The Liar

by Nora Roberts

When her husband Richard is killed in a freak accident, Shelby Pomeroy is devastated. But she soon learns a horrible truth - Richard was a conman and a cheat, and their life together was a lie.

Returning home to Tennessee, Shelby discovers a new sense of strength and freedom. And hope, too, in the form of handsome carpenter Griffin Lott.

But not everyone is thrilled to see Shelby Pomeroy back in town. And when a shocking act of violence is traced back to Richard's shady business, Shelby realises she is still not safe from his lies...

• ISBN10: 0349403783
• ISBN13: 9780349403786
• Publish Date: 19 May 2016 (first published 14 April 2015)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
• Imprint: Piatkus Books
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 576
• Language: English

Reviews

[Leigha]

A young widower discovers her recently dead husband told a lot of lies in this adult romance.

What? A new Nora Roberts book I actually liked? Nay, loved? Say it ain’t so! The Liar took me completely and utterly by surprise. It had everything I love about Roberts’ stories – engaging characters, an atmospheric setting, and an intriguing mystery. Shelby is my type of heroine. She is accountable for her transgressions and tenaciously fights for her victories. I would love to see more women depicted with such characteristics.

The small town vibe is exquisitely depicted in the novel, particularly the sense of community. From the beauty salon gossip to the local entertainment at the Friday night bar, it really captures the essence of small town living. Shelby’s family, friends, and acquaintances are just as enduring as Shelby herself. The romance between her and Griff is heartwarming and sweet, even if somewhat predictable.

It’s not flawless. It lacks representation. Some of the language becomes repetitive over the course of the novel. The main antagonist is glaringly obvious after a certain point. But overall it is the first Nora Roberts book I completely and truly enjoyed in a very, very long time.

tl;dr A suspenseful romance capturing a small town setting full of engaging characters.

[kimbacaffeinate]

One of the things I adore about Roberts is her ability to weave all the elements I love into a tightly crafted tale. I get to experience a range of emotions from worried, curiosity, laughter and even tears. The Liar is the perfect example of her writing at its finest.

Our story centers on Shelly Foxworth, a young woman who was courted by a charismatic man, married him and gave birth to a beautiful daughter. When her husband died after less than five years of marriage, she begins to realize that EVERYTHING was a lie. She knew nothing about the man she married. Disillusioned and knee-deep in debt, she packs up her daughter and heads home to Tennessee. The tale that unfolds was wrapped in murder, suspense, town antics and a second chance at happiness.

The Liar is just over five hundred pages and delighted me with secondary characters as witnessed Shelby rebuild her life. This aspect felt like a small-town romance, but Roberts weaved in a suspenseful murder mystery. She introduced foul play concerning Shelby’s dead husband and I was completely enthralled. We were given plenty of twists and turns along with sinister characters to notch up the suspense. While I figured out the main plot twist early on, it was fun seeing it all come together in a climatic ending. Roberts delivered an ending that left me deeply satisfied.

Confession, I have sort of this thing for a man who can work with his hands, is good with children, has a devilish smile and facial scruff. Griff Lott was all of those things and I fell hard. The romance had some heat and swoon-worthy moments but was mostly behind closed doors. The man is worthy book boyfriend material.

I loved Shelby's transformation as she shed the damage inflicted by her husband. The secondary characters, siblings and side threads all enhanced the tale. In fact, it left me wishing this was a series. I would love to get Fosters' story (Shelby's single brother) and a few others.

The Liar was a fantastic romantic suspense with small-town charm. If you have not tried Roberts, this would be the perfect place to start. A must for fans of romantic suspense. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[wyvernfriend]

I guessed a lot of what happened and the twist but I also enjoyed the trip. I liked Griff so much.

[EBookObsessed]

This is not the most unique story ever told. Hollywood has used this type of story plot over and over again. But Nora Roberts’ ability to create a delightful cast of characters and draw you into her world in a little town of Rendezvous Ridge, TN, full of love and family and you’ll want to make an appointment at Vi’s Salon just for the entertainment.

Shelby Anne Pomeroy left her small town of Rendevous Ridge, TN, to tour as lead singer of a band. It was there that she met and was bowled over by the charming Richard Foxworth. After a whirlwind romance and an unexpected pregnancy, they went off to Vegas for a quick wedding. She never knew that five years later she would be sitting in a room going through her dead husband’s papers and realizing she never really knew the man she married. After finding a box with cash, a gun and multiple identifications, Shelby realized he might never have existed at all.

Richard never let Shelby handle any of the finances or be involved in anything but taking care of their daughter Callie. So the fact that their new house is mortgaged to the hilt and currently in foreclosure is news to her. Not only that, but the cars are leased, there was no life insurance policy or college fund for Callie. She even attempts to sell off her jewelry, including her engagement ring, only to find out it is all fake. There is no money, only millions of dollars of debt.

She sells off everything she can, earning enough to purchase a used car, and heads back home to her family in Tennessee. Shelby realizes how much she missed them and how thoroughly Richard cut her off from them. With no money of her own, she couldn’t go visit if he didn’t allow it. She even lost her best friend because Richard wouldn’t let her go when her friend needed her most. Shelby needs to rebuild her relationship with her family and try to mend her broken friendship.

Returning to Tennessee, her daughter now has a chance to grow up in the loving arms of her family, surrounded by the beautiful smoky mountains. She’ll know real family and friends, and not just the cold disregard of her father.

Just when Shelby is rebuilding her life, and even finding a spark of romance, Richard’s past has tracked her down. Richard’s partners want their share of the 30 million in jewelry and stamps that they stole before he died. The items he decided not to share for them when he left them to be picked up by the police. Con artist and liars, they can’t imagine that Shelby might actually be telling the truth that she knew nothing of Richard’s real life and his ‘business.’ They want the jewels or they are going to be coming back for Shelby and her daughter.

THOUGHTS:
This story plot has definitely been used and reused by Hollywood. By the end of Chapter 2, I had a feeling I knew how it was going to end and wasn’t even sure I wanted to trudge through the remaining 450 pages. While the plot wasn’t particularly original, in true Nora Roberts form you are distracted from that point by the very likable characters and the sweet romance which blooms between Shelby and local carpenter Griff, who is as charmed by Shelby’s daughter as he is dazzled by Shelby’s beauty.

Shelby’s grandmother owns the local beauty shop and spa and is a phenomenal businesswoman. The shop and those in it are as intriguing as the rest of the characters in the story. It is like a live-action soap opera and most patrons come in for a haircut, a massage and all the local drama you can handle.

There was one ‘no way, no how’ moment that you really have to work hard to suspend your disbelief and pretend would actually happen or simply ignore and keep reading.

It was surprising that this was so unoriginal for a romantic suspense. After 40 J.D. Robb books you would imagine Nora Roberts could have been less obvious with the foreshadowing. But if you like sweet, hometown girl returning to her roots stories, this will definitely draw you in.

Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.