Review: The Lie

I've been reading Karina Halle's books for a little while now but I have yet to blog about them. Which is a shame because you all need to know how fantastic they are! The Lie is Halle's latest novel, just published today. It's just as addicting as her other contemporary books and I did not want to put it down!

Here's the synopsis:

Their love led to a lie
Their truth led to the end
Brigs McGregor is crawling out from the ashes. After losing his wife and son in a car accident and his job from his subsequent downward spiral, he's finally moving forward, getting a prestigious teaching position at the University of London and a new life in the city. Slowly, but surely, he's pushing past the guilt and putting his tragic past behind him.
Until he sees her.
Natasha Trudeau once loved a man so much she thought she'd die without him. But their love was wrong, doomed from the start, and when their world crashed around them, Natasha was nearly buried in the rubble. It took years of moving on to forget him, and now that she's in London, she's ready to start again.
Until she sees him.
Because some loves are too dangerous to ever indulge.
And some loves are far too powerful to ignore.
Their love just might be the life and the death of them.

Here's the thing...I consider this book a part of a series even though it's technically not a series and Halle doesn't want it promoted as such (sorry, Karina!). However, I'm a series purist and loather of spoilers. I must read a series in order, even if it's like this one where each story can completely stand on its own. I don't like finding out what happened in a previous book in a later one when I could have read the full story for myself. All that being said...you really don't have to read The Pact, The Offer, The Play, or Winter Wishes (a holiday novella that takes place during the time of The Play) in order to enjoy The Lie. You really don't. But you'll learn what happened with Lachlan and Kayla in The Play and their story is so great that I highly suggest you read it anyway. They're all such amazing reads that you'll breeze through because you'll be addicted to the smart, sexy, real storylines.

If you've read The Play, you'll already have some background information on Brigs. You'll know his wife and son died in a car accident and, if you're like me, you'll have an inkling of what happened prior to the car crash. It turns out I was right and Brigs and Natasha did not exactly have the best start to their relationship. Some people may not like how they first started and that's fine but I wouldn't let it put you off this story. Halle does such a great job of approaching the...I hesitate to call it infidelity because it wasn't a physical affair in the truest sense of the word...so let's just say relationship. It was messy and hard and heartbreaking but also tempting and forbidden and real. My heart broke for both Brigs and Natasha as I read what they had to go to four years prior. They're two amazing people who had been dealt a horrendous blow and I needed them to have a Happily Ever After.

Brigs and Natasha's relationship was a little bit different than the other McGregor relationships I'd read. They had already fallen in love before there was anything physical. Now, they had to learn to trust each other again. They also had to admit to themselves that they never fell out of love, no matter what the other may have thought or what had happened in the past. Halle writes some pretty fantastic, steamy, sexy times scenes in her other books but it seemed to take awhile to get to those scenes in The Lie. It's not a bad thing because I found it totally and completely suited the story and their relationship. Brigs and Natasha had a really sweet, romantic side to their relationship but when they finally made it to the bedroom (or...er...other places)? Hoo, boy. Look out ;) (Side note: I love the strong language Halle uses...it makes things so much more realistic since I frequently pepper my conversations with f bombs.)

At first I wasn't sure if I enjoyed that the novel went back and forth from present to past. In less talented hands, time shifting (on top of character POV shifting) can get confusing but Halle knows what she's doing. I also realized the story could not be told any other way. Halle gives enough info to start that you know what happened four years ago but then she delves into it even more so you understand how far Natasha and Brigs fell for each other and how broken they were before they ran into each other again.

I adored The Lie. I'm actually suffering from a delayed book hangover after finishing Karina Halle's latest. I adore the characters Halle writes and I get sucked in and addicted to the stories she spins. The great thing about her novels is they're so real and, well, I'm obsessed. There's no other word to use, really. You get everything with this story...drama, heartache, romance, humour, and sex. Anyone looking for an amazing contemporary story needs to read The Lie. Like, right now.

*An eARC was provided by the author in exchange for a review. All opinions are honest and my own.*