REVIEW: Little White Lies by Katie Dale

Name: Little White Lies

Author: Katie Dale

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Date published: 1st August 2013

Pages: 384, Paperback

Source: For review (from publisher)

Rating: 4.5 teacups

The first time Lou meets tall, dark, and handsome Christian, she knows he's hiding something. Why does he clam up every time she asks about his past? Why doesn't he have any family photos and why does he dye his blond hair black?
Then suddenly his terrible secret is unveiled to the world - and it seems everything he's ever told Lou is a lie. Can what the media are saying about him really be true? Should Lou trust him? Or is she in terrible danger? But Christian isn't the only one keeping secrets. For what if their chance meeting was no accident at all ...?
As lie follows lie, nothing is as it seems, and soon Lou finds herself ensnared in a web of deceit, her loyalties torn, her emotions in tatters as she faces a heart-wrenching dilemma: should she shatter the lives of those she holds dearest, or betray the guy who, against all odds, she's fallen in love with?

[summary taken from Goodreads]

My Review

Katie Dale rapidly became one of my favourite authors last year with her stunning debut, Someone Else's Life.  I obviously had high hopes for her next book, Little White Lies, and it didn't disappoint.

The premise and the storyline took centre stage.  It was so fast-paced, I was never bored; always kept on my toes, always wondering and contemplating what would come next. The beauty of it though was that my guesses were rarely correct.  Katie Dale threw in plot twists and surprises that you never see coming.  It was like sitting on a wave, my emotions rising and falling and being whipped around by the wind.

However, no matter how thrilling the premise, I knew I wanted the characters to be genuine and well-developed.  And they were definitely true to form.  Each with their own flaws, quirks and imperfections that made me instantly reach out and take them into my heart.  The anger and the hurt that Lou and Christian harboured within themselves felt so real and it was almost as if I was right there with them as the horrors and the answers they sought unfolded.  With Lou, I became a fiercely protective 'little sister' and hoped and wished she would receive her closure.

And then came the ending.  An ending so shocking and unexpected and in a way... fitting.  My emotions were thrown into turmoil and I just felt so conflicted.  It tore me apart as ache and joy met together and settled in my chest.  It was heart-wrenching and confusing and perfect all at the same time that I felt myself asking, 'Is there no other way?'

For me, Little White Lies turned out to be an incredibly emotionally charged read.  Katie Dale's writing style pulled me straight into the heart of the action and made me question everything.  This is a book you don't want to miss if you want real characters to relate to, a storyline that will take you on a fast-paced journey and an ending that will reduce you to an emotional wreck!

4.5 Teacups for Little White Lies!

*Thanks to Simon&Schuster for sending me this to review!*

Also, my review for Someone Else's Life for Chicklish is quoted on the back of the book! Squeee!!!!  First time ever *jumps around with glee*

Happy reading,

Beverley xxx

Little White Lies Blog Tour: Guest Post!

Hiya!  Today, I'm so pleased to welcome Katie Dale for her Little White Lies blog tour.  I myself have read her new book and it's absolutely fantastic - get your hands on a copy if you don't already have one!  Today, I'd like to share a brilliant guest post she has written especially...

The first time Lou meets tall, dark, and handsome Christian, she knows he's hiding something. Why does he clam up every time she asks about his past? Why doesn't he have any family photos and why does he dye his blond hair black?
Then suddenly his terrible secret is unveiled to the world - and it seems everything he's ever told Lou is a lie. Can what the media are saying about him really be true? Should Lou trust him? Or is she in terrible danger? But Christian isn't the only one keeping secrets. For what if their chance meeting was no accident at all ...?
As lie follows lie, nothing is as it seems, and soon Lou finds herself ensnared in a web of deceit, her loyalties torn, her emotions in tatters as she faces a heart-wrenching dilemma: should she shatter the lives of those she holds dearest, or betray the guy who, against all odds, she's fallen in love with? Full of family secrets, surprising twists and unexpected revelations, Katie Dale's second novel will have readers on the edge of their seats.

Write what you know, so they say, so when it came to choosing the settings for various events in my new YA thriller LITTLE WHITE LIES, I decided to mine my own past for locations…

Boarding School

Like Lou, I too was a day girl at a boarding school for sixth form college, namely Lancing College in West Sussex. It’s an incredibly grand building (pictured is the chapel – the largest school chapel in the world) with fantastic architecture (it was nearly chosen to be Hogwarts in the films) draughty cloisters, pristine quads, (and in my day a ratio of 5:1 boys:girls! ) but, like Lou, I found that you can’t keep any secrets in a boarding school for long – gossip spreads like wildfire!

Sheffield University

So after sixth form, I went to Sheffield University to study English Literature – just like Lou in LITTLE WHITE LIES! I wanted Lou to go to the same halls of residence as I did too – Earnshaw Hall – but sadly it’s been knocked down now, and replaced with a rather swanky student village.

Park

Like Lou, I enjoyed visiting, picnicking and writing in  the many beautiful parks whilst in Sheffield (but unlike Lou I never jogged round any of them!) and the park in which Lou and Christian meet for the first time is a mixture of the exquisite Sheffield Botanical Gardens and Endcliffe Park, which is where the café they bump into is based.

The Flying Pig Pub

In LITTLE WHITE LIES Christian and Lou both work in a pub called The Flying Pig – but although no such pub exists in Sheffield, I based it on one of my local haunts, The Porter Brook (left). It was only after I finished writing the book that I realized I pass a pub called The Flying Pig every time I get the bus in Cambridge – so it’s a strange mix of the two!

Castleton

Lou and Christian travel to Castleton for a party – one of my favourite places to visit whilst I was a student. Nestled up in the hills, with its steep gorge and crumbling castle, it’s a beautiful quaint little village, far from the hustle of the city.

Travelodge

Not very glamorous, but at least I didn’t have to do any research about Travelodges because in my other life as an actress, I once spent a summer on an outdoor Shakespeare tour and every night we’d stay in a different Travelodge. They’re all pretty much identical inside, so every morning I’d wake up and have absolutely no idea whereabouts in the country I was! I got pretty fed up of Travelodges! But in a way the familiarity was kind of nice, too.

KATIE DALE

An actress as well as an author, Katie loves nothing more than creating characters - both 

on page and onstage. She kept her parents happy by getting a “proper degree” in English Literature at Sheffield University, before finally going to drama school, then whilst she was on a belated gap year travelling through South-East Asia she found out she’d been chosen as a winner of the SCBWI Undiscovered Voices competition with the her first novel, the emotional rollercoaster SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE, which launched her writing career, and is now published all over the world. LITTLE WHITE LIES, her second novel, has just as many twists and turns, but is more of a thriller...
Website: katiedaleuk.blogspot.com
Twitter: @katiedaleuk

So what did you guys think of that?  Let me know in the comments below and be sure to show your support for Katie!

Happy reading,

Beverley x