Little White Lies and Butterflies

by Suzie Tullett

When you're digging yourself into a hole, stop digging.

A child of the nineties, Lydia Livingston is different. The last thing she's ever wanted is to be superwoman; she knows first-hand that 'having it all' isn't everything it's cracked up to be. As far as she's concerned, when it comes to job versus family, it's a definite case of one or the other. And whilst most women her age have spent years climbing the corporate ladder, she's made a career out of bagging her perfect man. At almost thirty and still single, Lydia wonders if she'd made the right choice all those years ago. And realising the time has come to take stock, she goes against her family's wishes and banishes herself off to a distant land—all in the hope of finding a new direction.

At least that's the plan.

But Lydia Livingston isn't just different, she's misunderstood. A fact she knows all too well. So when the totally unsuitable Sam comes along, she decides to tell a little white lie, re-inventing herself as a professional chef – not exactly the best new identity to come up with for a woman who can't even cook. Of course, the last thing she expects is for him to find out the truth and start blackmailing her. Let alone find herself roped into catering for a local wedding. But with things going from bad to worse, her madder than mad family also turn up in something of a surprise visit, intent on celebrating a birthday she's no intentions of celebrating!

ebook

First published July 18, 2013

About the author

I'm a full time writer, lucky enough to live between the UK and France. And when I'm not tapping away on the computer creating my own literary masterpiece, I usually have my head in someone else's.

Reviews

[Donna Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

Little White Lies and Butterflies is a heart-warming comedy about finding your place in the world and I have to say that I loved it, I read it in one sitting and flew through the pages and before I knew it I was nearing the end, I’d completely lost myself in the story!  This is exactly the kind of book you need to settle down with, wrap yourself in a  warm blanket, get a warm drink and some cake or chocolate – bliss!  I enjoyed everything about this book, the plot was great, characters worked brilliantly together and the words just flowed.  This is the second book that I’ve read by Suzie and I love her writing style, definitely an author I’ll be looking for in the future!

[Yvonne]

Will post my thoughts as part of the book blitz on 16th October.

[booksofallkinds · Rating 4 out of 5]

LITTLE WHITE LIES AND BUTTERFLIES by Suzie Tullett will make you laugh out loud and warm your heart from start to finish.

Lydia is hitting thirty and knows exactly what she wants from life and it isn't having it all. Determined to find Mister Right who ticks off all of her many boxes, Lydia yearns to be a homemaker, wife, and mother. But sadly the dating pool just seems to be offering hundreds of frogs and not a prince in sight. With her family exasperated with her constant dating woes and her inability to focus on something other than love, Lydia decides that a change in scene is in order, and she flies off to one of the lesser known Greek Islands for some TLC.

But when Lydia meets Sam and tells a little white lie, her harmless comment will soon have far-reaching consequences. And when her family surprises her with a visit, Lydia's uncomplicated holiday becomes a lot more complicated!

LITTLE WHITE LIES AND BUTTERFLIES by Suzie Tullett is the perfect book after you have had a hard, long day and are in need of some giggles and fun. Lydia is hilarious as she continually gets herself into crazy situations but it is not surprising as she has a tendency to open her mouth before her brain has a chance to think. The setting is absolutely stunning and I could easily picture the Greek island as I drifted along through the story. The plot flows effortlessly as little white lies become huge and turn everything on its head, and I really enjoyed Suzie Tullet's writing style which is detailed and witty, while also managing to be relaxed and laid-back.
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So indulge yourself today and buy LITTLE WHITE LIES AND BUTTERFLIES by Suzie Tullett!

*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher

[Books 'n' All Promotions · Rating 5 out of 5]

My rating 4.5 out of 5 stars

This is a very readable story about a 30 year old woman who is looking for Mr Right. She has a list of criteria that he is supposed to meet but she isn't making any progress.

Lydia has a different perspective on life and wants something different to the life her mother has. When her last meeting with a prospective husband goes awry she decides to go to Greece to rethink her future. From then onwards life becomes increasingly difficult as a little white lie grows into a web in which Lydia becomes so entangled she is unable to escape.

Romance, humour and family relationship all play a part in this story making it a real page turner.

Thank you to Bombshell Books for providing me with the opportunity to read this book prior to publication.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not often that I read a book in one sitting but I enjoyed ‘Little White Lies and Butterflies ‘ so much that I read it in one evening. From the beginning, Suzie Tullett paints totally realistic characters and I identified with Lydia and her crazy madcap family.
Having lived in Greece I was immediately transported back there as the sounds and smells and sights are so well portrayed. It’s worth buying this book just for the descriptions of the food!
All in all a light read that is great for reading on the beach but be warned, you’ll find it hard to put down.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading and enjoying Suzie’s last book I had no hesitation in jumping into Little White Lies and Butterflies. Such a cute title. As soon as I had read a few sentences I could tell it was going to be a while before I re-surfaced and came up for air or food!

It’s such an easy story to slide into, a super adorable romantic comedy. Lydia our leading lady is approaching the big 30 and realises her life plan of finding her ideal prince charming hasn’t quite materialised as she wanted. Taking a long look at herself she decides to escape the crazy, mad family celebration that is likely to occur on her birthday and she hot foots it to a Greek island.

This is where she gets herself into a bit of a pickle, the white lies emerge, the worst or most hilarious one depending on how you view it is her stating she is a world class chef.

Constantly referring back to her ‘perfect’ man criteria she refuses to recognise that an ultra sweet guy called Sam deserves any of her attention. Sam is rather determined to make an impression though, but therein lies even more misunderstandings.

After Lydia has dug herself into a fairly deep hole of untruths her madcap family arrive unexpectedly to ensure she celebrates her birthday!

I got pretty frustrated with Lydia, her ideals certainly weren’t mine and I just wanted to shake her on occasions. Sam is a darling and has far more patience than Lydia ever deserved.

Her family provide some great light entertainment, I could just picture the boisterous twins, the teenager with her head stuck in a phone, chatty mum etc .. eventually Lydia realises that family are beneficial.

I loved the atmosphere, could salivate at the delicious food and smell the bougainvillea .. it was like going on holiday via my armchair.

Suzie is a captivating storyteller, I thoroughly enjoyed Little White Lies and Butterflies. It’s one that you will find hard to put down and will leave a smile on your face when it’s finished.

My thanks to Suzie and Bombshell books for my copy which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

[Rachel (Rae) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The setting was absolutely perfect and after a pretty miserable rainy day doing the usual school runs it really was a wonderful escape from every day life. Greece was brought to life with gorgeous descriptions leaving me with even more of an excuse to visit one day.

Lydia is a lively and feisty character who always manages to be entertaining even though she isn't completely perfect. Mistakes are made and I think it's definitely a problem of her not thinking before she speaks. However as the book progresses she manages to comes across as a much more likeable character. Lydia has always dreamed of having a family and not being very career minded she sees this as her goal in life. Sam and Lydia's first meeting was pretty unfortunate for Lydia but it definitely made an impression. Whenever they were together I was constantly smiling at Lydia's spiky and spirited attitude towards Sam. Mainly at how she always had to try and put him in his place then how he just took everything in his stride. Sam is great and really was an ideal match for Lydia and her feistiness.

Lydia's family really ended up being the perfect addition to the story now they are by no means perfect but there hearts were in the right place. Once they turned up it was obvious that nothing was going to be straightforward for Lydia. The Livingstons however do a great job of grounding her when she digs herself a great big hole!

This really is the perfect pick me up and I thoroughly enjoyed following Lydia as she tries to navigate the little white lies she has told. Suzie Tullett has an engaging and warm writing style that will appeal to so many people. This story has a lovely combination of romance, a down to earth family and a gorgeous location. Then factor in a warm comforting feeling and Little White Lies and Butterflies really makes for a gorgeous read.

With thanks to Bombshell Books for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Rosie Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little White Lies And Butterflies is a #RomCom set on the Greek island of Kalymnos. Fresh, fun and upbeat. I LIKED IT!

Lydia Livingston is on the brink of her 30th birthday. With a long list of requirements for the perfect husband, she despairs at ever finding ‘The One’. Leaving behind a trail of dating disasters, she announces to her family that she’s off to spend her wedding fund and make some serious decisions about her life.

Kalymnos provides sun, sea, sand and escape from life as an eternally single café waitress. But the universe hasn’t stopped messing with Lydia. She finds her accommodation is above a Taverna. To rub salt into her wounds, they have a family wedding planned. On top of this, the place attracts the climbing fraternity who, according to Lydia, insist on wearing ridiculously unsuitable clothing. She’s determined to stay away from men, but a little white lie told to Sam one evening snowballs into a whole heap of trouble.

The writing style had me easily hooked. I even pictured Miranda Hart starring in the leading role if this ever got to the big screen. Miranda (sorry, Lydia!), tried so hard to stick to her self-imposed rules, you just knew it was all going to go wrong. I enjoyed her crazy family too, with their plans for a surprise birthday party. Even the chapter headings made me chuckle - translated quotes that worked very well with the tone of the book.

Altogether a well-written and VERY enjoyable read. Yes it’s women’s fiction, yes it’s romance with a traditional ending, but who doesn’t appreciate snarky dialogue, a sassy heroine and moments which make you laugh out loud? I know I do. This review is for the re-launched September 2017 version of the book.

[Melisa Broadbent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this crazy madcap story of 29 year old Lydia, (soon to turn the dreaded 30!) who after a lifetime of searching for Mr Right and getting nowhere, decides to just one day leave and go and discover herself and decide what she really wants to do in Greece!

She turns up on the beautiful sounding Greek island of Kalymnos with no idea of what she wants to do and is immediately befriended by the Fatolitis family who own the Taverna and apartment she is going to be staying in.

When trying to brush off Sam, an eager climber, she tells a little white lie and another one and another one…….before she realises it she has reinvented herself as a professional chef who is in Greece to sample the local cuisine. It is here that the story starts and her lies start to unravel and she inadvertently finds herself agreeing to cater for the daughter of the Fatolitis family and her wedding…….in order to keep her secret, she also has to go on a date with Sam (who most definitely not her ideal man or so she keeps telling herself!)

To add even more stress into an already stressful situation, her family arrive in Greece!

I really enjoyed the easy flow of the writing and storyline, frustrating as Lydia can be, I liked her and although she isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, she is still striving for that perfect someone. Although she struggles with her family (don’t we all) she comes to realise they are HER family and they will be there for her.

The location was absolutely perfect and what I imagined a Greek Island to be. It is so well described that I felt I was there witnessing all the madness that Lydia kept getting herself into!

A lovely easy read – perfect to read on the beach or a perfect getaway to get through the winter months!

[Mrs Jemma Brunniche · Rating 2 out of 5]

loved the setting but not the heroine

I really wanted to like this book and there were some good points. The setting in Greece and the characters there were good. I liked the male love interest but I just could not stand the heroine. I couldn’t get why anyone liked her much less be interested in her at first sight. I didn’t get any positives in her personality at all which let down the whole book for me.

[The P.Turners]

Please see blog for review: https://thepturnersbookblog.wordpress...

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review to come as part of blog tour

[carol taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humourous

This was really good I loved the humour and the storyline was good too xx Suzie other book the trouble with words is worth a read too xxx

[Sheryl Browne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little White Lies and Butterflies Lydia Livinston is flouting the modern day ‘having it all’ norm. She’s going against the feminist grain and refusing to juggle career and family. She’s plumped for simply being a wife and mum – preferably to five children, cue gasps of horror. Ideally, she has to find Mr Right first. And Mr Right has to be just right, ticking all the boxes on Lydia’s list of criteria: handsome, romantic (into B&W films) and solvent enough to support five children to name but three. Fast approaching thirty, Lydia’s beginning to realise her family might be right. She is barmy. He doesn’t exist. Her search for the fairy-tale ‘happily ever after’, which in itself has been a career, has been fruitless. Lydia now has to change her change her game plan and thus sets off to take stock on the beautiful Greek island of Kalymnos, where she meets the Fatolitis family, who, though more effusive in their affections, peculiarly mirror her own.

Rather than admit to being sadly single when persistent Sam the climber appears on the scene, Lydia decides to reinvent herself. After all, what harm can it do? She’ll never see him again. Reinventing herself as a professional chef sampling the local cuisine when she can’t boil an egg was perhaps not the best of ideas, she realises, as annoying Sam the climber announces it to the whole restaurant. Said restaurant owned by the Fatolitis. Oh, and Sam does more to catch Lydia out in her little white lie, but to tell would be a huge spoiler. Suffice to say, it made me chuckle. I think I would have ditched the foliage and skidded out of there, too. One little white lie of course leads to another, and suddenly Lydia finds herself being blackmailed. I have to say, I liked Sam straightaway. When he and Lydia chatted in Paradise (no spoilers), I just wanted to pick him up and love him. Go, Sam! The plot thickens, Lydia’s little lies leading to a series of cringe-making events that have you wanting to slap your hands over your eyes. How is she going to keep her family, who’ve arrived dressed in their British best, out of the mix? How the hell is she going to cater for a Greek Wedding?

Little White Lies and Butterflies (love that title) is a fabulous romantic comedy, with just the right of romance and humour. The two families, characterised beautifully – colourful, embarrassing, “madder than mad” – are a perfect backdrop for the story. You just can’t help but love them. We all have one!

Suzie Tullett writes with a style that flows beautifully. She’s obviously done her research, too. Her description of the gorgeous Greek landscape and culture immediately transports the reader there. Personally, I was rooting for Sam throughout, but is he all he appears to be? Read the book and find out. It gets a feel-good-factor of FIVE from me.

[Donna Trinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lydia Livingston is rapidly approaching her 30th birthday with a bitter taste in her mouth. She has modelled her life around searching for 'Mr. Right' and she has so far not come anywhere close. Her family all tell her she's too picky (which she takes as a huge insult) but if she's totally realistic she knows it's the truth; it still doesn't stop her from trying - all she wants is to be a happy wife, caring for her children, keeping the home and most of all, loving her husband. Not an ideal that most women want these days, but it's the one that Lydia craves.

She flees to the beautiful Greek island of Kalymnos and stays with the Fatolitis family above their typically Greek bar. She vows while she is there she will take stock of her life, her apparently unrealistic ambitions and more importantly, avoid anything to do with her birthday; the poignant reminder that she is still single and alone at 30.

She soon realises that the men of Kalymnos are not exactly ones she would place high on her list, and in their Lycra and baggy sweatpants, they certainly wouldn't be ticking the 'groomed' box on her ideal husband list, as it seems a haven for climbers. She doesn't take kindly to one climber in particular, and that is Sam.
In my mind Sam is gorgeous, funny and friendly, and would do anything for his friends, Lydia can't seem to see this.

It's not long before there are surprises and shocks in store for Lydia as she tells what seems a tiny and harmless white lie to Sam, basically to save face. Saving face is the furthest thing from the seemingly bottomless pit her fibs get her into and she will soon have to draw upon the people she loves, but has hurt, for help.

What can I say? I loved this book!

I love Suzie's beautiful writing style, and if I had to sum the book up in one word it would be just that ~ beautiful. The description, the plot, the characters are all wonderful. It left me craving a trip to these Greek islands and it is clear that the author is extremely knowledgeable on them having lived there while she wrote the book.

Most of all I loved the bond between Lydia and her family. The whole family ethos in the book is just perfect. As irritating as families can be, it just illustrates the ties that bind and I loved the way Lydia's mum just rolled her sleeves up and got on with the task in hand to save her daughter's bacon.

I would definitely recommend Little White Lies and Butterflies, it's a perfect summer read on holiday or at home.

[Mandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lydia is a 29-year-old (soon to be the dreaded 3-0) singleton who is one insanely picky chick. She has a list of all the attributes she's looking for in her Mr Right - right down to his sperm count! After another failed relationship, she decides to up and move to the Greek Islands to get away from it all - it all being that nebulous thing called 'life'. There she decides to fib to a cute guy (who she apparently judges as not-her-type from the get-go) which leads to all sorts of romantic comedy hi-jinks and a Hollywood ending.

A cute story, don't get me wrong and an easy read, once I got past the stylistic issues and loose editing. But the writing is nothing special - Lydia keeps talking to herself, which is how the author gets her story across but seriously, I'd be sending her to a mental institution if she was actually saying half this stuff aloud. Which we have to assume she was, since the author signposts everything else insanely clearly. People don't sit down - they 'plonk' down. They grumble and moan. It's all very creative writing class in high school.

Lydia is not someone I really cared about at the beginning. She's portrayed as a rude, inconsiderate, self-centred twit and we're supposed to hate her family for some reason, although I never really know why. She's completely judgemental and not in a relatable way really - I wanted to slap her many, many times.

I realise this is simply a holiday read but somehow it got on The Guardian's 'Not the Booker' shortlist so I read it. Thank goodness it was a cheap kindle read.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lydia Livingstone is a child of the nineties with the mind of somebody born earlier, she knows society says women can have it all now a career, husband, family everything she wants but this isn't what Lydia wants from her life.

Lydia has set her heart on being an older fashioned woman she wants nothing more than to be a wife, mother, keeping her home nice for visitors, having her husbands meals on the table when he comes home from work so he can play with the children afterwards but sadly this hasn't quite turned out how Lydia planned her life, so with her 30th birthday looming and wanting to get away from the usual family traditions of her brother and Dad lazing around doing nothing whilst her Mother runs around after them and her nephews and trying to get a moody teenager to leave her phone alone for just a few minutes.

So she decides to take herself off on holiday to Greece to reassess her life and make some changes but it doesn't all go to plan and she meets Sam, a man who is nothing like her dream man but over a few days she gets to know him but ends up, for some reason, telling him a lie and tells him that she is a famous chef and then on top of this her madcap family turn up to help her celebrate her birthday.

I don't do spoilers so lets just say one little white lie can get you into a lot of trouble but sometimes there is light at the end of the tunnel. Look forward to reading more by Suzie Tullett.

[Carol W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lydia is one fussy woman. Her eligible husband list is rather select and so when she is still single as she reaches her 30th birthday, she decides to take stock. She books herself an escape from the Livingston family and men, in the beautiful setting of Greece.

Sam, hunky and a little mysterious, does not tick the boxes on Lydia's husband list and she has no qualms about telling him so. The pair become very close as the days pass and Lydia confides in Sam that she has mistakenly told her hosts a little white lie. This little white lie is going to cause Lydia some trouble and she will have to disappoint some lovely people she has just met.


I loved Lydia's wit. She is not afraid to laugh at herself. The setting was wonderful and I felt I was there sharing the holiday and the preparations for the wedding. It reminded me of the setting for Mamma Mia. Fabulous characters, especially the mad Livingston family, who were great!

Sun in a great location, romance and a wedding, what more could you ask for?




5 out of 5! Perfect holiday reading.

Thank you to the Safhket for a review copy. This did not influence my review in any way

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lydia Livingston is soon to turn thirty and whilst taking stock of her life she realises that she needs to get a grip on what she really wants for herself. She is always searching for a ‘Mr Right’ who never seems to come along and even though her family think she is over choosy, Lydia knows that there is someone worth waiting for. When she decides to travel to Greece, her life is about to take on a whole new meaning.

There was plenty about this romantic comedy which made me smile. Not just the beautiful Greek setting, which was glorious, but also in the story, which sees Lydia embarking on a whole new career as a chef in a Greek restaurant, the fact that she can’t cook, never dampens her enthusiasm, but it does bring a whole new set of problems, mainly with the mysterious Sam, who seems determined to turn Lydia’s world upside down.

This is a lovely light story which is perfectly readable either lounging on a sun bed by the side of a swimming pool, or as an escape from a dull and grey Autumnal afternoon.

[Angelo Marcos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book as, even though I rarely read this genre, I had previously read Suzie Tullett’s first book – Going Underground – and really enjoyed it.

I found this to be a really entertaining and fun book, and I think it’s testament to the author that even though at times the main character frustrated me (as she was so particular about who ‘the one’ is and discounted potential dates for the smallest of reasons!), I was still rooting for her throughout the book.

As with the author’s first novel, I really liked the interplay between the characters, and actually laughed out loud at some of the dialogue, particularly between the main character and her family. I also laughed out loud at some of the mannerisms and idiosyncratic behaviour of the main character’s Greek hosts, although that was mainly because I recognised a lot of things from my own family…!

The overall feel of the book is very much playful and warm-hearted, which makes it easy and enjoyable to read. It’s definitely a book I’ll be recommending!

[Linda Parkinson-Hardman · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’ve ever been in a position where you felt you just had to seem more than you are as a way of deflecting attention, then you’ll probably have some sympathy for the scrape that the heroine of Little White Lies and Butterflies gets herself into. After all, if you’re never going to see the people again, what harm can it do? This was a great read and I enjoyed every bit of it; from the perfectly formed characters to the wonderful, laugh out loud, scrapes I could just imagine myself getting into. Suzie has created a wonderfully effervescent romance novel that fizzes with enjoyment whilst encouraging us to take a look at how our own preconceptions and assumptions can trip us up time and again.

[K.C. Sprayberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lydia Livingston is on the hunt for the man of her dreams, and she has very exacting expectations. Little does she know the hunky man she meets in Greece is far more than she realizes.
I downloaded this book during a giveaway, and after reading the reviews expected far more than I got. First person narrative is tricky to do right, and the author didn’t quite hit the mark until after the mid-point of the story. The main character came off as narcissistic and the story line a bit contrived.
The pace of this book is stolid, measured, despite the situation. It was difficult to discern suspenseful moments because of this. Overall, though, once the characters began the shine, the story became enjoyable, worthy of a second reading.

[BookwormCleo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really funny and is a really feel good story!

The poor main character gets stuck in a pack of her own lies (but none of them are bad lies) and she has to deal with the consequences!

I really liked this book and would recommend it.

[J.B (Debbie) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow