Review: Little White Lies (Debutantes #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
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Series: Debutantes #1
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Published November 6th 2018 by Freeform
Goodreads Synopsis
"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.
Goodreads
Review
This book hadn't really been on my radar until the early reviews were coming in for book 2, and as soon as I read more about what the books were about, and the fact that they were by one of my favourite authors, I ordered the first one, and preordered book 2. In Little White Lies, Sawyer has lived alone with her mam from birth. She knew a little bit about her maternal family, but nothing about her dad's side, and her mam wouldn't talk about her previous life. Having been born into one of the high society families, and kicked out when she was pregnant, her mam left that lifestyle behind, and never allowed Sawyer any interaction with her family. However, Sawyer is soon left alone, and when her grandmother turns up with a plan that if Sawyer joins the family, becomes a debutante for the season and embraces her part in the Taft family, she can have access to a trust fund to help pay for college and anything else she could want. And what's even better, she'd be able to find out a bit about who her father actually is, as her mam fell pregnant during her own deb season.
Nothing goes to plan, as is expected. Sawyer discovers a kinship with her cousin Lily, who isn't all that she seems, and the others in the group, namely Campbell and Sadie-Grace, all have their own secrets. They all mesh together really well, and have a handful of mysteries to solve, that they do so together. I loved the camaraderie between the group, and definitely hope this is also explored more in book 2.
As with all of Jennifer's books, the plot is phenomenal. There is a mix of chapters, some set in the present, and some in the past, which are the best way this story could've been told, in my opinion. In the present chapters, we find out various things, little by little, that make you want more as we go back into the past and see just how the 4 girls find themselves in the situation they're currently in. Everything is done for the effect, and it is definitely worth it, and necessary. Nothing in the book, I felt, was done without a reason. I was blown away at parts, some of which were wholly unexpected and others that I had guessed at but not completely sure if I was right.
Sawyer was a fantastic main character. A mix of feisty and sassy, with a bit of vulnerability mixed in, she was perfect for the role. She acted as if nothing phased her, but it was clear that finding out more about her family, both sides of her family, was important to her, as was finally having real friends. And that's what Lily, Campbell, and Sadie-Grace were - real friends. Yeah, they acted as if they hated each other at times, but they would kill for one another - honestly, I don't think that's hyperbole there, they actually would. Like I said, them four being together and developing their friendship is something I hope to see more of in book 2, which I'm planning on reading as soon as it arrives.
Dates Read:
September 28-29, 2019
Rating
4 Stars
September 28-29, 2019
Rating
4 Stars
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