Scan barcode
thisboricuareader's review
3.5
This book give me a lot of feels and a lot of them weren't positive. I mean like I understood why all these people did what they did and the lies and secret, but I guess some of them would've broken me.
avisreadsandreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Grief, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Cancer
Moderate: Rape, Child abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault
Minor: Body shaming
whatmadsreads's review
2.5
The story in itself was well-written. I just personally did not at all like where the plot went.
mbkarapcik's review against another edition
4.0
Secrets come to light regarding motherhood, family, and friends in Lies and Other Love Languages by Sonali Dev. Vandy Guru dispenses advice about all kinds of issues and has built a successful following yet she's hiding lifelong secrets that she cannot get past. Her daughter Mallika always felt like an outsider in her own family despite knowing that she's loved. Her latest failure to become a dancer prompts her to join a genetic study that reveals much more than she bargained for, and she flees to find the answers she so desperately needs about her personal and family history.
This book introduced me to Sonali Dev, and I'm so glad. The characters were engaging, and you root for them to be happy. Many issues are covered in this one novel, and it's not just a romance--questions arise about how far you would go to do something for a friend. It also covers the question about what is family, who is your family, and are genetics all that matters when it comes to building a family.
I really appreciated learning more about Indian culture and would have liked if there was a glossary for terms that I didn't know. I loved the dynamics between the families and pull between modern views and cultural views. There was a lot that caught my interest.
The story goes back and forth between Vandy, her estranged best friend Rani, and Vandy's daughter Mallika, so you get a wide perspective of what happens in the book. I liked all the characters and found them distinct and interesting. As I said before, you root for all of them.
Now, the ending feels quite abrupt in this book. While you do get closure for the most part, it ends in such a way that I almost wondered if my copy was unfinished. The final sentence didn't wrap it up the way I thought it could, and it wasn't a cliffhanger. This led to me giving this book four stars instead of five. Despite this, I cannot wait to consume all the rest of this wonderful author's books.
Thank you, Lake Union Publishing, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! It was a pleasure!
This book introduced me to Sonali Dev, and I'm so glad. The characters were engaging, and you root for them to be happy. Many issues are covered in this one novel, and it's not just a romance--questions arise about how far you would go to do something for a friend. It also covers the question about what is family, who is your family, and are genetics all that matters when it comes to building a family.
I really appreciated learning more about Indian culture and would have liked if there was a glossary for terms that I didn't know. I loved the dynamics between the families and pull between modern views and cultural views. There was a lot that caught my interest.
The story goes back and forth between Vandy, her estranged best friend Rani, and Vandy's daughter Mallika, so you get a wide perspective of what happens in the book. I liked all the characters and found them distinct and interesting. As I said before, you root for all of them.
Now, the ending feels quite abrupt in this book. While you do get closure for the most part, it ends in such a way that I almost wondered if my copy was unfinished. The final sentence didn't wrap it up the way I thought it could, and it wasn't a cliffhanger. This led to me giving this book four stars instead of five. Despite this, I cannot wait to consume all the rest of this wonderful author's books.
Thank you, Lake Union Publishing, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! It was a pleasure!
sevbetweenpages's review against another edition
4.0
Lies and Other Love Languages is a compelling story about lies, friendship, love, and family.
What pulled me in was the characters and how diverse, different, and flawed they were. Honestly, I predicted some parts, but by the end of the story, it left me gasping. It started off like an easy read, but it wasn’t an easy read at all.
It is a story about a twenty-seven-year-old woman, Mika, who is finding out the truth about her, her parents, and her family. I like Mika’s voice, which is like an adult version of Never Have I Ever, and I also liked reading about Rex and her. However, their fallout reason felt unconvincing and a bit rushed, especially on Mika’s side.
It’s a story about how far a woman can go in pursuit of her obsessive wishes, sacrificing her friendship, and even her love, for it. Vandy’s story was the most striking among all, and though I found her thoughts uncomfortable and twisted at times, it was the most interesting, too. I also liked that her job was different and unusual.
And Rani. My favorite. She’s been through a lot and felt like she had to give in order to have something. Her life hasn’t been easy, and I can’t be mad at her for the little piece of happiness and validation she sought from someone she shouldn’t have. I also don’t think it was her fault in the first place; she was actually pushed into it.
I think the storyline was original, though I could predict some twists from the first chapters. It was still nice to read about them, the characters’ feelings and to witness how everything unfolded. The story felt real.
I only wished the first part of the story (like five chapters, especially Vandy’s) would be a bit more fast-paced. I feel like Rani and Mika’s POVs carried the story until later.
It’s a great read – definitely recommend it!
***
I've received an arc from Netgalley for my honest review.
What pulled me in was the characters and how diverse, different, and flawed they were. Honestly, I predicted some parts, but by the end of the story, it left me gasping. It started off like an easy read, but it wasn’t an easy read at all.
It is a story about a twenty-seven-year-old woman, Mika, who is finding out the truth about her, her parents, and her family. I like Mika’s voice, which is like an adult version of Never Have I Ever, and I also liked reading about Rex and her. However, their fallout reason felt unconvincing and a bit rushed, especially on Mika’s side.
It’s a story about how far a woman can go in pursuit of her obsessive wishes, sacrificing her friendship, and even her love, for it. Vandy’s story was the most striking among all, and though I found her thoughts uncomfortable and twisted at times, it was the most interesting, too. I also liked that her job was different and unusual.
And Rani. My favorite. She’s been through a lot and felt like she had to give in order to have something. Her life hasn’t been easy, and I can’t be mad at her for the little piece of happiness and validation she sought from someone she shouldn’t have. I also don’t think it was her fault in the first place; she was actually pushed into it.
I think the storyline was original, though I could predict some twists from the first chapters. It was still nice to read about them, the characters’ feelings and to witness how everything unfolded. The story felt real.
I only wished the first part of the story (like five chapters, especially Vandy’s) would be a bit more fast-paced. I feel like Rani and Mika’s POVs carried the story until later.
It’s a great read – definitely recommend it!
***
I've received an arc from Netgalley for my honest review.
ssilberman's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lecblocksom's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
It's a beautiful story, at first I didn't like what happened with Vandy and Rani, but thinking back on the things that happened, on the things that made them make the decisions they did, it made sense. Love can come in different forms, even if we don't understand it.
soojin12548's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
aimhoff1011's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5