"An engaging, entertaining, smart, and ultimately feel-good novel with huge emotional integrity and balance."
Amusing yet poignant, uplifting yet sharply pointed, this is a very contemporary look at a woman spiralling out of control in an effort to keep up appearances. When Tom is made redundant and says the family will have to live off of their savings until he gets a new job, Faiza panics, she has secretly spent all of their money and is determined that Tom won’t find out. Faiza is warm and engaging, I felt as though I was sitting by her side and she was telling me her story. While there were times I winced and was frustrated by her actions, I also cheered her on and if I could, would have given her the hugest of huge hugs. A truly exquisite balance is maintained throughout this novel, Aliya Alif-Afzal writes with wit, perception, and emotional integrity. While sitting as a wonderfully readable and entertaining novel, this is a smart take on some of the problems faced in our society. Would I Lie To You is an engaging and moving debut, it’s also a little bit feisty, I loved it!
The LoveReading LitFest invited Aliya to the festival to talk about this fabulous debut.
The digitally native, all year round, online literature and books festival, with new content released every week is a free-for-all-users festival.
What are you waiting for? Check out a preview of the event and sign up to become a member.
| Primary Genre | Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
Entertaining, amusing and touching
Would I Lie To You is entertaining, amusing and touching. The concept of a spendthrift wife wasting a couple’s hard earned savings may not be hugely original but the context of the story involving a multicultural marriage and Faiza’s attempts to cover up her insecurities by fitting in with the rich crowd make for an enjoyable tale. I thought that the author tried to tackle a lot of different elements in this book and that at times it led to superficial stereotyping, eg, of people who work in the City. I also found the ending a bit unconvincing.... Read Full Review
Unexpectedly stressful, but I really enjoyed it.
Fazia seems to have the perfect life: happy marriage, beautiful kids, nice house. Scratch the surface and things aren't quite as good as they seem though. Desperate to fit in with the lifestyle of her wealthy friends, Fazia has unintentionally splashed the cash that was supposed to be saved for emergencies. When her husband loses his job and the emergency fund becomes paramount, Fazia realises she needs to act quickly to save her home, her life and her marriage.
Honestly, I've never been so tense reading a book. At times I felt really sorry for Fazia, even though her attitude did sometimes frustrate me. It just felt like everything she did went wrong or made things worse.... Read Full Review
A page-turning domestic drama about what it takes to make the perfect life…….and keep it.
Faiza has worked hard to fit into the yummy-mummy set in Wimbledon village. With her banker husband, three children at private schools and a life revolving around coffee mornings, kids’ parties and charity auctions, she finally feels like she belongs. It is all a far cry from her more humble beginnings but blending in has come at a price – namely the family’s emergency savings - and when her husband Tom loses his job, her perfect life starts to unravel. Fearing Tom’s anger about her lavish spending, Faiza lies, believing that she can replenish the money and meet their financial commitments without Tom ever realising anything was wrong.... Read Full Review
