friends don’t lie was an intriguing mystery following two women with the same name. i found myself trying to piece together the final pieces of the mystery as it tied together and enjoyed reading this one!

This one was such a unique book for me because usually, it’s the characters who pull me in and keep me reading. I’m not sure if it was intentional or not, but I didn’t care for any of the characters in this book. However, I loved that I couldn’t anticipate the events. Nell Pattison broke free and coloured outside the lines. She was able to access the power of suspense for me by eliminating my preconceptions of what her characters could do and what could happen to them! Everything I expected, both from the author and from my prior reading experiences, was shattered and I couldn’t rely on the guidelines I set for myself. Despite bucking preconceptions, Pattison’s plot structure and character arcs were great. All three worked together and transformed an ordinary story into a terrific story.

If you are looking for something original and an author who isn’t scared to wield her power to glue you to her pages and keep you reading, this book is for you! Give her room to create Isabella Butterworth’s (both of them!) background and then hang around for the bizarre twist. You’ll journey alongside the characters who are dealing with cyberstalking, death threats, sibling incarceration and hearing loss and you’ll have to ask yourself: Who is lying? Why?

I was gifted this advance copy by Avon Books UK and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Unfortunately I have had to DNF this book at 26%. I normally really enjoy Nell Pattison’s books, and love her series, but I’m really struggling with this one. I’ve noticed a few inconsistencies in the storyline and it’s making me struggle to stay focused. I also don’t like the main character and what she’s doing, so it’s making it hard for me to want to keep reading. I’m sure that many people are going to love this book, but unfortunately it’s just not for me. I will still read future books from Nell Pattison as I do love her series.

This book was confusing for me. I couldn’t figure out who was who and what their agendas were. The plot was very slow, and I don’t enjoy overly descriptive text. It always feels like filler to me, like the author is just trying to get to their word count. I enjoyed reading it, but the twists were just too confusing. Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy.

8 / 10 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2022/09/25/friends-dont-lie-by-nell-pattison-review/

Meet Isabella Butterworth. Call her Izzy.

She lives alone, working as a virtual assistant, meaning that she only really has to leave home to get food. But during one of these forays, her life is about to change forever.

When she is confronted by a man that threatens to kill her. Her—Isabella Butterworth.

That’s when she learns she’s not alone.

She finds a second Isabella Butterworth (let’s call her Bella), living in her same city of Lincoln (in the East Midlands, not Nebraska). Someone she’d never known about, not until now. And now that’s all she can think about.

What if that’s who the man was really looking for? Izzy has never done anything that would make someone want to kill her—has she? She doesn’t think so. But this other Isabella Butterworth—Bella—who knows?

Izzy has to find her. Izzy has to warn her. But to do that, she has to find out more about her. Like where she lives, what she likes, where she goes, what she does, how many children she has, whether or not she’s married, who her friends are, what her history is… and so much more.

Everything. She needs to know everything about Bella. So she can help her.

Yes—help her.

—

Wow, what a mindfuck.

The beginning of this book was depressing. Like, REALLY depressing. The lead, Izzy, reminded me at first of me when I get really deep in the throes of depression and avoid people like the plague. And then she goes steadily downhill. It actually made me feel uncomfortable to read. In the beginning, at least. So just keep that in mind.

I was actually considering DNFing this, but I wanted to see what happened next. That’s the beauty of Pattison’s books. No matter how you feel about their subject matter, the tone, the world, even the plot—they make you question. And that’s what hooks you (or me, at least). Once I got by that cringeworthy portion, the story takes off.

For a few hours everything roared right along. Then, at about the 3/4 mark, things got confusing. It’s a big twist, the first of a few in the story. But it’s a HUGE twist, and one that left me reeling. As I said before, what a mindfuck.

I actually had to stop and go back to piece things together. I was well and truly lost for a bit, but I eventually got it under control. And that was one of my main issues with this book: the twist was so nuclear, so mind-bending, that it tore me right out of the story. We’re talking from total immersion to total confusion. It was terribly disorienting. Once I got a handle on things, I could stop and appreciate just what the author accomplished here; a twist that turned everything on its head. The problem is that when it yanked me out of the story, it took quite some time for me to get back into the flow of things. And it wasn’t just me.

I skimmed several reviews, and it’s clear that the twist lost way more than just me. Some people found their way back, others didn’t. As an author, you want your twists to be innovative. To be world-changing and genuinely shocking. But this is evidence that a twist can in fact be TOO BIG.

Moreover, this twist helps set up a few more later on. Mostly they were the regular enjoyable kind, but there were two in particular that I have to harp on. The first, was… misleading. At best. Without spoiling anything, let’s just say that we were told one thing throughout the text, but when approaching the end we find that, no, the characters had it wrong the entire time, and we shouldn’t’ve taken it for granted. This annoyed me, but I got over it. The next one was more egregious. A certain… detail that we were told the entire time was just untrue. A complete lie. It wasn’t a major detail, but it’s one I noted that was repeated enough as fact that I accepted it as canon. When it turned out to be entirely untrue I was understandably upset. That said, the final few twists, when they come, succeed in once again upending the story.

But for that one point where everything rebelled and kicked me out of total immersion, this story ruled me. I lived it, breathed it, and never wanted it to end. It drank me in so completely that I binged the book in a day. It’s not my favorite Pattison thriller, but it’s still a damn entertaining read. Yes, I had some issues with the conclusion. But the ending itself was pretty amazing, to be honest. Yes, I had that one part I almost couldn’t wrap my head around. But I did—just took some time—weren’t even any holes in it (not there). Yeah, it wasn’t perfect. But any book that had me tear through it at such a pace, was so unputdownable, and didn’t completely screw up the ending is going to get a recommendation from me!

Mind-blowingly suspenseful Friends Don't Lie had me captivated from the first sentence to the last.. How does Nell Pattison continually write anxiety-inducing plots and characters into her stories, always very different from one another?! Multiple layers of suspicion, love, hatred, loyalty and betrayal shattered me. Some characters have likeable characteristics, others less so. But the combination is to die for. And when the domestic layers are peeled back...wow.

Two women with the same name live in the same city. But their lives aren't anywhere close to similar. The wrong Isabella Butterworth is accosted by a stranger which starts a disturbingly obsessive chain reaction of events. Who can be trusted? Family? Friends? Strangers?

Thriller and Suspense readers, this one would be a shame to miss. There just are no words to describe the skillful twists and turns, dark in the very best way possible. There is a bit of repetition and the character switches (as much as I love them) are confusing in one spot in particular. One aspect of a character is beautifully introduced but it seemed to just...end. But oh, what a read! The surprises just don't stop.

My sincere thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this rollercoaster of a book.

As a big fan of Nell Pattison’s previous novels, I was delighted to receive an advanced copy in return for my honest review. It did not disappoint. In fact, I believe this to be the best so far.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and Nell Pattison for giving me this opportunity.

Two people with the same name, Isabella Butterworth, live in the same town. They are of a similar age but that is where the similarities end as they are living entirely different lifestyles. One gets mistaken for the other and attacked by a man so she decides to find out what she can about the other woman who has the same name.

This is a clever plot with some real twists and turns which I did not see coming. Enjoyable and fast paced.

Highly recommended.

*3.5*

I can't pinpoint exactly what it is that didn't vibe with me but I did not enjoy this as much as Hide. I DEVOURED Hide but this one just didn't capture me as much. Hide had such an intense and magical atmosphere but I didn't feel that with this book, this one was more character focused. Which I guess makes sense for a domestic thriller. The one character really lived up to the obsessive nature, even making some stupid decisions which I guess could be realistic. However, with all that said Nell knows how to write a freaking plot twist!! Did not see the end coming!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! What a great ride! Halfway through the book there’s such a major twist that my has actually dropped open. Friends Don’t Lie is a great thriller, leaving you guessing throughout what is actually going on!

I have come upto 33% of the book with difficulty and I am unable to move further. The narrative is very slow and boring and the plot is not moving at all. I will try to finish it sometime in the future. My apologies to the author and NetGalley.

I have loved the other books this author has written. I wanted to love this book just as much. I really did enjoy the book and was hooked until about 3/4 the way through it. Then it's like names got jumbled up. She was pretending to be Jenny but then Jenny died. And then she's izzy again. So like what?! Lol.

Otherwise great story! It's still a 4. Can't wait for the next one

Two women, with the same name--Isabella Butterworth. One is leading a sort of fancy life even though her marriage is failing. The other not much of a fancy life. Then one of them gets mistakenly attacked by a man and then the other one is determined to find out more about the other person.

This was a gripping psychological thriller. It was truly engaging and fast paced and towards the fifty percent of the book, it got more and more intriguing and interesting with the twists and turns along the way. I like the fact that the author gave the reader an unexpected twist which also made the reader wanting to know what is going to happen next. But unfortunately, the book which I was going to give five stars dropped down to four stars as I didn't really like the ending. However, the twists and turns in each of the chapter made me hook into the story and I actually enjoyed reading the book. I have read books written by this author before and this book was a complete surprise.

So if you like a gripping twisty and unputdownable thriller then this book is one for you--worth four stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Fast paced? Check. Interesting characters? Check. A book I stayed up past my bedtime to finish? Check! The unreliable characters really kept me guessing. A great weekend read.

Isabella Butterworth has been working from home as a virtual assistant, since she started to lose her hearing. Unwilling to tell her friends she’s pulled away because she doesn’t want to admit she’s struggling to keep up with their conversations, she’s becoming more and more reclusive. That is until she’s attacked on the street, by a man looking for Isabella Butterworth - except it’s not her. Determined to find the lady with the same name the stranger was threatening to kill, so she can warn her, Isabella does some intense internet sleuthing to try and befriend her…and find out why her attacker is after her.

I was really enjoying this book until a certain plot twist. I absolutely love a plot twist that can leave you reeling, but one that is just utterly confusing and seems to leave huge holes in the entire plot? No. I honestly felt like I’d have to go back and read the entire book again to figure out if it made any sense at all. That was a shame, because up until that point, I was completely captivated by this story! (Which is why it’s still getting 4 stars from me). So many of the characters were unlikeable or downright crazy, but it worked to keep me emotionally invested in the outcome.

This was a really good thriller and I’d recommend giving it a try, just expect to get lost around 3/4 of the way through 😅

Izzy works from home where she lives alone while her brother is in prison,she's drifted away from her friends due to her loss of hearing getting worse making her feel more isolated.One day a man grabs her in the street and threatens her he has her name right she is Isabella Butterworth but she doesn't know what his on about.
We have the same name,we live in the same town and are about the same age,I know nothing about you but I know you need help and need to be saved I'm going to find you,I Want TO BE YOU.
I really enjoyed this book well written and abit different,I didn't know who to trust all the way through kept me guessing till the end.
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for the ARC

Twisty goodness. Two women names Isabella Butterworth live in the same town. Izzy works from home in a flat she owns with her brother who is in prison. She is very isolated because she has withdrawn from her friends as her hearing loss worsens. She has gotten emails to Isabella Butterworth that she ignores until one night she is accosted by a man looking for this other Isabella Butterworth. She decides to must locate and warn this other woman. She does so under a false identity. The other woman, Bella, seemingly lives an ideal life, but not all is as it seems. The man looking to harm Bella dies. Is Bella involved? Is Bella's husband involved? I didn't guess where the plot was going and this was a compelling, interesting read.

I like to stray away from romances and read a thriller every now and then. I saw this one on NetGalley and the description caught my attention.

Izzy is lonely. Like really lonely. She lives alone in her flat while her brother is serving time and she works from home. She has a group of friends that she has grown apart from and no longer shares anything in common. One day she is approached by a man who grabs her and demands to know where a woman is. Oddly the woman he is searching for has the same name as her. She decides to find this other Isabella Butterworth and try to warn her that a violent man is looking for her. To do this she decides to pretend to be someone else and befriend her, but things go wrong fairly quickly.

Now this book had some twists in it, I was able to guess the ending about halfway through. While I overall really enjoyed this book, I did get pretty confused around 3/4 the way through the book and had to reread parts of it to figure out what the hell was going on. I know the author was trying to throw you off what was going on, but I think they may have thrown a little too hard.

It is a good thriller with a little twist at the end that leaves you wanting to know more.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Friends Don't Lie by Nell Pattison is a fascinating glimpse into the world of someone who is losing their hearing.
I feel I identify with the main character in the fact that she is isolating herself, is alone, and does not want to engage with others!

Friends Don't Lie is a dark, twisty read with an eye-opening ending. It's a solid read, though slow at times, and that is why I rated it a 3 out of 5 stars. I would check out more books by this author.

#NetGalley @AvonBooksUK

Thank you NetGalley and Nell Pattison for the opportunity to read this. I am desperately trying to catch up on all of my reviews (stern talking to given!) and I couldn't recall this book from the title, but as soon as I read one review, I was straight back into the readers haven that I had found myself in when I had first turned the pages. "Friends Don't Lie" is a slow burner, but it is worth persevering and focussing on each chapter, as the clues are all there...but you just need to capture each one, until you have the final piece to the jigsaw.
Two people, one name, lots of threads that encircle both of them, an unnecessary death and two people imprisoned.... were they the correct people? Very good, and although you may work out what's happened...you still want to tie up each loose end...

I wanted to like this more than I did. It took me at least half the freaking' book to even get into the story. So much of the first part is slow, just observing regular, daily activities. Things that in no way forward the plot. I skimmed but I kept reading because I was so intrigued by the mystery connecting these two women. I love unreliable characters and they afforded some good twists in the end. A decent read.