Book Review: Too Good to Be True

Author: Carola Lovering

Publication Date: March 2, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Book Description

From the author of Tell Me Lies comes an emotionally nuanced psychological suspense, and obsessive, addictive love story, for fans of Lisa Jewell and The Wife Between Us.

Skye Starling is overjoyed when her boyfriend, Burke Michaels, proposes after a whirlwind courtship. Though Skye seems to have the world at her fingertips—she’s smart, beautiful, and from a well-off family—she’s also battled crippling OCD ever since her mother’s death when she was eleven, and her romantic relationships have suffered as a result.

But now Burke—handsome, older, and more emotionally mature than any man she’s met before—says he wants her. Forever. Except, Burke isn’t who he claims to be. And interspersed letters to his therapist reveal the truth: he’s happily married, and using Skye for his own, deceptive ends.

In a third perspective, set thirty years earlier, a scrappy seventeen-year-old named Heather is determined to end things with Burke, a local bad boy. Inspired by the sophisticated mother of her babysitting charges, Heather vows to leave her impoverished hometown behind and make a better life for herself in New York City. But can her adolescent love stay firmly in her past—or will he find his way into her future?

On a collision course she doesn’t see coming, Skye throws herself into wedding planning, as Burke’s scheme grows ever more twisted. Meanwhile, three decades in the past, Heather’s longed-for transformation finally seems within reach. But of course, even the best laid plans can go astray. And just when you think you know where this story is going, you’ll discover that there’s more than one way to spin the truth.

Book Review

Too Good to Be True is a domestic thriller that is crazy in the best way.

2 marriages.

1 man.

3 perspectives.

What is the truth?

Lovering pulled me into the story from the first page. I loved the different perspectives. Skye quickly falls in love with Burke and is so excited about their wedding. Skye is beautiful and rich, but people usually judge her for her OCD. Burke is keeping secrets and is writing letters to his therapist that reveal the truth. Thirty years ago, Heather breaks up with her boyfriend, Burke, but based on family events Burke reenters her life. The past and present collide in this well written story. Everyone thinks they know what is going on but nobody can be trusted. There were twists and turns throughout the book. Nothing is as it seems, and I love being surprised. There are red herrings throughout the book. This story is very entertaining and interesting. I loved experiencing the story from the different character’s perspectives because I was constantly trying to figure out what would happen next. I couldn’t figure out which characters I should be routing for. All of the characters are realistic and flawed but also have relatable good qualities. Cheating, manipulation and embezzlement are present in Too Good to Be True. I recommend Too Good to be True to anyone that likes twisted domestic thrillers.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for Too Good to Be True.

About the Author

Carola Lovering is the author of the novels Tell Me Lies (Atria Books, 2018) and Too Good to Be True (St. Martin’s Press, March 2, 2021). She attended Colorado College, and her work has appeared in New York Magazine, W Magazine, National Geographic, Outside, and Yoga Journal, among other publications. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and son.

Author Links:

• Website
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook