First Lie Wind book review

2025/1/31 Edited to

... Read moreOkay, so let's dive a little deeper into why 'First Lie Wins: A Novel' by Ashley Elston truly captured my attention, especially if you're like me and love a good psychological thriller with a side of mystery. When I first picked up this fiction novel, I was hesitant, just like I mentioned in my initial thoughts. The reviews I saw, like the impressive 3.84 (1.6k) rating, seemed promising, but the opening felt a bit disorienting with its rapid shifts. But here's the thing about this book, and why I genuinely believe it's worth sticking with: the way Elston uses time jumping isn't just for confusion; it's a masterful technique to slowly unveil layers of deception and motive. Instead of feeling disjointed, it creates this incredible suspense where you're constantly piecing together the protagonist's past and present. If you've ever enjoyed books where the main character has a hidden agenda or a mysterious past, similar to what someone might look for when searching for a book like 'The Bodyguard I Can't Escape Noelle' (which often involves secrets and high stakes), then 'First Lie Wins' delivers that in spades. It’s like a puzzle gradually coming together, and each piece reveals something more shocking than the last. What makes it particularly fantastic for book club books discussions? Oh, where do I even begin! The moral ambiguities alone provide endless talking points. Without giving anything away, the main character's actions are often questionable, forcing you to ponder right and wrong, and whether the ends justify the means. Imagine the lively debate your group could have over her choices! Plus, the constant unraveling of who is telling the truth and who isn't keeps everyone engaged. This isn't a passive read; it demands your attention and rewards it with genuine 'aha!' moments. You'll find yourselves dissecting every character's motivations and predicting outcomes, only to be completely blindsided. I think the biggest takeaway from my experience with 'First Lie Wins' is the sheer brilliance of the plot twists. They aren't just tacked on; they feel earned and completely alter your perception of everything that came before. It’s the kind of book where you might find yourself gasping out loud or needing to re-read a page just to confirm what just happened. If you appreciate a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat, always guessing who the real villain (or hero) is, then this is definitely one for your TBR pile. Ashley Elston has a knack for creating these intricate webs of deceit that are both frustrating and utterly satisfying to untangle. For those who are usually drawn to suspenseful stories where protagonists are navigating dangerous situations and complex relationships, 'First Lie Wins' offers a similar kind of thrill. It's not just a review; it's a testament to a book that starts slow but builds into an explosive and satisfying conclusion. So, if you're looking for your next captivating read or trying to find a thriller that will spark some serious conversation at your next book club meeting, give 'First Lie Wins: A Novel' a try. You might just find yourself as hooked as I was! It’s a true page-turner that will leave you thinking about it long after you've turned the final page.

Related posts

Book Review: First Lie Wins
To the untrained eye, Evie Porter has a beautiful life: the perfect boyfriend, quaint home, stable job. But to a very small circle, Evie Porter is the job. And her life is a lie. Her boss, whom she has yet to actually meet and knows him only as Mr. Smith, leaves cryptic instructions and com
Dani

Dani

49 likes

The image displays the front cover of the psychological thriller novel "Behind Closed Doors" by B.A. Paris, featuring the title in red and a dark keyhole design. Overlay text indicates "BOOK REVIEW" and a "10/10" rating.
Book Review✨🖤 Psychological Thriller
Book Review 🪻🌾✨ Book name: Behind Closed Doors Author: B.A Paris Genre: Psychological Thriller My rating: honestly.. 10/10, I’m hoping to find this thrill in another book. My review: I had no idea going into this book exactly what I was getting into. The words and details used made me picture
RM

RM

631 likes

A light pink book cover titled "save me an orange" by Hayley Grace, featuring an illustration of oranges on a branch. An overlay quote reads: "BECAUSE LIFE DOESN'T END WHEN YOU'RE 16".
An open book displaying a poem from "save me an orange" about the changing seasons and the absence of a loved one, expressing feelings of loss and broken promises.
An open book displaying a poem from "save me an orange" about a text message from an ex, detailing the manipulative nature of their interactions and a longing for connection.
Book Quotes ♡︎ Save Me An Orange🍊 ♡︎
Heal your younger self ♡︎ This book fell into my fyp on TikTok and I resonated with many of the poems in this book. #poetry #savemeanorange #romancequotes #orange #poetryaesthetic #lemon8bookclub #lemon8challenge #bookquotes #BookReview
Nessa

Nessa

1298 likes

A graphic featuring the book cover for 'The First Lie Wins' by Ashley Elston, set against a dark blue background. The cover shows a house with the title in bright green. Overlays read 'Currently Reading' in yellow and 'Highly Recommend!' in white. It also includes a quote from Megan Miranda and 'Lemon8 @its.drbooker'.
📚Book Review: “The First Lie Wins” by Ashley Elsto
Listen, THIS book had me clutching my pearls, my edges, and my snacks all at the same time! 😂 “The First Lie Wins” by Ashley Elston is one of the best books I’ve read in forever. If you’re into suspense, mystery, and a little sprinkle of romance, you’ve gotta get on this one. Emma thought she ha
Kendra Booker

Kendra Booker

30 likes

A book titled "Save Me An Orange" by Hayley Grace, featuring an orange branch illustration on the cover. Overlays include "It's time to Read," "Mental Health," "Family Trauma," and "Positivity & Subdue," with decorative floral and stripe elements.
Book Review! 📚
I Just Finished Save Me An Orange by Hayley Grace & it was absolutely fantastic. It covers mental health, family trauma & evolving/ overcoming challenges within your life. I highly recommend this read! 📚Name of the Book: Save Me An Orange ✍🏼Author: Hayley Grace 📖 Genre: Poetry 📄 Favor
Gracelyn 🤍✨

Gracelyn 🤍✨

75 likes

The book cover for Maya Angelou's 'The Heart of a Woman' features a woman's silhouette and red-orange flowers on a dark background, resting on a white fluffy surface. A quote from Kirkus Reviews is visible.
Book Review
This book is absolutely amazing. Maya Angelou’s early life was truly one worth writing about. She eloquently writes of the duality of women and the lives our grandmothers were forced to live. Having a child at 17, receiving the assistance of her mother and shortly after taking full custody. May
Marlesia

Marlesia

496 likes

Book Review!
#dontlettheforestin #cgdrews #bookreveiw #bookrec
Soraya⚔️📚

Soraya⚔️📚

461 likes

Book review
Murder Game~it was a pretty okay book not really much, it is good for people who don’t like those nail biting things more of a cozy murder thriller book. Five total strangers~ it started slow picked up in the middle then ended slowly. It is a good book just isn’t fast paced the entire book The pe
Aubrie📖🩷

Aubrie📖🩷

203 likes

Her Soul to Take Book Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stars! Before we continue: please check trigger and content warnings, these books are intended for those who are adults (my definition of an adult is 21+ but you do you if you’re 18+). I started off not really likening this book at all, primarily because I feel like it is very over
LKBooks

LKBooks

373 likes

BOOK REVIEW: NEVER LIE ANOTHER FM NOVEL📌❤️‍🩹
RATING:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 at this point I need every Frieda McFadden book right now!! 😂, never lie was really good like I didn’t expect it to end how it did but it did and I’m like OMGGGGG WHATTT 😱😱😱😱😱 it started off a little boring but DEFINITELY picked up and I wasn’t disappointed #thebookishgir
˚ ꕥ Catera ꕥ˚

˚ ꕥ Catera ꕥ˚

22 likes

🌱 Book Review: Why Women Grow by Alice Vincent 📖🌸
Hey Lemon8 fam! 🌼 Just wrapped up "Why Women Grow" by Alice Vincent, and OMG, I am obsessed! 🌿✨ Alice takes us on this wild, wonderful journey through gardens and personal growth, showing how digging in the dirt is more than just a hobby—it's a whole vibe. 🌱💚 Her writing is this magi
Candyce

Candyce

223 likes

A digital book cover for "Rhythm's Blues" by Kimberly Brown, featuring a woman's face illuminated by blue light. Overlays state "My Honest BOOK REVIEW" and "Rating: 5/5", with "B. LOVE PRESENTS" above the title. The Lemon8 logo and username are at the bottom.
Book Review: Rhythm’s Blues — 5 STAR MUST READ!!
Book name: Rhythm’s Blues Author: Kimberly Brown @Author Kimberly Brown Genre: Romance Intro: Rhythm Baker, an accomplished occupational therapist, is the girlfriend of successful rapper Raheem aka Prince Cole. Rhythm moved across the country to be with Raheem and support his career. But whe
Shanae 📚

Shanae 📚

495 likes

A stack of books on a bed with five yellow stars and five red chili pepper emojis, overlaid with the text "Recent Series I Gave 5 Stars," indicating a highly rated and spicy book series.
Book Review - LORDS Series | No Spoilers!
• I recently finished reading the L.O.R.D.S. Series by Shantel Tessier and this entire series was easily a 5 star read for me! These books are by far the spiciest books I have ever read, but there is so much more to them than that and I could’ve get enough. I’m all for smut but I need a good storyl
Taylor

Taylor

106 likes

A hand holds the book 'If Only I Had Told Her' by Laura Nowlin, featuring a red rose on the cover. Overlays include 'Book Review', 'His POV', 'Friends to lovers', and a three-star rating, all on a light-colored bedsheet background.
Book Review: If Only I Had Told Her
You guyssss! I randomly decided to read if he had been with me two weeks ago and zoomed through it in two days without knowing there was a second on the way! Obviously I had to grab it to read Finnys - I’m half way through and right now I’m preferring the first over this. Thoughts? 📖🥀 #Lemon8Di
MarySylvia Fain

MarySylvia Fain

220 likes

The cover of the book 'Knot Magic' by Sarah Bartlett, featuring a dark design with gold lettering and a central knot emblem. Text overlay reads 'Witchy Book Review'.
An open page from the book displaying a 'Magical Association Chart' with categories like Love, Prosperity, and Protection, listing associated deities, planets, elements, colors, crystals, and plants.
An open page detailing the 'Five-knot Enchantment to Attract Romance' spell, including instructions, required items, and an illustration of a braided ribbon with five knots and a crescent moon.
Witchy Book Review
Knot Magic by. Sarah Bartlett This was a books I was truly hoping to get something more out of. Unfortunately, for me, this books just didn’t give me as much as I had hoped it would. With that being said it’s a beautiful book, the illustrations are wonderful and I personally feel like the knots
JustaWitchandHerDog

JustaWitchandHerDog

57 likes

The book 'Wildfire' by Hannah Grace, the second in the Maple Hills series, is displayed with three highlighters and text indicating a review of the book.
The book 'Wildfire' is shown with a 5/5 rating and descriptive tags like 'Romantic Comedy,' 'Mental Health Rep W/ Family Problems,' 'Forced Proximity,' 'Secret Dating,' and 'SPICY.'
A page from the book 'Wildfire' is shown with highlighted text about a character's humorous dialogue regarding cuddling and sleeping, overlaid with 'WTF?' and a laughing emoji.
Book Review: Wildfire
Book name: Wildfire (2nd book out of 3 in the Maple Hills series). Author: Hannah Grace Genre: Romantic Comedy Intro: It’s about this pair of college kids, Aurora and Russ, they have a one night stand. They then go to camp, thinking that they will never see each other again but they do— a
Rachal Sullivan

Rachal Sullivan

258 likes

First Lie Wins Review
My Rating: 4.5⭐️ It took me a few chapters to get invested, but once I did I was completely hooked. I’m so bored of missing women/domestic conflict thrillers so con-artist thriller this was a breath of fresh air! This story is well plotted and all of the information is purposeful and came back a
Emily

Emily

18 likes

Book Review: Not Since You
Rating: 4.5/5⭐️ Title: Not Since You Author: Dulcie Dameron Review: This was such a delightful read!! This was my very first Christian Contemporary Romance & I absolutely adored it!! The faith aspect was so refreshing to have in a romance! The mystery in this was intriguing bu
Caitri Riding

Caitri Riding

177 likes

A hand holds a Kindle displaying the cover of 'Never Lie' by Freida McFadden. Overlaid text reads 'Book Review' and 'I have a bone to pick with everyone who RAVED about this book to me!!!!!', indicating a critical review.
Book Review | Never Lie 🤫🔪
I had such high hopes for this book because of how everyone was raving about it but it just didn't do it for me. I personally think Freida's writing is predictable - this is my 3rd book I've read by her, I'm just noticing a pattern. The last part of the book was actually ins
Laura Sprouse

Laura Sprouse

16 likes

A large pile of various books scattered on a light-colored surface, with the neon blue and pink text overlay 'LETS ORGANIZE MY BOOKSHELF'.
A white bookshelf shelf displaying romance novels, including 'The Long Game', 'The Spanish Love Deception', 'Better Than The Movies', and the 'King of Wrath' series.
A white bookshelf shelf featuring 'Love & Other Words' and Lauren Asher's 'Dirty Air' series, adorned with a cascading faux plant.
spring cleaning (book girlie edition) 📖➡️
i recently upgraded my bookshelf to the ikea billy bookcase, and i’m absolutely in love and can’t wait to add more of them! so that means it’s time to reorganize! i love doing this. final product posted in the comments! ⤵️ #lemon8bookclub #lemon8bookchallenge #book #books #bookto
kalees reads

kalees reads

721 likes

Book Review- Ron Peterson Jr.
Hello! Today I’m reviewing “In the Wind: the Disappearance of Janice Starr” by Ron Peterson Jr. This book was approved for me to read in exchange for a review by NetGalley* Janice Starr, 23, was Active Duty Army and transferred to the Army Reserves so she could go to Old Dominion University i
morgan-star e.

morgan-star e.

3 likes

Book review 💖
#booktok #BookReview #books 🫶🏼 #fyp
Sammi Gibson

Sammi Gibson

10 likes

Powerful Book Review 💫
(Spoilers!) 💭Powerful is the story of Adena from Powerless, who is Paedyn’s best friend. 💭Throughout the book we learn more about their relationship, and how Adena lived on her own while Paedyn was competing in the trial. 💭Seeing her relationship grow with Mak was so cute, and it made it a
aubreyy

aubreyy

7 likes

Come Out Come out book review!
Book Review Book name: Come out Come out Author: Alexia Onyx Genre: paranormal dark romance Intro: she can hide from everyone, except him My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ My review: This book had me in a chokehold since I first opened it! The spice in this book is just it 😉. This book
MariaJune

MariaJune

299 likes

A hand holds the book 'One By One' by Freida McFadden, featuring a dark house cover. Overlays read 'Done Reading' and 'Worth the Hype', indicating a book review.
Mystery Book Review!
I will rate this a 4/5 👌🏽👌🏽 Freida Mcfadden has not disappointed me yet with her books! The twists and endings always leave you like... 😮 I was trying to figure out who was doing what the whole time and was so wrong lol. I definitely recommend this book! Any of her books really! I'm
Epiphany

Epiphany

48 likes

A hand holds the book "Behind Closed Doors" by B.A. Paris, featuring a white door on its cover. The image has a "Book Review" text overlay and is set against a textured, painted background depicting a building. The Lemon8 username @lexitmiller is visible in the bottom left corner.
Behind Closed Doors — BOOK REVIEW
I just finished Behind Closed Doors by BA Paris! Before I even get into my review, this is the second book I’ve read after reading reviews on lemon8, and guys you really need to put trigger warnings for people!! Before we start TW — - animal cruelty (it’s not long but it’s obviously terrible
lexi :) :(

lexi :) :(

12 likes

Book Review
Synopsis: When Jules first meets the handsome artist Kirin, she’s still mourning her husband’s death, but a fairytale romance soon sweeps her off her feet. Now she and her daughter Scout are moving out of the city and into Kirin’s once-lonely mansion. He’s thoughtfully updated and adapted the ho
Holly Molly

Holly Molly

49 likes

A book review for 'The Serial Killer's Wife' by Robert Swartwood, featuring the book cover with a woman's silhouette against a red background. The review includes a five-star rating, a quote from Blake Crouch, and text praising the book as fast-paced and engaging. The image also displays 'REVIEW' vertically on the left and 'Lemon8 @katiestaysbooked' at the bottom.
Book review!
I feel like I don’t have very many 5 star reads, but this was freaking amazing. So good I wrote the review halfway through. I finished this in a couple of days & was so engaged from the beginning. It was like a movie playing in my head. Just one thing after another!! Without saying too much,
Katie Sparks

Katie Sparks

15 likes

Book Review: ONLY FOR THE WEEK ✨
I loved this book! I read this in January! This was also my 1st physical book since I got my e-reader a year ago. I couldn't put the book down! #blackgirlbookreview #lemon8bookclub #blackromancebooks #blackbookreviewer #blackbookrecommendations
Coco 📚📖

Coco 📚📖

136 likes

See more