First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

Summary: Evie Porter has it all. She’s moving in with her gorgeous boyfriend, has upgraded from a clerk job to a snazzy event planning gig, and is settling into coupled life in her sleepy Louisiana town. Unfortunately, Evie Porter doesn’t exist, and the life she’s so carefully curated is all under the instruction of her illusion boss, Mr. Smith. Evie is his best operative, but she can’t help but feel like something about this job is different. Will she be able to extricate herself from the danger before falling for the false life she’s created?  

Review: I have to credit my friend Catherine for bringing this as my book club’s May pick! Ashley Elston has had several successful YA novels (10 Blind Dates, The Lying Woods, etc) and this is her Adult Fiction debut. I listened to the audiobook via Spotify and the voice actress (Saskia Maarleveld) was captivating. Fabulous delivery, differentiation of character, and her “man” voice wasn’t cringey. 

 This book was very character-driven, and the core characters (Evie, Ryan, Devon) were well developed. Including highly specific character quirks (see: Devon’s penchant for puzzles) gave depth to a man who could have easily been the “Wade” to Evie’s “Kim Possible.” I also liked that the hijinks were low on the tech. It was more fun to read about characters who were successful agents due to their attention to detail and savvy than having the latest safe-cracking gadget. 

I loved that the plot kept me guessing! I’m pretty good at predicting twists, but First Lie Wins made me gasp a couple of times. That was wildly satisfying! The plot is so cleverly crafted and circumvents any cliches that may have arisen. 

It’s a “must read” for me! Consider me onboard for Elston’s next work. I may even dig back and read some of her YA (especially after loving Thalia Hibbert’s “High Suspicious and Unfairly Cute). Pick it up, give it a read, and let me know what you think about Ashley Elston’s “First Lie Wins”! 

xo Bookstore Heroine