This is a thought-provoking read
I couldn’t put this down
It has dual timelines and multiple POV’s
It is a very fast pace read

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

Gripping and twisty, this is one that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. I really enjoyed it and although i did guess the big twist quite a bit before the reveal, it didn't spoil things.

I would recommend this gripping read to anyone that loves books like Jonathan Kellerman and John Grisham. The unthinkable happens when a baby dies. Who is culpable, who is not. It was a compelling read that keeps you entertained until the end.

This was a gripping and engaging thriller with a lot of emotion included in the plot. It dealt with a lot of deep issues and was written in a great style

An emotional read which highlights the horrendous affects of miscarriage, both mentally and physically. A storyline with lots of twists and turns and an ending which you don’t expect at all.

Great plot to get yourself lost in. This book has everything. A real fast paced thriller. Will get your heart racing on more than one occasion. Very well written. Highly recommend this book

Tragedy Strikes…
What could go wrong when a woman leaves her children with friends for a night away? The friends are the godparents after all. Lies abound when things do go disastrously and tragically wrong. Emotional and engaging suspense with a well crafted cast and a pacy storyline.

Clare and Lorraine are as close as close can be. They trust eachother with everything and have done since they went to college together, so much so that Lorraine even asked Clare and her husband to be godparents to her kids. One night, Lorraine needs a night away and Clare and her husband agree to look after them. But then every parents worst nightmare happens. Theo is lifeless in his cot.

This is such a fast paced psychological thriller. It was an easy, quick, gripping, intense read that had me hooked from the very first page and was so intrigued in the plot. The only downside to this was that the ending and final twist was extremely predictable. I had guessed the ending by the halfway mark!

On the other hand, the writing was great. I loved how the story was told from two different timelines alongside alternating POV's as it added something extra to the suspense! For me, it just fell a little bit flat due to the predictability of the ending, but I still really enjoyed this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a gripping read. Very well written with lots of interesting characters. Plenty of twists and turns and I would love to read more from this author.

Clare and Lorraine have been best friends since college and trust each other completely. So when Lorraine, who is a single parent to two small children needs help she always turns to Clare and her husband Sam as they are the children's godparents. Clare and Sam have been desperately trying for a baby, each time barely making it a few weeks before Clare miscarries. On the same week as losing yet another baby, Sam and Clare agree to have 2 year old Theo and 8 year old Ella for the weekend whilst Lorraine has a night away with her mother. Ella has stayed before but this was Theo's first sleep over and Sam and Clare had bought a cot and musical mobile specially for the occasion. However when Clare goes to check on Theo she discovers his lifeless body and neither Sam or the paramedics are able to resuscitate him. The novel starts 10years after Theo's death and Clare and Lorraine have had no contact since Clare's conviction of murder was 'not proven'. After being diagnosed with cancer Clare decides to write to Lorraine and ask for forgiveness.
The story is told through the main characters both present day and at the time of the Theo's death. This gripping thriller had men hooked from the start. The slow drip, drip of the story building up to the present day left me on tender hooks and I found myself unable to put the book down. Lisa Ballantyne is a wonderful writer and this is yet another great read from this author.

Two best friends, one with ten miscarriages and tired of it all and the other with 2 children but always exhausted. The children stayed over at the friend’s house, and the 2 year old died.

They thought SIDS, but he was found hanging by his hood on the door knob. The friend was blamed. She had been drinking and known to have blackouts and loss of memory. Did she kill the child in her anger during one of those?

She was arrested and exonerated. 11 years later, new evidence came to light. What really happened that night?

My second book by author Lisa Ballantyne, I loved the story which had some twists in them as the story moved on. Unheard of was the way the child died. That part completely shook me and broke me, just to imagine that child suffering. It did the dual trick of pulling my empathy and evoking my vengeance and need for justice. I had to read the book at one go.

The story was easy to guess, but I didn’t know the path the author would take to reach that destination. The same formula had been done in other books, but the prose kept me going. Overall, it was a fun read.

Clare and Lorraine have been friends since college and trust each other with their lives. So when Lorraine, a single mother, needs a much-needed night away without her children, she calls on Clare and her husband Sam to look after them. They're godparents - what could go wrong?

While Clare and Sam believe the children to be asleep, the unimaginable happens and Clare finds baby Theo lifeless in his room. The police are called. Statements are taken. But the biggest nightmare for any parent is about to spiral out of control.

Because a lie has been told. An enormous and terrible one.

I was intrigued by the premise, and it was a very quick read. I finished reading it within a few hours!

However, while it was well written with a bit of a creepy atmosphere and interesting characters, it was too predictable. Even though there were twists throughout the plot, I could guess the ending almost halfway into the book.

Thank You NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for this ARC!

This is a gripping story following the death of young Theo. There are lots of twists before we find out who the murderer actually is. I did actually guess who was responsible . . Highly recommended. Another great book from the talented Lisa Ballantyne

This is a thought provoking emotional story with excellent characters. Well written with plenty of twists and turns.
I was gripped right from the start and couldn’t wait to find out more, although I guessed very early in on the book who the murderer was this didn’t detract from the thrill of the read.
Thank you Netgalley for this early read in exchange for my honest opinion

Once Upon a Lie is a gripping thriller about the tragic death of an infant. Clare and Lorraine have been best friends for years. They have supported each other through tough times and Clare is godmother to Lorraine’s children. When Lorraine’s son Theo dies while in the care of Clare and her husband Sam, Clare cannot remember what happened and the repercussions are huge.
I really liked this book and thought the slow reveal of the true nature of Clare and Lorraine’s friendship was incredibly well written. There were absolutely no surprises for me within the story as it was all completely predictable, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

I have really enjoyed Lisa Ballantyne's previous books and this feels like a step up from those - dealing with such a sensitive issue so thoughtfully and carrying the story along, a real page turner from the very start. Possibly not for everyone due to the subject matter, but otherwise highly recommended

Thanks to Netgalley, Little, Brown UK and Lisa Ballantyne for this ARC in return for my honest review. A gripping page turner of a book, I was hooked from start to finish. An emotional read with real engaging characters.

I made a review video of this book 🌻 https://youtu.be/l85dtKzUH5I

1. Intriguing
2. Irrational
3. Predictable
4. OK!
5. The Final Verdict

I would like to thank the Publishers, NetGalley, and the Author for sending me a copy of this book.

Nicely written and enjoyable for the reader,twisty and turner thriller that’s only drawback for me was ai was able to guess the outcome part way through,,this however did not ‘ruin’ the book and the fact the writing was so good carried it....