Ink and Lies by S.L. Jennings Published by Self-Published on January 1st 1970
Pages: 249
Amazon
From International Best Selling Romance Novelist, Hope Hughes, comes a gripping, heartfelt tale of two lovers, fighting for the freedom to...
No. Scratch that. Too cheesy.
...two people, torn apart by the tumultuous tides of life, only to discover refuge in...
WTF? What does that even mean? DELETE.
...two people, confused as shit as to where they should be and who they should love and none of this means a damn thing because it's all lies!
Lies.
I'm not Hope Hughes. I'm not some fierce woman romance machine. Hell, I'm not even a woman.
I'm a liar.
And while I refuse to believe my own BS, deceit masked in heartfelt phrases of love and devotion, I want to make her believe them. Because maybe--just maybe--if she can find the soul within my words, she'll also be able to find the truth scribbled on my heart.
You see, I once lived for the perfect plot twist.
I just never expected to actually live it.
This is my story.
Well, maybe her story. I just wish I could make it our story.The one I'm still writing.
One day. I devoured this book in one day. Actually, less than a day, and when I finished I wanted to start over the next day and read it again. It’s that good. You could say it’s a friends to lovers story, but it’s so much more. It’s a dramedy with real depth. Don’t expect a light romance where the main characters suddenly hook up in the first five chapters, or a minor conflict is easily resolved. It’s not that kind of book.
“The most epic love story I’ve ever written is the one I’m still living.”
August and Fiona have been best friends for a decade. They are each other’s everything – counselor, confidant, companion, and only friend. It’s almost as if one can’t breathe without the other. They are the definition of co-dependency, but I couldn’t help feeling envious of their friendship. August, an author, doesn’t believe in love, and Fiona is a hopeless romantic. The story takes its time in developing the two characters and exploring their fun-filled relationship as friends. The first half of the book is absolutely hilarious with kind of a rom com feel. Fiona and August engage in clever banter and hysterical interactions that made me laugh so hard I cried. I’m talking pain in my stomach, nose running funny.
The tone takes a drastic turn in the second half of the book though, and I needed tissues for an entirely different reason. The plot becomes more introspective, serious, and downright devastating. I’m not going to sugar coat it. I felt like my heart was slowing being shredded, but the story is so addictive I couldn’t stop reading. Yes, it is painful and sometimes I wanted to smack August, but I loved every second. If you think you know where the plot is headed, you’re probably wrong.
“This…this is me. Giving you my words. Offering you a piece of my soul and hoping you can read my heart between the lines.”
The story is told almost entirely from August’s point of view, and S.L. Jennings does a superb job delving into the psyche of this complex man in a believable and empathetic manner. The writing is simply impeccable. The prose is so delicious that at times I wanted to ingest the words and savor them.
“He won’t let the hollowness take me to that place where fiction reigns and truth is burned at the stake for its black magic audacity, charged with domestic terrorism on the homeland of my heart.”
Ink & Lies has all the feels – on steroids. It’s angst-filled, wonderfully unpredictable, hilarious, sweet, and heartbreaking. I wouldn’t change one moment of this phenomenal book. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Recommended for fans of:
Friends to lovers romance
Tear jerkers
Angst
Romantic comedy
**Advance Reader Copy received in exchange for an honest review.**
Ink & Lies Now Live!
Amazon US | Amazon UK | iBooks | Nook | Kobo
Giveaway: Mystery Box w/Signed Paperback
About the Author:
S.L. Jennings is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance, reality TV junkie, obsessive coffee drinker and collector of crazy.
Any thoughts? (Comments may be held for moderation.)