Thorns of Truth

Garden of Lies #2

by Eileen Goudge

In the sequel to Garden of Lies, Rose Santini Griffin and Rachel MacClanahan, now grown with children of their own, once more confront the destiny that has haunted them since they were switched at birth, as Rose's son prepares to marry Rachel's daughter and a widowed Sylvie discovers that she is dying. 125,000 first printing.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Drama, Family

398 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1998

About the author

I began writing at the age of eight and wrote my way through the lean years before I found success as New York Times' bestselling author with my first novel GARDEN OF LIES. To date I have published 19 novels and a cookbook. Every life experience I've weathered has found its way into my novels in one form or another: bad exes, births, deaths, divorces, romances, and even true crime. My heroines are like me: tough cookies who don't crumble.

My latest novel, Book One of my Gold Creek series, ALL THEY NEED TO KNOW, is the story of a woman fleeing her abusive ex who finds refuge in a small California mountain town, where she's befriended by a group of women who call themselves The Tattooed Ladies and reinvents herself as a police sketch artist. Kyra "draws lines to stop crimes," as they say in the biz, never imagining she'll one day be forced to confront the biggest criminal of all: her ex.

I'm married to former entertainment reporter Sandy Kenyon and the mother of two grown children. We live in Sacramento, California, where we remodeled a 1940's house for which I was the on-site project manager. Fortunately, multi-tasking is my superpower, so I was able to write a book and supervise a home remodel at the same time. The latter is sure to find its way into a future book. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see pics of my home remodel and other adventures.

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cheesy and not particularly good writing. However, a good mindless read after War and Peace, etc.

[Eleonora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Očekuvav poveće od ovoj roman, od ovaa avtorka vo sekoj slučaj. No, moram da istaknam deka prevodot na knigata, lekturata, sintaksičkata strana, se e katastrofalno. Bezmalku e sramno vaka da se osakatuva makedonskiot standarden jazik i na toj način da se uništi možebi ubavo i kvalitetno delo. Ne mi e jasno što se slučuva so izdavačkive kući, osobeno koga stanuva zbor za takvi kako što e Kultura a.d. Skopje. Do moite prijateli na goodreads preporaka da najdat drug prevod na ovaa kniga, možebi će imaat poveće sreća da uživaat vo nea.

[Pbwritr · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quit about halfway through. Nothing happening. Characters constantly reminescing about how things were 25 years ago. Too much of a coincidence that all of the characters are suddenly obsessed with whom they loved, etc., 25 years ago. And, too annoying that Sylvia never has told others that Rose is her real daughter. Kept as a secret to protect Rachel, the adopted daughter, and Iris, the mentally unstable granddaughter. Ponderous techniques. All telling, no showing.

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book in this 2 part series, I loved, it was a freebie or super cheap Kindle book and when I finally got around to reading it, I loved it. I know I described it as a bit of an epic, and it was. This is the sequel and it was good, good to know the fate of those characters, to see what happens, I did really love the characters in this book and am glad I read it while the other story was still in my mind.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this continuation of the story started in Garden of Lies. I'm grateful to Janine Kimberley for introducing me to Eileen Goudge.

[Lori Greenlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a continuation of the story about 2 girls that were mixed up at birth intentionally and their lives in their 40s. At the end of book 1 , Rose knows who her parents are but what will she do about this information. .... Rachel is finally told when Sylvia is on her deathbed . Max is gone and Eric is a new love interest for Rose. However , i have no empathy for Rachel . Her marriage is in the toilet again and Brian has serious doubts about his relationship and realizes he never stopped loving Rose . Rachel was given everything in life and i just don't feel sorry for her . I have always wanted Brian and Rose to be reunited again crazy as That sounds . I just don't feel that Rachel should have had him this long to begin with .

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Garden of Lies several times and recently picked it up again after 10-15 years. I was delighted to then realize that there was a sequel to the story! Thorns of Truth was everything i wanted in this story. The Rose/Rachel/Sylvie connection was so strong and i literally sobbed at one point in the book. I feel so connected to these characters and would love to keep reading about them and their lives.

[Boo Boo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a very slow start. Many times I found myself putting this book down for months at a time. The pace picks up around 75% of the way through the book so it was much easier to finish it than it was to start it. The ending was predictable from the get go, so I probably wouldn't advise anyone to really invest a lot of time in this book.

[Gloria ~ mzglorybe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I liked the prequel better, "Garden of Lies" I did enjoy this very much. The characters as adults were interesting in how they interacted upon Sylvie's death, when the secrets all come out. Recommended to fans of domestic/women's fiction.

[Deanna Wiseburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I liked who the characters developed and each had their own struggles, and yet it did not feel overly done as some do. It was definitely one for keeping you up and reading at night.

[Elaine Cougler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorns of Truth by Eileen Goudge is a very good investigation of family relationships and their impact on all the lives around them. The fact that Sylvie is in reality Rose's mother but can never reveal it in order to protect her other "daughter", Rachel, is the basis for a good story.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather forced much of the time. The story seemed uneven--lots of focus on one idea over and over, but not enough focus on what I thought was a rather major plot driver. Some very convenient, yet unrealistic, events.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly as good as her 1st one. This felt like people told her she needed to put closure to the 1st book, so she rushed through this one to come up with endings.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not her best book IMO but enjoyable.

[Марија Андреева · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you really don't have anything to read or if you are at the beach and just want to shut your brain for a moment, this book might be handy, and it might be OK. However, I wasn't impressed. It is very repetitive, cliche, but not in a good way and it doesn't even have a good closure/end. The saddest part is that I don't even care whether it has closure or not, because I am not particularly interested in knowing what will happen to the main characters. I was and I am very indifferent to the story. Meh. It is not that bad, because otherwise I would have rated it with 1 star, but it is a book I will forget in less then a month.

[Pdamon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, dear. Maybe the first book had more substance? These characters all have issues that they agonize over, over and over. Constantly. They get nowhere. Then, suddenly they all see the light and move into their happily ever afters.

I will grant that the fires are an interesting connective thread. But the rest of it? Book was about 4 times longer than it needed to be because it just kept cycling around and reviewing the same stuff.

Like I just did. My review could have been half as long and been just as effective.

[Gayle Cappelluti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thorns of Truth ties up most of the loose threads left at the end of Garden of Lies, albeit in a less satisfactory way. While I did enjoy reading it, revisiting Rose and Rachel, and finding out if the truth of their birth ever fully comes out,I found their troubles mundane as compared to the build up in the first volume, and the resolution too neat. It did have moments of excitement, but they didn't carry through for me. I'm glad I read it and found closure, but for me, this book was just okay.

[Lynda Langan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific Read!

Incredible, real, human characters...the yin and yang of reality. All the stupendous, stupid ways we hurt each other just trying to figure out is, where, how and with whom we fit. And all the down to earth uplifting ways we help each other through everything from simple decency and empathy to bone solid love. A story and characters I will carry with me for a very very long time!

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved both of these books read back to back. It was a very interesting story with several decades history amongst this family to cover. I appreciated the loyalty, detail and quality of every character. I didn't expect the books to have a lot of "romance novel" quality, but it wasn't cheesy and the storyline was so interesting throughout.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would love to know if anyone else had a problem with keeping Rose and Rachel sorted out? Even in "The Garden of Lies", I always thought that Rose would be the blond, blue eyed ones and Rachel, dark and exotic. Maybe I have some slight dyslexia sort of thing. I really struggled with it. Otherwise, good book but very, very long.

[Anna K. Amendolare · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't think much of this book. I only read it because it was a sequel and I was curious as to what happened but the writing and the characters and the storyline were very similar to the first novel in that the drama isn't very dramatic and things easily and quickly resolve themselves, and everything works out in the end. A good beach read, I suppose.

[Dianne J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the sequel to Garden of Lies, one of my favorite novels. I'm glad I read it. It brought the reader up-to-date as to what happened to the children, Rose & Rachel, in Garden if Lies. It was a bit longer than I liked but for the most part it held my interest. I would definitely recommend someone read this after Garden of Lies.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Switched-at-birth tale in which the women involved only learn in adulthood their true story. A lot of the past seems pretty incredulous and the characters seem a bit oblivious to situations, however.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed Garden of Lies much more than this one. I'm not a fan of the overuse of metaphors and similes, and she went there with this one. I'll admit to skimming it just because I wanted to know how it turned out.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like sitting down to the kitchen table with an old friend.

I always fall right into Gouge’s books with a smile and a feeling of coming home. Knowing that dessert will be delicious and satisfying.

[Patricia J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thrilled to see this sequel! Absolutely loved both books. Personally, I think the writing was excellent, as was the plot and characters..very real, believable. As I am 73 and lived during this time period, I could really identify with some of the characters. I highly recommend both books.

[Joel]

I really hated to DNF this because the first in the series was so good, but this just...isn't. It's not written poorly: it's just not engaging. I don't care about rich-people problems that could be solved if they'd just stop lying about everything.

DNFed on page 98.

[Sabrina Shaft · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Story to love

The writer brings you into each character so that you feel what their soul feels, page after page. Laughter, frustration, worry, intrigue and love of all phases family and lovers. Thrilled the story continues in the series of books!!

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an entertaining read. Wish I had read the first book prior to reading this one though.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great sequel

. The secret is finally out. Wonderful characters. I highly recommend both books. A multi-generational story. Find out how Rose and Rachael react.