Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

Scarlett Wakefield needs to figure out why what happened to Dan McAndrews occurred.

Scarlett has settled into life at Wakefield Hall with her grandmother and Aunt Gwen, but the gnawing need to know just won't leave Scarlett. So with the help of her new friend, Taylor, the two set off to finally discover the truth of who wanted Dan dead.

When Scarlett and Taylor aid Nadia, an old St. Tabby's acquaintance, to get information, the two girls soon realize that they may be looking for the wrong suspect. Originally convinced that her nemesis, Plum, was behind Dan's death, the two girls discover that another girl, Lucy, arrived at the fateful party carting the same limited edition Marc Jacobs handbag.

Convinced that the answers Scarlett requires reside with Dan's family, Scarlett writes a letter to his parents, asking if she can meet with them. Surprised that the invitation comes so quickly, Scarlett heads to Castle Airlie for a long weekend.

While there, Scarlett meets Lucy, Catriona, Callum, and Dan's parents. Scarlett is sure there is a secret hidden at the Castle, but she is running out of time. When Taylor surprises Scarlett by showing up, the two quickly work to solve the mystery of Dan's death.

Unfortunately, I can't give more details than this or I will spoil the surprises and twists that Ms. Henderson has created in KISSES AND LIES. The story is even more suspenseful than its predecessor, KISS ME, KILL ME.

With new characters to create drama and secrets, the reader wants to reach the end to find out all the answers. I couldn't put the book down because I was so pulled into the intrigue that was occurring at Castle Airlie. I will admit that the reader should read KISS ME, KILL ME prior to picking up KISSES AND LIES. There is a lot of background information that is lost without having read the first novel.

And the ending of KISSES AND LIES leaves the reader hoping for yet another book in the series... ( )

Similar to the book before: though there is less body image crap in this one, the outcome mystery is kind of easy to guess, and I can't imagine I'd go for the 3rd, though it seems there will be one and I can easilyi imagine what the plot/mystery will be for that one. I guess I'm just not a mystery gal. ( )

Kisses and Lies was just as good and possibly even better than its predecessor. Also a big recommendation, read the series in order. You don’t always have to do that, but I highly suggest with this series that you do. If you remember my review from Kiss Me Kill Me, you’ll recall that I had a few problems with the plot, but not enough to keep me from liking the novel. This time I had some major issues with the plot, but somehow I still found the book entertaining. Major issue number one. Yes, Scarlett I know you are a freaggin orphan. You say that is doesn’t bother you, because you barely remember your parents they died when you were so young, yet you won’t stop bitching about it. Another annoying Scarlett habit is her constant questioning of Taylor. Am I depending on Taylor to much... yada, yada, yada... this part seriously annoyed me so much... it’s pissing me off just writing about it. On top of those two less than stellar Scarlett moments, I also found Scarlett doing things that I found very out of character for her, maybe it was just me. Major issue number two. I understand the need for Scarlett to go to Castle Airlie, which was Dan’s home, so she can solve the big mystery and all, but I hate the way of her invitation. I mean seriously. She writes a letter to Dan’s parents basically inviting herself, because it might help with closure. Oh and that she has something of his that she would like to give back, which is a lie. Let’s examine the relationship between Dan and Scarlett, shall we? That’s right there wasn’t one! It was a one night stand! Not even that, it was more like a ten-second frencher! What could she possibly know about their son, to give them some kind of closure? And why would they invite her to spend the holiday with them....? Then of course there is a big revelation about Dan, which I have to say I wasn’t really all that surprised. There were some twists that did get me, and I think that is what ultimately made up the novel for me. Apparently there were times where I found the novel to be imperfect, but don’t let that overshadow the fact that I still found the novel to be very alluring. The unique characters and Henderson’s writing, make up for my few annoyances. There was one more thing I wanted to address that was bothering me, but really has nothing to do with the novel itself, but the character Taylor. I really love her character, she is really unique. But I was appalled to see some of the comments made about her in other reviews. Taylor is not a girly girl, she likes to work out, she has muscles, she’s tough as nails. So obviously that means she is a lesbian. WHAT? Yes, it seems that everyone thinks that Taylor must be a lesbian because she has muscles and doesn’t go around crying when she breaks a nail. Let me just start off by saying that I really don’t care if she does end up being a lesbian, more power to her, but don’t condemn that on her, because of a stereotype. Come on people, I expect more from you. And now I step down from my soap-box. ( )

(spoilers)
Fun, fun, fun. Scarlet is still investigating Dan's murder, working with PI-in-training Taylor, and just maybe having something with Jase. As she finds out more about Dan's family background, it looks like his murder may have more to do with this family life than his school life.
I really enjoyed this, and I was delighted that Dan's murder is resolved at the end - and a teeny bit glad to see that there is stills cope for more story about these characters. Again it was Scarlett's relationship with Taylor that I most enjoyed, together they are a delightful pair. ( )

I was a little happier with the characters in the sequel, but they still fell a little flat. I still was not a fan of Scarlett - she just didn't feel quite right, not as cool as Veronica Mars as she could have been. She definitely tried to be, but I must be a tough egg to crack.

The plot went better in kisses and lies, but it started to turn into more of a soap opera. Which is not a bad thing, but it's not a super-awesome thing either. Whereas the first book did not have a lot happening, the sequel just overflowed with plot twists! ( )