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The Lying Game
There are some things we are never meant to know . . .
Harriet Lockwood has never really bonded with her daughter, Florence, the way she has with her three sons. Then one day, she discovers why. The girl she’s raised for the last fifteen years is not her biological child.
Zoey Sands is a single mother with a chaotic lifestyle. The one constant in her life is her daughter, Nell. Nothing can ever come between them – can it?
When Harriet turns up on Zoey’s doorstep demanding to see her biological daughter, the two families are plunged into a storm of bitter rivalries… and unexpected alliances.
Harriet Lockwood has never really bonded with her daughter, Florence, the way she has with her three sons. Then one day, she discovers why. The girl she’s raised for the last fifteen years is not her biological child.
Zoey Sands is a single mother with a chaotic lifestyle. The one constant in her life is her daughter, Nell. Nothing can ever come between them – can it?
When Harriet turns up on Zoey’s doorstep demanding to see her biological daughter, the two families are plunged into a storm of bitter rivalries… and unexpected alliances.
320 pages, Paperback
First published May 23, 2013
14 people are currently reading
469 people want to read
About the author
Tess Stimson
22 books638 followersTess Stimson is the author of fifteen novels - including international bestseller The New House - which have been translated into dozens of languages, plus two non-fiction books. Her new book, The Perfect Accident, will be published in April 2026.
A former British journalist and reporter, Stimson was appointed Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Florida in 2002 and moved to the US. In addition to writing fiction, she continues to work as a journalist and teaches reporting for media and creative writing at a university in the Northeastern US. She now lives in Vermont with her husband, and is visited intermittently by her three grown-up children whenever they need their laundry done.
For more information, visit Tess's website or follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
A former British journalist and reporter, Stimson was appointed Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Florida in 2002 and moved to the US. In addition to writing fiction, she continues to work as a journalist and teaches reporting for media and creative writing at a university in the Northeastern US. She now lives in Vermont with her husband, and is visited intermittently by her three grown-up children whenever they need their laundry done.
For more information, visit Tess's website or follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
June 23, 2016
One and a half stars.
The premise of this book initially sounded interesting as it introduces the reader to two mothers, Harriet and Zoey, and two daughters, Florence and Nell. Harriet is married to Oliver. Zoey is in a long time relationship with Richard. Each of the daughters is fifteen when they one of the mothers discovers after the need for a blood transfusion that the child she has raised could not be her biological child. I was interested enough for a while, but as the story progressed some of the decisions made by the supposed adults were so selfish, with no consideration or respect for anyone else, that I shook my head in disbelief. Add to that sex scenes that wanted to describe everything in graphic, banal detail and I found myself skimming more than I read. The adult characters were, with the exception of Richard, largely unlikeable. In the end I didn’t care what happened to them though I was curious to see how the situation was resolved. That became my next problem with this book. One aspect of the ending was so much of a cop out and an easy resolution. I was left wondering why I had bothered reading this book at all. I know other people have enjoyed it but for me it was hugely disappointing.
The premise of this book initially sounded interesting as it introduces the reader to two mothers, Harriet and Zoey, and two daughters, Florence and Nell. Harriet is married to Oliver. Zoey is in a long time relationship with Richard. Each of the daughters is fifteen when they one of the mothers discovers after the need for a blood transfusion that the child she has raised could not be her biological child. I was interested enough for a while, but as the story progressed some of the decisions made by the supposed adults were so selfish, with no consideration or respect for anyone else, that I shook my head in disbelief. Add to that sex scenes that wanted to describe everything in graphic, banal detail and I found myself skimming more than I read. The adult characters were, with the exception of Richard, largely unlikeable. In the end I didn’t care what happened to them though I was curious to see how the situation was resolved. That became my next problem with this book. One aspect of the ending was so much of a cop out and an easy resolution. I was left wondering why I had bothered reading this book at all. I know other people have enjoyed it but for me it was hugely disappointing.
July 15, 2013
I was so disappointed with this book. I’ve been looking for good multi-narrator novels, and Tess Stimson handles multi-narrator tales quite well. The book started off very well, expertly paced, with well-detailed, believable characters. I enjoyed the story, about two babies switched accidentally in a London hospital, and the choices to be made when the families (one still in London, one now living in the US) discover the truth fifteen years later. Up to the reunion and the layers of complications, I was fully invested in the story. Without giving details of the story away, this book fell apart for me from the Maine trip on. Characters can certainly make bad choices, but as a reader, I need to understand their motivations. I felt that the events were happening in a haphazard manner, simply to end each chapter on some type of cliffhanger event, and I found myself skim-reading to the end. A shame, because I thought the book started so well.
July 20, 2021
Found the characters ALL pretty much unlikable in this story, of an unlikely switched at birth scenario when they were wearing bracelets in a fire drill?!??fast forward 15 years and the families find out.
July 30, 2024
Only read this book if you want to be royally pissed off. First the author clearly wrote Harriet after a woman she absolutely hated. The full scale betrayal and hateful attitude all of the characters have for Harriet is unacceptable and yet I think the author still plays her out to be the bad guy. I won’t lie, I stopped reading after Oliver cheats and Harriet with Zoey. No. Absolutely not. I skimmed through enough to see that in the end she puts Harriet and Oliver back together. Insanity. Horrendous. Hated this
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2016
Harriet Lockwood loves her daughter Florence, but has never bonded with her, though she bonded instantly with her three sons from birth. Harriet never got along with Florence, and one day she claims to realize why.
After an accident occurs, Harriet gets a DNA test done against Florence. It comes back stating that Florence is not the biological child of Harriet and Oliver's.
Harriet now knows why she never bonded with Florence, she did not give birth to her and there is no natural connection there as it was with her three boys.
Harriet tracks down her biological daughter Nell, whom she instantly refers to as "her" daughter. On the flip side, Zoey, Florence's biological mother, initially has a completely different reaction to the situation than Harriet did.
Zoey was not interested in Florence at all, Nell was her daughter and that was that, she didn't like being referred to as Florence's mother. Zoey did not like Harriet referring to herself as Nell's mother.
I thought Harriet was 100% wrong in her beliefs that not giving birth to Florence explained why they were not close. That very belief is insulting to the millions of adopted children out there who do have strong bonds with the people who are legally their parents, and also to many step-families.
I did think that Harriet's need to find out about Nell was realistic. While biology isn't everything, she DID give birth to another girl, and since that was important to her, it wouldn't have made sense if she had left things alone after finding out the truth, like her husband wanted.
Oliver was more worried about how Florence would feel, rather than focusing on another girl who was a stranger to him. Harriet never seemed to think about how Florence would feel.
Zoey's initial reaction was a bit bizarre to me, how could someone have zero interest in even hearing about the child they created? She was like, oh, it doesn't matter, Nell is my daughter. As the story plays out, things change and the characters feel all sorts of ways, but that didn't make the story better for me.
After an accident occurs, Harriet gets a DNA test done against Florence. It comes back stating that Florence is not the biological child of Harriet and Oliver's.
Harriet now knows why she never bonded with Florence, she did not give birth to her and there is no natural connection there as it was with her three boys.
Harriet tracks down her biological daughter Nell, whom she instantly refers to as "her" daughter. On the flip side, Zoey, Florence's biological mother, initially has a completely different reaction to the situation than Harriet did.
Zoey was not interested in Florence at all, Nell was her daughter and that was that, she didn't like being referred to as Florence's mother. Zoey did not like Harriet referring to herself as Nell's mother.
I thought Harriet was 100% wrong in her beliefs that not giving birth to Florence explained why they were not close. That very belief is insulting to the millions of adopted children out there who do have strong bonds with the people who are legally their parents, and also to many step-families.
I did think that Harriet's need to find out about Nell was realistic. While biology isn't everything, she DID give birth to another girl, and since that was important to her, it wouldn't have made sense if she had left things alone after finding out the truth, like her husband wanted.
Oliver was more worried about how Florence would feel, rather than focusing on another girl who was a stranger to him. Harriet never seemed to think about how Florence would feel.
Zoey's initial reaction was a bit bizarre to me, how could someone have zero interest in even hearing about the child they created? She was like, oh, it doesn't matter, Nell is my daughter. As the story plays out, things change and the characters feel all sorts of ways, but that didn't make the story better for me.
August 25, 2013
This book started really well and I was drawn into the plot of the baby mix up at birth. However I thought that Zoey and Nell going to visit America was the turning point and the book just went completely downhill from there. I just found the whole second half of the book grew steadily more frustrating and I would not recommend this book as it lost its main plot and went off on a ridiculous sex and drama tangent.
February 13, 2019
Stávajú sa také prípady, kedy v nemocnici zamenia deti. Niekedy sa na to príde skôr, niekedy neskôr a niekedy vôbec. V tomto príbehu na to príde matka z jednej zamenených detí po pätnástich rokoch.
Harriet si dlhé roky nevedela nájsť cestu k svojej dcére Florence. Krajší a bezkonfliktný vzťah mala skôr so svojimi dvomi synmi. Florence si zas výborne rozumela so svojím otcom. Neočakával od nej priveľa, bral ju takú aká je. O jej matke to ale povedať nemohla. Kládla na ňu vysoké nároky, neustále ju za niečo buzerovala, upozorňovala ju a dávala jej kázania v štýle: toto nesmieš, toto môžeš a pod. Akoby mala neustále šesť rokov a nie pätnásť.
Po tom, ako sa zraní pri behu v škole, ocitne sa v nemocnici. Keďže je potrebná aj transfúzia krvi, Harriet začína mať podozrenie, že dieťa, ktoré 9 mesiacov nosila v bruchu a 15 rokov piplala, nie je jej dieťa. A rozhodne sa vypátrať pravdu.
A naozaj. Zisťuje, že Florence nie je ich biologická dcéra. Na názor sa opýta aj svojho manžela. On však pravdu poznať netúži. Pre neho je Florence jeho a hotovo. Táto ich nezhoda bude mať ešte siahodlhé následky. Tess veľmi dobre opísala, ako môže jedna "náhodná zámena" spôsobiť rozvrat v rodine. Zvyšok recenzie je tu: http://kokina1.blogspot.com/2019/01/h...
Harriet si dlhé roky nevedela nájsť cestu k svojej dcére Florence. Krajší a bezkonfliktný vzťah mala skôr so svojimi dvomi synmi. Florence si zas výborne rozumela so svojím otcom. Neočakával od nej priveľa, bral ju takú aká je. O jej matke to ale povedať nemohla. Kládla na ňu vysoké nároky, neustále ju za niečo buzerovala, upozorňovala ju a dávala jej kázania v štýle: toto nesmieš, toto môžeš a pod. Akoby mala neustále šesť rokov a nie pätnásť.
Po tom, ako sa zraní pri behu v škole, ocitne sa v nemocnici. Keďže je potrebná aj transfúzia krvi, Harriet začína mať podozrenie, že dieťa, ktoré 9 mesiacov nosila v bruchu a 15 rokov piplala, nie je jej dieťa. A rozhodne sa vypátrať pravdu.
A naozaj. Zisťuje, že Florence nie je ich biologická dcéra. Na názor sa opýta aj svojho manžela. On však pravdu poznať netúži. Pre neho je Florence jeho a hotovo. Táto ich nezhoda bude mať ešte siahodlhé následky. Tess veľmi dobre opísala, ako môže jedna "náhodná zámena" spôsobiť rozvrat v rodine. Zvyšok recenzie je tu: http://kokina1.blogspot.com/2019/01/h...
June 1, 2017
It all started great. I was intrigued and couldn't stop listening (audiobook) - it made my work hours rush by. Then as it progressed, the adult characters suddenly changed a lot and became very childish, or at least, very out of their starting characters. I didn't particularly like them when they were like that and the focus was completely taken from the children, whom the book should probably concentrate more on.
The worst part was probably killing Zoey, I mean come on, what an easy thing to do. What a way to have it all come together. It was just too much. I was actually quite interested in how the author would wriggle her way out of that one - and then she just killed of the character. Really? That just wasn't really what I thought or hoped for.
The worst part was probably killing Zoey, I mean come on, what an easy thing to do. What a way to have it all come together. It was just too much. I was actually quite interested in how the author would wriggle her way out of that one - and then she just killed of the character. Really? That just wasn't really what I thought or hoped for.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2013
Don't really know what to say about this book. I thought I was getting immersed in a story about how 2 mother have to deal 15 years later with an error committed by the hospital where their daughters were switched at birth. I expected morale conflict, family decisions, etc. And although you get some of this in "The Lying Game" you also get a good number of (very explicit) sexual scenes that don't really go with the story. I mean, why are these scenes described to the detail? There isn't really a point in it. Maybe I missed that this was in fact this kind of book?
October 12, 2013
I love reading this book so much. It had a purpose behind the story that was in it. The purpose was how a small mistake can leads to a big one, and how one lie can cause a huge problem that can not be solved. It teaches a person how to be honest and say the truth no matter what. The theme behind this book was traditional and familiar because most fiction books now a day share the same theme but few authors can actually make the story interesting. All the events that happened in the story was interesting and somehow twisted and the end was shocking and unexpected.
January 19, 2024
Oh this book was so good, it had me hooked! So many twists, turns, truths, lies and emotions. Amazing!
January 20, 2023
This book started out really strong. Harriet is a mother who never really bonded with her daughter Florence they way she bonded with her 3 sons. Flash forward 15 years and Florence is in an accident and needs a bllod transfusion. It turns out that she has a blood type that could not come from her parents. It turns out that she was switched at birth with another child during a fire at the hospital.
Zoey is a single mom raising Nell. Nell is the result of an affair with a married man who ended up dying shortly after. She wants nothing to do with meeting Harriet and Florence but Harriet forces her way into their lives.
The first half of the book is very interesting and I was very invested hence the 3 star rating. Nell and Zoey go to visit Harriet and her family and that is when the book falls apart for me. The decisions that the adults make during and after this visit and are so selfish, immature and unrealistic that I only kept reading because I was so invested in the first half. The sex scenes were also so graphic and unnecessary in this style of book that it was cringy. The ending just tied everything up way too easily that it was also very unrealistic. This book was really a 2.5 in the end.
Zoey is a single mom raising Nell. Nell is the result of an affair with a married man who ended up dying shortly after. She wants nothing to do with meeting Harriet and Florence but Harriet forces her way into their lives.
The first half of the book is very interesting and I was very invested hence the 3 star rating. Nell and Zoey go to visit Harriet and her family and that is when the book falls apart for me. The decisions that the adults make during and after this visit and are so selfish, immature and unrealistic that I only kept reading because I was so invested in the first half. The sex scenes were also so graphic and unnecessary in this style of book that it was cringy. The ending just tied everything up way too easily that it was also very unrealistic. This book was really a 2.5 in the end.
January 12, 2022
This book has so much purpose. It shows how one small mistake can lead to many more massive ones and the impact it can have on people (yourself and others).
The characters are complex and each character has told the story from their side which makes it feel all the more real.
It explores the way teenagers feel things, adapt and grow in contrast to the way parents feel things etc.
It's full of drama, love, hope and suspense.
100% recommend. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 's .
The characters are complex and each character has told the story from their side which makes it feel all the more real.
It explores the way teenagers feel things, adapt and grow in contrast to the way parents feel things etc.
It's full of drama, love, hope and suspense.
100% recommend. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 's .
November 22, 2022
Had to finish this off via audiobook read 41% physically at the middle of the year but got bored and the book didn’t interest me so I carried on and the plot twist I saw coming from the start of the book
So my reasoning is 1 star as I finished the book and other star for the ending and how I didn’t expect the child to choose where she wanted to stay
So my reasoning is 1 star as I finished the book and other star for the ending and how I didn’t expect the child to choose where she wanted to stay
December 16, 2024
It started off quite well, but then the author seemed to rush the ending. She skipped 'joining' information and would suddenly go to a completely different scene. She even killed off a main character so quick i thought I'd missed a few pages.
Overall i was not impressed due to the sudden jumps through the storyline.
Overall i was not impressed due to the sudden jumps through the storyline.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2018
Great story with a moral dilemma. One to really think about
February 16, 2019
this was such a disappointment i felt bored at times
June 30, 2022
One of the best books I have ever read
December 26, 2022
What relevance does the front cover have to this story?
February 1, 2023
It was an easy read, if slightly uninspiring story. Felt like a bit of a cop out ending, but there we go.
March 10, 2023
To be honest, this book just threw me into a reading slump due to the frustration. The sex scenes in this book are really cringy…
November 11, 2023
Unexpected good read
November 20, 2023
Brilliant
June 28, 2024
2/3
The sort of book you take on holiday because its just a simple read.
I was rather disappointed
The sort of book you take on holiday because its just a simple read.
I was rather disappointed
July 26, 2013
I do love a Tess Stimson book. She has the right amount of emotional impact, with some deceit and raw sex thrown in.
I can't imagine being placed in Harriet or Zoey's place. What do you do when you find out your child is not your own? I hated Harriet's bullheadedness in impulsively going ahead with her own agenda with no regard of the feelings of her husband, either girls or the rest of her family. Because of the rather distant relationship she had with her daughter, she thought that was the reason for their unnatural awkwardness with each other and was desperate for a daughter she could bond with. I found myself disliking Harriet through most of the book, however even through my dislike, I did feel had for her when Oliver and zoeys relationship came apparent. Interesting touch that was. It opened a whole new dynamic with feelings of anger, hurt and betrayal all around.
This was more than just the tale of two girls switched at birth. It shows that love and family isn't always determined by blood. And that you can love people more and more and opening yourself to loving someone doesn't have to take anything away from those you already love. The outcome of zoey was unexpected yet it did wrap things up a little too neatly.
I can't imagine being placed in Harriet or Zoey's place. What do you do when you find out your child is not your own? I hated Harriet's bullheadedness in impulsively going ahead with her own agenda with no regard of the feelings of her husband, either girls or the rest of her family. Because of the rather distant relationship she had with her daughter, she thought that was the reason for their unnatural awkwardness with each other and was desperate for a daughter she could bond with. I found myself disliking Harriet through most of the book, however even through my dislike, I did feel had for her when Oliver and zoeys relationship came apparent. Interesting touch that was. It opened a whole new dynamic with feelings of anger, hurt and betrayal all around.
This was more than just the tale of two girls switched at birth. It shows that love and family isn't always determined by blood. And that you can love people more and more and opening yourself to loving someone doesn't have to take anything away from those you already love. The outcome of zoey was unexpected yet it did wrap things up a little too neatly.
May 24, 2014
Dvě ženy, dvě dívky a dvě odlišné rodiny, které dělí oceán. Aniž by měl kdokoliv tušení, že jsou propojeni víc, než je běžné. A pak jedna nehoda rozpoutá kolotoč pochybností, strachu, doufání, naděje a touhy po novém startu. Někteří by ale raději zapomněli a vrátili se zpět. Jak se všichni vypořádají s pravdou a chybou, která se stala před patnácti lety?
Autorka Tess Stimson píše knihy, které jsou opravdu ze života. Hra na lež se dotýká tématu, o kterém se i u nás mluvilo – záměna dětí v porodnici. Jak těžké je vyrovnat se s pravdou, že patnáct let vychováváte dítě, které není vaše? Jaké to je, dívat se na člověka, který měl být vaší matkou, jak obdivuje své biologické dítě, zatímco vás neustále kritizuje? Ne každý se s pravdou dokáže vyrovnat.
Celá recenze na blogu
Autorka Tess Stimson píše knihy, které jsou opravdu ze života. Hra na lež se dotýká tématu, o kterém se i u nás mluvilo – záměna dětí v porodnici. Jak těžké je vyrovnat se s pravdou, že patnáct let vychováváte dítě, které není vaše? Jaké to je, dívat se na člověka, který měl být vaší matkou, jak obdivuje své biologické dítě, zatímco vás neustále kritizuje? Ne každý se s pravdou dokáže vyrovnat.
Celá recenze na blogu
January 31, 2014
Thoroughly enjoyed this! I couldn’t put it down. Great plot, choices are made which result in devastating consequences. Intense, well paced with twists and turns. Good feel factor too. It was a tad too rushed towards the end, I wanted more, especially around the impact of the compensation on both families. Don’t want to say too much. Other than a thoroughly good read.
What will be, will be, depending on the decisions you make when you don’t take into consideration the consequences of your actions and move forward without a unified approach. One should always consider and take others with you.
Truth or not the truth?
What will be, will be, depending on the decisions you make when you don’t take into consideration the consequences of your actions and move forward without a unified approach. One should always consider and take others with you.
Truth or not the truth?
October 26, 2013
First, the book was quite well written. It loses stars because I think there's a huge leap the author makes so that things could resolve "well" at the end. It just didn't seem right. The characters are (by design) flawed but loveable. I did feel that the girls' feelings were downplayed and deserved more page time. Eh. It was okay. The author clearly has talent but I don't think the proposed story was handled as well as it could have been.
September 6, 2014
Jako u jiných knih Tess Stimson, i tady máte pocit nevěrohodných zvratů v charakterech postav a tím pádem i v ději. Ale iritovalo mě to míň než u Manželky, která utekla, příjemně se to četlo, splivla jsem za den - jen ta představa záměny jako taková vážně zamrazí, sama jsem už na porodním sále hledala specifická poznávací znamení, abych si pak mohla být úplně jistá :)
June 11, 2014
Tess píše skvěle, o tom žádná. Je to moje druhá kniha od ní a opět nezklamala. Knihu jsem si na sto procent užila, ten námět je prostě boží. Trochu mě sice vytočil konec, ale budiž. Nebýt něho, tak bych snad dala i plný počet.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews