User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
While this was a fun read, it could have easily been shaved down by 25%. The bloated nature gave it a feeling of dragging on, and I think the story could have benefitted from being a bit shorter to give it more of a taut feeling. That said, I adored Sawyer and her journey while being thrown into a world that makes her feel uncomfortable and a little bit like an outcast. This definitely felt like a standalone version of
Pretty Little Liars, but much more tame and age appropriate for the younger side of the YA spectrum. And man, I can't wait to see what that cover looks like in person; it's simply gorgeous!
*I received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
Rating: really liked it
Mini review:
DNF
I received this E-ARC via Disney Hyperion and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one off the many authors whose works' I have been trying to get into. Partly because of the heroine in The Fixer. I have come to accept that this isn't an author for me.
What intrigued me was the synopsis. A mystery whilst taking place during a debutante? Sign me up! The beginning was interesting if a tab bit cringy. The first chapter did genuinely creep me out. The grandmother's entrance was very dramatic and odd. I didn't care much for Sawyer either let alone any off the other characters.
I did skim the end, and I have to give the author credit for that twist. But after that revelation I was certain that the book wasn't for me. I don't really get along with books that have a lot of scandals. And I'm really tired off the mind games all the characters pull.
Overall this was a personal thing. I do really believe that other people will enjoy it more. Still recommend.
Rating: really liked it
LITTLE WHITE LIES has everything I've come to expect from Barnes: an intelligent and fierce lead character that you can't help but root for; a tightly woven plot; amazing side characters; and secrets upon secrets UPON secrets.
Suffice to say, LITTLE WHITE LIES was nothing short of simply brilliant.
Barnes has done it yet again! It's clear that she excels at mysteries and thrillers and this new novel just further cements it. She not only weaves together an intriguing mystery, but adds enough scandal, backstory, and weaves together important and meaningful relationships, ones that grow and change throughout to add a different dimension to them, to keep readers hooked and engaged throughout.
I wasn't disappointed with this book, because I find that Barnes can't really disappoint me, but i do have a complaint... one that seems to be something that's always coming up now: she only writes one kind of character. I've read a couple of her works, in different settings and such, but each main character nearly sounds the same as the last, and it kind of bothers me, not discovering a new voice. It isn't that I don't like Barnes' main characters! I love them and admire them, especially Sawyer, but I would have liked a different archetypal character leading this one.
Overall! I definitely recommend this. I'm SO HYPE for the second one!!
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This was not what I expected.
THERE'S A PLANNED SEQUEL GOD BLESS AND GOODBYE
Rating: really liked it
Why won't anyone pay me half a million dollars to do nothing?
This book is very bizarre and very forgettable at the same time. Nothing about it makes any sense at all. Why was Sawyer even involved?
Nobody was forced to pay her an insane amount of money to live in a mansion and do nothing. She dressed up. She got a manicure. And for what? What is the purpose of this debutante ball? I thought debs were supposed to get married at the end. But, at the finale of this book, almost nothing had changed in most parts of Sawyer's life.
The plot twists were all squeezed into the last fifty pages, which was ineffective because at that point I had just forced my way through 300 pages of nothing and didn't care about this mystery about a side character who was never given a personality or a life. Or about Sawyer's father when it was obvious from the start (at least, to me) who he was.
The only thing I liked was how the mother and most of the relatives had a soft side and a manipulative side, because that was realistic. The mother wasn't an angel and the grandmother wasn't the devil.
I'll probably forget everything about this book in a week.
1.5 stars
Rating: really liked it
Definitely one of my favorites not only from this author but for the year as well! Full review to come closer to release date.
*EDITED TO ADD REVIEW:
4.5 Stars!
became a huge Jennifer Lynn Barnes fan after reading her Naturals series and then even more so after her Fixer series so it was with little hesitation that I accepted a copy of her latest book. I knew that if anyone could blow me away with a good mystery in the YA genre, it would be her and I wasn't wrong at all.
Sometimes you can pick up a book and within the very first few pages just know you are going to fall in love with the main character. That you are going to want to be there friend and know them and maybe even be them. That is the talent that Barnes has and that is exactly what happened to me, yet again, when I meet Sawyer.
Fun, sassy, sarcastic, a little bit sweet and a while lot of fierce and determined, Sawyer was a character that I couldn't help but instantly like and want to know more about.
Throwing this anything but sunshine and smiles girl into a world of fake compliments, even faker smiles and friendship, frilly dresses, and money galore, and you have one heck of a good setting and an even better story. One that will leave you eagerly turning the pages and soaking up every single fascinating ball, scavenger hunt, and elite event in a world that most have never experienced and only dream about.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Rating: really liked it
Sawyer is a sassy, no nonsense kind of girl who, through a deal with her grandmother, is thrown into the glittering world of high society as a debutante. I picked up Little White Lies expecting an okay read. Jennifer Lynn Barnes exceeded my expectations by delivering a mystery with a side of revenge and blackmail, sprinkled with a bit of humor from time to time. I enjoyed this book a lot. It lacked the over descriptive scenes of violence that I have grown use to in a lot of mysteries I have read and that was a nice change. In the end, there are still some unresolved issues and I look forward to the sequel to see what happens next to Sawyer and her new friends.
Rating: really liked it
I'm on a Jennifer Lynn Barnes roller-coaster that only goes up
Rating: really liked it
My love for this book has definitely been helped by a string of disappointing and/or boring reads but that's not why I loved it. It just gave it a bit of a boost, is all.
I'm a big fan of Barnes' writing, catch me in the corner forever mourning the fact that we only got two books in her
Fixer series, but. But. If not for that fact, maybe this book, and series, wouldn't exist. And that would be a crying shame.
This story follows Sawyer, raised by her single flighty mother, who has never known her father or family, until the moment her very polished, very Southern, grandmother shows up with a proposition : spend nine months in the place her mother grew up, before getting kicked out when she was a pregnant teen, in exchange for an all-expenses paid college tuition. Sawyer is suspicious but takes it. Because maybe, just maybe, she can figure out who her father is.
From the tone in her voice, you would have thought we were in a life raft in the middle of piranha-filled waters. Then again, I was about to make my debut in high society. Maybe we were.Naturally drama ensues but maybe not the kind you’d expect. There's blackmail, and kidnapping, and violence, and betrayal, and it's a riot. Sawyer, the girl from the other side of the tracks, thrown in amongst the rich, the elite, the debutantes, makes friends, finds family, but both are somewhat fluid, and yet the journey is fabulous. It doesn't exactly follow the same path as you might expect from a story with that bare bones concept and, as an added bonus, Barnes keeps you guessing, keeps things twisty, right up until the very end. Almost every character is flawed, or layered, and fascinating. The wit and charm that I love from this author is also present in her characters, in the dynamics, and I enjoyed the hell out of it all. Like in the last book I read (in fact, maybe all since her
Naturals series), there's no real romance plot for her protagonist. And I can't tell you how much I love that. These stories stand on their own, with deep friendships, and family connections, that negate the need for added drama or angst or entanglements. I won't be sad if a certain something happens between Sawyer and a certain guy but if it doesn't.. I still won't be sad.
Clearly, I'd been mistaken for the help. Unfortunately for Campbell, there were two kinds of people in this world : those who weren't condescending and needlessly cruel and those I was pretty content to leave duct-taped to a chair.I'm ever so happy to have an ARC of book two in my hands because I'm running high off the joy of this story and I can't wait to see the trouble these girls get into next. And what mysteries, and what heartbreak, lies in wait for them.
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This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
Rating: really liked it
I bought this one a whim from Amazon. I had seen it floating around goodreads, but don't remember if I read many reviews for it. Maybe it was part of the giveaways? *shrugs* Thought maybe one of my friends had read it but nope.. someone I follow does so most likely it was from her.. but aah well.
This one kept surprising me. When I thought I had a piece figured out, it would twist itself and become something different. A couple times, that got turned on its head too.
I go with the flow most times in mysteries or thrillers and let the things come to me as they come. Now and then my brain does guess it though (and sometimes I'm actually right).
This one was just a fun read. Sometimes it easy to put down for Life things but every time I dived back in I had so much fun:).
I saw comparisons to
Pretty Little Liars I can
sort of see it but this I loved WAY more than that one (PLL I had fun with until it started annoying me). There was a cohesiveness to this that I felt PLL lacked after awhile.
Plus the conniving and everything in here was more fun ;-).
The ending didn't drive me up a wall either, which was a plus. Things are neat and tidy in one aspect (for now anyway) and another thread to be unraveled is nicely setup.
I am looking forward to the next one, surprisingly enough. This is one I didn't expect to love, but very glad I listened to my gut and picked up for myself.
Would recommend!
Major Cover Love for this as well <3 Kudos to the design team on this one.
Rating: really liked it
[3.5/5 stars] Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one of my favorite writers for her intelligent, almost interactive writing style. She’s an author I trust to take me on a wild ride and keep me guessing the entire way. Little White Lies had all of those great components (even if it was a little more lighthearted than I’m used to reading from her) topped off with some good old southern charm… and snark.
I have to say, the story took a while to get going. I never read more than the first one or two sentences of an overview (mostly to avoid what I consider spoilers), relying on author familiarity and friends’ endorsements to choose titles. As a result, I leave it up to the book to provide an inciting moment to kick things off… however, it took reading almost 20% of Little White Lies before I felt I had a grasp on what the story was supposed to be working towards (which is passable, but still a tad to long for my tastes).
Aside from the slow beginning, most of the book provided that addictive, engaging plot full of twists and turns. The basic idea behind the story was perhaps not as compelling as that found in her Naturals series (it’s a bit easier to feel suspense when you’re dealing with a multiple homicide story as opposed to a reluctant debutant playing a game of “who’s your daddy”), but as always, she found a way to make it fun..
The characters in this book were wildly entertaining, but I never really felt a connection with any of them. Their profiles were animated enough that they almost came across as caricatures than actual people (which upped the fun but lowered the substance). The main character had a good inner story, but she never really let down her tough exterior front to let the reader in. The Naturals series had several instances of deep character explorations dealing with motive (frighteningly poignant at times), so I think my expectations were inflated by how wicked cool I’ve seen her present characters in the past. Overall, they were good, but I think me wanting a little more was the biggest factor against my rating.
Series status: the Debutantes series is currently slotted for two books, and I’ll definitely be picking up the second one when it comes out (fall 2019?).
Recommendations: Little White Lies is a fun (I’ve said that word a lot this review) YA story about debutants getting up to no good. The shenanigans will give you a few laughs and the mysteries will keep you turning pages. It’s not the most profound thing I’ve read from this author, but it’s still worth noting if you like these types of books. :)
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.com
Other books you might like:
Rating: really liked it
[kidnapping and holding against their will, car accident, fake pregnancy, pregnancy pack, miscarriage (hide spoiler)]
Rating: really liked it
4.5
Jennifer Lynn Barnes writing is addictive.
Going a year without her books had made me forget that.
Rating: really liked it
I am a sucker for anything with debutantes, so I was all over this book when I saw the synopsis.
I loved Sawyer. She’s sassy and sarcastic and it was a blast being in her head while all of this unfolded. There’s quite a group of characters here and even though I loved all of the girls, I think Boone stole every scene he was in and I could easily read a million pages of him and Sadie-Grace.
Plot wise, it was captivating. I loved the “present” scenes intermingled with with “past” scenes. It was a clever way to keep things interesting. My main complaint is the sheer amount of people. There were so many families and so many connections and I finally gave up trying to keep track of everyone.
Overall, it was a fun story with characters I sort of want to hang out with. I don’t know if this is going to be a series, but if so, I’m definitely here for it.
**Huge thanks to Freeform for providing a finished copy free of charge**
Rating: really liked it
4 stars
I *love* this author so I could not pass up her latest book. It did not disappoint! I enjoyed the characters, the scandal, the one-liners, the zingers, and the banter. Well done, Barnes.
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Full review can be found here: https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com...
This book was far more fun than should be allowed. It was witty, snarky, with just enough who-dun-it to be wickedly entertaining.
Short recap: Sawyer Taft has never been close to her mother’s family. Everything about that changes when her estranged grandmother shows up on her doorstep with a contract in hand offering Sawyer a very large amount of money for one season. That’s right, one season … a debutante season in the South. The thing is, Sawyer doesn’t know anything about that life. She is a foul mouthed mechanic who never backs down from a good insult. But she has a very hard time resisting the six-figure contract and the opportunity to find out who her real dad is. She decides the deal is worth it and packs up to spend the season with her grandmother. Will she be able to survive the season though?
I did go into this story with all of the hopes and dreams that the fun and snark I’ve come to know and love with Barnes books would not fail me… and I was not let down! From the very beginning I was on Team Sawyer. This girl felt like my spirit animal. The girl was gritty, tough, and never back down from anything. She had wicked street sense and knew how to handle herself in most situations. I say most because if it came to holding her tongue or not sassing someone, she was terrible at it. This girl could speak her mind. I loved it. Sawyer was quick witted, sassy, tough as nails, yet mature enough to back down and admit defeat when necessary. She was the perfect MC. The girls she befriends (maybe too strong of a word…) while staying with her grandmother were such a hoot! They had the perfect balance of pure innocence and smarts enough to play the part. I wanted to be friends with them in a demented sort of way.
The way the story unfolded did feel a little confusing at the start, but obviously made more sense as the story continued. It was told in alternating “before and after” chapters. The After being girls in dresses being arrested and questioned by police officers. The officers were quite unsure of why the girls were arrested to begin with. But as they continued to tell their story, the Before chapters/story came in to fill in the blanks. Brilliant, really.
As stated, the characters were on point. The storyline was also very fun and entertaining. One fun fact about this story – nobody dies! There is no murder so it is a little bit of a change from Barnes other books/series. Everything unfolded and came to light in the right order, just we all knew it would. But the way it was presented was just a treat to read.
I really won’t stop gushing about how much I enjoyed this story. I hope everyone gives it a try. I know I cannot wait until the next book comes out next year.
Rating: really liked it
Fun and fast paced. Loved the "fish out of water" premise and the emphasis on family and friendship over romance.
Plot in a nutshell: Wayward daughter of a fancy Southern family gets pregnant as a teenager and years later, her own teen daughter, a mechanic and bar employee, gets bribed by her grandmother to re-enter the family as a deb. Hilarious makeover scenes ensue.
My only negative is that I thought the pacing felt off. Things moved at a leisurely (Southern? lol) pace for some time and then the end was crammed with revelations, some resolution, but also some loose ends. Maybe this was one of those possibly standalone, possibly duology books.
Also (view spoiler)
[ hoping that the next book spends more time on the "pregnancy pact" because what even??? And in the beginning of the book, Lillian pretty much invites Sawyer to come figure out who her father is. Given what is revealed at the end, why would Lillian so that except to stir up some serious shizz? (hide spoiler)]Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com! Check out my Bookstagram! Or check out my Jen In Ten reviews on Youtube - get the lowdown on current books in 10-30 seconds!
Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!
