Count My Lies Book Review | Book Talk

Count My Lies Book by Sophie Stava is a psychological thriller book published in 2025.
The storyline follows Sloane, who admits she is a compulsive liar. Sloane is in the park when she spots a little girl, Harper, crying and injured. True to her nature, Sloane lies and tells the little girl’s hottie dad that she is a nurse. Why did she tell this lie? To speak to the hottie dad of course. Little does Sloane know that this “act” of kindness will bring new opportunities and ways to get to know hottie dad.

Will Sloane’s lies catch up to her or will they stay buried? Read the post below, and let’s chat about books!

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In this post, you are going to read about the psychological thriller book, Count My Lies. The first part of the post is a high level summary of the book, followed by book talk. The book talk portion contains spoilers and is meant for after you read the book or to refresh your memory. Don’t worry, there will be a warning before you get up to that portion. 🙂 Let’s talk books!

This post is all about Count My Lies book.

Synopsis:

The storyline follows Sloane, who admits she is a compulsive liar. Sloane is in the park when she spots a little girl crying and injured. True to her nature, Sloane lies and tells the little girl’s hottie dad, Jay, that she is a nurse. Why tell this lie? To speak to the father of course. Little does Sloane know that this “act” of kindness caused her to become the nanny to Harper. Sloane is excited for this opportunity. However, she has ulterior motives…

There is no harm in a little white lie, right? The storyline goes between multiple POV’s to give you a glimpse into the background and mind of the characters.

If you love a popcorn thriller novel, with suspense, buried secrets, manipulation, and multiple POV’s, check out this book.

SPOILERS: Disclaimer- There may be spoilers about the book below and this part of the post is meant to be read after reading this thriller book or a refresher.

Sequel?

Do you think the ending of the book left it open to a sequel?
While the book wrapped up nicely, a sequel would be amazing. I always want more when I love a book. However, it would be cool to see how Violet and Sloane’s relationship unraveled after all the events. What would be even better would be a prequel into the lives of Violet and Sloane. It would be interesting to see Violet and Jay’s relationship before marriage and kids. Sloane admitted she was always a compulsive liar. A book about her childhood would make for a fun read. Sloane was the character that I would be the most invested in. On the other hand, what made Jay turn into the person he is during the book? It makes you wonder if something happened in his childhood.

Jay

Do you think Jay got his karma?
While I did feel bad for Jay for a minute, for the drama/book aspect, it was amazing. This is where a prequel would be beneficial. It could show how depraved he really is. However, if someone is lying, cheating, and appears to have major character flaws, do they get what’s coming to them? It’s not like they killed him, right… This was girl code and women sticking together.

Violet

Violet receives money from a family inheritance. In college she meets Jay and is instantly smitten. He is handsome, smart, and everything she is looking for in a partner. Her life appears perfect, until they get married. Jay makes poor business decisions, with Violet’s money, causing them to lose money. Also, Jay cannot keep it in his pants. He seems to cheat any chance he gets. However, Violet is stuck in the marriage due to Jay holding custody of their daughter, Harper, over her head. Then, walks in Sloane. Violet sees a way out for her troubles.

Sloane

Sloane is an interesting character. Compulsive liar, complicated upbringing, and using people any chance she gets. She is what some may call, survival mode. Sloane is ecstatic to become the nanny to Harper, because, well, money and Jay is gorgeous. Little does Sloane know that Violet has an agenda of her own. Violet wants out of her marriage. The only way she sees out is death. Therefore, Violet is planning on killing Sloane and passing off the body as her own. Brilliant, right? As we all know in thriller books, things do not always go to plan. There are always outside forces or someone that rises from the dead.

Ending

1. Did you guess the ending?
   While I thought I pieced everything together, Sloane and Violet both being alive was not one of them. I figured Violet was going to kill Sloane or herself. The part that was not adding up was Violet being ok living without her daughter. It also made me sad thinking she was about to leave her daughter to grow up without her mother. It did not seem like she was in that mindset to do that. The twist at the end was brilliant. Stava did an amazing job going back to the scene where everything went down so the audience could see a different perspective. Jay (and me as a reader) was shocked to see the real Sloane walk in. All this time he thought that Violet’s plan had worked. However, Violet had a change of heart and neither of them wound up dead. However, they were able to frame Jay for Violet’s murder. I always love an unreliable narrator. Those make for some of the best psychological thriller novels.
2. What would you change about the ending (if anything)?
   The ending was perfect. No changes 🙂 A storyline that is about women sticking together despite their differences is an inspirational story. However, more would always be nice, like a sequel or prequel.

What is something you love to see in a thriller book? Murder mystery? Unreliable narrator? Multiple POV’s? Family drama/secrets? Drop some comments below!

Adaptation

Do you think this would do well as an adaptation?
Luckily, at the time of this post there will be adaptation. Yay! When adaptations are done right, they can be amazing. It is always fun seeing characters come alive in real life. Especially, when it is as you pictured. Of course nothing is perfect so going into adaptations with an open mind helps. This adaptation will be a Hulu limited series. Here is what we know so far about the adaptation.  The adaptation stars Lindsay Lohan as Violet Lockhart, Shailene Woodley as Sloane Caraway, and Kit Harington as Jay Lockhart. Additionally, Katherine LaNasa will also play Sloane’s mother. For those that love the show, The Pitt, and are fans of Katherine LaNasa, be sure to check this out.

The casting seems perfect for this role and the limited series will add a layer of suspense. There is no set date for when the adaptation will be released but at least it is in the works. 🙂

Book Club Questions:

1. Do you think lies are black and white? Or is it ok to lie to protect someone?
2. Did you predict the big twist at the end with Sloane and Violet?
3. Which plot twist or character surprised you the most?
4. Which character were you the most suspicious of?

The questions above and throughout this post make for great book club questions.

Did you read this book? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Similar Authors

Did you love this book and are looking for similar thriller authors? Some thriller authors with a similar writing style or plots to Sophie Stava are, Jennifer Hillier, Freida McFadden, Alice Feeney, John Marrs, and Mary Kubica. These thriller authors know how to grab the readers attention and have jaw dropping moments throughout their books. Be sure to add them to your reading list if you have not yet read any books by them. Also, if you are looking for the most up to date book reviews book recommendations, and book talk, be sure to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest.

If you loved this thriller book, some other books you might love are: 17 Jaw-Dropping Thriller Books To Read

15 Of The Most Jaw-Dropping, Best Freida McFadden Books

If you love getting thriller book recommendations or want to know what thriller books are coming out soon, Instagram, @thriller_book_nook, is a place to talk about books and see reviews on books even before they are published. If you are a book lover and are looking for a book community, bookstagram is the right place.

Happy Reading! xx

This post was all about Count My Lies book.