Publisher: William Morrow / Harper Audio
Published: June 16, 2020
Source: Print – Hardcopy via Publisher / Audio via Library
Summary:
From the author of The Islanders comes a warm, witty and suspenseful novel filled with small-town secrets, summer romance, big time lies and spiked seltzer, in the vein of Liane Moriarty.
Truth: Sherri Griffin and her daughter, Katie, have recently moved to the idyllic beach town of Newburyport, Massachusetts. Rebecca Coleman, widely acknowledged former leader of the Newburyport Mom Squad (having taken a step back since her husband’s shocking and tragic death eighteen months ago), has made a surprising effort to include these newcomers in typically closed-group activities. Rebecca’s teenage daughter Alexa has even been spotted babysitting Katie.
Truth: Alexa has time on her hands because of a recent falling-out with her longtime best friends for reasons no one knows—but everyone suspects have to do with Alexa’s highly popular and increasingly successful YouTube channel. Katie Griffin, who at age 11 probably doesn’t need a babysitter anymore, can’t be left alone because she has terrifying nightmares that don’t seem to jibe with the vague story Sherri has floated about the “bad divorce” she left behind in Ohio. Rebecca Coleman has been spending a lot of time with Sherri, it’s true, but she’s also been spending time with someone else she doesn’t want the Mom Squad to know about just yet.
Lie: Rebecca Coleman doesn’t have a new man in her life, and definitely not someone connected to the Mom Squad. Alexa is not seeing anyone new herself and is planning on shutting down her YouTube channel in advance of attending college in the fall. Sherri Griffin’s real name is Sherri Griffin, and a bad divorce is all she’s running from.
A blend of propulsive thriller and gorgeous summer read, Two Truths and a Lie reminds us that happiness isn’t always a day at the beach, some secrets aren’t meant to be shared, and the most precious things are the people we love.
My thoughts:
This is the third book I’ve read by Meg Mitchell Moore and I really enjoyed it. I actually got this book last summer but for whatever reason never got around to reading it. Luckily for me, I happened to see the audio available from the library and grabbed it…and I’m so glad I did – this was such a fun one to listen to and the perfect summer read!
I loved the hint of mystery that runs throughout the book, with everyone having their own secrets, yet I wouldn’t necessarily call this a thriller, but that’s just me. As the story is told using multiple points of view, it does take a bit to keep all the characters straight, but once you do, it’s quite entertaining and engaging. My favorite chapters, though, were the ones by the Mom Squad – quick announcement-like points that were nothing short of catty, judgmental statements or reminders about upcoming events that just cracked me up! These moms were brutal!
This book is one that keeps you engaged because you just need to know where it is all going. The characters might not all be likeable, but that’s what’s so fun, at least in my opinion. This is the perfect book to binge – it’s just a fun, escape-type read.
Audio thoughts:
I loved the narration for this one. Courtney Patterson does a great job with the voices, giving each character their own unique voice and her pacing is spot on. She really did a great job bringing this audio to life.
