Review: Little White Lies

Little White Lies: a novel of love and good intentions by Gemma Townley
3 stars

Reasons for reading: first book for the Colourful Reading Challenge; snapped it up from the library booksale

Description: "What's one little white lie? Okay, so it isn’t that little. It’s kind of a whopper. It’s just that when Natalie Raglan ups and quits her job at a Bath advertising firm, breaks up with her loser-ish boyfriend, and moves–to London! Things don’t quite turn out the way she planned. Having made the brave move to the Big City, the lifelong country mouse finds that living chic is still a long way off. Even Cressida, the girl who used to rent her tiny flat, still gets more phone calls and mail there than Nat does. Come to think of it, Cressida Langdon’s life looks pretty appealing–especially when an invitation to the posh, exclusive Soho House club arrives, addressed to Cressida.

Before she really knows what she’s done, Nat has opened Cressida’s mail . . . and taken up her life. Soon Nat’s dating a gorgeous investment banker named Simon, giving “reiki healing sessions,” wearing wonderful clothes, and partying with the A-list at Soho House. But the best part really is Simon. He’s everything Nat has ever wanted. The problem is he thinks she’s someone else. And as her life and her lies begin to spiral out of control, Nat can’t help but wonder: Will she be exposed as a liar and a fake–or be saved from ruin by simply claiming good intentions. . . "

First lines: "Let me ask you a question. A theoretical one, if you’ll bear with me. Would you ever open someone else’s mail? No? Of course not, I knew that."

My thoughts: This was a good, fluffy read. Definitely typical Brit chick lit, you see the happy ending miles away, but Natalie is likeable and if the lies-upon-lies get a bit tiring after a while, she really does mean well. And I did feel for her, being lonely in the big city where nothing has turned out like she'd hoped. She's not vicious in her lies, she just wants her life to come together and the harder she tries, the worse it gets. And really, who hasn't imagined having a more glamorous life?

There are all the usual stock chick lit elements - the bitch boss, the jerk ex-boyfriend, the fashion references, the misunderstandings that almost come between the heroine and her would-be beloved, and, of course, the utterly happy ending. But it's a cute story with some funny scenes (the way Natalie gets out of having to do a reiki session is a hoot) and a quick read, so if you're in the mood for something light, this could be the one for you.