One Tiny Lie (The Ten Tiny Breaths, #2)

by K.A. Tucker

[liz089]

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Review
It has been a couple of years since I have read the first instalment of this series, Ten tiny breaths. I was moved and the book really made an impression on me. Every now and then you read a book that really made you think deeper, that left an impression after you have finished it. After I finished it I really needed a moment to process it all. It was such a beautiful and tragic story, just amazing.

So I have no idea why it took me so long to pick up the second part. Maybe, just maybe, I was afraid it would not live up to my expectations. The first part was so impressive that it is hard to come with something to top that, hell to even it would by hard enough.

One tiny lie was oké, I liked it and I read right through it. But… It is not as good as the first instalment. No complains, it was funny, I laughed sometimes at how they knew just what to say or to do to make Livie feel ashamed of herself. It was so nice to see the little shy girl from before growing into a real woman. But, I have trouble not to compare it to the previous one, I can’t see that apart from each other. But I will give it a try anyway !

So it starts the summer before Livie goes to college, and Kacey decided together with docter Stayner that Livie should loosen up a little. She has this idea that she has to be perfect and live up to the expectations of her diseased parents. Her dad mostly. Because of this she never does anything unexpected and stays in the safe zone so to say. Going to college would be the perfect time for Livie to step outside of that box and really start living.
Of course is Livie in denial about that, thinking that everything is going great and she is just fine.

But during the story she comes to realise that is not true, and she really starts developing from a shy little girl into a grown up woman. Which is awesome ! This is just the kind of thing you want to see when you are a reader like me ! Character development !! And the most awesome is that it is not just Livie who grows, but some of the others as well !!

I really liked seeing all the characters from before making an appearance again. Some for only a little while, like on the wedding of Storm. It is nice to see how everyone is continuing their lives and doing better. Building a normal life. And, even though they make a small appearance, they do not take the story over. She keeps the others to a minimum, making sure the story revolves around Livie, and Livie only.

I loved that it started right of with Kacey in it, she just lives things up immediately. When she went away I felt a little sad, but Livie made up for it mostly. That, and her roommate Reagan and the mysterious Ashton. And maybe even Connor a little bit.
That the first night in college attending a party ended that way haha. How much fun they had being so drunk and getting into all kinds of trouble. With the tattoos and being naked haha. I had much fun with Livie remembering bit by bit what happened haha.

And damn ! How much do I love docter Stayner !! He is just the most awesome psychiatrist in the world !! He really made me laugh at some of his comments, but on the other part does he know exactly how to help. And of course, it was amazing how he helped Ashton in the end as well. How he has connections everywhere. He is totally superman !!

Speaking of Ashton, I looooved him. He is just how a charming bad boy is supposed to be. He really made Livie feel, made her passionate. He knew how to make her explode, when no one else got behind her “perfect” shell. How much fun I had with him breaking her prude shell haha. It was so easy to make fun of her, she got embarrassed so easily !
And she on the other end made him loosen up about his feelings. She got through to him when no one else managed. How beautiful is that. Every girls dream to capture the bad boy and make him her own. To help him fix himself and devotes the rest of his life to her… *swooning* and the other way around.

Ashton’s story was built up good as well. I liked how little by little you got to know about him, and how deeply troubled he was. Damn his father was a horrible person ! Poor Ashton. Yet he made sure he looked strong and invincible for the outer world. Oh ! I also did not expect what was really going with his mother ! But he had a great personality and good lines.

But it was not only Ashton making an appearance in the love life of Livie, but Connor as well. Connor on the other part, he was just average. Of course, who does not like an Irish guy with an accent. But well, he was TOO good, TOO nice. Nobody likes those guys. They are just boring. He did not charm me and stayed more on the background. But he was needed in the story to make Livie see that the “perfect” guy is not always the right guy.

And well, of course they got their happily ever after.. sort of at least. It did feel kind of abrupt at how it ended, I would have liked just a bit more information about how it continues..

So are there any other bad things ? Not really that much.. Though I am not a big lover of cheating in books, I was not offended that much in this story. I do think she should have broken up with him sooner.. I mean come on, it was almost funny how many times she forgot about him.. But she kept making excuses and got busted in the end. But well, she needed it I think, to complete her transformation from the perfect girl into a real woman with flaws. She needed something big like this.

Going back to things I do like.. I love how Tucker puts something “real” in there, like the cancer children and Alzheimer. Making people more aware. And it is not that she just put sit in there randomly, but I is woven perfectly into the story. It really gives it something extra.

Rating
So I easily give this 5 Freyja’s. It was a good read, easy to get through and funny. You got to feel with Livie and the things that happened to her. It was tragic and beautiful once again. But well.. it does not top or stands on equal grounds with Ten tiny breaths. But I can forgive her for that haha. There are at least two more instalments after this, one starring Cain and the other with Ben. Curious how they will be. I would recommend reading this book, but of course.. AFTER you have read Ten tiny breaths !