Brinda Berry : THE BEAUTY OF LIES ( Stand By Me #1)

Warning!!! Prepare for some good stay scenes ;-)

xpressobooktours.com

THE BEAUTY OF LIES is new adult novel written by the very talented Brinda Berry.

This is my first time meeting and reading the stories written by Ms Berry. I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to read her new novel.

*****

Secrets are exposed, trust is betrayed and two people face the beauty of lies.

Leo Jensen has a secret - he is Mr. Expose, a blogger that reveals the truth about liars and frauds. It's a way to make a living, and he's had a motherlode of experience with liars. Cheaters. Women who live for drama and carry more hidden baggage than a Boeing 747. Even his twin sister can't seem to admit the truth about her relationships, so finding an honest woman is about as likely as finding a unicorn in the middle of Nashville. 

Harper Wade wishes life had a do-over button. She'd press that sucker and reset the last four years. Now, she has the chance to start fresh and make things right, but first she has to retrieve the damming evidence of her past from an annoying blogger. She's doing all the things she knows she shouldn't - breaking and entering, lying by omission, falling for the hot guy next door. Too bad he holds the key to her clean slate. 

*****

Xpresso Book Tour gave me the opportunity to be a part of their book tour and read this new novel. And of course, write an honest opinion on what I thought about it.

I have been given the E-book version of the book. 279 pages long. 22 chapters. The cover captures a handsome man, semi-naked, looking at you through piercing blue eyes. This is a first E-Book I read in a while. I still prefer the hard copy of a book.

To be honest, at the start, I was a little skeptical. Yes, the plot seemed interesting, but I was worried that the author might not be able to execute it well enough. But I went into reading it with an open mind and I am glad for it.

The story is told from two points of view - Leo's & Harper's. They both have their own backstory which we slowly see clues of. The story was a little slow at the start, it took me couple of chapters to get into it, but soon enough, I was hooked. The story developed in an interesting, saucy progress. Soon enough all I wanted to do is read it.

It's a story of two broken people. Their previous relationships have left scars - mistrust to others, being careful with their heart. Both of them just want to live their lives in piece without any more drama. But that changes when a pure coincidence brings them into each other lives (and maybe a little stalking). They both have secrets, they both have complicated past. But they cannot help but fall in love. Passionately. Truly.

The story is mesmerising, thrilling, very passionate at times. I was reading it at work and couldn't help but blush at certain parts. Entertaining & Engaging. I love how we can read the story from the points of views of both main characters. It's nice to have a look inside their mind and see how they tick and what they are going through. 

The most interesting thing about this story is the thought of polygamy and betrayal. Ms Berry was brave enough to approach this subject. The truth is it does happen. It is happening all around us. People cheat. People lie. People pretend to be someone else. People break law. People have secrets. Dark secrets which can ruin lives. I love how Ms Berry approached the subject. The presence of Leo's alter ego aka Mr Expose and his blog sheds the light on these issues. He names and shames. I also like the thought of what happens after you reveal the secret. There are repercussions to all our actions. We might want revenge, but do we ever think about what happens after we success in avenging ourselves.

All in all I really really enjoy reading this story. It was wonderful, cute, sexy tale of love, betrayal and ability to forgive. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series. 

Well done Ms Berry, you have impressed me with your story-telling skills. I cannot wait to read more of your writing.