly frustrating to the point I found myself disliking her. And while liking characters isn't pivotal to me enjoying a story, it made it harder for me to be invested in their relationship and believe their chemistry in the second half of the book. Her behaviour didn't make sense to the story for me. Obviously I was aware of her reasonings and her journey to self-discovery but by that stage I wasn't buying it.
While I didn't hate this book by any means, it started so strong that I couldn't help but feel disappointed by the end. Despite that, I had a lot of fun with it and would definitely pick up another Simons book in the future.
Thank you Penguin Random House Australia for providing me with this ARC through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
3.5 ⭐️
The plot is right up my alley. Jamie is a Sydney girl who is sleeping her way through Tinder, compulsively lying to her dates, with set rules about how these dates will go. She is invited to a remote cattle station in the Northern Territory for her best friend's wedding, where she meets the hot, witty neighbour Luke who sees through her act. One night turns into two nights and he is already breaking through her strict set of rules. But Jamie is as city as they come and Luke is as country as they come, so what's gunna give?
This book HOOKED me, I love a book with a great opening. The banter between Jamie and Luke was top notch - funny, sharp and self-depricating creating genuine tension and chemistry. I was INVESTED. The outback setting was so fresh and Australian. There were the cliche lying themes, which were central to the plot and could have been a little less in your face, but nothing to complain about.
But then... things started to shift. Jamie started self-sobotaging and her decisions became increasingly frustrating to the point I found myself disliking her. And while liking characters isn't pivotal to me enjoying a story, it made it harder for me to be invested in their relationship and believe their chemistry in the second half of the book. Her behaviour didn't make sense to the story for me. Obviously I was aware of her reasonings and her journey to self-discovery but by that stage I wasn't buying it.
While I didn't hate this book by any means, it started so strong that I couldn't help but feel disappointed by the end. Despite that, I had a lot of fun with it and would definitely pick up another Simons book in the future.
Thank you Penguin Random House Australia for providing me with this ARC through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
3.5 ⭐️
July 27, 2026
Lying is My Love Language follows Jamie Hayes, our emotionally unavailable FMC who cycles through Tinder dates and the different personas she weaves together through her web of perpetual lies. At first glance it may appear as though she’s hiding something, but it soon becomes apparent that Jamie is a deeply complex character who has defaulted to using humour (among other things) as a defence mechanism.
When she travels to the NT with her friend, Abbey, for their other best friend (Ella’s) wedding, she trips and falls at the feet of farmer, Luke, who challenges her and her lies in the best way possible. For the first time, he also has Jamie breaking her stringent, non-committal hookup rules. I loved the sharp and hilarious banter between these two that had me snickering to myself while reading, and the city girl x country boy dynamic that somehow worked so well. I found myself cracking up at the Farmer Wants a Wife comment too, and in the same vein, I loved both the niche Australian references and the outback landscape and scenery that felt familiar and comforting.
This was a beautiful story that highlighted sisterhood and community, trauma, grief and identity as much as it did romance. I loved the friendship between the girls and how they supported one another unconditionally through the ups and downs of life, despite the challenges of distance.
Thank you @penguinbooksaus for my copy of this one! 💙💜
When she travels to the NT with her friend, Abbey, for their other best friend (Ella’s) wedding, she trips and falls at the feet of farmer, Luke, who challenges her and her lies in the best way possible. For the first time, he also has Jamie breaking her stringent, non-committal hookup rules. I loved the sharp and hilarious banter between these two that had me snickering to myself while reading, and the city girl x country boy dynamic that somehow worked so well. I found myself cracking up at the Farmer Wants a Wife comment too, and in the same vein, I loved both the niche Australian references and the outback landscape and scenery that felt familiar and comforting.
This was a beautiful story that highlighted sisterhood and community, trauma, grief and identity as much as it did romance. I loved the friendship between the girls and how they supported one another unconditionally through the ups and downs of life, despite the challenges of distance.
Thank you @penguinbooksaus for my copy of this one! 💙💜
August 29, 2026
4.5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Vibe check: Steamy, Hilarious, Yeehaw Fun
full review ⬇️
My book blind date gods strike again because I absolutely did not have a cowboy rom com on my 2026 reading bingo card, especially not one I adored as much as Lying Is My Love Language!
First up the humour in this was absolutely GOLD. I genuinely laughed out loud so many times reading this. There were also wonderful female friendships, brilliant characters and the perfect amount of chaos to keep me entertained from start to finish.
There was also considerably more spice than I had anticipated going in but it wasn’t awkward like I find in other smut style novels 🌶️ Let's just say the cowboy romance came with a little more than boots and horses!
The pacing jumped around a little with some individual days taking multiple chapters while other weeks seemed to disappear entirely. It occasionally made the story feel a little disjointed but at the same time helped to keep the story focused on the important parts of the timeline.
But I had such a fun time with this book. It's exactly why I love my book blind dates. I can go in with absolutely no expectations and end up discovering something I’d never normally have picked for myself.
If you love funny rom coms with a side of steamy cowboy charm, chaotic loveable characters and plenty of banter then all I can say is make sure you saddle up for this one. 🤠
A big thank you to Penguin for sharing this gem with me!
Vibe check: Steamy, Hilarious, Yeehaw Fun
full review ⬇️
My book blind date gods strike again because I absolutely did not have a cowboy rom com on my 2026 reading bingo card, especially not one I adored as much as Lying Is My Love Language!
First up the humour in this was absolutely GOLD. I genuinely laughed out loud so many times reading this. There were also wonderful female friendships, brilliant characters and the perfect amount of chaos to keep me entertained from start to finish.
There was also considerably more spice than I had anticipated going in but it wasn’t awkward like I find in other smut style novels 🌶️ Let's just say the cowboy romance came with a little more than boots and horses!
The pacing jumped around a little with some individual days taking multiple chapters while other weeks seemed to disappear entirely. It occasionally made the story feel a little disjointed but at the same time helped to keep the story focused on the important parts of the timeline.
But I had such a fun time with this book. It's exactly why I love my book blind dates. I can go in with absolutely no expectations and end up discovering something I’d never normally have picked for myself.
If you love funny rom coms with a side of steamy cowboy charm, chaotic loveable characters and plenty of banter then all I can say is make sure you saddle up for this one. 🤠
A big thank you to Penguin for sharing this gem with me!
September 8, 2026
’Telling the truth was never part of the plan. Neither was falling in love.’
July 7, 2026
Oh what a delicious rom com Olivia Simmon’s has penned
Jamie is all against love and commitment and has an iron proof plan of never opening up to anyone to ensure neither gets in her way.
Leaving the comfort of her Sydney life and lifestyle, she heads to the Northern Territory for her best friends wedding where she meets rugged, handsome Luke who is immune to her city chick persona
Before she knows it, sparks fly and she sees a glimmer of what life on the other side is like..
After the wedding Jamie heads back to Sydney believing it was a mistake and determined to forget Luke and his outback charms
But when they are reunited by chance Jamie realises her curated life might not be all it’s cracked up to be
Lying is my Love Language has a glorious blend of humour and heart
The outback and Sydney settings a perfect
As are Jamie, Luke and the fab side characters. It has wonderful Aussie humour and tid bits through out. Jamie is very relatable and real, you warm to her so quickly and her heart (even when she tries to hide it!)
A must read outback romcom, highly recommend
Thank you PenguinBooks for my gifted copy! I appreciate the Lychee Martini recipe included as I had a hankering for them every time Jamie went into Brookies !! 🍸
Jamie is all against love and commitment and has an iron proof plan of never opening up to anyone to ensure neither gets in her way.
Leaving the comfort of her Sydney life and lifestyle, she heads to the Northern Territory for her best friends wedding where she meets rugged, handsome Luke who is immune to her city chick persona
Before she knows it, sparks fly and she sees a glimmer of what life on the other side is like..
After the wedding Jamie heads back to Sydney believing it was a mistake and determined to forget Luke and his outback charms
But when they are reunited by chance Jamie realises her curated life might not be all it’s cracked up to be
Lying is my Love Language has a glorious blend of humour and heart
The outback and Sydney settings a perfect
As are Jamie, Luke and the fab side characters. It has wonderful Aussie humour and tid bits through out. Jamie is very relatable and real, you warm to her so quickly and her heart (even when she tries to hide it!)
A must read outback romcom, highly recommend
Thank you PenguinBooks for my gifted copy! I appreciate the Lychee Martini recipe included as I had a hankering for them every time Jamie went into Brookies !! 🍸
August 5, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
DNF @ 12%
There’s no way to soften this blow so I’m just going to say it - this reads like an AI generated story. I was initially put-off by the amount of similes throughout the first 20 pages, but I realised that was the primary way anything throughout the story was described. It wasn’t until I read a sentence that had multiple similes in it that I had to put down the book out of frustration.
“Nothing about this place is quiet. It’s hot and loud and wild and - annoyingly - kind of beautiful. As if someone painted a postcard using only earth tones and heatstroke.” Rather than describe what the setting actually looked like, we get vague, simile loaded sentences like these ones which, to be put bluntly, lacks the natural voice you would expect from human writing.
This dialogue also read incredibly inauthentic, and I could not for the life of me picture two people conversing in the way the author wrote their initial banter. “You scream high heels, high maintenance, gone by Monday” was a statement uttered by the male love interest - this is a sentence that would be said by no man ever.
I am in no way accusing the author of using AI, but desperately trying to convey that the amount of sentence structures typically seen with AI-generated text makes this a hard story to connect with and, I imagine for many, an impossible book to finish.
DNF @ 12%
There’s no way to soften this blow so I’m just going to say it - this reads like an AI generated story. I was initially put-off by the amount of similes throughout the first 20 pages, but I realised that was the primary way anything throughout the story was described. It wasn’t until I read a sentence that had multiple similes in it that I had to put down the book out of frustration.
“Nothing about this place is quiet. It’s hot and loud and wild and - annoyingly - kind of beautiful. As if someone painted a postcard using only earth tones and heatstroke.” Rather than describe what the setting actually looked like, we get vague, simile loaded sentences like these ones which, to be put bluntly, lacks the natural voice you would expect from human writing.
This dialogue also read incredibly inauthentic, and I could not for the life of me picture two people conversing in the way the author wrote their initial banter. “You scream high heels, high maintenance, gone by Monday” was a statement uttered by the male love interest - this is a sentence that would be said by no man ever.
I am in no way accusing the author of using AI, but desperately trying to convey that the amount of sentence structures typically seen with AI-generated text makes this a hard story to connect with and, I imagine for many, an impossible book to finish.
August 27, 2026
"Where to start? This book was so funny and relatable, I was actually giggling out loud at some parts of the story, it's the perfect feel good romance.
I totally related to Jamie and being a people pleaser, as someone who still struggles to set boundaries I felt this at a deep level, it's hard to stop performing for everyone and just be you, especially in this day and age, so this was refreshing as alot of the topics tin the book aren't always talked about.
I also loved learning more about Australia, I don't know why but I love a book that's set in NZ or Aussie, maybe it's because I'm not from this side of the world so I love getting to know it a bit better, also now I definitely need to go to the outback and wrestle a crocodile.
So if you want a feel good romance that still touches on deep meaningful topics this book is for you, it even got me out of my physical book reading slump!
I totally related to Jamie and being a people pleaser, as someone who still struggles to set boundaries I felt this at a deep level, it's hard to stop performing for everyone and just be you, especially in this day and age, so this was refreshing as alot of the topics tin the book aren't always talked about.
I also loved learning more about Australia, I don't know why but I love a book that's set in NZ or Aussie, maybe it's because I'm not from this side of the world so I love getting to know it a bit better, also now I definitely need to go to the outback and wrestle a crocodile.
So if you want a feel good romance that still touches on deep meaningful topics this book is for you, it even got me out of my physical book reading slump!
August 14, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.25/5
𝙰 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚌𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚠𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚎𝚡𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚕𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚍 𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛.
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙹𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚜𝚊𝚋𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚝 𝚊 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎.
𝙰 𝚠𝚎𝚍𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚡𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚜 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚒𝚗 𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚛𝚎𝚐𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐.
𝙰 𝚏𝚞𝚗 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚛𝚘𝚖-𝚌𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚊 𝚈𝙴𝚂𝚂𝚂𝚂𝚂 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚖𝚘𝚒!
𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: 𝐈 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 ’𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞’ & 𝐦𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭.
𝙰 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚌𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚠𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚎𝚡𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚕𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚍 𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛.
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙹𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚜𝚊𝚋𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚝 𝚊 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎.
𝙰 𝚠𝚎𝚍𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚡𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚜 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚒𝚗 𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚛𝚎𝚐𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐.
𝙰 𝚏𝚞𝚗 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚛𝚘𝚖-𝚌𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚊 𝚈𝙴𝚂𝚂𝚂𝚂𝚂 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚖𝚘𝚒!
𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: 𝐈 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 ’𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞’ & 𝐦𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭.
August 23, 2026
This book feels like an early 00’s romcom, there’s an emotionally unavailable FMC, who instead of working through her problems is working through her tinder matches. Jamie our FMC has built her life around lying to get what she wants and to keep people at bay.
A visit to the NT for her BFF’s wedding shakes her way of thinking. Enter Luke. But can she be 100% honest with this farmer?
I found this to be an enjoyable quick read, cosy rom com x farmer wants a wife vibes.
Thanks for the Rec Karli! 💜
A visit to the NT for her BFF’s wedding shakes her way of thinking. Enter Luke. But can she be 100% honest with this farmer?
I found this to be an enjoyable quick read, cosy rom com x farmer wants a wife vibes.
Thanks for the Rec Karli! 💜
September 9, 2026
3/5
AUDIOBOOK
I enjoyed this for most of the story. Went a little back and forth predictably. I liked the friendships and transparency between the characters.
(But also could Jamie have been more annoying with her constant lying, grow up girl)
AUDIOBOOK
I enjoyed this for most of the story. Went a little back and forth predictably. I liked the friendships and transparency between the characters.
(But also could Jamie have been more annoying with her constant lying, grow up girl)
Did Not Finish
September 7, 2026The FMC mentions using ChatGPT in the opening pages… yeah sorry I am that woke ✌🏼
August 22, 2026
I had a hoot reading this! Definitely not cut out for life in the outback but get me a farm boy asap.
August 23, 2026
Ugh I really wanted to like this.
August 23, 2026
I liked Luke and would have liked to have his POV, but I deeply, profoundly disliked Jaimie's character, despite her sharp, self-deprecating sense of humour.
September 9, 2026
Just a bit meh, like not bad meh but not good meh if you know what I’m saying
August 10, 2026
THIS 👏🏼 BOOK 👏🏼 WAS 👏🏼 HILARIOUS 👏🏼 & 👏🏼 HEARTWARMING 👏🏼
Chapter 1 had me rolling!! I knew from there I was going to have a good time. Absolutely loved the premise & the NT setting. It's quite difficult for romcoms to feel original but this one absolutely did!!
I found Jamie hilarious from the jump and her inner monologue was brilliantly funny! I tell you what though... I did really want to grab that girl & shake her because she was wildly infuriating at times 😂 the Queen of self sabotage if you will.
The chemistry was dialled up to 11 between Jamie & Luke, I wholeheartedly was cheering for them to end up together.
Funny, real, heartwarming, romantic & everything in between.
4.5 ⭐️'s
Chapter 1 had me rolling!! I knew from there I was going to have a good time. Absolutely loved the premise & the NT setting. It's quite difficult for romcoms to feel original but this one absolutely did!!
I found Jamie hilarious from the jump and her inner monologue was brilliantly funny! I tell you what though... I did really want to grab that girl & shake her because she was wildly infuriating at times 😂 the Queen of self sabotage if you will.
The chemistry was dialled up to 11 between Jamie & Luke, I wholeheartedly was cheering for them to end up together.
Funny, real, heartwarming, romantic & everything in between.
4.5 ⭐️'s
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sydney, Australia. Jamie Hayes is the senior copy writer at a boutique advertising agency, every Friday night she goes on a date and only see’s the guy once. Jamie doesn’t believe in love, finding Mr Right, want children and marriage.
Jamie and Abbey travel to the Northern Territory for their high school best friend Ella’s wedding to Darcy, he lives on a big cattle station, they use helicopters to get around and here she meets farmer Luke.
Luke is handsome, laughs at Jamie and he thinks she’s a high maintenance city girl. Sparks fly between Luke and Jamie, and they do end up in bed together, twice and she breaks her main rule. Despite the connection, Jamie returns to Sydney, work, and is back to scrolling through Tinder to find her next hook up.
Of course Jamie promised Ella she will visit her more often, Luke is considered part of the family and she can't escape bumping into him again and she's in denial about her feelings towards Luke. Jamie is carrying a lot of emotional baggage from her childhood, her mum couldn’t function when her husband left her, and she had to parent her sister Issy.
I received a copy of Lying Is My Love Language by Olivia Simons from NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia in exchange for an honest review. This is the author’s debut novel, I really enjoyed it, and especially the parts set in the Northern Territory.
Jamie is an interesting character, while physical pleasure is fine and as long as there’s no strings attached, she’s scared of being hurt and becoming like her mother. Jamie has to confront the choices she has made, she can’t leave Luke dangling and he won’t stay single forever.
Five stars from me, I highly recommend this spicy Aussie romantic comedy and I'm very keen to read more from Olivia Simons.
Jamie and Abbey travel to the Northern Territory for their high school best friend Ella’s wedding to Darcy, he lives on a big cattle station, they use helicopters to get around and here she meets farmer Luke.
Luke is handsome, laughs at Jamie and he thinks she’s a high maintenance city girl. Sparks fly between Luke and Jamie, and they do end up in bed together, twice and she breaks her main rule. Despite the connection, Jamie returns to Sydney, work, and is back to scrolling through Tinder to find her next hook up.
Of course Jamie promised Ella she will visit her more often, Luke is considered part of the family and she can't escape bumping into him again and she's in denial about her feelings towards Luke. Jamie is carrying a lot of emotional baggage from her childhood, her mum couldn’t function when her husband left her, and she had to parent her sister Issy.
I received a copy of Lying Is My Love Language by Olivia Simons from NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia in exchange for an honest review. This is the author’s debut novel, I really enjoyed it, and especially the parts set in the Northern Territory.
Jamie is an interesting character, while physical pleasure is fine and as long as there’s no strings attached, she’s scared of being hurt and becoming like her mother. Jamie has to confront the choices she has made, she can’t leave Luke dangling and he won’t stay single forever.
Five stars from me, I highly recommend this spicy Aussie romantic comedy and I'm very keen to read more from Olivia Simons.
August 9, 2026
Jamie and Abbey are dreading attending Elle's wedding. As childhood friends they wouldn't miss it for the world but did Elle really have to get married on her fiancé's remote Northern Territory property? Could she get any further from civilisation? It's at this wedding that Jamie meets Luke. Literally tripping and falling at his feet. Luke proclaims to be uninterested, Jamie retorts the same. And you can tell what happens from there.
This is a very "of the moment" narrative which will not date well. Will the references to Shien, Chat GPT and Apple TVs Severance be relevant in ten years? Who knows. There was some peer pressuring in the croc rangling that made me feel awkward and then there was the casual public reveal of a private medical matter that rubbed me really wrong. (Look I don't expect romances to be conflict free, problematic free narratives cause that's boring as fuck but I also sort of didn't expect to still be what-the-fucking about that so deep into the plot.)
Where this redeemed itself was that both main characters had to take time out to actually deal with their issues, though we see little of it from the MMC POV, we do see a quite a bit from the FMC and the enjoyable meat of this Jamie actually calling out her narcissistic and emotionally manipulative mother and being able to evolve into something other than a parentified peacekeeper.
Fun and witty. And the romance was pretty enjoyable. But mostly I was delighted at Jamie's development. And the brief mentions of Cutlet the potty calf.
This is a very "of the moment" narrative which will not date well. Will the references to Shien, Chat GPT and Apple TVs Severance be relevant in ten years? Who knows. There was some peer pressuring in the croc rangling that made me feel awkward and then there was the casual public reveal of a private medical matter that rubbed me really wrong. (Look I don't expect romances to be conflict free, problematic free narratives cause that's boring as fuck but I also sort of didn't expect to still be what-the-fucking about that so deep into the plot.)
Where this redeemed itself was that both main characters had to take time out to actually deal with their issues, though we see little of it from the MMC POV, we do see a quite a bit from the FMC and the enjoyable meat of this Jamie actually calling out her narcissistic and emotionally manipulative mother and being able to evolve into something other than a parentified peacekeeper.
Fun and witty. And the romance was pretty enjoyable. But mostly I was delighted at Jamie's development. And the brief mentions of Cutlet the potty calf.
August 26, 2026
What in the parallel universe of TikTok brainwashing is this story?
DNF at 61% as I simply cannot go on for another minute. The FMC and MMC are now completing farm jobs in great detail instead of addressing anything to do with the storyline.
The FMC is unlikable at best and I could not relate to her at all. The excuse of, I have trauma therefore I can treat everybody else terribly is not okay and is nonsensical. Her one redeeming quality as a human being was of taking care of her sister and her sister‘s kids, and this was maligned by a best friend. Maybe the author didn’t even really like her? if this was a male character acting like this, we would all be screaming red flag 🚩
Did I appreciate the Australian cultural references – absolutely. No Australian can go past a B1 and B2 reference without a wry smile, surely? The constant piggybacking on TikTok trends and jokes to attempt to create banter and chemistry between the two characters just fell flat for me. Everything felt very short-lived and jumpy; much like a TikTok doom scroll. The language that they were using, the way that they were actually talking to each other isn’t actually how people talk to each other either (more like texting), so I really felt at odds with the writing.
Side note - I don’t believe this falls into the genre of rom-com strictly. Chick lit perhaps?
DNF at 61% as I simply cannot go on for another minute. The FMC and MMC are now completing farm jobs in great detail instead of addressing anything to do with the storyline.
The FMC is unlikable at best and I could not relate to her at all. The excuse of, I have trauma therefore I can treat everybody else terribly is not okay and is nonsensical. Her one redeeming quality as a human being was of taking care of her sister and her sister‘s kids, and this was maligned by a best friend. Maybe the author didn’t even really like her? if this was a male character acting like this, we would all be screaming red flag 🚩
Did I appreciate the Australian cultural references – absolutely. No Australian can go past a B1 and B2 reference without a wry smile, surely? The constant piggybacking on TikTok trends and jokes to attempt to create banter and chemistry between the two characters just fell flat for me. Everything felt very short-lived and jumpy; much like a TikTok doom scroll. The language that they were using, the way that they were actually talking to each other isn’t actually how people talk to each other either (more like texting), so I really felt at odds with the writing.
Side note - I don’t believe this falls into the genre of rom-com strictly. Chick lit perhaps?
August 24, 2026
The cutest and funniest romance read of 2026!! I loved it so much. The banter of this book is definitely one of the best I’ve read and omg the author is too funny. I think the best part was the jokes in serious situations, I related to it so much!! Jamie and Luke have my whole heart, they are so good together, messy and funny and hot AF! Oh and the best part, set in outback Australia!!!
But you know the highlight of this book, were the messy characters and the female friendships. Jamie and her need for hiding the truth, we have all been through that. Female friendships that are our ride and die, I mean those of us who have that know how lucky we are. And dealing through all the grief and trauma with these people just makes it’s a tad bit easier!
The book follows Jamie who’s a compulsive liar, dates a new guy each week to avoid feelings and over sharing and never tries something new. Her best friend is now getting married in outback Australia where she bumps into Luke. Someone super unconventional for her but the sparks fly from the first banter. City girl vs outback hot man - will this be only a one weekend blip?
I need the author to write more romcoms for sure! Thank you Penguin Aus for an ARC of this book!
But you know the highlight of this book, were the messy characters and the female friendships. Jamie and her need for hiding the truth, we have all been through that. Female friendships that are our ride and die, I mean those of us who have that know how lucky we are. And dealing through all the grief and trauma with these people just makes it’s a tad bit easier!
The book follows Jamie who’s a compulsive liar, dates a new guy each week to avoid feelings and over sharing and never tries something new. Her best friend is now getting married in outback Australia where she bumps into Luke. Someone super unconventional for her but the sparks fly from the first banter. City girl vs outback hot man - will this be only a one weekend blip?
I need the author to write more romcoms for sure! Thank you Penguin Aus for an ARC of this book!
Review of advance copy
If you're looking for a romance that feels like an early 2000s romcom in book form this is it.
Lying Is My Love Language was funny, emotional, and packed with so much heart. Underneath all the laughs is a story about figuring out who you are and letting go of the version of yourself you're performing for everyone else and learning that it's okay to be authentically you.
As an Aussie, I absolutely loved the humour and setting. It felt so familiar and Jamie was incredibly relatable. Being a similar age, I found little pieces of myself in her like the uncertainty and the people-pleasing and not to mention the pressure to have everything together when life is anything but.
The romance was easily one of my favourite parts. It had me laughing out loud one minute and shaking my head at their questionable decisions the next. It was fun and had me completely invested in them.
If you love romcoms with plenty of laughs, genuine emotional depth and characters who feel like real people I'd definitely recommend picking this one up. 🤍
Lying Is My Love Language was funny, emotional, and packed with so much heart. Underneath all the laughs is a story about figuring out who you are and letting go of the version of yourself you're performing for everyone else and learning that it's okay to be authentically you.
As an Aussie, I absolutely loved the humour and setting. It felt so familiar and Jamie was incredibly relatable. Being a similar age, I found little pieces of myself in her like the uncertainty and the people-pleasing and not to mention the pressure to have everything together when life is anything but.
The romance was easily one of my favourite parts. It had me laughing out loud one minute and shaking my head at their questionable decisions the next. It was fun and had me completely invested in them.
If you love romcoms with plenty of laughs, genuine emotional depth and characters who feel like real people I'd definitely recommend picking this one up. 🤍
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I absolutely loved this book! I read a lot of rom-coms, so it takes something special to feel fresh, but this one completely delivered. Even better, it's by an Aussie author, which made it all the more enjoyable.
Jamie was such a relatable FMC. I think so many women either know a Jamie or have been a Jamie at some point, using humour, deflection and some little white lies to avoid getting hurt. Watching her journey unfold felt authentic and heartfelt.
The chemistry between Jamie and Luke was fantastic, and their banter was bantering! It had me laughing out loud. The writing was witty and, in the end, I genuinely cared about the characters.
I absolutely devoured this book and couldn't put it down. If you're looking for a rom-com that feels refreshingly original, I can't recommend this one enough!
Thank you to the author, Penguin Random House Australia and NetGalley for an eARC.
Jamie was such a relatable FMC. I think so many women either know a Jamie or have been a Jamie at some point, using humour, deflection and some little white lies to avoid getting hurt. Watching her journey unfold felt authentic and heartfelt.
The chemistry between Jamie and Luke was fantastic, and their banter was bantering! It had me laughing out loud. The writing was witty and, in the end, I genuinely cared about the characters.
I absolutely devoured this book and couldn't put it down. If you're looking for a rom-com that feels refreshingly original, I can't recommend this one enough!
Thank you to the author, Penguin Random House Australia and NetGalley for an eARC.
August 12, 2026
This was such a fun one. jamie's whole "lying to keep things casual" thing could have felt like a gimmick but olivia simons actually makes it work, mostly because jamie's reasons for doing it make sense once you get further in. Luke being the one person who just doesn't buy any of her bullshit was honestly so satisfying to read. that outback wedding meet is chaos in the best way and the tension from there never really lets up. My favourite part was watching jamie slowly stop performing, not in some big dramatic moment but in all these small ones that build up. the "twice" line had me laughing out loud, that's exactly the kind of detail that makes a romance feel real instead of just tropey. Only reason it's not a 5 is the pacing dips a bit in the middle once they're back in the same city, felt like it repeated the same push pull a few too many times before the payoff. but the ending earns it.
***Thank-you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for an ARC***
***Thank-you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for an ARC***
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The premise of Lying Is My Love Language is fine – an evergreen rom-com plot – but the prose gave me the ick. There’s a lot of repetition in form, with sentence structures that you see frequently in AI-generated text. “Not X, not Y. Just Z.” “The kind of A that makes you B.” “[Blank], as if [blank].” Maybe some of this will be cleaned up in the version that hits bookstore shelves, but it’s hard to imagine what will be left after a rigorous final edit.
I think Lying Is My Love Language shows promise conceptually, but needs a bit more work to be execution-ready.
My full review of Lying Is My Love Language is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
I think Lying Is My Love Language shows promise conceptually, but needs a bit more work to be execution-ready.
My full review of Lying Is My Love Language is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
August 7, 2026
Craving a fun, witty and spicy romantic comedy set against the backdrop of city life and the remote Australian outback? Then Olivia Simons’ debut Lying Is My Love Language is the perfect read for you!
📱 I really enjoyed the witty writing style and the banter in this book. Simons infuses the narrative with an authentic Aussie feel, through the city and outback settings and the lifestyles of the characters within each.
I felt like Jamie was a relatable character. Telling white lies and pretending to be something she’s not feels like something we’ve all done at some point. Luke questioning and calling her out them provided great balance. And the spice and slow burn between the two was 🔥
Told with humour and heart, Lying Is My Love Language is a fantastic Australian debut that offers a unique take on the rom-com genre.
Thank you to Penguin Aus for a copy to review.
📱 I really enjoyed the witty writing style and the banter in this book. Simons infuses the narrative with an authentic Aussie feel, through the city and outback settings and the lifestyles of the characters within each.
I felt like Jamie was a relatable character. Telling white lies and pretending to be something she’s not feels like something we’ve all done at some point. Luke questioning and calling her out them provided great balance. And the spice and slow burn between the two was 🔥
Told with humour and heart, Lying Is My Love Language is a fantastic Australian debut that offers a unique take on the rom-com genre.
Thank you to Penguin Aus for a copy to review.
August 9, 2026
🩷 Book Review 🩷
📚 Lying is My Love Language
✒️ Olivia Simons
💫💫💫💫💫
Thank you to Penguin Australia for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lying is My Love Language is a quick romcom that will have you giggling at the banter.
The humour used is very Australian in language and I think it made it even better for me, as an Aussie of course.
Jamie and Luke are easy to connect with. They show how hard the world is in terms of pleasing people and keep up with expectations of where you should be in life.
📚 Lying is My Love Language
✒️ Olivia Simons
💫💫💫💫💫
Thank you to Penguin Australia for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lying is My Love Language is a quick romcom that will have you giggling at the banter.
The humour used is very Australian in language and I think it made it even better for me, as an Aussie of course.
Jamie and Luke are easy to connect with. They show how hard the world is in terms of pleasing people and keep up with expectations of where you should be in life.
September 26, 2026
I wanted to love this, but I have mixed feelings. The romance didn't quite hit the mark for me—the banter between Jamie and Luke felt mean-spirited rather than playful, and the writing relied on a few too many tropes and clichés. Jamie herself was highly unlikable for the majority of the book.
What saved the story was the character arc. Jamie’s journey toward self-awareness and self-improvement was well-handled. I also preferred her best friend, Ella, because of her independent adventure and refusal to change for anyone else.
What saved the story was the character arc. Jamie’s journey toward self-awareness and self-improvement was well-handled. I also preferred her best friend, Ella, because of her independent adventure and refusal to change for anyone else.
Did Not Finish
August 18, 2026There were two jokes/turns of phrase that made me put this book down because what in the punchline. Not funny.
1. There was a mention of a guy possibly watching Andrew Tate and the character goes, WORSE THEY HAVEN'T WATCHED LOVE ACTUALLY.
2. Someone asked a character to say where a guy is situated on a scale of Harvey Weinstein to someone that I can't name because I stopped reading.
Romcoms are in dire straits.
1. There was a mention of a guy possibly watching Andrew Tate and the character goes, WORSE THEY HAVEN'T WATCHED LOVE ACTUALLY.
2. Someone asked a character to say where a guy is situated on a scale of Harvey Weinstein to someone that I can't name because I stopped reading.
Romcoms are in dire straits.
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