If Ridley Jones had slept ten minutes later or had taken the subway instead of waiting for a cab, she would still be living the beautiful lie she u...
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Feb 06, 2012
Sandi *~The Pirate Wench~*
rated it: 
This is by far the best romantic/suspense book Ive read this year.I have never heard of this author,so on a last minute decision I decided to get this one.Which comes to the "theme" of this book. On the decisions or choices we make and how they play a part in the paths we end up taking in life. Everything in Ridley Jones's life is turned upside down in one moment of a decision. Told in the first person Ridley talks directly to the reader, which really drew me into not just the story it
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May 26, 2008
Jen
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In Beautiful Lies, Ridley Jones unexpectedly finds her nice, normal life turned upsidedown when she heroically saves a little boy from being hit by a car on the streets of New York City. Everything she thought she knew about herself is suddenly called into question and she finds herself in a great deal of danger.
The writing in this book is simply outstanding! I found myself saying very often, "yes, I've thought that same thing and never put it into words" or "yes, I More...
The writing in this book is simply outstanding! I found myself saying very often, "yes, I've thought that same thing and never put it into words" or "yes, I More...
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Aug 30, 2010
Marleen
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I finished Beautiful Lies late last night and I enjoyed it very much. I loved this book and I will give it a 4,5 if I could.
Mostly what I loved about it is that there is so much wisdom and truth in Ridley's reflections, her intro-prospection about life, about who we become and who we love in life. I liked that about this book.
She talks to the reader directly, taking the reader aside to confess her findings & her flaws, that was nice.
The story dragged a tiny bit for me towards More...
Mostly what I loved about it is that there is so much wisdom and truth in Ridley's reflections, her intro-prospection about life, about who we become and who we love in life. I liked that about this book.
She talks to the reader directly, taking the reader aside to confess her findings & her flaws, that was nice.
The story dragged a tiny bit for me towards More...
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Feb 16, 2008
Rhiannon
rated it: 
I picked up this book at the library after seeing the description online and being intrigued by the plot, but not enough to want to pay for it. (Not even as a bargain book from B&N.) The plot was interesting enough, but the answers to the "mystery" was pretty evident from the beginning. To be fair, there were a few things I didn't figure out right away.
While I sped along the story to discover those remaining facts, I got really annoyed with the narration. The story is told by th More...
While I sped along the story to discover those remaining facts, I got really annoyed with the narration. The story is told by th More...
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Jan 17, 2009
Amateur de Livre
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Review by Jennifer Baker
Unlike most of the residents of NYC, Ridley Jones can't think of anything she'd do differently with her life. She is completely content. She loves her small apartment over a pizzeria, she grew up in a home with two loving parents and was well taken care of, and she's doing what she loves writing freelance articles for magazines like Vanity Fair. Ridley's life isn't perfect. She does have a brother whom she loves whole heartedly but he's addicted to drugs More...
Unlike most of the residents of NYC, Ridley Jones can't think of anything she'd do differently with her life. She is completely content. She loves her small apartment over a pizzeria, she grew up in a home with two loving parents and was well taken care of, and she's doing what she loves writing freelance articles for magazines like Vanity Fair. Ridley's life isn't perfect. She does have a brother whom she loves whole heartedly but he's addicted to drugs More...
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Aug 15, 2010
David
rated it:
In my ongoing eReader saga, I just bought the Sony Touch eReader and started a Sony Reader Library account. To see how the new Touch works I bought this novel for like 99 cents. It's actually quite good..... more when I finish.
Now that I finished, Ungar's eBook is a pretty goos summer read, interesting NYC characters and setting. Spoiler alert- if child abductions bother you- well you may want to avoid this book.
Now that I finished, Ungar's eBook is a pretty goos summer read, interesting NYC characters and setting. Spoiler alert- if child abductions bother you- well you may want to avoid this book.
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Feb 25, 2009
Courtney
rated it:
I loved this mystery! Mysteries and thrillers are a genre that I've come to appreciate, but I dislike the gimmicky ones (cat mysteries, anyone?). However, this thriller had a lot going for it. First, I loved the writing. The character is a young female that I could totally relate to. I had trouble guessing what the ending would be like, which means that the plot was complicated and clever enough for me to be kept in the dark! I definitely plan on reading more books by this author--I can't wait t
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Apr 10, 2009
Karen
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I absolutely loved this book and I can't wait to read more by this author! The characters were interesting and I immediately liked Ridley, she was a quirky, yet honest, character and narrator. I enjoy "mysteries" when they're complicated yet believable and Beautiful Lies definitely delivers on both counts! I couldn't wait to get on the train to/from work so that I could read this book!
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Jan 08, 2009
Eric
rated it:
I didn't feel like I was this book's target audience. (Maybe the tagline from Cosmo on the front, back, and spine should have given away whose readers they were hoping to appeal to). I had several times while I was reading that I thought, "wow, this must be the kind of book that hip 30-ish women love."
After finishing it, I saw that there's a book club tie-in and you can get discussion guides for your book club - yep, totally written for hip 30-ish women.
I wi More...
After finishing it, I saw that there's a book club tie-in and you can get discussion guides for your book club - yep, totally written for hip 30-ish women.
I wi More...
Dec 23, 2011
Tom
rated it:
This book is a little slow to start but once it gets going it's a pretty
good story. It'd about a girl named Ridley Jones and shes raised in NJ by
her father Dr Benjamine Jones and her mother Grace . She also has a brother
named Ace. There is also an Uncle Max who is into real estate and building in NY.
Uncle Max is also quite wealthy. A few years before she gets out of school
Uncle Max is killed in a car accident. He leaves a lot of money to her parents
because him an More...
good story. It'd about a girl named Ridley Jones and shes raised in NJ by
her father Dr Benjamine Jones and her mother Grace . She also has a brother
named Ace. There is also an Uncle Max who is into real estate and building in NY.
Uncle Max is also quite wealthy. A few years before she gets out of school
Uncle Max is killed in a car accident. He leaves a lot of money to her parents
because him an More...
Jun 11, 2011
Deb
rated it:
Overall, I enjoyed this read. I think its main draw would have to be the sexy Jake - that's certainly how it came to be on my reading list - "You have to read this book. The main guy is Hot!", so I did.
In fact, I've read it a few times. I love taking a ride with Ridley as her fears grow and she and Jake argue and make up. It's fun trip.
What I didn't like: the whole premise of the book is based on Jake finding Ridley because her photo was plastered all over the media after she More...
In fact, I've read it a few times. I love taking a ride with Ridley as her fears grow and she and Jake argue and make up. It's fun trip.
What I didn't like: the whole premise of the book is based on Jake finding Ridley because her photo was plastered all over the media after she More...
Feb 02, 2011
Christie
rated it: 
Beautiful Lies is a silly book. Silly in the sense that the plot is mostly ridiculously contrived and way more convoluted than it needed to be. But who cares? When you read suspense thrillers only a couple things really matter. First of all- can we get behind the main character? Do we like her/him? Do we care what happens to them? Secondly, is there enough mystery/action/suspense/sex to keep the pages turning?
Beautiful Lies concerns the life of Ridley Jones, a successful, single fr More...
Beautiful Lies concerns the life of Ridley Jones, a successful, single fr More...
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Nov 13, 2010
Karen & Gerard
rated it:
What a remarkable and gripping story Lisa Unger presents in Beautiful Lies. She spins a tale that is both heartbreaking and fascinating as she wrote in such a way that made me feel as though Ridley, the main character, was speaking right to me, explaining what she was feeling and thinking during her incredible experience of sorting through the family secrets. Ridley is a free lance writer who had a happy childhood and grew up in a nice home. One day she gets a photo which turns her whole life
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Oct 09, 2010
Janet
rated it:
I would prefer to give this 3&1/2 stars but 4 will do because this is a good story. And I can't say that the writing is bad - I had trouble putting it down and I didn't figure out the mystery until I was well into the story. But there is such an overuse of adjectives, metaphors, similes ... even the smallest details are described in so many different ways that it just becomes tedious. I think this is because the main character is also the narrator and she goes to extremes to tell you, the rea
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Aug 21, 2010
Madeline
rated it:
Another reviewer says that there's a time line inconsistency in this book, but it took me forever to finally finish it, so I guess I didn't notice.
I had to renew this book from the library, it took me so long to get into it. This is for several reasons--I have a problem with 1st person POVs; it's hard for my to not hate the narrator that way. It's just this irrational pet peeve I have.
The beginning is a little slow. Goes with being a thriller, I suppose--and I don't exactly r More...
I had to renew this book from the library, it took me so long to get into it. This is for several reasons--I have a problem with 1st person POVs; it's hard for my to not hate the narrator that way. It's just this irrational pet peeve I have.
The beginning is a little slow. Goes with being a thriller, I suppose--and I don't exactly r More...
Aug 21, 2010
Kellie
rated it:
t’s been a while since I’ve read a book that grabbed me like this one. I liked the story, I liked the writing style and I liked the characters. The story is about a woman who saves a little boy on the streets of New York and gets national attention. That’s not ALL the attention she gets. Soon, her past starts to unravel and share secrets she was not prepared to discover. One thing I like about this author is her talent with words. It amazes me when an author can capture a certain phrase so
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Aug 05, 2010
Nan
rated it:
I bought this book based upon a recommendation from BN.com. The ebook was very cheap, so I figured I wasn't risking much if I didn't like it. The only real thing I would lose was time.
But I did like it--quite a bit, actually.
This is the story of Ridley Jones and the choices she makes. The novel has essentially two prologues. The first tells the story of a woman in 1972, lying in bed, and fearing that her daughter's father is going to come back tonight. She already ca More...
But I did like it--quite a bit, actually.
This is the story of Ridley Jones and the choices she makes. The novel has essentially two prologues. The first tells the story of a woman in 1972, lying in bed, and fearing that her daughter's father is going to come back tonight. She already ca More...
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Jul 30, 2010
Rebekkila
rated it:
If Ridley Jones had slept ten minutes later or had taken the subway instead of waiting for a cab, she would still be living the beautiful lie she used to call a life. She would still be the priviledged daughter of a doting father and a loving mother. Her life would still be perfect---with only the tiny cracks of an angry junkie for a brother and a charming drunk with shady underworld connections for an uncle to mar the otherwise flawless whole.But that's not what happened. Instead, those inconse
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Jan 18, 2010
Jonathan
rated it:
This, along with its sequel Sliver of Truth, are thrillers by Lisa Unger.
Beautiful Lies is a halfway decent story, and I admit I got caught up in it while reading. However, I suspect if I hadn't I would have found a number of inconsistencies in the plot. Sliver of Truth I enjoyed considerably less. For one, the speaker spends a considerable amount of time addressing the reader directly. For two, the speaker offers up a lot of background information that is completely irrelevant to pl More...
Beautiful Lies is a halfway decent story, and I admit I got caught up in it while reading. However, I suspect if I hadn't I would have found a number of inconsistencies in the plot. Sliver of Truth I enjoyed considerably less. For one, the speaker spends a considerable amount of time addressing the reader directly. For two, the speaker offers up a lot of background information that is completely irrelevant to pl More...
Sep 19, 2009
Irisheyz77
rated it:
Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger is a story that calls into question a person's identity. What do you do when the world and life you thought you knew turned out to be based on a web of lies? The novel is told in the first person by Ridley Jones a free-lance writer whose life changes when she is in the right place at the right time and saves a child from getting hit by a car. This small act gives her 15 minutes of fame and brings her to the attention of a man claiming to be her father. That she was k
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Sep 08, 2009
Lauren
rated it:
Wonderful. A protagonist who is gutsy, lively, thoughtful. A plot with twists and turns, mystery and romance. A nicely sexy, but slightly bad-boy-in-a-good-way romantic interest for our heroine. This is a great read, and I am off to the bookstore to look for more by Unger.
I see some reviews here that dislike the narrative style -- personally, that was one of the most appealing characteristics for me. I loved the feeling that Ridley and I were sitting by a fire as she told her s More...
I see some reviews here that dislike the narrative style -- personally, that was one of the most appealing characteristics for me. I loved the feeling that Ridley and I were sitting by a fire as she told her s More...
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Jan 16, 2011
Debbie
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book despite having pretty much figured out most of the mystery before I was a quarter of the way through it. It was exciting, sexy and a bit sad. Unger constantly, and beautifully illustrates how the small choices we make can change the course... of our lives. I loved how the story is told in the voice of the protagonist, Ridley Jones, a writer. Having said that...I am bothered by a flaw in the story. ***SPOILER ALRET***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOI
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Jul 12, 2009
Laren
rated it:
Our protagonist experiences a series of events which leads to a discovery that everything she knows about her past is a lie. In this book, she attempts to uncover the truth even as it appears that the truth may cost her her life.
Almost everything I needed to know to solve the mystery was contained in the first two chapters. But the unfolding of events leading her to the answer was suspenseful enough to keep me interested in the story anyway with two caveats:
1) I coul More...
Almost everything I needed to know to solve the mystery was contained in the first two chapters. But the unfolding of events leading her to the answer was suspenseful enough to keep me interested in the story anyway with two caveats:
1) I coul More...
Apr 12, 2011
Karen
rated it:
What would you do if you found out your whole life might be been a lie? Would you set off an a journey to find out not matter the danger, or would you turn your back to the truth and pretend to believe in the beautiful lies you've been told? That's the crux of this story, a suspenseful novel of family secrets buried long ago, and a far reaching conspiracy that started out as a noble cause but quickly got out of control.
I enjoyed this novel, and stayed up later than I should have to fi More...
I enjoyed this novel, and stayed up later than I should have to fi More...
Sep 17, 2010
Bailey
rated it:
First and foremost, Ridley bothered me. She never knew why she was doing anything, never questioned anything, and never followed her gut instinct - those red flag waving right in front of your face type feelings. She got involved with crazy people, slept around a little bit, and escaped from all the mayhem unscathed. I wanted to jump into the story and tell her to wake up!
Another thing that was troublesome was Ridley's tone. She'd always say things like, "I know what your think More...
Another thing that was troublesome was Ridley's tone. She'd always say things like, "I know what your think More...
Jan 08, 2011
Rae
rated it:
I read an ARC version of the book printed in 2005, and despite the obvious errors that were no doubt eradicated in the 2006 published version, I was drawn in quickly by the story. I thought Unger's voice was powerful and her use of first-person narrative to express Ridley's perspective of the story was a fantastic one. Instead of feeling limited by the first-person as I usually do, it was nice to see the story from just one person's point of view. In addition, it gave the story more power in my
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Mar 29, 2011
Brittiany
rated it:
A woman's comfortable life is turned upside down when she makes a choice- a choice I think most people would make if in the situation. But that choice leads to the inconceivable... She gets an anonymous note with a photo and a very perplexing question attached. The question gets her asking questions herself, ones she was sure she already knew the answers to. Surprisingly, she's not getting the responses she was expecting.
Meanwhile, a gentleman moves in upstairs and she is immediately More...
Meanwhile, a gentleman moves in upstairs and she is immediately More...
Dec 15, 2011
Bill
rated it:
BEAUTIFUL LIES, by Lisa Unger, is an average thriller that is worth reading because of the narration of the main character, Ridley Jones. Ridley grew up in a wonderful home with great parents, and now lives as a freelance writer in cozy apartment in New York City.
Through random chance, a stranger sees her picture in the paper, and Ridley receives a letter and an old newspaper clipping. The letter claims the man knows something about Ridley's past. Ridley meets a handsome, mysterious More...
Through random chance, a stranger sees her picture in the paper, and Ridley receives a letter and an old newspaper clipping. The letter claims the man knows something about Ridley's past. Ridley meets a handsome, mysterious More...
Sep 01, 2011
Casey
rated it:
Although I've had this book on my shelf for years, I never felt motivated to read it. Once my bookshelf became too full for new books, I gave it a shot, with the intention to donate it after reading.
Ridley is the type of character that infuriates me (should have known, considering the review from Cosmopolitan plastered on the cover). She seems to see herself as an independent, feminist woman, but she doesn't act like one. Instead, she relies on men to take care of her, and narrates p More...
Ridley is the type of character that infuriates me (should have known, considering the review from Cosmopolitan plastered on the cover). She seems to see herself as an independent, feminist woman, but she doesn't act like one. Instead, she relies on men to take care of her, and narrates p More...
Aug 16, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
As a child I used to fantasize that I was adopted (or at least found) despite my resemblance to my family. I would create elaborate stories of how different my life would have been had I been raised by my "real" parents. They would have been loving, attentive, giving, and there would have always been enough, or rather, more than enough of everything. Ridley had that life where there was always more than enough of everything; yet her whole life is a lie. It isn't until an act of heroism
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