What a book!! A love a book that keeps you guessing throughout. Full of twists for sure. Amazing book by this author. Thank you netgalley.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a good read and I just had to keep reading to find out what happened. Everyone had secrets but the plot had good characters and the story did keep me guessing. The ending was good too although maybe it was all over just a little bit suddenly.

‘If something seems too good to be true, that’s because it is’.
This quote sums up the whole feel of this novel, featuring Poppy, recently fired nanny to the super rich Henderson family and Drew, handsome, wealthy knight in shining armour. Their chance meeting at a beach bar in Ibiza is the beginning of a whirlwind romance with undertones of the film Pretty Woman. Marriage and a move to the Wiltshire countryside happens all in a matter of weeks. Drew has purchased Thursday House for the pair to begin their married life but surely there has to be a catch? Poppy’s best friend Gina encourages her to enjoy and appreciate her sudden good fortune but there is a sense of unease that permeates this novel right from the beginning. A mutual decision to never discuss their pasts cements the feeling that both have secrets to hide. After all, this seems like an unusual basis for a relationship!
The narrative switches between past and present so the reader quickly understands that Poppy’s biggest secret has something to do with a previous nannying position she held in London. It is fair to say that it’s not hard to guess what this secret might be although Drew’s secret is kept under wraps in a more subtle way. Initially I thought this might turn out to be a ghost story with strange happenings at Thursday House but that isn’t the case. A weekend celebration with Drew’s old friends reveal snippets of information that ultimately bring the whole facade crashing down, and the reason behind his reticence to talk about his past.
This isn’t a nail biting, edge of your seat thriller yet it did keep my attention enough to want to discover the pairs secrets. I think the character of Poppy has more depth than that of Drew but neither are particularly likeable and Gina too comes across as rather one dimensional. The ending was definitely unexpected which goes some way to elevating this novel to more than mediocre in my opinion but that shouldn’t detract from the fact ‘Truth hurts’ is an enjoyable, easy read that is worth putting on your TBR pile! I will definitely search out other titles by this author and my thanks goes to Rebecca Reid, the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

Now and then I really enjoy a foray into a genre that isn't my usual and I am so glad I came across this book.
I think this is the first time I've read a novel in one day but I really struggled to put it down.
I guessed that all may not be as it seemed with both characters but the explosive ending was one I certainly didn't see coming.
Really enjoyed this novel and will look for more by this author.

Truth Hurts, A captivating, breathless read, Rebecca Reid

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Mystery and Thrillers, Women's Fiction

Moan: women's fiction – why alienate potential readers? Men write books enjoyed by women and men alike, and they read the same.

Secrets, its a novel about secrets and of course they never stay hidden. I kept wondering: what was Poppy hiding, what was Drew's secret? I was puzzled at first when we met Drew and Poppy, and then moved on to Agnes and Caroline....but it all comes together slowly, though the secrets don't come out until almost the end.
Its told in past/present format for Poppy, but Drew remains an enigma, a man who adores Poppy, seems to be just too good to be true. Gina, Poppy's friend certainly thinks so, but she's guardedly cautious, after her first open enthusiasm about him.
I loved when Gina was staying with Poppy at Thursday house, and they do the makeover, transforming it in the few days Drew was away. Then Drew's friends arrive for a weekend and that was fun, the old friends come to meet ( aka gossip and judge...) Drew's surprise new, young wife....some great snark there.

It's fun read, cleverly paced so you're always wondering what did happen, what are they hiding. Was it so bad, was it what I suspect, why are the locals so unfriendly?
There are lots of little clues, but I was never quite sure where they were leading, or if I was down the wrong track.
Then all is revealed, very suddenly near the end, but that's not all the surprises, there's one last one that really caught me out, shocked me and changed how I'd begun to see everyone. I really didn't like what happened, yet it was the perfect ending, really unexpected, and something that made me feel somewhat uncomfortable about it.

Stars: five, a cracking read, surprises all the way and an ending that caught me out. Its not one I'd reread, for a long while at least, knowing the secrets now but its still an amazing read.

Arc via Netgalley and publishers

I did not like the beginning - it was too chick-lit style for me. I did not like the main characters - Drew was bland throughout, Poppy was childish and annoying and her relied on on her feckless friend, Gina, to direct her life. This is Gina who drank all day and then drove, was jobless. homeless and penniless. who stormed into Poppy's house and took over, sometimes acting the role of bossy housekeeper, sometimes rude and outspoken guest. The truth of Drew and Poppy's past slowly came to life - they both had guilty secrets they were keeping from each other. The "thriller" ending was totally unwarranted and came out of the blue.
The author's writing style was easy and flowed well but the whole thing needs more depth and less swearing.

Truth Hurts is the second book from journalist Rebecca Reid. When children’s nanny Poppy is suddenly sacked by her overbearing employer in the middle of their summer holiday in Ibiza she finds herself penniless at a bar at the side of the road. With nothing more than the clothes she is wearing – and her employer’s heels – she can’t even think about affording a flight to get home. As she chats to a stranger called Drew in the bar they instantly feel a connection and within days have fallen in love with each other.

As Poppy and Drew become more serious he suggests a pact where they never have to talk about their previous lives before they met. Poppy has her own secrets to hide so she is keen to accept this agreement. It is only when they return home to England and their new home together that she starts to wonder what Drew wants to hide so badly.

As Poppy becomes more and more suspicious we learn a little more about the secrets in her past. It is only as the book draws to its explosive end that we discover the truth about Drew and how well suited they are to each other.

Supplied by Net Galley and Random House UK in exchange for an honest review.

UK Publication date: Aug 27 2019. 369 pages.

While I overall really liked this book, the story was a slow burn. Not a lot happens but then the ending seems incredibly rushed and highly unbelievable.
I also felt that the 'big plot twist' was just spun out of thin air, there was no indicator for it, no clues what might have happened until it was sprung upon you in the story.

I enjoyed reading it, but the ending was very disappointing.

As soon as I was introduced to Drew I immediately thought of Christian Grey and just couldn't get past that through out the whole book. I was abit confused with where all the characters fit in to start with but eventually I was hooked and couldn't put it down!
The secrets both characters held were teased right the way to the end so I read this book in a matter of days! I didn't want it to end!

I really enjoyed this book. It's the tale of Poppy a recently fired nanny who meets rich debonair Drew.
Within a month they are married. They both agree never to broach their past lives with each other. But there's only one reason why a couple would.agree to such a rule......... that's if they've got secrets to keep......... boy do they have secrets!
A thoroughly enjoyable read with a sting in the tail at the very end. 5 well deserved stars❗
Thank you to Netgalley the author Rebecca Reid and the publisher

A tensely written book with more twists than one expected.
Poppy, whom I didnt like much, is sacked from her job as a Nanny. She wanders into the town at 2 am using her employer's car, and as if by accident meets Drew. Here is a man with his own secrets, one of which being that he had orchestrated the meeting.
Would a man of such apparent social standing, who had been to a party at her ex employer's home, really have needed to search Facebook for an introduction? He seemed a confident businessman who could have engineered an introduction simply by asking the awful Hengist or his wife.
Poppy and Drew begin a life together in a very odd house, which has its own story. Poppy's friend Gina isnt happy with the relationship, and does not trust Drew. I wouldn't have either, much too good to be true.
It all blows up after a dinner party. Without revealing the end, I have to say that I guessed what would happen.
It is a well written book which keeps you wondering what the next turn will be.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. the opinions expressed are my own

This book gripped me from the start, and I found it a real page-turning read. However, the ending was disappointing, and seemed very unbelievable. The story was a good idea, if somewhat far-fetched, but everything just seemed to end rather abruptly.

I finished this book in two sittings, hungry to find out the story. There are two tales; the past and the present and the book goes back and forth between them. This isn’t a romance novel, although it is about two people meeting and falling in love. Drew suggests they don’t tell each other anything from their past and Poppy agrees straight away. The story evolves from Poppy’s perspective and let’s the reader know exactly why she was so keen to agree to his deal, and what made him suggest it in the first place. I would recommend this well written book if you are looking for something a bit different from the usual girl meets boy story.

I read this book over two days and loved the character of Poppy and also her best friend Gina. Both girls were Nannies looking after the children of two different families on holiday in France. Poppy loves taking care of her charges, but their mother is not a nice woman, and when she returns home one night, Poppy asks her not to be six hours late getting home again as it upsets the children, she is asked to leave immediately!
Poppy gets herself into the local town by borrowing her employer’s car, and finds a bar to have a drink and work out what to do next. She has no money and only the clothes she is wearing.
She meets a man in the bar (Drew) who is charming, sympathetic and helpful and the story goes from there.
All is wonderful in their paradise, but the mood of the book gradually changes and darkens, and Poppy begins to realise that Drew is not all that he seems.
There are lots of secrets in the story and when they all eventually come out - it’s a shock!
I really enjoyed reading this book, it gripped me, amused me, worried me, and ultimately surprised the life out of me!

I really enjoyed this book - a total page turner with easily relatable characters and an easy flowing tone.
Its a perfect Richard and Judy book if it makes the cut - I would have thought it would have very good word of mouth - a perfect beach read.
My only slight moan and groan would be that the ending was slightly rushed - it would have been good to understand what exactly happened in Drews past - what really happened the day the incident took place. The tension built well to the reveal but then it was just over - quick move to another place and a name change and that was that - all just a bit rushed like I said.
Overall thought a great read.

Usually I can finish a book in a day but this was slow going. I had to make myself finish it because the storyline was so unrealistic in places. However as it implied throughout that Poppy had a massive hidden secret I really wanted to know what that was. The secret when it came was a disappointment and most certainly not newsworthy as we were led to believe.

There were so many annoying little things throughout which stopped this being a pleasant read. I was waiting for it to get going but sadly it didn’t do so. Others may enjoy this book but sadly it wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

It was an interesting story - although I couldn't really agree with the ending. I think that there is a world of difference between feeling guilty about someone killing themselves and actually committing a murder. So I didn't feel that was quite realistic. But other than that, it was a good read and there were plenty of twists and turns - although I couldn't really like the characters to be honest.

Poppy and Drew… Theirs was a whirlwind romance – the only catch to an otherwise seemingly perfect marriage is that they don’t ask each other about the past. Simple. Poppy has a secret, she wants to keep it buried and so this is the perfect arrangement. However she soon realises that this is a two way deal – and Drew also has secrets.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced review copy of this book, I have discovered the amazing author that is Rebecca Reid! This is her second novel, the first being Perfect Liars. What can be more amazing than reading an incredible book? Finding out that there is an existing book by the author that you haven’t read yet…!

Truth Hurts follows Poppy who has recently been sacked from her job as an Au Pair. It’s late at night, she’s abroad and is contemplating exactly what to do when she meets Drew. I firmly believe in not telling you exactly what happens in the book and letting you figure it out for yourself… so that’s where my synopsis will end. However from the moment Poppy and Drew meet – their lives together are almost too good to be true.

This is an intense thriller of a book – centred around whirlwind romances and the complexity of female friendships. I love books like this – Liane Moriarty, Adele Parks, Annie Ward…there are so many authors who write this style well and Rebecca Reid has gone right up there on my list to join them. It was also quite unique in that the idea behind Poppy and Drew’s marriage has never really been written about before. I did expect this to be more sinister and I was kind of pleased that it wasn’t. Also… at the end I was still rooting for the characters… Despite everything. That’s the sign of a great writer!

This book is a very good read although for me it was a bit slow building to the climax.
Initially after reading the book I thought 'this is not the best ending for it - more twists and interrelationships should have been revealed'. However sitting back and thinking I decided it was the best ending and fitted best with Poppy and Drew, the 2 primary characters, in the book.

This book is about Poppy who is working as a Nanny when she meets Drew. Drew is a rich businessman and they fall in love and marry quickly. Drew asks if they can make a pact to not talk about their lives before they met. Poppy is suspicious that Drew has something to hide but she is scared that if she asks him she will feel obligated to reveal her secret.

This story is set between present day Poppy and the story of Agnes told from Caroline’s point of view in the past.. I really enjoyed this story, it was really fast paced. I really enjoyed the description of the house that Drew and Poppy moved into. I didn’t guess either of the secrets, although the ending wasn’t the ending I would have liked which is a good thing as it was not predictable. I will definitely be reading more from this author.