What do you think?
Rate this book
Waterford #3
Picture Perfect Lies
If you can’t be you, who can you be?
That’s the question Veronica White asks herself in the wake of her husband’s very public affair. For years, she’s been known as the prettiest member of the Bitch Brigade and Pete’s wife, and she has used social media to present her messy life as picture perfect.
But those days are over.
Leaving her Waterford life behind, Veronica lands in Marrakech, Morocco. There, she plans to regroup and convince everyone she’s having the time of her life without Pete. First step: post endless fun pictures on Instagram. She believes that if she can convince others she’s okay, then maybe the embarrassment will cease.
Enter Oz, an engaging young man who is traveling the world and chasing the endless summer. He regales Veronica with stories of his adventures, and intrigued, she throws caution to the wind and joins him on a trip to the Sahara Desert. Soon, Veronica finds herself following Oz to Croatia and France, where, with Oz’s support, she tries reinventing herself.
As she grows closer to Oz, Veronica realizes she’s not the only one pretending, and that sometimes what we want to see gets in the way of reality.
That’s the question Veronica White asks herself in the wake of her husband’s very public affair. For years, she’s been known as the prettiest member of the Bitch Brigade and Pete’s wife, and she has used social media to present her messy life as picture perfect.
But those days are over.
Leaving her Waterford life behind, Veronica lands in Marrakech, Morocco. There, she plans to regroup and convince everyone she’s having the time of her life without Pete. First step: post endless fun pictures on Instagram. She believes that if she can convince others she’s okay, then maybe the embarrassment will cease.
Enter Oz, an engaging young man who is traveling the world and chasing the endless summer. He regales Veronica with stories of his adventures, and intrigued, she throws caution to the wind and joins him on a trip to the Sahara Desert. Soon, Veronica finds herself following Oz to Croatia and France, where, with Oz’s support, she tries reinventing herself.
As she grows closer to Oz, Veronica realizes she’s not the only one pretending, and that sometimes what we want to see gets in the way of reality.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 25, 2019
51 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
Mia Hayes
14 books71 followersMia is a notorious eavesdropper who lives in Northern Virginia, outside Washington DC, with her husband, sons, two cats, and Harlow the Cavapoo.
She drinks too much green tea, loves traveling, and has mastered the art of procrastination cleaning.
She drinks too much green tea, loves traveling, and has mastered the art of procrastination cleaning.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 21, 2019
I was so happy to go back to Waterford. This book was a fun read, it was just as good as book one in the Waterford series. It can be read as a stand alone you will not be lost. But read book one The Secrets We Keep you won't be sorry.
I had the best time traveling with Vee and the surprise in the end was so worth reading this book.
A good summer 4 star read that I recommend.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.
I had the best time traveling with Vee and the surprise in the end was so worth reading this book.
A good summer 4 star read that I recommend.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.
June 29, 2019
This was a really fun book to read-I didn’t need to be 100% focused on it to keep track of what was happening in the book. A perfect read for a summer day in the backyard, with kids around. Great character descriptions, great travel locations. Well written, just like Mia Hayes other books! A fun book added to the Waterford Novel Series! Enjoy!~Janell
Veronica and Pete have had their problems in the past, but they are good now. The kids didn’t come home from college this summer and Pete and Veronica are ready to get summer started at a neighborhood Memorial Day get together. Image is everything is Waterford and she and Pete are the prefect couple-this summer will make that be true. Veronica is feeling like they are really reconnecting when she’s called upon to help out with Eve, who is drunk-again, and about to make a fool of herself. Feeling obligated, she goes to help Eve, regretting missing out on continuing things with Pete. Eve has taken things too far, and unfortunately everything in Veronica’s world changes unexpectedly that day, when Eve makes a drunken, but truthful announcement.
Veronica makes a quick decision that she needs a little space and time to think. She packs a bag to do some traveling. Along the way, she decides that she will continue posting about her picture perfect life. Social media is important in her world and she makes sure everything she posts looks amazing. Likes and loves are very important and she wants to make sure her image is front and center among her friends back home.
She meets travel companions along the way and starts to form a few connections. It doesn’t matter that she’s older than them, does it? She decides she won’t let that get in her way-she can still hold her own, in any group. She’s beautiful, has worked hard for the body she has, and she is desirable. One travel companion in particular, she feels like she’s connecting with. Oz is engaging, young and fun. He’s traveled the world and Veronica and Oz start traveling together. He makes her feel beautiful and young, and reassures her that Pete is a fool. Veronica continues her perfect social media life and wonders about her future.
Can she trust that Pete has changed? Will Oz share more with her about his life? Can life really be as perfect as social media makes it look?
5 stars!
Veronica and Pete have had their problems in the past, but they are good now. The kids didn’t come home from college this summer and Pete and Veronica are ready to get summer started at a neighborhood Memorial Day get together. Image is everything is Waterford and she and Pete are the prefect couple-this summer will make that be true. Veronica is feeling like they are really reconnecting when she’s called upon to help out with Eve, who is drunk-again, and about to make a fool of herself. Feeling obligated, she goes to help Eve, regretting missing out on continuing things with Pete. Eve has taken things too far, and unfortunately everything in Veronica’s world changes unexpectedly that day, when Eve makes a drunken, but truthful announcement.
Veronica makes a quick decision that she needs a little space and time to think. She packs a bag to do some traveling. Along the way, she decides that she will continue posting about her picture perfect life. Social media is important in her world and she makes sure everything she posts looks amazing. Likes and loves are very important and she wants to make sure her image is front and center among her friends back home.
She meets travel companions along the way and starts to form a few connections. It doesn’t matter that she’s older than them, does it? She decides she won’t let that get in her way-she can still hold her own, in any group. She’s beautiful, has worked hard for the body she has, and she is desirable. One travel companion in particular, she feels like she’s connecting with. Oz is engaging, young and fun. He’s traveled the world and Veronica and Oz start traveling together. He makes her feel beautiful and young, and reassures her that Pete is a fool. Veronica continues her perfect social media life and wonders about her future.
Can she trust that Pete has changed? Will Oz share more with her about his life? Can life really be as perfect as social media makes it look?
5 stars!
July 21, 2019
I loved the Previous Waterford books so was looking forward to reading this one too. I was lucky to receive an ARC and this is my honest review.
After a very public humiliation, Veronica runs away to get her head together and decide what to do next. She chooses the very beautiful Morocco and Uses the gorgeous scenery to curate a fabulous life for herself on Instagram in the hopes that her husband and friends will see how well she is doing without them all. There she meets Oz, a younger guy traveling the world and they end become friends. After Morocco she heads to Croatia and France to keep chasing the Instagram dream but underneath there is still lonliness and betrayal.
Hayes writes the countries so well. I can smell the bazaar spices and salty air, feel the sand between my toes and the gentle rocking of the yacht and hear the nasal twanged of the young Lydia and Aussie notes of Oz. Veronica isn't my favorite character in the Waterford series but I can feel her pain and understand some of her choices. Maybe I am jealous that she can look so good in a white bikini!
This is a great summer read, taking you to fabulous destinations and giving you a glimpse into the privileged world of a suburban woman with lots of money to spare and little self esteem. Enjoy!
After a very public humiliation, Veronica runs away to get her head together and decide what to do next. She chooses the very beautiful Morocco and Uses the gorgeous scenery to curate a fabulous life for herself on Instagram in the hopes that her husband and friends will see how well she is doing without them all. There she meets Oz, a younger guy traveling the world and they end become friends. After Morocco she heads to Croatia and France to keep chasing the Instagram dream but underneath there is still lonliness and betrayal.
Hayes writes the countries so well. I can smell the bazaar spices and salty air, feel the sand between my toes and the gentle rocking of the yacht and hear the nasal twanged of the young Lydia and Aussie notes of Oz. Veronica isn't my favorite character in the Waterford series but I can feel her pain and understand some of her choices. Maybe I am jealous that she can look so good in a white bikini!
This is a great summer read, taking you to fabulous destinations and giving you a glimpse into the privileged world of a suburban woman with lots of money to spare and little self esteem. Enjoy!
January 18, 2020
What a way to find yourself
Everyone has a time of crisis and need to make decisions that your social circle wouldn't understand. This is when you have to love yourself more than worry what others think.
Everyone has a time of crisis and need to make decisions that your social circle wouldn't understand. This is when you have to love yourself more than worry what others think.
June 30, 2020
Waterford series
This book wasn't as easy to get into and didn't hold my attention as well as the first 2 did. I like the first 2 books because they are more relatable to the life of an average woman.
This book wasn't as easy to get into and didn't hold my attention as well as the first 2 did. I like the first 2 books because they are more relatable to the life of an average woman.
May 31, 2019
Best one yet!!!!
January 16, 2020
I liked this book more than the first Waterford book. A lot of drinking which gets annoying to me. It makes you think about social media and the effect it has on everyone’s lives.
May 4, 2020
Was a really fun read. My favorite of the Waterford series so far.
June 1, 2024
Good book overall. I enjoyed it.
June 15, 2020
This book was great- I enjoyed it via audiobook! It is a women’s fiction novel that follows the actions of Veronica once she discovers her husband has been cheating on her- and apparently everyone but herself knew about it. To help sort out her feelings and to get away from her husband, she hops on a plane to Morocco all while posting perfect pictures on her Instagram.
I really enjoyed this story and was surprised with how it ended! It was totally different from books in this genre and I loved it!
It felt like a mix between Eat Pray Love and Marriage Vacation.
Thank you to the author for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this story and was surprised with how it ended! It was totally different from books in this genre and I loved it!
It felt like a mix between Eat Pray Love and Marriage Vacation.
Thank you to the author for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews