Sometimes I Lie

Great storyline. Brilliant main characters. A very well written book that I would highly recommend.

I loved this book because it was utterly gripping. UTTERLY gripping. And twisty. Gripping and twisty. Everything you want from your psychological thrillers.

Admittedly at first glance I thought it would be pretty samey. Sometimes you feel like you’ve read them all already but the thing with Sometimes I Lie is that somehow it feels very fresh. I think its probably the character voice – we hear from Amber as she lies in a coma, what has happened we are not sure, but right at the start she warns us that sometimes she lies.

But not all the time. Sometimes I Lie is clever in its construction, keeps you on your toes and although I pride myself on unravelling the most twisted of twisty tales before the end Alice Feeney kept me off balance. Then threw in an ending that I rather loved because it was edgy and beautifully shocking.

The writing is cool beans, descriptively engaging and there are some extraordinarily good characters in here. Amber, yes but also those around her who are filtered through her eyes and through what we hear of them in the hospital room. The twists when they come are not glaring but subtle and beautifully placed and I read this really fast. I just had to know.

Overall definitely one to watch next year. We seem to be getting another year chock full of twisty tales and whilst we’ll have to take the rough with the smooth on that, there are going to be some really really great reads – Sometimes I Lie is definitely one of them and comes highly recommended from me.

Sometimes I Lie is told from Amber's perspective as she lays in a coma after a tragic accident. The story line flips from the present to the past quite often and we learn about Amber's childhood and her adult life. The book is easy to read and flows well, but it had me guessing right up until the very last word. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, something would happen and flip everything upside down again for me. I love books that keep me on my toes and this is a great psychological thriller to read.

My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me.:
1. I'm in a coma
2. My husband doesn't love me anymore
3. Sometimes I lie
The opening lines of this book say so much about it. The book tells of the years leading up to Amber being in a coma and also what she is thinking of whilst lying in hospital. This is a book I will remember for a long time. The twists and turns in the plot are shocking and surprising right up to the end. I feel I need to read this book again to take everything in.

I was intrigued by the opening passage in this novel and just had to discover more about it.
'My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me:

1. I’m in a coma.
2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore.
3. Sometimes I lie.'

Written in the same style as other recent successful psychological thriller novels such as 'Girl on a train', this book was an excellent read. A well crafted novel that is well paced, full of good characters and you just don't know who to trust.This is the sort of book where the suspense built up makes you quicken your reading so you can learn more.
The novel is told by Amber while lying in a coma in hospital as well as from her past. Her memory is sketchy and she is unsure what happened that resulted in her ending up in hospital. Her sister Clair and husband Paul regularly visit her in hospital but she is not sure who to trust and what to believe.
This novel is to be released March 2017 and it is sure to be a success.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Harlequin for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
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Utterly gripping with twists and turns. And the ending was superb! Highly recommended.

So, I saw this book on Netgalley, thought the premise was interesting; and started reading. Thank you Netgalley!

Oh. My. God. This book is quite brilliant, it really is. A psychological thriller that twists and turns and keeps you on your toes, and quite simply, I couldn't put it down.

The story is told from three different angles; Amber in a coma, flashbacks to the events leading up to her hospitalisation, and diary entries from her teenage years. I found these diary entries in particular to be very well written in the voice of a young teen, which contrasted nicely with the thoughts of the comatose adult Amber.

I was intrigued by the story behind Amber's accident, and I was kept guessing right up to the end. Her husband and sister are both regular, attentive visitors, but I never quite trusted either of them.

I loved the way the writer had Amber in a sort of locked-in state; she was able to hear and sense things going on around her, but no one knew as she was unable to communicate in any way.

It's a really fast-paced story, full of intrigue. It's one of the best books I've read this year.

Ohhhh, Alice Feeney...I had never heard of you but goodness have you written a hell of a book! I found amber's story completely captivating and full of delicious twists and turns. 5 stars and a damn good book.

Compelling and dark, the characters keep you guessing till the end. Enjoyable and compulsive - i read it in one sitting.

OMG this book is brilliant !!!! a real page turner ,full of twists and turns that left me breathless .The story flew along, told from the past and the present .I loved the characters though they were rather complex and not what they may seem !! The ending was brilliant I was guessing right to the very end .If I could give more than 5 stars I would !!!

What a clever book. It was easy to read, and understand, well I thought I understood it, until the twists and turns started. A woman who is helpless, in a coma, but can hear, and eventually see what is going on around her. Did she imagine some of what she saw, heard. Did she imagine some of what she remembered? You tell me! I don't normally read a book a second time, but I do want to read this one, now that I know I got it wrong, right from the start! Loved the book.

Imagine you are in a coma after an accident and you can't remember what happened. All around you are people talking, but can you make sense of the present and the past. Very good suspense novel, with lots of shocking twists and turns. Truly suspensefull, this book will mislead and surprise the reader. A very, very good thriller.

I enjoyed this book. The structure and mixing up of timelines works very well, and gives a deliberate sense of confusion. I would recommend this story for anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers.

Amber Reynolds is in a coma. We don't know why, any more than she does. She's unable to move or speak, and her world is a mixture of sounds, smells and visitors voices. Her husband and sister are regular bedside visitors, but Amber struggles to separate real memories from coma-induced dreams. Her world is reduced to a series of fragmented conversations, and what she hears makes her wonder if either of them have anything to do with why she's in a hospital bed in the first place, who the mystery visitor is that comes after everyone else leaves, and whether anyone genuinely wants her to wake up at all.

The opening page sets the stall out for you to question everything you go on to read.

Alice Feeney has constructed a fantastic central character in Amber. That the hospital scenes with her lying there, unable to move or speak, are some of the most gripping, speaks volumes as to the quality of the writing. The story bounces between three main timelines - present day coma, run-up to coma, and childhood back in the nineties, and they're woven together expertly, each in their own authentic voice, and with no shortage of cliffhanger moments and dark places.

I usually pride myself on being able to second guess what's really going on, but this one kept throwing me off balance. Overall, utterly gripping, and ticks all the right boxes for a psychological thriller.

This psychological thriller has more clever twists and turns than you can possibly imagine. I read it in two sittings as it has you completely gripped. You never quite know where you are, and it's that feeling of unease that really gets a hold of you.

Alice Feeney's writing is beautiful, bordering on genius, and her use of imagery has you staring at the page in wonderment - it really captures universal human truths and feelings like we've always wanted to express them, but never quite managed to find the right words to do so.

This novel is a must-read. You come away amazed at how clever it is, anxious at its unsettling tale and characters; but at the same time feeling like someone has helped you understand yourself a bit better too.

I would like to thank Harlequin UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Sometimes I Lie’ by Alice Feeney in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Amber Reynolds can remember she’s thirty-five years old and married to Paul, but not how she comes to be in the situation which she finds herself in. The narrative splits into parts – before, then, and now – and keeps you guessing until the very last terrifying page.
‘Sometimes I Lie’ makes for compelling reading, it’s exceptionally well written with clever plots and unexpected twists which keep you guessing till the end. I can envisage this novel being one of the year’s best sellers.

From the beginning of this novel we know that our character lies and she confesses without hesitation. But what does she lie about?

Sometimes I Lie is Alice Feeney’s debut novel. Amber Reynolds is in a coma; her memories of what happened the night she ended up in this position are sketchy. She is beset by strange dreams as she tries to piece together what she knows and make sense of everything that is happening around her.

I have read a couple of novels recently in which the main character is in a coma and is experiencing what we know as ‘locked in syndrome.’ That is they can hear everything and communicate with themselves inside their mind but they can’t reach out to anyone on the outside, they are imprisoned within their body. It is a fantastic tool for writers to use. The character is trying to unravel events as the reader is trying to do and they are learning new things that they might have forgotten about themselves all the time.

I loved Alice’s writing and Amber’s voice. We learn that she is married to Paul, but their relationship has hit a rocky point and she has a sister called Claire. Amber works for a programme called Coffee Morning but she hasn’t got a very good working relationship with her boss, Madeleine, and she has been given until Christmas to sort things out between them or one of them will have to go.

So what happened to Amber? Why is she in a coma?

Alice has created some really intriguing characters in her novel, as the reader I had no problem engaging in the story, Alice’s writing is really addictive. She delivers some startling twists that will leave you gasping. Her writing is taut and full of suspense; Alice knows how to keep her readers on tenterhooks, every time I picked it up to read I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.

Sometimes I Lie is one of 2017’s hotly anticipated thrillers. I’m sure this book will be a top bestseller, I highly recommend it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy to review.

Wow! This was a fantastic read which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Alice Feeney has written a fabulous first novel here and I hope she writes more.

The tale is narrated by Amber who's in hospital in a coma following an accident she cannot remember anything about. It's written over 3 time periods - 'Now' which is the period following Christmas Day 2016, 'Then' which is the week preceding Christmas Day 2016 and 'Before' which is during Amber's childhood in the early 1990s. The time periods are all dealt with very clearly and I was always able to keep track of who was speaking and when.

The story is terrific with many twists and turns. I'd like to see this as a TV drama series or film but suspect it might be challenging given maybe a third of the story is Amber in the coma state. Either way I think this is going to be a best seller.

Wow! I've just read this whole book in one day, finishing with a knot of anxiety in my stomach, and holding my breath. A fantastic psychological thriller. So many twists and turns it got a bit confusing at the end, but overall a brilliant book.

Wow, wow, wow, I loved this book. There are so many twists and all the way through I was trying to work out what could happen next, who was responsible, who was telling the truth, etc. It is so well written and the characters have real depth. It's one of those books you could easily read again straight after, so you can piece things together as you read. Well done, for a truly amazing read. I'll definitely keep my eye out for this author in the future.

One of those books that once you start, you can't (or won't) put it down.
I think most people will enjoy this book and I will certainly be recommending it to my book club!

Sometimes I lie is the first novel from Alice Feeney. The story is told to us from the perspective of Amber Reynolds, who is laying in a coma. She is trying to fit together pieces of the puzzle as to why she ended up in hospital, and although she can hear all what's being said around her, she is unable to communicate. Sometimes she struggles as to what's real and what's a dream.
The book had me hooked from the start, it had so many twists and turns that it kept me reading and reading, desperate to find answers. I thoroughly recommend it. Thank you to both Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Oh, I liked this one. I LOVED this one. This is a smart, twisty tale with a smart unreliable narrator leading us by the hand. Amber is in a coma - and someone wants to keep her there. Is it her husband who no longer seems to love her? Her sister, who stole her family and may be on the brink of stealing her husband? Or her ex, who so conveniently managed to 'bump into' her in the City, after years of lost contact? Such a great, pacy read that I literally did read into the early hours - I just had to know what had happened to Amber. And then the ending - holy camoly! It's fabulous - just read it and you won't be disappointeed!

This novel opens with Amber lying in hospital, not knowing how she ended up there and in a coma. So far so usual in a psychological thriller. But Sometimes I lie is rather better than your average story in this genre. Exactly who is telling the truth here and who is lying? There are plenty of twists and turns and the story is made more tense by an unreliable narrator (Amber) who admits from the beginning that 'sometimes I lie.' A definite for fans of Girl on The Train and Before I Go to Sleep. Many thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin (UK) for the opportunity to read and review this gripping book.

Amazing! It's only March but I already think this Is going to be the best thriller I read all year. Lots of thrillers claim to be the best one of the year, however this definitely could be. The shocks and surprises just keep on coming and take your breath away leaving you flabbergasted.

Amber Reynolds is 35 and married to Paul. She works as a radio presenter. She longs to tell this information to the people - doctors, nurses, police - who visit her while she's lying in bed in hospital, but she can't because she's in a coma and can't do anything. What she wouldn't tell them, even if she could talk, was that sometimes she lies.

Unable to blink, speak, or even move her little finger, Amber is totally closed in inside her head, yet fully aware of her surroundings. She's not even sure what happened to her so that she ended up in hospital, her memories are all cloudy and she finds it hard to focus. She starts to pick up tidbits of information off the doctors, nurses and few visitors she has. Although what she's discovering doesn't make sense. Was it an accident or was what happened to her done purposefully?

Sometimes I Lie is a fantastic twisty and gripping psychological thriller. Like many psychological thrillers lately, the book flips between the present day and the week before. Although to add another element to Amber's story, it also goes back to 1991 when she was still at school. Amber's life and past is unravelled bit by bit; the big picture starts to reveal itself and the mystery that led to Amber being in a coma starts to unravel, as we get to know and understand Amber more than anybody else has ever done.

We discover that Amber's job, life and marriage may not have been perfect or simple. Amber clashes with a co worker, her husband Paul stays up late most nights trying to write. Is her sister Claire trying to make a move on her husband? What happened to Amber to make her have some OCD habits and be so insecure? Is Amber as innocent as we initially think, or is it not quite so black and white...

Brilliant! So many twists and turns you become dizzy. Initially I had some reservations and thought, not another time leap, but this has another angle to it meaning we get to know Amber on a deeper level and my reservations soon disappeared. Tense and gripping the book uncoils like a snake with plenty of startling revelations peppered throughout. There were quite a few occasions where my mouth literally dropped open, particularly the moments where we get to know Amber more as a person.

It would be all too easy to spoil this book by going into the story in too much detail. Just know that the more you read of this book, the more you want to know, until you realise you've been reading for hours. Be warned: it is very addictive. There are plenty of "didn't see that coming moments" and the pace moves jauntily along. It really is the perfect addictive, twisty book for anybody who played loves psychologist thrillers chock full of bombshells that leave you bewildered.

Thanks very much to NetGalley, Harlequin (UK) Limited, and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book, in return for an honest and unbiased review.

A very cleverly written thriller which kept me guessing almost until the end. This is a debut novel for the author and I am impressed with the way in which this psychological thriller reads. Not too complicated but enough of a heart thumping plot to make me keep reading to the end. I thoroughly recommend.

Excellent book. Great characters. Twists and turns right up to the last page. Certainly holds your attention. I would definitely recommend this book

No spoilers contained in this review - read at will!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers, Harlequin (UK) Ltd, for allowing me to read this advance copy in exchange for my honest review. And big, huge thanks to Alice Feeney for her work.

Normally I write my book reviews immediately after finishing a book... the day after if it's late evening when I finish. But it's been 4 days and I'm still unsure how I could possibly write a review that would do the book any justice whatsoever. This is absolutely outstanding and I have not been able to stop thinking about it. And I'm still piecing together what I read, 2 days later and I'm still finding parts of it that suddenly come to me and now make perfect sense. If this was a film it would be smashing the box office for weeks and weeks. As a book it deserves more.

I honestly don't know where to start so I guess... characters. Amazingly well written, fantastically complex and brutally honest. What more can you ask for? Sometimes when reading a book, the storyline is enough and the characters are one dimensional and very simple. That is not the case here, even when you think you understand them Alice Feeney shows you a little more of their inner workings and you are thrown into the abyss again.

The story line is engrossing from the very start until the very end. I couldn't put the book down and devoured it in one sitting. A long sitting I might add - this is not an hour long book. And like the characters, the storyline is full of twists and turns that will keep you on your toes. And it is inherently dark.

The fact that this is a debut shouldn't necessarily factor because I feel very strongly that you can either write, or you can't. And if you can, you'd better make sure your debut isn't something you'll later regret. Make it count. BUT, I absolutely HAVE to highlight that this is a debut novel because I didn't realise it until I came to write this review, and you would never know it from reading the book. It is absolutely flawless. Usually I can finish a book (or a film actually) and find things that I wish they'd done better, explained a bit better, developed further, ended it in a better way. But in this case it was absolutely spot on perfect in every sense. This felt like the work of someone who had written multiple best sellers and knew exactly how to write them.

I will be shocked and utterly furious if this isn't THE book of 2017.

Unbelievable, in both senses of the word. Unbelievably good with so many twists and turns. And unbelievable because you don't know who to believe - all the way through to the very end.
We know from the beginning that Amber lies - she tells us that. What we don't know is which are lies and which are true. And do the other characters lie, and if so, when ? And remember, Amber is in a sort of coma so is what she hears real or imagined?
This really takes the psychological novel to another level.
Superb!!

This book had me thinking about Amber Reynolds and her family for a few days after I had finished. She is an unreliable narrator due to the coma, and losing some of her memory, but also because she admits "Sometimes I Lie".

Amber is easy to relate to, her inner thoughts shared on the page as she is stuck in a hospital bed with no recollection of the accident that put her there. It is easy to rattle through the chapters which bounce from just before to just after Christmas (and the accident) with ease. There are also diary entries and memories from Amber's childhood to help give an understanding of her mindset before everything happened.

Amber can't remember what happened so it's obviously not going to be easy to figure out the truth while she's stuck in a hospital bed. She has to try and piece together her memories to uncover who is responsible and who she can trust. It's easy to dislike and distrust every character in the book for one reason or another. Amber doesn't know who she can trust, and as a result we don't either.

It is clear that Amber tells lies from page one, but revelation after revelation continues to shock and complicate the story further. At one point I needed to put the book down to think about everything before I carried on reading. I loved how the story became more complex with each revelation. Other unreliable narrator storylines can seem to pull information out of thin air to reveal the truth, but this book messes with your head whilst leaving clues to the truth scattered throughout. At one point I thought there was a continuity error, but later I realised it was a truth buried in lies.

Sometimes I Lie will leave you thinking about what really happened long after you put the book down. I loved it!

Wow, this is probably going to be THE psychological thriller of the year. It has so many unexpected twists, the reader is kept on the edge of their seats right to the end of the book.

Amber Reynolds is in a coma and the book opens with her stating 3 facts:
1. I am in a coma
2. My husband doesn't love me any more
3. Sometimes I lie

The first fact is what makes this book stand out from other psychological thrillers in that our narrator is trapped, in a coma, in hospital, unable to move or react to anything she can hear or see or to tell anyone what really happened leading up to her being there. The level of suspense that this creates is dizzying. The story is fast paced and well written and whilst a lot of historical events and memories are recounted the actual story takes place over the space of a few days.

The characters are likeable and well rounded and the reader is left never really knowing who to trust - they all seem to have something to hide. We learn about the supporting cast through Amber's eyes (literally) and as she gradually pieces together what happened to her, to put her in a coma, we feel her distrust and distress build. Amber and her sister Claire's upbringing is disjointed and dysfunctional and just when you think they have buried their differences and grown past the past, Feeney deals the final blow with the shocking ending.

Every time the reader thinks they know where this story is going, they would do well to remember those opening statements....especially 'sometimes I lie'. Will be recommending this all round.

Right from the start this gripping psychological thriller had me in its thrall. We are introduced to Amber, our narrator and main character, as she lies in a coma. Her hospital perspective of “Now” is enlivened by a throwback thread of “Then”, which offers hints of how she arrived at her current predicament, and “Before”, which speaks of her background and its direct bearing on the present.

All is not as it seems on the surface. Are accidents truly accidents, or something more sinister? Can she trust her family, her sister and husband in particular, never mind the medical staff? And is Amber who she thinks she is, or are we seeing her life through a cracked mirror or distorted lens?

Jumping around in time, this novel manages to sustain the suspense, intrigue and thrills in equal measure. Just when the reader thinks they've got a handle on it all, yet another divergence throws them off the scent.

I read this late into the night, desperate for sleep but more desperate still to discover how all the loose, unexpected, tangled threads would eventually come together, woven as one. I offer no spoilers here—suffice to say you will be captivated up to the final page in this cleverly written gem of a debut novel exploring relationship and remembrance.

Sometimes I Lie is Alice Feeney's debut thriller. I usually take descriptions of books like this with a bit of scepticism: 'Unnerving, twisted and utterly compelling, you won’t be able to put this new thriller down.' But it really is like this - and I did find it utterly compelling.

I like complicated plots with believable characters and with twists and turns to keep me glued to the book. This book has all this and more. I was puzzled, stunned and amazed at the cleverness of the plot structure and how I'd had the wool pulled over my eyes, although I did have a suspicion of what it was all about, I just hadn't worked out the whole truth.

I'm not going to say much about this book because I think it's best to read it without knowing very much about it. It's narrated by Amber Reynolds as she lies in hospital in a coma. She can't move or speak, but she can hear and gradually she begins to remember who she is and what happened to her. But as the opening sentences reveal sometimes she lies. Actually it's hard to figure out who is lying, who can be trusted and what really happened. There are flashbacks to what happened immediately before Amber ended up in hospital and there are diary entries from the early 1990s starting when Amber was nearly ten.

I thoroughly enjoyed Sometimes I Lie. It's a complex, confusing, disturbing and brilliant book. I read it in just two sittings and when I got to the end I immediately had to turn back to the beginning and start reading it again.

Many thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a review copy .

After being in a bit of a reading slump for a week or so, this is exactly the kind of book I needed to read to get my life back in order. This book is fast-paced, twisty & turny and overall fun to read. Thank you, Feeney, for getting me out of my slump with this terrific mystery thriller!

This is most definitely, one of the best thrillers I’ve read in such a long time. The writing style is superb, the characters are so well developed and complex (in a good way!!) and the twists in the plot come out of nowhere (again, in a good way)!

I loved each and every character in this. No one is originally as they seem and as the plot builds and builds around them, each person grows more and more complex. We suspect all of them for different things, so sure we’re right, and then all of a sudden, a new revelation appears and we’re shocked back into not knowing what the hell is going on. That's what’s so great about this novel, you think you’ve got it, you think you know what will happen next, but don’t be so naive! Just you wait and see what Feeney pulls out of the bag next.

As for the plot, I thought this was wonderfully unique. Having the perspective of Amber in a coma, telling us her story, was an incredible way to keep us “in the know” without actually knowing anything!

This is a seriously dark, but superbly written and executed novel. Any psychological thriller lovers out there, must pick this up in 2017!

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

The book opens with Amber Reynolds in a coma after some kind of serious accident - she can't speak, move or even open her eyes but her mind is still able to function. The plot is unfolded in three strands: Amber in her comatose state, her recollection of the week leading up to the accident and a series of diary entries from twenty five years ago - This Book is very fast paced to the point I could not wait to get back to it and race through this book. There are twists and turns and more twists when you least expect it so you feel literally exhausted after reading it ( In a GOOD way ) I cannt praise this book enough, it was simply fantastic and one of my faves so far this year!

I don't give 5*s easily but this one deserves them all. What a head messer that was. A brilliant book. So well written cleverly bringing three scenarios together - now, then and back in the early 90's. We know Amber is unreliable as told by the title but who else can be trusted? Very dark in parts with some disturbing characters. Great twists. I actually had to stop reading and just rethink all I thought I knew at one point. I hope Alice Feeney is writing another book now!!

This is a really amazing book. Totally original from the opening...
My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me.
1. I’m in a coma
2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore
3. Sometimes I lie
to the closing lines..
I could not put this book down. It flies along at an amazing pace, switching between present day and a couple of times in the past. There were moments when I could not believe what I was reading and I seriously did not see some of the twists coming.
This year is turning out to be a great year for female authors and this is easily one of my must reads for 2017.

OMG! What a fabulous and twisted read Sometime I Lie is, there is nothing more satisfying than reading a psychological thriller that well and truly messes with your head, and a word of warning here this is one that will leave your head spinning. The market is saturated with psychological thrillers at the moment and on the whole most of the ones I have read have been a decent read, but tend to lack the "thrilling" element I've come to expect from such books, but I'm happy to report that Sometime I Lie has the "thrilling" element I crave, it's also dark and very, very sinister so from the opening chapter I was well and truly hooked.


From the book description it's evident that Amber is not going to be a reliable narrator, and she certainly doesn't disappoint. I'm particularly fond of such narrators as you are never quite sure what is real or where the truth lies. As Amber lies in coma there is a deep sense of malevolence that radiates from every page. The characters surrounding Amber as she lies vulnerable all come under close scrutiny and you can't help but become suspicious of everyone of them at some point in this very deceitful tale. I really thought I had worked out where this story was heading, but fortunately the author wrong footed me at every turn. You know something terrible as happened to Amber but the why's and how's are intricately revealed layer by devious layer.

I could go on and on about this book, it really was that good! but in doing so I could give away spoilers which is never my intention, so what I would say this is definitely one of those books you need to read for yourself. It's difficult to believe this is Alice Feeney's debut novel it's an highly addictive and compelling read, deliciously plotted with twist and turns galore I devoured this book in just over a day and it's definitely going to be one of my top reads of 2017.
5⭐ This review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

Sometimes I Lie just might be THE thriller of 2017. We saw it with Gone Girl, then The Girl on the Train, and now it's clearly going to happen again with Sometimes I Lie. Alice Feeney writes the story with this level of suspense rarely created. And the premise is outstanding! A novel told from the perspective of a woman in a coma and right from the start, she warns us she lies. Immediately set up with an unreliable narrator in a clever plotting choice. I constantly found myself surprised by twists and turns. I could not get enough! The story is addicting. It is surprising that this is only Feeney's debut novel. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, do not miss out on Sometimes I Lie. I am telling you..it will be THE book of the year.

Fiendish. That's the best word I can think of to describe this book. Think you know what's going on? Oh no you don't. Other authors can do twists but Ms Feeney actually messes with your understanding of who the characters actually are. Couple that with the narrator being in a coma and drugged up to the eyeballs and what you get is an almost dream like novel where your perceptions change with every chapter and nothing can be relied on. Loved it.

About the Book

My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me:

1. I’m in a coma.
2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore.
3. Sometimes I lie.



My Thoughts

This book was impossible to put down! I started reading it late in the evening and I got so engrossed that I was unaware of anything until four hours later when I finished the final chapter!

I love an unreliable narrator and you certainly get one of those in this novel! Amber Reynolds is in a coma so straight away you can’t be sure if she’s remembering things correctly, or if she’s remembering but not being honest and this is what hooked me in. The way we’re told three things about her and one of them is that she sometimes lies is genius!

This is a hard book to review because I really don’t want to give anything away. I will say that I was never sure who to trust in this novel at any point. Amber’s husband Paul behaves oddly, Amber’s relationship with her sister is strange but I could never quite put my finger on what was going on. The title Sometimes I Lie seems apt for quite a few characters, not just Amber – they’re all quite unreliable.

The way this novel is written hooks you in very quickly and it will keep you hooked all the way through. It’s very fast-paced and gripping, and easy to read. There are twists and turns as the book goes on and they will make your head spin! I can usually guess what’s going on in thrillers these days as I read so many of them but this book got me, I had no idea. The final third of this book left me feeling like I didn’t know which way was up and I loved it!

Sometimes I Lie is an original take on the thriller genre and won’t want to miss out on reading this brilliant, twisty, intense novel! It’s due to be published on 23 March and I highly recommend that you pre-order your copy now! Sometimes I lie is available from here.

About the Author

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Alice Feeney is a writer and journalist. She spent 16 years at the BBC, where she worked as a Reporter, News Editor, Arts and Entertainment Producer and One O’clock News Producer.

Alice is a Faber Academy graduate from the class of 2016. She has lived in London and Sydney and has now settled in the Surrey countryside, where she lives with her husband and dog.

Sometimes I Lie is her debut thriller and is being published around the world in 2017.

(Author information taken from: CurtisBrown.co.uk)

Wow. I tend to find psychological thrillers a bit hit or miss but this is most definitely a hit. Incredible writing, a gripping storyline and more twists than a twisty thing. Once I started reading I literally couldn't put it down and finished the whole thing in a day.

The story begins with main character Amber Reynolds realizing she's in hospital, trapped in a coma with no memory of how or why but afraid that it may not have been an accident. As doctors, nurses and her friends and family come and go from her room we (and Amber) begin to figure out what really happened. While keeping us up to date in the present the story flashes backs to the week leading up to the "accident" and we get diary entries from Amber's childhood which help to piece together who Amber really is and exactly how she ended up in that comma.

It's brilliantly done and the way the author moves back and forward in time releasing little bits of information and hints of what may have happened is genius. I read a lot of thrillers and can usually make a fair guess at what happened but honestly I had no clue. Every time I thought I had it figured out there was a new twist which just flipped everything around. You literally can't trust anything or anyone.

There is a trend at the moment for unreliable narrators in psychological thrillers, something that often puts me off. However, despite knowing that Amber was prone to lying (the clue's in the title) and therefore not reliable, I found myself liking her and consequently the novel a lot. I found myself believing her, rooting for her and willing her to figure it out and just generally wake up. The fact that she's trapped in the coma brings quite a claustrophobic atmosphere to the story. It's frustrating, exciting and completely addictive.

I won't say anything else for fear of spoilers but in case you haven't guessed by now this is definitely a book I'd recommend everyone read as soon as possible.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers HQ for providing me with an ARC. As always all views are my own.

This was an amazing book to read. Gripping and kept the reader on the edge all the way through trying to guess the outcome. Alice Feeney is certainly an author to watch out for as she has a fresh way of writing. The book starts in a strange way by saying that 'Sometimes I lie'. All the way through the reader is trying to evaluate what is true and what is fiction. The story starts with Amber lying in a coma trying hard to discover what has happened to her, this alternates with her regaling the story of her growing up and the issues that she had prior to being in a coma. The characters are all extremely well described as are the various locations. There are really only 7 main characters mentioned throughout - Amber; Claire, Taylor, Paul, Madeline, Jo and Edward but each one comes across as real to the reader. I pride myself on usually working out what is going to happen and although I picked up parts in advance I was miles out from it all in the end. What a beautiful twist in the last two pages which was even more totally unexpected and added extra creepiness to the whole story. I loved the book, will highly recommend it to all my friends and will look out for future books by this author.

Sometimes I Lie

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Alice Feeney certainly knows how to deliver a tale full of twists and turns, sometimes dark and threatening and filled with really interesting characters. I was hooked immediately by the opening pages where the reader meets comatose Amber. She has awareness of her surroundings and the reader quickly learns that she's been involved in an accident. She has a husband, a sister and works for a morning TV programme where there are some clashes of personality. These people feature throughout and the plotting is complex and compelling.

The narrative moves back and forth in time and place. We see the world and interpret events through Amber's eyes. But we already know that sometimes she lies; so where's the truth and how did she end up in hospital? Who's to be trusted and who's betrayed?

Psychological thrillers seems to be the genre of the moment and there are many strong books. But this really stands out; the pace is fast, the trickery superb and it's a real edge of the seat read. I've whipped through it in a couple of sittings and just when you think it's all over, it turns again. This is definitely an author to watch out for and I'm eagerly awaiting her next book!

My thanks to the publisher for an early review copy via Netgalley.

Oh. My. God.

The twists in this book have literally turned my brain to mush. I'm sitting here dumbfounded by the final twist unable to find more words to do this book justice. This book is one of the best twisty-turny psychological thrillers Ive ever read. Pure genius and you won't see half of it coming until it slaps you across the face.

The plot sizzles. It's electrifying and intriguing. A woman in a coma. Secrets. A past that impacts the present. Loyalties. Dysfunctional, damaged and screwed up characters that I loved to love then loved to despise. I thought this book was good from the start but by the ending it propelled into the brilliance category.

This could very well be THE talked about psychological thriller of 2017 and you need to get this one to read any which way you can. This makes The Girl on the Train looks like child's play. This novel messed with my head. I may be recovering for quite some time. Everything just works.

Plot. Characters. Reveals. Twists. Prose. Everything is 5 star in this one and it's in my short list of Top 17 books of 2017, highly likely to get a top spot. If they don't make a movie about this book I'll be starting a personal petition to do so. Absolutely brilliant, entertaining and clever fiction!

This is one talented author. Oh yes indeed. If you love a good twist you will adore this book. I recommend it to everyone. Anyone that reads books. I was honestly stunned at the end of the book. You know those moments? What the..? Holy flak Batman!

I'm revealing nothing. I'll be annoyed at any review that drops in spoilers for this one. The less you know the better. I couldn't put it down and it left me wanting for more. More of the story. More from this author. Alice Feeney take a bow.

Don't miss this one. Let it take you on it's journey to mess with your head and emotions. Just when you think you've got it all worked out...I bet you don't. Sublime!

I like the lead-in to the book. It’s catchy, it makes you wonder and more importantly it makes you want to read beyond the memorable intro. However the book should have probably simply been called Malevolence. Why? Because it packs a heavy punch of malice.

There is just so much to talk about when it comes to reviewing this book. I want to give it the attention it deserves without giving away all the twists and turns. I will try to just focus on the parts that left the strongest impression on me.

One of those has got to be the living dead aspect of being in a coma. Just imagine being able to hear and feel everything around and yet being completely unable to open your eyes, move, speak or react at all. Leaving you vulnerable, panicked and scared.

What a horror scenario, a complete lack of control, whilst being aware of everything the entire time. On top of that Amber can’t remember how she ended up in hospital. She remembers pieces and fragments, enough to confuse her and make her frightened. At this point in time she doesn’t know who to trust, because this wasn’t just an accident or was it?

The author takes us in and out of the past and present. It’s a constant spiral of childhood flashbacks, recent memories and interactions in the present. When I say interactions, what I mean is Amber hears and everyone else interacts around her, over her and with her physical body.

Amber suffers from OCD, anxiety and a general mistrust of the people around her. She finds it hard to fit in and make friends. She does however have a really strong sense of survival, sometimes to the detriment of others. She believes her sister is a wee bit too flirty with her husband and in turn her husband seems very comfortable with Claire, then again it could just be her over-active imagination.

I could go on and on about the superb twists in the plot and about who the real culprit is, but the truth is there is no black or white answer. Where one thread of guilt, anger and fear ends another one connects immediately, which is why the reader is left in a constant state of uncertainty.

Feeney writes a wicked tale and I hope this is the first of many to come. It is enthralling, rancorous and controversial. Why is it controversial? Read it and find out.
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy of Sometimes I Lie.*

Probably the best book blurb I've read in a long time...

My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me.

1. I'm in a coma

2. My husband doesn't love me anymore

3. Sometimes I lie



The idea of being in a coma and able to hear the world around me but unable to respond to it, is something that absolutely terrifies me. I remember once coming round from general anaesthetic and I could hear the nurses talking about going on a date & one guy was asking if buying flowers was "too much?" I could hear perfectly and inside was screaming "Buy the flowers!" but I couldn't speak or move. The feeling scared me to death and is the only (tiny comparison!) I can imagine life in a coma to be like. Locked inside your own body; terrifying, frustrating & exhausting.



If only the conversations Amber hears drifting in and out of was as innocuous as dating and flower-buying...



This book is so clever, I absolutely loved it. I didn't know who to trust or what was actually going on for a large percentage of time but that's what made it truly brilliant! The "Now" part is told through Amber's coma-bound thoughts. We get hazy snapshots of snatched conversations between her husband & her sister and slowly start to build the present picture. Amber's childhood diary gives us additional insight into the history of this complicated, untrustworthy character and frames her relationship with the truth really cleverly. The third strand covers the events immediately leading up to her hospital stay. All three parts come together in such an exciting way to reveal the twisty secrets.



A mindblowing thriller to keep you guessing, unsure of who to trust and with an open jaw when everything finally falls into place. I loved it! A whopping five cwtches. Get your copy here.