When Alix’s girlfriend suddenly dies, her world shatters. As she’s picking up the pieces, she discovers that Swanee didn’t just leave her behind – she left her in ignorance. Because Swanee wasn’t just dating Alix. She had another girlfriend, another life. And Alix is learning that almost nothing she knows, thinks, or feels is true.

This book came out last summer. I’d had it on my to-read list since about six months before publication, but then once it was published, I put off reading it. I’d read a lot of Peters before, and nearly everything I’d read from her shredded me. My favorite by her – Between Mom and Jo – had me sobbing through the entire second half of the book, and I rarely cry at books. No book has ever torn me up as much as that one did. When Lies My Girlfriend Told Me came out, I knew I wanted to read it. I also knew that, in that moment, in that time of my life, I absolutely could not handle being shredded. So I put it off. For over a year.

Irony: I didn’t need to put it off. This story, while not lighthearted, is a lot less stressful than others I’ve read from Peters. There are certainly sad moments, and heartbreak, but not like the others. There are supportive families and happy relationships and good things happening alongside the bad. I felt connected to the characters, without the foreboding that warns of impending heart-ripped-out-ness. And that was nice. I liked it. I loved the way things unfolded, and the way Swanee’s lies unfolded slowly, and the changes that come over all the different characters (no matter how peripheral). Character is one thing Peters always excels at!

Verdict: Another solid Peters novel, with a lot less pain/stress and more happiness than others. Win! Now I kinda wish I’d read it last summer when it first came out!!