Trashionista: BOOK REVIEW: Little White Lies by Bernadette Strachan

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July 3, 2008 11:21 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Little White Lies by Bernadette Strachan

Bernadette Strachan is not an author I've come across before (although this is her fourth novel) and because I'm not familiar with her work - when I picked up Little White Lies, read the blurb and studied the front cover, I wasn't really expecting much at all.

Billie Baskerville is allergic to weddings after her own went disastrously wrong. A few months later an aunt of Billie's asks her to look after her wedding shop and Billie, in a dead end job and wanting to escape, rushes to Sole Bay to take over the running off Barbara's Brides. The shop is dingy, run down with terrible stock. But Billie rises to the challenge and sets about, with the help of Dot, making it over.

She has nowhere to live as her dotty aunt had rented out the apartment, so she lives in a beach hut on the sea front. She gains friends, meets a fireman and it looks like life for Billie is getting better...

This book is actually one of those that turns out to be surprisingly good. I liked the writing style enormously. Although it was written in third person, I felt whilst reading the book that someone was chatting to me. Occasionally I would feel lost and think, what did she mean by that sentence, but most of all I felt deeply involved in Billie's life, her friend's lives (not everything is what it seems) and how it would all end.

Talking of conclusions, I really did not see the end coming at all. Often when you start to read a book you can work out it's finale straight away. This one I didn't and although I felt slightly disconcerted by this (I'm so used to working things out) I just enjoyed the surprises within the story. Now I must check out Bernadette's other books.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Revenge of the Wedding Planner by Sharon Owens

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Posted by Helen Redfern on July 3, 2008 in Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink

Comments

I've just finished reading this and really liked it. I didn't see the ending coming either, which is unusual. I've read all her novels to date and love her style. The Reluctant Landlady is particularly good.

Posted by: Karen | July 3, 2008 2:46 PM

Thanks Karen. I'll give The Reluctant Landlady a go next.

Posted by: Helen | July 3, 2008 3:01 PM