Cover Image: Truth Hurts

Truth Hurts

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This wonderful book is every bit as good, if not better than, Rebecca Reid's Perfect Liars. From the initial sparks in romance to a thickening plot you can't stop reading. I read this in less than two days - could NOT put it down. The characters are fascinating and the plot feels so unique.
I fully recommend this book,

Was this review helpful?

Loved this book! Kept me guessing throughout the story! Really enjoyable characters! Colourful and easy to imagine! Never seen the ending coming! Shocking twist at the end!

Was this review helpful?

Who has the more complicated past Poppy or Drew?
When they meet unexpectedly in Ibiza after Poppy has been fired from her job as a nanny they fall into a relationship based on little more than sex. They move quickly into the more permanent bond of marriage with an agreement of no past history shared instigated by Drew.
You can't put this down once you start. It twists and turns fairly rapidly making you want to see what happens next.
Great read thank you Netgalley and Transworld.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you very much for the chance to read this novel. I enjoyed both the story and the characters presented, it was a fast-moving read and one that I would happily recommend to others.

Was this review helpful?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Poppy and Drew meet by chance at a bar in Ibiza and get married very quickly. But Drew insists that they never ask each other questions about their pasts. This suits Poppy, who is hiding something that happened when she was a nanny, and which is gradually unveiled in flashback chapters. The story really hooked me in, although some parts are rather far fetched, and I had to keep reading to find out the truth!! Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Was this review helpful?

When Drew and Poppy meet in Ibiza, their relationship is intense and very real. Drew is on holiday, charismatic, older than Poppy, and very rich. Poppy has gone out there with a British family as their nanny, but things go wrong and she is asked to leave. Drew is happy for her to stay with him, their romance intensifies and after four weeks Drew proposes. Poppy is thrilled especially when Drew suggests there is no need for them to discuss their past lives. Poppy has a secret she does not wish to divulge but forgets that this works two ways and clearly Drew is hiding something too. Can their relationship work with so much going on? I enjoyed the suspense of not knowing the full story of their past, which is gradually revealed - the ending certainly caught me by surprise!

Was this review helpful?

A great book that kept me wanting to carry on reading and find out the secrets that Poppy and Drew were hiding. Written in the past and present, it kept me guessing until the end with an ending I didn't expect. Thanks to NetGalley for my copy.

Was this review helpful?

Poppy just lost her job as a nanny and things are looking desperate, but then she meets the charismatic Drew who seems attracted to her. Couple of weeks later and they are married and moving to a beautiful house.

Drew had one condition though, they never discuss the past. Poppy agrees as she too had her share of secrets which are best kept in the dark.

However, things started to seem creepy and Poppy feels that the house is foreboding as if it hates her.
She is desperate to get to the hidden secrets the house is holding, and also becomes highly suspicious of Drew's obsession about hiding his past.

The narrative is highly intrigue and told through multiple timelines, thus weaving clues from the past and the present that will culminate into a shocking and unpredictable ending. Enjoy!

Thanks Netgalley, the publisher, and author Rebecca Reid for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

I was so engrossed by Truth Hurts that I finished it in just a few hours – I suppose that’s one of the benefits of writing a book about keeping secrets! I was desperately keen to find out more about the characters’ backgrounds and secret pasts.

The main characters were well-developed; Drew came across as an incredibly rich and doting husband yet also an unnervingly private man, akin to Bluebeard. Poppy is “forbidden” from asking questions about his past, and I kept wondering what Drew was really hiding. Poppy is endearing, innocent and vulnerable. I really felt for her because, as she hasn’t received much genuine affection before, she feels to afraid to question whether her new life with Drew is too good to be true, just in case it is ruined.

However, I did think some of the minor characters were a little stereotyped and trivial. For example, Poppy is introduced to Drew’s schoolfriends, all of whom are rich and privileged with similar personalities and views. Their involvement in the plot could be boiled down to accidentally letting a few secrets slip about Drew’s background. On the one hand, this wasn’t a huge issue, as they gave away secrets about Drew that I wanted to know about. Fair enough. On the other hand, it was a shame these characters weren’t as developed as Poppy and Drew themselves and only seemed to exist to drive the plot forward.

I also wish there had been more dramatic conflict towards the end of the book – such as shouting, screaming, imprisonment, violence, madness, for example – because, whilst many secrets and lies come tumbling out, the book then ends not long after Poppy learns the truth about Drew, and this feels slightly underwhelming. Basically, I would have liked a crazier ending.

Nonetheless, I was hooked from start to finish reading Truth Hurts and I really, really enjoyed it. I would recommend.

Was this review helpful?

The book begins almost like a fairy tale. Poppy – a hard-working nanny, is cruelly sacked by her employer, and left with no money and nowhere to go. She meets Drew, a rich, handsome man who seems devoted to her, they fall in love and marry each other.

However, the fairy tale begins to crumble when Poppy begins to realise the reality of her situation. Both characters, for their own reasons, have promised to never speak about their past, but Drew seems too good to be true, and Poppy is beginning to wonder about his past.

Several chapters of the book go back in time to when Poppy was working as a nanny, and left in suspicious circumstances. Poppy’s new home feels alien to her and unwelcoming as mysterious events start to happen, and the plot develops when she helps out Gina, a friend.

An interesting steadily moving plot, although some of the characters (particularly Drew) seem a little one-dimensional, and doesn’t develop a great deal through the story. The book has a thrilling, gripping ending which I never expected.

Was this review helpful?

A psychological thriller with a difference.
This book had a brilliant storyline, with a refreshing, light and airy tone, not something that I expected but which I enjoyed immensely. The plot flows beautifully throughout, all the way to a chilling and unexpected ending.
The characters were intriguing and well crafted, making for a great read. Their backstories fit perfectly into the plot and added an extra layer of mystery.
I absolutely loved this book, I couldn't put it down and definitely recommend it

Was this review helpful?

An excellent read with a slightly confusing ending.
Poppy, a nanny who finds herself sacked in the middle of the night and whilst abroad is swept up and off her feet by a mysterious rich man.
Poppy is hiding a secret from her past that she is ashamed of and terrified of anyone else finding out.
Drew is keen to start a relationship with Poppy, as long as they never talk about the past.
Whilst this suits Poppy in the beginning as she doesn't want to spill her secret, it gradually dawns on her that it is not normal to know nothing about your partner.
Drew buys Poppy a house as a wedding present following their whirlwind romance and she moves into a slightly creepy situation where all the furniture is in situ, seemingly left behind by the previous occupants.
Some strange things happen in the house whilst Drew is away but it is unclear whether it is all in Poppy's mind.
As the story unfolds the nature of both of the couple secrets comes to light and they have to deal with the revelations and slip ups as they happen.
I found the end of the book slightly confusing as it seemed that Poppy's character did a complete turnaround on her attitudes and beliefs to fit in line with Drew and I was unsure if she had always been that way but a master at disguising it or if he had such hold over her that she became more and more like him as time passed. Either way I would have liked a little more explanation for the sudden change in character and her willingness to stay in the situation.

Was this review helpful?

An excellent book, different to many psychological thrillers, and is not at all a chick lit book - though it has elements of this, they are very entertaining. A few aspects are unrealistic, but I was happy to overlook these and suspend disbelief in order to continue reading such a great story. I loved the descriptions of the house and redecorating, and the joy Poppy gets from her newly monied life. The author leads us up a few blind alleys, and the ending did take me by surprise. I strongly recommend this novel.

Was this review helpful?

An interesting, complicated storyline moving across different timelines.
Poppy meets Drew after she is sacked from her nanny job. They fall in love and Drew proposes. He suggests they don’t talk about their pasts and she agrees as she has secrets she wants to hide but Drew also has his own reasons for suggesting this.
He buys her a house in the country where unusual things happen when she is alone..
This is a well written thriller with lots of twists and turns and a surprising ending..
Little pieces of clues are woven into the storyline which are all joined up at the end of the book.
First time I have read a Rebecca Reid book and would highly recommend.
Thanks to Netgalley..

Was this review helpful?

Poppy and Drew, the main characters of the book each have secrets that they don’t want each other to find out. The author, Rebecca Reid, keeps the suspense going from beginning to end.

Was this review helpful?

Really enjoyed it such an easy read loved all the characters apart from Gina who was a bit annoying. There was so many secrets I couldn’t wait to find out what they were it was a little far fetched but that didn’t spoil it for me the only disappointing bit was the end as it seemed to finish too abruptly I would definitely recommend this book.

Was this review helpful?

I love a book that hooks and intrigues me from the start and 'Truth Hurts' is one of those books. I would find myself just holding out everynight for one more chapter.

Poppy finds herself homeless and pennyless when she is fired from her nannying job, in the middle of the night, in Ibiza. With nowhere to turn she heads to a local bar and befriends the mysterious Drew who gives her a place to stay and ensures that the formidable Mrs Henderson (who fired her) is obliged to give Poppy what she is owed. Fast forward a few weeks later and Poppy is married to Drew and is gifted the most incredible house in return for 'never asking about the past'. The house in question is forboding and appears to 'dislike' Poppy. What secrets does it hide alongside Drew and his obsession with keeping the past a secret?

As I said, this book intrigued me from the start. I was desperate to find out Drew's secrets but also to find out what Poppy was also hiding. The separate timelines gradually drip-fed us some clues and when the revelations were made I really was shocked.

I would 100% recommend this book. I can't wait for the next offering.

Was this review helpful?

You no this really was quite a simple concept, not incredibly taxing and really not that complicated but it worked fantastically.
A gripping read that managed to pull me in and instantly invest me in the unfolding narrative.
So Poppy gets fired from her nannying job by her insufferable employers and thrown out in the middle of the night in a foreign country.
Taking the car she heads to a nearby bar and here she meets an older man: the mysterious charismatic and wealthy Drew.
Drew really does become her knight rescuing her from her awful situation and offering her somewhere to stay as she has practically not a penny to her name.
When he proposes marriage after a whirlwind romance Poppy feels like the princess in a fairytale.
When he proposes leaving their past baggage out of the equation and concentrating instead on the now Poppy feels like she has been offered a lifeline.
with her past sins laid bare she is convinced Drew won't feel the same way about her.
Poppy knows what she's hiding but what about Drew just what is he keeping buried and hidden from her.
This switches between two narratives the past told from Poppy's previous employer Caroline's POV and the heart of her big-secret and the present told from Poppy's.
This swings back and forth building a sense of anticipation but also trepidation.
It's well written and managed to hook me almost instantly.
This is a story about secrets and though I thought I had this all worked out (and I mostly Did) there was still an instance at the end of this that just came out of left field shocking me.
Finally, I really appreciated that finale.
This really was a great read that I enjoyed very much.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of Truth Hurts.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 stars
An enjoyable thriller that kept my interest right to the very satisfying end. The story is told in two different timelines, gradually revealing secrets but keeping the suspense going. The characters are not greatly developed and there are some unnecessary and unexplained strands, but overall Truth Hurts is a quick and gratifying read.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Transworld publishers for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Wow what a brilliant book , steady suspense all the way through from the holiday to back home and reality and house buying . I always try to predict the end but never managed it with this one . Love this book , the characters and the storyline. Definitely my cup of tea , would highly recommend

Was this review helpful?