False Memory (False, #1) by Meli Raine

False Memory (False, #1) Reviews

• 
  Radd Reader

  If you haven’t read the other trilogies by this author, DON’T start this one!!! It’s not standalone and includes significant characters from other books.
  
  The story starts out interesting. Lily is re-emerging from a coma and all of that is experienced from her POV. The first part of the story really held my interest and I was excited to learn more.
  
  Somewhere along the way it became clear that these characters were part of a different book. I thought this was a standalone trilogy, but it’s not. Apparently the previous trilogy (Harmless or Shameless - I’m not sure which) has Jane’s story. Seeing as Lily was shot because someone thought she was Jane, it’s kind of important to understand all the backstory and history. There were character dynamics that weren’t evident and I completely felt like I was missing something. So....I Was Lost ☹️
  
  I didn’t get the connection between Lily and Duff. Their time spent together was off page so when the story skipped ahead 6 months and they were attracted to each other it just didn’t feel authentic. I didn't take the journey with them, so I had a hard time buying into anything romantic.
  
  This is told only from Lily’s POV. Therefore, because I didn’t read the other books, I didn’t know the characters and couldn’t connect with any of them.
  
  Due to the title, I expected to find out Lily’s memory of the shooting wasn’t the way it really happened. However, that didn’t happen. So, I’m completely confused where the book name comes from. Why is it called false memory when there was never a question that everything she remembered was true?? 🤔🤔I kept expecting something to pop up to indicate that what she remembered may not be what actually happened. Nope. So that was confusing.
  
  This story continues in book 2.
  
  I think I may have liked it if I had read the other 2 trilogies and understood the players. However, because there was nothing in the description to indicate this is part of a continuing story, I plunged in and was disappointed and lost.
• 
  The Sassy Bookworm

  
  
   
   
  I think this is the only author that can happily get me to sign up for a trilogy. Every book I have read by her has been excellent, and this one was no different. I am not going to write an overly detailed review for this book. I'll save that for the last book when the trilogy is all wrapped up.
  
  
  
  
  
  Needless to say, I enjoyed this one a lot. It didn't quite have the same impact out of the gate as the first books of the other two trilogies did. I am chalking that up to the fact that we are basically in Lily's head as she lays in a hospital bed for almost half the book, so everything takes place in that one room and I found it a bit slow moving. Things pick up around the halfway point and I am super intrigued to see where this is all heading. I am not 100% sold on the baddie actually being the baddie. There are still two more books, so I assume there is going to be a lot more twists and turns to come. I for one, can't wait! Bring on book two...
  
  
   
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

   
• 
  Jobins M J

  First and foremost, it's not a standalone book. And there are no parallel stories. So the ending of the book is like that of a chapter. But the story is quite exciting and engaging.
• 
  Meli Raine

  
  
  False Memory is FREE right now on Apple Books!!
  
  “The first book in the False trilogy is a psychological thriller worthy of Hitchcock, keeping you guessing until the very end.” — Apple Books Editors
  
  “…intrigue and dark humor on display in this thriller…”
  
  While the immediate—and more compelling—tension in Raine’s (A Shameless Little Bet, 2018, etc.) heart-pumping series opener comes from Lily’s constant proximity to her would-be killer, the action takes place against a backdrop of secret government scandals.
  
  Fortunately, Lily’s voice is captivating, wry, and tough enough to sell this thriller. The novel ends with a cliffhanger that startles, if only because readers will have become so attached to Lily. 
  
  — Kirkus Reviews
  
  Start reading False Memory right now on Apple Books:
  False Memory
• 
  Rayne ♥

  I did not like this. The writing was choppy, basic, and detached. It was boring and dragged on, the concept sounded amazing, but the execution was just not good. Also, I'm pretty sure this is a spin-off of another series? I had no clue when I started so some things didn't make sense to me at first.
  
  
  instagram |
  goodreads
• 
  Lisa (Remarkablylisa)

  A fun read!!! Intriguing and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
• 
  Cristina

  So... this book was free on Amazon yesterday and after reading the blurb, I one clicked it and bought it.
  What I didn’t expect... was the interest this book spiked in me. This book was really great. 😁
  The mystery is so thick, you just can not go around it. You just have to know what happens next. And to be honest, it’s been a while since I read a book this interesting. 👍
• 
  Dora Koutsoukou

  3 🤔🤔🤔🌟s
  
  I was anticipating so much for this book. And I read it. The writing was very good, but the storyline was a little exhausting while moving slow and kept dragging...
• 
  ❁ lilyreadsromance (and other stuffs too) ❁

  Whoa what is this?
  
  Am I in my romantic suspense era? Because this one kinda hits the spot! The way I'm looking at it, anything that can get me glued on my kindle for two days straight worth the higher rating.
  
  It has one of my least favourite trope, the bodyguard trope and the fact that this one managed to hold my attention, with its interesting female lead, subdued charismatic and protective male lead... It just idk makes it such a great blend of story. Also the suspense? Not too heavy just enough, fits my mood perfectly.
  
  Not to say, it's flawless since there's a few parts I wish got more tightened up. But as it is, this one gives me a hell of a great time!
• 
  Coco.V

  🎁 FREE on iBooks today (3/16/2019)! 🎁
  
  Blurb:
  It all started with the bereavement flowers with my name on them.
  
  Not the best way to wake up, right? I work in a flower shop. I know a funeral arrangement when I see one.
  
  I know a killer when I see one, too. And one is standing in my hospital room right now, straight behind the man who saved my life.
  
  I can’t tell anyone the truth, because that’s the fastest way to really die. So I do the next best thing. I “lose” my memory.
  
  I fake my amnesia.
  
  Pretending not to remember a brutal attempted murder has its perks. The killer is backing down, spending less time around me, loosening the noose.
  
  The less I claim to recall, the more my rescuer, Duff, works to help me “remember.” I hate lying to him.
  
  But he doesn’t understand that my memory is dangerous. To me. And to him.
  
  Fooling everyone isn’t easy. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
  
  Except it’s starting to look like I’ve been fooling myself.
  
  In more ways than one.
• 
  Nerdy Dirty & Flirty

  
  Every time I finish one of Raine’s books, I am completely blown away. Each story so perfectly executed. Not only do all the intricate pieces build the suspense and excitement, but they all fit perfectly together in stunning ways. Danger around every corner, never knowing who to trust...it’s thrilling!!
  
  Lily’s first book delivered all of that. I. Am. Hooked! Raine has an incredible ability of being able to transport you into her stories. I could feel Lily’s discomfort, her fear, it was palpable. I have no idea what’s going to happen next and I love it!
  
  I can’t get enough of these trilogies. Raine’s writing is superb and the storytelling is brilliant. She has fast become a must read author for me. I’m dying to get my hands on the next installment!!
• 
  Iris

  Looking forward to the next book!
• 
  Siti

  Have I told you how much I simultaneously love and hate cliifhangers in a book? 😭😂
• 
  Cassandra

  Well colour me surprised at this one that popped up in my Audible.
  
  Lily is shot in the back of the head, mistaken for someone else and spends 14 months in a coma. She wakes up to see the man who shot her in her hospital room and spends the rest of the book faking amnesia. We can feel her helplessness, being confined to a bed and living in terror that she will be found out.
  
  We spend a large portion of this book with her experiencing this fear and recovering her health and it was actually really engagingly written (though maybe Andi Arndt on audio helped that along). It had potential to be quite boring but this has held my attention all the way through.
  
  So far my only gripe is that there are characters who appear to be from a previous story and its annoying I don't know who they are. If I'd know this kind of follows on from a previous series, I'd have started there.
  
  Oh well. Onward ho!
• 
  Paula Phillips

  A favorite author of mine is Meli Raine, she is known to do trilogies, and each trilogy is a spin-off of the previous series. We have had Lindsey's story in Harmless Trilogy; then we had her friend who later turned out to be her sister but not Jane in the Shameless Trilogy. In the Shameless Trilogy, Jane meets a girl named Lily who could have passed as Jane; she was her doppelganger. Too bad though that this didn't work out as well for Lily, as when a hit is put out on Jane. It wasn't Jane who got shot; it was Lily. Lily survived just and has been in a coma for the last year plus. When she wakes up, she sees two guys standing by her bed. Duff - the guy she had at the time of the shooting started to fall in love with but never had the chance to tell him how she fell and Romeo - the guy who she is adamant shot her. The thing is though she must now fake amnesia to survive as the killer has been leaving clues around her hospital room and threats. What will happen though when the guy she is afraid of most keeps hanging around, and her family adores him? Will Lily ever feel safe again? Can she tell someone like Duff the truth or is he part of the conspiracy? Who can Lily turn to save herself or will she have to continue to fake amnesia until the real killer is caught? As usual, Meli Raine draws you into the web of conspiracies, lies, and secrets and makes you want the next book in the series - right now. I am currently looking forward to reading Book #2 as False Memory also ended on a cliffhanger between Lily and Duff.
• 
  Maria Dodd

  Loved it! No surprise there though. These characters have been dragging me along with them for some time. If you haven't already read them check out the Shameless series and the Harmless series. One day I will need to start right from the beginning and work my way through so I can see the characters developing now I know where they're going. They are so well written, as always with this author.
  
  This book, from Lily's viewpoint, was totally gripping. Her thought processes coming out of a coma were amazing. Then trying to hide her thoughts and reactions was edge of the seat stuff Towards the end I had to put it down for an hour or so as I couldn't bear to reach the end. I also couldn't face the cliffhangers that I knew was coming - I so hate cliffhangers - but with these books you know it will be worth it.
  
  I also loved reading more off Duff. There's so much more to this man.
  
  I really can't wait for the next book.
• 
  Shelley

  Wow, just WOW😮
  
  False memory has been a book I’ve wanted to read for ages, but because of it only being available on one platform I had to wait....yes impatiently, but it was worth the wait💕
  
  In the previous series with Jane and Silas, we discovered so many secrets and revelations that it blew my mind. In that series Jane befriended Lily, a local who works at the flower 💐 shop. Lily is shot by mistake and this is her story😍
  
  This book is fast paced, even though the first 1/4 deals with Lily in the hospital, but I’m super impressed by how Meli wrote this and kept me on the edge of my seat 💺 Lily soon realises that the person who tried to kill her is in close contact with her and her family, and because she’s vulnerable in her current condition she makes the only choice she can....she claims she has amnesia😢
  
  Can’t wait to see what happens next, especially after that cliffhanger with Duff🤩
• 
  Esther

  Lily wakes up from a fourteen-month coma and sees the person who tried to kill her. He is standing right behind my savior, the one who rescued me. If she tells anyone who the real killer is, she puts those people in danger. So, she fakes amnesia. The killer backs down and stops tracking her every where. But, Lily doesn't understand how her plan has many cracks and seems to be breaking right before her eyes. When everything goes down hill, will Lily tell the truth about her amnesia?
  
  This title though. It doesn't make sense at all. It sounds as if whatever Lily was remembering wasn't true. So, I don't understand that. The book was OK. It just seemed really slow, and half of the time nothing was happening. Nothing really stood out and I am not even continuing the series because 1) I don't want to pay for something that I am not 100% interested in and 2) I read a sample of the second book, and it was awful.
• 
  Blushing Reader

  Dammit! That was crazy and what a cliffhanger!! Now I have to read the next one. So much intrigue and so many questions!!
• 
  Ixxati

  Omg! I love this!! I need book 2 ASAP!!
  I don't know if I trust Duff or not goshhh i mean...he sounds perfect so yeahhh I don't know
  
  🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
• 
  Megan

  Waking up and seeing your attempted killer's face is frightening enough. For Lily to realize she's been in a coma for 14 months and that killer has integrated themselves into her family is worse. Learning they know she knows who they are could spell her death, for real this time. Only by lying can Lily have the hope of surviving and saving her family in the process. Trusting no one is second only to lying to ensure the safety of all those she loves.
  
  Lily is a very strong woman. I admired her inner strength and commitment to her goal, that no one and nothing would keep her from remembering who she is and what she's fighting for. She never gave up the fight and handled everything that came at her with a focus and clarity that I didn't expect.
  
  But I have to say this story dragged...a lot. While I appreciated all the little elements that made hour journey through the coma and afterward so real, so visceral, it went on for a long, long time. We do get to the point where she's out of the hospital and going through the excruciating experience of PT, but by this point we're deep into the danger from her would-be killer. Her emotional outbursts are quite understandable and I liked seeing her get to a point where something had to change for progression's sake. When she and Duff were finally coming to some kind of understanding I had a really difficult time following their interactions. Their dialogue wasn't easy to follow either because it was far more difficult to decipher joking, sarcasm, honesty veiled with lies, outright lies, and intent in their words than it should have been. I had to re-read sections wondering if I was missing something.
  
  The end is quite abrupt and very leading in terms of Lily and Duff's path together and the drama surrounding them is ramping up to be quite big. It's definitely a cliffhanger, but that's to be expected with this author and how she puts her stories together, and the stopping point quite effectively makes you feel almost a sense of panic to get to the next book...
• 
  Jess

  Jess and amnesia stories do not mix well...
  
  One of these days I will realize that amnesia stories are not for me. I always try and think "this is going to be it" and it never is. This was very much a me thing and not a book thing.
  
  I even listened to the audiobook thinking that if anyone can get me into this book it is going to be Andi Arndt, and nope. I really did try though, please don't take my rating too seriously. If you are interested in this book, please read it. I just have a weird vibe with amnesia stories.
  
  This will probably be my last one... Until I forget that I said no more and try again because it will definitely happen at some point.
• 
  Christine

  arc review For honest review When Lily is in a coma she knows who the man that shot in the head and that the shot was ment for Jane brokov but can't tell anyone . This is her story after she wakes up and gives a more of the story . Awesome story can't wait for more.
• 
  Kathy Wideman

  This is the first book in a new series by Meli. This book has mystery, danger, and is very emotional. Lily was attacked at her parent’s flower shop. She has been in a coma for 14 months. Now she is away and semi functioning. But she isn’t out of danger by a long shot. She saw who attacked her right before she was attacked. Now she must pretend that she doesn’t remember who or what happened beyond what she has been told. So much happens in this book. Lily believes that by pretending she can’t remember she is protecting not only herself but her family as well. The attacker could be closer than anyone would believe. I enjoyed this book. It didn’t suck me in like I though it would though. I have the second book to read and I will read it. I am intrigued to see what happens next in the book. I feel for Lily. She has been through something horrible and is just trying to find her new self. She will never be the same girl she was before for many reasons. Being in the coma and being trapped in her own head gave her a different view of the world. Duff is one of the guys on her security detail. There is definitely something brewing there. I did feel a little like I was missing something in the beginning of the book. Almost like I there was another book before it that I missed, maybe a prequel or something. Great job Meli.
• 
  Michelle Quintana

  This book was sent to me by the author for an honest review. Normally I don't care for books where the female character comes across as whiney. With this book, it didn't bother me because that became a part of Lilly's new life after she wakes up from a coma. She is full of anger and resentment because of how her attempted destroyed her once happy life because he mistook her for someone else. She knows who it is but is too terrified to say anything because she is afraid he will try to finish the job. The terror causes her to be paranoid at times but she figures if she fakes amnesia about what actually happened, the the killer will leave her and her family alone. The stress keeps building up to where she becomes more paranoid about who she can trust. The ending had me gasping because of the question Duff asks her. This book is told completely from Lilly's pov but I'm hoping the next book will include Duff's. I'm just hoping that the wait for the next book is not too long
• 
  Amanda

  I really loved this! While I was reading the shameless series I was wishing the whole time that something would happen with Lily and Duff, so when I finished the last book and saw that they had their own series, I jumped right into it.
  
  Thankfully the first book was free, because you can only get it on Apple Books :( the next two books are also only on Apple Books but you have to pay for them. I have no issue paying for my books, but I hate having my books on separate platforms as I use a kindle.
  
  So that is my only complaint, because I legit love this book.
  
  Lily is snarky and such a strong woman, what with everything she’s had to go through and fight for.
  
  Duff is so mysterious, even at the conclusion of book one he still doesn’t give ANYTHING away.
  
  But that last sentence?! I’m chomping at the bit to get book 2!
• 
  Erica

  False Memory is book one in a trilogy, it does end on a cliffhanger but the books are to be released a few weeks apart so no extended wait to finish the series. They cannot be read as stand alone and will need to be read in order.
  I started this in the pickup line at school today and was quickly sucked in. Three little chapters and I could not put it down.
  It's well written, fast paced and full of characters that make you question each and every ones motives.
  As the beginning of a series it's a home run, I was lost in the book and when I got to the end I wanted just one more chapter.
  I can't wait to read the rest, just 5 short weeks part two will be here!
  
• 
  Tonja Jasinski

  If you've read any previous books in previous series by Meli, you know you're in for a GREAT book (and cliffhanger)! This book follows mainly Duff and Lily (Janes look-a-like.) Lily was shot and in a coma for 14 months. But was she the true target or was it a case of mistaken identity? The shooter is actually a bodyguard who was assigned to her. But nobody knows she saw him. Throughout the book we see Lily's recovery. With sexual tension beween her & Duff (her bodyguard). In true Meli fashion the book ends on a cliffhanger. And now we have to wait for the next book. When will I learn my lesson to expect this? I know I've already said it but I loved this book! I received an arc from author and am voluntarily reviewing.
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