Review: KA Tucker's "One Tiny Lie."

 4.5 Hearts Review of K.A Tucker's "One Tiny Lie"

Amazon UK:   http://amzn.to/17sdACX
Amazon.com:  http://amzn.to/14OlhiO

Synopsis:

 Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents' tragic death and Kacey's self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. “Make me proud,” he had said. She promised she would...and she’s done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action.

Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she’s dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy that she’s going to someday marry. What isn’t part of her plan are Jell-O shots, a lovable, party animal roommate she can’t say ‘no’ to, and Ashton, the gorgeous captain of the men’s rowing team. Definitely him. He’s an arrogant ass who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare and everything she doesn’t want in a guy. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who happens to fits Livie’s criteria perfectly. So why does she keep thinking about Ashton?

As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn’t have, she’s forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows.

My Review: Surj

"Because you're not a one-night-stand girl, Irish." Leaning in to place a

kiss on my jawline, he whispers. "You're my forever girl."

"Ten Tiny Breaths" was an amazing book and probably up there in my all time favourite reads. I knew we were getting a second book in the series (Livie's story) so I was excited but also a little apprehensive. Would it be as good? Would it make me feel everything I felt reading TTB? All I'm going to say is "I read it in one sitting.... I finished it at 1am.....and on a school night!!!). But please go into the book with an open mind. This isn't "Ten Tiny Breaths." It's quite different but still brilliant in it's own way. If you start to make comparisons, you may take the enjoyment out of what is a really good read.

"One Tiny Lie" is a slow burner and didn't have me on the edge of my seat, desperate for more until about half way through. Don't get me wrong, the first half of the book was good, funny even but it was more a gentle read with Livie experimenting with life and boys but no major angst or curveballs thrown in. By the time I reached 50%, my heart rate had gone up, my reading speed had increased and I was starting to talk to the characters in the book (I know, crazy right?) It's what I do, especially when they don't do what I want them to!!! lol

By the time "One Tiny Lie" had a hold of my emotions, I had really connected with the story and the characters and I loved them all. Livie was brilliant. She was literally perfect, every parents dream but was this normal? With everything she'd been through over the last 7 years, Kacey didn't think:

"You're too perfect, Livie. Everything you say. You can do no wrong.

If someone slapped you accross the face, you'd apologise to them."

Unfortunately Livie's life centred around the last conversation she had with her father before he died:

"That's my Livie Girl. Make me proud."

He says the same thing every night. And tonight just like every other night

I flash him a toothy smile as I answer, "I'll always make you proud, Daddy."

Those words constantly ringing in her ears, every choice she made was to ensure she didn't let him down. But Kacey and Dr Stayner had other ideas and I loved their little plans. With the regular phone calls, text messages and random visits, they were going to make sure Livie lived  student life to it's fullest. Watching Livie let go was just brilliant and even comical at times. Seeing her do things that were so out of character and seeing her question herself, second guess herself  made me feel like she was really starting to live the life meant for her. But she never lost that thoughtful, caring side to her. Yes she was attracted to Ashton but she saw beyond that. And when she figured out his secret, it was heart breaking to read. She would do anything to take his pain away:

"I don't have all the pieces to fix this beautiful, trapped, broken man,

but I do have one piece and it's mine to give... Me."

I think I gave a little piece of my heart to Ashton in this book. I know he was a bad boy, yes he was a

cheater (No I don't condone that on any level) but as I got to know him and his history, I really warmed to him. Initially, Ashton came across as cocky and  self assured and he was 100% a "man whore, " no disguising it. But the guy had me smiling. He was funny:

1. I am brilliant

2. I am charming

3. I am hung like a thoroughbred

4. I have stopped all philandering

5. I am highly skilled, as you leaned the other night

P.S Stop staring at my hands. I know what you want me to do with them.

But his story was ultimately a heart breaker with a twist at the end which had me close to tears.

And so we come to Connor, the third corner of the love triangle. Connor was the the perfect boyfriend, kind, caring, supportive and I did feel a little sorry for him because he hadn't done anything wrong. This guy would be every father's dream for their daughter and that's exactly what Livie saw when she met him:

I know my parents would love him, Dr Stayner. I'm not oblivious. I know they'd pick him

out of a hundred-man line up just because of his smile. That's ok. He's the

 guy they want. He's the kind of guy every girl wants.

But was he "The one" or was he the safe option when fulfilling her parents dreams for her? 

The secondary characters in the book were mostly those we had met in "Ten Tiny Breaths." It was lovely seeing Trent and Kacey again but also Storm and Emily and seeing how their stories had developed. And Dr Stayner... he was hilarious, he methods so off the wall it was untrue. He was like the personal shrink for the Cleary sisters.

His first words to me weren't 'hello,' or 'nice to talk to you again.'

He simply said 'So I hear you're a ticking time bomb."

Just say it how it is why don't you Dr Stayner!

This book was full of "laugh out loud" moments but also moments where my heart dropped and felt like someone was squeezing the life out of it, where I questioned my faith in human nature As much as Livie's story started of quite light hearted, the book did turn into so much more where I willing the pages away so that I could get to the HEA because these characters really deserved it. I got myself a good dose of romance, a huge dose of angst, there were tears of laughter and tears of sorrow and there was even a good amount of the naughty stuff (it always helps!!!

I rated "One Tiny Lie" 4.5 Hearts