Красив лъжец

by Tara Bond, Тара Хайланд, Мария Демирева (преводач)

Той е привлекателен, властен, арогантен и... опасен. Тя е неустоимо привлечена от него, но дали може да му се довери?

Едва на деветнадесет, Нина Бакстър е принудена да издържа семейството си. След смъртта на баща й, майка й се алкохолизира и се впуска в безразборни връзки с неподходящи мъже. За да се пребори с демоните си, постъпва в клиника. Нина поема изцяло грижите за по-малката си сестра, загърбвайки собствения си живот.

Тя неочаквано губи работата си и изпада в безизходица. Обръща се за помощ към заможните приятели на родителите си – семейство Ноубъл. Нина става сервитьорка в един от техните елитни нощни клубове. Но е предупредена да стои настрана от Александър, младия наследник на богатата фамилия.

Той често сменя приятелките си, без да се интересува от чувствата им. Благоразумната Нина, която няма нищо общо с красавиците от обкръжението му, обаче го заинтригува. За пръв път в живота си тя решава да следва сърцето си и да бъде с него въпреки репутацията му.

Но дали може да му се довери? Или той е просто поредният красив лъжец?

Genres: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Adult, Drama

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2015

About the author

I grew up in Surrey, England, and read History at Cambridge University before embarking on a series of sensible office jobs. I live in London with my husband, and love reading and writing, as well as watching movies and TV box sets. My guilty pleasures are cocktails and chocolate desserts. I discovered the New Adult genre in the summer of 2012, and have been addicted ever since. My first novel, Beautiful Liar, will be published in eBook on May 2015 and in paperback on 30 July 2015. I'm very happy for people to add me as a Friend on goodreads.

Reviews

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Simon & Schuster UK and NetGalley.)

“As of this morning, the court’s placed April in foster care. The judge won’t make any final decision for a while, but the way things are looking, I think there’s a strong chance your mother’s parental rights will be removed and your sister will be placed permanently in care until she’s eighteen.”

This was an interesting new adult contemporary romance, with a bit of mystery.

Nina had a pretty rough time in this book, with her mother an alcoholic in need of rehab, and a 14-year-old sister to look after, never mind a burnt out flat, she really was struggling! I felt quite sorry for her, and it seemed like every time something went wrong, several other things went wrong at the same time.

The storyline in this was about Nina’s struggle to get her life back on track, as well as her romance with Alex, and all the ups and downs that went along with it, and there were a lot of downs! I kept hoping that they could patch things up and be together, but every time it seemed like it might be possible, something else came along to ruin things.

The ending to this was pretty happy all things considered, and I was glad that things eventually worked out for the best.



6.5 out of 10

[Nastassja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.4

Dear Book,
I don't know what to think of you. Were you good? Should I recommend you to my friends? What happened with you in the last 30% that you became so rushed and left me with the hollow feeling of incompleteness? Did you get tired of me and my excitement? Please, Book, give me a reason to understand you, so I could stop hurting after finishing you and could get on with my life.

Sincerely yours,
Nastassja

I think this book is my punishment for loosing faith in NA genre. I was absolutely frivolous picking it up and thinking I am going to flirt with it a little before going to sleep. I was SURE I wouldn't like it at all and was eager to prove my point. But, vice versa, this book proved its point to me and kicked me hard in the... um, on my brain. I started reading it and couldn't go to sleep till morning light filtered through my curtains and my eyes were closing on their own volition. So not fare! I was only 50% into the book!

This is a story of a young girl Nina (19 years old), who lives with an alcoholic mother and little sister. She has to care about them both, so no personal life or free time of her own - only survival. Nina finds herself in a desperate position and asks for help from an old employer and a friend of her deceased father. And soon she is plunged into the world of rich, wicked and unprincipled Alexander Noble and some old family secrets will emerge on surface. From that point, I am sorry for the fan girl twittering I am going to dose this review with.
Alexander Noble (22 years old). Meet one of the most unprincipled, manipulative, unreliable, reckless heroes I've ever met.

When people around are telling him that he acts like a total bastard, he intentionally starts to behave worse to prove them right.

‘Sometimes it’s worse. He tends to go off the rails when someone has a go at him. Like he thinks – well, if they have such a low opinion of me, then there’s no point trying to prove them wrong.’

That what I call devil-may-care attitude.

Of course, he is panties melting handsome:

He was maybe in his early twenties, and he had that aristocratic look about him – with chin-length, dishevelled black hair falling across a perfectly symmetrical face. The high cheekbones, straight nose and porcelain skin might have seemed almost effeminate if he hadn’t had a spattering of designer stubble across his chiselled jawline, giving a bad-boy roughness to his looks.

For a second, all I could see was his eyes – they were the palest shade of ice-blue I’d ever seen, and watchful and predatory, like a wolf’s. There was something almost unnatural about them. He looked me over with what seemed to be cool disinterest.

Everywhere he goes, he is looking as though he owns the place and attention of every woman around. I think it is also has to do with his peculiar taste in clothes:

But it wasn’t just his size that made him stand out. In black fitted trousers, a white pirate shirt and burgundy-velvet jacket, he had that flamboyant look of the Romantic era.

He likes to live on edge and to taste danger and risk:

He was jaded and dangerous, someone who lived on the edge.

Also he likes to indulge in alcohol and some recreational pharmaceuticals (his words) - cocaine to be exact:

I wondered for a second what he was doing there. Then, as if to answer my question, he bent over, his silky dark hair falling across his face, and snorted a line of coke.

‘So just because I’ve been known to have a drink or indulge in some recreational pharmaceuticals, you assume I’m out driving around drunk or coked out of my brain? That’s quite a leap.’

Not so far from the truth, though.

He actually treats all women like one-night stands:

‘She won’t say anything. Tori knows the score. She knows I’m not a one-woman man.’ He took a step towards me. ‘In fact, say the word and I’m happy to ditch her.’

As you can see he is the worst kind a girl can fall for.

But you know what? Fuck logic! I love that bastard! If I were to compare him with other fictional bad boys, I'd say Alexander is a hybrid of Nikolai (The Grisha Trilogy), Morpheus (Splintered), Baldair (Air Awakens), Warner (Shatter Me). I think that is a big enough list for you to have a mental picture.

Now, we have a book and there's a relationship between MCs, and logically I have to describe what kind of relations you can expect from this book. Nina and Alexander are complicated together. I know, characters are always complicated in a book, but in this one, I had to admit, I feel kind of respect toward Nina for not giving in to Alex and having her head on her shoulders most of the time.

Alex might not be an alcoholic, but he was wild and unpredictable – everything I wanted to avoid. I hated looking after my mother, and I wasn’t about to trade one co-dependent relationship for another.

And trust me, it was not an easy task to accomplish with Alex constantly provoking Nina:

But then he seemed to be moving closer, his hand reaching out behind me. It took me a split second to realise that he was trying to grab my bottom.
That was too much. Instinctively I took a step back, trying to put some distance between us.
‘What the hell are you doing?’
I’d assumed my outraged tone would shame him, but he looked unperturbed . He cocked his head to one side, studying me through heavily lidded eyes. ‘What exactly do you think I was doing?’

In fact, if you are wondering, he wasn't going to grab her bottom (not yet at least).

Pushing Nina's buttons is one of his mind games. He doesn't really care for her, but wants to get closer to her, so subsequently he could hurt someone else. And that, my dears, is the worst kind of manipulation. I really thought that he likes her a lot because of her, but time and again he manipulated poor girl, and when she again withstand against his onslaught, he hurt her more by taking another female to his room in front of Nina or having a party and making out with a few females in front of her. It was his way of saying: If you don't want me darling, it's ok, there are plenty of women who does.

I hate him for that.

But however long Nina and Alex play hate/love dance, it is always intense, bordering on a fringe of derailing and either having a favorable outcome or turning into a total disaster.

‘Yeah, well, that’s easy for you to say. You’ve never had to worry about anything apart from enjoying yourself. Don’t judge me when you have no idea what my life is like.’
‘Fair enough, I won’t.’ He waited a beat. ‘As long as you do me the same courtesy.’

I believe they are one of the most intense couples I read about.

With that, he grabbed me by the shoulders, backed me up against the wall and kissed me.
I felt the urgency of his mouth on mine, the hard weight of his body pushing against me. His hands moved from my shoulders to my face, pulling me closer as his kiss deepened.
The music and noise from inside felt so far away as Alex’s lips dropped to my neck and he ran the tip of his tongue along my collarbone.
I couldn’t stop myself from letting out a moan, deep in the back of my throat.

I was glad this book doesn't have such words like "cock" or "cunt" or ever-present "pussy". There's also no explicit sex scenes. This book concentrates mostly on relationship between characters and how they see each other, though we have only Nina's POV, but we see how Alex expresses himself through Nina's eyes. Of course, Alex is not that bad and he cares for Nina; of course, he'll try to be better for her and blah blah blah. All that is good and important in a relationship.

BUT, If all was so smooth, why did I give this book three and a half stars? First of all, because of my little experiment with eye rolling every time I noticed a cliche. I counted 25 eye rolls, and it is not much compared to lots of other NA book I've read, but, still, it is enough to remove a star from the book. And secondary, because of the last 30%. They were erratic, rushed, incomplete and did give me a total heartbreak. The ending turned out too cliched, too simple and embellished. I expected much more from such a complex hero like Alex. I expected a different ending - the one without a happy outcome. I understand that this is a romance story and we need HEA in books, but you saw what Alex is like, and even if he tries or changes to some extant, will it be enough? I think no. And when you create such a multi-layered relationship between MCs, you can't just resolve the issues as if by magic (example of a great ending Innocents). If you create realistic characters, then create an realistic final for them. And in the case of this book, it wasn't meant to be a happy one. It would've been more realistic for Alex to stay alone in the end, because in real life such complex, self distinctive, conflicted people do not change abruptly, not even for love.

[The Hopeless Romantics Book Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review-Jo

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I am totally confused by my feelings for this book. It was a story that I enjoyed, however it wasn't one that I fell in love with and the ending left me feeling frustrated. I felt that it came to an end so abruptly when I really wanted more of a sneaky peak into Nina's future. Sadly I didn't get that and as this story is a standalone, I doubt I will ever get to see what is in store for Nina. To be honest I was left feeling a little disappointed.

Nina was living a miserable life. With an alcoholic mother and no father around, she was the only responsible adult of the family and also a substitute mother to her younger sister. Nina had so much to deal with for someone so young. Her story pulled at my heart strings. I couldn't help but like and admire her for the constant strength and resilience that she demonstrated. Nina had been repeatedly left to pick up the pieces that her mother had left behind but was determined to keep her family together and she saw it as her duty to do this. Nina was one tough cookie!

For once, I wanted to act without thinking- to just go for what I wanted, even if it wasn't good for me.

Alex was a cocky, rich playboy who I was instantly intrigued by. He had such an easy life, with no worries or concerns and he was the complete opposite of Nina. When Alex and Nina met, even though they came from very different worlds, they were attracted to one another. This made me a little worried for Nina as I wasn't sure if Alex was was someone who she could trust. She had enough hassle in her life already. Nina really didn't need to add heartbreak to her long list of problems.

"I know I made mistakes in the past, and perhaps they're too big for you to ever forgive me. But I'm trying to change, Nina. I want to change-for you."

My curiosity of how this story would play out kept me turning the pages. I was constantly second guessing how things would turn out for Nina and Alex but each time I got it wrong. It was definitely a story that I could not predict. There were quite a few plot twists which I was not expecting but they failed to excite me in the way I would have liked. I enjoyed this authors style of writing but this one did not grab me or thrill me as much as I had hoped, however it was still worth the read.

"I knew in that moment that, whatever was between us, there was no turning back from it now."

"Beautiful Liar" gets ❤️❤️❤️.5 from me.

[1-Click Addict Support Group · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about looking out for you, while learning to accept that some people genuinely want to help you out.

Nina is a 19 year old who has been taking care of her 14 year old sister and her alcoholic mother the best she can. When circumstances change, and her world flips upside down, she is forced to go to the one person her mother hates for a job.

Alex is a party animal and a womanizer living up to reputation. He’s out to prove he really is as bad as everyone believes him to be, but underneath it all, he’s just marshmallow fluff.

The premise of this book and the story were good, but the writing fell a little flat at times. There was a lot of inner dialogue that was important, but at times it seemed a little drawn out. There were also some terms which American readers may have trouble with.

Having said that, I would buy more books from this author in the future; that is how much I liked the story! ~ Devlynn, 3.5 stars

[NiCoLeTa E. {Addicted To Books}]

***ARC kindly provided from the publisher via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review***

[Danito · Rating 5 out of 5]

Добре и смислено написана.Авторката е англичанката и това се усеща в положителен аспект.Корицата е леко пошла и неадкеватна, ама карай,историята е супер.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't heard of this book before I was asked to take part in the blog tour. It's not often I get to read new adult, unless it's my own books so I jumped at the chance to read this. And I was quite surprised by it.

At nineteen years old, Nina Baxter has more responsibilities than most people her age. Her mother is an alcoholic and so it's Nina's job to look after her fourteen year old sister and try to bring in as much money as possible to help keep their family afloat. However, her mother seems to be determined to ruin things because she can't control her drinking and it results in her sister being put in the foster system. Nina has no choice but to turn to the one person she hates and ask for work.

Alexander Noble - party animal, womaniser and honestly doesn't care about anything. He'll inherit millions of money and therefore, doesn't lead a normal life which includes working. But when Alex meets Nina he knows she's nothing he wants in a women. But for some reason, Nina and Alex can't keep away from each other but will Nina be ever to trust Alex?

I really enjoyed Beautiful Liar. It was a very quick read and gave me just what I was looking for in a new adult read - interesting, exciting, steamy, mysterious, just a little bit gritty and hot. It's a story that keeps you on your toes but you can't predict the ending - will they get their act together or not? It was a nail-biting read at times and also sometimes, even though it has some small clichés, it was still pretty enjoyable.

I liked both Nina and Alex. They have two completely different backgrounds so it was enjoyable to see them come together and how they would fit into each others worlds. Nina was of course more likable than Alex. It took time for me to like him because he's such a douche to start with but he definitely grows on you as you read their story.

In all, Beautiful Liar was a good read for me and I hope you all enjoy it just as much!

Thank you to The Hot Bed for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Derna · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.*

**3.5 Stars**

Beautiful Lies by Tara Bond was a story about trust, secrets, lies, and responsibility.

At nineteen Nina should be living a carefree life, however with an alcoholic and a 14-year-old sister to take care off this wasn't the case. Life was hard, and it was about to become harder.

Alex Noble was a playboy, who loved the ladies and a life of partying. Unlike Nina, he defiantly lives a carefree life. Nina & Alex two come from different worlds, but when they meet they can't deny the attraction they have for each other.

“There was something in the way he looked at me –an almost penetrating stare that seemed designed to unnerve me”

“I never met anyone quite like you before. I find you intriguing”

I liked Nina, and my heart went out to her with all that she had been through he was a tough cookie with a great attitudes and fighting spirit. Alex had issue & Demons of his own, and I wasn't too sure about him. One minute I would like him and the next not as he would do someone to piss me off! He could go from being a Mr. Nice guy to being an a**hole in less than 60 seconds.

The storyline was interesting, with parts I liked, and parts I didn't. The author threw in plenty of twists and turns to keep the story interesting. There were some that took me by surprise, and others I did guess, but that being said, it didn't spoil the read for me, as I was intrigued to see how the story plays out, and if my theories were right. The attraction between Nina and Alex was there, but I felt that something was missing. I need more passion and sexiness between theses two, as what was there fell a little short for me.

It was any easy read, and I did become engrossed in the book at one point that I manage to get on the wrong tube and go five stops in the wrong direction before I realise my mistake. So it took me three tubes to great home instead of one. Ha-ha

"There was something in hi gaze that I hadn't seen before, and I could feel my heart speeding up. My lips suddenly felt dry and I wet them"

The ending took me by surprise as it felt it just ended. I remember thinking oh, is that it! I'm a big fan of epilogues, and this was missing from this one, especially as it was standalone. I wanted to see what the future had in store for Nina and Alex.

Overall, I liked Beautiful Lies. Love that it was set in London, as a West London girl myself; I knew a lot of the locations that were in the book! That's is always a plus for me. It was the first I have read by this author, and I would read more.

[Nicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Original Review @ Naomi’s Reading Palace

I’m just going to say it… Beautiful Liar was an incredible read!! Nina grew up too early in life, having to care for April, her 14 year old sister and her alcoholic mother. She doesn’t go to school; she works any job that she can hold down to keep them all together under one roof. An incident at their home caused by her mother, lands April in a foster home, her mother in rehab and Nina homeless. Nina finds the courage to call Duncan Noble, her father’s old boss, to see if he can help her find a job.

Now that’s only the first three chapters, and I already had so much respect for Nina! She showed that she had heart, was willing to work instead of accepting money, and is loyal to her family despite their issues. She will do anything to get her family out of the situation they are in, even dealing with an extra hurdle her mother threw her way.

What she didn't expect, was to draw the attention of Alex Noble, the playboy son who’s nothing but trouble. When he’s at Destination –the club where Nina works – he always seems to be watching and makes sure he crosses paths with her. I could see the attraction between them getting stronger and although Nina is too proud to ask for help, he goes out of his way to do things for her. I loved seeing the connection between Nina and Alex grow. Nina hasn’t had time for friends previously, and little by little she opens up to Alex. I enjoyed the banter between them, especially the times that Alex tried to hit on her and she rejects him! She is focused on her goal and finds it hard to relax.

After reading Beautiful Liar, I have become an instant fan of Tara Bond! I loved the way she wove this story together, building up Nina’s world and created characters that weren’t perfect. They made mistakes, tried to change and fell in love. They cared for their families and did everything they could to keep them together. There were a few twists thrown in, and just as I thought I knew what happened, I was thrown another curve ball. All of the characters grew throughout the book, not just Nina and Alex, but April and her mother too. I loved how it all wrapped up and when I closed the book, I let out a loud sigh… I cannot wait to see what Tara brings us next!

Complimentary copy provided by Simon & Schuster Australia in exchange for an honest review.

[All-Things-Books [Whairigail] · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Interesting, Unusual Stars

Blurb

Reliable
Nina Baxter has her life all mapped out. She wants to work hard, take care of her younger sister and not end up like her drunk of a mother. Most of all, she plans to stay away from bad influences.

Reckless
Alexander Noble doesn’t give a damn about anything or anyone. The heir to an unimaginable fortune, he’s never had to do a day’s work in his life, and devotes himself to pleasure and partying.

When opposites attract…
From their very first meeting, Nina knows Alex is bad news, and vows to stay away from him. But as their paths continue to cross, she can’t help being drawn to him – especially when he makes no secret of his interest in her.

Can they resist the pull?
For the first time ever, Nina is on the brink of following her heart. But can she believe Alex when he tells her to trust him? Or is he just another beautiful liar?

My Review

I felt a prickle of trepidation

It was too late to turn back now

This was a such a refreshing, realistic story!

For the first time in a long time, I opened a book and was hooked from Chapter 1.

Nina Baxter is our heroine in Beautiful Liar, she is a daughter and big sister and a loyal-to-a-fault. She has become the caregiver of the family and this is the crux of the story.

Alex Noble is a playboy - he flaunts his cash and has a string of women willing and ready to fall at his feet.

Their story is connected in the strangest of ways, which I think is best read without any spoilers or hints.

I found the pace of this book worked well with the development of the story. It was full of reality with just a touch of sweet/sexy throughout.

Tara Bond did an excellent job keeping me hooked on Beautiful Liar and I would definitely pick up another of her novels.

I'd grown up on one of the roughest estates in London but somehow being among the rich and entitled felt more dangerous than anything I'd ever experienced.

*I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via TheHotBed*

[Merril Anil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amalgamation of every other New Adult book but has a charm that you can’t resist

As I said, Beautiful Liar is an Amalgamation of every other New Adult book but has a charm that you can’t resist. Maybe it’s the silky language that just draws you in and hold you there. What I felt with the book was a weird phenomenon. I knew and could predict successfully each twists and turns but somehow I was still excited and thrilled for the book and I don’t know why. Its really creepy like the way in spite of knowing that Leonardo is going to die in Titanic, every time you watch it, and see him plunge into the water, you are hoping he is going to survive the night rather than screaming at the screen as to why they couldn’t think of taking turns for staying in the water.

I think what the book deserves is a good applaud for the narration and language quality because in spite of everything, both these factors simply makes the book a good and engaging read. Plot and characters are for me personally predictable and nothing I haven’t seen before or read before but still was part of a good experience for the book

One of the portions that even the good narration and language couldn’t work towards was the epilogue or the Christmas special section that they had towards the ending which was a sour part for me for being too painfully cliché and unnecessary without much contribution to the book.
Do not come to the book excepting something new and unheard of because its not. All it offers is everything that you have seen or read before but if you throw away your prejudices and high expectations, what you get is a lovely entertaining and light read.

[Silvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book got me intrigued the moment I put my eyes on it so, when the publisher asked me if I wanted to be part of the review tour, of course I said yes. A bit different from the NA books I’ve read so far, Beautiful Liar offers an engaging story rich of surprising twists and quite the drama.

Nina and Alex come from two very different backgrounds, and that is exactly what makes them so interesting. Nina is a strong girl who struggles to keep her family together and works hard not to let everything completely fall apart, while Alex is a rich, careless womaniser, party-hard kind of guy who’s quite difficult to like. Although, the more you read the more you develop a fascination for him . . . Nevertheless, you’ll want to slap him more than once and even yell at him. A lot. What those two characters share is a certain drama that makes you question things through the whole read, and keeps you on the edge until the end. I may have found a few events running a bit fast or being too easily dismissed, but it was still hard to put the book down and I truly enjoyed the read.

Beautiful Liar is a winning story that gets you emotional and angry at the same time, and proves further more that lying definitely does no good to anyone.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review. This does not affect in any way my opinion of the book nor the content of my review—originally posted on Darkest Sins.

[katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful Lies by Tara Bond was a story about mistrust , trust, secerts held within , lies and responsibility.

The main character Nina is living a life filled with responsibility to a younger sibling. With an alcoholic mother and no one else in the picture Nina has to deal with the every day dealings in bringing up a child . She Picks up the pieces of her mothers constant stuff ups, and tries to keep her family together the only way she knows how.

She was a solid and strong character, despite her upbringing and circumstances.

Along the way Nina meets Alex, total opposite to Nina, but somehow Ying and yang clicked so to speak . ALex with his easy life, Nina with hers full of responsibility - the both came from different lives but managed to make a friendship and find trust in someone.

The story was unpredictable and had me wandering which way it would go , this alone kept me intrigued to read on and find out how the story panned out.

With quiet a few twists in the plot, it was engaging enough to keep me wanting more. But saying this the plot twists didn't have me squirming in my seat but certainly interested enough to continue on.

I enjoyed the authors writing and the story was relatively well delivered, my only qualm I felt the story ended to suddenly. As a reader I wanted more, to find out what happened with Nina, which direction her story went. And as this is a standalone we wont see this.

But non the less an enjoyable read, I will be reading more by this author.










"

[★ Belle The Bibliophile ★ · Rating 2 out of 5]

UGH. I wanted so badly to love this book. To be honest, what really drew me to this book was the beautiful cover. The blurb, honestly didn't interest me much. Regardless of that, I really did try to like the book but it just didn't work.

The Hero was a douchey shitbag most of the time and I thought he really could have make use of some growing up. His antics made me pissed. By the time he changed, I was really over him.

The Heroine's well, I adored her dedication and bravery in trying to make a good living for her sister with an absentee mother. But other than that, she's pretty dull.

Did that ending surprise me? Hell no.

[𝓛𝓲𝓿𝓿𝔂 𝜗𝜚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Is probably one of my favourite If not my favourite book. I've always loved a good romance between the main characters. I don't think that I have wanted to read a book more than this one, The relationship between Alex and Nina is so wholesome but yet toxic. This book made me want to read more and I really wished that Tara had made a second book continuing on with Alex and Nina's relationship because the last few chapters felt kinda rushed even though the ending gave me some sort of relievement of them ending up together I felt as she could've added so much more but still I loved this book and I think I will probably end up re-reading it again in the future!

[Roz Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wowzer! I read this in one sitting, I just could not put it down. Some parts made me want to cry and some parts had me chuckling really loudly! Nina is a great character, as is Jas, Alex and Giles. I loved the chemistry and the banter, the twists hurt my heart big time even though I'd kinda figured it out moment before hand. So intense!
The story was well written, easy to follow and completely captivating. My only issue would be the ending in that for me is wasn't wrapped up enough and left kind of open.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic read! On the one hand romantic and funny, on the other dark, mysterious and gripping, it was a real page turner right from the beginning.
A great plot, realistic well written characters especially Nina, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Beautiful Liar and I will be looking to read other books by Tara Bond, who is an amazing talented writer. Highly recommended.

[Nicola S · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was not invested in the characters at all. Nina came across as a bit pretentious and not at all like a 19 year old. Her sister also seemed much older and wiser than 14 and also felt unbelievable. I personally felt the book made me cringe and I was glad to finish it (I hate not finishing books though I really wanted to put this one down)

[Amanda Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had my emotions on a roller coaster, every page had me loving and hating Alex, bonding with Nina, and enjoying the ride with every breath. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a tumultuous and hard fought love story.

[Tash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to be posted at yet to be determined date.
Loved this book, a bit different from the other new adult books I have read.

[rainbooksonme · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nina is an older sister to 14 year old April, and the responsible daughter to an alcoholic mother who is struggling to overcome the death of her husband.

One night after returning home from work,  Nina is confronted with events that lead her to Mr Noble, her father's past employer, and a man that has long lost contact with Nina's family.

In desperation, Nina begs Mr Noble for a job.
At first he denies her employment but after becoming impressed by her morals, Mr Noble begrudgingly agrees to employ Nina at his older son Gile's establishment.

Prior to leaving the Noble premises, Nina is confronted by Alexander,
Mr Noble's younger, playboy son.
A man with his own secrets, who becomes as fascinated by Nina as she does with him.

As Nina fights to reestablish her family, Alexander sets about to disrupt her stability, taking her into unknown territory.


This is a bitter sweet story.
The traumas that individual characters experience, the unravelling of long hidden secrets.
Would I have chosen this book if it were not given to me? Totally questionable, but I did read it from start to finish in one sitting, so that's got to count for something.
The plot was easy to follow, the twists clearly there for anyone to see if you choose to look hard enough.
The characters were tolerable, frustrating at times, but I happily followed them through out their journeys. 

If you enjoy romance with rich complicated bad boys or broke independent good girls, then this is definitely for you. Enjoy

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fairly easy read, not a terrible book though but not one I would read again. Saying that though, it does have one of the most clichéd plots I have come across in a while...

Terrible mother? Tick. Main character that's not like the other girls? Tick. Golden boy tries to woo her? Tick. Falls in love with bad boy younger brother instead? Tick. Bad boy has a redemption arc but is hiding a secret that will destroy their relationship? Tick. Everyone is saved, redeemed and forgiven by the end of the book? Tick. The only missing thing would have been a father assumed dead but was actually alive all this time and in hiding.

Aside from the plot, it wasnt badly written and kept me entertained on the commute to work. I've definitely read worse.

[Gabriela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Тази книга бе приятна изненада. Определено не очаквах така да се развият събитията.

[lovelypoisxn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this a while ago don’t kno what everyone’s talking about this book is realllyyyy gooood Alex is such a cutey imma start cryingggg😭😭 remembering what he does

[Stiliyana Angelieva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Истински лек роман за нещата от живота и за рова колко са трудни връзките деца родители зскомпромисите хсресдс ми но и доста ме натъжи

[Humaira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for young adults who want to get into reading. For people who aren't as consistent with reading, this book is perfect because a lot of it has its own twists and turns.

[Милена · Rating 4 out of 5]

Заплетена, интересна история с неочаквани обрати...

[Katherine Pierce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am impressed by Nina's ability to forgive those close to her who have hurt her. Sometimes I wish I had that quality.

[gg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful Liar by Tara Bond:

Finishing this novel, I'm left feeling satisfied. I really enjoyed the story and the characters were lovely. I found it easy to read but still enticing enough to keep me plodding along with a sense of eagerness.

I won't lie, the ending wasn't really what I expected. Specifically the last few lines. They were about the only thing that felt sort of flat about the whole later half of the book. I guess that was just my initial reaction though. I was surprised by how unmoved I was. But upon further thought its growing on me! Like I said, that was almost literally just the last line and thinking back on it now, it was a sweet way to finish it off.

If there's anything I have to seriously fault, it's the use of repetition throughout the book. Not of themes or special catch phrases or anything like that, but... Well let's just say Nina never seems to be expecting anything ;)

Whilst on the topic of Nina, props for having some seriously different names. Not necessarily unique in general, but in terms of books: Nina, April, Alexander, Jas, Duncan, Giles and the list goes on. It's nice to read a novel that doesn't have weird names but still managed to stay away from the norms. I was also most fond of the London vocabulary. It was refreshing to read a book with incorporated slang that wasn't bloody American.

The last few chapters were amazing. They had me on edge and I couldn't find the time to put the book down. Always a good sign right? The story in general was great, a little predictable at times, but cliche in a good way. This book had a familiar feeling to it, the sort that I find myself feeling toward most good romance novels.

In terms of writing style, I enjoyed the clean way Sara writes. It was simple to follow and I didn't find myself straining over things that might have happened or might have had ulterior meanings. It was very straight cut and there was little left for me to make out on my own. Which I liked, it was good to swiftly read through the story line and love it all at the same time. Everything I needed was there on the pages. No working to figure things out, no wondering if there was going to be some huge twist that left me baffled and confused. Simple, basic drama entwined with a growing love for the characters was all I needed.

There was nothing stand out-ish about 'Beautiful Liar' but I didn't mind. It was well written enough and had characters likeable enough to get away with the lack of a hook.
If I had to provide a one sentence review: "simple but good."

I definitely recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed work from Colleen Hoover, or really just like a lighter romance novel in general. If you've already read Beautiful Liar, I'd recommend picking up some of Jamie McGuire's work. Her writing is amazing and if you're looking for somewhere to start - I'd go for Beautiful Disaster.