ARC Review: “The Lovers, the Liars, and Me” by DeAndra Davis

“The Lovers, the Liars, and Me” by DeAndra Davis

Publishing Date: June 23, 2026

Genre: Contemporary, Fiction, YA

Page Length: 416 pages (paperback review edition)

Synopsis:

Jaliya Powell has never had a real adventure, a real boyfriend, or spoken up for herself. She’s never even been kissed. Despite being valedictorian of her high school class, Jaliya is used to fading into the background.

But this summer will be different.

This summer, Jaliya is visiting her uncle and his family in Jamaica. Under the guise of one last vacation before college, she plans to find out more about her estranged mother, whose absence has remained an unspoken mystery. But things have changed in the seven years since Jaliya last visited. Her cousin has his own life and is reluctant to let Jaliya in, her childhood crush has only gotten hotter and more unavailable, and her aunt and uncle aren’t everything she remembered, either. Then she meets India, who’s vibrant, gorgeous, and free-spirited. And who makes Jaliya feel something she’s never felt before.

While searching for traces of her mother across the island, Jaliya finds herself entangled in complicated relationships, tricky secrets, and a passionate new love. As she navigates this perfectly complicated summer, Jaliya must choose between who she has always been or who she hopes to become.

Review:

After reading Davis’ debut novel, All The Noise At Once and loving it so much (that it was one of my top ten reads of 2026) I was excited to read more from her. When The Lovers, the Liars, and Me came my way I knew I instantly wanted to read it. What lies in between the pages of this story is a coming of age story following a young woman preparing to enter college and learning more about herself/identity through time spent in Jamaica. What awaits the main character is journey of self discovery, heartache, and awakening.

This book reminded me of another novel I enjoyed last year, Hurricane Summer which also takes place in summertime in Jamaica. But the two journeys described within the novel are very different from each other and I appreciate them both. I love coming of age stories infused with travel and Davis’ take her own Jamaican background to talk about the countries heritage, culture, taboo, and food. I think this added a personal touch to the novel as she describes through the characters experience how the culture is so rich but also acknowledges it still has a ways to go (as notated in her author’s note). I think this was executed well within the plot and brings awareness to have intersectionality when we have these types of discussions.

What I love most about Davis’ writing is that has such a way with words, and her writing style makes the story captivating and engaging. It encourages the reader to challenge their way of thinking as do the characters in the novel. The books is an immersive reading experience and attention to detail allows us to feel as if the reader is there with Jaliya. Her trip is one full of obstacles but rewarding because of the new relationships she cultivates and trying to find her own path to her future. Highly recommend this heartfelt and engaging read for those who love a good story of speaking your truth!

*Trigger Warning: Homophobia

Final Verdict: