Tell Me Lies

April 1, 2018
Passion, friendship, heartbreak, and forgiveness ring true in Lovering's debut, the tale of a young woman's obsession with a man who's "good at being charming."Long Island native Lucy Albright, starts her freshman year at Baird College in Southern California, intending to study English and journalism and become a travel writer. Stephen DeMarco, an upperclassman, is a political science major who plans to become a lawyer. Soon after they meet, Lucy tells Stephen an intensely personal story about the Unforgivable Thing, a betrayal that turned Lucy against her mother. Stephen pretends to listen to Lucy's painful disclosure, but all his thoughts are about her exposed black bra strap and her nipples pressing against her thin cotton T-shirt. It doesn't take Lucy long to realize Stephen's a "manipulative jerk" and she is "beyond pathetic" in her desire for him, but their lives are now intertwined. Their story takes seven years to unfold, but it's a fast-paced ride through hookups, breakups, and infidelities fueled by alcohol and cocaine, and with oodles of sizzling sexual tension. "Lucy was an itch, a song stuck in your head or a movie you need to rewatch or a food you suddenly crave," Stephen says in one of his point-of-view chapters, which alternate with Lucy's. The ending is perfect, as Lucy figures out the dark secret Stephen has kept hidden and learns the difference between lustful addiction and mature love.There are unforgettable beauties in this very sexy story.

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2018

Since the Unforgivable Thing, Lucy Albright refers to her mother as CJ, refusing to forgive or forget the scandalous act. Readers first meet 25-year-old Lucy, who gave up the dream of being a travel journalist, settling as an account executive for an online publication in New York. A bridesmaid in her best friend's upcoming wedding, Lucy is hesitant to be entangled with or seduced by Stephen DeMarco again. Her toxic, heated relationship with him is revealed in alternating points of view spanning her college years in Southern California. During her freshman year, a time of heavy recreational drug use and sexual exploration, Lucy falls hard for Stephen, who then causes her unbearable pain by his betrayal. Regularly depriving herself of food, Lucy struggles with body image, but confident, narcissistic Stephen makes her feel beautiful and loved, stringing her along in his warped view of a real relationship. Will the postcollege Lucy finally rid herself of Stephen for good or fall back into the dangerous spiral of her past? VERDICT Fans of Colleen Hoover will devour Lovering's new adult debut that is full of toxic love, secrets, and intense romance.--Laura Jones, Argos Community Schs., IN

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 18, 2018
Lovering’s winning debut chronicles the on-again, off-again relationship between beautiful Lucy Albright and the charismatic sociopath Stephen DeMarco. As a freshman at California’s Baird College in 2017, Lucy is depressed and still disturbed by the memory of glimpsing her mother having sex with a younger guy when she was 14. She keeps her knowledge of the incident a secret until she has a heart-to-heart with Stephen, a junior whose mother is bipolar. Lucy misinterprets Stephen’s reaction, thinking he cares for her, when, in reality, Stephen is a calculating, unempathetic person who has a history of cheating on his girlfriends. He views Lucy as his latest conquest. While alternating Stephen and Lucy’s points of view, Lovering does an excellent job of showing how Lucy’s depression drives her codependency. Stephen’s sections allow for a look at his remorseless Machiavellian sensibilities: unable to genuinely feel affection, he studies people in order to learn how to act normal and get what he wants. The story falters slightly when one too many coincidences pile up, but that doesn’t detract from this potent novel or its strong characters.

May 15, 2018
Lucy Albright is excited to be leaving her small Long Island town for college in California, craving distance from her mother for the Unforgivable Thing. She falls into college life quickly, making friends, going to parties, doing drugs, and drinking?all while keeping up with her studies. At a houseboat party during freshman year, she meets Stephen Demarco and is mesmerized by his piercing eyes and impeccable charm. Stephen becomes like a drug, luring her despite her knowing that he is a sociopathic liar and a cheat. Their relationship runs deep, taking twists and turns that neither expected, with consequences that could prove to be deadly. Lovering's debut is like a chemical reaction, exploding with sex, drugs, and all things that make a relationship toxic. Told by alternating point-of-view between Lucy and Stephen, this coming-of-age story will strike a chord with readers. From the emotionally raw, vulnerable, yet addicting lure that Lucy experiences with Stephen to his lack of guilt over his misdeeds, readers will be enraptured by this story that explores the darkest sides of a relationship gone wrong.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)