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Lie to Me
If my childhood taught me anything, it was to survive. Now I have a deep-rooted mistrust of people and a wall of steel and ice surrounding my heart. So, when Reed Ryan steps into my life, I know I need to keep him far away. He’s everything I grew up hating. Fighting. Fleeing. Devastatingly handsome, he looks like a drunken regret and has heartbreak written over every inch of his body—literally. He’s the quintessential bad boy . . . and he’s a cop. But the man is my undoing. When I push, he stands firm. When I fight, he battles for us. When he touches me, my traitorous body and heart respond. Little does Reed know, every lie I feed him is laced with truth. I have demons that refuse to let me go. Now one of them is threatening to destroy us both.
505 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 23, 2021
1241 people are currently reading
4374 people want to read
About the author
Molly McAdams
58 books8,916 followersMolly grew up in California but now lives with her husband and daughter in the oh-so-amazing state of Texas. When she's not diving into the world of her characters, some of her hobbies include hiking, snowboarding, traveling, and long walks on the beach . . . which roughly translates to being a homebody and dishing out movie quotes with her hubby. She has a weakness for crude-humored movies and loves curling up in a fluffy blanket during a thunderstorm . . . or under one in a bathtub if there are tornados. That way she can pretend they aren't really happening.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,280 reviews
January 3, 2025
So. I had picked two books to start out 2025 with and opted for this one first - the second one being a Kristin Hannah book... I really thought this was the shorter of them.
Who knew this mf thing was 500 pages?! Ugh. It was way too long for what it was. It was enjoyable, but drawn out.
Full RTC shortly. 2.75 stars - I wish I could round up, but it just wasn't 3 stars to me. 😩
୨୧‿‿‿୨ﾠ୧‿‿‿୨୧
It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything from Molly McAdams. But this one sounds perfect for me 😍
💙Small Town
🦋Hurt/Comfort
💙Healing Romance
🦋Broken FMC
💙Cinnamon Roll MMC
🦋Hate to Love You
💙Slow Burn
Who knew this mf thing was 500 pages?! Ugh. It was way too long for what it was. It was enjoyable, but drawn out.
Full RTC shortly. 2.75 stars - I wish I could round up, but it just wasn't 3 stars to me. 😩
୨୧‿‿‿୨ﾠ୧‿‿‿୨୧
It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything from Molly McAdams. But this one sounds perfect for me 😍
💙Small Town
🦋Hurt/Comfort
💙Healing Romance
🦋Broken FMC
💙Cinnamon Roll MMC
🦋Hate to Love You
💙Slow Burn
February 6, 2023
Okay so, this one is difficult to rate as I enjoyed the story but the story could have finished 200 pages earlier. Waste of time on emphasizing the fact that Emma has trauma. We get it, we understand it, move on and give us a story. There was nothing truly happening in the majority of the book. Bored senseless waiting for something to happen but when something happened it was good.
May 10, 2022
"Lie to me Emma. I love it when you lie to me."
Wow, this was just wow.....I actually feel speechless. This book somehow breaks your heart and fixes it at the same time. And I have to say I would really love me a Reed.
This is a two POV book told from the POV´s of Emma and Reed. With Emma we get a broken and flawed FMC who is haunted and traumatized by her past. Reed literally is the sweetest, always trying to break through her walls and trying to get to know her.
The slow-burn in this is so deliciously slow, I can´t! The pacing was perfect in my opinion, neither too quick nor to slow. I loved how the author dealed with trauma, the triggers in this book can be quite heavy and I really like her representation of them (please check trigger warnings at the end).
I really liked the side characters and how each of them had their flaws as well. The character development in this book was absolutely amazing. I especially loved how the relationship between Emma, Nora and Lala progressed. I loved Reed´s family. It was such a fun and loving moment in a book that was otherwise quite sad and heavy (but good sad and heavy if you know what I mean).
I would have loved for a part two to this book, but maybe someday we will get to read Peters story.
Overall this book was absolutely amazing and I would definitely recommend it if you feel comfortable with the triggers mentioned. I loved the relationship between Emma as Reed as well as all of the side characters. I don´t have anything major to critique about this book.
Trigger warnings: PTSD, rape (not caused by the love interest), domestic abuse, drug abuse, police corruption
Huge thank you as well to @Sara for recommending me this book. If you have anything more of where this comes from, please let me know! This wrecked me in all the good ways!
Wow, this was just wow.....I actually feel speechless. This book somehow breaks your heart and fixes it at the same time. And I have to say I would really love me a Reed.
This is a two POV book told from the POV´s of Emma and Reed. With Emma we get a broken and flawed FMC who is haunted and traumatized by her past. Reed literally is the sweetest, always trying to break through her walls and trying to get to know her.
The slow-burn in this is so deliciously slow, I can´t! The pacing was perfect in my opinion, neither too quick nor to slow. I loved how the author dealed with trauma, the triggers in this book can be quite heavy and I really like her representation of them (please check trigger warnings at the end).
I really liked the side characters and how each of them had their flaws as well. The character development in this book was absolutely amazing. I especially loved how the relationship between Emma, Nora and Lala progressed. I loved Reed´s family. It was such a fun and loving moment in a book that was otherwise quite sad and heavy (but good sad and heavy if you know what I mean).
I would have loved for a part two to this book, but maybe someday we will get to read Peters story.
Overall this book was absolutely amazing and I would definitely recommend it if you feel comfortable with the triggers mentioned. I loved the relationship between Emma as Reed as well as all of the side characters. I don´t have anything major to critique about this book.
Trigger warnings: PTSD, rape (not caused by the love interest), domestic abuse, drug abuse, police corruption
Huge thank you as well to @Sara for recommending me this book. If you have anything more of where this comes from, please let me know! This wrecked me in all the good ways!
July 13, 2021
DNF @69%
August 20, 2022
I see you.
I see you.
I see you.
What are you doing to me?
(this book contains sensitive content. you'll find a list of trigger warnings at the bottom of this review, under the spoiler tag.)
This book was recommended to my by the sweet Leonie, and I couldn't not pick it up, considering a) how much I trust her judgement and b) this novel has all the elements I usually dig in a novel.
Lie to Me is an intense book with a heavy storyline that will make you swoon as much as tear up; the main characters go through a journey that digs deep into their psyche and brings to the surface the bitter and painful aftermath of trauma. It's definitely not your typical small town romance novel.
I've gotta admit I liked the story and the relationship between the characters more than I liked the overall execution of the book. The writing felt a bit repetitive at times, and, even though I found myself obviously rooting for Emma and Reed right from the start, I was a bit put off by the insta-love thing they clearly had going on. I also found Lala overtly and constantly pushing Emma and Reed together even after they'd just met, a bit too...novelistic, if you get what I mean.
On the other hand, I really liked how Emma and Reed were able to finally confront their demons, and how they had a part in each other's path to healing.
And, oh, this was probably the first time I read a cop-romance book and I've gotta say. Cops have nothing to envy to hockey players.
To be honest, the world deserves more Reed Ryans.
Objectively speaking, I really liked this book and I read it quickly and without being bored. Sure, soem technicalities need more work, but it was a beautiful novel with a beautiful message, nonetheless.
April 25, 2021
Can someone confirm for me. That her sister Nora is actually her boyfriend daughter and that would mean him and her mom got it on. Lmao
She will be the stepmother to her sister. I think this takes the cake on the whole double dipping.
She will be the stepmother to her sister. I think this takes the cake on the whole double dipping.
February 14, 2024
Lie to Me is not your typical small-town romance book. The story is emotionally intense and delves into the aftermath of trauma. I appreciate the author's rawness, which takes the reader through many emotional ups and downs. The author skillfully executes sensitive triggers in a thoughtful approach.
The book's slow-building romance and pacing are perfectly balanced. The novel offers a distinctive dual point-of-view experience by narrating the story from the perspectives of Emma and Reed. I was rooting for both of them the entire time.
Emma, the protagonist, is a flawed and shattered individual with a traumatic past. On the other hand, Reed is a gentle and compassionate person who always strives to break Emma's barriers and understand her better. In my opinion, the world deserves more Reed Ryans.
I adored the side characters! Their flaws made them all the more endearing, and it was a true joy to accompany them on their journeys alongside the main characters. Exploring the lives of these side characters was a breath of fresh air amidst the book's weighty themes. I loved little Nora, so much, and the way she converses.
The only critique I have is some of the dialogue between Emma and Reed came off a bit cringy to me. If those parts were omitted, I personally would have enjoyed their intimate moments more. Because of that, I wouldn't consider this an all-time favorite, but it is a well-crafted book with a solid storyline and well-developed characters. I give it four stars and would recommend adding it to your TBR!
•
•
•
“At some point, everyone has to leave. But I know she would never want to leave you, and for right now, she’s still here.” I leaned forward to tuck some of her hair behind her ear and lowered my voice. “I can’t imagine how much it will hurt when she has to go, but you won’t be alone when she does. “
“That feeling tugging at my chest and stealing my breath was a love so pure and whole that it was rocking the ground I’d stood on for so long.”
“You branded your name on my soul, and there’s no coming back from that.”
The book's slow-building romance and pacing are perfectly balanced. The novel offers a distinctive dual point-of-view experience by narrating the story from the perspectives of Emma and Reed. I was rooting for both of them the entire time.
Emma, the protagonist, is a flawed and shattered individual with a traumatic past. On the other hand, Reed is a gentle and compassionate person who always strives to break Emma's barriers and understand her better. In my opinion, the world deserves more Reed Ryans.
I adored the side characters! Their flaws made them all the more endearing, and it was a true joy to accompany them on their journeys alongside the main characters. Exploring the lives of these side characters was a breath of fresh air amidst the book's weighty themes. I loved little Nora, so much, and the way she converses.
The only critique I have is some of the dialogue between Emma and Reed came off a bit cringy to me. If those parts were omitted, I personally would have enjoyed their intimate moments more. Because of that, I wouldn't consider this an all-time favorite, but it is a well-crafted book with a solid storyline and well-developed characters. I give it four stars and would recommend adding it to your TBR!
•
•
•
“At some point, everyone has to leave. But I know she would never want to leave you, and for right now, she’s still here.” I leaned forward to tuck some of her hair behind her ear and lowered my voice. “I can’t imagine how much it will hurt when she has to go, but you won’t be alone when she does. “
“That feeling tugging at my chest and stealing my breath was a love so pure and whole that it was rocking the ground I’d stood on for so long.”
“You branded your name on my soul, and there’s no coming back from that.”
March 22, 2022
DNF @ 50%... * exaggerated sigh* I honestly don't even know what the hell this was. And I'm even more confused about how this has such a high rating. This story, the characters were absolutely a dumpster fire of a fucking mess. Just a clusterfuck of bad, bad and more bad.
Let's see, where to start. So Emma comes home to the small town her grandma lives in after a horrible experience in NY that had her hightailing it out of there. Ok. So far, no issues. But when she arrives her attitude is atrocious. Judgemental, rude, entitled & offensive. And her "lala" is actually no better in the beginning. Emma gives no explanation, just inserts herself in her grandma's life & expects everyone to just accept it, no questions, no explanations. Nothing. She also discovers she has a little 6 year old sister, Nora, that was abandoned by her shit bag of a mother at birth.
Since it's a small town & apparently, little old ladies like to feed the entire lot of service men & women of the town. So, they trample in & out of Lala's house during their shift to get a good meal. Cool. Enter Reed Ryan. The tattooed, hottie lead male. And that's where everything takes a nose dive. Emma flips her shit because he's tattooed & starts throwing her unjustified judgmental vitriol. All thanks for her trashwhore of a mother & what she put them through. But no matter how her Lala tries to explain that they're good men, she just continues her gross behavior.
Fast forward to Reed trying to get to know Emma slowly. He obviously can tell she has some issues & hang ups. So he's sweet, gentle & caters to her needs & boundaries. Except when she finds out that he's a cop, all hell break loose. Because she's had bad experiences with cops in the past, she is dead set on putting them all in the same category. But on a level where you have to wonder if she has serious psychological issues. She makes mountains out of tiny grains of sand, constantly sabotages situations & is just a fucking nut bag. Also add a dash of an annoying, spoiled little brat of a 6 year girl who throws a fit because Reed is paying more attention to Emma than her & it was time to check out for me. I just I couldn't read anymore but I kept going a bit more.
Reed has issues with his family, which isn't explained at first. But then he finally decides to drive home after 3 years on not speaking to them. Him & his Dad get into all the issues that took place as to why he left. And then, change of subject quick & start talking about all the issues with Emma. Um, what? There were some serious issues between this family and here's his chance & all that took place was airing out all the grievances but nothing was resolved. No explanations or apologies or closure. Just changed the subject. So, he hasn't spoke to his dad in 3 years, has all these serious, deep issues with him but all of a sudden he's confiding in him about this lunatic of a girl? WTF!
Reed stops into the bookstore Emma's working in to help out with some heavy stuff & he has to deal with her continued disgusting behavior. But then he turns around & tells her he loves her. Um, excuse me? HOW?! How can he love a girl, because her behavior is that of a mentally unstable teenage girl, after only spending a short time with her? And when I say short time, I mean a short time where she's not acting like a snarling beast. Because the rest of the time she's a nasty, judgmental mental patient. This was where I checked out completely.
Let's do the check list of bad:
Lead female with a ginormous, judgemental & nasty chip on her shoulders--- CHECK
Acting like an psychotic mental patient --- CHECK
Annoying child that needs to be disciplined instead of coddled--- CHECK
Bad guys from another state that coincidentally end up in her tiny town--- CHECK
A super hot good guy that wants to push past crazy lead female issues--- CHECK
And so many other shittastic NOPE inducing issues. Also, the female narrator, although most of the time does a great job, just annoyed me so much in this story. She couldn't get the tone or emotion of the scene right. OMGGGGG! This was such a mess & I don't understand how so many people enjoyed this. But, to each their own.
Let's see, where to start. So Emma comes home to the small town her grandma lives in after a horrible experience in NY that had her hightailing it out of there. Ok. So far, no issues. But when she arrives her attitude is atrocious. Judgemental, rude, entitled & offensive. And her "lala" is actually no better in the beginning. Emma gives no explanation, just inserts herself in her grandma's life & expects everyone to just accept it, no questions, no explanations. Nothing. She also discovers she has a little 6 year old sister, Nora, that was abandoned by her shit bag of a mother at birth.
Since it's a small town & apparently, little old ladies like to feed the entire lot of service men & women of the town. So, they trample in & out of Lala's house during their shift to get a good meal. Cool. Enter Reed Ryan. The tattooed, hottie lead male. And that's where everything takes a nose dive. Emma flips her shit because he's tattooed & starts throwing her unjustified judgmental vitriol. All thanks for her trashwhore of a mother & what she put them through. But no matter how her Lala tries to explain that they're good men, she just continues her gross behavior.
Fast forward to Reed trying to get to know Emma slowly. He obviously can tell she has some issues & hang ups. So he's sweet, gentle & caters to her needs & boundaries. Except when she finds out that he's a cop, all hell break loose. Because she's had bad experiences with cops in the past, she is dead set on putting them all in the same category. But on a level where you have to wonder if she has serious psychological issues. She makes mountains out of tiny grains of sand, constantly sabotages situations & is just a fucking nut bag. Also add a dash of an annoying, spoiled little brat of a 6 year girl who throws a fit because Reed is paying more attention to Emma than her & it was time to check out for me. I just I couldn't read anymore but I kept going a bit more.
Reed has issues with his family, which isn't explained at first. But then he finally decides to drive home after 3 years on not speaking to them. Him & his Dad get into all the issues that took place as to why he left. And then, change of subject quick & start talking about all the issues with Emma. Um, what? There were some serious issues between this family and here's his chance & all that took place was airing out all the grievances but nothing was resolved. No explanations or apologies or closure. Just changed the subject. So, he hasn't spoke to his dad in 3 years, has all these serious, deep issues with him but all of a sudden he's confiding in him about this lunatic of a girl? WTF!
Reed stops into the bookstore Emma's working in to help out with some heavy stuff & he has to deal with her continued disgusting behavior. But then he turns around & tells her he loves her. Um, excuse me? HOW?! How can he love a girl, because her behavior is that of a mentally unstable teenage girl, after only spending a short time with her? And when I say short time, I mean a short time where she's not acting like a snarling beast. Because the rest of the time she's a nasty, judgmental mental patient. This was where I checked out completely.
Let's do the check list of bad:
Lead female with a ginormous, judgemental & nasty chip on her shoulders--- CHECK
Acting like an psychotic mental patient --- CHECK
Annoying child that needs to be disciplined instead of coddled--- CHECK
Bad guys from another state that coincidentally end up in her tiny town--- CHECK
A super hot good guy that wants to push past crazy lead female issues--- CHECK
And so many other shittastic NOPE inducing issues. Also, the female narrator, although most of the time does a great job, just annoyed me so much in this story. She couldn't get the tone or emotion of the scene right. OMGGGGG! This was such a mess & I don't understand how so many people enjoyed this. But, to each their own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2021
3.75 Stars ⭐️
February 13, 2023
1 star. that was some CRAZY bootlicking
tw: mentions of rape, child neglect, sexual assualt, cops/copaganda
reed’s family is crazy and i wish emma kept hating cops. this was written in such a coho way like just terrifyingly traumatic for these women and like sex/love was just supposed to heal that? get these people in therapy!!!!!
tw: mentions of rape, child neglect, sexual assualt, cops/copaganda
reed’s family is crazy and i wish emma kept hating cops. this was written in such a coho way like just terrifyingly traumatic for these women and like sex/love was just supposed to heal that? get these people in therapy!!!!!
November 4, 2021
Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK
I loved the emotions in this book and the characters were great but together I felt like we missed their connection. There were some really sweet moments between them but with as much as Emma pushed Reed away it just wasn't enough to truly see their connection between all the angst. And then the ending moved kind of fast which didn't help solidify their chemistry at all. Overall, a good read and one I'd recommend for angst lovers.
Amazon US * Amazon UK
I loved the emotions in this book and the characters were great but together I felt like we missed their connection. There were some really sweet moments between them but with as much as Emma pushed Reed away it just wasn't enough to truly see their connection between all the angst. And then the ending moved kind of fast which didn't help solidify their chemistry at all. Overall, a good read and one I'd recommend for angst lovers.
November 27, 2023
My experience with "Lie to Me" by Molly McAdams was unfortunately underwhelming. The audiobook struggled to keep my interest, leading me to give up on it due to its weak, unbelievable plot and one-dimensional characters. The portrayal of the main character, Emma, lacked the depth needed for a meaningful connection, and the reactions of other characters felt flat.
The slow and repetitive nature of the narrative added to the frustration, and the pacing issues made it difficult to stay engaged. Some suggested substantial cuts to improve the flow, pointing to a significant problem with how the story unfolded. Criticisms also extended to Emma's constant emotional fluctuations and the perceived lack of authenticity in addressing trauma, further detracting from the overall experience. The narration, with its irritating voices and questionable character portrayals, only added to the disappointment. Ultimately, "Lie to Me" fell short of delivering the compelling and engaging story I had hoped for, making it a difficult recommendation.
The slow and repetitive nature of the narrative added to the frustration, and the pacing issues made it difficult to stay engaged. Some suggested substantial cuts to improve the flow, pointing to a significant problem with how the story unfolded. Criticisms also extended to Emma's constant emotional fluctuations and the perceived lack of authenticity in addressing trauma, further detracting from the overall experience. The narration, with its irritating voices and questionable character portrayals, only added to the disappointment. Ultimately, "Lie to Me" fell short of delivering the compelling and engaging story I had hoped for, making it a difficult recommendation.
July 23, 2024
gun to my head i couldn’t say if i enjoyed this or not ????? so i’m just gonna go with 3 stars for now
March 17, 2024
”I can't promise old fears won't pull me back and make me hesitate or shut down and push you away. But I told you I want forever with you, and I do. You branded your name on my soul, and there's no coming back from that."
𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺
Emma arrives in a new small town in hopes that her grandmother, whom she hasn’t seen in nearly a decade, still resides there. All the traumatic experiences she has dealt with in life still haunt her as she learns to love and trust again.
𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 & 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴
I’m super conflicted about how to rate this book. Initially, in the beginning, I thought I would be rating this higher; unfortunately, the things that didn’t work for me overshadowed the ones that did.
I thought that the story at its core was beautiful—a woman working through her childhood trauma, rediscovering herself, and falling in love. Ultimately, at times, her actions were a bit frustrating and made it hard to like her at times. I understand that everyone deals with their trauma and issues in their own way, but some of Emma’s actions are tiresome to read.
The hero (Reed) was amazing, extremely attentive, and supportive. The way he interacted with Emma and knew to not be too pushy and take things as slow as she needed them to be—he’s book boyfriend material for sure!
It was a solid read, but some of the characters weren’t developed enough for me, and I felt some of the relationships outside of the main couple’s relationship could use some more fleshing out.
𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘦𝘴
☀️ contemporary romance
𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴
🏠 slow burn
☀️ small town
🏠 he falls first
☀️ damaged/troubled heroine
𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺
Emma arrives in a new small town in hopes that her grandmother, whom she hasn’t seen in nearly a decade, still resides there. All the traumatic experiences she has dealt with in life still haunt her as she learns to love and trust again.
𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 & 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴
I’m super conflicted about how to rate this book. Initially, in the beginning, I thought I would be rating this higher; unfortunately, the things that didn’t work for me overshadowed the ones that did.
I thought that the story at its core was beautiful—a woman working through her childhood trauma, rediscovering herself, and falling in love. Ultimately, at times, her actions were a bit frustrating and made it hard to like her at times. I understand that everyone deals with their trauma and issues in their own way, but some of Emma’s actions are tiresome to read.
The hero (Reed) was amazing, extremely attentive, and supportive. The way he interacted with Emma and knew to not be too pushy and take things as slow as she needed them to be—he’s book boyfriend material for sure!
It was a solid read, but some of the characters weren’t developed enough for me, and I felt some of the relationships outside of the main couple’s relationship could use some more fleshing out.
𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘦𝘴
☀️ contemporary romance
𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴
🏠 slow burn
☀️ small town
🏠 he falls first
☀️ damaged/troubled heroine
April 25, 2021
"Emma Wade, I’m gonna kiss you unless you tell me not to.”
When I see that my favorite author drops a surprise release I immediately stop what I'm doing and read it. This was like going back home to the books and series that made me fall in love with her writing to begin with. It was just heartbreaking and painful and beautiful and the feels! It also makes me want to go back and reread her older books.
“There isn’t a whole lot about us that is simple, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it.”
July 11, 2021
Forgettable. Did not work for me.
April 29, 2021
YardieBookFanatic
Too much angst with Ama, it's s bit turn off when the author hints to something deeper and doesn't reveal it till the middle of the book. Also, too many pages for being repetitive. Reed was ok.i skipped to the end.
LOVETOREAD
Too much angst with Ama, it's s bit turn off when the author hints to something deeper and doesn't reveal it till the middle of the book. Also, too many pages for being repetitive. Reed was ok.i skipped to the end.
LOVETOREAD
December 28, 2024
Good God this was awful. I read Taking Chances by this author years ago and hated it. I decided to take another chance but I can definitely say this is the last time I’ll be reading anything by Molly McAdams. The writing is bad and the chemistry between the H/h was non existent. I hate instalove (which this book had) but even if there’s instalove I’m not really digging, at the very least you need some chemistry. Well, there was nadda with these two. Why in the world he would want anything at all to do with this batshit crazy girl who acts like him being a cop meant he was a serial killer. Also, the cop thing made no sense because one minute her aversion to cops was because she’d been come onto by cops when she was a minor (it never actually says she was abused) and then the next time her anxiety is over trying to hide her mom’s drugs. You wouldn’t need to hide stuff from dirty cops but yet she acts like all cops are dirty. That’s just scratching the tip of the iceberg of this hot mess.
It’s sad that she was abused but there are real life people and fictional people alike who have had as bad or worse circumstances and they’re not batshit like this chick. I know I mentioned the writing is atrocious but let me say it again…it’s terrible. It’s one of the worst I’ve read in a long time. The only books I’ve read that are worse are self published books that clearly didn’t have an editor. I can’t get over so many thinking this is good. I understand we all have different tastes and styles we like but the bottom line is this is just bad. I like cheesy romance that’s not in least realistic but most all of those books are better written.
The audio narrators were good. Normally I might add a star for that or a half star and round up but I just can’t on this one. I had to speed them up just to finish this. I was reading it for a challenge or it would have been a DNF for sure. Plus, I don’t rate books I don’t finish so I suffered through so I could slap a big one star on this mess.
It’s sad that she was abused but there are real life people and fictional people alike who have had as bad or worse circumstances and they’re not batshit like this chick. I know I mentioned the writing is atrocious but let me say it again…it’s terrible. It’s one of the worst I’ve read in a long time. The only books I’ve read that are worse are self published books that clearly didn’t have an editor. I can’t get over so many thinking this is good. I understand we all have different tastes and styles we like but the bottom line is this is just bad. I like cheesy romance that’s not in least realistic but most all of those books are better written.
The audio narrators were good. Normally I might add a star for that or a half star and round up but I just can’t on this one. I had to speed them up just to finish this. I was reading it for a challenge or it would have been a DNF for sure. Plus, I don’t rate books I don’t finish so I suffered through so I could slap a big one star on this mess.
September 3, 2024
What started out as an intriguing story of a young woman escaping a traumatizing event soon turned into a long drawn out saga of a whining hot mess. So many chapters were devoted to Emma's mistrust of Reed and her incessant whimpering about how he is wrong for her that I just had to skim over those chapters or else I'd give up. Could a woman appear weaker? The reader can figure out where they are headed so all of Reed's continual "talking her off the ledge" is such a waste of time and does little to build up the sexual tension. It became annoying. If anything, another character should've advised HIM to run the other way.
May 31, 2021
Really loved this one!
I have not read one of molly's books for a while but reading this just makes me want more from her.
Another fantastic read that did not disappoint, Now where can I get me a Reed Ryan and how fast can he get here? Because this girl is in love!
Hopeless romantics you are going to love it!
Trigger warning possibility for some victims of sexual abuse so proceed with caution.
I have not read one of molly's books for a while but reading this just makes me want more from her.
Another fantastic read that did not disappoint, Now where can I get me a Reed Ryan and how fast can he get here? Because this girl is in love!
Hopeless romantics you are going to love it!
Trigger warning possibility for some victims of sexual abuse so proceed with caution.
September 8, 2021
Not my cup of tea. The story is far to predictable, the characters are one-dimensional at best and cliché and stereotypical at worst. The narrator is struggling to make every banality sound dramatic, narrating an interview for a job in a bookstore (with an old lady) sound as breathy and exciting as meeting the hot guy.
July 31, 2022
Molly McAdams has a way of writing such emotional books with characters who have these “tortured” backstories.
𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒!!
- PTSD
- Rape (not from hero)
- Police Corruption
- Domestic Abuse (not from hero)
- Drugs
This one started off pretty good. I was really enjoying it, up to the moment where Emma wouldn’t reveal her past and these traumatizing moments for her. It started to carry on and on and on through the story until probably about 80% (I want to say) when it was finally revealed. It was just a bit too long for me in that aspect.
I really liked Reed. This big tattooed muscular man was Emma’s prince charming anyway. He was so sweet and understanding. He never pushed himself on to her. I loved how much consent there was between their relationship.
I don’t mind children in romance books. But the thing that turns me off from them is when they start talking like they’re not children. Nora, would go back-and-forth between talking like a child to talking like a teenager/adult. It really turned me off unfortunately. I will say that the female narrator did a pretty good job at voicing Nora. I find not a lot of narrator‘s can voice children very well.
𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒!!
- PTSD
- Rape (not from hero)
- Police Corruption
- Domestic Abuse (not from hero)
- Drugs
This one started off pretty good. I was really enjoying it, up to the moment where Emma wouldn’t reveal her past and these traumatizing moments for her. It started to carry on and on and on through the story until probably about 80% (I want to say) when it was finally revealed. It was just a bit too long for me in that aspect.
I really liked Reed. This big tattooed muscular man was Emma’s prince charming anyway. He was so sweet and understanding. He never pushed himself on to her. I loved how much consent there was between their relationship.
I don’t mind children in romance books. But the thing that turns me off from them is when they start talking like they’re not children. Nora, would go back-and-forth between talking like a child to talking like a teenager/adult. It really turned me off unfortunately. I will say that the female narrator did a pretty good job at voicing Nora. I find not a lot of narrator‘s can voice children very well.
August 3, 2021
Reed was the perfect guy and he was so patient with Emma and all of her issues. I didn’t hate Emma, I understand that anyone who has gone through what she has would be overly cautious with her heart but Reed never did ANYTHING to warrant her continuous hatred. My biggest pet peeve in a romance is lack of communication, Emma kept a lot from Reed, understandably so, but she also wouldn’t talk to him about things that directly effected him. Things she thought he had done or said. All of that could have been resolved in one open conversation but it dragged on for half the book. It was frustrating.
I did like the story and I liked the characters but I was just annoyed with the redundancy of some parts of the book. It didn’t have to be as long as it was, it could have been a satisfying story without all the repeated dramatic angst.
I did like the story and I liked the characters but I was just annoyed with the redundancy of some parts of the book. It didn’t have to be as long as it was, it could have been a satisfying story without all the repeated dramatic angst.
Did not finish
October 7, 2023DNF at 75%
I tried, but the book could not keep my attention. I still own the audiobook and might revisit it later, but the book's beginning half was infinitely more captivating than the latter half.
I tried, but the book could not keep my attention. I still own the audiobook and might revisit it later, but the book's beginning half was infinitely more captivating than the latter half.
October 18, 2024
This story is so beautiful 🥹…
But I need to just state at how annoying and frustrated I was getting with Emma when she was assuming so much about Reed and just being mad at him instead of just talking to him and figuring shit out with him. 🙄 BUT she finally talked and got her shit together I know she’s been through soo much trauma and it’s hard for people to speak, but having a man like Reed Just showing you over n over im here for you I love you talk to me !!! How do you not melt n spill your guts out ! I’m happy Emma got her happy ending her forever !
Reed and Nora was just a heart warming combination !
i truly enjoyed this book !
But I need to just state at how annoying and frustrated I was getting with Emma when she was assuming so much about Reed and just being mad at him instead of just talking to him and figuring shit out with him. 🙄 BUT she finally talked and got her shit together I know she’s been through soo much trauma and it’s hard for people to speak, but having a man like Reed Just showing you over n over im here for you I love you talk to me !!! How do you not melt n spill your guts out ! I’m happy Emma got her happy ending her forever !
Reed and Nora was just a heart warming combination !
i truly enjoyed this book !
December 17, 2024
This book tried to pull on my heartstrings, and guess what? I think it succeeded.
The f m c would have a wonderful great time, and then she would just randomly think about her rape trauma, and that just emotionally drains me. I understand why she behaved that way, and It was even realistic. I just wasn't prepared for that angst.
The Mmc was a beautiful soul, which helped her a lot on healing.
The f m c would have a wonderful great time, and then she would just randomly think about her rape trauma, and that just emotionally drains me. I understand why she behaved that way, and It was even realistic. I just wasn't prepared for that angst.
The Mmc was a beautiful soul, which helped her a lot on healing.
January 7, 2024
Amazing writing representing trauma and abuse. The author does a great job building and growing each character in this book - they develop so well from start to finish. Beautiful ending; had me smiling.
June 14, 2022
5/5⭐
why slow burn, just why?
this book was pretty interesting not going to lie.
i rarely read books by this author, and she did pretty good with surprising me.
i'm way to out of it, to write a full review...
this book took me so long, because of how busy i've been.
why slow burn, just why?
this book was pretty interesting not going to lie.
i rarely read books by this author, and she did pretty good with surprising me.
i'm way to out of it, to write a full review...
this book took me so long, because of how busy i've been.
January 11, 2022
Felt contrived at times.
Read
March 16, 2024❧ audiobook review
This was a really lovely story of healing and finding love and getting a fresh start. AND OH! THE ANGST! Emma is struggling after the abuse she’s lived through and when she returns home to live with her grandmother and sister, falling for Reed, a cop who helps take care of them both, is the last thing she wants. Firstly because she doesn’t trust men, and secondly because she doesn’t trust cops. Her fear of both are foundational to the entire novel and are wholly justified given her past and the horrific abuse she suffered. But then along comes Reed, who falls completely in love with her from the onset and just wants a chance to prove to her that good people exist, too. Honestly, he’s so smitten and pines so hard and tries so many times. It’s very sweet and their chemistry was great! I felt so awful for Emma and I loved her journey towards healing and being involved with the family she was torn from and doesn’t know well.
Definitely going to check out more by this author!
☆ Book Reviews | Bluesky | Twitter | Threads ☆
This was a really lovely story of healing and finding love and getting a fresh start. AND OH! THE ANGST! Emma is struggling after the abuse she’s lived through and when she returns home to live with her grandmother and sister, falling for Reed, a cop who helps take care of them both, is the last thing she wants. Firstly because she doesn’t trust men, and secondly because she doesn’t trust cops. Her fear of both are foundational to the entire novel and are wholly justified given her past and the horrific abuse she suffered. But then along comes Reed, who falls completely in love with her from the onset and just wants a chance to prove to her that good people exist, too. Honestly, he’s so smitten and pines so hard and tries so many times. It’s very sweet and their chemistry was great! I felt so awful for Emma and I loved her journey towards healing and being involved with the family she was torn from and doesn’t know well.
Definitely going to check out more by this author!
☆ Book Reviews | Bluesky | Twitter | Threads ☆
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