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Half-Truths
On the surface, Whitley Rose appears relatively put together. People are in awe of her songwriting career, her Nashville apartment has a one-of-a-kind view, and her rock star boyfriend – well, he’s a dirtbag, and truth-be-told her tiny apartment actually sucks. Meanwhile, on the chance her crumbling dreams aren’t devastating enough, she’s called back home to face the reality that her father is seriously ill. Sawyer Grant is dangerously handsome for a guy in jogging pants, and far too focused for a spontaneous girl like Whitley. However, having experienced the loss of his own family, he knows what it’s like to face the hard truth of losing someone. Despite the heaviness of their circumstances, they still find themselves smiling and laughing together under the summer sun. Perhaps an open sky, laughter, and love are the only truths they really need.
322 pages, Paperback
Published April 4, 2017
48 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Randileigh Kennedy
13 books31 followersRandileigh Kennedy grew up in Nevada and now resides in the Midwest. She loves all things romance, but also writes thrillers under RL Kennedy.
She loves to connect with people on Facebook (either on her personal page @RandileighKennedy, or for a less personal experience, @ RandileighKennedyAuthor).
Also, you can always find out more about her life at www.randileighkennedy.com.
She loves to connect with people on Facebook (either on her personal page @RandileighKennedy, or for a less personal experience, @ RandileighKennedyAuthor).
Also, you can always find out more about her life at www.randileighkennedy.com.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 17, 2017
Whitley lives in Nashville, where she's trying to make it as a songwriter. She lets people in Mountain Ridge, her hometown, believe she has the perfect life by implying that she's successful, she's dating a famous singer and she has a fantastic apartment. In reality she lives in a crappy studio, she's still waiting for her big break and she went through a nasty breakup, so she's single again. Because of her father's health Whitley has to return to Mountain Ridge as soon as she can. She doesn't know what to expect, but the prognosis isn't good and Whitley is worried.
At the airport Whitley meets Sawyer. Sawyer is a serious guy with plenty of ambition. He wants to become a great doctor. He studies hard and has his whole future mapped out already. Whitley is a wreck because of everything she's lost and might lose and that is something Sawyer understands very well, he knows what it feels like to grieve. He's there for her when she needs him and he makes sure she has fun when she isn't at the hospital looking after her father. However, Whitley's in an uncertain situation and she doesn't know what she wants or needs. Will they have a chance to get to know each other or is her life too messy to let Sawyer in?
Half-Truths is an impressive story. Whitley is adventurous, kind and impulsive. I loved how she says exactly what she thinks. She's working hard to make her dreams come true and she's determined to achieve something in her life. I admired her drive and her passion. She's a creative person, but she's also a perfectionist, something that sometimes helps her, but also stands in her way if she isn't careful. Sawyer is just as hardworking and he's chivalrous and sweet. He knows exactly what Whitley needs. They have a beautiful deep connection, which is based on both attraction and friendship. There's chemistry and they can laugh together, which is a wonderful combination that I liked a lot.
Whitley's father is gravely ill and Randileigh Kennedy writes about this in a moving way without making the situation too heavy. She's realistic and empathic, but she's also positive. I loved the closeness of Whitley's family. When they are together they do everything they can to have a good time. Even if life is difficult they try to make sure they enjoy themselves and that joy is in the little things, in small gestures and unconditional love. It's an admirable way of life that is making Half-Truths an extra impressive story. I absolutely loved this part of the book, it's very special.
Randileigh Kennedy's writing has a nice flow. She's also chosen a stunning setting for her book. Lake Tahoe is a fantastic place and her vivid descriptions are making it come to life incredibly well. Because of Sawyer Whitley sees the beauty of the area she used to call home and she discovers new things about the place she thought she knew everything about. That is a fabulous element of the story. It shows that being with someone you feel connected to makes you discover a new part of the world no matter where you are or how well you think you know it. Half-Truths is a multilayered romantic story with plenty of surprising twists and turns. I loved this amazing book.
At the airport Whitley meets Sawyer. Sawyer is a serious guy with plenty of ambition. He wants to become a great doctor. He studies hard and has his whole future mapped out already. Whitley is a wreck because of everything she's lost and might lose and that is something Sawyer understands very well, he knows what it feels like to grieve. He's there for her when she needs him and he makes sure she has fun when she isn't at the hospital looking after her father. However, Whitley's in an uncertain situation and she doesn't know what she wants or needs. Will they have a chance to get to know each other or is her life too messy to let Sawyer in?
Half-Truths is an impressive story. Whitley is adventurous, kind and impulsive. I loved how she says exactly what she thinks. She's working hard to make her dreams come true and she's determined to achieve something in her life. I admired her drive and her passion. She's a creative person, but she's also a perfectionist, something that sometimes helps her, but also stands in her way if she isn't careful. Sawyer is just as hardworking and he's chivalrous and sweet. He knows exactly what Whitley needs. They have a beautiful deep connection, which is based on both attraction and friendship. There's chemistry and they can laugh together, which is a wonderful combination that I liked a lot.
Whitley's father is gravely ill and Randileigh Kennedy writes about this in a moving way without making the situation too heavy. She's realistic and empathic, but she's also positive. I loved the closeness of Whitley's family. When they are together they do everything they can to have a good time. Even if life is difficult they try to make sure they enjoy themselves and that joy is in the little things, in small gestures and unconditional love. It's an admirable way of life that is making Half-Truths an extra impressive story. I absolutely loved this part of the book, it's very special.
Randileigh Kennedy's writing has a nice flow. She's also chosen a stunning setting for her book. Lake Tahoe is a fantastic place and her vivid descriptions are making it come to life incredibly well. Because of Sawyer Whitley sees the beauty of the area she used to call home and she discovers new things about the place she thought she knew everything about. That is a fabulous element of the story. It shows that being with someone you feel connected to makes you discover a new part of the world no matter where you are or how well you think you know it. Half-Truths is a multilayered romantic story with plenty of surprising twists and turns. I loved this amazing book.
June 10, 2017
Not my usual genre but this wonderfully written book left me blubbering uncontrollably on more than one occasion. Will certainly be reading more of Randileigh's books
May 15, 2017
I really enjoyed this story. It wasn’t all sunshine and roses but parts of it were true to life. I thought the title was perfect for the story. When I read the synopsis I worried that there might be a love triangle in the story but there was no love triangle in the story. Whitley and her boyfriend broke up shortly before she met Sawyer. There is another ex-boyfriend that was her high school sweetheart in the story but there wasn’t a love triangle there either.
The story starts off with the Whitley Rose traveling home because her father has taken ill. Whitley has been having a tough time of it. She has been living in Nashville for three years trying to make it as a song writer with little success. She can barely pay rent. On top of all that, she finds out her musician boyfriend has been cheating on her with his PR rep. Whitley dreads the thought of returning to her hometown because she feels like such a failure and a sham. Everyone back home thinks Whitley is successful and some even envy her life in Nashville. When people say all of those things, Whitley doesn’t correct them. She lets everyone believe half-truths.
When Whitley is waiting at the airport for her flight home a gorgeous man named Sawyer Grant ends up spilling his coffee on her. He appears strange yet charming to Whitley. However, she hopes/thinks that they will never run into each other again. Call it fate or happenstance, their paths keep crossing.
Unfortunately soon after arriving home, Whitley realizes that her father’s health is worse than she thought. It turns out that he is in heart failure. He had to get an L-Vad.( Every time I hear L-Vad wire I think of Grey’s Anatomy.) It’s shocking to Whitley because her father is young to be having these heart issues. The doctor’s say that Whit's dad doesn’t have many options left. The family has to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
Sawyer understands what Whitley is going through because he lost his parents at a young age in a car accident. He was raised by his grandparents. Sadly, Sawyer’s grandparents died a year ago. I think they died within four months of each other. He offers her an escape and a shoulder to lean on during the toughest time in her life. In return, she is able to open up to him and be honest with him in a way that she hasn’t been able to do with anyone else. I found both of them to be very genuine. I thought it was refreshing how open Whitley and Sawyer were with each other from the start.
A warm smile spread across his face, and he stared at me. “I don’t know, I kind of like this.” He shrugged. “Usually when you get to know someone, it’s only the good stuff. You’re supposed to tell me how smart and successful you are, like you’re the only girl who actually has her life all together. It’s like social media- everyone is full of half-truths, right? Their life is perfect and happy and everything goes their way… And, even better, when something doesn’t go their way, they go on and on about the injustice of it all, and they get to spill the dramatic takeaways of the positive life lesson they endured. Or at the very least they get a hundred other people to commiserate with them so they aren’t alone in it, and then it’s okay. But I hate all that. Sometimes things just suck. I hate that no one can just say it.”
“I’m serious,” he said warmly. “You’re the first girl to tell me you’re unsuccessful, poor, and possibly a little crazy when a man does you wrong. No girl ever admits to that. Not on the first date, at least.”
I loved the scenes between Sawyer and Whitley. I enjoyed their witty banter. I just loved Sawyer. I liked that their romance seemed a bit old fashioned. Sawyer was a true gentleman. He was raised by his grandparents so they taught him well. I also enjoyed the adventures that they would go on to take Whitley’s mind off of things. One of my favorite scenes of them was when they were sitting on the swing set in the park. The sight of a grown man in a suit swinging on a swing isn’t something you see very often. It’s nice that Sawyer still has little bit of that inner child in him. I like that Sawyer didn’t completely conform to societal norms. He really enjoyed the simpler things in life. They both enjoyed some of the simpler things that life has to offer like looking at the stars. Another one of my favorite scenes with them was the fort scene. They were just so lovely together. They could just be themselves with each other with no judgment.
“It was simple in its appearance. What was really happening in this room, however, was so much bigger than how it appeared on the surface. When I was with Sawyer, I wasn’t scared to be heartbroken. I wasn’t afraid to embarrass myself. I wasn’t interested in withholding the truth about who I was, what I thought, and what my shortcomings were. As he learned them, he smiled bigger and laughed louder and promised me more adventure. For the first time since I’d arrived, I finally felt like I was home.”
I think that Whitley and Sawyer were very likeable characters. I wasn’t fond of her ex-boyfriends. I thought most of the secondary characters were very likeable as well. I loved Whitley’s big crazy family. It was nice to see a good tight knit family the book. Whitley’s parents were wonderful. I liked her younger brother Warren. Whitley’s best friend Brie was great. Whitley had some really had some touching scenes with her father. He imparted good wisdom to her. I enjoyed hearing about family game night. I liked Whit’s family’s motto about ice cream.
Whenever things got bad, we pretended that life’s problems could be ignored with ice cream.
I like that Whitley’s family was so welcoming to Sawyer. It was nice because Sawyer didn’t have a big family. Basically all Sawyer had were his grandparents. When they died he didn’t really have anyone left.
It seemed like thing were going to well between Sawyer and Whitley so I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Sure enough it did drop. On the surface Sawyer seems so put together but really he is just Whitley always wanted someone that was willing to fight for her. Sawyer did fight for her and kept all of his promises. Sawyer said he knows that on paper he doesn’t seem like a good catch. I was going really? I thought darn good catch.
The whole book I was wondering if Whitley’s father would live or die. The important thing that Whitley learned is that time is precious. She learned that she doesn’t have to tell half-truths to her family because they love her and our proud of her no matter what. During hard times there can be a silver lining. Something or someone great can come along when you least expect it.
“But that’s the beauty of this world, right?” he said. “Horrific things happen, but it keeps on spinning. And somewhere in that there’s purpose, and beauty, and happiness, despite all the things that have gone so wrong.”
* This ARC was given to me through the Kindle Scout Program.
The story starts off with the Whitley Rose traveling home because her father has taken ill. Whitley has been having a tough time of it. She has been living in Nashville for three years trying to make it as a song writer with little success. She can barely pay rent. On top of all that, she finds out her musician boyfriend has been cheating on her with his PR rep. Whitley dreads the thought of returning to her hometown because she feels like such a failure and a sham. Everyone back home thinks Whitley is successful and some even envy her life in Nashville. When people say all of those things, Whitley doesn’t correct them. She lets everyone believe half-truths.
When Whitley is waiting at the airport for her flight home a gorgeous man named Sawyer Grant ends up spilling his coffee on her. He appears strange yet charming to Whitley. However, she hopes/thinks that they will never run into each other again. Call it fate or happenstance, their paths keep crossing.
Unfortunately soon after arriving home, Whitley realizes that her father’s health is worse than she thought. It turns out that he is in heart failure. He had to get an L-Vad.( Every time I hear L-Vad wire I think of Grey’s Anatomy.) It’s shocking to Whitley because her father is young to be having these heart issues. The doctor’s say that Whit's dad doesn’t have many options left. The family has to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
Sawyer understands what Whitley is going through because he lost his parents at a young age in a car accident. He was raised by his grandparents. Sadly, Sawyer’s grandparents died a year ago. I think they died within four months of each other. He offers her an escape and a shoulder to lean on during the toughest time in her life. In return, she is able to open up to him and be honest with him in a way that she hasn’t been able to do with anyone else. I found both of them to be very genuine. I thought it was refreshing how open Whitley and Sawyer were with each other from the start.
A warm smile spread across his face, and he stared at me. “I don’t know, I kind of like this.” He shrugged. “Usually when you get to know someone, it’s only the good stuff. You’re supposed to tell me how smart and successful you are, like you’re the only girl who actually has her life all together. It’s like social media- everyone is full of half-truths, right? Their life is perfect and happy and everything goes their way… And, even better, when something doesn’t go their way, they go on and on about the injustice of it all, and they get to spill the dramatic takeaways of the positive life lesson they endured. Or at the very least they get a hundred other people to commiserate with them so they aren’t alone in it, and then it’s okay. But I hate all that. Sometimes things just suck. I hate that no one can just say it.”
“I’m serious,” he said warmly. “You’re the first girl to tell me you’re unsuccessful, poor, and possibly a little crazy when a man does you wrong. No girl ever admits to that. Not on the first date, at least.”
I loved the scenes between Sawyer and Whitley. I enjoyed their witty banter. I just loved Sawyer. I liked that their romance seemed a bit old fashioned. Sawyer was a true gentleman. He was raised by his grandparents so they taught him well. I also enjoyed the adventures that they would go on to take Whitley’s mind off of things. One of my favorite scenes of them was when they were sitting on the swing set in the park. The sight of a grown man in a suit swinging on a swing isn’t something you see very often. It’s nice that Sawyer still has little bit of that inner child in him. I like that Sawyer didn’t completely conform to societal norms. He really enjoyed the simpler things in life. They both enjoyed some of the simpler things that life has to offer like looking at the stars. Another one of my favorite scenes with them was the fort scene. They were just so lovely together. They could just be themselves with each other with no judgment.
“It was simple in its appearance. What was really happening in this room, however, was so much bigger than how it appeared on the surface. When I was with Sawyer, I wasn’t scared to be heartbroken. I wasn’t afraid to embarrass myself. I wasn’t interested in withholding the truth about who I was, what I thought, and what my shortcomings were. As he learned them, he smiled bigger and laughed louder and promised me more adventure. For the first time since I’d arrived, I finally felt like I was home.”
I think that Whitley and Sawyer were very likeable characters. I wasn’t fond of her ex-boyfriends. I thought most of the secondary characters were very likeable as well. I loved Whitley’s big crazy family. It was nice to see a good tight knit family the book. Whitley’s parents were wonderful. I liked her younger brother Warren. Whitley’s best friend Brie was great. Whitley had some really had some touching scenes with her father. He imparted good wisdom to her. I enjoyed hearing about family game night. I liked Whit’s family’s motto about ice cream.
Whenever things got bad, we pretended that life’s problems could be ignored with ice cream.
I like that Whitley’s family was so welcoming to Sawyer. It was nice because Sawyer didn’t have a big family. Basically all Sawyer had were his grandparents. When they died he didn’t really have anyone left.
It seemed like thing were going to well between Sawyer and Whitley so I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Sure enough it did drop. On the surface Sawyer seems so put together but really he is just Whitley always wanted someone that was willing to fight for her. Sawyer did fight for her and kept all of his promises. Sawyer said he knows that on paper he doesn’t seem like a good catch. I was going really? I thought darn good catch.
The whole book I was wondering if Whitley’s father would live or die. The important thing that Whitley learned is that time is precious. She learned that she doesn’t have to tell half-truths to her family because they love her and our proud of her no matter what. During hard times there can be a silver lining. Something or someone great can come along when you least expect it.
“But that’s the beauty of this world, right?” he said. “Horrific things happen, but it keeps on spinning. And somewhere in that there’s purpose, and beauty, and happiness, despite all the things that have gone so wrong.”
* This ARC was given to me through the Kindle Scout Program.
May 6, 2017
This is a sweet romance that starts with a spilt coffee and the beginnings of a relationship is born. Whitley is going through a tough time, her dad is ill, her career is in the doldrums and her love life has not exactly shone. Slowly the story unfolds and with a few ups and downs things progress.
There were moments of fun, and moments of sadness.
I liked this story and I liked Sawyer, but I didn't like Whitley much, she was very quick to judge and to jump to conclusions.
Whilst I liked the book I didn't love it because it felt slow and a bit laboured in places. Having said that the I liked the story, that the main protagonist didn't fall desperately in love and in bed straight away, that they did silly but real things to get to know each other and that it wasn't all sweetness and light.
I anticipate that I will be reading other work by this author.
There were moments of fun, and moments of sadness.
I liked this story and I liked Sawyer, but I didn't like Whitley much, she was very quick to judge and to jump to conclusions.
Whilst I liked the book I didn't love it because it felt slow and a bit laboured in places. Having said that the I liked the story, that the main protagonist didn't fall desperately in love and in bed straight away, that they did silly but real things to get to know each other and that it wasn't all sweetness and light.
I anticipate that I will be reading other work by this author.
December 3, 2017
This was a nice, sweet romance story. I didn't like it as much as most people because threaded throughout the story was the plot of the h's dad dying. It was a really big focus and kinda depressing (as it should be). But that's not typically the type of books I prefer. So it doesn't mean that the book was bad...just that it was sad, and I didn't really enjoy it as much as others.
(Free copy received in Kindle Scout)
(Free copy received in Kindle Scout)
January 12, 2018
I loved reading Whit and Sawyer's story. Two people that are living with half truths. Whit comes off as a famous songwriter in her hometown but little do they know that she is a struggling songwriter. Sawyer grew up with his grandparents saying that his parents were killed in a car accident. As a chance meeting puts Whit and Sawyer in the same town, their attraction is immediate and the way they get to know each other is awesome. Loved reading their story and loved this first read for me by Ms. Kennedy.
May 15, 2017
i felt that the the book was slow to start. it was your typical romance book. i felt that the character cold have been better developed.
May 21, 2017
Roller coaster with a wonderful ending
This story was a wild ride, with bumps and curves throughout. It had me so captivated I read it in one sitting.
This story was a wild ride, with bumps and curves throughout. It had me so captivated I read it in one sitting.
August 8, 2017
A solid foray into "clean" romance without being "Christian." I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a light romance that's no where near being a bodice ripper.
October 8, 2017
Couldn't put this book down. Thru tears and happiness this was an amazing read
November 11, 2020
Touching & uplifting
Pages full of emotion and lessons, of love and learning. No matter where life takes you, love bigger and forgive quickly.
Pages full of emotion and lessons, of love and learning. No matter where life takes you, love bigger and forgive quickly.
April 19, 2017
I'm not usually a fan of romance, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Even though Whitley and Sawyer might have had mutual attractions, they don't just instantaneously fall in love with each other as in so many sappy Harlequinesqe romances. Their romance is slow-brewed. They do things together, learn about each other, grow comfortable in each other's presence--what I always thought a "real" romance should be. I love Sawyer. He made me laugh and feel better about life, the way he did Whitley.
On the other hand, the book has many sad, touching moments. The scene in the hospital with Whitley's father asking her if she would be able to let me go pulled my heartstrings, having been in a similar situation once myself. Everything about the story rings "true."
Romance heat level of zero, so you don't have to be embarrassed that you're a peeping Tom.
I received a copy of this book through the Kindle Scout program.
On the other hand, the book has many sad, touching moments. The scene in the hospital with Whitley's father asking her if she would be able to let me go pulled my heartstrings, having been in a similar situation once myself. Everything about the story rings "true."
Romance heat level of zero, so you don't have to be embarrassed that you're a peeping Tom.
I received a copy of this book through the Kindle Scout program.
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June 30, 2018Loved it
A fun, sweet story...recommended for young adult/light romance for a quick read! I enjoyed this book and will be purchasing others by this author!
A fun, sweet story...recommended for young adult/light romance for a quick read! I enjoyed this book and will be purchasing others by this author!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews