The Lies We Told

Jun 11, 2010 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, family-stories

When Rebecca and Maya were teenagers, they witnessed their parents' murder. This horrific event has haunted them all their lives. Now that they are adults, they are finally coming to terms with secrets and lies that have compounded the horror of that awful night.

Twists and turns in the plot keep the reader from being bored and constantly wondering what will happen next. Although I can't say this is the best book I've read, the plot is certainly satisfying, the characters interesting, and Chamber...more

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Jun 08, 2010 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book has issues: infertility, violence, natural disaster, abortion, estranged sisters, and a marriage in trouble. These issues coupled with the "WHAT!?" ending make The Lies We Told interesting to read and perfect to discuss.

At my last job, I was the leader of a book discussion group, and this is exactly the kind of novel that we would have read. It would have created a stir within the members--some loving the characters and their action; some hating the characters and their actions. Howev...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Danielle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, chicklit, for-review

As we grow throughout life there are things that happen to us that become a part of who we are forever. Sometimes those situations that become the layers of our character are so traumatic that we intentionally hide them from those we love the most. For Maya and Rebecca, sisters and the only surviving members of their family, the details behind one incident in particular are so traumatic that they’ve kept them from each other though their love runs deeper than any other. By so doing their lives a...more As we grow throughout life there are things that happen to us that become a part of who we are forever. Sometimes those situations that become the layers of our character are so traumatic that we intentionally hide them from those we love the most. For Maya and Rebecca, sisters and the only surviving members of their family, the details behind one incident in particular are so traumatic that they’ve kept them from each other though their love runs deeper than any other. By so doing their lives are impacted from that moment on, and for more reason than the sudden and tragic death of their parents.

On a whole, The Lies We Told is an amazing story that’s beautifully crafted by Diane Chamberlain’s beautiful writing. I absolutely loved the story as it was told by both Maya and Rebecca. Both the characters were so well developed even from the very first few pages. And their sometimes drastic personality differences made the story an incredibly interesting read. It’s also the underlying theme of the lies we tell that transforms the story and explores the impact of our honesty (or dishonesty) on those around us.

Also, I should add, that as a person who has struggled with infertility, both personally and within my immediate family, the first chapter was excruciating to read. In fact, I almost put it down after reading it. I’m glad I didn’t, but Chamberlain did such an incredible job painting that unbearable experience of almost having something you’ve longed for and then losing it just before it was yours. So well that it was hard to read. The remedy she presents in the story is one I wouldn’t have expected and isn’t revealed until very close to the end. In fact, if I had any qualms about the book, it would be the ending and how the main characters lives ended on a happy, but not quite right place.

Overall, The Lies We Told was an impressive story about relationships and the impact our choices have on those around us. I adored the main characters in the story and was terribly sad that they didn’t end up quite how I was hoping. The Lies We Told was a thought provoking story with just the right amount of suspense and adventure to keep me glued to the pages until the very end. This beautifully written and thoughtful story is definitely worth picking up soon, if you haven’t already.(less)

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Jun 01, 2012 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

After reading the blurb I was really keen to read this book. I've enjoyed all the Diane Chamberlain books I've read before, and so was confident I'd enjoy this one just as much. Initially, I did. I really liked how I was reading from Maya's point of view, and then from Rebecca's. However I felt that the story took quite a while to get going. The blurb reveals that Maya goes missing, but this didn't happen until well over 100 pages in. Whilst I enjoyed the story up until this point, I felt that t...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Heather rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book had way too much drama for me and the ending was so neat and tidy after all the mess I couldn't stand it. This book tackled a natural disaster, a missing person, murder, infertility and family relationships. ONE of those big topics could have taken center stage and made me like the characters, but with all of that going on I couldn't get a feel for any of them.

Maya and Rebecca are sisters. They're parents are murdered in front of them and they are left to be each other's family. Maya...more This book had way too much drama for me and the ending was so neat and tidy after all the mess I couldn't stand it. This book tackled a natural disaster, a missing person, murder, infertility and family relationships. ONE of those big topics could have taken center stage and made me like the characters, but with all of that going on I couldn't get a feel for any of them.

Maya and Rebecca are sisters. They're parents are murdered in front of them and they are left to be each other's family. Maya is timid and shy, while Rebecca is wild and crazy. Both become doctors. Maya meets Adam and they get married, then try to start having children. After Maya's third miscarriage it comes out that she had an abortion as a teenager. Adam and Maya are angry with each other and never quite talk about when or why she had the abortion. Rebecca works for an agency that sends in medical help after a natural disaster. There is a hurricane and she is sent there. Adam also goes as his first mission with them. He calls Maya and pleads for her to join them. When she does she's sent up in a helicopter that crashes. From there you follow her story as she's held captive by a pregnant teenager and her abusive, crazy boyfriend. At the same time the author shows us Rebecca falling in love with Adam. These feelings seem very much seated in the situation, but in the end they are together. Maya is happily on her own and the world is a wonderful place. *insert eye roll and sarcasm here*

I didn't like any of these characters. I felt they made things with Rebecca and Adam too easy. Adam's lack of grief when he thinks his wife has died just seemed unbelievable. Yes, he had been angry with her prior to her disappearance, but wouldn't that make him grieve more and not ready to bed her sister? You'd think, but no. Rebecca is also painted as one dimensional. As though she doesn't need anyone in her life, but then suddenly she's in love with her brother in law. Maybe if they met after Maya disappeared this would seem more believable, but knowing they'd been in each other's lives for years just made it seem ridiculous.

I've tried not to give too much away in this review. If you want to read it you'll still get a few surprises, but I spent most of my time just annoyed with all of the people in this book.

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Jan 29, 2012 Diane rated it 3 of 5 stars

Rebecca and Maya are sisters and physicians. They have survived a traumatic childhood ~their parents were murdered in their driveway. Rebecca refused to allow Maya to go to a foster home and gave up a lot to raise Maya. While Rebecca works for a disaster aid company and seems to have trouble settling down, Maya is a paediatrician with a speciality in orthopaedics and works in a safe, hospital environment with a loving husband and wants to start a family. Maya and Rebecca both have secrets; from...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

My first Diane Chamberlain book and it was great! I thought it would be formulaic but happily this book was very complicated and the author has a talent for writing very good description which enhanced the narrative. Two sisters,Rebecca and Maya, are doctors in adulthood, but lost their parents in a shocking crime when they were teens. Rebecca's temperament is to be bold and wild and offer her doctoring services in disaster relief situations. Maya is a pediatrician craving order, balance, and sa...more

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Mar 20, 2011 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adultfiction

Maya and Rebecca's parents were murdered when the girls were teenagers; Rebecca, the older sister, has since taken care of Maya. This pattern does not cease as they become adults. Rebecca finds herself working for Doctors International Disaster Aid (DIDA), a single and strong woman. Maya, also a doctor, has a mild temperament and the unfortunate problem of miscarrying the babies she and her anesthesiologist husband Adam want.

After two "sister storm" hurricanes hit near their home in North Caroli...more

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Nov 03, 2010 Louise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: literature-fiction

Rebecca and Maya Ward are both doctors, but that’s where the similarities between them ends. Rebecca is a more adventurous woman while Maya is more layed back and likes her days to be the same. She enjoys her paediatric practice and likes the days she spends in the clinic.

When Rebecca and Maya were teenagers, the saw their parents murdered but Rebecca saved Maya from being the killer’s next victim. The killing of their parents left Maya very cautious and timorous, attending her medical practice...more Rebecca and Maya Ward are both doctors, but that’s where the similarities between them ends. Rebecca is a more adventurous woman while Maya is more layed back and likes her days to be the same. She enjoys her paediatric practice and likes the days she spends in the clinic.

When Rebecca and Maya were teenagers, the saw their parents murdered but Rebecca saved Maya from being the killer’s next victim. The killing of their parents left Maya very cautious and timorous, attending her medical practice each day with her husband, Adam.

Rebecca works full-time for an organization called DIDA (Doctor’s International Disaster Aid). She attends places that have been flooded, towns/cities that have been ravaged by hurricanes and tsunamis. Rebecca is a huge risk taker and loves her job with DIDA, although it gets hectic and she often has to work 2 or 3 days in a row, but she gets a charge out of caring for the patients she sees in these devastated areas. Soon Rebecca is called to North Carolina where a devastating hurricane has hit the coast and there are thousands of people trapped in the airport looking for medical care. Rebecca and Adam, Maya’s husband, head off into the unknown, with no awareness of what they’ll find when they get there.

Adam decides it would be a good experience for Maya as she has never done anything remotely close to working for a disaster organization and they didn’t have a paediatrician on their crew. He calls her at home and convinces her to come and help. Maya threw herself into the job caring for patients but when the helicopter she was flying in crashes into raging floodwaters, there appear to be no survivors. Rebecca and Adam are devastated. As more and more time passes with the search team not finding anyone alive, Rebecca is grieving over losing a sister and Adam his wife.

Rebecca and Adam turn to each other for comfort and solace which then turns into passion. However, they are unaware that miles and miles from civilization, Maya is injured and trapped with people she’s not sure she can trust. Maya must find the strength and the courage to save herself, completely unaware that her life has changed forever.

An excellent read that will stay with you long after the last page has been turned.
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Sep 04, 2010 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is an emotionally gripping book that is beautifully written and perfectly paced. The setting for quite a bit of the book is North Carolina in the aftermath of a double hurricane. Diane Chamberlain adeptly conveys the chaotic state of makeshift hospitals and the extreme working conditions the doctors and other rescue team members are forced to work in. She pulls you in and presents detailed realistic circumstances, allowing a greater appreciation for the men and women who work with real life...more

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Aug 23, 2010 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Okay, I admit it. I am a huge fan of Diane Chamberlain. I have read her books for many years and loved them all. This one does not disappoint. Chamberlain is a former psychologist/social worker and really understands people very well. She has seen some of the darker sides of life and the effects that secrets and lies have on people. She weaves stories that just keep you on the edge of the chair.

I am not going to write too much about the story because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I thoug...more

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Jun 02, 2010 Leann rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone

Shelves: review-written, read-2010

Product Details

* Pub. Date: May 2010
* Publisher: Mira
* Format: Paperback, 379pp
* Sales Rank: 8,019

* ISBN-13: 9780778328537
* ISBN: 0778328538

Synopsis

Maya and Rebecca Ward are both accomplished physicians, but that's where the sisters' similarities end. As teenagers, they witnessed their parents' murder, but it was Rebecca who saved Maya from becoming another of the gunman's victims. The tragedy left Maya cautious and timid, settling for a sedate medical practice with her husband, Adam, whil...more Product Details

* Pub. Date: May 2010
* Publisher: Mira
* Format: Paperback, 379pp
* Sales Rank: 8,019

* ISBN-13: 9780778328537
* ISBN: 0778328538

Synopsis

Maya and Rebecca Ward are both accomplished physicians, but that's where the sisters' similarities end. As teenagers, they witnessed their parents' murder, but it was Rebecca who saved Maya from becoming another of the gunman's victims. The tragedy left Maya cautious and timid, settling for a sedate medical practice with her husband, Adam, while Rebecca became the risk taker.

After a devastating hurricane hits the coast of North Carolina, Rebecca and Adam urge Maya to join them in the relief effort. To please her husband, Maya finally agrees. She loses herself in the care and transport of victims, but when her helicopter crashes into raging floodwaters, there appear to be no survivors.

Forced to accept Maya is gone, Rebecca and Adam turn to one another—first for comfort, then in passion—unaware that, miles from civilization, Maya is injured and trapped with strangers she's not certain she can trust. Away from the sister who has always been there to save her, now Maya must find the courage to save herself—unaware that the life she knew has changed forever.

My review:

I enjoy Diane Chamberlain's books because there is always underlying plots withing the main ones. This book was no different I got to the middle of the book and thought I know how this is going to turn out and it is going to make Maya more timid and non-trusting. But I was wrong. I have to say my favorite character was Maya, she was portrayed through out the book as this timid and vulnerable person but when everything counted; her life, her motives, her passions she stepped up to the plate and delivered a strong and invincible woman. I would like to think all women would want to feel that way. All the rest of the characters were well-rounded and as a reader I could really see each character as their own identity.

Yet again Diane Chamberlain delivered a wonderful read.(less)

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Mar 27, 2011 Angie Stockton rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, family-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Synopsis
Maya and Rebecca Ward are both accomplished physicians, but that's where the sisters' similarities end. As teenagers, they witnessed their parents' murder, but it was Rebecca who saved Maya from becoming another of the gunman's victims. The tragedy left Maya cautious and timid, settling for a sedate medical practice with her husband, Adam, while Rebecca became the risk taker.

After a devastating hurricane hits the coast of North Carolina, Rebecca and Adam urge Maya to join them in the rel...more

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Jun 25, 2010 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.0 out of 5 stars No lie...this is a good read!, June 25, 2010
By Denise "DC" (Missouri, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)
This review is from: The Lies We Told (Paperback)
Disclaimer: this book would have earned a 5-star rating from me had it not ended the way it did. I won't spoil it for anyone, but I thought that the resolution of the conflict and the way the story wrapped up was just not realistic in light of how I had viewed the characters, their personalities, and their motivations thr...more
4.0 out of 5 stars No lie...this is a good read!, June 25, 2010
By Denise "DC" (Missouri, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)
This review is from: The Lies We Told (Paperback)
Disclaimer: this book would have earned a 5-star rating from me had it not ended the way it did. I won't spoil it for anyone, but I thought that the resolution of the conflict and the way the story wrapped up was just not realistic in light of how I had viewed the characters, their personalities, and their motivations throughout the course of the novel.

Maya and Rebecca -- sisters, friends, doctors -- have a special bond that was created in the aftermath of the murder of their parents when both were teenagers. Wild and free-spirited older sister Rebecca takes on the burden of caring for and raising 14-year-old Maya when she is barely 18. Both go on to medical school and have very different lives as adult women. Maya is the quiet one; she's married to a fellow doctor named Adam, and they long for children. After suffering through a series of miscarriages, their marriage is faltering. Rebecca is deeply involved with a relief organization known as DIDA (Doctors International Disaster Aid) and lives her days ricocheting from tragedy to disaster all over the world. The sisters are very close and supportive of each other, all the while continuing to live in ways that support their self-created myth that Maya is the weak one and Rebecca is the strong one. The lies they tell each other, and the ones they hold in their hearts, are roiling beneath the surface calm of their lives.

After a third miscarriage, Maya is disconsolate. Adam is distant and shattered by a revelation that Maya makes in the doctor's office. When a hurricane hits the North Carolina coast, he signs on immediately and joins Rebecca at a makeshift airport infirmary where they are inundated with more sick and injured than they can handle. Both urge Maya to come help in the relief efforts, and against all odds, she shows up! Unfortunately, while on a transport mission, the helicopter that she is riding in crashes into a flood zone and there is no sign of her at the site.

Believing Maya dead, Rebecca and Adam become closer than ever in their shared grief. But something changes between them. Meanwhile, the injured Maya is held on a piece of land that is surrounded by water, with no way off the island, and a fear that her rescuers might not have her best intentions at heart.

The sisters learn more about themselves and then the pieces of their shared history begin to unravel as each starts a journey of self discovery. Rebecca and Maya will never be the same.

I thought the book was great until the last couple of chapters. I liked the character of Maya much more so than the persona of Rebecca -- for various reasons. I don't feel that the pat ending that the author wrote (and by the way she is one of my favorite authors) rang true and it really irritated me. I'd be interested to hear if other readers felt it was too contrived and unbelievable to them as well.

In any event, if you can get past the ending, you'll enjoy the book. I'd still recommend it. (less)

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Jun 24, 2010 Eileen Granfors rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: families, local-color, medical-issues, women

In "The Lies We Told" Diane Chamberlain writes of families and relationships, but places them in the larger world, in this case, Raleigh and then Wilmington, North Carolina. The kicker is that the state is hit by two successive hurricanes and the disaster surrounding the population overwhelms civic services.

The protagonists, sisters Rebecca and Maya, are both doctors. The death of their parents by murder when they were in their teens inflicted horrible psychological injury on them. Yet, each dea...more

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Jul 07, 2010 Corey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazon-vine, read-in-2010

After seeing their parents murder in cold blood before their eyes, sisters Maya and Rebecca's lives have changed forever. While they both grow up to be amazing doctors in their own fields, Rebecca has chose to face fear in the face day after day while Maya prefers to live in comfort rarely inviting fear to her doorstep. They are both close but have one thing they will never speak about - the night of their parents murder. They are forced to relive the past though when they end up in a situation...more

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May 17, 2010 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

The Lies We Told, is a book I stayed up to finish, it's action packed; a page turner that you don't, almost can't put down until it's over, if your anything like me, at least – I had to know what the future could be for these two beautiful and ultimately amazing woman. Though, I have to say, the ending for me was a very hard pill to swallow, I understood why it had to end the way it did...but that does not, at all, mean I wanted it to end this way.

The Lies We Told ultimately left me with a prom...more

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Jun 27, 2010 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have been a huge fan of Diane Chamberlain since reading, “The Secret Life of Cee Cee Wilkes.” I was contacted by her publicist to see if I would be interested in reading her latest book, “Lies We Told,” and sharing my thoughts on it with my readers.

This story is about two sisters who are both hardworking doctors, but that is where their similarities end. Maya & Rebecca are as different as night and day and both harboring secret about the murder of their parents that have shaped them as ad...more I have been a huge fan of Diane Chamberlain since reading, “The Secret Life of Cee Cee Wilkes.” I was contacted by her publicist to see if I would be interested in reading her latest book, “Lies We Told,” and sharing my thoughts on it with my readers.

This story is about two sisters who are both hardworking doctors, but that is where their similarities end. Maya & Rebecca are as different as night and day and both harboring secret about the murder of their parents that have shaped them as adults.

Maya is married to a wonderful husband, but suffers from infertility that has caused a strain in her relationship with her spouse. Rebecca, on the other hand, is a free spirited woman who works for a disaster aid program where her job changes from day to day. The sisters are close and Rebecca acts as Maya’s fill-in mother since their mother has passed away.

After two hurricanes hit the state of North Carolina, Maya and her husband, Adam, decide to join the relief effort and help the organization care for those who are sick and injured since the devastating hurricanes came through. When Maya is sent to care for a group of patients being airlifted to the hospital, her helicopter crashes and Maya is thought to not have survived the crash.

While Rebecca and Adam continue to work for the disaster aid organization, they are both left devastated without Maya. They turn to one another for comfort as they cling to the small piece of hope that Maya may have survived.

Maya, meanwhile, awakens to find she is being cared for on an isolated island by a very pregnant Tully and her husband. They work hard to nurse her back to health and care for her until she can be rescued, while her family never knows that she is still alive and is planning her memorial service.

I loved this book, but hated the improbable and tidy ending of the book. I wished that the author went a little further after all of the character development. The ending left me shaking my head and wishing that it hadn’t ended the way it did. If you can look past the ending, the book was a good summer read.
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Jan 02, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: EVERYONE; Jodi Picoult fans

Shelves: library

OH MY GOSH. This book is FANTASTIC. I was seriously going through a reading rut. I felt like I wasn't liking anything, but this book was AMAZING. This was my first Diane Chamberlain book, and I've heard she's a lot like Jodi Picoult, and I agree. Her stories are outrageous, and it's clear she's a very experienced writer. I loved how it went back and forth between the two sisters, and the book had so many twists and turns that it's not even funny. And the ending just blew me over the edge. I will...more OH MY GOSH. This book is FANTASTIC. I was seriously going through a reading rut. I felt like I wasn't liking anything, but this book was AMAZING. This was my first Diane Chamberlain book, and I've heard she's a lot like Jodi Picoult, and I agree. Her stories are outrageous, and it's clear she's a very experienced writer. I loved how it went back and forth between the two sisters, and the book had so many twists and turns that it's not even funny. And the ending just blew me over the edge. I will deffinitley keep reading more Diane Chamberlain. I've heard this is one of her not so great books, so I'm excited what else she has out. I recommend this book to EVERYONE! Read it!

It's about two sisters: Maya and Rebecca. Rebecca is the wild one; Maya is the one who settled down and wants to have kids, unlike Rebecca. Both sisters are doctors, but Rebecca works for DIDA, a company that helps those after tragedy has struck. Like a hurricane, etc. When they need more people, Adam (Maya's husband) goes and works with Rebecca, and eventually, Rebecca convinces Maya to come help. When Maya's plane crashes, two people take her in. The story between these two people and Maya is insane. It was one of the most interesting thing I've ever read. And Maya and Adam back home are trying to get over the loss of their sister, thinking she is dead, and only getting closer to each other. Maybe too close.

(view spoiler)(less)

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Jun 12, 2010 Jonita rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rebecca and Maya are sisters with a past that haunts them. As teenagers- Maya was 14, Rebecca 18- they witnessed the murder of their parents by one of their father's ex-students. Rebecca put her life on hold to raise her little sister and to keep her out of foster care, and both went on to become doctors. That's where their similarities end- Rebecca is now a doctor working with DIDA, a group of doctors sent to disaster areas. Maya is an orthopedic surgeon working with children (she knits tiny li...more Rebecca and Maya are sisters with a past that haunts them. As teenagers- Maya was 14, Rebecca 18- they witnessed the murder of their parents by one of their father's ex-students. Rebecca put her life on hold to raise her little sister and to keep her out of foster care, and both went on to become doctors. That's where their similarities end- Rebecca is now a doctor working with DIDA, a group of doctors sent to disaster areas. Maya is an orthopedic surgeon working with children (she knits tiny little bones together), married to a fellow doctor, Adam, who is desperately trying for a baby.

After Maya miscarries her third baby, Adam is called to help when a hurricane devastates the coast of North Carolina. Realizing that a pediatrician is badly needed, Adam convinces timid Maya to come down to help out. Shortly after her arrival, the helicopter bringing Maya and several patients to a local hospital goes down. Maya is missing, and she is presumed dead.

Meanwhile, Rebecca, usually the one who jumps from one relationship, one adventure, to the next, finds herself dreaming of motherhood. Even worse, she finds herself intensely attracted to Adam, her sister's husband, and finds herself unable to stop thinking about him. Adam and Rebecca turn to one another in grief and in passion, unaware of the fact that Maya is alive, but injured and stranded on a small island with strangers. Maya must find a new strength to get her through a threatening situation, not knowing that life as she knew it has changed forever.

I enjoyed "The Lies We Told" far more than I had even anticipated. I tore through it at almost a frantic pace, desperate to know what was going to happen next. Diane Chamberlain has written a book that is both compelling and almost impossible to put down once you've started. There's also a hint of mystery which I enjoyed. When Maya finds herself stranded on an island with strangers I knew that there was something wrong, but it was not until the later chapters that I was able to put my finger on what it was that was amiss. The fact that Diane Chamberlain kept me guessing was one of the reasons that I couldn't put "The Lies We Told" down.

What I enjoyed the most about this book was watching Maya come in to herself. At the beginning of the book she is timid. She allows her sister and her husband to baby her, and she is fine as long as she is tucked into her safe little cocoon. Even when she agrees to come to North Carolina, she is only doing it because her husband has asked her to, not because it is something that she wants to do for herself. Later, when Maya is stranded, she is unable to rely on others and instead has to begin relying on herself. She surprises even herself with how strong she becomes, and that is when she became my favourite character in the book.

The conclusion of the book was not what I was expecting initially, but it was exactly how I hoped it would end. Chamberlain has written a book filled with surprises that you'll want to read in one sitting.(less)

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May 18, 2010 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley_review, fiction, read-in-2010

I really enjoyed this book, much more than I'd anticipated. It's difficult to categorize ... it has elements of chick-lit but it is so much more. Overall, this novel contains a very compelling story with really interesting characters. The pacing of the novel is excellent ... it has a steady, impactful pace. I didn't want to put it down because I HAD to know what was coming next. This is definitely a page turner! The story was told in alternating voices which is a interesting way for a story to u...more

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Nov 06, 2011 stars rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, family, fiction, contemporary, romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Synopsis
Maya and Rebecca Ward are both accomplished physicians, but that's where the sisters' similarities end. As teenagers, they witnessed their parents' murder, but it was Rebecca who saved Maya from becoming another of the gunman's victims. The tragedy left Maya cautious and timid, settling for a sedate medical practice with her husband, Adam, while Rebecca became the risk taker.

After a devastating hurricane hits the coast of North Carolina, Rebecca and Adam urge Maya to join them in the r...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Tina Rae rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: mystery/thriller fans

Recommended to Tina Rae by: Elizabeth

Shelves: favorites

This book was so unbelievably good!!! I honestly can't stop thinking about it. And I also may or may not have recommended it to my grandmother and proceeded to tell her bits of it (nothing spoiler-y, just enough to get her interested). It was seriously one of the best books I've ever read in my life.

I loved the building suspense to finally reveal each of the secrets the two sisters had kept from each other. I also loved the way this story presented itself. How it was really Maya's story (since h...more

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Mar 26, 2011 Heffalumpi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2011

The story was about the relationship between two sisters who had lost their parents at a young age but was set many years after the incident.

The book started off really well and I thoroughly enjoyed it until one of the main characters, Maya went missing. The book was told from the perspective of both sisters, Rebecca and Maya running in paralell. I found Maya's story throughout the entire book to be really well written and quite believeable, however, Rebecca started to really annoy me and she di...more

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Jun 22, 2010 Glenda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2010

Maya and Rebecca Ward are both accomplished physicians, but that's where the sisters' similarities end. As teenagers, they witness their parents' murder. Both keep silent about details surrounding their parents' deaths as they struggle to put their lives back together. This tragedy leaves Maya cautious and timid, settling for a sedate medical practice with her husband Adam, while Rebecca becomes the risk taker, working for a disaster relief organization.
I loved the characters Simmee and Lady Ali...more

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Jul 07, 2010 Laurel-Rain rated it 4 of 5 stars

Two sisters, Rebecca and Maya Ward, smart and talented physicians, live with the consequences of a long-ago day when their parents were murdered.

Rebecca was eighteen when it happened, and because her fourteen-year-old sister was in the car with her father when he was shot, she has always been protective of her. She helped raise her and guide her. But what neither sister has ever shared with the other are the secrets they each held close. Secrets that have kept them from truly becoming the indivi...more Two sisters, Rebecca and Maya Ward, smart and talented physicians, live with the consequences of a long-ago day when their parents were murdered.

Rebecca was eighteen when it happened, and because her fourteen-year-old sister was in the car with her father when he was shot, she has always been protective of her. She helped raise her and guide her. But what neither sister has ever shared with the other are the secrets they each held close. Secrets that have kept them from truly becoming the individuals they could have been.

Now Maya and Adam (another doctor) are married and their longing for a child of their own has added a deep sorrow to their lives, as Maya has miscarried three times. And now she must face the possibility that she will never have a child.

During hurricane season in North Carolina, Maya and Adam join Rebecca in assisting the victims. Maya has agreed to come, but with great trepidation. So when her helicopter goes down in one of the transports, Rebecca and Adam fear that she is dead. No survivors are found and every day, the search yields nothing; finally the searchers stop looking. For two weeks they mourn and gradually lose hope—even as they grow closer to one another.

Meanwhile, on a nearly deserted island, Maya has survived and is under the care of a young couple. What Maya doesn't realize, but will soon learn, is that nothing is as it seems within that family. And everything is about to get very dangerous.

In this story, with alternating chapters devoted to Maya and Rebecca—with Maya's chapters narrated in the first-person voice—we gradually come to know these two women and slowly uncover the deepest, darkest secrets of their lives.

By the end of the story, I felt that I knew Maya and Rebecca quite well, down to their innermost thoughts. Adam, on the other hand, seemed less clear to me. Maybe the fact that his "story" was only told from the perspectives of the two women contributed to my inability to see him clearly.

The Lies We Told was compelling and I thoroughly enjoyed it—until the end. With so much unresolved between the three major characters, I had hoped to follow their transition after the disaster. Instead, the book jumps to the epilogue, which more or less briefly summarizes what has happened to them all in the one-year period after the disastrous events.

I felt disappointed and as if so much could have been done with the characters as they tried to put their lives back together. Instead, it felt as though the author just wanted to "finish" the story. Therefore, I'm granting four stars instead of five. I would still recommend it as a worthwhile and very readable book, however. (less)

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Nov 13, 2011 Tracy B. (personal account) Babiasz rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've not read Diane Chamberlain before, but I decided to try her because she seems to write along the lines of authors I like already, and it's always fun to read an NC author. The writing was what I expected, and I really enjoyed her style. Looking only at the writing itself, I'd highly recommend her to fans of major women's fiction writers--Nora Roberts, Kristin Hannah, Jodi Picoult, Luann Rice, Anne Tyler, Jacquelyn Mitchard. But by half-way through the book, I couldn't stand most of the char...more

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Aug 17, 2010 Kristy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Maya and Rebecca have developed into two very different women after the murder of their parents. Though both are doctors, Maya shows strength only when dealing with one of her young patients, while Rebecca goes from one disaster area after another offering help. Maya is married and trying to start a family, while Rebecca's job comes first. However, when disaster strikes and both sisters volunteer their medical experience, tragedy strikes and the "lies" come out.
Though I really enjoyed this book...more

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May 15, 2011 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, library

This was chosen as the book for May in our online book club- and I'm so glad I read it. I haven't read any Diane Chamberlain before- but what a treat. I can't wait to read all of the others now.

Maya and her sister Rebecca lose their parents in an awful crime when they are youngsters. Rebecca manages to take care of her 14 year old sister. They never discuss the crime that happened- although they both have reasons to blame themselves for the series of events. Maya is married and longing for a bab...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Denise rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: ANYONE

Shelves: female-author, fiction

I was fortunate to receive an ARC of this novel and am SO glad I did! It is the story of two sisters and fascinating family secrets--a story that only Diane Chamberlain can tell! This will definitely be another winner from Diane who is my favorite author. I highly recommend it!

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