Honestly, my reason motivation for writing a review is to give a review that I might've found helpful prior to buying the book, as opposed to the spewing of author-specific criticism I was surprised to see in other reviews. Not sure who peed in some of the reviewer's Cheerios but those who felt the need to post spoilers need to knock it off and move on with their shattered lives. Find another author if you didn't like the book, but stop acting like it's a personal affront that you didn't.
That said, I enjoyed the book. It was entertaining, with fun characters and pace, engaging storyline. It wasn't an earth-shattering new concept and was written in a typical pattern for these types of books... strong female protagonist (Shelby) - check. Dilemma (husband dies suddenly, Shelby is left in debt and realizes that there's much about her husband that she didn't know) - check. Return to family and friends who love you while you figure out what to do next - yep. Hot love interest - definitely. Yes, the "twist" was predictable, but I still found it entertaining. I liked how the relationship with Griff and Shelby's daughter progressed, liked the conversations about how life with a controlling person can happen to a smart but inexperienced person and the way it affects on the family. Forgiveness, love, and family are all strongly emphasized. Do things go smoother than you or I would likely have happen in life? Yes, and I sure would like to find me a Nora Roberts man while I live vicariously through the books I read. I thought the writing captured supportive family, small town antics, and southern conversation patterns. If you're looking for an enjoyable read and like previous Nora Roberts storytelling, give The Liar a chance. If you're looking for novel situations, unique characters, and surprises around every corner, this is probably not your genre.
Now, with that said, the amount of nastiness in some of the recent reviews was surprising. Not that I'm personally invested whether people enjoyed the book or not, but good Lord, people, get over the idea that someone's family conversations might be different than yours, that some characters respond differently than you would, that small towns have their own personalities and influences on a person's life. I do agree that the book introduced characters that felt like they'd fit into a trilogy and I wondered about their stories, but the book functioned well as a standalone. Griff being a handyman in no way made me think of whether Nora Robert's husband is or is not a handyman or construction worker or whatever some of the reviews said. I don't even care what career Nora Roberts' husband has, if he has one, or if she's married at all. Shelby calling her mother "mama" worked just fine for me even though I wouldn't ever call my mom it, and my mom might be surprised but wouldn't have a heart attack if I came up behind her and hugged her or put my head on her shoulder. Callie's language didn't set off any warning bells of impossible language use or development, nor did her openness to being around strangers. The barrage of similar sounding negative reviews seemed more like a concerted effort than true feedback, more like a dogpile than a discussion. If this book upset you so badly, stop reading it, then take a nap or a chill pill and move on. Yes, you have an opinion and you're more than welcome to it, but let's remain civilized and refrain from catty comments and spoilers disguised as reviews...bless your heart.
Catherine Hirschbock
Sheila M