The Lies That Bind

In the captivating latest book by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed and All We Ever Wanted, a young lady develops a strong romantic attachment to an incredibly attractive man just before he vanishes from sight. Oops...

Twenty-eight-year-old Cecily Gardner is sitting by herself at a dive bar in New York's East Village at two in the morning on a Saturday night in the spring of 2001, reflecting about her life. She worries whether she'll ever succeed as a reporter in the big city and whether she made a grave error in splitting up with her longtime boyfriend, Matthew, as she feels lonely and homesick for the Midwest.

Cecily hears a man on the barstool next to her remark, "Don't do it—you'll regret it," as she reaches for the phone to contact him. After a few hours and several tequila shots, something compels her to listen, and the two develop an unexpected bond. The following morning, after Cecily warns herself about the dangers of a rebound romance, they both decide that should be it. Furthermore, their timing couldn't be worse—Grant is getting ready to leave his job and relocate abroad. But in spite of everything, they are unable to part ways, and Cecily follows her heart rather than her mind for the first time in her well-planned life.

Then, amid the pandemonium of 9/11, Grant vanishes. Cecily knows she is not alone in her hunt for him when she sees his face on a missing person poster, making her fear the worst. She makes a commitment to finding the truth, and her instincts for investigative reporting kick in. However, the doubts begin to mount quickly: How well did she actually know Grant? Was she ever truly loved by him? And could one truly love a man who didn't live up to expectations?

The Lies That Bind is an engrossing and profoundly moving examination of the never-ending quest for truth and love—in our personal lives, in our professional lives, and in our relationships.