Carol Kerry Green 4.5 Stars: Caitlyn moves back to her hometown when her father Brian is dying of cancer. She’s happy to be home and her dad is happy to have her help around the hotel he owns. As she settles in, Caitlyn meets Marcus, a local man seemingly known by everyone. Her father is delighted when he starts paying her attention and encourages her to go out with Marcus. All though isn’t what it seems. What do Caitlyn’s dreams have to do with what is happening? Who are the women she dreams about, and what was their fate? Things don’t go completely smoothly between Marcus & Caitlyn and she finds herself also befriending Luke, the handyman who helps at the hotel and does odd jobs. He is a lighter version of Marcus in some ways, always ready to lend a hand and save Caitlyn from herself. Though I enjoyed the book, I thought it took quite a while for the paranormal elements to really come to the fore. Marcus especially isn’t completely what he seems to be and perhaps the same can be said for Luke. The book ends quite suddenly, it’s not a cliffhanger as such, just Caitlyn being thinking about what the future might hold. I loved the setting of Whitby, it was great to read a book set in a place I know.

Eryn McConnell 4.5 Stars: This is absolutely going to appeal to Twilight fans, as it has a lot of the same tropes, from Caitlin moving to a different city, meeting a man who is so much more sophisticated than her, the wolf mystery, the vampires, and of course the ‘platonic’ best friend. It differs in that the female main character  is a little older, although still rather innocent, and it is of course set in Whitby. But I think this is an insta-love for any fans of this particular tale. I like that it was set in Whitby and I enjoyed the descriptions of the Abbey. The dialogue and dialects sound accurate to my ear, which is an important detail, and I love that we see more British settings in fiction. I enjoyed the mystery of the wolves in Caitlin’s nightmares and I would have liked to see that expanded a little more. Perhaps it will be in the rest of the series? Overall this is a light and frothy Paranormal Romance with a lovely setting, two potential lovers, at least one of which is immortal, and a wide-eyed, idealistic heroine. And it’s set in Whitby!

Sophie Jupillat Posey  4.5 Stars: Caitlyn is a likable, strong-willed teen who moves back to Whitby to take care of her father who is dying from cancer. She quickly makes friends as she starts helping in her father’s hotels. We have a cast of interesting characters: Luke, who is her dad’s loyal, friendly handyman; Sophie and Joanna who help out in the hotel; and Marcus, the handsome bachelor who courts Caitlyn very quickly as they both seem to fall head over heels in love. The author does a good job of creating solid characters with believable motives all while creating a love triangle (that Caitlyn doesn’t even realize until much later) that doesn’t feel tropey. The dialogues stood out well; it was very easy to follow who was talking. The descriptions were smooth and detailed.There were intriguing plot points that definitely makes one wonder what is going on in this town. Nightmares, odd locals, and of course Marcus Davenport himself all seem to hide deeper things. For the most part, the book felt balanced between the romance and paranormal aspects; sometimes however, the romance seemed to drag a little and the paranormal took the backstage. Things really pick up near the end of the book. This was an entertaining read and I wonder what else is in store for Caitlyn and what exactly is her magical legacy.

Phoebe Wilby 4.5 Stars: Set with a backdrop of Whitby Abbey and all the vampire folklore that abounds in the area, Love, Lies and Immortal Ties delivers an enthralling story of romantic and familial love. Caitlyn returns to her native Whitby upon learning that her father, Brian, has terminal cancer. On her first day back, she meets the gorgeously enigmatic Marcus Davenport, fourteen years her senior. He is enthralled with her, and she with him. Throw into the mix her father’s handyman, Luke Freeman and you have a classic love triangle. Caitlyn soon learns that the two most important men in her life, apart from her father, have an open animosity towards each other, which she doesn’t understand. And she is the meat in the sandwich, so to speak. The story twists and turns to its conclusion, taking the reader along for the ride. It is told in the first person and while it does hint at ‘Twilight’, it is a more believable story. Like Twilight, though, it does take you out of the normal folklore of vampires’ abhorrence of sunlight and garlic. CJ Laurence has put a new twist on a classic tale. Her characters, flaws and all, are relatable and loveable. Brian’s reaction to his cancer is what I imagine mine would be. Setting the story in Whitby was the pièce de résistance for me.  There can be no better story for a vampire story, in my opinion. If I have to find a criticism, it's that the book doesn’t end – but as it’s the first in a series, that’s to be expected. I look forward to reading the next installment.

Rachel Stoddart 4.5 Stars: I want to start by saying this is the first book I've ever read in this genre, so I went in with an open mind and no expectations. I have to say, though it's not something I'd usually pick up, it's very well written and has great, engaging characters. I loved the language used in the book and since I am local to the setting, I found it to be accurate and appropriate for the region. This gave it a familiar feel and I loved the author's descriptions of Whitby, a town I love.

Jesse Walker 4.5 Stars: The words 'compulsively readable' come to mind with this book. One thing I like about having the opportunity to do early reading and proofreading is that it gives me an opportunity to stretch my mind a little and try genres and tropes I don't usually go for. That seems to be the case for this book too, because despite the fact that romance and paranormal aren't in my usual fiction choices, I seem to be enjoying it. I did notice a few small things in terms of the spelling and grammar, things that some people probably wouldn't even pick up on. I think I'm just maybe more perceptive to that type of thing than a lot of people. I'm having feelings and opinions about both Luke and Marcus. I can tell there's tension or some sort of issue between them. But there's also some kind of possessiveness or control thing going on too just from the few short interactions between Caitlyn and Marcus, and between Caitlyn and Luke. The more it goes on, the more my feelings about Caitlyn, Marcus and Luke are being confirmed. Neither of the men are happy with her being with the other of them but won't explain further than saying that they have a 'shared dislike' of each other. And knowing that it's a paranormal romance, I feel like it has something to do with werewolves and vampires, especially with the experience Caitlyn had as a child at the Abbey.

Rebecca Wade 4.5 Stars: Love, Lies, & Immortal Ties is the first book I’ve read by C.J Laurence. Having visited the town of Whitby many times in the past, the setting felt cozy, inviting, and familiar when I started reading. This, coupled with how well the author captures the warmth of family and friendships within her characters, the overall feeling at the beginning draws you in and makes you want to carry that on. However, as the book progresses, there is a constant ominous feeling that starts to run throughout as you get snippets of what is going on beneath the surface of the town and adds to the mystery. The book held a steady pace, I personally felt the middle section leading up to the final chapters stifled a little, but it did not halt my interest in finishing it and I believe it stemmed from desperate curiosity to figure out what was going on. The dialogue was believable and well thought out. It was effortless to immediately know which characters had history and familiarity and which characters held tension and displeasure with each other. In addition, it was also clear the maturity levels of characters and how it affected their attitudes and feelings toward each other. There is a subtle build-up of tension throughout that causes you to question everything that is happening, and I had no idea where the book was leading me. The final climax of the book was a shock to the system as it was a complete surprise, and I am desperate to find out what’s next for the characters.