Review: One Tiny Lie by K.A Tucker

One Tiny Lie by K.A Tucker (Ten Tiny Breaths, book 2)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Source: Borrowed from the library

Synopsis from Goodreads: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.

One Tiny Lie is a contemporary novel and kind of a sequel to Ten Tiny Breaths set a few years after the first book and focusing on Kacey's younger sister Livvie. But it could easily be read as a standalone novel as well. 

I so expected more from this book. I absolutely loved Ten Tiny Breaths and expected more of the same from One Tiny Lie. In the first book Kacey was so damaged and hurt, and seeing her recovery among all these great new characters, made for such a great story- so moving and unique.

In One Tiny Lie, Livvie is not damaged. At least I didn't think so. She is a nice respectable girl who wants to study hard, make the most of university and become a doctor. But APPARENTLY (and this was news to me) unless you are out getting drunk every weekend, getting random tattoos and waking up with strange men in the morning with no memory at all of the night before- then you are not actually really LIVING. At least that is what her big sister, her roommate and her PSYCHIATRIST all think. The attitude of the characters and the way they kept pressuring Livvie didn't resonate with me, and that was a major dampener in my enjoyment of this book.

Livvie meets Ashton at a party when he assaults her. Again, that to me is not the foundation for a true and lasting relationship. I couldn't stand Ashton and just kept thinking "she's not... is she?" But gosh-darn-it he's just so freaking HOT that Livvie can't stop thinking about him.

Bleurgh.

When Livvie starts dating a very nice guy Connor I HOPED that she would do the right thing, but no, gosh-darn-it Ashton is just so freaking HOT, and EVEN THOUGH Ashton has a steady girlfriend and Livvie is seeing nice Connor they still end up cheating on their partners. A lot. 

Bleurgh.

I guess this book just wasn't for me. Look- I even resorted to using caps lock a lot in my review and that never happens! I know that I myself am not 20 anymore but I just didn't connect with the motivations of the characters and their actions. I don't like cheating in relationships,and I thought nice, kind, sensible Livvie would be above it. And there is no come-back or anything from it. People got hurt and to Livvie and Ashton it's like it didn't even matter. I didn't agree with most of what the other characters were saying about Livvie (Her sister and Dr. Stayner). They keep telling her that maybe she doesn't really want to become a doctor, that risks are good... blah blah blah. I just wanted to tell them that she's fine as she is and to leave her alone!

So were there any good points to the book? Well yes. The writing is extremely engaging and I always wanted to keep reading to the end. I actually finished it in only a couple of days because it DID grab my attention. The characters are wonderful and believable- and you can really picture yourself there beside Livvie, and with her on this journey. I really felt it and felt like I knew these people. And talking of the characters I loved Livvie's roommate Reagan, and the young boys on the cancer ward that Livvie volunteers for. 

I would say overall that this is a good book but maybe not completely my cup of tea.