Love Lies by Amanda Lamb (Audiobook – Tantor Audio)

Book Reviews, Non-Fiction 23 Comments

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 – 3.5 stars

According to Brad Cooper, Nancy Cooper’s husband, Nancy went out for a jog one morning and didn’t come back. The Cary, NC mother of two beautiful little girls was in the process of divorcing her husband. This was no secret. Nevertheless, Nancy, according to her associates and friends, didn’t seem depressed or sad. So what happened to her and why didn’t her husband report her missing when she didn’t return home from jogging? Nancy’s identical twin sister, Krista, believed something sinister happened, and her suspicions were aimed at Nancy’s husband, Brad. “What happened to Nancy?!” she pointedly asked him. But he denied any involvement in her disappearance. Krista never understood what her sister saw in Brad. They were so different. Nancy was vivacious and outgoing, and Brad is reserved and antisocial. So what really did happen to the beautiful young housewife?

I’ve always been fascinated by true crime stories. To me it’s like reading an episode of Investigation Discovery (I.D.). And while Love Lies drew me in initially I can’t say it kept me glued to its pages like some other true crime stories, particularly those written by one of my favorite true crime writers, Ann Rule. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I think the structure of this story wasn’t as appealing. At times I felt like it pattered on and that I wasn’t getting anything of substance to keep me fully invested. Perhaps it was partly due to the characters. From what was revealed about them I had a bit of a hard time relating to them on some levels. I asked myself, based on the information that was relayed in the book, why the couple got married in the first place. They didn’t seem in the least bit compatible. And while the book had its moments, I also think it could have been shorter in length. The conclusion of the story left me feeling more curious about what really happened to Nancy than when I started the book. So ultimately I was left somewhat unfulfilled. I did feel sad that Nancy’s life was cut short.

This was an audiobook read by Chloe Cannon. Admittedly, since this wasn’t one of my favorite true crime stories, I’ve thought about whether or not it had something to do with the narrator. Chloe Cannon’s voice was steady and clear, but I think I would rather hear her reading a romance novel than a true crime book. I found that her audio interpretation of Nancy’s sister, Krista, could get a bit cloying after a while, and this detracted from my listening pleasure since Krista took up a good amount of dialog in the book.

Thank you, Tantor Audio, for a complimentary download of Love Lies. The opinions stated in this review are all my own.

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23 thoughts on “Love Lies by Amanda Lamb (Audiobook – Tantor Audio)”

  2. I enjoy true crime myself .. too bad this one didn’t hit the mark. But glad that you gave an honest review… sometimes I feel like reviewers only want to say nice things so what is the point?.

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    • Thanks for that. 💚
      I have to give an honest opinion when I review books. I wish I loved them all, but that’s not realistic. Sometimes a book just doesn’t appeal to me and I have to express that if I’m being honest.
      You echo my sentiments exactly when it comes to reviewing books. Thanks so much for your comment. 😊

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  3. Wonderful to see you posting Laurie. I hope all is well and the beginning of the school year was not too stressful. I was reading previous comments and see that your mom has been ill. I did not know this Laurie. I will keep her in my prayers.

    This story sounds interesting, but too bad it missed the mark. Have you listened to other audiobooks on true crime? I wonder if this is a genre that might be better if read? Just a thought.

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    • Hi, Carla. Thank you. ❤️

      Yes, my mother became critically ill and was in the hospital many miles away for almost two months. It was a very difficult time and in some ways I think I’m still recovering from all of it. I’m posting again but not as much as before because of my own lack of time right now. I’m battling some of my own health issues and it’s been very tiring. But thankfully I’m able to read some when I can. I’ve missed reading everyone’s posts more regularly though. 😔

      I have listened to a couple of other true crime stories. I listened to one by Ann Rule and it was excellent. I think I just didn’t connect with this particular one.

      It’s always so great to hear from you, Carla. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day. 🤗

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  5. I’m so glad to see you blogging again! Hooray, and thanks for another very interesting review. It’s so refreshing to read a review that says “I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I think the structure…” Because sometimes we can’t quite determine what it is that hasn’t quite worked.

    I also think the narrator matters hugely. I just finished reading Pat Conroy’s South of Broad, and the narration is excellent — it totally fits the story and became another good reason for me to recommend the book. On the other hand, when Frances Mayes narrated her second Tuscany book, her performance grated. It made me think twice about narrating my own books!

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    • Thank you, Cynthia. ☺️
      In the case of this book I truly couldn’t quite put my finger on why it just didn’t do it for me, but aside from the extreme length, I think it might of had at least a little to do with the narrator. I agree that a narrator can make or break an audiobook. I was struggling with reading a book a while back, so I listened to it instead. To this day the book sits in my house as a favorite. Sometimes we get a narrator who just seems made for a particular book, and it’s a treat to listen.
      I have Frances Mayes’ books but haven’t read them yet. I guess I’ll be sticking with the physical copies. 😉
      Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. 🤗

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  7. I don’t read true crime but I can see the interest in books like this. Listening on the news is enough for me! What a pity it sounds like the case was never resolved which would really be hard. The photo on the cover promises so much and yet… so sad.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Can you believe that at one time all I read was true crime? It’s true. They are fascinating reads. Not blood and gore at all, just mainly about what happened to cause someone’s life to end. It was the characters that I found so interesting to read about; their motivations, their lives and what led to the extreme outcome.
      The case was resolved, but with little to no answers as to why the person did it. And I had doubts about whether or not the person really did it because a guilty verdict had less severe implications than the alternative, so I was left wondering if it was just a way out of the current situation.
      But my biggest issue was with the length of the book. Too long at over 12 hours, and not very much substance. Some things seemed repeated over and over again. Oh well, it wasn’t great, but not the worst. 🤷🏽‍♀️
      Thx for stopping by, Kathryn. I hope your finger is feeling better. ❤️

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