Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Blissful Lies

I am going to feel like a terrible person, but you know I'm nothing if not honest.

Blissful Lies - Jennifer Brown Thomas
Blissful Lies
Blissful Lies tells a heart-wrenching story exploring the enviable bonds of five best friends who, in the midst of growing up together, are just starting to realize how much they still have to learn about life. They quickly find the limits of their relationships are tested when secrets and lies rapidly interrupt their picture perfect existence, threatening the stability of years of friendship. At the center of their universe is mother to one group member and Brown-Thomas University Chancellor, Addison Hamilton. Uncertainty in her own life leads her down a path of no return as she finds herself a little too involved with someone many years her junior. While each person is forced to take responsibility for their hidden secret, they wonder if ultimately, it's just too much to move forward as the 'family' they once claimed to be. Join us on the journey, which allows true love to surface despite obvious obstacles, fearful hatred to emerge with a vengeance and betrayal of even the most loyal of friends. As lives are left in tattered pieces, everyone is forced to choose.... Will the group fall apart at the seams or will the strong bonds of everlasting friendship withstand the fire of deceit?

Full disclosure here, I have never seen the show Gossip Girl but the entire time I'm reading this I'm thinking this has to be exactly like it. I also have to say this is probably the first book I have ever read that I hated every character. And I mean every character. I also knew what was going to happen within the first couple chapters and I really wanted to be wrong. I think the other major stumbling block for me was the relation ship between Addison, mother to one of the group members, and Jackson, the best friend of Addison's son. It's very Mrs. Robinson and that was an immediate turn off. I had such a hard time believing anything in the book and I felt myself wanting it to be so much more. 

The ending... it just felt too far fetched. There's a fire, someone dies, the person who does it... I don't know.  I just felt so let down and I hate that. I hate reading a book that actually is a fast read as it's only 213 pages, only to find I didn't like it. The other thing is the writing... didn't feel real. The speech between characters felt stilted. At one point you're reading about the group of characters at the beach and then it totally switches the scene and characters to the burned down remains and detectives figuring it out. No new chapter, not even a break in the page, just a new paragraph. It's weird, and it's hard to read when you just switch back and forth like that. 

I would never ask you to take my opinion over yours, and if the book synopsis pulls at you, I want you to read this and tell me what you thought. Truly. 

There are some pretty major giveaways happening with this book tour and you should take advantage of those. 
"http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/2bf06719/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also, there is a book trailer as well as a movie trailer:





3 comments:

Tribute Books said...

Sara, thank you for taking the time to read Jennifer's book.

Unknown said...

Hey--I congratulate you for being able to admit that you don't like a book! I think people get caught up in wanting to be agreeable in their reviews and don't go with their gut reactions to them....

Unknown said...

Thanks so much for taking the time to review the book! Have a great day!