Locked Down and Lying
I really wanted to try this book for a color-coded reading challenge, and since it was the only grey cover in my stack, it felt like the perfect time to dive in. It also helped that Amazon recently adapted it into a show, giving me a great opportunity to watch and compare the two versions. Unfortunately, the comparison is falling a bit flat for me; the screen adaptation struggles to capture the specific internal tension that makes the writing work, leaving the show feeling a bit hollow compared to the source material.
If you are looking for a highly suspenseful, fast-paced thriller, this is likely not the book for you. However, if you enjoy a surprising, slow-burn type of suspense, you have picked up the right story. It is a well-written look at a couple, Oliver and Ciara, who meet right before a lockdown and decide to move in together instead of spending weeks apart.
Both begin their relationship hiding their true selves. Oliver is desperate to conceal his past, terrified that his childhood identity will make Ciara run for the hills. Meanwhile, Ciara is hiding the fact that she already knows exactly who he is—and she is much closer to that secret than he could ever realize. As my introduction to this author, I’m giving this 3 stars, and I would definitely be open to trying another one of her books in the future.
