Tell Me No Lies
Fantastic Romance, Absolutely No Lie!
When Janice Whiteaker introduced us to Piper in Take Me To Church, I knew she was going to be one of my favorite characters ever. She’s sarcastic, independent, and fiercely protective of the ones she loves. And when she paired her with Tate for Tell Me No Lies, Sinners and Saints book 2, I knew their story was going to be explosive. But I was not ready for how much, or how quickly, I would fall absolutely head over heels for Tate and his standoffish, cinnamon roll self.
Whiteaker builds beautifully on the connection she hinted at in TMTC, giving Piper and Tate every opportunity to learn more about each other and themselves, but she definitely doesn’t make it easy for them. The boundaries they've each drawn, the stories and lies they tell themselves, the build-up to their final acceptance of who they are and who they can be—absolutely exceptional. And Whiteaker does it through the perfect blend of banter, heart-to-hearts, and beautifully constructed and expressed inner monologue.
The character development in Tell Me No Lies is superb. Tate and Piper both have dragons to slay, they both have backgrounds they’ve worked hard to escape, and they also both have so much inner strength and determination that you know they’re going to be okay no matter what happens to them. But watching them find and accept their future together is truly wonderful. Whiteaker doesn’t make it too easy on them, though, infusing her talent in the romantic suspense world to elevate the intensity and the reader’s heartbeat more than once.
And talk about elevated heart rates and intensity—Piper and Tate are fire, straight out of the gate. The steam built into their push-and-pull relationship hits early, hits hard, and propels the story and the characters forward. And while some characters need time to show their true selves, Piper comes into every situation like a wrecking ball—fierce and determined, no holds barred. Ever. And I absolutely love her. But even more, I love how much Tate loves her, and how hard he falls when he allows himself to.
Tell Me No Lies is an interconnected standalone in Janice’s Sinners and Saints series, which is also more broadly tied to her Lost Boys series, but can definitely be read as a standalone novel. The plot is fully encapsulated within the novel with a beautiful HEA for Piper and Tate. Readers should just be aware that once they finish this one, they will want to read more. Take Me To Church is a good starting point if a series binge to the beginning of the Lost Boys series is not possible. And the wonderful thing is, book 3 in Sinners and Saints won’t be far behind.
