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erinarkin20
Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes was everything I hoped it would be when I picked it up. There are so many things that are uncovered throughout this book that I can’t even get into it all but I promise, no spoilers.
Sawyer Taft grew up on the wrong side of town and the only family she has ever known is her mother who isn’t necessarily reliable. When her grandmother Lillian Taft, someone she has never met, shows up at her door with a deal she doesn’t really want to say no to, she finds herself mixed up in something she never expected. In exchange for participating in the current debutante season, Sawyer’s grandmother will give her five hundred thousand dollars. Now you might be thinking…why would someone just agree to live with a stranger for a year for money, but her grandmother throws in the one thing she knows will push Sawyer to agree, the opportunity to figure out who her biological father is.
As Sawyer moves in with her grandmother, she is immediately thrown into a family that she knows nothing about. One thing she does learn very quickly is that everyone has secrets and those secrets can be dangerous. I loved how Barnes set up the story by giving the reader a bit of the current situation and then immediately jumping back to where everything started. It helped me start to connect the dots around what was going on…with that said, there were a few twists and turns I didn’t see coming.
I really liked the characters in this story. I won’t cover them all but there are some key players that you need to know about. First there is Sawyer’s cousin, Lily. She does everything she can to fit into her mother’s image of perfect but remember what I said about secrets? She has a big one and it is that secret that starts some of the trouble Sawyer is pulled into almost immediately. They also come to be good friends and although they don’t agree on everything, they support each other. There is also Lily’s best friend, Sadie-Grace, who
Another key character is Campbell Ames, the daughter of a senator and everyone tends to refer to her as the devil. Which, full disclosure, she is definitely a piece of work. As the story unfolds, we learn a lot more about her story and secrets as well.
As I mentioned earlier, one of Sawyer’s motives for taking the deal with her grandmother was to figure out who her father is and there are 4 potential options. As Sawyer starts to dig, she learns more about everyone in this debutante circle and it isn’t necessarily a good thing. It’s no wonder that her mother left and didn’t have any desire to go back although that isn’t necessarily the full story…but I’m not going to say any more about that.
Ultimately this story is about more than the mysteries though. It’s about family and friendships and as Sawyer learns more about hers, she has to decide if they are who she wants to be around or if she wants to go back to living above a bar and working as a mechanic with only her mother to rely on.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced, had some interesting characters, and enough twists to keep me guessing until the very end. Although this was only my first book by Barnes, it definitely won’t be my last. I enjoyed every bit of this and can’t wait to check out her others. If you’re looking for a story that has all of that, consider checking this out when you can.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Sawyer Taft grew up on the wrong side of town and the only family she has ever known is her mother who isn’t necessarily reliable. When her grandmother Lillian Taft, someone she has never met, shows up at her door with a deal she doesn’t really want to say no to, she finds herself mixed up in something she never expected. In exchange for participating in the current debutante season, Sawyer’s grandmother will give her five hundred thousand dollars. Now you might be thinking…why would someone just agree to live with a stranger for a year for money, but her grandmother throws in the one thing she knows will push Sawyer to agree, the opportunity to figure out who her biological father is.
As Sawyer moves in with her grandmother, she is immediately thrown into a family that she knows nothing about. One thing she does learn very quickly is that everyone has secrets and those secrets can be dangerous. I loved how Barnes set up the story by giving the reader a bit of the current situation and then immediately jumping back to where everything started. It helped me start to connect the dots around what was going on…with that said, there were a few twists and turns I didn’t see coming.
I really liked the characters in this story. I won’t cover them all but there are some key players that you need to know about. First there is Sawyer’s cousin, Lily. She does everything she can to fit into her mother’s image of perfect but remember what I said about secrets? She has a big one and it is that secret that starts some of the trouble Sawyer is pulled into almost immediately. They also come to be good friends and although they don’t agree on everything, they support each other. There is also Lily’s best friend, Sadie-Grace, who
Another key character is Campbell Ames, the daughter of a senator and everyone tends to refer to her as the devil. Which, full disclosure, she is definitely a piece of work. As the story unfolds, we learn a lot more about her story and secrets as well.
As I mentioned earlier, one of Sawyer’s motives for taking the deal with her grandmother was to figure out who her father is and there are 4 potential options. As Sawyer starts to dig, she learns more about everyone in this debutante circle and it isn’t necessarily a good thing. It’s no wonder that her mother left and didn’t have any desire to go back although that isn’t necessarily the full story…but I’m not going to say any more about that.
Ultimately this story is about more than the mysteries though. It’s about family and friendships and as Sawyer learns more about hers, she has to decide if they are who she wants to be around or if she wants to go back to living above a bar and working as a mechanic with only her mother to rely on.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced, had some interesting characters, and enough twists to keep me guessing until the very end. Although this was only my first book by Barnes, it definitely won’t be my last. I enjoyed every bit of this and can’t wait to check out her others. If you’re looking for a story that has all of that, consider checking this out when you can.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the first two stories and the last one most. This was definitely something different from anything I've read this year.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
I loved this one!!! I seriously don't know why I took so long to read this book.
Realm of Ruins by Hannah West is the companion novel to her first book Kingdom of Ash and Briars and part of the Nissera Chronicles series. If you like your stories to have a fairytale feel, you’ll want to add this one to your TBR stack.
Our main character in this story is Valory, a descendant the main character from Kingdom of Ash and Briars, and she attends a training academy for elicromancers, immortal beings with magical gifts. Unfortunately for Valory, she hasn’t felt any magic in herself and being surrounded by a family who has a lot of magical power, she feels a bit like she doesn’t fit. When something horrible happens, Valory comes to possess a dark power that she can’t really control, and the Realm Alliance isn’t taking any chances with her. When she is required to leave her home and puts her on a dangerous path.
As Valory is forced to leave her home, she finds out that she isn’t really safe anywhere she goes. Her first problem occurs when it is discovered that Prince Devorian, one of the Lorenthi’s and a relative, has released something evil, Valory is determined to fix something she had a role in bringing about. When she gets to Beyrian, and her neutralizer ends up dead, she is forced to leave before the Realm Alliance can blame her for something she didn’t have any part in. And these are only things that happened in the first half of the book.
There are a lot of characters in this story. There are Melkior, Ivria, and Anders who we are introduced to at Valory’s school – all cousins to her. Then there are the Lorenthi siblings who play a role in Valory’s story. Rayed and Kadri, brother and sister as well as friends to Valory. One of the other key people, Mercer, is a mysterious stranger that Valory ends up finding injured during her travels to Beyrian. I loved how West brought together a group of characters who, in normal circumstances, might not have been able to accomplish what they set out to do together and forced them to work together.
A lot happens in this book and I can’t tell you everything. Valory’s growth and determination are at the center of the entire story as she goes from being a girl who wants power and to fit in at the beginning of the book to being someone who has grown into what she has been given and is willing to do whatever is necessary to protect those she loves. She also learns who she can really trust within her family and it may not necessarily be who she originally thought it would be.
The world that West has developed here was interesting and well developed. I thought the way the Moth King’s story unfolded was interesting and kept me turning the pages to see what was going to happen. Add to that the fact that the group is facing more than just the danger of the Moth King throughout the story, there seems to be something dangerous to face with every new chapter.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. There isn't much more I can say without potentially giving something away, so I will stop here. As I mentioned, this is a companion to the first book so while you don’t necessarily have to read that one to follow along with this book, there are references back to Bristal and what happened. If you are looking for a fantasy that weaves in bits of fairytales, focuses on magic, and has some interesting characters, definitely consider checking this one out. I will be looking forward to seeing West writes next.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Our main character in this story is Valory, a descendant the main character from Kingdom of Ash and Briars, and she attends a training academy for elicromancers, immortal beings with magical gifts. Unfortunately for Valory, she hasn’t felt any magic in herself and being surrounded by a family who has a lot of magical power, she feels a bit like she doesn’t fit. When something horrible happens, Valory comes to possess a dark power that she can’t really control, and the Realm Alliance isn’t taking any chances with her. When she is required to leave her home and puts her on a dangerous path.
As Valory is forced to leave her home, she finds out that she isn’t really safe anywhere she goes. Her first problem occurs when it is discovered that Prince Devorian, one of the Lorenthi’s and a relative, has released something evil, Valory is determined to fix something she had a role in bringing about. When she gets to Beyrian, and her neutralizer ends up dead, she is forced to leave before the Realm Alliance can blame her for something she didn’t have any part in. And these are only things that happened in the first half of the book.
There are a lot of characters in this story. There are Melkior, Ivria, and Anders who we are introduced to at Valory’s school – all cousins to her. Then there are the Lorenthi siblings who play a role in Valory’s story. Rayed and Kadri, brother and sister as well as friends to Valory. One of the other key people, Mercer, is a mysterious stranger that Valory ends up finding injured during her travels to Beyrian. I loved how West brought together a group of characters who, in normal circumstances, might not have been able to accomplish what they set out to do together and forced them to work together.
A lot happens in this book and I can’t tell you everything. Valory’s growth and determination are at the center of the entire story as she goes from being a girl who wants power and to fit in at the beginning of the book to being someone who has grown into what she has been given and is willing to do whatever is necessary to protect those she loves. She also learns who she can really trust within her family and it may not necessarily be who she originally thought it would be.
The world that West has developed here was interesting and well developed. I thought the way the Moth King’s story unfolded was interesting and kept me turning the pages to see what was going to happen. Add to that the fact that the group is facing more than just the danger of the Moth King throughout the story, there seems to be something dangerous to face with every new chapter.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. There isn't much more I can say without potentially giving something away, so I will stop here. As I mentioned, this is a companion to the first book so while you don’t necessarily have to read that one to follow along with this book, there are references back to Bristal and what happened. If you are looking for a fantasy that weaves in bits of fairytales, focuses on magic, and has some interesting characters, definitely consider checking this one out. I will be looking forward to seeing West writes next.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
