It's 2 A.M. on a Saturday night in the spring of 2001, and twenty-eight-year-old Cecily Gardner sits alone in a dive bar in New York's East Village, questioning her life. Feeling lonesome and homesick for the Midwest, she wonders if she'll ever make it as a reporter in the big city--and whether she made a terrible mistake in breaking up with her longtime boyfriend, Matthew.
As Cecily reaches for the phone to call him, she hears a guy on the barstool next to her say, "Don't do it--you'll regret it." Something tells her to listen, and over the next several hours--and shots of tequila--the two forge an unlikely connection. That should be it, they both decide the next morning, as Cecily reminds herself of the perils of a rebound relationship. Moreover, their timing couldn't be worse--Grant is preparing to quit his job and move overseas. Yet despite all their obstacles, they can't seem to say goodbye, and for the first time in her carefully constructed life, Cecily follows her heart instead of her head.
Then Grant disappears in the chaos of 9/11. Fearing the worst, Cecily spots his face on a missing-person poster, and realizes she is not the only one searching for him. Her investigative reporting instincts kick into action as she vows to discover the truth. But the questions pile up fast: How well did she really know Grant? Did he ever really love her? And is it possible to love a man who wasn't who he seemed to be?
The Lies That Bind is a mesmerizing and emotionally resonant exploration of the never-ending search for love and truth--in our relationships, our careers, and deep within our own hearts.
Cecily Gardner is at a crossroads. She breaks up with her longtime boyfriend, Matthew because of his commitment issues. Cecily wants some idea of Matt’s plans for their future. Matthew wants to continue as they are. His actions make Cecily feel that she is a convenience more than a girlfriend. She decides to breakup but questions her decision constantly over the next month.
One night after their breakup Cecily is fighting insomnia
due to overthinking her decision. She goes
for a walk then stops in a little neighborhood dive bar to drink away her
troubles and disappointment with Matthew.
After drinking a little too much her thoughts go to Matthew. As Cecily pulls out her phone the guy on the barstool
next to her, tells her if the call is to an ex don’t do it. Grant introduces himself. They spend the night talking and getting to
know one another. By the end of the
night, they both agree to spend more time together.
The Lies That Bind starts out with as
excellent story. The way Grant and Cecily meet and talk is charming. The slow burn exploration of a relationship
is believable. Grant’s twin brother is
fighting ALS. He is taking Byron to
England for a new clinical trial. Grant
explains to Cecily that his brother is his priority right now which Cecily
understands. At this point, I’m all in
for Gant and Cecily. How can I not love
this guy even though he does send out some negative vibes? Cecily agrees to visit London while he is
there. It is during this trip that the
story begins to fall apart for me.
Emily Griffin is an excellent storyteller. Her writing is outstanding. She creates wonderful characters who are relatable. My problem is the number of romance tropes
thrown into The Lies That Bind.
It has everything but the kitchen sink.
The first third of the story is excellent. I love getting to know Cecily. The middle third flows at a slower pace. Grant becomes a questionable character that I
trust. The last third of the story feels
unbelievable and this from a reader who doesn’t have a problem with a lot of
eye-rolls or handwaves during a story. The ending, while the author wins me back a little,
I’m still asking myself if this can happen.
The overall story decent entertainment with an okay ending, unfortunately
I never get back to the love I had for the characters at the beginning.
3 STAMPS
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