Book: City of Liars by Emily Colin
Reviewed by Anonymous
Rating: 5/5
1927 two small girls disappear in New York City. Ella is from a wealthy family, Lily from poor immigrants. When one girl is found a year later, without memories, both the Carter and the Dressler family claim her as their own. Nearly 100 years later Liv, single mom, and Theo, sexy pianist, meet and spend an unforgettable night together. But they get a brutal awakening the next morning when they discover they're on opposite sides of an old family feud.
Equal parts mystery and romance, with Romeo & Juliet vibes and some ghosts! Also dual timelines and dual POV in the contemporary story. Confusing? Not at all, I think it works great! It's been an emotional ride to read City of Liars - I've been sad, happy, angry, frustrated and fascinated. The chemistry between Liv and Theo is palpable, and that's really important to me, but not always easy to put in words.
“Christ, Liv. You were made for me.”
"It seemed impossible that we were still inside the taxi, that we hadn’t been transported to some other place entirely. That was what Theo did to me when his hands were on my body. He made me forget everything except for the spark that flared between us, the one he’d just coaxed into flame."
The historical timeline gives us small pieces of the mystery puzzle, and I get more and more convinced where it will end, but one twist at the end had me gasping. At the same time it explained a lot of Liv's parents behavior. Liv is adopted and often feels like she doesn't belong in the wealthy Brentwood-Carter family. I truly dislike her parents and keep wishing that Liv will stand up for herself against them!
"I was tired of feeling like there was nowhere I fit in, tired of wishing for the wrong things, of never being enough. Most of all, I was tired of feeling like my own family didn’t approve of me, that the choices I knew in my bones were right were abhorrent to them."