Synopsis: Life is a sequence of choices. Some are deliberate, others are forced upon you. This was a lesson that McKenzie Evans knew all too well. After the miscarriage of her son, she made the hard decision to leave her absentee boyfriend and move in with her former college roommate, Olivia Hamilton. That’s when she was introduced to Andrew Wise, a brilliant attorney, working for his family’s law firm in Sarasota, Florida.
To McKenzie, Drew became her salvation. He had a way of understanding her when no one else could. The closer they became, the more McKenzie found herself falling in love with Drew. He was everything she ever dreamed of in a man, and for the first time in her life, she felt truly alive. There was only one problem. Drew was dating Olivia.
With the help of fate and circumstance, Drew and McKenzie journey down a path of unrequited love and denied feelings. In the end, they must make a choice between their hearts or their consciences. In this one decision they discover that there’s always a glimmer of truth to a lie, that there’s a fine line between love and friendship, and sometimes you have to risk everything to gain everything.
Author Bio: Jeanne McDonald began telling stories at the ripe young age of five, when her mother considered the truth to be a lie thanks to her extensive embellishment to the retelling of an event. She wrote her first short story when she was twelve years old, and at the age of sixteen she tried her hand at poetry. She reconnected with her love for writing in 2010 thanks to the encouragement of a dear friend.
Her passions include a “mild” Starbucks addiction, music, quotes, movies, and romance. When she is not spending time with her family, she can be found reading, writing, chatting with her friends or diligently working toward her bachelors degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology. A proud Texan, she currently resides in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with her family.
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Excerpt:
He leaned forward on his hands, one knee placed on the sofa into a near crouching position. His back arched high, lifting his t-shirt up to expose his succulent muscled stomach as he moved toward me. “Andy, whatever you’re thinking, stop thinking it,” I warned him, scooting away from him.
“What are you afraid of, Mickie?”
He dropped his flip-flops onto the floor, his eyes wild and playful. He inched forward, placing both knees on the couch. I pushed myself up against the arm of the sofa, holding my knees to my chest.
“Really, Andy, stop it now,” I screeched in a high pitch shrill.
Drew lunged for me, catching me by the leg. Dragging me underneath him, he pressed his body against mine, holding me in place. I flattened my hands against his shoulders pushing him as hard as I could, breathless by the amount of weight he was enforcing on me. Without warning his fingers made contact with my sides. I squirmed against his ministrations as he started to tickle me.
“Andy…no…stop…please,” my words came out as mere breaths.
Drew encircled my legs with his, holding them to the surface of the cushions. With one hand he tied my hands above my head while his other continued to torture my ribs. I was his prisoner; unable to disentangle myself from his prowess.
“I never lose, and if I somehow do, I always get my justice,” he whispered huskily in my ear.
I wiggled and squirmed, squealing in laughter. With each movement of my body my shirt would rise, but so would his. Our bare skin pressed against each other as perspiration began to build. Electricity crackled around the room. Our breathing became heavier and deeper. His hand reached between my knees, tickling inside my leg. I bucked and kicked in efforts to escape his relentless torture.
“Andy, please,” I pleaded.
The atmosphere in the room shifted. What was playful banter had changed into heady desire. He released my hands, and brushed my hair back from my face.
Every nerve in my body felt where our skin met. My hands slipped between us, pressing against his sculpted chest. His heart raced against my fingertips.
His hand slid over my hip leaving a trail of heat in its wake. “Mickie,” he whispered my name like a sincere prayer.
A deep moan escaped my lungs as his fingers glided over my rib cage. The thin fabric of my tank top wasn’t enough to eliminate the heat of his hand from penetrating my burning skin.
His eyes fluttered closed. A throaty groan rumbled from his chest. His thumb breezed along the curve of my breast. I shivered in excitement. The pressure of his weight burrowed down on me.
Every ripple of his stomach, the firmness of his arms, the muscles in his legs, they all encompassed me. His eyes open and a tender smile caressed his lips. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured.
I was intoxicated with the smell of his breath washing over my face. I closed my eyes in anticipation of our lips touching. His hand reached up and cupped the side of my face. His fingers crowned the back of my head, pulling me closer to him.
I could feel the effects of his kiss even before his lips touched mine.
Heather's Review
The Truth in Lies
‘You’re not a failure. You’re a survivor. Call me. –Drew’
For me, that one quote from early on in the book, sets the whole tone for the story as well as tells us a lot about the characters, especially Andrew and Mackenzie. It’s not often that one quote, and a rather short one at that, can do that in a story. To me that also tells us a lot about the author and her gift for the written word.
I don’t think I can classify this as a tear-jerker but it definitely grabs a hold of your heart and you won’t want to let it go anytime soon. There is emotion in paragraph, some good, some funny, some heartbreaking, and truthfully everything in between. It has left me desperately yearning for the next installment.
You fall in love with the characters, either because you love to love them or love to hate them, but it’s all wrapped together in a truly magnificent piece of storytelling. Sometimes, what we experience in life that can bring us to our lowest point emotionally, has a way of taking a detour into the path of joy, happiness, and self-discovery. I feel that’s what The Truth in Lies is really about, life and where we decide to go next.
Bee's Review
Wow!
What can I say about this book? It has emotions dripping from its pages. The story is beautifully written and is a real page turner.
I'm not going to give any spoilers away, but I am eagerly awaiting the next book.
If you want an amazing emotional read you must get this book.
Oh, I need to add... I LOVE DREW! :)
GIVEAWAY TIME!
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If you want an amazing emotional read you must get this book.
Oh, I need to add... I LOVE DREW! :)
GIVEAWAY TIME!
Thank you, Heather and Bee, for such wonderful reviews. You ladies are awesome, and I feel so blessed to count your both as friends. xx ~Jeanne <3
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