Alice Feeney

“Boldly plotted, tightly knotted—a provocative true-or-false thriller that deepens and darkens to its ink-black finale. Marvelous.” —AJ Finn, author of The Woman in the Window My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me: 1. I’m in a coma. 2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore. 3. Sometimes I lie. Amber wakes up in a hospital. She can’t move. She can’t speak. She can’t open her eyes. She can hear everyone around her, but they have no idea. Amber doesn’t remember what happened, but she has a suspicion her husband had something to do with it. Alternating between her paralyzed present, the week before her accident, and a series of childhood diaries from twenty years ago, this brilliant psychological thriller asks: Is something really a lie if you believe it's the truth?

A Novel

Sometimes I Lie

My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me:
1. I’m in a coma.
2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore.
3. Sometimes I lie

Amber wakes up in a hospital. She can’t move. She can’t speak. She can’t open her eyes. She can hear everyone around her, but they have no idea. Amber doesn’t remember what happened, but she has a suspicion her husband had something to do with it. Alternating between her paralyzed present, the week before her accident, and a series of childhood diaries from twenty years ago, this brilliant psychological thriller Is something really a lie if you believe it's the truth?

who brought the bracelet? how is it ending like this???

blue

I don’t answer. I’m transfixed by the thin bracelet on the tray, small enough for a child’s wrist. It’s held together with an old, slightly rusty safety pin and my date of birth is engraved on the gold.

madeline being claire's godmother is also unexpected

She should have inherited this house after her birth parents died, she was sure it was what her nana would have wanted, but her godmother, Madeline Frost, saw to it that she never got a penny.

My sister wasn’t always my sister, she used to be my best friend. She always called me Taylor back then, almost everyone called me by my surname because that’s what I preferred.

I KNEW IT WAS EDWARD (unless there's a plot twist)

Souhaila

Some people appear happy on the outside and you only know they’re broken inside if you listen as well as look.

There are different kinds of love, one word could never accurately describe them all. Some are easier to feel than others, some are more dangerous. People say there’s nothing like a mother’s love, take that away and you’ll find there is nothing like a daughter’s hate.

We are all just ghosts of the people we hoped that we were and counterfeit replicas of the people we wanted to be.

This. Omg I feel so understood. Everytime I tell someone I don't use social media I get looked at like I'm some blue alien or coming from the middle ages. I just don't like social media, what's wrong with that?😅

I can’t pretend to understand social media, either. I mean, I get it, I just don’t understand why so many people spend so much time engaging with it. It’s not real. It’s just noise.

Nana always said that books made better friends than people anyway. Books will take you anywhere if you let them, she used to say, and I think she was right.

A lot of people would think I have a dream job, but nightmares are dreams too.

It was a nice read but that's also all I have to say about it. It didn't leave an impression on me. And while I have some questions after finishing, I don't feel like dying if I don't find the answers so the impact is minimal. The book is a little bit too slow-paced in the beginning, but if you push through, the story will manage to intrigue you. I liked the multiple plot twists and the somewhat confusing ending. 

Syahla Aurel

Lies form the mortar, holding the walls together. If there weren't many lies, the walls would have collapsed by now. Instead, we've built ourselves a prison.

There were numerous plot twists that surprised me, probably because of the way narrative was written, which kept me guessing who the "real" villain was.

starlingbright✨

at first it felt overwhelming and everything was all over the place but what the heck i was reading???? 5 stars period

jess larry

i officially despise back to back alternative timelines

& this book just lost me idk, it just wasnt as good as i expected it to be

and a LOT of things were just trop tirés par les cheveux honestly, at some point i had to violently roll my eyes

it was doing too much, too many twists, too many reveals, too many turns, & those hallucinations? ass

very unsatisfactory read, 2.5

this was my first alice feeney and probably won’t be my last!

admittedly i felt confused and extremely unsure during the first 30% of the book, but the more i read, the more invested i was in finding out the truth and boy oh boy did this take a turn that i absolutely DID NOT expect 👀

it was so perfectly crafted, and the changing timelines between the lead up to the present, as well as the use of diary entries from the perspective of a child made this one all the more interesting as you uncovered information. i didn’t know who or what to trust in this one and it worked well for the story.

it definitely ends very ambiguously, so if you like a thriller that comes full circle, this ain’t the one for you, but it left me feeling a bit similarly to when i finished verity.

i read this one with my bestie Jam and i was glad to have someone to discuss this one with, especially the ending!!

Larissa Kirchberger

BOOK REVIEW

Sometimes I Lie / Alice Feeney

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

this was my first alice feeney and probably won’t be my last!

admittedly i felt confused and extremely unsure during the first 30% of the book, but the more i read, the more invested i was in finding out the truth and boy oh boy did this take a turn that i absolutely DID NOT expect 👀

it was so perfectly crafted, and the changing timelines between the lead up to the present, as well as the use of diary entries from the perspective of a child made this one all the more interesting as you uncovered information. i didn’t know who or what to trust in this one and it worked well for the story.

it definitely ends very ambiguously, so if you like a thriller that comes full circle, this ain’t the one for you, but it left me feeling a bit similarly to when i finished verity.

i read this one with my bestie Jam and i was glad to have someone to discuss this one with, especially the ending!!

Denaiir

4.5 stars
this was so entertaining!!
The narrative goes back and forth between Now (Boxing Day and beyond) and Then (the week before Christmas.) The duelling timelines were done right and created a good pacing. And on top of that, chapters of diary entries from the 80's were included between the two timelines. I knew they were connected but I also knew there would be a twist there too, and to not trust myself at all with any of the storylines.

The story revolves around Amber, a TV producer whose really struggling both in her job and marriage. And in the present, she is in some kind of coma where she can hear everything. It was so twisty and turny that it could have been too much, but it just worked. And in the distant past, we're reading a little girl's journal, which is probably connected to it all, right? 

The writing was so beautiful that I sometimes found myself just happy to be listening to such good writing, which hardly ever happens in thrillers where I'm normally more interested in the plot.

There was an awful lot going on in terms of plot but it was masterfully done and the author knew what she was doing! I could have done without the epilogue though, not the best part of the book but eh, it was very good overall.

Patricia Nelson

We picked this book for book club and WOW is there a lot to talk about! Now that I've finished it, I need to re-read it knowing what I know now. If you are someone who likes plot twists you didn't see coming, this is for you! If you like twisty mysteries where you can't trust what you assume, this is for you!

Peggy Walker

I got this book at the airport when I had misplaced my Kindle at an AirBNB. I like thrillers and this looked promising. The book wore me out, and not in a good way. The author put too much energy into confusing the reader....who was the speaker....who had an actual sister....who were the good guys and the bad guys. It really interfered with telling a cohesive story. I would not recommend it.

Alexis Donahue

Eh, it was mediocre… I was kind of expecting more from Feeney.

Caitlin Moore

There are 3 things you need to know about this novel. 

1. Our main character, Amber, is in a coma but is able to hear people around her. 
2. Amber doesn’t know how she got into the coma. 
3. Sometimes, she lies. (Not a spoiler). 


Here’s the thing - this was twisty and a fun read, but a *few* parts of it felt too easy. HOWEVER, I really did enjoy the twists and the “Before” part of the novel mixed with the “now”. 

Also- there should be a noted TW for rape.

Amber wakes up in a coma with no memory of how she got there. She can hear the world around her but can't speak, move, or see. The book alternates between the present, the days leading up to the incident, and childhood diary entries with the storylines eventually converging. 

The premis piqued my interest, and the beginning hooked me, but it slowed down after the first quarter or so and didn't really pick back up. It had some juicy twists, but overall not very captivating, especially for a thriller. Some things were also left ambiguously, and while it seemed intentional, I would've preferred if things resolved more definitively. 

Julia

Amber wakes up in a coma with no memory of how she got there. She can hear the world around her but can't speak, move, or see. The book alternates between the present, the days leading up to the incident, and childhood diary entries with the storylines eventually converging. 

The premis piqued my interest, and the beginning hooked me, but it slowed down after the first quarter or so and didn't really pick back up. It had some juicy twists, but overall not very captivating, especially for a thriller. Some things were also left ambiguously, and while it seemed intentional, I would've preferred if things resolved more definitively. 

Third book that I've read by Miss Feeney so and she never stops to amaze me with her mind.

 is told in three timeline, the "now" with the mc in a coma, the "then" a week before the accident and "before"; diary entries from when Amber was 10/11yo. 

My favorite is definitely the "now" timeline, the fact that she's in a coma but listening to everything that's going on around her without anyone knowing was just a brilliant idea. 

The "then" timeline was interesting too because it leads you to how the accident happened. 

The "before" was harder to get into because I didn't like that version of the mc. That is until the end, when everything made perfect sense. 

I pride myself on the fact that I can usually see the plot twists coming as soon as I get the first hint and in some way I did here but at the same time I didn't. The plot twists at the end had me literally stoping my reading to process everything. Fitting the puzzle pieces together and rewinding everything that I've read thus far to see if they fit. 

Another thing that I liked was how no one was a "victim" at the end, in some way all of them were bad people just different shades of black and I love this kind of twisted characters.

Third book that I've read by Miss Feeney so and she never stops to amaze me with her mind.

Sometimes I Lie is told in three timeline, the "now" with the mc in a coma, the "then" a week before the accident and "before"; diary entries from when Amber was 10/11yo. 

My favorite is definitely the "now" timeline, the fact that she's in a coma but listening to everything that's going on around her without anyone knowing was just a brilliant idea. 

The "then" timeline was interesting too because it leads you to how the accident happened. 

The "before" was harder to get into because I didn't like that version of the mc. That is until the end, when everything made perfect sense. 

I pride myself on the fact that I can usually see the plot twists coming as soon as I get the first hint and in some way I did here but at the same time I didn't. The plot twists at the end had me literally stoping my reading to process everything. Fitting the puzzle pieces together and rewinding everything that I've read thus far to see if they fit. 

Another thing that I liked was how no one was a "victim" at the end, in some way all of them were bad people just different shades of black and I love this kind of twisted characters.

Jenna Pascale 

Personally, I just didn’t love this one. 

While I was intrigued and always wanted to know what would happen next, it fell short for me. 

I understand where the author was going with the twist but it felt bland in its execution. 

I really enjoy Alice Feeney and her books and while I did enjoy it, this one wasn’t my favorite.

Solid thriller with an unexpected childhood twist that was right up my street. Flits between past and present pretty effortlessly.

Rebecca McCombe

Louise 

I've heard a lot of mixed reviews about Alice Feeney's work and seen this audiobook available on Libby so thought it was time to see for myself.

This is an entertaining, fast paced twisty thriller that I ended up really enjoying! You have to suspend your belief at times especially for the ending and some of the other big reveals as they are just crazy😵‍💫 (but in the best way!) 

There are a few loopholes in the ending that weren't really explained e.g. the kids not being in the house when Amber done what she done & the bracelet? How, who by?? 

Overall a win for me & I will be reading more of the authors work in future!

Alexa M

hmm not sure about this one. wasnt a big fan of the writing but it was fast paced. while i didn't see majority of the twists coming i felt they were pretty underwhelming. not bad but not the best

My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me: 1. I’m in a coma. 2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore. 3. Sometimes I lie. Amber wakes up in a hospital. She can’t move. She can’t speak. She can’t open her eyes. She can hear everyone around her, but they have no idea. Amber doesn’t remember what happened, but she has a suspicion her husband had something to do with it. Alternating between her paralyzed present, the week before her accident, and a series of childhood diaries from twenty years ago, this brilliant psychological thriller asks: Is something really a lie if you believe it's the truth?

Alyson Schoenwolf 

Going to need about 5-7 business days to think about this book and wrap my head around this whole entire story lol

dija

Damn this one really messed up with my head!

Adleen

So good! It started really slow but everything just falls into place in the end. It involves three different timelines so it was rather confusing at first trying to connect the dots. But i am so in love with the plot twist!! Check for TWs!!!

Katelyn Sykes

Just when I think I’m starting to figure out where the story is going, Alice Feeney throws another twist in it. I really didn’t expect the story to go where it went and I loved it.

Liz B

Solid thriller, but not my favorite of her's.

Amber Reynolds wakes up in the hospital. The only thing is, she can’t move, speak or open her eyes. She can hear everyone around her but they have no idea. She’s terrified and trapped inside her own body and she slowly begins to remember what happened to her.

This book was a good psychological thriller in the sense that I thought I knew what happened to Amber, but I was wrong. It kept my attention the entire time, but I felt like some of the plots fell through the cracks and she didn’t always complete each thought fully.

I don’t regret reading it, but it was definitely weird.

Brooke Akers

Amber Reynolds wakes up in the hospital. The only thing is, she can’t move, speak or open her eyes. She can hear everyone around her but they have no idea. She’s terrified and trapped inside her own body and she slowly begins to remember what happened to her.

This book was a good psychological thriller in the sense that I thought I knew what happened to Amber, but I was wrong. It kept my attention the entire time, but I felt like some of the plots fell through the cracks and she didn’t always complete each thought fully.

I don’t regret reading it, but it was definitely weird.

“If you’re looking for a Gone Girl–esque fix, then this is the book for you.” —Cosmopolitan There are three things you should know about me: 1. I’m in a coma. 2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore. 3. Sometimes I lie. Amber Reynolds wakes up in a hospital. She can’t move, speak, or open her eyes. She can hear everyone around her, but they have no idea. Amber can’t remember what happened to her, but she has a sneaking suspicion that her husband had something to do with it. Or maybe her sister. Or both. Terrified and trapped inside her own body, Amber slowly begins to piece together details from her recent past. Is she in a coma due to an accident? Is her sister having an affair with her husband? What happened at work with her horrible boss? And who is the person who is silently visiting her bedside each night? “A spine-tingling psychological thriller...the joy of this thriller is separating fact from fiction. The creepy feeling at the back of your neck is 100 percent real.” —People “The twists pile up...visceral and haunting.” —O magazine

Sandi King

** spoiler alert **
           I liked this book until the end. The writing was tight and the story intriguing. However....

the ending made me hate it. I literally threw my Kindle across the room. I hate it when you emotionally invest in a character and then find out they were never who you thought. It's lazy writing and emotional blackmail. I know this kind of "twist" is all the rage now, but I'm OVER IT.

I think I might have really loved it without that twist. Let good writing stand on its own without a stupid manipulative gimmick.

One of the best thrillers I’ve ever read.  Just suffer through the beginning it’s worth it.

Sometimes I Lie A Novel

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