This book reminded me of Melrose Place or Desperate Housewives. It dealt with a group of neighbors in Los Angeles and the various dramas in their lives. It started with a death (without telling the reader who died) and worked toward the climax of the incident.

My main challenge with this book is that I really didn’t care for the characters. It’s fine (and often important!) for characters to be flawed but I also want a reason to root for them. There were several characters in this book (particularly Sylvia and Riki) whose behavior I found distasteful. I didn’t really feel like they had significant redeeming qualities to offset the issues.

This book was well-written and a page-turner but I can’t give it high marks because of those issues.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchangeu for an honest review.

The fact that it’s taken me a week to get through this book is telling (I normally devour books in one sitting if they are under 400 pages).

Domestic thrillers are always hit or miss for me because at some point, I’m just sick of the same over used tropes. Don’t get me wrong, there’s been some authors that surprise me, but this was not one of those situations.

Yes, there’s lies, betrayal, and deceit as well and unhappy marriages and the typical norm for this genre. I really wanted something fresh and exciting.

I think that there will be a lot of readers that enjoy this one. I just don’t think I’m the target audience here.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

Could not get into this one im afraid, we can't love them all. The writing and characters were strong, just not for me

Fast paced and witty, this book is one most readers will enjoy. Tension fills the pages. The characters' lies tangle up the plot. A must read!

The writing is fabulous! Such a fun easy read. Definitely one of those cozy mystery novels you just want to snuggle under a blanket with and read!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A story about neighbors who are living their own separate lives and have their own separate issues, they are casual friends but come together when their beloved landlord passes away and her son comes to the scene and tries to take away all of their homes. I really like Sylvie and her story, she had a definite edge and it was fun to read about her taking revenge on her married ex.

This is a fun, grab-your-popcorn sort of book that was so fun to read! Three women connected by proximity, and a whole bunch of lies!

The opening chapter starts with a bang—a body found at the bottom of the stairs at 1054 Mockingbird Lane. From there the book travels back in time and the story is told in a mostly linear format, as we lead up to who the body is at the bottom of the stairs and how it came to be there. And let’s just say there are several characters who may have done something to deserve ending up there!

The book reads more like contemporary suspense than psychological thriller through most of it, but in a good way. Don’t go in expecting a straight thriller because I’m not sure that would completely capture this story. While the book begins with a hint as to the mystery, I’d say this is more about the journey that gets you to that mystery.

Three women are at the center of the story, each connected to the others by the proximity of living in apartments at 1054 Mockingbird Lane. There is Riki, a private school teacher in her mid-twenties who has a dream boyfriend but can’t help but fall in love a bit with her very attractive aspiring-actor neighbor Brandon. Embry, a southern belle beauty and mom of two (with one on the way) who happens to be married to Brandon, and also happens to be keeping her latest pregnancy a secret. And finally, there is Sylvia, a successful marketing professional who suspects her boyfriend may be keeping something from her related to his needy ex-girlfriend.

As you learn more about these three women, let’s just say that while they are all compelling in their own way, Stacy Wise has truly written quite a character in Sylvia. Sylvia is a wild ride and she is not someone to cross. She is smart, driven, and completely unafraid to be a little bit devious.

One thing that was really compelling were the glimpses we got of the backstory to these three women. None of them are quite as simple as what meets the eye. Even Sylvia, whose hardened exterior can make her seem unsympathetic at times, really connected with her elderly land lady, developing a friendship that was sweet. There are lots of small moments like this that humanize the women in different ways. Because Sylvia is so strong, hers serve to show her softer side. For Embry and Riki, the opposite is true. They seem outwardly sweet and naïve, but each has a bit more steel to her than meets the eye.

I got lost in their stories, so I nearly forgot we were heading towards that dead body for a bit! Expect lots of secrets, lies, and revenge along the way, and then a slam-dunk ending.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Suzy Approved Book Tours for my copy. Opinions are my own.

This book starts out with a bang, in the first few pages, we meet Sylvie, Riki, and Embry outside the apartment building on Mockingbird Lane where they all live and a body was find in a stairwell. Then we flip to “before “ where we start meeting all of the women and the secrets they have. While they mainly know each other in passing, the women eventually band together against the building owners son, who inherited the building and wants to sell it for the money. As each of the women deal with their own secrets we see lies, manipulation and secrets revealed. This is mostly a slow burn even with the big starting events, we get to meet the characters as everything unfolds. It’s hard to say who was my favorite, although Sylvie is the most unreliable and manipulative and makes a great unlikeable protagonist. I do wish we had more of her early background to see why she is the ways she is, there’s definitely some history there. While this has some aspects of a thriller, I would also consider this a psychological drama about the lives of these women.
I enjoyed the story, I’m as much of a fan of slow burns as I am a faced paced story.

Thank you to Suzy Approved Book Tours, NetGalley, and author Stacy Wise for the review copy of this book.
I give this 4/5 stars

Thank you to @suzyapprovedbooktours for my copy of Lie, Lie Again by Stacy Wise in exchange for my honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery meets contemporary about three women who live in the same apartment building. While it starts strong I would say it is definitely a bit of a slow burn. Overall I was entertained and look forward to picking up more novels by this author.

The story centers around Sylvia, Embry, and Riki and a body that is found at the bottom of the staircase in their apartment. Each of these women has deep secrets that are better kept that way. I definitely enjoyed this novel and I would recommend picking it up when it is released January 1st.

Stacy Wise, the author of “Lie, Lie Again has written a captivating, intriguing, and suspenseful novel about lies and secrets. The genres for this novel are suspense, mystery, and fiction. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events. Three of the women characters live in the apartment complex at 1054 Mockingbird Lane. The author describes some of her characters as flawed, dysfunctional, manipulative, complex, and complicated.

Do you think that lies, secrets, and friendship are a good mix? Sylvia Webb, Riki McFarlan, and Embry Taylor are neighbors and supposedly friends. Yet each of them has secrets and lies they keep from each other and are about each other. Does this sound like a recipe for disaster? I guess if danger, threats, and murder are included, it is something to think about.

What happens if the 3 of them work together towards a goal of revenge, still hiding lies and secrets? Can you only imagine what can happen? I highly recommend that you read this story if you want to know any more information. This is definitely a thought-provoking novel!

This story is told by the POV of three women, Sylvia, Riki, and Embry, who all live in the same apartment complex. Sylvia is enchanted with her boyfriend and is trying to bring up having a baby with him when she discovers he’s married with a baby already, Embry is trying to be a supportive wife to her husband’s floundering acting career while trying to hide that she’s pregnant again, and Riki is in love with her neighbor Embry’s husband. All three women have secrets to keep while trying to do what’s best for themselves. There’s another subplot where the apartment complex itself is for sale after their landlord passes away and it becomes her greedy son’s property.

I love soapy style drama and this reminded me a little of Melrose Place where all the drama was centered around their apartment complex. I love books with different POVs. I thought this was a fun, engrossing novel which was lighter than your usual thriller and I thought that was a refreshing take. I’m definitely looking forward to more from Stacey Wise!

Thanks to @suzyapprovedbooktours, @netgalley, and @staceywise_author! This book releases on January 1, 2021!

These characters were some of the funniest and craziest characters that I have read about in a while! I kept picturing the cast of Real Housewives of Potomac as the ladies, but to be fair, I had been marathoning the show on Hulu. :) Fast and easy read. I recommend!

This is definitely a good binge-worthy book to ring in the new year with!
Three women, so many lies. Some of these women are just straight up crazy 😂. Sylvia, Riki, and Embry live in the same apartment complex but lead very different lives. The one thing they all have in common are the secrets they keep.
Embry’s character was my favorite, she’s sweet spirited, confident, and strong.
Riki really bothered me. You never knew what you were going to get with her depending on what day it was. She ran hot and cold and had a problem with differentiating fantasy vs reality.
Sylvia, well you’ll just have to read the book 🤯 she’s a hot mess and has severe issues, yet somehow she’s able to hide it to most around her.

4.5 ⭐️
Pub Date: January 1, 2021

I really enjoyed Lie, Lie Again. It was an entertaining read that was easy to get into and kept you wanting more. If you’re looking for a fast, enjoyable read, definitely pick this one up.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy in exchange for my review.

Hmm. This slow burn of a book felt like it was building up to something huge, so I was a bit disappointed when the climax missed the mark of spectacular.

This book centers around three women who live in the same apartment building. Riki, the single teacher who is looking for love. Embry, the young married beauty who just wants to be the best mom and wife she can be. And Sylvia, the successful business woman who is direct and knows exactly what she wants. They're all friendly with one another, but they aren't really "friends", if that makes sense. Riki is hopelessly in love with Embry's husband, but it's not reciprocated in any way. So it made her seem a little like a lost puppy, fawning all over this guy that doesn't see her as anything more than a neighbor and his wife's friend. Embry was sweet and a wonderful mother but she seemed to put her husband's needs before her own a lot in the story. I liked Embry though because she finally realized things weren't going to change for her if she didn't do something about it herself. Sylvia was all kinds of messed up. She had a terrible childhood, and she's the definition of "daddy issues". Honestly, I'd be down for a spinoff book about Sylvia's life after the ending of this book.

While I enjoyed the characters, I just felt like the book built up too much for something that ended up being kind of meh. The last chapter was a bit of a shocker, but otherwise, I could tell way before the climax what was going to happen. I was left wanting more when this ended and I think I was hoping for a little more mystery and suspense. I didn't love the book as much as I had hoped, but it was still an enjoyable read. I thought the different POV were done well and really enjoyed Wise's writing style. I would definitely pick up more of her books just for her writing alone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing a free copy for me to review.

Lie, Lie Again is the story of three women - Sylvia, Riki and Embry, all living in an apartment complex at 1054 Mockingbird Lane - each of the women all hold a secret about having a hand on a body at the bottom of the staircase.

Lie, Lie Again is a well-written narrative that explores human nature. It is looking at point of views of people thinking someone else has a better life than them, wanting more, and the dreams unfulfilled and secrets untold.

I thought that the character exploration brilliant with the reader finding some sort of connection with one or all these women.
I found their characters distinct and different, with unique voices that adds to the mystery.

Stacy Wise through these women’s stories brilliantly intersects into a great build up of intrigue, suspense and a wonderful crescendo!

I enjoyed this well written compulsive and binge-able read.

Highly recommend for you to pick this up!

Lie, Lie Again by Stacy Wise
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For three women with so much to hide, there’s no such thing as a little white lie.
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This was a great, fun mystery story that follows three women who are all neighbors in the same apartment complex. We have Sylvia who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go get it! We have Riki who is looking for love, possibly in all the wrong places. And we have Embry, a very tired mom in need of a vacation. They all have secrets. And you will want to keep reading to find out what trouble those secrets get them into!
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I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a thriller but it wound up feeling more like a fun and humorous mystery with intrigue. I really liked each of the characters, which isn’t usual for me, there is usually one that annoys me. 😂 And I liked how it ended.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ thank you netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the didgital copy to read. This one will be available 1/1/21.

My Thoughts

Meet the women of Mockingbird Lane where secrets, jealousy and a taste for revenge are only a few on the prerequisites required to live here.

Sylvia, Riki and Embry are all dealing with issues in their lives. Embry's husband is an actor who can't land a job, and money is running out. They have two kids with a surprise baby on the way that Embry has yet to tell him about #3. Riki baby-sits for Embry some nights, and she dreams that Embry's husband is hers for the taking. Sylvia has been played by her boyfriend, but little does he know that revenge is her middle name.

Then there is the issue of the dead body!

I love how the chapters alternate between each of the ladies. The only stable one, in my opinion, is Embry. She had such faith in her husband landing a job, but she wants to find a job to help out...especially with another baby on the way. Little doubts pop up in her head along the way about her husband's faithfulness, but that's what happens when everyone is keeping secrets. I had my doubts about how long Riki could keep her obsession with Embry's husband to herself. There were a few on edge moments when I thought she was going to have to come clean about her feelings, and more when I thought Riki was going to make a move. Sylvia. I couldn't wait to see what she was going to do next! The author gives little glimpses into Sylvia's past so we can see how and why she became the person she is today. Needless to say she has a history of being left by the male figure in her life. Well she is done with playing the victim.

This was such a wild read! I would say out of the three, I was more interested in what steps Sylvia was going to take to stop being the victim. I also would have never guessed who ends up dead, but in reality I should have seen that coming.

This page turner is available January 1, 2021!

Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours, Lake Union Publishing and Author Stacy Wise for letting me be on tour today. Also thank you to NetGalley for the #copy of the book.

Book Rating: 4/5

Wine Pairing: Penfolds Bin 9 Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

In a cute little fourplex families of all different walks of life live together as neighbors. The owner of the property has recently passed and her lazy son has taken a new interest in the people who live there and how quickly he can sell and kick them out! The residents at 1054 Mockingbird Lane will not go down without a fight, they are each battling something in their lives and the last thing they need is to be forced to move!
Sylvia has recently discovered her amazing boyfriend is actually a married man and therefore a complete scum bag. She will make it her mission to make sure he pays for his lies and that his wife is told the truth. On top of all this she must get her neighbors involved in helping her stop Jonathan from selling their complex. She was very close to his mother and she would hate to see what her son is doing. In exposing ones secret's she'll discover a big one that's been right under her nose!
Riki loves where she lives especially when she crosses paths with her gorgeous neighbor. She knows it's wrong to lust after her friend's husband but she simply can't help it. She has a boyfriend and Embry is her friend, she needs to stop. When her neighbor tells her about the complex going up for sale her first thought is that she can't afford to live anywhere else on her teacher’s salary and her next thought is that she doesn't want to be away from the sexy neighbor.
Embry is a stay at home mom with an amazing, hard working, good looking husband. They are struggling financially but all her husband needs is one big break into acting and all their problems will go away. Her husband already works too much and brings home too little so when Embry learns her home will be sold it adds one more thing to her pile of worries! She's worried her husband isn't being honest with her and he's not the only one keeping a secret.
The three women will come together not only to try and stop the sell of their homes but also to support each other in their time of need.

The cover immediately caught my eye, and after reading it I loved the details even more - I LOVE when book covers give some secrets into what the story inside is about! I thought it was more of a mix of drama, women’s fiction and a little bit of thriller, and definitely a very character-driven title.

I swear for most thrillers I know how I'm going to like the book by the first page, & this one definitely gave us enough to entice us, while leaving us wanting more! I was enthralled with the writing style of this book, as the point of views switched between the three women and we got to know each other secrets and lies. Each character had her own unique voice that made the story even better, and easy to connect to!

Thank you to Suzy Approved Book Tours & Lake Union Publishing for having me on this book tour, I really enjoyed reading this one!