Synopses & Reviews
In this "sharp and biting, and sometimes wickedly funny" (
The Boston Globe) bestselling novel, three very different families are threatened in the wake of an extramarital affair.
With her debut novel, The Murderer’s Daughters, Randy Susan Meyers established herself as a master of sophisticated family drama and a writer to watch. In her second book, The Comfort of Lies—described as “absorbing and layered” by Booklist and “a captivating story” by Working Mother magazine —Meyers explores the collateral damage of infidelity.
Five years ago, an affair transformed the lives of three unacquainted women. Tia fell into obsessive love with Nathan, a man she could never have. Married, and the father of two boys, Nathan was unavailable in every way. When Tia became pregnant, he disappeared, and she gave up her baby for adoption. Caroline, a dedicated pathologist reluctantly adopted a baby to please her husband. She prayed her misgivings would disappear; instead, she ended up questioning whether she’s cut out for the role of wife and mother. Juliette considered her life ideal: she had a solid marriage, two beautiful young sons, and a thriving business. Then she discovered Nathan’s affair. He had promised he’d never stray again and she trusted him.
But when Juliette intercepts a letter to Nathan from Tia that contains pictures of a child with a deep resemblance to her husband, her world crumbles once more. How could Nathan deny his daughter? And if he’s kept this a secret from her, what else is he hiding? Desperate for the truth, Juliette goes in search of the little girl. And before long, the three women and Nathan are on a collision course with consequences that none of them could have predicted.
Review
"The characters crackle with both intelligence and wit. Meyers’ women resonate as strong, complicated and conflicted, and the writing flows effortlessly in this sweet yet sassy novel about love, women and motherhood." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Randy Susan Meyers’s second novel is sharp and biting, and sometimes wickedly funny...but it has a lot of heart, too. Meyers writes beautifully about a formerly good marriage — the simple joys of stability, the pleasures of veteran intimacy — and deftly dissects just how ugly things can get after infidelity. The battles these women fight take place on a small stage, yet they’re anything but trivial: saving a marriage, making a meaningful career, learning to parent. In the end, thanks to Meyers’s astute, sympathetic observation, we want these women to win." The Boston Globe
Review
"Meyers has crafted an absorbing and layered drama that explores the complexities of infidelity, forgiveness, and family." Booklist
Review
“Meyers delves into the layered facets of motherhood and how children not only shape the fate of their parents, but also manage to sometimes tinker with their emotional balance and sense of judgment." Jewish Journal
Review
"I devoured this big-hearted story of three women whose lives collide years after a baby is put up for adoption. Meyers' wit and wisdom shine through, even when her characters are at their most sorrowful and confused. She writes with insight and compassion, about marriage, forgiveness, work, family and the true meaning of motherhood." J. Courtney Sullivan, bestselling author of Maine
Review
"The intertwining and heart-wrenching stories of how three women come to terms with the decisions they’ve made and those yet to make will touch you and stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page. Beautifully written. Strong characters. The Comfort of Lies is a powerful, poignant and riveting novel." MJ Rose, international bestselling author
Review
"I devoured this book. Randy Susan Meyers writes with great empathy and insight about three distinct women and the unlikely intersection of their lives. The story will pull you into the uncomfortable space where truths are confronted, and lead you to the other side where the world looks brighter. A sensitive exploration of why we take refuge in the comfort of lies, and what happens when we dare to release ourselves from their power." Shilpi Somaya Gowda, New York Times bestselling author of Secret Daughter
Review
"I spent many blissful, addicted hours with The Comfort of Lies, totally hooked on needing to know what happened next in the braided stories of Tia, Caroline, and Juliette. Meyers has an uncanny ability to get inside women whose circumstances dramatically divide them and show how at heart, we're all the same. Another unforgettable Meyers smash-hit." Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us
Review
"A fast-paced multi-narrator story that gets to the heart of the trade-offs of motherhood. You will be drawn in by these characters because of the mystery at the novel's center and relate to the ways in which they each create their own loneliness while surrounded by others." Heidi W. Durrow, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell From the Sky
Review
"The Comfort of Lies explores a complex and beautiful web of relationships between three very different women whose lives intersect in startling and heartrending ways. This is my favorite kind of read: a page-turner soaked in empathy with an elegant understanding of the human heart. Randy Susan Meyers is a first rate talent." Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty
Review
"Insightful, unsettling, and ultimately hopeful, The Comfort of Lies is a compelling, multilayered story. Randy Susan Meyers skillfully exposes the insecurities and strengths of three women who find their lives forever reshaped in the far-reaching wake of a little girl’s adoption." Beth Hoffman, New York Times bestselling author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt
Synopsis
In this "sharp and biting, and sometimes wickedly funny" (The Boston Globe) bestselling novel, three very different families are threatened in the wake of an extramarital affair.
Five years ago . . .
Tia fell into obsessive love with a man she could never have. When she became pregnant, Nathan disappeared, and she gave up their baby for adoption.
Caroline reluctantly adopted a baby to please her husband. Now she's ques-tioning whether she's cut out for the role of wife and mother.
Juliette considered her life ideal: solid marriage, two beautiful sons, and a thriving business. Then she discovered Nathan's affair. He promised he'd never stray again, and she trusted him.
Now . . .
When Juliette intercepts a letter to her husband that contains pictures of a child who deeply resembles him, her world crumbles once more. How could Nathan deny his daughter? What other secrets is he hiding? Desperate for the truth, Juliette goes in search of the little girl, and before long the three women are on a collision course with consequences that none of them could have predicted.
Synopsis
Five years ago . . .
Tia fell into obsessive love with a man she could never have. When she became pregnant, Nathan disappeared, and she gave up their baby for adoption.
Caroline reluctantly adopted a baby to please her husband. Now she’s questioning whether she’s cut out for the role of wife and mother.
Juliette considered her life ideal: solid marriage, two beautiful sons, and a thriving business. Then she discovered Nathan’s affair. He promised he’d never stray again, and she trusted him.
Now . . .
When Juliette intercepts a letter to her husband that contains pictures of a child who deeply resembles him, her world crumbles once more. How could Nathan deny his daughter? What other secrets is he hiding? Desperate for the truth, Juliette goes in search of the little girl, and before long the three women are on a collision course with consequences that none of them could have predicted.
About the Author
Randy Susan Meyers is the bestselling author of The Comfort of Lies and The Murderer’s Daughters and a finalist for the Massachusetts Book Award. Her writing is informed by her work with batterers and victims of domestic violence, as well her experience with youth impacted by street violence. She lives with her husband in Boston, where she teaches writing seminars at the Grub Street Writers’ Center.