Review: Forgiving Lies (Forgiving Lies #1) by Molly McAdams

Forgiving Lies (Forgiving Lies #1) by Molly McAdams

Publication Date: October 29, 2013
Page Count: 368
Published by: William Morrow & Company
Source: Review copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

New Adult Contemporary Romance **Contains Mature Content**
Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations and language.

Synopsis From Goodreads:

A matter of secrets...
Undercover cop Logan "Kash" Ryan can't afford a distraction like his new neighbor Rachel Masters, even if she's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. To catch a serial killer, he needs to stay focused, yet all he can think about is the feisty, long-legged coed whose guarded nature intrigues him

A matter of lies...
Deceived and hurt before, Rachel would rather be a single, crazy cat lady than trust another guy, especially a gorgeous, tattooed bad boy with a Harley, like Kash. But when his liquid-steel eyes meet hers, it takes all of Rachel's will-power to stop herself from exploring his hot body with her own.

A matter of love...
As much as they try to keep it platonic, the friction between them sparks an irresistible heat that soon consumes them. Can Kash keep Rachel's heart and her life safe even as he risks his own? Will she be able to forgive his lies ... or will she run when she discovers the dangerous truth?

I'm really on the fence about Forgiving Lies. I was really looking forward to reading it, and I did finish it, but I had problems with some of the events that occurred. I'm not a fan of writing things just for the shock value, which is what I feel happened here. Not just once, not twice, but three times. However, I pushed on and finished reading despite my reluctance.

I don't like my characters dumbed down on certain occasions just to further the (ridiculous) plot. Especially after repeatedly being told they are smart and/or good at their jobs. Evidently you are NOT very bright, because look what just happened (again)! It was so frustrating reading when I just wanted to reach in and inject these characters with some good old fashioned common sense.

I wanted to like Rachel, but she made it so darn difficult. I didn't like that she let her supposed bff walk all over her and take extreme advantage of her. She was a pretty weak character, quick to take the blame, and even though she claimed to be independent, she needed help quite often.

I did actually like Kash. He was very dedicated to his job, and he always tried to do the right thing. He came to town committed to find a serial killer, and because he spent years undercover, lying about his true self was second nature. When he meets Rachel, he is attracted to her, but he knows better than to bring anyone into his life that could possibly get hurt. For the most part, he listened to his head and followed his instincts - except for those rare occasions that the author threw all of his police training and years of experience out the window and gave him knee jerk reactions that ended up making him look stupid and putting others at risk.

I enjoyed Kash and Rachel when they were together. They went from strangers, to friends, to lovers, and I loved the way the relationship developed. They were sweet together, and I enjoyed spending time with them while they bantered back and forth and got to know each other. I have no problem with Kash keeping his true identity a secret from Rachel. He was just doing his job, and I felt that the truth really had no bearing on their relationship.

I loved having Kash's partner, Mason, around. He added a bit of fun to the story and he was a great friend to Kash. It was wonderful how sweet and caring he was towards Rachel. I loved that he was the first one to pick up on the little clues about Rachel and her past.

Rachel's best friend, Candice, is the sorriest excuse for a best friend I have ever encountered. Just say NO to this chick being your BFFFF. F. F. F. Nein. Nie wieder. (Gah. I'm thinking/posting in German and I only know a few phrases. I think that's proof of how upset I am about Candice. Scheiße.) I really didn't like Candice because she didn't stand up for or stand by Rachel, her supposed best friend. When Rachel was at her lowest point, Candice didn't believe her or offer any kind of support. She also took the other person's side and put Rachel in danger on more than one occasion. Another huge thing I didn't like about Candice - she had a habit of sleeping around (a LOT). She would bring random guys home and then literally throw Rachel out of their 2 bedroom apartment so she could have sex. At times it was so bad that Rachel would be locked out in her pajamas with nowhere to go, and oftentimes she was locked out overnight. Because of Candice's selfish behavior, Rachel spent a lot of time at Kash and Mason's apartment. There also lies another problem that I had - I really wished the author hadn't MADE Rachel and Kash spend so much time together. I would have preferred if they had WANTED to spend time together getting to know each other, rather than being forced as part of the plot. So much effort went into writing ways to force their closeness, when it should have came more naturally.

I'm so upset that just when I thought this book was near the end, I got thrown for a loop by one hell of a cliffhanger. I didn't see that coming.

It's been a little while since I finished reading Forgiving Lies, and I still don't know how I feel. On one hand, I did like Kash and Rachel's relationship. But on the other hand, I really didn't like some of the things that happened and the way certain things were handled. I thought the writing was alright, but not anything special. I didn't like the formulaic plot. I am quick to admit that I kept reading because I was interested in Kash (who wouldn't be?) Will I be reading the next book? I honestly don't know. I'd like to see how things turn out, but I'd hate to have to suffer through more of the same.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars