Bad Girls Make Good Liars

by Sarina Bowen

Ivy Quillan knows how to find people. But this time, she might be the one who’s truly lost.

Ten years ago, private investigator Ivy Quillan slammed the door on her Boston life and started a new, untraceable one in Maine. Or so she thought. For years, she’s made a living slipping into other people’s lives—catching liars, exposing secrets, and getting out clean. (Or mostly clean. She tries.)

Until Frazier Morello—the guy she never got over or forgave—shatters her peace with a problem that makes no sense: a missing influencer who looks exactly like Ivy.

Not similar, identical. Same voice. Same laugh. Same everything.

Kelsey Chillingham vanished three days ago, and the internet is obsessed. The only lead the police have is Ivy, and they’re not going to let her go without a fight. Which leaves Ivy–who’s spent her life not knowing where she came from–at the center of a story she never asked to be a part of.

Now Ivy is chasing a case that’s dangerously personal, tangled up with the one man who still has the power to wreck her, and getting closer to a truth that refuses to stay buried. With time running out for Kelsey, Ivy must rush headfirst into her past no matter the cost.

Ivy has spent years running from her past, and now it’s on her doorstep—wearing her face.

Genres: Mystery, Romance, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

Expected publication February 2, 2027

About the author

Sarina Bowen is the 24-time USA Today bestselling and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary fiction, including: The Five Year Lie, the True North series, and the Brooklyn Hockey series. She's the co-author of Him/Us and the WAGs series with Elle Kennedy. And more!

You can find a complete reading order list of Sarina's books on her website. Or see what's coming next from Sarina, and sign up for her newsletter so you don't miss a new book or a deal.

Reviews

[Randi Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ivy Quillan is a private investigator who specializes in exposing cheaters and uncovering the truth, with her computer-whiz coworker, Buddy, by her side. She’s used to tracking people down, not having them show up on her doorstep. So when her ex-boyfriend, Frazier, suddenly appears one night, she has one big question: How the heck did he find her?

After a blowup with Frazier and his family, Ivy left her life in Boston behind and settled into a comfortable, secret life in Maine.

But Frazier comes bearing news. A social media influencer has been kidnapped, and Ivy couldn’t care less… until she discovers the missing woman has her face, her laugh, and even her voice. 👀

Who is this woman, and why was she taken? As Ivy returns to Boston, she’s forced to confront the past she desperately tried to escape. Could her history hold the key to solving the kidnapping?

This book was SO much fun! I absolutely flew through it! I loved the characters, Ivy’s complicated past, and her total badass attitude. The mystery kept me hooked, and that ending?! 😱 I was genuinely shocked and had to catch my breath!

If you’re looking for a fast-paced mystery with a fantastic main character, secrets, and twists you won’t see coming, add this one to your TBR!

[Mehva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun intriguing read. Imagine hding out, building a new life and then the twin you didn't know you have, the identical twin goes missing and are they after her or you. Easy to read and got involved right away was better than i expected

[Shay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a different scenery compared to what I normally read by Sarina and I was here for every moment. Ivy was something else. She was bad ass and tough as nails for everything that she had been through. Then her "found family" practically betrayed her. I don't blame her one minute for any animosity she held. this book was a complete mystery and held me up until the the very end. I was glad and enjoyed the unknown mistaken twin situation of the story and that the separated part worked out for both Ivy and Kelsey. The last chapters shook me with the revelations. But it was kind of cool that Ivy held strong against Frazier's betrayal and you get a HEA between the sisters and not the dude. She even went as far as to block him; like I said Ivy is complete badass.

[Mitchie Nguyen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Mixed Bag

My rating for this book lands right in the middle, because the good and the not so good weigh about the same. Let me start with what worked. The premise of the main character not knowing she has a twin was genuinely intriguing, and it kept me turning pages. I also enjoyed the pace and the dynamic between Buddy and Ivy, and I’ll admit my heart ached for Frazier by the end.

Unfortunately, the premise involving Frazier’s family, particularly his mother as the villain, didn’t quite land for me. The misdirection away from Elena was also poorly executed, and her ending felt sloppy. Having her suddenly become psychologically inhabited felt like an easy ending to slap on, and I think the story had a better one in it.

I enjoyed most of the book, right up until Ivy goes into her old middle school to rescue Kelsey. This is a woman with broken ribs and an injured ankle, crab walking her way to the room where Kelsey is being held. That pulled me straight out of the story, and my eyes got a real workout from all the rolling. Realistically, someone that hurt would not pull off a successful rescue mission, and she would probably cause more trouble than good. I know, I know, it’s fiction, but fiction can be relatable too. Then there’s the loud conversation between Ivy and Kelsey once Ivy finds the room. Come on! Aren’t you worried about potential guards?

My other frustration was Frazier’s family, who supposedly love Ivy like one of their own yet turn on her at the first opportunity. Some family.

That brings me to the ending, which I still don’t understand. Why can’t Ivy have both Kelsey and Frazier in her life? She covers their biological mother’s tracks, and Frazier seems clueless about where the drug money went, so nobody would figure it out. Ivy is also supposed to be a really good PI. If she is THAT good, she should be able to cover her tracks without worrying about anyone discovering them. Instead, she breadcrumbed poor Frazier and left him hanging, and I’m still a little bitter about it.

Overall, it not a book that will stands out in my memory of "books I've read", but I didn't regret taking the time to read it.

Thank you Harper Perennial and Paperbacks via NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Misty (Red's Romance Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten years ago Ivy Quillan walked away from her life in Boston in search of something a little quieter and safer... and she's found some semblance of it, that is until now. Her past has come looking for her and it needs her help...

From the opening lines of Bad Girls Make Good Liars I found myself completely entranced, the words were inviting and addictive and I couldn't let them go. Which is why I ended up devouring this little gem in one late night sitting, and it was totally worth the loss of sleep!!! Once I met Ivy I had to know everything, and I will say she had one heck of a story to tell!

Ivy is very good at blending in wherever she goes, getting close to her mark, and getting the answers her clients need. She can find anyone, anywhere, anytime. It's her gift... and now that gift might just be the one thing to save her. Her past has come knocking and she is closer than ever to learning answers to questions she's never been able to find, but what happens when she gets those answers? Will she like what she finds or will she want to run all over again?

This book was nothing short of amazing!! I loved every single second I spent peeling back the layers of our heroines life and following her on her quest for answers. It was an exciting and action-pack adventure I won't soon forget! Highly recommend!!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.

[LibraryNinja_Beritk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ivy Quillen is a runaway, loner, a PI, and an absolute badass. Investigating losers makes her feel good, but her past and love lost still weigh on her. That is until her only flame comes calling- Frazier Morello. Their love affair ended 10 years earlier when he refused to believe her in a crucial, life-changing moment. An influencer, Kelsey, has gone missing- and here’s the hitch: she bears a striking resemblance to Ivy AND even laughs like her.

The mystery is too much of a pull for an investigator like Ivy, and she can’t resist. A lot of time and plenty of secrets have gone down over the last 10 years, some of which Ivy wished would stay hidden. When it becomes clear that Ivy was the target of a mistaken kidnapping of Kelsey, the clock is ticking. The walls and carefully constructed world Ivy has built around herself threaten to collapse, and she must rescue Kelsey while keeping herself safe. Can she find Kelsey and save her? How much of herself does she have to give up, and what do broken hearts really mean?

Make time for this book- because you won't put it down once you start!

Thank you to Sarina Bowen and Harper Perennial for allowing me the opportunity to read this free arc in exchange for an honest review
#SarinaBowen #libraryninja📚

[Amber Boos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one! Ivy was such a cool, sassy character. Ivy is a PI and 10 years ago she just up and left her life in Boston and started a new one in Maine. Now ex-boyfriend, Frazier, shows up with news that Kelsey, an influencer, was kidnapped. Why would Ivy care, you ask? Well, turns out Kelsey looks EXACTLY like Ivy. Ivy was adopted as a child. Could she have an unknown twin sister? And was Kelsey even the intended victim? Maybe someone else also didn't realize that Ivy was a twin! Ivy must work with Frazier, who betrayed Ivy, not coincidentally, 10 years ago, to find Kelsey before it's too late. This was definitely a fun, fast-paced story. My only complaint was that I felt a bit too much was given away in the beginning. There are still plenty of twists and surprises, though. I would hope this could become a series! It's my second book from this author, Dying to Meet you being the first and the two books are very different. I'll be looking into some of her other titles, for sure!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Sarina Bowen and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks. All opinions are my own.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I loved about this was the way the story built! It wasn't about jawdropping, wild plot that you couldn't believe, rather it was smart twists and turns as secrets were exposed and characters worked together to solve the mystery. And that's just the kind of thriller I needed in my life! Ivy is a PI who left life in Boston, including relationships, for a life in Maine. And then influencer Kelsey Chillingham goes missing. And the reason that matters? This woman is her literal twin. Her ex, Frazier, reaches out because she's needed to solve this case. And as thrillers do, things go from there. I loved that with that there was a little romance which is where I first fell in love with Sarina's writing, but this is just great storytelling to figure out how Ivy and Kelsey are connected, where Kelsey is, why she's vanished, and how they can find her! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the look at this February 2027 pageturner!

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine if the ex-love of your life showed up on your doorstep a decade after your breakup because he was convinced you were kidnapped? But it wasn’t you- it was a stranger who has your face? That’s the sticky situation that PI Ivy Quillian finds herself in when an influencer goes missing - an influencer who could be Ivy’s twin. Given that Ivy was adopted she’s now shattered by a realization that she literally has a long lost twin- who has been captured. Now Ivy has to work with, and in some cases against, the police to discover this stranger’s whereabouts. In this concentration she begins to wonder if the kidnappers meant to take Ivy herself and if it has anything to do with her mixup in an old criminal case involving her ex’s family.

Even with predictable twists and turns, this was still a very fun read. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one! This book was a little different from what I’ve previously read by Sarina Bowen, but I was completely invested from the beginning. Ivy was such a strong character, and I loved how tough she was and easily handled everything life threw at her. Her history with Frazier and his family was really interesting and the mystery surrounding Kelsey’s disappearance really kept me turning the pages. There were a lot twists that definitely surprised me. I liked watching Ivy find her strength and focusing on finding and connecting with her sister. This was a fun mystery with plenty of twists and I’m hoping there are more books to come with these characters!

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarina Bowen has written a contemporary thriller with plenty of surprises. Ivy Quillan is an private investigator in Maine who fled Boston under ugly circumstances. She keeps her head down and takes care of business catching cheaters and fraudsters. She is surprised when her old flame shows up in Maine showing her pictures of a missing influencer with her very own face. When Kelsey’s mom finds out thst Ivy exists she pleads for her assistance and then Ivy becomes embroiled in a case that may involve her.

This is a great story with a smart main character that is torn between figuring out the past or staying away from it. I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

Copy provided by NetGalley.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of advanced copy from NetGalley

To be honest, based on the cover alone I probably wouldn’t have picked this up if I saw it in a store and it would have been a HUGE regret. I enjoyed this book so much!! Much more than I expected to. It was mystery, thriller, high school love and family drama all wrapped up in one. I did guess one plot twist but that last one I did NOT see coming. I’m definitely interested in more of this authors work and am so grateful for the ARC.
Highly recommend reading this when it comes out in February!

[Becky Frazier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed bad girls make good liars. I love Ivy, don’t know about Kelsey. The other characters were great. The ending was jaw dropping. I suspected the villain from about 3/4 of the way through.
Overall great read and very entertaining.


Thanks to NetGalley for the copy

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not one of Sarina Bowen’s usual romances, which I also love, but boy do I really devour these mysteries she writes! Gimme, gimme!

[LibraryLaur · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

This was so good! There had better be a sequel! I want to know what happens to Ivy next.

*Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.