The Lies That Bind

A Novel

By: Emily Giffin

Narrated by: Brittany Pressley, Will Damron, Vikas Adam

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In this irresistible novel from the author of All We Ever Wanted and Something Borrowed, a young woman falls hard for an impossibly perfect man before he disappears without a trace. . . .

It’s 2 A.M. on a Saturday night in the spring of 2001, and twenty-eight-year-old Cecily Gardner sits alone in a dive bar in New York’s East Village, questioning her life. Feeling lonesome and homesick for the Midwest, she wonders if she’ll ever make it as a reporter in the big city—and whether she made a terrible mistake in breaking up with her longtime boyfriend, Matthew.

As Cecily reaches for the phone to call him, she hears a guy on the barstool next to her say, “Don’t do it—you’ll regret it.” Something tells her to listen, and over the next several hours—and shots of tequila—the two forge an unlikely connection. That should be it, they both decide the next morning, as Cecily reminds herself of the perils of a rebound relationship. Moreover, their timing couldn’t be worse—Grant is preparing to quit his job and move overseas. Yet despite all their obstacles, they can’t seem to say goodbye, and for the first time in her carefully constructed life, Cecily follows her heart instead of her head.

Then Grant disappears in the chaos of 9/11. Fearing the worst, Cecily spots his face on a missing-person poster, and realizes she is not the only one searching for him. Her investigative reporting instincts kick into action as she vows to discover the truth. But the questions pile up fast: How well did she really know Grant? Did he ever really love her? And is it possible to love a man who wasn’t who he seemed to be?

The Lies That Bind is a mesmerizing and emotionally resonant exploration of the never-ending search for love and truth—in our relationships, our careers, and deep within our own hearts.

Critic reviews

Praise for Emily Giffin

“Giffin is a worldwide best-selling author because she gets under your skin—by creating relatable characters wrestling within believable situations.”—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Giffin [has a] trademark ability to capture the complexities of human emotions while telling a rip-roaring tale.”—The Washington Post

“Giffin’s talent is pretty much unparalleled when it comes to the modern woman’s story about life, love and family.”—Redbook

Incredible!

I loved this book so much! I seriously couldn’t stop listening! Captivating storyline, and such perfect character development to hook you in and make you feel invested early on! I think this book would be a great film! Can’t wait for Emily’s next one!

My favorite!

This is my favorite book by Emily. I couldn’t put it down, sooooo good. Such a great story line!

Couldn’t stop listening

Would definitely recommend.
Lots of romantic suspense! The way she described every little thing is perfect.

Least favorite Emily Giffin

Whole lot of buildup for nothing.
Usually love her books, could’ve done without this one.

What happens when you fear the truth...

Great storyline that keeps you guessing. Well-developed characters, and nicely read - sometimes women trying to read the male parts is irritating. Well done on that account. I’ve read all of Emily’s books - every single one. They are all worth reading.

Not Griffins best...

First, the main character is weak and doesn’t know what she wants. It’s frustrating but Giffin likes doing that. Griffin does manage to bring in Rachel, Darcy and Ethan for a hot minute which was fun.
The story seems to change plots 3/4 of the way through to give the main character the predictable perfect ending... even if getting there is completely far fetched.
Not her best book.

Rushed ending

The ending jumped ahead 5 years and was just thrown together like an afterthought. Very disappointing after a large buildup. Left me wanting more.

I think I listened to this book before..

This book is definately worth listening to again. Good story & I also like the narrator.

Good beach read

A good beach read about romance, lies and healing in the first person. Story is written around 9/11 and ALS.

So predictable

These types of books are typically predictable, but this one was so bad. Taking any person who seemed decent and making them evil so the princess could get away with being a backstabbing liar and terrible friend and get a happy ending. Just gross.