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Review: Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Apr15

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn BarnesLittle White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Series: Debutantes #1
Published by Freeform on November 6, 2018
Pages: 390
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
five-stars

"I'm not saying this is Sawyer's fault," the prim and proper one said delicately. "But."

Eighteen-year-old auto mechanic Sawyer Taft did not expect her estranged grandmother to show up at her apartment door and offer her a six-figure contract to participate in debutante season. And she definitely never imagined she would accept. But when she realizes that immersing herself in her grandmother's "society" might mean discovering the answer to the biggest mystery of her life-her father's identity-she signs on the dotted line and braces herself for a year of makeovers, big dresses, bigger egos, and a whole lot of bless your heart. The one thing she doesn't expect to find is friendship, but as she's drawn into a group of debutantes with scandalous, dangerous secrets of their own, Sawyer quickly discovers that her family isn't the only mainstay of high society with skeletons in their closet. There are people in her grandmother's glittering world who are not what they appear, and no one wants Sawyer poking her nose into the past. As she navigates the twisted relationships between her new friends and their powerful parents, Sawyer's search for the truth about her own origins is just the beginning.

Set in the world of debutante balls, grand estates and rolling green hills, Little White Lies combines a charming setting, a classic fish-out-of-water story, and the sort of layered mystery only author Jennifer Lynn Barnes can pull off.

A message from Meredith: Hey everyone! Today, I have Lissa here with a guest review for Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes!

You can find Lissa on Instagram!

Without further adieu, here’s Lissa’s review! Enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~

I adore Jennifer Lynn Barnes books. A little bit more twisty than my usual genre (I am not a Pretty Little Liars watcher, but I can see why those who are would love this book), but the writing and characters are so compelling. I get an air of Buffy or Veronica Mars from Sawyer without her being anything like either (in a good way).

The Southern sassiness is evident and deftly intertwined in the story without being overblown. The romance takes a bit of a back burner and I would love to have seen more in that regards.

Though the ending wrapped up the story at hand, the door was definitely left open for more, and that makes me very happy. JLB is auto-buy for me so I’d buy a anything from her either way, but since I DID like this one so much, I’m excited that there are more books planned for the series.

five-stars

Review: #Murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil

Aug7

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: #Murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil#Murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil
Series: #Murdertrending #1
Published by Freeform on August 7, 2018
Pages: 352
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

WELCOME TO THE NEAR FUTURE, where good and honest citizens can enjoy watching the executions of society’s most infamous convicted felons, streaming live on The Postman app from the suburbanized prison island Alcatraz 2.0.

When eighteen-year-old Dee Guerrera wakes up in a haze, lying on the ground of a dimly lit warehouse, she realizes she’s about to be the next victim of the app. Knowing hardened criminals are getting a taste of their own medicine in this place is one thing, but Dee refuses to roll over and die for a heinous crime she didn’t commit. Can Dee and her newly formed posse, the Death Row Breakfast Club, prove she’s innocent before she ends up wrongfully murdered for the world to see? Or will The Postman’s cast of executioners kill them off one by one?

This was my first Gretchen McNeil book, but it definitely won’t be my last! It was The Hunger Games meets The Purge meets The Breakfast Club, with a hint of Criminal Minds mixed in. It was creeptastic, suspenseful, and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading. Honestly, I read it in three or four reading sessions over the course of just four days – the fastest I’ve read a book in a VERY long time.

Dee was super badass. Nyles was SUPER cocky and annoying, but in a hot British kind of way. Griselda was a tough bitch who hardened her heart/emotions to the situation she was in and the people she was around – and rightfully so. Ethan was a little cinnamon roll – I absolutely adored him and his movie-loving self and I AM NOT OKAY WITH HOW HIS STORY ENDED!!!! Mara was…. Whoa. I can’t because spoilers, but whoa…

I know we didn’t see a lot of Monica, for obvious reasons, but I was really intrigued by her character. I’m not sure why, but I kept picturing Monica as Megan Fox in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. But nicer, since she’s described as being nice and actually got along with Dee.

This whole book was creepy and suspenseful. The “Death Row Breakfast Club” concept was incredible, and the Disney Princess thing was sick and twisted but also highly entertaining (I’m a horrible person, aren’t I? Haha). The ending was insane – I was 50% shocked and 50% not surprised. It was like a puzzle – it all came together and made SO MUCH SENSE. I’m 100% excited for the second book, and 100% frustrated we have to wait a whole year to get it!

I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone who likes all the things I mentioned above: The Hunger Games, The Purge, The Breakfast Club and Criminal Minds. Also, for those who are fans of mysteries and suspense thrillers – you won’t want to put this book down!

four-stars