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43rd out of 323 books
—
518 voters
Little Bitty Lies
In a suburban Atlanta neighborhood where divorce is as rampant as kudzu, Mary Bliss McGowan doesn't notice that her own marriage is in trouble until the summer night she finds a note from her husband, telling her he's gone -- and taken the family fortune with him. Stunned and humiliated, a desperate Mary Bliss, left behind with her seventeen-year-old daughter, Erin, and a...more
Hardcover, 448 pages
Published
July 8th 2003
by Harper Collins
(first published July 1st 2003)
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What an odd book! First, I thought it was going to be chick lit, but it wasn't. It more like Chick Limystery. Or something :)
It was very light and fluffy, and some of the characters (Katherine, especially) were over the top. I did like Mary Bliss, though, and her adventures in taking care of herself were both upsetting and entertaining.
I found it odd that some things were very "Southern" (capital S), and other things seemed to miss the boat. For example, the first time Erin used a swear word in...more
It was very light and fluffy, and some of the characters (Katherine, especially) were over the top. I did like Mary Bliss, though, and her adventures in taking care of herself were both upsetting and entertaining.
I found it odd that some things were very "Southern" (capital S), and other things seemed to miss the boat. For example, the first time Erin used a swear word in...more
If you like chic lit, you will like this. It is a fun rompy ride, nothing too heavy and characters that are relatable while being completely over the top.
Mary Bliss finds out that her husband left her via a note he left in the closet. He cleaned out all of their accounts and remortgaged their house and left her penniless. He did pay up his cantankerous mother's nursing home bill and she does know where he is, but she is not saying.
So, with her best friend and partner in crime, Mary Bliss sets o...more
Mary Bliss finds out that her husband left her via a note he left in the closet. He cleaned out all of their accounts and remortgaged their house and left her penniless. He did pay up his cantankerous mother's nursing home bill and she does know where he is, but she is not saying.
So, with her best friend and partner in crime, Mary Bliss sets o...more
The novel Little Bitty Lies, by Mary Kay Andrews, tells of a woman named Mary Bliss McGowan. An average suburban mom, Mary Bliss has a perfect life. Unfortunately, it does not last for long. One warm summer’s night there is a letter left in her closet, on a junk mail envelope, saying her husband is gone for good. Her idyllic world shatters. Her husband withdraws all the money from her bank accounts and leaves her broke. The situation, she decides, calls for desperate measures. Mary Bliss and her...more
much more fun than i'd hoped for. it was different than other chick lit i've read -- in a good way -- and kind of reminded me of Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler. atlanta is as much a character in this book as NYC is in other chick lit. there was a lot I recognize from my own experiences in the South, which was three-parts refreshing and one-part suffocating. speaking of recipes, there's one in the back for Mary Bliss' perfect chicken salad. I'll try it out sometime.
4.5 stars-"It Was the Summer From Hell"
Little Bitty Lies by Mary Kay Andrews
This sometimes confusing, sort of depressing, yet at the same time, funny and poignant novel is written by the mystery writer Kathy Trocheck. Moreover, it sure looks like the transition to a slightly different style of mystery combined with female literature seems to have been made successfully! I have not read any of the mystery series but if they are half as good as the writing in this novel, I should be pleased.
Yes, t...more
Little Bitty Lies by Mary Kay Andrews
This sometimes confusing, sort of depressing, yet at the same time, funny and poignant novel is written by the mystery writer Kathy Trocheck. Moreover, it sure looks like the transition to a slightly different style of mystery combined with female literature seems to have been made successfully! I have not read any of the mystery series but if they are half as good as the writing in this novel, I should be pleased.
Yes, t...more
I should preface this review with I am not a fan of chick-lit. So my review is sort of skewed, because even if the book was great (it wasn't) I most likely would be giving it a below average review, because I just don't enjoy the genre that much.
My problem with Chick-Lit as a genre is often the main character isn't a strong woman. I don't really empathize or associate well with weak women, so I get very irritated with her poor decisions and when you don't like the main character, but also don't...more
My problem with Chick-Lit as a genre is often the main character isn't a strong woman. I don't really empathize or associate well with weak women, so I get very irritated with her poor decisions and when you don't like the main character, but also don't...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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A cute, light read by Mary Kay Andrews.
Mary Bliss McGowan has no clue her marriage is in trouble until she finds a goodbye note from her husband, Parker ... also soon learning that he has cleaned her out financially. I found Mary Bliss and her socialite friends a little shallow and silly ... so it didn't surprise me when Mary Bliss handles her problems with lies and subterfuge. The books follows the ins and outs of how Mary Bliss gets through Parker running off, problems with her teenage daught...more
Mary Bliss McGowan has no clue her marriage is in trouble until she finds a goodbye note from her husband, Parker ... also soon learning that he has cleaned her out financially. I found Mary Bliss and her socialite friends a little shallow and silly ... so it didn't surprise me when Mary Bliss handles her problems with lies and subterfuge. The books follows the ins and outs of how Mary Bliss gets through Parker running off, problems with her teenage daught...more
This is a funny, light read. Kept me laughing throughout the book. Finished it in one day. MB's best friend Katherine will keep you entertained. I didn't like the attitude of her daughter Erin, but other than that, it was a good read. Definitely would recommend picking it up if you like witty romances.
When this book begins, Mary Bliss' life is good. She is busy supporting her best friend, Katharine, who is trying to deal with her broken marriage. Mary Bliss is so busy helping Katherine, she doesn't see any problems with her own marriage!
She comes home one night to a note from her husband, Palmer. He is gone and has taken all of their money. not only that, but he left her with a huge amount of debt, bills to be paid, and their 17-year-old daughter.
Mary-Bliss and Katharine cook up a crazy plan...more
She comes home one night to a note from her husband, Palmer. He is gone and has taken all of their money. not only that, but he left her with a huge amount of debt, bills to be paid, and their 17-year-old daughter.
Mary-Bliss and Katharine cook up a crazy plan...more
After her husband empties their bank accounts and abandons her, Mary Bliss tells a small lie to avoid the humiliation. Desperate and penniless she hatches a plan to fake her husbands death and claim on a life insurance policy. But her lies are coming undone almost as fast as she tells them.
The author leaves so many things in this book unfinished. It's almost as if she got bored with the book and decided to wrap it up half-way through.
The premise is interesting, the characters are likeable and th...more
The author leaves so many things in this book unfinished. It's almost as if she got bored with the book and decided to wrap it up half-way through.
The premise is interesting, the characters are likeable and th...more
I was recently introduced to Mary Kay Andrews' books and became an instant admirer of her work. Little Bitty Lies is another exceptional story centered around Mary Bliss McGowan, a wife and mother whose husband disappears under mysterious circumstances. As Mrs. McGowan gets over the shock of his departure she realizes that not only is her husband gone, but he took all of their money with him. That's when she starts telling a web of little lies to help her cope and keep a roof over her daughter's...more
This book was all over the place for me. It had a lot of pages, but I wasn't interested in most of them and that's a problem. It felt so empty.
And her daughter was annoying and irked me. She made the story so unpleasant. Her mom needed to get a backbone and tell her how it is. And her daughter's friend talking to the mom like that? And another adult was there too? Um.. And then the mom is just so understanding of this. Give me a break. The way people talk to her and the way things go in this boo...more
And her daughter was annoying and irked me. She made the story so unpleasant. Her mom needed to get a backbone and tell her how it is. And her daughter's friend talking to the mom like that? And another adult was there too? Um.. And then the mom is just so understanding of this. Give me a break. The way people talk to her and the way things go in this boo...more
I didn't like the characters in this books as well as the other Mary Kay Andrews book I have read, Hissy Fit. I had a lot of trouble with someone having the name Mary Bliss. What kind of first name is that? But besides that, I felt like she wasn't true to her own character when she started with her scheme about Parker. And a lot of things about that scheme seemed rather improbable. On the plus side I did like the character of her friend Katharine who sounded like she'd be a lot of fun if you did...more
I had been looking forward to this read since I had loved Hissy Fit also written by Andrews. But this book fell very flat in my eyes with some of the most awkward cringe worthy literary moments. In addition to just being an uncomfortable read, I pretty much hated every character this book had to offer. If you weren't spiteful and bratty, you were weak and passive. This book reminded me of the movie Hope Floats, such a great warning of those who want kids as to what can easily be your awful awful...more
Not my favorite by this author, but still worth picking up if you like her books. This one centers on a woman whose husband takes off after cleaning out their joint bank account. The plot is a little disjointed and the actions of the characters don't ring as true as Weezy, Bebe and the protagonists of her other novels. I'd have loved to see Mary Bliss open up her own catering business, since she's certainly got a talent for it. A light, easy read, but get Savannah Blues first if you've never rea...more
While marriages are falling apart by the handful in Mary Bliss' neighborhood, she thinks hers is rock solid. It isn't. She discovers this when she finds a note from her husband saying he has left. She then learns he has taken everything, including all her money. Bills are unpaid and have been for months. A balloon payment that Mary Bliss was unaware of, is coming due. She doesn't have the money. It goes downhill from there.
Throw in a highly charged friend, a teenage daughter that needs reigning...more
Throw in a highly charged friend, a teenage daughter that needs reigning...more
This may sound a little snobbish but as a general rule I don't read novels that have a cartoonish drawing on the cover; I typically take that as a warning sign for being a trashy novel. Please don't ask why I picked it up.
Little Bitty Lies by Mary Kay Andrews centers around Mary Bliss McGowan whose husband has left her and their 17 year old daughter Erin, leaving her only with the kitchen sink. Parker McGowan has run into some business trouble and cleans out all of his family's assets i.e. check...more
Little Bitty Lies by Mary Kay Andrews centers around Mary Bliss McGowan whose husband has left her and their 17 year old daughter Erin, leaving her only with the kitchen sink. Parker McGowan has run into some business trouble and cleans out all of his family's assets i.e. check...more
I haven't listened to an audio book in about 2 years, but this book was a great one for my re-introduction. Tony and Emmy award winner Debra Monk was the reader of this abridged version. Of course, I wasn't aware that it was abridged until AFTER listening to the book and I saw 'Abridgement approved by the Author' in tiny print on the BACK!!! Why do they bother to create abridgements anyhow!??!!? All the same, I enjoyed this book, and hope that I didn't miss anything too important.
Mary Bliss McGo...more
Mary Bliss McGo...more
Classic Mary Kay Andrews. Wife finds out hubby has left her and her teenage daughter...took all the money, etc. She has the conflict of her daughter...being a typical pain the butt for a teenager. How is she to overcome the emotional loss and the financial loss.This is a Southern novel about woman's lifelong quest for home but also about the important things in life: marriage and divorce, mothers and daughters, friendship and betrayal, small-town secrets and the perfect recipe for chicken salad.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I've read almost all of Mary Key Andrews' books, and they're very light reading. They almost always follow the same pattern--the stable protagonist has a best friend who is a little wild, and they stick together through difficult situations. This one was my favorite of hers because it was set in Atlanta, where I understood the references to private schools, malls, etc. It was also fun to see how the plot unfolded when Mary Bliss' husband disappeared unexpectedly. Good summer read!
This was a delightful book to read! I loved all of the characters especially Mary Bliss. The title was perfect for the book too becuase the lies that Mary Bliss and her friend were telling, were far from being "Little Bitty Lies"! LOL I found the book to be humerous at times and I was surprised that although it was 400+ pages, it didn't even seem like it dragged. There was never a dull moment in the storyline! I recommend this to all the women who enjoy chick lit mor mysteries or are looking for...more
What a great, fun read! I thought the book started out slow but it picked up! What do you do when your husband packs up and leaves one day and leaves you with only a note? Well Mary Bliss and her friend Katherine came up with a lie that changes everything! They set up a boat crash in Mexico to say that Mary Bliss's husband died on. That way the noisy neighbors can't say anything negative about their marriage. The trouble that these two get in will keep you on your toes and keep you laughing! I e...more
Was a funny book and I loved the main Characters (mary bliss) friend Kate - she just cracked me up! It did seem though that pretty close to the end things that were complicated just kinda up and fixed themselves real quick. It was almost like she was writing and then remembered "oh dang it's almost the end, gotta tie up all my loose ends in this last chapter" - other than that I enjoyed it and found it to be an easy read.
Mary Bliss' husband takes all the money and disappears, leaving her to fend for herself and her daughter. Completely broke, she hatches a scheme with her best friend to pretend like he's dead so they can collect the insurance money. Of course things don't quite go as planned, but in the end, everything turns out for the best. This was a sweet book with likeable characters and kept me wanting to read more. I give it a B.
In 2007 I wasn't doing reviews of everything, just a brief reminder for myself. I noted on this one "Chick lit with a Southern twist." This, while true, doesn't quite do the book justice. Mary Kay Andrews honed her writing skills as Kathy Hogan Trocheck, author of the Callahan Garrity mystery series, and that shows in her more romantic novels under the new name. It's an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.
May 14, 2011
*Hayley*
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone!
My second time reading a book by Mary Kay Andrews and I must admit I'm impressed. The first book I read was Hissy Fit which was quite hilarious and this one is just as good. Meet, Mary Bliss. She's from Georgia, a southern belle, and a suburban housewife/teacher. She lives in Fair Oaks alongside with her husband Parker and her daughter Erin. In the lovely neighborhood, pretty much everyone's marriages are in shambles and she's oblivious to the fact that hers is too. One minute, her loving husban...more
This 2003 Mary Kay Andrews is an early book. I think I have read them all now. I like the Southern woman view. This is a fun, easy read, even though there is some serious teen age angst. 38 year old Mary Bliss doesn't even know that her marriage is falling apart as is all the other marriages in her neighborhood. How she copes is funny and sad. Also, hot guy falls in love with her! Always makes me happy!
Jan 19, 2009
Gina
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audio-books,
brain-candy
Almost done with this book & I am loving it! It's not the typical book that I read as I try to avoid vapid chick lit like the plague, but this has some funny, sassy, mostly smart women, a little romance, a little intrigue. Reminds me of a bit of a Carl Hiaasen novel.
Edit Final:
What is it about me & library disks?! There wasn't even a scratch on any of this book, until the last part of the last tract on the last disk! Completely unintelligible. Scratched beyond anything. Damn. Other than...more
Edit Final:
What is it about me & library disks?! There wasn't even a scratch on any of this book, until the last part of the last tract on the last disk! Completely unintelligible. Scratched beyond anything. Damn. Other than...more
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Andrews has a B.A. in newspaper journalism from The University of Georgia. She is a former reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. While a reporter in Savannah, GA, she covered the real-life murder trials which were the basis of the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
She also publishes under the name Kathy Hogan Trocheck.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/maryka...
More about Mary Kay Andrews...
She also publishes under the name Kathy Hogan Trocheck.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/maryka...
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14. Juli, 17:47 Uhr