Tell Me Your Lies- Blog Tour

 

Author: Kate Ruby 
Publisher: Simon and Schuster 
Publishing Date: 28th April 2022

Many thanks to the publishing team for my spot on the tour 

Blurb 

Lily Appleby will do anything to protect the people she loves. She's made ruthless choices to make sure their secrets stay buried, and she's not going to stop now.

When her party-animal daughter, Rachel, spins out of control, Lily hires a renowned therapist and healer to help her. Amber is the skilled and intuitive confidante that Rachel desperately needs. But as Rachel falls increasingly under Amber's spell, she begins to turn against her parents, and Lily grows suspicious.

Does Amber really have Rachel's best interests at heart or is there something darker going on? Only one thing is clear: Rachel is being lied to. Never quite knowing who to believe, her search for the truth will reveal her picture-perfect family as anything but flawless.

My Thoughts 

We hear the story from both Lily and Rachel and this helped explore the relationship between the pair and the domino effect of  decision making that leads them both down a path they didn't envisage.  A mothers love runs deep and Lily wants nothing but the best for her daughter and she cannot see her continually putting herself in danger and at risk. 

I really liked how the story started from the final straw of Rachels life choices as this gave some backstory but you started to get a feel of what the characters were feeling at the time and how  going forward Lily wanted to help Rachel. You could sense the tension that was brewing between them but also Rachels lack of awareness of substance abuse and blurred vision of how her behaviours were effecting people around her. As not only did it effect a mother- daughter relationship but also her siblings and her father and it was interesting to read the different dynamics and the take they had on Rachel. I'm glad the author didn't omit this from the story as it added great value to plot. 

Amber at first glance fits the perfect narrative of a professional  therapist looking at different ways to heal. But you start to get the jist that something is adrift. Is it Rachel taking a different look at the relationship as she  has never really has anyone be this content with her, a different type of intoxication starts to develop. The  retreat gave greater depth to the story line, the opening of Hannah and her letout during mediation was a good description of holding emotions/ trauma in.  There was a mixed bunch of people of retreat with each story to tell and Amber encourages discussion and explains her experiences but also some powerful exercises take place. However as the group get to know each other this causes more chaos between Amber and Lilys relationship. They all get to name each other at not the names you would be thinking!

The retreat was a double ended sword, surely her family would be happy that she is finally get the help she needs but over Christmas, is Rachel still being selfish by not including her family or is she putting herself first.  But as the family try to find out where she is frustrations that have been bubbling underneath are not coming to the surface and was a great element to the story telling. 

The plot starts to become heavy 3/4 of the way in and the reality of who the characters really are start to come into play and I was surprised for one. I had some idea but definitely not the final version. I am not saying much more as it will be a huge spoiler!

I also liked the addition on the end chapter being 8 months after all the events but this time Amber speaks and I've not seen this before and I thought it was fab as it still kept me gripped to the final page. 

I really loved how this book was written, I felt I was there. It wasn't overly descriptive that your get lost but enough detail so you can visualise it all and that for me is a well written book.