Tell Me Pretty Lies by Charleigh Rose

Apr 08, 2020 mel ☽ rated it it was ok

Shelves: bully, assholes, new-adult, highschool-college, meh, hated-the-heroine

this was me the entire book:
description

i've read so many bully romance that i've lost count. all of them fall into these categories: good, bad, and ugly. but this one? this falls into nothing because i. felt. nothing.

i was just so bored with both characters because Thayer was your typical "bully/asshole" but with no substance, whereas Shayne was your typical heroine in NA books where they say they're tough but when the H shows off his abs or touches them, they suddenly turn into a 14-year-old fangirl meeti ...more

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Nov 25, 2019 ❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books rated it liked it

Shelves: 3-stars, 2020-arcs, bully-books, romance, 2020-read, from-enemies-to-lovers, standalone

'TELL ME PRETTY LIES:' Is a full length stepbrother romance novel by Charleigh Rose

This kicked off in the ‘Prologue’ a funeral is in progress and it’s the first time we’re also introduced to our heroine and hero making out in a barn on the property.

Then we’re literally thrown into the first chapter, everything has changed, the whole story is shrouded in mystery so much so that I was thinking maybe I’d missed a previous book because it just didn’t flow right. It felt rushed and distorte ...more

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Jul 15, 2020 chan ☆ added it

Shelves: 2020, new-adult, contemporary-romance, dnf

scrapped this video and not super interested in this book on its own

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Oct 09, 2019 Jessica ❥Chatterbooks Book Blog❥ rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, new-adult

Tell Me Pretty Lies is the steamy, angsty escape I was looking for, and it couldn't have come at a better time!

On top of all of the horrible shit going on in the world right now, my daughter has been having some health issues that we've been trying to figure out for the past few months. As a result, I've been extremely stressed out and rarely able to enjoy a book of any kind.

Before TMPL came out, I had started and tossed aside countless books and never followed through with reading any of them. ...more

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Dec 24, 2019 Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ rated it liked it

Shelves: alphahole, contemporary-romance, new-adult

3.5 STARS

So innocent. So pure. But they don’t know what you like to do with your stepbrother in the dark.”

I'm a sucker for a good bully romance. Give me a tortured alphahole, and I'm putty in your hands. PUTTEH. So of course the second I saw the blurb to this book, I jumped on it faster than you can say GIMMEH.

Tell Me Pretty Lies was an interesting read for me. A part of me loved the somewhat convoluted yet still addictive story. But then another part of me was thoroughly confused fo 3.5 STARS

So innocent. So pure. But they don’t know what you like to do with your stepbrother in the dark.”

I'm a sucker for a good bully romance. Give me a tortured alphahole, and I'm putty in your hands. PUTTEH. So of course the second I saw the blurb to this book, I jumped on it faster than you can say GIMMEH.

Tell Me Pretty Lies was an interesting read for me. A part of me loved the somewhat convoluted yet still addictive story. But then another part of me was thoroughly confused for a good chunk of it. This is only the second book I've read by this author, so when I was thrown into what felt like the middle of an already developing story in the beginning of the book, I was confused. I had to go back and see if this is a continuing series. Did I jump into book 3 of a series? Was there a prequel novella I missed? I was left scratching my head because this is what marks book one in what I'm hoping is the start of a new series.

The story starts with a funeral and gives you a peek into an already developed relationship between the two MCs. It's clear that theirs is a relationship that has a lot of history, and I would have loved to see it, rather than being told about it in hindsight. I think that actually experiencing that part of them would have gone a long way in really connecting me to the characters. It felt like the backstory and the true start of their relationship is told off the pages and we only get a small glimpse, where it should have been a full experience. Because of this, I spent a large part of the story trying to wrap my mind around all of the characters, their connection, and what was happening.

Now there's the other part of me, too. The part of me that was still glued to the pages, confusion or not. There was just a certain zap to this story that kept me riveted. The mystery and suspense kept me turning the pages well into the night. Truth be told, I finished this in one sitting, so that definitely tells you something. It wasn't without issues, but it was still gripping enough to completely hook me on what I'm hoping is a series, and desperate for more of the brothers. So while it wasn't a perfect 5 star read, it was still an enjoyable 3 star, and certainly one I'd recommend to any fans of the bully trope that like a good dose of angst with their NA romance.

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

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Apr 07, 2020 Mickeysreads rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc, two-star, 2020-read

2 STARS

So the book starts off with a prologue, funeral scene. Someone close to Thayer and Shayne has passed away. So we get a gist of Thayer and Shaynes relationship before they go their separate ways because both their parents call off their engagement and Shayne and her mother leave Sawyer Point .

9 months later, Shaynes grandmother passes away leaving her house in Sawyer Point to Shaynes mother, so they move back and Shayne returns to her old school she attended with her ex step brothers.

Sha ...more

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Apr 08, 2020 Halle Reads rated it did not like it

Shelves: regret-reading, arcs-2020, disappointing-reads

1.5/5 Stars 🌟

Unpopular Opinion but whatever

I knew I should've DNF'd this.. L A M E

I just could not connect with Thayer or Shayne or their story. They had zero chemistry. A lot of their connection was just told but never really shown. This story definitely could've used more flashbacks of these two to help solidify that so called connection but really this was just about two horny teenagers. One who was an asshole who pushed the heroine away after they both suffered a tragic loss and then gav ...more

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Apr 09, 2020 FS Meurinne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviews

This book, wow this book... all the feels, it wrecked me, it made my heart jump, it did everything I love in a book, one great rollercoaster of emotions. Shayne and Thayer's story will have you reading from beginning to end in no time, it's just so good, the story between them, how their past and present are colliding, guilt, mystery and friendship will have them struggling. You will find yourself immersed in a world where all characters are amazing, the plotline is phenomenal and the feels is e ...more

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Feb 24, 2020 SheReads rated it really liked it

Shelves: bully-romance, forbidden, hate-to-love

LMFAO why his face look like that though

----

Update, I loved the book.

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Dec 02, 2019 Jessica rated it really liked it

I love Charleigh Rose. We all know that. But when I started this book, it was really hard for me to get into. I felt like we had every high school bully romance cliche thrown at us and I, at this point, didn't really care. I have been having a really hard time enjoying high school bully romances lately and I don't know if it's me or that genre is just becoming too overdone at this point. However, when we got to about the halfway mark and Thayer started to talk about his emotions more, I was real ...more

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Apr 09, 2020 Villains Do It Better rated it it was ok

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 2 Eh Stars

Soooo, okay then. That's not really what I expected what I would get out of Charleigh's writing. I don't want to bash her because I have loved some of her previous books and this is the only second book of hers I don't like, but then again, I feel a little duped right now. This book was almost as bad as Bad Habit, and that's saying A LOT. This wasn't necessarily a terrible book, but it wasn't good by any means either. Think of every single cliche you can think of in a bully book, put 2 Eh Stars

Soooo, okay then. That's not really what I expected what I would get out of Charleigh's writing. I don't want to bash her because I have loved some of her previous books and this is the only second book of hers I don't like, but then again, I feel a little duped right now. This book was almost as bad as Bad Habit, and that's saying A LOT. This wasn't necessarily a terrible book, but it wasn't good by any means either. Think of every single cliche you can think of in a bully book, put it together, and you have this book.

You know those stories where the entire cliche popular crowd hates the heroine and bullies her but the heroine keeps coming back for more or acts like it's not her fault she put herself in that situation, like she doesn't want to be there, and yet keeps coming back for some odd reason? Such as when she willingly sits at the popular table because her friend normally sits there and persuades her to sit there too, and then everyone there basically calls her derogatory names and she just takes it? Even coming back the next day because her friend apparently isn't a good friend since she "makes" her sit there even after how they treat her? That's pretty much what this book was. Cliche plot, cliche drama, cliche popular crowd, cliche manwhores, and cliche virgin. What even is original here?

First, her not-really-a-good-friend friend, who is also the heroine for the next book, makes her go to a party where she KNOWS the popular crowd will be there, but of course there is always that friend that pushes her to go and dresses her up. Then when she gets there, she sees that popular crowd, specifically Thayer, touching a girl on his lap, and she has this bright idea to go up to him to "talk" because what happened in the past stays in the past right? But let's totally forget the hero's brother basically insinuates they hate her still, which literally proves it's not all just in the past. And then of course when she goes up to them he touches the girl more right in front of her and treats her like dirt and yup, she just takes it, which is literally the theme in the entire book.

She's walked in on him several times about to get it on with a girl, one even right after they were about to have sex and she told him she loved him, Then a couple more times after the separation in which he was completely a manwhore and OF COURSE she stayed a virgin over their separation, barf. She literally gave in the day after she saw him with an OW, and he also pretty much degraded her and her feelings right then, and she still lets him touch her. This is so ridiculous. He treats her like trash half the book, most of which I haven't even mentioned, and never grovels for turning his back on her even after he finds out she did nothing wrong and yet all she does is run right back to him every single time. He's constantly pushing her away, and she stays with him every single time. How is that a strong heroine?

She is constantly putting up with the cliche popular cheerleader school hoe that has been with the hero AND the hero for the next book. Like honestly, that's most of the drama that occurs, is the cheerleader calling her names, and again, she just takes it or gives weak little comebacks. This has got to be the weakest heroine of Charleighs omg. She had several guys flirt with her but she brushed them all off because of course she wants Thayer, (like why tho) meanwhile he's getting it on with some other chick. Yup, real love. I mean c'mon, at least show interest in at least one of the guys or something to show she's not Thayer's lapdog

So not only do we have to put up with a weak heroine and a manwhore hero, but everything was soooo booorinng. The suspense was dragged out, the climax lackluster, and the chemistry non existent. All we literally get is a cliche bully book that we have all read hundreds of times before. Even the characters for the next book I already don't care for, so I definitely won't be reading it, especially if it's a high school one, which I hope these authors really stop writing. Lately they always make them just super OTT angst and drama that makes me want to roll my eyes at everything. Like where is the originality lately? And why is it such a common theme nowadays for the hero to move on and be a manho but the heroine stays celibate and weak? I just don't get authors lately.

Quick note: it probably would bother me more if it was in a decent book, but this book lacked so much chemistry so I'm not gonna get into it too much. But how the hero doesn't really care when when his brother walks in on them in the shower and sees her fully naked and getting it on, and then lets the brother talk about the heroines nipples like it was everyday talk instead of kicking him out or anything like that, was just weird. He also had went down on her when the brother was in the room pretending to sleep, but had no problem finding out he was awake. I think I like my hero's a little more possessive than that, it almost just shows he doesn't care about her that much.

Overall, this isn't really a good book, so I don't recommend unless you are absolutely in love with bully romance. Nothing did it for me at all, and it kind of sucks I wasted my time on it. I definitely should have listened to the reviews more😬 I may read Charleigh again in the future, but I'm officially done with her high school books.

P.S. I'm half asleep right now so this review probably doesn't even make sense right now😅 will fix it up later. ...more

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Mar 25, 2020 Sarah rated it it was amazing

****AVAILABLE NOW****

5 LIGHTENING IN A BOTTLE CROWNS

Thayer and Holden are minnnneeee. I love them, and this story wasn’t what I expected. It was more.

Thayer is NA hero, angsty goodness. Broody to the max, but his love for Shayne makes me love it. He is the broody and mean to everyone else and lives for his lash, and I’m a sucker for it.

Shayne is one of my favorite Charleigh heroines. She is finding her way, and I felt like she is someone I would want to have hung out with as a young girl.

The ...more

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Mar 13, 2021 TJ ☾ rated it did not like it

Shelves: hes-on-my-shit-list, shes-on-my-last-nerve, noping-the-fuck-out-of-here

I cannot take this cover seriously how did Charleigh Rose find the embodiment of the poutiest boy in the world hahahahah

I can't even get into why this was bad. usually im always up for a good roast but these two made it too easy that it wouldn't even be fun. sheesh every time I think about this book I laugh

description

...more

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Apr 08, 2020 Alba and Her Secrets..♥ rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-gifted-copy, best-dirty-talk, darkish-elements, dirty-talker, plus-half-star, holy-hotness, reviewed, angsty, asshole-jerk, new-adult

4.5 'Lightning Love' Stars!
ARC provided via Candi Kane PR in exchange for an honest review.

It seems many of us have been waiting for Charleigh Rose’s new release for a while. Now it’s finally here and trust me, the wait was completely worth it! When I think of this author, I expect an engaging story, complex characters, a whole lot of angst and full-on steam and Tell Me Pretty Lies does not lack of any of that. Oh yes, get ready for Thayer and Shayne (and the whole Heartbreak Hill crew) because ...more

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Apr 11, 2020 warhawke rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-netgalley-request, romance-love

Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Type: Book 1 of Heartbreak Hill series
POV: First Person - Dual
Rating:

Shayne Courtland lived in a blissful luxury for a few years when her mum got engaged to a wealthy man. A tragedy split the family apart until a year later when a situation brought them back to town. However, the town was no longer a welcoming home especially from Thayer Ames who used to be more than her family.

Even though this book is classified as NA, it had a younger vibe. Still, I did enjoy th ...more

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Apr 08, 2020 Dora Koutsoukou rated it it was ok

2 😔😔⭐️s

Let me tell you a pretty lie. I loved it. 😳

The story felt out of place. The storyline’s flow was slightly messy, too many events without sequence. Several characters didn’t have a role with substance, solidity was lacking.
Thayer and Shayne’s relationship didn’t convince me in the least!
Regarding the guilty person of the story’s mystery aspect, it was insipid and complicated without reason.

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Apr 06, 2020 Rochelle | Rochelle Reads ♡ rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc

I assumed I’d fall in love with this as enemies to lovers with some forbidden romance and constant torment from an anti-hero is an irresistible combination to me. You can picture my abject horror when I started to skim the shit outta this massive mess of miscommunication, pettish actions and the heroine’s confident thrill to remove clothes within the blandest romance ever. Shame too, Charleigh Rose wrote some memorable romances that made me appreciate her writing.

Our story isn’t a fairy

I assumed I’d fall in love with this as enemies to lovers with some forbidden romance and constant torment from an anti-hero is an irresistible combination to me. You can picture my abject horror when I started to skim the shit outta this massive mess of miscommunication, pettish actions and the heroine’s confident thrill to remove clothes within the blandest romance ever. Shame too, Charleigh Rose wrote some memorable romances that made me appreciate her writing.

Our story isn’t a fairytale. More like a Shakespearean tragedy.

Thayer Ames is such a bore, a common anti-hero with no substance, who resulted in me rolling my eyes into the back of my head on innumerous occasions it almost gave me an aneurysm. Naive me assumed there’d be some serious mean scenes, but Thayer’s actions are literally the equivalent of softcore porn. Medicore that left me unsatisfied and frustrated, I wanted to burst into tears. I hate anti-heroes who won’t redeem themselves with kinder actions and sweeter words—it isn’t hard to be mean and detached, the moodiest and broodiest character, but somehow full of charm. Thayer is straight up an asshole.

What made this even harder to read is Shayne Courtland. She acts resilient, but the minute she’s touched by Thayer, her non-existent resistance shatters and her clothes are away in some heap with my exhausted emotions. I can’t stomach heroines with no backbone whatsoever in dark or enemies to lovers romance, and this heroine’s characterisation is more boring than a sheet of white paper. Calm nonchalance with some bite would’ve been a real treat to witness, but alas the heroine sits there with weakness and feeble-mindedness as she’s bullied.

How can you simultaneously love and hate how a person makes you feel?

I also want to make mention that there’s zero chemistry between Thayer and Shayne. Flashback scenes would’ve made this couple’s chemistry more believable, devised an established history and granted the overall romance much needed forgiveness. Some inner monologue would’ve assisted as well, because it’s difficult to view this “couple’s relationship” as more than lustful attraction when we’re told rather than shown that there’s more to it. It’s even more difficult to consider this enemies to lovers romance; it’s more “Thayer hates Shayne and uses women to incite jealousness.” Hurl.

Tell Me Pretty Lies missed its intention. I love this author’s writing, but fuck me dead, this romance frustrated me to no end. One excitable outcome is eventually learning what transpired between Valen and Holden—I need some worthwhile, dramatic after-effect to be invested in post-shit show. But we’ll see.

Follow me on: Blog | Instagram ...more

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Apr 07, 2020 eliana added it

dnf at 47%

this was so bad, i don't even feel like talking shit about it 😴 ...more

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Apr 07, 2020 Elsa Gomes (BookishAurora) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: angst, romanticsuspense, read-in-2020, stepbrother-romances, second-chance, slowburn, highschool

➳ Rate: 4,5 / 5 stars

Tell Me Pretty Lies turned out to be sooo much better than I ever could imagine. I had not expected it to be suspensful or mysterious but it was and I LOVED it.

Thayer and Shayne were both characters that were deeply hurting due to this one tragic event that connected them and everything that came after it. They shared a beautiful connection that was hard to ignore, even with the mess that was their lives. Tragedy, grief and a painful death separated them but their lightning ...more

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Apr 08, 2020 nikki rated it liked it

I’m going to be in the minority here but I need to stay true to myself and be honest...

Firstly let me say, I am a HUGE Charleigh Rose fan; Bad Habit is one of my all time favourites and I’ve read it so many times. I had huge hopes for TMPL and am so fucking in love with that cover...but I just didn’t get that spark that I usually do when reading a CR book for the first time. I didn’t believe in Thayer and Shaynes relationship at all, and even though they had major sexual chemistry, I just didn’t ...more

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Apr 07, 2020 Dayena rated it did not like it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 09, 2020 Elle's Book Blog rated it really liked it

Shelves: forbidden, new-adult, romance, high-school, angst-and-grit

Release Date: April 5, 2020
Actual Rating: 4.25 stars

New Adult | Angsty Romance

First and foremost, I need to address the fact that Charleigh Rose writes incredible romances. She amps up the angst like no other and continuously writes characters that her readers WANT to read about. Her love stories are gritty, but the underlying emotion is epic. You can feel the chemistry hit you intensely, and you can also see it happening like a movie. I truly admire the way she writes, and this book is no Release Date: April 5, 2020
Actual Rating: 4.25 stars

New Adult | Angsty Romance

First and foremost, I need to address the fact that Charleigh Rose writes incredible romances. She amps up the angst like no other and continuously writes characters that her readers WANT to read about. Her love stories are gritty, but the underlying emotion is epic. You can feel the chemistry hit you intensely, and you can also see it happening like a movie. I truly admire the way she writes, and this book is no different than what I felt about her previous novels. If you have yet to read one of Charleigh’s books you are truly missing out. I highly recommend giving any one of them a try so you can see what I mean!

With that being said, Tell Me Pretty Lies is a standalone, new adult romance that takes place in a high school setting. I consider it to be new adult rather than young adult because there is quite a bit of detailed sex in the book. I also don’t think the characters necessarily act their ages (17 and 18) and consider them to be a little bit older based on their actions. Charleigh mixes both an angsty, enemies to lover’s trope with a little bit of suspense and mystery. There’s drama, bully tendencies, and a ton of grit between these pages. Some may say this is also a stepbrother romance as the characters USED to be step siblings. I don’t particularly consider it this type of romance because the parents never married, but some might based on the fact that they could have potentially become related.

Shayne and Thayer are at the forefront of this story. They had a little love connection in the past, but when Thayer’s brother dies, he cuts it off immediately because he thinks her brother had something to do with his brothers’ death. Shayne moves away for a year hoping to get over the brooding bad boy but when her mother moves them back to town a showdown occurs. Good girl versus bad boy. Bad boy can’t stand her anymore and does everything in his power to make her WANT to move away (this is where the bullying comes in). But the good girl won’t take his crap and fights back. So, what will become of them?

As with any bully type romance you know eventually that the characters will get together. Doesn’t matter if one is painted a murderer or the other is painted as a villain for the traumatic things her does. It’s the journey to the HEA that makes the story what it is. I won’t detail every little thing that happens because that would spoil it for any reader, but I will say that it’s certainly a rollercoaster ride. I don’t mean in an emotional sense either. It’s harsh, sometimes cruel, but also dizzyingly romantic. I loved Thayer and Shayne together- through all the ups and the downs- and watching the two come together through everything was extremely enjoyable. I do wish the author added a few more details (the prologue discussed some stuff that didn’t come through the rest of the book), but for the most part liked this one a lot. There were some fantastic secondary characters who I hope get books next too and turn this standalone into an interconnected series. Fingers crossed!

If you’re looking for an angsty and gritty read, then this is definitely a great book to pick up! Charleigh can write the heck out of romance and I recommend many of her books to fans of the genre! ...more

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Apr 15, 2020 Pick a Book rated it really liked it

Shelves: review-english, review-portugues, arc-received

4 stars

So this was my first read of Charleigh Rose and for certain it won't be the last. TELL ME PRETTY LIES was a great read.

I thought the beginning of the book was a little confusing because we don't get an introduction. It appears we enter in the middle of something. But after 30% I was curious about everyone and wanted to know what happened.

I thought I would hate Thayer and fall for him only at the end but I didn't hate him, even in the beginning. I kinda understood where his anger came fr ...more

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Apr 14, 2020 ABookLover73 rated it it was amazing

Shelves: forbidden-love, 2020, double-pov, high-school-romance, arc, angst, asshole-hero, enemies-to-lovers, second-chance, ex-stepbrother

FIVE THUNDER STARS for Shayne and Thayer 💖💜!!!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

LOVE THIS BOOK!

"Tell Me Pretty Lies" is a new adult and ex-stepbrother romance with a lot of twists and turns that will make you read this book without break just to find out what will happen the next.

Shayne and Thayer's relationship is unusual and complex.

They fought against their feelings for each other but in the end attraction and love which they felt for one another won.

I love their chemistry!

Shayne is a female character who usually doesn't ...more

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Apr 07, 2020 Stephanie rated it liked it

I feel like I’ve read this story before.. cruel prince by ashley jade? hmm

it was a good book but nothing ground breaking or worth the hype.

3 ish stars

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Apr 11, 2020 *My Little Book Nook* rated it really liked it

Tell Me Pretty Lies is everything I love in an angsty teenage enemies-to-lovers, second chance NA romance. Definitely. Can Thayer be an asshat? Yup. Is he a commitment-phobic, closed off, douchey bad boy with a secret sweet spot and capability for soul-crushing love? Yup. Did I end up loving him and sympathizing with him through it all? Yup yup .

The characters were likable and fun. I loved Thayer, I loved Holden (who doesn’t love a goofy playboy?), I loved Valen, and I really liked Shayne. They ...more

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May 05, 2020 Sentranced Jem rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-2020

One of those, I don't know if I love it or hate it kind of book.
Not my favorite book by Charleigh Rose but I read this book while I was drowning under the sea of not so good romance books ...this felt like a shinning beacon of light.

All I can remember is that by the end of the book, I was thoroughly satisfied..hence why I do plan to read this again. ...more

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Apr 09, 2020 Gracie rated it did not like it

Shelves: one-star, worstbooksever

This book was a complete and utter mess. It really was.
The Main female is annoying. She’s such an unlikeable character. The way the MMC treats her... and she just keeps coming back. Ughhh!

Omg and the Main male, he is the worst. He’s a complete idiot. He’s rude, selfish, egotistical and downright dumb.

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Apr 13, 2020 Jen ♥Star-Crossed Book Blog♥ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arcs, love-makes-my-heart-happy, favorite-heroines, dont-cry, romance-forbidden-or-starcrossed, young-adult, romance, favorites, hot-hot-hot, kindle-unlimited

***4.5/5 Stars***

How can you simultaneously love and hate how a person makes you feel?

Charlie Rose has done it again! Tell Me Pretty Lies was addictive, sexy and impossible to put down! The characters were so easy to connect with and the story-line was so much fun. The way it all unfolded was emotional and I loved not knowing exactly where the story was going. So if you're a fan of enemies to lovers and plenty of angst, definitely put this one on your tbr!

Somethin

***4.5/5 Stars***

How can you simultaneously love and hate how a person makes you feel?

Charlie Rose has done it again! Tell Me Pretty Lies was addictive, sexy and impossible to put down! The characters were so easy to connect with and the story-line was so much fun. The way it all unfolded was emotional and I loved not knowing exactly where the story was going. So if you're a fan of enemies to lovers and plenty of angst, definitely put this one on your tbr!

Something about him brings out the worst in me, and I can’t ever seem to think clearly when he’s around. Not then, and apparently not now. He made me reckless, and I loved it.

The story started off with an emotional bang. Shayne was at the funeral of her future step brother, along with his brothers and both of their families. That first chapter gutted me and then in the next one we jumped nine months ahead. Shayne's mother had broken off her engagement and they moved away, but now they're back in town. And nothing seemed the same. Her brother was off at college. Her mom was constantly gone for work. And those who had been like family now treated her like dirt. The only good thing in her life was her best friend, Valen, who I loved with my whole heart!

They want me to cry and run away. They want a reaction. And I’m not going to give it to them.

I absolutely loved Shayne! She was so easy to connect with and I loved how tough she could be. She was smart, tried her hardest and I loved that she went after what she wanted. I also loved that she tried not to let what other's thought affect her. Especially since everyone at her school seemed to talk or whisper about her. But when it came to Thayer, her ex-step brother, that's where her self-control would falter. She had loved him with her whole heart, but now he was a total douche bag. And Shayne should really ignore how much Thayer's touch made her come alive. Because the moment she would give in, the next she would be hurt all over again.

I was hard as fuck, needing to touch her. To taste her. To be so far inside her that we both forgot about our families, our tragedies, our fucked-up lives, and everything that’s keeping us apart.

Thayer did some fucked up things and at times I wanted to punch him in the throat. I didn't understand why he bullied her. And I couldn't wrap my head around how he could touch her, and create so much emotion between them, only then to completely shut down and block her out. He ran so hot and cold and he could be such an asshole. Thayer hurt Shayne again and again and it broke my heart. But I'm one of those who always tries to find the redeeming qualities and look for the tiniest of clues. So when Thayer did something even a little nice, oh my gosh I wanted to cry. And when we got to his chapters we got to learn all. His heart bled so truthfully to us and I fell madly in love with him. It all made sense and my heart soared even higher.

It’s not fair for his touch to be so sweet when his words cut like a knife. It’s not fair that he still has this effect on me.

When Thayer and Shayne were together it was explosive. Their moments were erotic, scorching hot and beyond additive. All of their emotions fed into those moments making it even more intense. But we also got a peak into their past, which gave me all the feels. I wish we would have had more peaks into their past. But this book almost had a mysterious feel to it. Because when we were listening to Shayne's chapters, it felt like we only knew part of the story. There seemed to be secrets everywhere. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that I was sitting there with a WTF expression on my face quite a few times. The path this story took kept me on my toes and I truly didn't know what was going to come next.

“I hate you.” Even as I say the words, I’m arching into him, needing more.
“Tell me another lie.” His hand flattens against my stomach and slides beneath my shorts and underwear.

So yes, I can't recommend this book enough. If you love sexy and edgy romance, that is enemies to lovers and has the most fabulous angst, then definitely give this one a try! And I also want to say that I loved Thayer's brother, Holden. Even if I wanted to throat punch him in the beginning too. He cracked me up while also breaking my heart and I'm hoping we get his story in the future! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.* ...more

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Apr 07, 2020 Whitney rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs, 4-star-reads, new-adult

I received this book for free from ARC in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.This is a book I have been dying to get my hands on since I saw that gorgeous cover - not to mention that glorious teaser/blurb we were given. When the release date got pushed back, I was heartbroken. But here we are. And it was worth the wait!

If you are interested in starting this book, please note that the first 25% is a little unconventional. Charlei ...more

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