K. A. Tucker

Livie Cleary faces a new set of challenges as she navigates freshman year at Princeton, a time involving wild parties and the gorgeous rowing team captain who is everything she doesn't want in a guy--or so she thinks.

a novel

One tiny lie

K.A. Tucker

In this follow-up novel to the top-selling Ten Tiny Breaths, Livie Cleary faces a new set of challenges as she navigates freshman year at Princeton, wild parties, and the gorgeous rowing team captain who is everything she doesn’t want in a guy, or so she thinks… “Make me proud.” These were the last words Livie’s father ever spoke to her. In the seven years since her parents’ tragic death, Livie has done her best to keep this promise through her every choice, word, and action, while looking after her sister with strength and maturity. But with college right around the corner, unexpected challenges will test her resilience—and her heart. 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 to marry someday. 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 arrogant—and extremely attractive—captain of the men’s rowing team who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who 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.

A Novel

One Tiny Lie

the way i loved you (taylor's version) and girl at home (taylor's version) - these songs are the soundtrack of this book

Anna Ureta

I don’t know how it is for a lot of readers, but there are books that you just can’t put down; that you need to continue reading because you NEED to know what happens next? Yeah, that was this book for me.
 Usually I’m okay with putting a book down for a while and picking it up again later, but with this one, I just HATED putting it down – like I wanted to just keep reading it! This has almost never happened to me before, at least that I can recall. I loved seeing how Livie started to change and become her own person, and I liked how frustrated she was around Aston. Isn’t that something we can all relate to? Liking someone who isn’t good for us, but liking them anyway?

Livie Cleary has always been the perfect daughter. She has perfect grades, thinks of others before herself, loves children and has her whole life mapped out and memorized. Just before she’s about to start her first semester at Princeton (her father’s alma mater), her sister and her Doctor both agree that she needs to let go and figure out who she really wants to be. At her first party she meets Ashton – who is the sort of boy you’re not supposed to fall for. Livie’s problem is that for some reason he won’t leave her alone. Not long after she meets Connor. He’s everything she could possibly want in a boyfriend and the kind of person her parents would have loved, but for some reason all she can think about is Ashton. What is it about annoyingly hot guys that tease you all the time, that make them irresistible. But just as Livie can’t stop thinking about Ashton, he can’t stop thinking about her. She’s it for him, his forever, but he shouldn’t want her.

It feels like elementary again where everyone tells you that if a boy teases you it’s because he likes you. How does that mindset even work as an adult, and how does it still work!?
 Is it because it’s a form of flirtation? I still have yet to figure it out. I have someone who I probably have unrequited feelings for (nothing will ever come of it so let’s not talk about it) and we flirt and we banter and we tease each other with witty comments like, “You know you like it” or “You know you’ll miss me”. And it works! Why is it playing hard to get works?! Or maybe it just works on me… Maybe I’m broken. Maybe I only like men who I like more than they like me, does that make sense?
 The point of this being is I get the struggle with Livie and Ashton and maybe that’s why I enjoyed this book so much. THE STRUGGLE was SO RELATABLE!

With a lot of romance novels you know the two mains are going to end up together, that’s just a fact, but even though I knew who Livie was going to end up with I still wondered how exactly that would come about. It wasn’t typical, boy chases girl, or girl chases boy, it was the kind of love story where they know they shouldn’t be together but do it anyway. Why do I like those stories so much? Maybe because that’s how things usually are…. We fall for the wrong people and we just can’t help it.

“Sometimes in life you make a decision and you find yourself questioning it. A lot. You don’t regret it, exactly. You know that you probably made the right choice and that you’re probably better off for it. But you do spend a lot of time wondering what the hell you were thinking.”

Livie really is/was perfect. She said and did all the right things, acted a certain way, had the perfect school and profession in mind, but you have to wonder how people don’t crumble under that sort of pressure. Part of growing up and being an adult is figuring out who you want to be, and at twenty-four I still don’t know who I’m supposed to be. I don’t believe that at seventeen or eighteen we’re in the right mind to decide our futures, and just like Livie we need to explore life, fall in love, have adventures and make mistakes along the way. (Having a great support team of friends is important too).

The two main males, Aston and Connor, are two-sides of a coin. Both of them quite dreamy depending on your preference in men. I could see the appeal to both, and yet like Livie, I couldn’t help but be attracted to someone I shouldn’t want. Sigh. What is it about wanting something or someone you shouldn’t that makes it so appealing? SOMEONE TELL ME!
 Let me just say that Ashton is a bad-boy (in a sense) and Connor is the gentleman, the kind of boy your mom wants you to bring home.

“1. I’m brilliant
 2. I’m charming
 3. I’m hung like a thoroughbred
 4. I’ve stopped all philandering
 5. 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.”

Ashton has definitely made my Book Boyfriends list, and One Tiny Lie is definitely going on my favourites and recommended list.
 I have so much love for this series I can’t wait until the next book!

5/5 Hearts of Love

Missy Zuber 

Okay but slow to start with

Loved Livie and Ashton.

Secrets, abuse, confused emotions. This book has it all.

Loved the way Ashton and Livie were with one another. You just wants to lock them in a room so they would finally have sex.

Loved how Ashton was always there when Livie needs him.

JoLee

Samantha 

I freaking loved this book!! It's exactly what I've needed! Not once did I say "Is this almost over?" in actuality I was constantly saying "Please don't be over!!!" 

I adore Livie and her soul searching and finding herself, and especially her quest to not be so sexually repressed Lol! And Ashton! I love that man's broken yet naughty self!!! And of course, Kacey being the best big sister ever!!!

Jen Estrella

Love love love love love. 
Love. 
So good.

If I could give it ten stars, I would. I loved this book even more the second time around. 

Full review to come.

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

Stunning.
Brilliant.
Unforgettable.
One Tiny Lie takes us through Livie’s transition to Princeton, where she has big plans: To study hard and get good grades, continue on to medical school, and maybe even meet a good, respectful new guy in the process. Livie has her entire life planned out in her head, all because of the last thing she remembers her father telling her… “Make me proud.” Talk about pressure!

This is a beautiful coming-of-age story that takes us through Livie’s struggles to figure out what she wants in life, and more importantly to figure out who she is in this world and how to not let the past plan out her future. She takes on the position of volunteer at a children’s hospital, and quickly sees that dealing with sick children is harder than she thought it would be. The twins, Derek and Eric, are so adorable and add a huge, important element to this story.

Another character this story couldn’t have lived without would be Dr. Stainer. He’s not your basic therapist. He gave her “homework” which consisted of different tasks she needed to complete. He also had her make him promises to do certain things that were out of her comfort zone. He was such a huge factor in Kacey’s recovery, and to see him helping Livie too was so heartwarming.

Once again, I went the right direction with the audio. After loving TTB on audio so much, I decided to do the same with this one. Perfect choice on my part. Elizabeth Louise did a fantastic Livie… so sweet and innocent and pure. Her performance of the others, including Connor with his Irish accent and Ashton with his sarcastic snarky comments, really set in stone her perfection as narrator for this story.

As you can tell from this review, along with my review of Ten Tiny Breaths, I adore this series. I can even go as far as saying this series is one of my favorites. Ever. Pure perfection in my opinion. Four Seconds to Lose, which is Cain’s story, is scheduled to release in November of this year. (For those of you who don’t know, Cain owns the bar that Kacey and Sky work at.) I’m eagerly anticipating the chance to read Cain’s story too. Tucker’s writing style is fabulous and I can’t imagine her not writing an incredible story. Another A+ for Tucker!

Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

Gretchen Gomez

Ash and Livie!!!! I love you two sooooo much!

I actually liked this book more than Ten Tiny Breaths. I know it's two different stories but maybe it's cause I feel like it was more relatable to me.

K.A. Tucker is a genius!

Definitely a 5 star rating!!

One tiny lie a novel

Reviews