ARC REVIEW: Mona Lisas And Little White Lies – by John Herrick

Title: Mona Lisas And Little White Lies
Author: John Herrick
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
First published: March 19th 2019
Publisher: Segue Blue
Finished reading: February 8th 2019
Pages: 324

“Unlike men – and cars, for that matter – a new tire had never let her down.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Segue Blue in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

Surprised to see this title on my little blog? I know I don’t read a lot of contemporary romance, but I like to read something different every once in a while. There was just something about this title that caught my eye, and maybe the fact that it’s due to be published on my birthday was a sign? Anyhow, while I do think that contemporary romance fans will enjoy Mona Lisas And Little White Lies better than I did, I still had a good time reading it. I really liked the premise of this story. The artist inspired by a face he only saw once in all those years, the down to earth car mechanic who doesn’t know the power behind her appearance… The art, the chance meeting, the different worlds colliding: the story definitely has all the signs of that feel-good fairytale romance. The main characters Lily and Ryder are easy to like and each have their own personality. I like my quirky characters with flaws and they do feel quite realistic. Their story sounds like something straight out of a movie and it’s a story romance fans most likely will fall in love with. For me, there were a bit too many cliches involved, including romance tropes as insta-love and a love triangle. The whole ‘little white lies’ part felt a bit forced, as well as the final part of the story. Their reactions to the plot twist reveal and aftermath were a bit too cliche and over the top for me, but then again I’m not a drama fan. Some parts were a bit underdeveloped as well, including for example Aaron’s past and the role of Chase in the story. I really liked the many descriptions of Thailand though! Overall Mona Lisas And Little White Lies was an entertaining and fluffy contemporary romance read I can recommend to fans of the genre.

Ryder saw Lily only once a couple of years ago, but has never been able to forget her face. He has incorporated her into his art for years now, using Lily as his muse for commercials and other art alike. Everybody wonders who this woman in his art is, but he never reveals her identity… Mostly because he doesn’t have a clue who or where she is. Then Lily’s friends see one of his commercials and Lily is determined to confront the artist about using her face without permision. But what will this meeting lead to?

If you enjoy cute ‘love at first sight’ stories with quirky and flawed characters that are easy to like, you will probably love Mona Lisas And Little White Lies. The general idea behind this story is interesting and I loved the many art, car and Thailand references. The plot did get a bit predictable and cliche at points, and the dose of drama was a bit high towards the ending, but overall this was still a satisfying contemporary romance read.

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WWW Wednesdays #209 – February 13th

WWW WEDNESDAYS is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World Of Words and is all about answering the three questions below.

• WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

I’m currently reading Colombiano by Rusty Young, an ARC that is also be my first 800+ pages read. This means I can cross of this goal very early in the year… It’s a fascinating read so far, so I don’t mind it being that many pages! I also started Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, and I guess I should have listened to my instincts and stayed away from it… I REALLY can’t stand the writing style and I’ll most likely DNF.

WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson (4/5 stars) REVIEW 19/02
The Bitter Kingdom definitely made this series end on a high note! I’m not sure if it is my new favorite, but I’m happy to say that all three Fire And Thorns books stay consistently strong and the final book doesn’t disappoint at all. The high fantasy worldbuilding is one of the best features of this series and it’s always great to see it expand. The end did feel a bit too easy, but overall it does provide closure for this series and its character. I really enjoyed my time with this trilogy and can highly recommend it to fans of the genre.

2. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (4/5 stars) REVIEW 15/02
I already had some ideas about An American Marriage when I first started reading it, but I didn’t realize the full extent of this powerful and emotionally draining story until I was already in way too deep. While it is true that I failed to connect to the characters completely, I wasn’t happy with the love triangle and the pace was a bit slow at points, it was the story itself that made me forget about those minor complaints. An innocent man behind bars just because someone pointed their finger (basically), the struggle to prove the truth, the strain the situation has on a relationship and those close to Roy in general, the racial discrimination, the failed justice system, the family history… Powerful elements that have been excellently developed and executed and which turn this story into one well worth your time.

3. Mona Lisas And Little White Lies by John Herrick (3/5 stars) REVIEW 21/02
If you enjoy cute ‘love at first sight’ stories with quirky and flawed characters that are easy to like, you will probably love Mona Lisas And Little White Lies. The general idea behind this story is interesting and I loved the many art, car and Thailand references. The plot did get a bit predictable and cliche at points, and the dose of drama was a bit high towards the ending, but overall this was still a satisfying contemporary romance read.

4. Friend Request by Laura Marshall (3,5/5 stars) REVIEW 19/02
Friend Request was a very entertaining psychological thriller with a few twists and turns I definitely didn’t see coming. The story starts slow and it takes a while for the pace to pick up. Basically, the first half has more of a character driven slower psychological thriller, while the second half is more of a suspenseful crime thriller with a fast pace and quite a lot of action. This made the story feel a bit unbalanced, but the second half made the story that much more thrilling. The story had a few flaws, but overall it was still a very entertaining read.

5. Half Lies by Sally Green (2,5/5 stars) REVIEW 22/02
Novellas are always short and not having a well developed plot and characters is not that much of a surprise. Still, I found myself craving to know more about their past in France and I would have liked to see more focus on magic as well. Instead, Half Lies was basically a sappy forbidden love story where two quite cliche characters fall in love a la Romeo and Juliet. My biggest struggle was with the writing style. There is just something about the way this story is written that is a huge turn off for me…

6. To Make Monsters Out Of Girls by Amanda Lovelace (4/5 stars) REVIEW 22/02
Her poems are easy to recognize and this was another excellent collection. It is true that the structure of the poems is simplistic and basically seems like hitting the space bar ever few words, but I personally think this simple style gives the words and message behind the poems even more power. Amanda Lovelace writes without fear and is fully open about her experience with abusive and toxic relationships in the past. It’s not the style, but the words and the emotions behind those words that make To Make Monsters Out Of Girls into such a success for me. Her poetry isn’t for everyone, but those who can connect to her words will be able to treasure it.

7. Until The Day I Die by Emily Carpenter (3,5/5 stars) REVIEW 18/02
This is without doubt a very unconventional read and I’m still trying to wrap my head around what I actually feel about this story. It’s a very original story for sure and really hard to place in just one genre… The second half was a lot faster than the first half, which tended to drag a bit in points. I liked Erin’s POV better than Shorie’s one mostly because I wasn’t expecting a YA feel POV in this story… There is no doubt it’s a fascinating story, but I wasn’t as blown away with it as I thought I would. Mixed feelings and a very difficult review to write.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I’m trying to get my pile of NG ARCs below 10, so I have another one coming up soon… The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson, a story with a gorgeous cover and one I’ve been looking forward to for months.  I also want to read Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson and The Woman In The Window by A.J. Finn as my next backlist titles. My new TBR jar pick is still Be Frank With Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson.

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