Truth Or Lie by Lynn Lorenz
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Lynn Lorenz’s work always seems to land in the middle of the range for me. It’s not great but not bad either. It’s pleasant for the time to read it and ultimately very forgettable. Truth or Lie goes along with that trend. It’s very easy to read, the characters fall in love nearly instantly, there’s a brief hint of tension but it’s smoothed over very quickly with a touch of a lesson for everyone. I think fans of the author may like this one more than those new readers but either way it’s an easy and mildly pleasant way to pass the time.
Travis is a firefighter and uncle to an adorable nephew. Anthony is a teacher and just about given up on love. The two meet during a school event and immediately sparks fly. Both take a chance and want something deeper. The only hitch is Anthony’s unique ability. He’s afraid it’ll scare Travis away.
The plot is very basic and functional. The two men meet, instantly fall into bed and love, then have to jump the hurdle of Anthony’s unique talent to always tell when someone is lying and Travis’ closeted nature at his job. Both hurdles are handled pretty quickly and easily giving a happy ending just as fast as the two fell in love. It’s not a bad thing depending on the expectations and desires of the reader. If someone is looking for something involved with well-developed characters, subtle tension, and a gradual relationship building – this isn’t it. This is more for the reader that wants something light, easy, and forgettable.
The writing is decent without any special flare. I didn’t think the story need the element about Anthony being descended from Greek gods and his ability to always tell a lie from the truth but it was a way to keep tension between the couple that fell in love instantly. The characters are also adequate but without a lot of depth. Anthony diagnoses Travis as dyslexic within minutes of their date, thereby clearing any confidence issues Travis may have had about his intelligence. While later Anthony again schools Travis’ work friend about how coming out is so difficult. I didn’t particularly appreciate either teaching moments as they were unnecessary and blatant.
That said, what I did like about it was the easy reading. It’s a pleasant way to pass the time and took very little time reading it. The characters are cute and clearly want to be with someone so they jumped at the relationship. I wish we could have seen more of the relationship grow as the novella includes a single line about how the two have talked about everything and anything within the two weeks they’d been dating. It would have been nice to see the relationship on page instead off, but the main point of the story is the two men meeting and falling in love.
So for that, it’s fine. I forget the book kind of while I was reading it, it’s that unremarkable, but it’s not bad. I wasn’t bored either, a tribute to the quick pages and shorter length. I’m not sure I’d recommend this story but fans of the author will probably pick it up and be satisfied.
three am 