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Pretty Lovely Lies
"I’m on the run from an evil mob boss who is obsessed with me and my daughter. So when the opportunity of a lifetime comes to get the heck out of town and marry a millionaire, I jump at the chance!"
Alina lives in poverty with her daughter, Yara, constantly on the run from her cruel ex. But now she
has the opportunity to start a new chapter–a life in America with a wealthy, handsome man who promises her and her daughter the world. But, as Alina has learned, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is–and this time is no exception.
Caught in the crosshairs of two cruel, rich predators, Alina must do everything in her power to save her daughter and herself from a fate worse than death. But can she trust the dashing FBI Agent Morello, or is he just another bad life choice in different packaging?
READER This spicy dark romance contains exciting plot twists, graphic sex scenes, and the inner conflict . Pretty Lovely Lies is a steamy, trigger-filled read, designed for those who like their romance dark and their book boyfriends hot as hell.
Alina lives in poverty with her daughter, Yara, constantly on the run from her cruel ex. But now she
has the opportunity to start a new chapter–a life in America with a wealthy, handsome man who promises her and her daughter the world. But, as Alina has learned, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is–and this time is no exception.
Caught in the crosshairs of two cruel, rich predators, Alina must do everything in her power to save her daughter and herself from a fate worse than death. But can she trust the dashing FBI Agent Morello, or is he just another bad life choice in different packaging?
READER This spicy dark romance contains exciting plot twists, graphic sex scenes, and the inner conflict . Pretty Lovely Lies is a steamy, trigger-filled read, designed for those who like their romance dark and their book boyfriends hot as hell.
- GenresDark Romance
312 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 30, 2024
24 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
About the author
Heidi Stark
30 books386 followersHeidi Stark writes contemporary dark romance with a twist of danger, desire, and the occasional sports scandal.
Known for her badass heroines and irresistibly morally grey men, Heidi has captivated readers with 20+ titles, including the gripping Blood and Sand series, the fiery Volcano of Pain, and her highly anticipated new release, Beautiful Terror.
Originally hailing from the lush landscapes of New Zealand, Heidi now calls the U.S. home, where she shares her creative chaos with her feline sidekick, Fang.
When she’s not crafting heart-pounding stories, Heidi is a whirlwind of energy—hitting up barre classes, devouring true crime podcasts, dabbling in roller derby, people-watching, or indulging in her guilty pleasure: reality TV binges. Always on the hunt for inspiration, she’s probably plotting her next book—or her next travel adventure.
Dark, daring, and deliciously addictive—Heidi’s world is one you’ll never want to leave.
Subscribe to Heidi's newsletter here, and join her on social media:
facebook: @heidistarkauthor
instagram: @heidistarkauthor
twitter: @heidistarkauthr
Threads: @heidistarkauthor
Bluesky: @heidistarkauthor
Rednote: @heidistarkauthor
X: @heidistarkauthr
Website
Known for her badass heroines and irresistibly morally grey men, Heidi has captivated readers with 20+ titles, including the gripping Blood and Sand series, the fiery Volcano of Pain, and her highly anticipated new release, Beautiful Terror.
Originally hailing from the lush landscapes of New Zealand, Heidi now calls the U.S. home, where she shares her creative chaos with her feline sidekick, Fang.
When she’s not crafting heart-pounding stories, Heidi is a whirlwind of energy—hitting up barre classes, devouring true crime podcasts, dabbling in roller derby, people-watching, or indulging in her guilty pleasure: reality TV binges. Always on the hunt for inspiration, she’s probably plotting her next book—or her next travel adventure.
Dark, daring, and deliciously addictive—Heidi’s world is one you’ll never want to leave.
Subscribe to Heidi's newsletter here, and join her on social media:
facebook: @heidistarkauthor
instagram: @heidistarkauthor
twitter: @heidistarkauthr
Threads: @heidistarkauthor
Bluesky: @heidistarkauthor
Rednote: @heidistarkauthor
X: @heidistarkauthr
Website
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
May 5, 2024
Honestly, this book wasn't for me. I almost feel like 3 stars is me being generous. The flow was just choppy and felt rushed but also dragged in a way? The spicy scenes weren't even really anything. For being coined as a dark mafia/fbi romance there wasn't any romance or "dark" scenes. I say there wasn't any romance because the relationships in the book were super rushed and had no build-up, no lust, no emotion behind them.
**EDIT TO ADD**
So, I was kicked out of the ARC group for my review because she didn't like my "vibe," which is cool that i was pretty much called out in her email sent out😂. I won't be wasting time reading another book by this author anyway. If you don't want honest reviews, probably don't ask for reviews 🤷🏻♀️ I will NEVER lie in a review to appease an author. If a few 3 star reviews are going to make or break your career, that sounds like a you problem.
**I did receive this as an ARC to review**
**EDIT TO ADD**
So, I was kicked out of the ARC group for my review because she didn't like my "vibe," which is cool that i was pretty much called out in her email sent out😂. I won't be wasting time reading another book by this author anyway. If you don't want honest reviews, probably don't ask for reviews 🤷🏻♀️ I will NEVER lie in a review to appease an author. If a few 3 star reviews are going to make or break your career, that sounds like a you problem.
**I did receive this as an ARC to review**
April 24, 2024
Let me start with this is my first ARC review and I am BEYOND grateful to this author to be a part of her ARC team! Did I love the story itself? Yes! Did I love the way it was written? Not so much. I do love the story and the potential it has to be great! But I felt like it was very rushed. It's a 250 page book that should have been an 800 page book. I liked almost everything at the beginning and then felt like it kind of fell apart halfway through. I didn't know where Alina and Yara were from for a while until I started to put it together. From the description Alina is meant to be this bad ass FMC that would do anything to protect her daughter. And I do believe the part about her daughter, but Alina felt very meek and timid to me. Yara is meant to be 12 years old and I felt like she was more portrayed as 6-7 yo with the way she was written. This book felt very fast paced and like I was missing a lot of information. I would have loved to see more of Alina and Agent Morello and their love story. I felt like she met him, they talked maybe twice and then all of a sudden they were falling in love. You kind of just jump in and don't get any backstory of how their relationship bloomed. I ended up skim reading the last 15 % to get to the end to see how it ended. Story was more focused on some things that I felt were not super important to the story line and felt out these huge chunks of time that were needed to understand what was going on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2024
⭐️⭐️
🌶️
Pretty Lovely Lies started off great! I was hooked and couldn’t put it down but the more I read it the more I questioned if I actually liked it or not.
I completely understand the story line and what Heidi Stark was going for but unfortunately it just missed the mark. The way each chapter was set up seemed like I was reading notes instead of a storyline. There were a few gaps with what was happening and I had to go back a few pages to see if I had missed reading something but there wasn’t. I also didn’t understand the changing from first person to third person writing.
Over all I definitely think it could have been written better and felt rushed. I could see this story line being two maybe three books instead of all crammed into the one.
🌶️
Pretty Lovely Lies started off great! I was hooked and couldn’t put it down but the more I read it the more I questioned if I actually liked it or not.
I completely understand the story line and what Heidi Stark was going for but unfortunately it just missed the mark. The way each chapter was set up seemed like I was reading notes instead of a storyline. There were a few gaps with what was happening and I had to go back a few pages to see if I had missed reading something but there wasn’t. I also didn’t understand the changing from first person to third person writing.
Over all I definitely think it could have been written better and felt rushed. I could see this story line being two maybe three books instead of all crammed into the one.
April 21, 2024
This story wasn’t for me. I wanted to like it ,and I hung around hoping it would get better,but it never did. I feel Alina is very gullible. She is so desperate for love and male affection that not only once but twice has put herself and her daughter in dangerous situations. I wasn’t surprised when she started to exhibit feelings for Agent Morello. Their “love” story started rather quickly and they both seemed to fall for each other right from the very beginning of meeting each other. I feel like Alina was irresponsible and selfish when it came to her daughter Yara. Alina was more hung up on her own wants and desires that Yara got caught in the triangle of Luchenko,Gerald, and Agent Morello.
April 24, 2024
First, I would like to thank the author for sending me an arc copy.
Overall rating for the book for me was
Plot: 3.5/5⭐️
Characters: 3/5
Spice: 3.5/5 🌶️
Let me start off by saying, this is my first book from this author that I have read and I will give some of her other books a try after finishing this review.
Onto the review part of this. Spoilers ahead so please bear that in mind if you read continue to read! So as far as the spice is concerned in this book it was pretty decent, even with the one villain character (pre-revelation that he is, in fact, a villain)
FMC Alina: Is a mother, who is doing what she can for her daughter and herself. Desperate to escape an abusive relationship falls into another one and goes from bad to worse. I feel there was a gullibility in Alina. The fast track to love that she experiences is a bit on the naive side and though that may work in some books I felt here it made her seem lacking in independence and more of a co-dependant character who couldn't live without someone or something in her life. She made me wanna shake her sometimes (most of the time)
MMC Morello: A good guy with past failures that haunt him and trauma of his own, picks up the girls and decides to do what he can for them. I felt he was more the endearing character in the plot and really sucked that you don't get to meet him till about 52% of the story is through.
Overall, the pace between love interests was very quick and felt a bit jarring. She falls in love with Gerald after a few weeks or so and marries him, proceeds to go to America to live with this man she barely knows. (Again, I understand her desperation and need to flee Her Ex.) After all, she goes through she meets the MMC and kinda of just falls for him while trying to help him catch the bad guys (Luchenko and Gerald)
At the end of it I would say, it is an ok read if you don't mind the FMC dropping herself and her kid in a bad situation over and over again and falling in love rather quickly (Which again, yes I know works in some books and can happen. And is also how some like their stories written) but in this case, I feel it could have been better.
Thanks for reading!
Overall rating for the book for me was
Plot: 3.5/5⭐️
Characters: 3/5
Spice: 3.5/5 🌶️
Let me start off by saying, this is my first book from this author that I have read and I will give some of her other books a try after finishing this review.
Onto the review part of this. Spoilers ahead so please bear that in mind if you read continue to read! So as far as the spice is concerned in this book it was pretty decent, even with the one villain character (pre-revelation that he is, in fact, a villain)
FMC Alina: Is a mother, who is doing what she can for her daughter and herself. Desperate to escape an abusive relationship falls into another one and goes from bad to worse. I feel there was a gullibility in Alina. The fast track to love that she experiences is a bit on the naive side and though that may work in some books I felt here it made her seem lacking in independence and more of a co-dependant character who couldn't live without someone or something in her life. She made me wanna shake her sometimes (most of the time)
MMC Morello: A good guy with past failures that haunt him and trauma of his own, picks up the girls and decides to do what he can for them. I felt he was more the endearing character in the plot and really sucked that you don't get to meet him till about 52% of the story is through.
Overall, the pace between love interests was very quick and felt a bit jarring. She falls in love with Gerald after a few weeks or so and marries him, proceeds to go to America to live with this man she barely knows. (Again, I understand her desperation and need to flee Her Ex.) After all, she goes through she meets the MMC and kinda of just falls for him while trying to help him catch the bad guys (Luchenko and Gerald)
At the end of it I would say, it is an ok read if you don't mind the FMC dropping herself and her kid in a bad situation over and over again and falling in love rather quickly (Which again, yes I know works in some books and can happen. And is also how some like their stories written) but in this case, I feel it could have been better.
Thanks for reading!
April 7, 2024
Absolutely incredible. I could not put it down. I absolutely loved the main character Alina, she has been dealt with a horrible amount of pain and suffering. After finding a way out of it, or so she thought…she gets thrown back into another round of pain in suffering. But in the end she gets the freedom and peace she deserves. I absolutely loved Pretty Lovely Lies.
May 15, 2024
I really enjoy discovering new authors so when I was given the chance to read this book, I jumped at it. And I'm glad that I did.
I really enjoyed this one right from the beginning, and it kept me hooked the entire time. It was a great change of pace from my usual reads. I can hardly wait to read more from this author
I really enjoyed this one right from the beginning, and it kept me hooked the entire time. It was a great change of pace from my usual reads. I can hardly wait to read more from this author
May 14, 2024
I want to start off by saying that I am an ARC reader for this book. This was my first ARC read, so I was really excited. That being said, there were quite a few bumps.
Aside from the rather frequent spelling or grammatical error, the story (although rather well told) was very choppy. There were at least 2 times that I was finding myself stopping to check if I missed some information cause it almost jumpcuts into different things.
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
The FMC Alina has a very young daughter at the beginning. Her and her daughter are homeless and on the run from her abusive baby daddy but eventually stays with a relative of her abuser.
The relative convinces her to look online for love (almost always a bad idea!). During this time, she manages to somehow get an apartment (she mentions getting keys but not how she afforded it).
Long story short, she falls for another bad man who seems too good to be true. Said man asks her to go on a vacation with her where it is suggested that he is not a good guy, but she moves in with him later anyway. The guy abuses her and threatens to separate Alina and her daughter by deporting her and keeping her daughter for his sex trade. The whole time, she is also trying to get her mom over to America and away from the dangers of being overseas.
She runs into an FBI agent and realizes she needs to get out of the situation she is in. Her daughter reaches out to the agent for help, and Alina, becomes severely hesitate (well yeah, she just escaped from not one but TWO bad situations).
Alina agrees, they plan an escape, Alina's daughter gets hurt in the process of the escape. A bunch of other stuff happens, but the agent helps her run (and eventually) ends the fight between Alina and both of her abusers. They fall in love, and it is suggested that they want to have a family.
I REALLY wanted to give this book a 4 star, but with the choppiness, the book felt very rushed and incomplete. Alina's story came to a conclusion, but the writing itself felt very jumpy. For this reason, I felt like I had no choice but to give this read a solid 3.
Aside from the rather frequent spelling or grammatical error, the story (although rather well told) was very choppy. There were at least 2 times that I was finding myself stopping to check if I missed some information cause it almost jumpcuts into different things.
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
The FMC Alina has a very young daughter at the beginning. Her and her daughter are homeless and on the run from her abusive baby daddy but eventually stays with a relative of her abuser.
The relative convinces her to look online for love (almost always a bad idea!). During this time, she manages to somehow get an apartment (she mentions getting keys but not how she afforded it).
Long story short, she falls for another bad man who seems too good to be true. Said man asks her to go on a vacation with her where it is suggested that he is not a good guy, but she moves in with him later anyway. The guy abuses her and threatens to separate Alina and her daughter by deporting her and keeping her daughter for his sex trade. The whole time, she is also trying to get her mom over to America and away from the dangers of being overseas.
She runs into an FBI agent and realizes she needs to get out of the situation she is in. Her daughter reaches out to the agent for help, and Alina, becomes severely hesitate (well yeah, she just escaped from not one but TWO bad situations).
Alina agrees, they plan an escape, Alina's daughter gets hurt in the process of the escape. A bunch of other stuff happens, but the agent helps her run (and eventually) ends the fight between Alina and both of her abusers. They fall in love, and it is suggested that they want to have a family.
I REALLY wanted to give this book a 4 star, but with the choppiness, the book felt very rushed and incomplete. Alina's story came to a conclusion, but the writing itself felt very jumpy. For this reason, I felt like I had no choice but to give this read a solid 3.
April 24, 2024
Was given an ARC by the author for review.
My honest review i loved the story but felt like it could have been a little longer and not so rushed at points. Was it great? Yes. I just felt it could have been well over 400 pages and the spicy scenes could have been more in depth. 🥰 i loved the story development and the twists. I knew that man was no good from the jump. And as a person whose been in Alina's position with abusive and narcissistic partners i definitely felt for her. Her daughter was so cute and moved me to tears in the last bit of this read. The MMC vincent is definitely in my top book boyfriends with his heroics and sweetness. The ending was beautiful and I'm so glad it ended happily for everyone and Gerald got what he deserved.
Rating: 4.25 stars
Favorite character(s): vincent & Yara
Favorite quotes:
"But one thing is for certain. I could spend my whole life searching, but I know it'd be futile. I'll never meet someone remotely like you ever again. You're it for me, Alina. You're my universe. Nothing matters without your smile, your laugh, your touch. I thought I had it all, but you've made me realize my life was nothing without you." - Vincent Morello
"The thought surprises me, and I let it sink in. It's not selfish to want happiness for myself as well. To want love again." - Alina
"I want you to be happy, Mama," she says, not looking up from her sketch. "You always take care of me, but who takes care of you?" - Yara
Morello presses his forehead to mine. "It's real. I'm here, for as long as you'll have me." - Vincent Morello
"In some ways, we should have been enemies, but our love is a force of nature, unstoppable, unyielding." - Alina
"You don't know the things I've thought about doing to you, bella," I growl. - Vincent Morello 🥵🥵
My honest review i loved the story but felt like it could have been a little longer and not so rushed at points. Was it great? Yes. I just felt it could have been well over 400 pages and the spicy scenes could have been more in depth. 🥰 i loved the story development and the twists. I knew that man was no good from the jump. And as a person whose been in Alina's position with abusive and narcissistic partners i definitely felt for her. Her daughter was so cute and moved me to tears in the last bit of this read. The MMC vincent is definitely in my top book boyfriends with his heroics and sweetness. The ending was beautiful and I'm so glad it ended happily for everyone and Gerald got what he deserved.
Rating: 4.25 stars
Favorite character(s): vincent & Yara
Favorite quotes:
"But one thing is for certain. I could spend my whole life searching, but I know it'd be futile. I'll never meet someone remotely like you ever again. You're it for me, Alina. You're my universe. Nothing matters without your smile, your laugh, your touch. I thought I had it all, but you've made me realize my life was nothing without you." - Vincent Morello
"The thought surprises me, and I let it sink in. It's not selfish to want happiness for myself as well. To want love again." - Alina
"I want you to be happy, Mama," she says, not looking up from her sketch. "You always take care of me, but who takes care of you?" - Yara
Morello presses his forehead to mine. "It's real. I'm here, for as long as you'll have me." - Vincent Morello
"In some ways, we should have been enemies, but our love is a force of nature, unstoppable, unyielding." - Alina
"You don't know the things I've thought about doing to you, bella," I growl. - Vincent Morello 🥵🥵
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2024
Amazing story line. Alina and Yara endure things no mother and child should ever have to. Pretty lovely lies told by some very powerful men, got Alina and her daughter into some VERY dangerous living situations. The suspense of them trying to get out of a the dangers they are in, kept me reading ALL DAY! I literally did not put this book down for the 4 hours it took to finish it!
I am left with a feeling of gratefulness for what I have, and sadness for knowing the there are a lot of women and children in these situations, who cannot get out.
I am left with a feeling of gratefulness for what I have, and sadness for knowing the there are a lot of women and children in these situations, who cannot get out.
April 24, 2024
A young mother and her daughter struggling on the streets in hiding. Alina, the mother, must make hard and scary decisions for her daughter and herself.
You get to go with them on their journey and experience the twists, turns, and heartbreaks.
Be sure to check your triggers, it is a dark romance that does contain violence, sexual assault, human trafficking etc.
I thank Heidi for allowing me to be an ARC for her and look forward to reading more of her books.
You get to go with them on their journey and experience the twists, turns, and heartbreaks.
Be sure to check your triggers, it is a dark romance that does contain violence, sexual assault, human trafficking etc.
I thank Heidi for allowing me to be an ARC for her and look forward to reading more of her books.
May 1, 2024
I was hooked from the moment I started this book. I found myself talking to Alina the FMC warning her, I just knew something wasn’t right. I never liked Luchenko! Gerald had red flags going off everywhere. But Mr. FBI Morello I love him. He is the complete package! Also, little Yara as a mom my heart hurt for her. She is a strong little girl though. The mother daughter bond is written very well. This was my first book by Heidi Stark but definitely not my last. Thank you for the ARC I am lucky to have been able to read this before it came out. You definitely need to read this book and I will be recommending it.
April 24, 2024
Special thank you to Heidi for allowing me to be an Arc reader!
Overall: 3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
Overall the storyline was there. I enjoyed what the book had to offer, but I was quite confused as the beginning with her prior life and it was later explained but I still felt like I was missing pieces. I did feel like the story was incomplete in some areas and the story was choppy/rushed. I couldn’t quite understand some of the decisions the FMC made and she felt reallllyyy irresponsible. I didn’t get too much of a dark romance vibe from it, and the spicy scenes were kind of blah to me.
I felt as I kept rereading the same thing chapter over chapter and some of the things that were said by the characters kept repeating so I was skipping over it. (Ex: I’ll do anything for my daughter - yes love that but then it kept coming up again and again and again & I kept thinking yes, I got that and I don’t need to keep being brought up through the book). I think the book was really expressive when it came to the FMC making sure that everyone knew that she had to protect her daughter. It just felt forced I guess 🤷🏼♀️
I think there could’ve been a lot more of a relationship between the FMC and the agent as well, I was confused how she went from not trusting the guy to “falling for him” in a week. Just was odd timing.
I think we’re was a lot of potential in this book and the story line was there! I did enjoy the book overall but I did get bored by the end of it.
Overall: 3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
Overall the storyline was there. I enjoyed what the book had to offer, but I was quite confused as the beginning with her prior life and it was later explained but I still felt like I was missing pieces. I did feel like the story was incomplete in some areas and the story was choppy/rushed. I couldn’t quite understand some of the decisions the FMC made and she felt reallllyyy irresponsible. I didn’t get too much of a dark romance vibe from it, and the spicy scenes were kind of blah to me.
I felt as I kept rereading the same thing chapter over chapter and some of the things that were said by the characters kept repeating so I was skipping over it. (Ex: I’ll do anything for my daughter - yes love that but then it kept coming up again and again and again & I kept thinking yes, I got that and I don’t need to keep being brought up through the book). I think the book was really expressive when it came to the FMC making sure that everyone knew that she had to protect her daughter. It just felt forced I guess 🤷🏼♀️
I think there could’ve been a lot more of a relationship between the FMC and the agent as well, I was confused how she went from not trusting the guy to “falling for him” in a week. Just was odd timing.
I think we’re was a lot of potential in this book and the story line was there! I did enjoy the book overall but I did get bored by the end of it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2024
The beginning of this book had me enthralled. You could feel the emotions and struggle that the FMC was going through. She has a daughter and was trying to make her way through a bad situation. Then her 'knight in shining armor' found her and make promises of how she would want for nothing and he would accept and care for her daughter as well. Everything would be great right? She got away from her toxic baby daddy and moved to America. Everything was great... until it wasn't.
I had high hopes of this book just based on the beginning. It was so, so good. The imagery was perfect, the thoughts and worries of the FMC was relatable. The spice was *chef's kiss*. Then, it started to feel repetitive. She seemed strong and like a protective mother bear but she just let things happen because she was afraid. Some of the emotions and thoughts she had just felt like filler because it kept being mentioned over and over. The middle dragged forever and I was struggling to continue reading and then when it came to the last third of the story it flew by. The connection between the MMC and FMC just weren't there. They didn't build a bond, the descriptions and time devoted at the beginning of the story wasn't given to the final part in my opinion. It felt rushed and for a lack of a better word... blah.
The beginning was great but I had a hard time finishing it.
I had high hopes of this book just based on the beginning. It was so, so good. The imagery was perfect, the thoughts and worries of the FMC was relatable. The spice was *chef's kiss*. Then, it started to feel repetitive. She seemed strong and like a protective mother bear but she just let things happen because she was afraid. Some of the emotions and thoughts she had just felt like filler because it kept being mentioned over and over. The middle dragged forever and I was struggling to continue reading and then when it came to the last third of the story it flew by. The connection between the MMC and FMC just weren't there. They didn't build a bond, the descriptions and time devoted at the beginning of the story wasn't given to the final part in my opinion. It felt rushed and for a lack of a better word... blah.
The beginning was great but I had a hard time finishing it.
April 30, 2024
This was a good book but it wasn’t my favorite book Heidi has written. The premise of the book is perfect. The beginning felt a little slow but after about 17% into the book it becomes pretty fast paced. Alina is definitely a mama bear, she will go to the end of the earth for her baby girl however she was a bit too gullible. There were definitely red flags but the heat she experienced between the two of them clouded her judgement. The spicy scenes are 😮💨😮💨. I enjoyed the book, I just wish there were more details about certain things. Alina’s whole reasoning behind what she does is to provide a better life for her and her daughter. Gerald seemed like the perfect man until he let his mask fade away. There is a HEA and she finally finds a good man, she just goes through hell to get it.
April 29, 2024
I just want to start by saying thank you to the author for allowing me to be apart of her ARC team and sending me a copy of this book. I love the storyline in this book, Alina has been through a lot of trauma from a past relationship, and I felt like she did jump rather quickly into a relationship with Gerald. But I know she was desperate to get out of the situation she was in so she could protect her daughter. I also feel like she had never really felt true love from someone before and she was desperate to feel that, which clouded her judgement. Thankfully she met Agent Morello and was able to escape Gerald. I felt that she didn’t just up and jump into trusting Morello immediately, he did have to work for her to trust him. And I am so happy that she has found love and Yara a father figure. I do wish there would have been more of Morello’s and Alina’s love story. This book was very fast paced, which I do love a face paced book at times but there were moments in the book where I felt some information was left out and there was opportunity to give more details on what was going on in the book. Overall, I LOVED the story, I couldn’t get enough of it and I am so happy they got their happy ending! I will for sure be reading more from this author, as this was the first book I have read of her work!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2024
This book was just ok for me. I wanted to like it since this sounded like it was right up my alley.
The first part of the book started great. I was super drawn in but once Alina got to America it started feeling rushed. It felt like the Author was trying to fit too many storylines into it. I think it would have benefitted from being a 2 part book.
I also noticed some holes in the story. For example, when Alina was trying to escape with Morello and she and Yara get caught again by Gerald, in the next chapter Morello and his men were rescuing Yara and all of a sudden Alina is in the safe house. How did she get there? I would have liked more of those details.
I personally wouldn't recommend this book but everyone is different.
The first part of the book started great. I was super drawn in but once Alina got to America it started feeling rushed. It felt like the Author was trying to fit too many storylines into it. I think it would have benefitted from being a 2 part book.
I also noticed some holes in the story. For example, when Alina was trying to escape with Morello and she and Yara get caught again by Gerald, in the next chapter Morello and his men were rescuing Yara and all of a sudden Alina is in the safe house. How did she get there? I would have liked more of those details.
I personally wouldn't recommend this book but everyone is different.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2024
I want to thank that author for sending me an ARC copy. I really wanted to love this book. Unfortunately, this was just not the story for me. The story itself was well written but I found the characters to be poorly written. As a mom myself, I found the main character to be very frustrating and honestly written in a way that sheds a bad light on single moms.
April 27, 2024
Wow that was a roller coaster!! So many ups and downs that I never saw what was coming. I never saw the twists coming and was shocked each time.
My only wish is that each part had more details and build up, but it was great even without!! Super easy read and definitely a page turner.
This one will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time!
My only wish is that each part had more details and build up, but it was great even without!! Super easy read and definitely a page turner.
This one will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time!
May 14, 2024
Pretty lovely lies is a story about a mother trying to do what she can’t provide a good life for her daughter after an incredibly traumatic relationship with the father. Desperation can cause one to make rash decisions when given the opportunity for happiness. The emotional roller coaster from this book is heartfelt. This is a very fast read. My only complaint is I wanted more.
April 25, 2024
I wanted to like this book, but it’s just not happening. The prologue was so promising and brought out true emotion. However, I feel like the FMC didn’t ever really develop from there.
There was too much foreshadowing without actually building tension in the story.
There was too much foreshadowing without actually building tension in the story.
May 13, 2024
I read this book as an ARC read……I enjoyed the premise of the book and the characters, but this story felt like there was too much going on at one time. To many things happening in a short amount of pages. I think it would have been better if the book was longer and the author had taken more time to expand on what was happening.
Overall I liked the book, but this is one that I don’t think I would pick back up and read again.
Overall I liked the book, but this is one that I don’t think I would pick back up and read again.
May 12, 2024
This book had me hooked in the first couple chapters I loved Alinas love for her child, you could feel it in the writing. But I just began to feel things were rushed. If the book was alittle longer and taken more time to build I could see this book being a higher rating for sure! Overall the story was very good however, just not for me.
May 14, 2024
Enjoyed this emotional story, but it was hard to follow at times.
April 22, 2024
Special thanks to the author for allowing me the privilege to be an ARC reader for this book!
This book definitely keeps you hanging on. I connected with Alina and loved reading things from her point of view. I could feel her pain and fear through the words and it kept me going. I did not want to put this book down. Knowing she had a rough go of it with a bad man before made me so leary when she met the "too good to be true" guy through the internet. She definitely should've listened to her mom and best friend and her gut on that one. It did kind of work in her favor though, because through the bad events with Mr. Too Good she met the man she's meant to be with and her and Yara finally get their freedom and happily ever after. The end of the book where she finally gets her mom to America and settling in is probably my absolute favorite part. I love the way it all ties back together.
The main reasons I didn't give it 5 stars... 1) I felt like Yara's character wasnt written to her age as well as it could've been in some parts. Parts of it I felt like she was a 7 or 8 year old girl versus the 12yr old plus. 2) I would've loved some more description and back story into the villains and the swoon worthy fbi agent. 3) There were parts where it seemed to jump around and I missed things or it didn't circle back to them like I'd hoped. Like when they escape Mr. Too Good's mansion and he captures Alina again, Yara gets injured and recaptured,and Mr. Swoon disappears. The chapter ends with them separating Yara and Alina and Alina gets knocked out by some type of drug. The next chapter is a flashback. Then it goes back to present day but Alina is now in a safe house with no story of how she was saved from Mr Too Good again.
Otherwise, I really did enjoy the book and I would happily read it again.
This book definitely keeps you hanging on. I connected with Alina and loved reading things from her point of view. I could feel her pain and fear through the words and it kept me going. I did not want to put this book down. Knowing she had a rough go of it with a bad man before made me so leary when she met the "too good to be true" guy through the internet. She definitely should've listened to her mom and best friend and her gut on that one. It did kind of work in her favor though, because through the bad events with Mr. Too Good she met the man she's meant to be with and her and Yara finally get their freedom and happily ever after. The end of the book where she finally gets her mom to America and settling in is probably my absolute favorite part. I love the way it all ties back together.
The main reasons I didn't give it 5 stars... 1) I felt like Yara's character wasnt written to her age as well as it could've been in some parts. Parts of it I felt like she was a 7 or 8 year old girl versus the 12yr old plus. 2) I would've loved some more description and back story into the villains and the swoon worthy fbi agent. 3) There were parts where it seemed to jump around and I missed things or it didn't circle back to them like I'd hoped. Like when they escape Mr. Too Good's mansion and he captures Alina again, Yara gets injured and recaptured,and Mr. Swoon disappears. The chapter ends with them separating Yara and Alina and Alina gets knocked out by some type of drug. The next chapter is a flashback. Then it goes back to present day but Alina is now in a safe house with no story of how she was saved from Mr Too Good again.
Otherwise, I really did enjoy the book and I would happily read it again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2024
Actually it’s more like 4.5 stars. I was honored to get an ARC of this book and was captivated with Alina’s story of survival from the very first chapter. Her only desire is to keep her daughter safe in a world that is anything but. Her choices take her from one dangerous man to another until she meets FBI agent Morello. But can she trust him to keep herself and Yara safe. Author Heidi Stark kept me on my toes with this riveting story.
May 6, 2024
This is my first ARC and I am so thankful the author included me on their team. Overall, I would rate the book 3.5/5. I feel like it was very fast paced for all of the information that was trying to be packed into the story. At times made me think I had missed some details that would’ve made the transition between scenes smoother or give the relationships more depth. With that said, it was a very easy and enjoyable read that went into a dark theme without being over the top and unable stomach the content. Alina is an FMC that was desperate for a love that also gave her daughter a better life which led her down a dangerous path but in the end was able to find a stronger contention with her daughter and with the man that was able to save her.
April 22, 2024
I thought this book was a little rushed in places. I really enjoyed the concept of this book...the online dating to find an American to get out of her abusive situation, but there were just some areas that could have used some more details to make the story come to life a little more.
I also think Alina's and the Agent's relationship just went a little to fast, it could have used a little more buildup, but I love that she got her happy ending, she deserved it. She went through hell with Gerald and Lunchenko, that girl deserved to have a good man at the end of all of that. Alina did everything for her daughter, it was nice to see her have some some peace at the end of all that toucher.
Thank you Heidi Stark for letting me be apart of you ARC team!
I also think Alina's and the Agent's relationship just went a little to fast, it could have used a little more buildup, but I love that she got her happy ending, she deserved it. She went through hell with Gerald and Lunchenko, that girl deserved to have a good man at the end of all of that. Alina did everything for her daughter, it was nice to see her have some some peace at the end of all that toucher.
Thank you Heidi Stark for letting me be apart of you ARC team!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2024
ARC REVIEW
I don’t really know how to write this.. this book was good. It wasn’t over the top good, but it was in no way horrible. In my personal opinion it started off kind of slow, then all of a sudden it was was like what the h€ll just happened..back to slow and then you catch the drift. I really enjoyed the way Alina portrayed the mama bear act.. nothing was going to hurt her child, even her taste in men. My heart break for all they went through. The ups and downs, false hope, false happiness. But the ending made up for it. I do feel like there was some parts that needed more attention and other parts that could have been a little less. All and all it was a good read and I would recommend it to friends.
I don’t really know how to write this.. this book was good. It wasn’t over the top good, but it was in no way horrible. In my personal opinion it started off kind of slow, then all of a sudden it was was like what the h€ll just happened..back to slow and then you catch the drift. I really enjoyed the way Alina portrayed the mama bear act.. nothing was going to hurt her child, even her taste in men. My heart break for all they went through. The ups and downs, false hope, false happiness. But the ending made up for it. I do feel like there was some parts that needed more attention and other parts that could have been a little less. All and all it was a good read and I would recommend it to friends.
May 8, 2024
This is my first ARC and although I am honored and happy to have had this opportunity. I feel like I need to be honest. This book just wasn’t for me. I feel like it was rushed and kind of all over the place. The story was great! Just needed more. There were times it kind of drug for me, but I’m glad I finished it.
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