BLOGTOUR, BOOK REVIEW - Love The Way They Lie by Linda Smolkin

 

                                                                     BOOK SYNOPSIS

In a matter of minutes, a speeding ticket turns her life upside down.

Thirty-eight-year-old Maggie Simmons has another reason to hate the Department of Motor Vehicles—other than the long lines. A visit to the DMV reveals a photo from a speeding ticket with her husband in the arms of a mystery woman. Maggie’s happy marriage to Nate shatters, but he refuses to leave her alone. In her attempts to move forward, remnants of her old life tear apart.

After separating, she fills the void with her dog, Chili, and a string of unexpected relationships. She finds herself with multiple people vying for her attention—and she enjoys the distraction. However, Maggie soon realizes they may have ulterior motives.

One by one, more betrayal weaves its way into Maggie’s life, leaving her devastated by the idea of being heartbroken and alone. In order to escape her reality, she flirts with the unthinkable—the one thing that triggered her suffering in the first place. A lie.

Love the Way They Lie is the third novel by author Linda Smolkin whose debut, Among the Branded, was called "a beautiful and fascinating novel that will keep readers hooked" by San Francisco Book Review

Throughout our journey along the often bumpy road that we know as life,we will encounter many junctions and have to decide which road we are going to take next. Sometimes, we make the right choice and everything goes well and then,at other times,we make the wrong choice and spend the rest of our lives being occasionally overcome with feelings of doubt and questions of What if. There is also occasions throughout our lives when our paths are chosen for us which is what happens when fate decrees that our main character Maggie needs to renew her drivers licence. It is whilst she is at the Department Of Motor Vehicles that Maggie is informed about the speeding fine that was incurred by her husband Nate whilst he was out in their car with a woman who was most definitely not Maggie. One blurry image sends Maggie on a journey along the rocky road of romance, self discovery, deception, secrets, obsession, mistrust, indecision and betrayal. But what did fate have in store for the author's heroine and where would Maggie's journey end?

Maggie was a multi layered character about whom I had conflicting emotions as the story unfolded, there was aspects of her character that I liked and also aspects that I didn't like. I loved how much Maggie cared for her golden retriever therapy dog Chili, Max and Emily,who were Nate's children from his previous marriage and the adorable elderly couple (and my favourite character's) Betty and Al who she visited with Chili at the residential home. I loved Maggie's taste in music (although I was made to feel my age when Maggie revealed that her mother used to dance along to Save A Prayer by Duran Duran when Maggie was younger, thanks for that author...lol) I could fully empathise with Maggie's difficulties with making decisions and her lack of trust after Nate's betrayal and apparently obsessive behaviour towards her. I found I struggled to decide if Maggie's reaction to her best friend's actions was justifiable or a bit ott and I didn't like the way that she messed around with Drew and Ryan's feelings. Her behaviour raised the questions, Did she enter into the relationships whilst being on the rebound? Did she actually need a man in her life so soon after the end of her marriage? There was instances during the story that there wasn't a lot of difference between her treatment of Drew and Ryan and the way that Maggie had been treated by Nate during their relationship.

Love The Way They Lie is a beautifully written, captivating story of the author's realistic protagonist's battle with her feelings and emotions whilst trying to get her life back on track after the collapse of her marriage. The author draws the reader into Maggie's fictional but believable world that was inhabited by a cast of vivid individuals who each had their own unique personalities and character traits. I thought that this was a  enthralling read and I would gladly read more of this author's books in the future.

                                                                        AUTHOR INFO 

Linda Smolkin always wanted to be a writer—ever since she saw her first TV commercial and wondered how to pen those clever ads. She got her degree in journalism and became a copywriter. Linda landed a job at an ad agency, where she worked for several years before joining the nonprofit world. She's the author of AMONG THE BRANDED, THE SECRET WE LOST, and LOVE THE WAY THEY LIE and currently working on her fourth novel. When not in front of the computer, she's behind the drums escaping into her pretend rock-star world. 

For more information about Linda, visit her website at lindasmolkin.com.

PURCHASE LINK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Way-They-Lie-Novel-ebook/dp/B09HZL7MLV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1TWB0UGJI0A0S&keywords=love+the+way+they+lie+by+linda+smolkin&qid=1643935575&sprefix=Love+the+way+they+%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-1

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