Igniting Lies - Review

Igniting Lies (Burning, # 1)

By: Rebecca Donovan

Expected Publication: June 16, 2026 by Rebecca Donovan

? pages

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary,

Source: Author (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Goodreads description--Sadie, Collin and Jonathan have been best friends since childhood. Sadie's the bleeding heart, always seeking a cause. Collin's the comedic peacemaker of the trio. And Jonathan's the protector of them all.

The summer before their senior year of high school, Sadie and Jonathan finally admit to having feelings for each other, putting their lifelong friendship at risk.

Jonathan’s notorious for getting into fights, a reputation Sadie’s chosen to ignore. Collin’s always been the one to smooth things over and de-escalate Jonathan’s rage.

After witnessing a dispute she wasn’t meant to see, Sadie suspects there’s more to the cuts and bruises than Jonathan's troublemaker reputation. Maybe she doesn’t know him as well as she thought. And this time, Collin’s words can’t twist what she saw with her own eyes.

All Jonathan wants is to be believed. To be known as something other than the monster he’s been labeled. There’s one person in his life who wants to see the truth, even his darker side. Except believing him may cost Sadie everyone she loves, including Jonathan.

Man, I read Barely Breathing about 14 years ago. I don't remember much, but I do vaguely remember hating Jonathan. I remember loving the series overall, but I really didn't remember a lot. Do you even know how many books I've read in between Barely Breathing and Igniting Lies?

Sadie has a group of friends that check all of the diversity boxes. Normally, this really annoys me. At least, diversity just to check a box. But in this case, the diversity actually fits into the story in a way that I didn't get frustrated with. Sadie's father is running for district attorney. You'd think that would make her being friends with a couple of kids who are constantly in trouble would be a problem and point of conflict, but overall it wasn't. Her mother does help her father's campaign by hosting a lot of events and dinners for him, but she apparently has her own business as well. This makes Sadie have a pretty stable family life. She has a best female friend. And then she also has a special trio friendship with Jonathan and Collin. It just so happens that Sadie has had a crush on Jonathan for years.

Well, it turns out that Jonathan returns her feelings. But things with Jonathan's family aren't as smooth as Sadie's. If you know anything about the previous series or Emma's story, then you will be able to guess what secrets are being hidden. And hey, things aren't perfect with Sadie. She has anxiety or panic attacks that seem to be particularly triggered by violence. Jonathan and Sadie aren't the best communicators. This is always a frustration for me in books. So much could be solved with a simple conversation, but where's the conflict for the plot if that happens?

I was particularly frustrated with one point. Sadie doesn't drink. Her friends have never made a big deal out of this and just accepted her. There is a mean girl who makes it out like Sadie doesn't drink because she's too uptight. But I appreciate someone who chooses to go against the norm. So I was disappointed to see that when conflict and tension were reaching a peak for Sadie, she decided to get drunk. I don't know if authors write this because they think this is what normal teenagers do, or if teenagers often seek alcohol as a coping mechanism when things get hard because this is what they're told over and over in books and movies is what they're supposed to do. Getting drunk when you're faced with heavy problems as a means to escape dealing with them is a terrible strategy, and I wish authors would find another solution or even another plot device that would move characters along in a healthier way. This isn't just about writing a story. People are actually influenced by what they read. And I, for one, would appreciate it if authors offered teens, especially, another action to relieve some of their tension.

The only quotes I highlighted were things that kind of annoyed me. Not necessarily an agenda, but comments made that I disagreed with on a personal level.

I will say that I well and truly forgot that this was the first book in a new series. I was just thinking that it was a one-off novel about Jonathan. So that ending cliffhanger really got me. The ending is jarring either way. I do want to finish the series, but I also expect that things don't exactly end happily ever after given where we see Jonathan in the Breathing series. That being said Igniting Lies gets 4 Stars. I read it quickly, which is always a bonus. Have you read Igniting Lies? What did you think? Let me know!