Review! Compulsive (Liar #1) by Lia Fairchild

Compulsive (Liar #1)
by Lia Fairchild
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published on: 5/12/15

Lies hurt.
Lies destroy.

But some lies protect…and heal. At least that’s what Gray Donovan had hoped for. She’s a compulsive liar using it as a defense mechanism to survive life and her shattered past.

When she starts seeing therapist Daniel Harrison, she can no longer deny the truths that have haunted her for so many years. She must now stand and face them.

Opening up to Daniel leaves her exposed and vulnerable. When her soul is bared to him, she can’t contain the attraction or the feelings he elicits.

Daniel feels drawn to his new patient, but knows he will have to fight it in order to resurrect Gray from her demons. His will and his judgment are tested when he must overcome his own doubts and face his own secrets.

My Rating: 4.5 Coffee Cups!!!

I was a little bit skeptical of this book at first. When a love story arises from a therapist-patient pairing it could easily go epically wrong. And for other books that have used this catalyst it has. It’s an intimate relationship and when the characters seem to have no issues about blurring the lines it makes it unrealistic, forced and makes me shake my head with an ugly faced grimace. But enough about what could go wrong, let’s focus on the fact that Lia Fairchild did ABSOLUTELY NONE of this. This was beautifully done. The story was in-depth, believable and heart-wrenching.

Gray Donovan is, simply put, a liar. She can’t seem to help herself. She has been this way for as long as she can remember. She uses lying, sex and alcohol to cope with her demons. In a seamless way Ms. Fairchild brings you back and forth from the present to the past. Her demons unfold right before you as you see exactly what causes her to become the flawed woman she is. She’s been to therapists before to try and help “fix” her, but she can never fully commit or connect. She may want to change, but she doesn't feel she needs to.

Enter Dr. Daniel Harrison. In a chance encounter Daniel sees the woman that Gray can be and wants to help her become that woman. He puts his immediate attraction for her aside and tries to become the person she can lean on. The person she can be honest with, even when she is not being honest to herself. He, simply put, tries to become her friend instead of just her doctor. He falls for Gray, but knows that she does not need him to be her boyfriend or her lover right now. She needs him for more than that.

The angst is definitely present in this story. Gray doesn't deny the feelings that grow for Daniel. She knows that his support is pushing her to be the person she needs to be, but he is steadfast in his earnestness to keep it platonic. Yes, there are slips but when the chemistry is there like it is for these characters, it’s pretty much expected. 

This is a love story, absolutely. But it is so much more than a romance. It is a love story between Gray and herself. It is a love story about family. Love between Gray and her friends who are essentially her family (Nathan, a friend she met in AA and Alyssa the 15 year old neighbor are the closest things to family she has in her life and their interactions are perfect). And love between Daniel and his young niece. 

Be forewarned, it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger but even if that wasn't the case you would be dying to get your hands on the next one.

Buy it on AMAZON now!

Exclusive Excerpt: 

The ridges on the stark white ceiling blurred from my intense stare as I listened to the steady even breaths coming from the body next to me. He wasn’t a bad guy. Just an idiot. Maybe even married for all I knew. The clock read four twenty-three. That wouldn't work for me. I waited for a nice round even number. Something that felt right. I held my phone with the message typed out: I need you. I keyed in the address, and when the clock hit four thirty, I hit Send.

At ten before five AM, I eased my body out of the bed the way a mother slips from her sleeping child, hoping not to rouse her angel. He stirred a moment and turned on his side, his arm involuntarily reaching for me.

“Sky,” he murmured with his eyes closed. His dark buzz cut hair was sprinkled with gray flecks, and a small rectangular scar bordered the hairline on the right side of his face. I hadn’t noticed that the night before, or I would have asked him. Now my curiosity had me pausing, conjuring up various scenarios for its origin. Whatever the cause would forever remain a mystery. With a gentle hold around his wrist, I lifted his hand and rested it on the comforter. His eyes flitted open and closed. Frozen, I waited to see if he’d wake. I didn’t worry about coming up with a story. It always came.

Still sitting on the edge of the bed, I reached over to an adjacent chair to snag my black silk shirt. When I pulled it over my head and then glanced down, two light blue eyes met mine.

“Hey, you,” he whispered. His soft, sweet smile almost made a dent, but I pulled my hand away.

“I’ve got to run.”

Surprise and confusion colored his face. “What time is it?”

“Around five. I’ve got early rounds.”

He seemed satisfied with my excuse and looked thoughtful. “Ah, yes, Dr. Phillips. Time to save lives.”

I gave him a nod and a tight smile just before a knock at the door sounded. I rose from the bed to pull on my skirt and slip my feet into my heels.

He sat up watching me closely like a cat that’d dart out of an open door. “Who could that be at this time?” he said.

“My ride,” I threw over my shoulder. I scooped up my purse from the dresser on the way out, catching his face in the mirror. They always had that same look the next day. Or perhaps I was the one who saw things differently.

I heard him jump out of bed and scramble for his pants as I made my way to the living room, picking up my pace. “Sky, wait.”

When I reached the door, he came in and leaned against the couch, folding his arms. “I could have driven you home.”

“It’s okay,” I said, pulling the door open.

Nathan stood in the doorway, hands stretched out to the jams on each side, his brown hair ragged from being dragged from the comfort of his bed. He shot me that look that said, you owe me and then let one hand fall and sweep to the side as if making a path for royalty.

“Wait,” a voice came from behind me. “Who’s this guy?”

Nathan took a step into the doorway. “Oh, hey, man.”

“John, this is my cousin, Nathan,” I said.

Unfortunately, Nathan had spoken at the same time I did and said, “I’m her neighbor.”

John walked over to the two of us, eyes darting between me and my partner in crime. “Well, which is it?”

Nathan and I exchanged looks, and I opened my mouth to speak.

John held up his hand. “No. Let me guess,” he said in a sarcastic tone. “He’s your cousin who lives next door.”

I half-shrugged while looking him dead in the eye. “I really should get going.” A split second later, I plastered on a smile. “I’ll call you.”

“You haven’t given me much choice,” he said to my back as I sidled past Nathan. “I don’t even have your number.”

I’d be willing to bet John wouldn’t be holding his breath.