Under the Lies

by Sarah E. Green

Six years. That’s how long I was able to stay away. To ignore the call back home. I could’ve stayed away longer. Could’ve stayed away forever, but I came back for someone who’s now gone. Leaving me alone. I thought it’d be safe. That I’d be okay back in a city that’s always felt more like my prison, but then he took notice. Noah Kincaid. My tormentor, my first crush. My devil. And he’s not only after me. Something was taken from him. Something he requires my help with to get back. Six years ago, I left this city unscathed by the man who ruled my teenage angst. Now? I don’t think I’ll be as lucky.

Genres: Romance, Dark, Dark Romance, Enemies To Lovers, New Adult, Adult

392 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 21, 2019

About the author

Sarah E. Green is a Florida girl through and through; she thrives in warm weather and hides from the cold. When she’s not writing at a cute café, you can either find her on the beach, marathoning tv shows, reading, or drinking all the wines and hard ciders with some of her favorite people. She’s a lover of history, mythology, and fluent in sarcasm. She’s a romantic at heart and is always thinking about what HEA to write next.

Reviews

[Tianna✸loves books✸]

Sibling double dipping.
The H is h’s highschool bully, tormentor, her crush and her sister’s boyfriend.
Yuck.
He dated her crazy maniac sister but when the h turned 16 he started liking her instead and hating the sister.
This is so not my thing.

[Kandi Steiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fresh and addictive, Under the Lies is everything I love in an angsty new adult romance. From the first sentence to the last one, I couldn't put it down. Prepare for your next obsession!

[Abby J Capps · Rating 4 out of 5]

I basically devoured this book! The story line was fresh, fun, yet suspenseful. Plusssss. The hero— Noah— is alpha broody heaven! Sayer was fun and relatable AND has a backbone!! I loved the banter between them and their chemistry. Noah is very protective and because of how their story plays out it’s a great quality! I’ll say 4.5 stars, my only takeaway being that I would have wanted a little more angst, but I’m really glad I picked this one up!

[Wil Loves Books! · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nope nope nope, this was bad.

[Whispering Chapters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review."I want to see you let go, to see what you'd be if you give into the sins you are trying to fight. Sin with me, Sayer."

What a surprising and thrilling novel! I didn't really have expectations for this book. I had no idea what I was diving into, but man, the head-first dive was worth it!

Does one miss the Devil after they've found salvation? Does one miss the darkness when they've stumbled into the light?

Sayer is back in her hometown. While being there, she comes face to face with her devil, Noah Kincaid. After seeing each other, they start playing this game of cat and mouse, until Sayer agrees to help Noah. She has no idea the Pandora's box that's going to open up from her agreeing to helping.

"I'm going to break you."

As I said, I really didn't know what to expect, but it was definitely not this. The writing was one thing that shocked me in a good way. It's been a while since I've highlighted SO MANY QUOTES on my Kindle of just one book.

She draws me in like an open book sitting on a table, walking by I can't help but take a peek, getting drawn in by the language of words written. Lyrical, powerful, even beautiful. Sayer's a book I want to explore more of. To have the pages memorized beneath my hands.

I love the name Sayer! I find it unique! And I really liked Sayer as a person. She wouldn't take Noah's bullshit and would stand up to him no matter the circumstances, which was something that intrigued Noah a lot, since the Sayer he remembers was shy and would blush at the mere look of him. Noah would fight back just as hard and was really enthralled by this new Sayer he was getting to know. Noah is the embodiment of alpha male with his fierce protectiveness and with his what-I-say-goes-and-that's-final attitude.

I'm scared by how much he intrigues me. I'm scared how he's the one person I should keep my barriers up for and yet they always shudder, threatening to fall when he's around.

The adventure that both of them go down on was so thrilling! Every scene had me glued to my kindle. I was beyond hooked. The action scenes were such a nice take and enhanced the thrill of the book. This story had like a luring call to me, like a siren luring in a man.

I need more of Noah's friends! I need to know more of Gabe, the quiet one; Reeve, the jokester, and Thea, the friendly tech whiz. My favorite has to be Thea. She's so friendly towards Sayer and always ready to get her out of her comfort zone.

Blood and death have marred his hands, but when they touch me, they breathe life into my body, awakening senses that had long since gone quiet. He's the bad, the wolf I shouldn't want, but it's hard to remember that when he makes me feel so good. More than good. Extraordinary.

Overall, I really enjoyed the awesome ride this book took me on. There were quite a few twists and turns that had my heart racing. I was also completely here for Noah and his alpha male attitude. Most of the time, my heart was racing because of him *insert heart eyes*. I really recommend this book if you're in the mood for something thrilling, super entertaining, sexy and with some action thrown in it.This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews.

[Hanna's Book Obsession · Rating 5 out of 5]

{I received this as an ARC in exchange for an Honest review}

"Under The Lies" is absolutely captivating! This dark new adult romance was incredible! I loved it and I didn't want to put it down. The mystery and the angst going on in this was so good. I love Noah Kincaid and Sayer Brooks! Noah is my new book Husband! I am so in love with him! He is the badass leader. The boy she always wanted but could never have is now the man who needs her help and will not take no for an answer. Sayer is amazing! I loved her. She is just a girl trying to feel alive again. When she is pulled into Noah's plan she doesn't make it easy on him. I love that she takes back and that Noah loves it to. The back and forth between them amazing. Their chemistry and connection was so wonderful. I absolutely love them. I love the mystery this book contains. It keep me on the edge of my seat. I totally didn't see any of the twist coming. It was so amazing! I really don't want to leave this couple or this world. I will definitely recommend this book to everyone! It's dark and sexy and angsty with a good amount of mystery and suspense. It will draw you in and won't let you go! Seriously just trust me and get yourself a copy. You will love it! I can not get enough of Noah and Sayer! I will Love them forever!

P.S. I so hope Sarah will write more books in this world. This world is so different and I love all the side characters so much! completely

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a unique and gripping storyline, and there is explosive chemistry between Noah and Sayer. The only down side, in my opinion only, is that I struggled to engage with Noah, as he did not always treat Sayer very well. This is a good story which is well written and is filled with drama, action, and is a thrilling read. I was intrigued and hooked throughout, and I look forward to reading more from this author whose work I recommend.

[dasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

it could be 4 stars but sibling double dipping kinda ruined the vibe a little bit

[Viro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool concept with mediocre delivery. Main girl is just absolutely hated by everyone but love interest and friend. Don't think I'll read the rest of the series, but it was great for standalone and super easy to read.

[Marshay Smith (Mommywhatchureading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a completely underrated book. I totally enjoyed it. Will post full review later 4.5 ⭐️

[mysecretworld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come

[Sakshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Noah and sayer story.... Art thief

[Carolina León · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly speechless

How can someone be "ok" after reading a book like this one?
You simple can't.

You see? We as readers always try, tirelessly, to seek a story that changes us completely. That despite having the same genre may be different from the previous one we read. A story that evokes emotions that no other book could achieve. And this time, it's taking me quite some time to find the correct words to describe how I felt after reading Under The Lies.

It’s a masterpiece that was crafted in an unique way. I can't even give a precise definition of the trope. Or in this case, tropes, the book has.
I only can assure to the readers that are thinking to give a try to this talented author; you won't regret giving your time to this book.

You can tell from the very first pages that the author was extremely invested in the story. The background and personality of the characters, the writing style, the pace and other important elements that were executed with precision to deliver us this fantastic result were on point. Ithis is for sure, a story that will be imprinted in our hearts forever.

It’s quite obvious the author has also some knowledge about poetry. You can sense how delicate and deep her words are when she tries to make us understand the darkness and also the light each one of the characters have in their souls. Even Noah, having a rough live after he lost his family, couldn't deny how he craved the light. And that was what Sayer was meant to be; his salvation. His second chance to breathe again.

I won't explain more of the story because I honestly believe you should go in completely blinded. Not even reading the blurb. There are tons of surprises that would wait for you. Every time you turn over the pages, something completely unexpected will make you smile and admit the potential the story has.

And to end this review, I will share one of my favorite quotes:

"His touch passion. His stare hungry. There’s something about being this close, around all these strangers, and still feel like we’re alone as we explore. As we feed the hunger growing in every touch."

Totally recommend this book that is now part of my TOP 5 of books I LOVE in this 2019.❤️

[Donna Lucas · Rating 1 out of 5]

At around the 50% mark I was going to give up, but pushed through to 77% hoping for something more. Unfortunately there was nothing. It’s not clear in all of Sayer’s inner monologue ramblings, why her childhood was so bad?, why she ran?, why Noah is everything? And why she was initially looking for him in the club at the start of the book?. In fact there’s very limited information provided throughout the book to give the story a plausible plot line. Sayer acts like a silly teenager, making poor mistakes, putting herself in danger, stomping off like a spoiled brat and shifting so much between her attitude of Noah you’d think she was bi-polar. Noah is a possessive, controlling man giving limited information. There was no clear reason why these two characters made a connection when they were teenagers and why Noah is so desperate to have her now.

[Becca Ritchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm obsessed with Sarah E. Green's cat-nip style writing. I could consume every word for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and still crave more. Under the Lies held me captive from the very first chapter. I fell hard for Sayer, and even harder for her deep romance with Noah. Their love story is in soul mate territory, from crushing at a young age to falling deeper later in life when their paths cross again. The suspense plot will hook you in, but their epic love will make you remember them long after the book is closed.

[Harris Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Noah!

New to me author. The cover and blurb sold me. This book was a great Saturday read! It's intense, steamy, and I got a couple chuckles here and there.

First off I love the cat named Pan. I died laughing when the kitty was being bad. Second Noah is a jerk but man he was very intriguing and I fell for him hard later on in the book. Sayer is such a shy but fierce firecracker. I fell in love with her character as well.

[Lisa Mcintire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read during my weekend. I'm very curious if we'll get more from this group

[SheReads · Rating 2 out of 5]

2-2.5 stars

The first 10 chapters or so had me so into it... but then I just kind of lost interest... lol. Probably a me problem.

[Maria (Ri) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I live for the moment that I discover a new author that can knock me on my behind. I am not sure who recommended this book to me but sweet lord if could I would hug the hell out of them.

This author wove a tale that had me from the very beginning. The mystery and the anticipation between all the characters had me bedazzled. I needed to understand what was going on and kept me turning the pages until the very end. Even after I should have stopped reading because it was just that addictive.

The relationship between Sarley and Noah was fire. I loved the banter back and forth and loved watching both of these characters grow. There was just enough brooding and tension that kept me on the edge of my seat. Loved the little twists that came out of nowhere. Also loved Pan as a backdrop to the story.

I will definitely be looking for more from this author.

[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Really liked it for the first while, but it got steadily more hackneyed and corny for my taste. And the heroine got annoying and the hero got sappy, either of which alone are rough, but together they are the kiss of death for me. But still, there was a lot that I liked in there. Full review to come.

[☆ Aimetz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible!!

I absolutely adored Under the Lies!! This was my first novel by Sarah E Green but it definitely won’t be my last. Her writing drew me in from the beginning and I never wanted to stop reading. Sayer and Noah’s story wasn’t pretty, but it was their own type of beautiful.

[Jennifer Pierson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Under the Lies was a story that intrigued me greatly from the blurb, so I figured that I was going to really like it, but I LOVED EVERY MINUTE of the chaos & suspense. It all started when Sayer came home after being gone 6 years, and was out with her best friend, when she ran into the man who she had a thing for since she was teenager, Noah Kincaid. He zeroed in on her immediately, and started a cat & mouse game with her, trying to get information on her older sister Harlow, who he had been seeing, and Sayer didn't have anything for him. She had seen Harlow, but all her sister did was put Sayer down like usual, and she wasn't about to let Noah know those details, because he used to participate in that when they were all younger. So Noah started stalking her, trying to get her to play his pretend girlfriend to draw Harlow out, and Sayer agreed, only it put Sayer in danger from an unknown person, so she ended up in Noah's home. Yeah this was a crazy read, as I spent most of it enraged at Noah & most of his buddies, as they treated Sayer badly, with the exception of one, Thea. She & Sayer were gold together, which made me happy because I was #TeamSayer all the way, as she didn't do anything to deserve all the crap she took. And it was crazy because Noah actually did have a heart deep down, and their chemistry was crazy, which led to sexy times that lit the sheets up, but then he was a total douche to her. So you can see where I wanted to actually junk punch him over & over again. Of course there were insane twists around every corner that had me dropping f-bombs like crazy, leading up to the biggest of all which had me speechless to be honest. Sarah E. Green definitely delivered a fantastic story that had me in one position until every last page was devoured, and I even fell in love with Noah, although not Reeve. So anyway, I need more about this crazy group, hint hint, and HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

[Hayley · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing in this book was captivating, brought you into the book, the characters....but then somewhere along the way I became bored with it. I honestly don’t know what happened but in my opinion the characters just weren’t as interesting anymore and the romantic suspense was no longer suspenseful. The details of this book and the authors descriptions were flawless but I needed more. More plot. Especially since the first 8 chapters or so were awesome but then somewhere along the way that came to an end. Would like to give this author’s future work a chance still because there’s something there, even if this wasn’t a personal favorite for me.

[Pigssty · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars.

I was debating whether to give this 3.5 or 4, because the plot itself was quite lackluster. Nothing much happens, and even the little conflict that arises gets solved so quickly. But the character interactions were so funny and charming. I wish we had gotten more interaction and some backstory though... Both Noah and Sayer were already in love with each other before the book even begins (they were hiding this fact and pretending like they hate each other ofc), so it was a different sort of dynamic, but the banter was so good. Also the snark and sass?? Dry humour and witty sarcasm is how you win me over.

Noah Kincaid, the best man.😍

[Melissa Mendoza · Rating 5 out of 5]

"His touch is sin. His kiss poison. And I'm too busy drowning in mhim to care about a cure."

Sayer finds herself back in her hometown after her grandfather dies. She hates being home, and all the memories that haunt her while there. One person in particular haunts her memories.... Noah.

The minute he finds out Sayer is in town, Noah is out to seek info from her regarding her sister. Sayer's sister that she can't stand by the way. You see Sayer's sister has stolen something important to Noah and he needs to know where she is in order to get it back. And the only way to drag Sayer's sister out into the light, Noah makes a proposition. "Date" him and make her sister jealous.... that will work right? If only..... too bad feelings get involved.

This book has it's dark elements, but it's so well put together. I loved every page. I loved Sayer and her take no prisoners attitude. Noah is dark and brooding but who doesn't love that in their man?? I was sucked in, I couldn't put my kindle down and I needed more with every turn of the page!

This is the first book I've read by Sarah, but I can promise you it won't be the last!

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Sayer Brooks doesn't know why she has come back home to Haven Harbor. She's floating, lost, looking for something to awaken her. What she's not prepared for is facing Nash Kincaid after six years. Nash was that bad boy who she had crushed on for years. Always out of reach and off limits. But she's older now, she can she who this man is. Dangerous. Dark. Brutal. But the bad boy is now a man. Strong and ruthless, and still awakening things inside of her.

Sayer knew coming back was a bad idea, but one she can't take back now. Not when danger threatens her at every corner, family secrets come to life, and the one person she always felt saw the real her, needs her. Sayer may be a pawn in Nash's kingdom, but she'll fight to prove she's more than the timid girl he once knew. And maybe finally break through the iron wall that surrounds Nash Kincaid and understand the angry, sexy and oh so compelling inner workings of the man she craves.

Under The Lies is fresh, fun and so very seductive. This thrilling ride of a story had my attention captured from the first page to the last. This entangled tale of lies and love, secrets and so many layers to fantastic characters, had me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Nash and Sayer have fantastic chemistry. Every aspect of their relationship, from the tension, to the raw and beautiful bond, to the banter and every scorching kiss, had me falling head over heels for them. Sarah E. Green is an author to follow. I can't wait to devour even more of her words and the worlds she creates.

·I was provided a ARC by Enticing Journey Book Promotions ·

*JordansBookReviews*

[Ela (Mouse333) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t like this book because of the exaggerations in it and it didn’t really feel like Noah and Sayer spent time together.

I hated how Noah’s power was exaggerated. From the beginning it kept saying how Noah was the most feared and powerful person in the city but you only really see scenes where people defy him or he isn’t able to do something, which undermined that powerfulness.

Also, Sayer is a bit insecure throughout this book which was fine since she had awful parents and sister but because of that it was hard to believe that she got over it quickly when she found out that everyone has been keeping secrets from her.

I didn’t really see the relationship development as they didn’t really get to know each other. They went to the social events but that wasn’t really a place where they could get to know each other. Noah would keep hurting Sayer / keeping her at a distance because ‘he couldn’t help it’. Then most of the end/middle parts of the book, Noah was gone and Sayer would just wander around in his apartment doing nothing.

The side characters (Noah’s friends) weren’t really shown so you couldn’t learn to like them because when they were there, they weren’t likeable. I didn’t understand how Reeve was friends with Noah since they didn’t really like each other and it felt like Reeve didn’t want to help Noah. Gabe was rarely shown and Thea seemed ok but I wanted to see more of her.

I really didn’t like this book and I’m not sure if I’ll want to read any other books by this author.

[J.S. Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story. I wasn't ready for this one. It was amazing.

It was dark and twisty, completely new and fresh and far away from cliches. You may think this is a classic 'taming the bad boy' book but it is so far from that it's silly.

The twists in this plot will have you guessing until the absolute end.

I love Sayer, she's just a girl trying to figure out why she feels lost, why she doesn't feel like she belongs in the world that she's living in. When she gets roped into helping out some unlikely people, her entire world shifts and leaves her tilted and viewing her world in an entirely different perspective.

Noah, oh man, Noah. He's a super complex character. He's harsh, demanding, and ruthless. He's a man who was dealt a rough hand and worked with whatever means he had to make a name for himself, to make his world one that he could tolerate and not be pushed aside by the elitist of Haven Harbor.

This story will leave you guessing the whole time, the end had me completely thrown and the HEA was on point. I absolutely fell for Noah Kincaid. Wonderful, wonderful book.

[Colleen Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝟕𝟐 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬... that's all it took for me to start and finish 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘦𝘴 by Sarah E. Green. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝐌𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: ⁣⁣
Every spare moment that I had free I spent inside Sarah's book. This book was a mix between 𝘎𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘱 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭 with shades of Christian Grey. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Her main leads Noah and Sayer were magnetic, powerful and even though neither was looking for a savior in each other that's exactly what they got. I adored the complexity of Sarah's writing and inner workings of Sayer and Noah. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Sarah's writing is fluid, beautiful and strong. I will be watching for Sarah's next work and hitting up 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘦 in the near future! ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⁣⁣★★★★★
⁣⁣
𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: ⁣⁣
𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘳. 𝘚𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝘈𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘨𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘥𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩. 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘯 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳.⁣⁣