One Tiny Lie: A Novel

5+++ "Jell-O Thief" "Irish" "Livie Girl" "Freedom" Kisses!!!!OMG OMG OMG! Are you FREAKING kidding me. You've got to be. I loved TTB...loved it...and I was thinking, wow...it's going to take a lot to top those emotions that you get with Kacey and Trent. HA! In my face. Big time. This book surprised me in all the best ways possible - if you think you know what to expect...you don't, so just hang on. Oh my angsty goodness, I had no idea I was going to get as swept off my feet with this book as I did...but wow...okay...focus Lisa, you can do this.So One Tiny Lie is Livie Cleary's story (if you haven't read Ten Tiny Breaths...stop the presses immediately, read it ASAP and then hop on One Tiny Lie...sound like a plan?) My Sweet...young...innocent...naïve...Livie. The girl is a saint - I mean, really, do you remember all that happened with Kacey? Of course you do...and somehow Livie survived loosing her parents, surviving her head case sister (and I say that with all the love in my heart because Kacey is the most awesome head case on the planet :-) ), the drama with her Aunt and Uncle, moving across the country, new school, more drama with Kacey....and she keeps up her record of never getting anything less than an A. REALLY?!?! Hello world, I feel like a complete and utter failure at life when compared to her perfection. But Livie has an excellent reason and motivation behind her perfection...seven little words... "That's my Livie Girl. Make me proud." The last seven words her father spoke to her. Are you crying yet? Cause I teared up typing it, let alone when I read it for the first time. *sigh*"You're too perfect, Livie. Everything you do, everything you say. You can do no wrong. If someone slapped you across the face, you'd apologize to them. I can't believe you don't deck me for some of the stuff I say. It's like you're not capable of getting angry. You could be the love child of Mother Teresa and Gandhi. You're..." Kacey pauses as if searching for the right word. She settles with, "Too f*$(%@# perfect!"So Livie is off to college, dealing with Dr. Stayner's outlandish tactics at breaking out of her perfect shell, and of course Kacey's assistance in this process...and what happens her first night out? She gets to experience a lot of firsts...shall we count them?1. She gets totally wasted on Jell-O shots - first night at college is also her first time getting drunk! Woo!2. First toga party - what a way to kick off the school year! :-)3. She had her first kiss ever - well, `had' is a very loose term, it was kinda `stolen' - there was a lot of thievery going on at the time, we'll just call the kiss collateral damage4. She got her first tattoo - and it was video taped for posterity and culpability purposesNeedless to say there were other epically awesome firsts had throughout the night and the next morning, but those are the top of the list and the only ones I wish to divulge without spoiling. And...it gets better.`I'm attracted to my drunken one-night stand, who also happens to be an unavailable whore and my kind-of boyfriend's roommate and best friend.'The aforementioned `stolen kiss' was stolen by a Jell-O thief (told ya the kiss was collateral damage) - and let me tell you he can steal anything he wants from me as long as it involves a kiss in return. `...this tall, giant Adonis with dark wavy hair, tanned skin, and a body to tempt a blind nun...had his tongue in my mouth.' Umm....with that description, I'm not seeing the problem Livie. Say thank you to the party gods and keep shooting those Jell-O shots and pray for a repeat."I was managing okay, thought." He pauses. "And then the most beautiful girl on this planet punched me in the jaw."A small half-giggle slips out. "You deserved that, Jell-O thief."Gah...I'm getting bogged down, but I swear...one of the best `first meetings' I have ever read...I was hooked from that point forward. And believe me...it got better...and better...and better. I was all over the board - so shocked my jaw hit the table...laughing so hard I was crying...and then of course crying and clutching my chest because I was so torn up...GAH! The ANGST people...I tell you, I was not prepared. TTB was a very emotional read for me, and I did feel some angst, but not like this. This was a level of angst I really wasn't ready for. And all because of one...freaking...man."Because you're not a one-night-girl, Irish." Leaning in to place a kiss on my jawline, he whispers, "You're my forever girl."I am literally overcome with emotion at how amazing Ashton F#$^&*! Henley is...tears in my eyes, lump in my throat, butterflies in my belly and the insane desire to kidnap him and keep him all to myself. He's amazing. There is no other way to describe him. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot to not like about Ashton, but the fact that you can see past all that is wrong to all that is right, is what makes him that much more amazing. If Kacey was a head case, Ashton is a train wreck. A beautiful broken train wreck that only needs one thing to make him better....Livie. OMGEEEE! His feelings and emotions for her...they just take my breath away. You. Have. No. Idea.`1. I'm brilliant2. I'm charming3. I'm hung like a thoroughbred4. I've stopped all philandering5. I'm highly skilled, as you've learned the other night.P.S. Stop staring at my hands. I know what you want me to do with them.'The connection that is built between Ashton and Livie is beyond words for me. It wasn't insta-love, but there was always something there for them, and they both knew it. But it wasn't easy...it's never easy. Oh and the `surprise' factor I mentioned...well try this on for size...there's a love triangle. Actually, it's kind of a square, but not really? I dunno what shape you wanna call it, but I was super excited for that aspect. It all ties in with the super angst I wasn't expecting either. And then to really boggle my mind and make me fall in love more, KA Tucker throws in some of the funniest s#!$ I've ever read...perfect example...'My nervous giggle is the only answer I can give him. Forget? My brain went blank. I forgot about my problems, his problems, and the potential zombie apocalypse. If that's what orgasms do, then I can't believe people ever leave their houses. Or cars.'First of all...#truth on the power of orgasms, for the record. Second of all, it's out of context - but trust me when I tell you I was hysterically laughing for like 10 minutes after I read this. Oh you want another one...try this this golden nugget from Kacey..."Sometimes you're as graceful as a one-legged flamingo in a pit of quicksand."And this happened multiple times. The wit, the humor, the sarcasm - it was all spot on for me. Loved it.So, if Kacey's head is full of turmoil, sadness and pain....Livie's head is full of purpose, hilarity and confusion. It's hard to remember that Livie is 18 years old...but she doesn't act like it. Not even close. That's part of what and why Dr. Stayner is around and doing what he is doing - Kacey needed to be put back together, Livie needs to be set free. And going thru the process of being on her own for the first time in her life, working things out, making mistakes and figuring out who she wants to be, is a phenomenal journey.`If there is one mistake I will never regret for the rest of my life, it is Ashton Henley.'"Irish, if there's one thing I've never been able to forget, it's a single second with you."I have a bad habit of figuring out books...I just do...not once in reading OTL did I ever stop, sit back and think about what was going to happen next. I couldn't have even if you asked me to. Mainly because I was so engrossed in the story, I couldn't stop reading long enough to think about what was going to happen next. And then of course there's the fact that even in my wildest dreams I never expected Livie and Ashton's story to play out like it did. It was natural and fluid, logical...every aspect of this book from the plot to the characters was beautifully put together and I really can't think of one thing that didn't work for me. Brilliance...every word of it was engrossing, powerful, sheer brilliance. And...if you can't tell I loved it.`Once all the confusion, the pressure, and the lies were gone, I was left with nothing but choices. Small, large, easy, hard - all of them mine to make. For me.'Clearly I could babble all day long about all things TTB and OTL. These characters are absolutely amazing...and if KA Tucker doesn't stop writing the most amazing tall dreamboat men, I might loose my mind. Oh wait...cause Cain's story is next and lord knows I love a deep dark mysterious man like a fat kid loves cake. Bring on Four Seconds to Lose !

Livie Cleary, Kacey's little sister from Ten Tiny Breaths., is now all grown up in One Tiny Lie.. With a flawless academic career, she is now attending Princeton University--her ultimate goal being medical school. Livie may be level headed, responsible, cautious, calm, and trustworthy, but she's never actually lived her life. Livie has always been the strong and stable sister. She's been there for Kacey through thick and thin after Kacey lost her way after their parent's died in a terrible car accident. This is why Kacey has decided to step in and help her little sister, who has built this life that oozes perfection. Kacey has enlisted Dr. Stayner, her therapist, to help break through Livie's shell and find out what's underneath before she completely loses herself in a life that may not be meant for her. Kacey and Dr. Stayner think it's time for Livie to spread her wings, make mistakes, be spontaneous... live HER life, not the life she thinks would make her father proud."You are one of the kindest souls I've ever met, Livie. You respond to human heartache so acutely. It's like you absorb other's pain. Despite your extreme shyness, you will do just about anything not to fail. It's time to find out who you really are."Her first night at Princeton, Livie goes to a college toga party with Kacey and Reagan, Livie's very wild and outgoing new roommate. Kacey's mission: get Livie drunk, make sure she has fun, and `liberate Livie's libido.' As the Jell-O shots continue to go down, Livie starts to loosen up and have a good time. Just as she drops another one in her mouth, a super sexy guy not only steals her shot, but steals her first kiss. And then Livie punches him. It was lust at first punch.The next morning, after a long night of partying, Livie wakes up hung over, in only her panties, tattooed, with no memory of the night before, and... with a very naked Ashton Henley, aka the Jell-O thief, in her dorm room. And, unfortunately, the awkward encounter is not the last she sees of Ashton. From this moment on, Livie's whole life begins to unravel as she spirals down a rabbit hole of deception, betrayal, confusion, cheating, bad grades, love, and heartache.Oh, Ashton - such a tortured hero. He's known for being captain of the Princeton Heavyweight rowing team, sexiest man on campus, arrogant, and being a bit of a man whore. Not so surprisingly, I fell in lust with him from the moment he stole Livie's Jell-O shot. But... he has a girlfriend... and he cheats on her. Wait. Don't judge until you meet Ashton. I'm not condoning the cheating. However, I quickly got over my reservations once I got to know him. Ashton has some deep, dark issues that shape who he is as a person. His secrets are gut-wrenching and they force him to be someone that he never chose to be. He's hurting and just wants to forget it all.When Livie finds out Ashton cheats on his girl with her and other girls, she's stunned and hurt, so she goes to great lengths to avoid Ashton. There is no way she wants to be associated with someone like that. Though it's hard to avoid Ashton when he's everywhere, charming his way into her life while also continuing to push her away. The more she's around him, the more she's drawn to him. She can't stop thinking about him. But Ashton is not the kind of guy her parent's would approve of. So Livie starts dating Connor, Ashton's best friend. He's respectable, kind, and safe. Her parents would like him so that makes him perfect for Livie except... she doesn't have the same kind of emotional, intense chemistry with Connor that she has with Ashton. Connor is not the guy that makes her stomach flutter and her toes curl when he kisses her."Because you're not a one-night girl, Irish." Leaning in to place a kiss on my jawline, he whispers, "You're my forever girl."To say the situation between Connor, Ashton, and Livie is complicated is quite the understatement. Livie has this huge heart and feels obligated to stay with Connor. She's torn between following along her life plan and following her heart. Yet the more she gets to know the true Ashton, the harder she falls for him. What's a girl to do? Stay with the guy who is safe or the bad boy she feels connected to? Livie is so confused. Especially since Ashton and Livie obviously belong together, but he would push and pull Livie in two different directions. He wants her. He wants her not. There were moments my heart didn't know if it could take any more rejection from Ashton. But then he would leave a sweet note or open up to Livie. These things would make me shiver and tingle in a good way. What it boils down to - I wanted nothing more than for these two to find a way to be together.All of the secondary characters are fun and charismatic. I love seeing the roles reverse between Livie and Kacey. This time, Kacey plays a large role in helping Livie find herself. It was good to see Kacey and Trent happy and settled in their lives. They've both come so far since their story in Ten Tiny Breaths. Then there is Livie's roommate, Reagan. She's so spunky and fun-loving and such a great friend to Livie. Part of me wishes she was getting her own book. And then there was the quirky Dr. Stayner - such an interesting character who plays an essential role in this story. His unusual therapy methods contributed to helping Livie discover her inner self.One Tiny Lie is a compelling story that manages to evoke a gamut of emotions from me. I felt like my heart strings were being stretched so thin at times that I kept wondering if these two will ever figure things out before they broke. This is one of those stories where I think the reader is going to either love or hate it. Any story that involves cheating is not an easy read. You will be frustrated with Livie and Ashton's mistakes. They make a ton of mistakes that hurt people in the process. There were times when I wanted to scream and hug them at the same time. I was an emotional wreck, I tell you. And my anxiety was on the fritz. But there is a lesson to learn here that I think most young adults must experience. Life is messy and it's all part of living and learning. When you entwine all the great humor, sadness, happiness, wonderful characters, emotional turmoil, drama, and romance - you have a remarkable story that I fell madly in love with.Rating: AHeat: Warm-- A Romantic Book Affairs Review

I bought this when it was on offer at the end of last year shortly after falling in love with K.A. Tucker’s writing in her novel Burying Water. I started it pretty much as soon as I’d finished Ten Tiny Breaths.One Tiny Lie is all about Livie (Kacey from Ten Tiny Breaths’ sister) and her life at college.Livie is off to Princeton following the path she is sure her father would have wanted for her while trying to live up to Kacey’s expectations to party and meet guys and have a fun, all round college experience.Livie is sensible, mature and wise beyond her years – almost to the point of being introverted – for an 18 year old. Her past saw her lose her parents and she had to witness her sister lose herself. Both of those things have really moulded per character and personality. I felt quite sorry for Livie in TTB because it was sort of as if she hadn’t been through enough losing her parents she had to live through the impact the accident had on Kacey too. It almost made me pity her a little until right near the end of TTB where she really holds her own and shows she can kick ass when she wants to. That side of Livie seems to have retreated in the beginning of this book.Throughout the story I felt a palpable sense of feeling trapped and those vibes were rolling off of Livie. She is just as practiced in avoidance as her sister is although she is doing it to try and live her life the way her parents dreamt she would. The pressure she feels is palpable and keeps you on tenterhooks throughout.In order to fulfil her college experience Livie does let loose sometimes and parties with her roommate and the boys from the college rowing team. Enter Ashton and Connor. The guy Livie wants to be with and just like everything else in her life the guy she feels everyone expects her to be with. I felt really sorry for her that she felt she couldn’t live her life the way she wanted, and with who she wanted.The chemistry between Livie and Ashton is incredible. It’s felt vital and real, and it felt like Livie started to rely on their connection. Ashton is gorgeous and athletic and completely arrogant in a way that is such a turn on. He’s good looking and knows it but can get away with it because actually he’s a great guy. There was always something about him that while he threw almost his whole self into being friends with Livie there was something held back and restrained and a lot of that related to his family.The story is fast paced and gripping and I was on the edge of my seat most of the way through waiting for everything that Livie was feeling inside to rip out of her. I loved this book and Ashton really won my heart. Definitely one to read after Ten Tiny Breaths!

Why have I never read anything from this author before, I must be crazy! This is one of the best reads of the year for me. I thought it would go one way and then it completely surprised me and blew me away. Also, how can you not love a little forbidden romance? I usually don’t read love triangles but this one surprised me and am glad I stepped away from my comfort zone.Livie is a great lead character. She is young, independent, smart and caring and you love everything about her. She’s a perfect lead for this book. And she has met her match with Ashton! He for me is a really great character to experience also. He is your typical womaniser and bad boy who really couldn’t care less about some things. He seems to have a lot of issues from the past and as they slowly become revealed you can’t help but feel for him and just love him even more!Livie and Ashton together were perfect. They just clicked and complimented each other beautifully. They try to resist the pull but they are not immune and Ashton could be so romantic sometimes. There is some bits in the book where you’re like nooooo, why would you do that?! But again this is how some people deal with things. There is a lot of drama but it is packed in this book perfectly.There are not many things I could pick faults for in this book and this just shows how much of a great book this is. The author managed to produce an intense yet exciting read with characters who are relatable and you can fully understand their actions and intentions. Now I have discovered the amazing work that KA Tucker produces I will certainly be reading more of her work.

One Tiny Lie - K A Tucker5 stars!!!I loved this book, just as I loved Ten Tiny Breaths but for totally different reasons. This is so different so the two cannot be really compared.In Ten Tiny Breaths Livie was portrayed as the perfect sister, maybe just a little too perfect. For all the trauma they had been through she had seemingly sailed through it unscathed and this worried Kacey. So much so that Kacey had insisted that Livie had a session with Dr Stayner every Saturday as she was just too perfect!! WTF you say, too perfect??? She needed to live a little, she was trying to be what her dad wanted her to be and as she had promised him before he died, she felt that she needed to fulfil her promises. I will say Dr Stayner made this book for me, he was hilarious and their texting and calls just had me chuckling to myself.Kacey goes with Livie to get her settled into university and she makes sure before she leaves that Livie has experienced, getting drunk and going to a party. This is where Livie meets Ashton. "And he's pretty much the hottest guy at this school. And also a giant ass. And a bit of a man whore"I must admit, I did fall for Ash, even though he was a player and he had a girlfriend (and I DO NOT condone cheating in any shape or form) I felt that there was a lot more to his story than was initially revealed and I was so glad that my gut instinct proved to be correct. Livie more or less spends the night in his company at this party, they make out do a few drunken games, get tattoos lol and then she finds out he has a girlfriend..she is so upset. So she does what any other girl would do and finds herself another available guy, she bumps into Connor, he is sweet and tries to comfort her, they eventually agree on a date to go out..unbeknown to her, he is Ashton's best mate!! OMG you just know this is going to cause problems!!But Ashton, being Ashton, encourages her romance with Connor, he knows that he is taken and keeps persuading her that Connor is the right guy. Livie knows he isn't and the more that she sees of the real Ashton the more she wants from him..if only he didn't have a girlfriend!!There is a angst, love, romance and comedy in this book and I loved it...this is a note that Ashton passed to Livie whilst in class, trying to persuade her to give him a chance..1) I am brilliant2) I am charming3) I am hung like a thoroughbred4) I have stopped all philandering5) I am highly skilled, as your learned the other nightPS: Stop staring at my hands. I know what you want me to do with them.Teachers reply "and if I was this young lady. I would seriously debate number 1"The trouble with Ashton was that he was sending mixed signals...he wants her, then her wants her to stay with Connor, then he wants her, then he wants her to stay with Connor...it was soooo back and forth that I just wanted him to stop, think and just do the right thing!! She was not suited to Connor and she loved him, he just needed to realise that he was worthy of that.I loved the way that Dr Stayner jumped in and managed to help Ashton, he truly does always save the day with the Cleary sisters.Fantastic book, I love KA's style of writing and this book was no exception. Can't wait to see what else comes out from this author.[ ... ]

What a complete surprise One Tiny Lie turned out to be. Don't get me wrong, I loved Ten Tiny Breaths and I knew going in I was going to enjoy Livie's story... but wow. This was so not how I expected Livie's story to play out."That's my Livie Girl. Make me proud."We of course all know Livie as Kacey's sister, she is the good girl, good grades, good manners, etc... but what I didn't expect is that it is all that good that makes her so messed up. I can see you now shaking your head and wondering what the heck I am talking about. Did you ever stop to think how Livie turned out so normal? Her life was turned just as much upside down as Kacey's, yet Livie is just so... yeah, normal. Well, on the surface she is...I adore Livie. She is so very sweet and when she needs to be, fiery. She has always acted the grown up, the mature one, but on the inside she is still that same little girl from years ago. I love how loyal she is, and how understanding, she really comes into herself as the story goes along."I'm sorry . . ." She shrugs, glancing back at him. "Gotta admit he's hot, though, Livie. He looks like a Mediterranean underwear model. There'd be no coyote-ugly situation in the morning there."And of course there is Ashton... holy swoon alert. Ashton is amazing. I loved everything about him. I loved how sweet, adorable, kind, loving, and broken he was. I kid you not, every time he came into a scene I started smiling like a crazed, love sick high schooler. He was just enough the bad boy that you deep down know you shouldn't be loving him, but there is just something about him that draws you in, and it never lets you go. Is he perfect? Nope, mistakes are made. But it is how he finally decides to take his life into his own hands that makes him the hero of this story. This is honestly, just as much his story as it was Livie's. He overcomes a lot and rises to it all in the end."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."And he is funny... did I mention he can make you laugh?"1. I'm brilliant2. I'm charming3. I'm hung like a thoroughbred4. I've stopped all philandering5. I'm highly skilled, as you've learned the other night.P.S. Stop staring at my hands. I know what you want me to with them."I love when we get companion novels, because not only is it a way to have the storyline of favorite secondary characters continued, but we also get to see some of our old favorites. I loved the parts with Kacey and Trent, it reminded me how much I loved them both.I will warn you now that there is a bit of a love triangle. No wait... don't run for the hills just yet. Trust me, I am no fan of them either but this one really didn't bother me. Mostly because it is very clear from the get go that Livie and Ashton need to be together. That third side is there as a distraction, I never for a minute believed she was going to end up with anybody else.There is absolutely no cliffhanger either so you can rest assured that everything is wrapped up perfectly. The series is continuing, with the next book being Cain's story, Four Seconds to Lose. Right now it is showing as being scheduled for November 2013, this seems a bit soon to me but I am hoping it is true. You may remember Cain from Ten Tiny Breaths, he is the owner of the club where Kasey and Storm worked. He made a little appearance here in One Tiny Lie, but we saw more of him in book one. I'm interested to see where his story takes him. He is an intriguing character, and I love the male point of view."Because you're not a one-night girl, Irish.' Leaning in to place a kiss on my jawline, he whispers, 'You're my forever girl."ChristineRainy Day Reads

We were first introduced to Livi in Ten Tiny Breathes and this is a story dedicated to her. In the first book Livi is the angelic younger sister and in this one she is challenged to break away from her good girl mold. I feel though that instead of developing her character it has created a new character completely and I lost all sense of attachment to her that had been created from the first book. Some parts of the story made me laugh out loud and I was particularly happy about seeing Storm get her happy ending but I couldn't particularly feel much sympathy for Livi and the dilemma that she created for herself. I think I would have enjoyed this story more if it had stuck closer to Livi's original personality rather than make her into a sweet girl who loses her way once she gets to college.