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Love, Loss and Little White Lies
Milly Dayton became a widow at 26. Two years later, she’s got the whole thing down:
· Go on the occasional date but bring your engagement ring so you can whip it out for a quick getaway
· Steal brunch photos for social media posts so your friends know you’re fine
· Keep messaging your late husband on Facebook – you’re not crazy if you don’t believe he’ll message you back
Milly isn’t okay but she looks it online. But everyone lies about their lives on Instagram, don’t they?
One day, sick of all the pretence, Milly creates Mizzennial, a new channel inspired by the straight-talking magazines of her childhood. But even here, she still can’t quite admit how lonely she really is. Can she take her own advice, finally open up and start to move on?
Funny, tender and heart-wrenching, Love, Loss and Little White Lies is a story for anyone who’s felt like everyone else has their life together. Perfect for fans of Holly Bourne, Lucy Vine and Lucy Diamond.
· Go on the occasional date but bring your engagement ring so you can whip it out for a quick getaway
· Steal brunch photos for social media posts so your friends know you’re fine
· Keep messaging your late husband on Facebook – you’re not crazy if you don’t believe he’ll message you back
Milly isn’t okay but she looks it online. But everyone lies about their lives on Instagram, don’t they?
One day, sick of all the pretence, Milly creates Mizzennial, a new channel inspired by the straight-talking magazines of her childhood. But even here, she still can’t quite admit how lonely she really is. Can she take her own advice, finally open up and start to move on?
Funny, tender and heart-wrenching, Love, Loss and Little White Lies is a story for anyone who’s felt like everyone else has their life together. Perfect for fans of Holly Bourne, Lucy Vine and Lucy Diamond.
- GenresContemporaryFiction
360 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 17, 2022
4 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 22, 2023
Oh wow! This was a good one! As a debut novel goes #lovelossandlittlewhitelies was all kinds of wonderful. Milly’s story moved me and at times I felt close to tears but this also had me laughing out loud. I absolutely loved this from start to finish!
At 26 Milly Dayton never thought she would have been made a widow but two years later everyone is getting on with their lives whereas Milly feels at a standstill, grieving for the life she thought she was headed for. Milly isn’t ok but to the outside world she’s doing a good job at pretending she is until sick and tired of living a lie Milly creates Mizzennial an Instagram page channelling her childhood love for Mizz Magazine. The page is inundated with messages from strangers grieving loved ones or the ending of a relationship, Milly is quick to comfort and give out advice to strangers but can she finally admit to her nearest and desert and more importantly to herself her struggles of loneliness and grief.
A favourite of mine is a dual timeline. As well as being with Milly through her struggles to get through each day, we also get to experience the ‘then’ Milly. The first time she meets Adam, the dates, the big milestone events and everything in between. I absolutely loved watching their love story develop and even though we only grab snippets of their time together I still felt this huge loss when the time came to say goodbye to Adam 😭
Milly’s at a crossroads in her life and only she can know when the time is right to move on. I felt truly invested in Milly, only wanting lovely things for her as she deserved a happy ending. The book was fantastic and I shall be telling the world to read it but be prepared to cry but don’t worry you’ll be laughing your head off too!
I see this quote for the book and it sums it up perfectly ‘heartwrenching and heartwarming all at the same time’
At 26 Milly Dayton never thought she would have been made a widow but two years later everyone is getting on with their lives whereas Milly feels at a standstill, grieving for the life she thought she was headed for. Milly isn’t ok but to the outside world she’s doing a good job at pretending she is until sick and tired of living a lie Milly creates Mizzennial an Instagram page channelling her childhood love for Mizz Magazine. The page is inundated with messages from strangers grieving loved ones or the ending of a relationship, Milly is quick to comfort and give out advice to strangers but can she finally admit to her nearest and desert and more importantly to herself her struggles of loneliness and grief.
A favourite of mine is a dual timeline. As well as being with Milly through her struggles to get through each day, we also get to experience the ‘then’ Milly. The first time she meets Adam, the dates, the big milestone events and everything in between. I absolutely loved watching their love story develop and even though we only grab snippets of their time together I still felt this huge loss when the time came to say goodbye to Adam 😭
Milly’s at a crossroads in her life and only she can know when the time is right to move on. I felt truly invested in Milly, only wanting lovely things for her as she deserved a happy ending. The book was fantastic and I shall be telling the world to read it but be prepared to cry but don’t worry you’ll be laughing your head off too!
I see this quote for the book and it sums it up perfectly ‘heartwrenching and heartwarming all at the same time’
May 11, 2022
Milly thought she'd be a master of many things at 28, but being a widow wasn't one of them. But after two years of practice, she's got really good at pretending she's okay with it.
She's gotten good at avoiding dates, dodging those awkward questions people still ask her, and even pretending on the internet she has some type of social life. But behind the screens, when the doors are closed, her life is empty and the only person she talks to is her late husband who can't even reply to her messages.
Then, she does something that changes everything again and Mizzenial is born - a platform made for authenticity, honesty and openness. Like the magazines she read as a girl, she encourages everyone to live their truth, speak straight from the heart and share their own thoughts about life. But even if this safe space she's created, she's struggling to open up and stop the little white lies that are keeping her alone.
Love, Loss and Little White Lies is a tender and authentic story about life after love - and the strange but inescapable parts of being human that break our hearts in unexplainable ways.
Milly was painfully relatable - she was just your average twenty-something woman who grew up reading Mizz for their life advice and carefully planned her Instagram posts, until one day her life didn't make sense anymore. She was like many of us when we lose someone - confused, angry, upset - and reached into that part of all us that really have no idea what we're doing.
Absorbing and endearing, this will make you laugh through tears at it's wickedly sharp observations, witty humour and genuine reflections.
This is a story for everyone who looks out into the world and wonders how everyone looks so together, how they're still going and you just … can't.
She's gotten good at avoiding dates, dodging those awkward questions people still ask her, and even pretending on the internet she has some type of social life. But behind the screens, when the doors are closed, her life is empty and the only person she talks to is her late husband who can't even reply to her messages.
Then, she does something that changes everything again and Mizzenial is born - a platform made for authenticity, honesty and openness. Like the magazines she read as a girl, she encourages everyone to live their truth, speak straight from the heart and share their own thoughts about life. But even if this safe space she's created, she's struggling to open up and stop the little white lies that are keeping her alone.
Love, Loss and Little White Lies is a tender and authentic story about life after love - and the strange but inescapable parts of being human that break our hearts in unexplainable ways.
Milly was painfully relatable - she was just your average twenty-something woman who grew up reading Mizz for their life advice and carefully planned her Instagram posts, until one day her life didn't make sense anymore. She was like many of us when we lose someone - confused, angry, upset - and reached into that part of all us that really have no idea what we're doing.
Absorbing and endearing, this will make you laugh through tears at it's wickedly sharp observations, witty humour and genuine reflections.
This is a story for everyone who looks out into the world and wonders how everyone looks so together, how they're still going and you just … can't.
August 19, 2022
Laugh out loud comedy gold mixed with rip your heart out ugly crying. I have never cried or laughed so much when reading a book. This was a GEM and I hope more people pick it up. I was on an emotional roller coaster—kicked down and then laughed my way back up, on repeat. I genuinely felt Milly’s grief alongside her, and so much of her millennial observations/personality was relatable to me. As an American, I especially loved the very British references that helped me immerse myself in the story. It was eye opening to me to be better about helping those around me with grief as well.
This reminded me in a way of The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver, with the focus on losing a partner and the healing/recovery of the female character, but much funnier. Can’t wait to read more by India Rigg—I feel like she’s bound to be a phenomenal sophmore author.
In the off chance the publisher or author reads this, I hope this book can find its way to US retailers, such as Amazon, B&N, etc. I feel that it would have a wider audience if it was more accessible, although I did have an excellent purchase experience with Blackwell’s!
This reminded me in a way of The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver, with the focus on losing a partner and the healing/recovery of the female character, but much funnier. Can’t wait to read more by India Rigg—I feel like she’s bound to be a phenomenal sophmore author.
In the off chance the publisher or author reads this, I hope this book can find its way to US retailers, such as Amazon, B&N, etc. I feel that it would have a wider audience if it was more accessible, although I did have an excellent purchase experience with Blackwell’s!
September 12, 2022
4.5 stars as I had a shaky start with this book. The first 80 pages just didn’t really flow well for me but once it started to get going, I found that the humour and finding the small pleasures to make your day a little brighter endeared me to Milly and I couldn’t help but love her.
I also liked the fact that although dating and romantic relationships played a part in the story there was a larger focus on friends coming together and I felt like it was done in a realistic way where it isn’t perfect and sometimes they do draw away but they will often try their best.
There were other cute details as well such as Milly’s attempt in the TV show Swipe Right and whilst it understandably wasn’t a big feature of the book, it was a nice addition and added an extra element of depth to the story.
My main question though is why the author keeps referring to her childhood home as Norfolk? For example she says phrases such as ‘would pop into my Norfolk letterbox’ or ‘brought Adam back to Norfolk for the first time’ and whilst Norfolk isn’t the biggest of counties it’s like saying an American author talking about their Texas letterbox. It’s just weird and in the end a bit of a bugbear for me.
I also liked the fact that although dating and romantic relationships played a part in the story there was a larger focus on friends coming together and I felt like it was done in a realistic way where it isn’t perfect and sometimes they do draw away but they will often try their best.
There were other cute details as well such as Milly’s attempt in the TV show Swipe Right and whilst it understandably wasn’t a big feature of the book, it was a nice addition and added an extra element of depth to the story.
My main question though is why the author keeps referring to her childhood home as Norfolk? For example she says phrases such as ‘would pop into my Norfolk letterbox’ or ‘brought Adam back to Norfolk for the first time’ and whilst Norfolk isn’t the biggest of counties it’s like saying an American author talking about their Texas letterbox. It’s just weird and in the end a bit of a bugbear for me.
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June 24, 2022This deals with losing your soulmate and how to deal with trying to get on with your life but you have a facade of being alright.
Milly has been a widow for 2 years she lost the love of her life Adam , she has a few close friends but the other friends have lost touch. She finds it hard to talk to people about being a widow but she decides to create an instagram page where no one knows who she is, she helps other people with their problems. Milly seeks help with a social media therapist who is there to listen to her.
I found the book heartbreaking as Milly goes back to when she was with Adam and reliving moments I needed the tissues as it was sad. Will she find love.
I enjoyed the book.
Milly has been a widow for 2 years she lost the love of her life Adam , she has a few close friends but the other friends have lost touch. She finds it hard to talk to people about being a widow but she decides to create an instagram page where no one knows who she is, she helps other people with their problems. Milly seeks help with a social media therapist who is there to listen to her.
I found the book heartbreaking as Milly goes back to when she was with Adam and reliving moments I needed the tissues as it was sad. Will she find love.
I enjoyed the book.
March 27, 2022
*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.*
In many ways, Milly Dayton is your average millennial. She moved to London after uni, spends too much on brunch and is obsessed with Instagram. However, Milly Dayton is also a widow. At 26. And that's very different to a lot of people her age indeed.
I thought this story was very sweet, funny and real. I would recommend to anybody who is dealing with the loss of a partner, at whatever age, as I'm sure you'll see a lot of your own feelings and experiences reflected in this story.
In many ways, Milly Dayton is your average millennial. She moved to London after uni, spends too much on brunch and is obsessed with Instagram. However, Milly Dayton is also a widow. At 26. And that's very different to a lot of people her age indeed.
I thought this story was very sweet, funny and real. I would recommend to anybody who is dealing with the loss of a partner, at whatever age, as I'm sure you'll see a lot of your own feelings and experiences reflected in this story.
February 24, 2022
Love, Loss and Little White Lies is one of those special books that both moves you to tears and makes you laugh. I loved it so much. Milly's story of grief is told with such heart you'll feel like her and Adam are part of your life. And if you're a Millennial who loved Mizz magazine as a teenager you'll relate to Milly's funny observations on love, life and pop culture
March 10, 2022
Oh this book was just so good.
Filled with a lot of sadness but also funny moments and positive ways to help yourself and deal with certain things in life such as social media, therapy and death.
I absolutely loved Milly!
This book was such a treat and I recommend it if you like reading contemporary.
Just be aware, there are quite a few topics in this book that can be upsetting for many.
Filled with a lot of sadness but also funny moments and positive ways to help yourself and deal with certain things in life such as social media, therapy and death.
I absolutely loved Milly!
This book was such a treat and I recommend it if you like reading contemporary.
Just be aware, there are quite a few topics in this book that can be upsetting for many.
June 7, 2022
🎶 Tell me lies, tell me sweet little liessss...
Ahhhh this was the breath of fresh air I didn’t know I needed. I used to LOVE British contemporary novels & I definitely need to get back to reading more of them. There’s just something about the dry humour & comic self deprecation that appeals to my soul on a deeper level & this book made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion.
If I had to describe this story in three words, they would be fun, funny & thoughtful. Some of the conversations & “life lessons” were a little heavy handed but it managed to hold its charm throughout & didn’t veer into cheesy. I loved all of the social media commentary & there were so many moments during the book where I thought “YES!” in relation to our protagonists thoughts & experiences. I also really liked the flashbacks to the pre-marriage love story as it helped build up a more tangible picture of the grief and loss, as well as showing “pre-widow” Milly in all her glory.
I also just hugely appreciate it when authors have the bravery to go outside the box with tropes. I’ve never read from the protagonist of a young widow & I think if I was in that situation, I would feel less alone having characters to relate to. I’m all for contemporaries that don’t focus on “finding love” as the overarching plot point. Self love FTW 👏🏻
Huge thanks to @netgalley & @hodderstoughton for the e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review ✨
Ahhhh this was the breath of fresh air I didn’t know I needed. I used to LOVE British contemporary novels & I definitely need to get back to reading more of them. There’s just something about the dry humour & comic self deprecation that appeals to my soul on a deeper level & this book made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion.
If I had to describe this story in three words, they would be fun, funny & thoughtful. Some of the conversations & “life lessons” were a little heavy handed but it managed to hold its charm throughout & didn’t veer into cheesy. I loved all of the social media commentary & there were so many moments during the book where I thought “YES!” in relation to our protagonists thoughts & experiences. I also really liked the flashbacks to the pre-marriage love story as it helped build up a more tangible picture of the grief and loss, as well as showing “pre-widow” Milly in all her glory.
I also just hugely appreciate it when authors have the bravery to go outside the box with tropes. I’ve never read from the protagonist of a young widow & I think if I was in that situation, I would feel less alone having characters to relate to. I’m all for contemporaries that don’t focus on “finding love” as the overarching plot point. Self love FTW 👏🏻
Huge thanks to @netgalley & @hodderstoughton for the e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review ✨
December 2, 2024
I was expecting more from this. I just couldn't get into it.
July 20, 2022
This was a very funny yet also moving story about a young woman grieving her husband and how she navigates life, love, dating and friendships after such a great loss, it was a refreshing perspective. I loved all the nostalgic 90s ad 00s references and I enjoyed how each chapter featured the present day and then also gained a snippet into her past life with her husband, Adam. Humourous, heartbreaking and hopeful.
September 5, 2022
Wow, I thought it was going to be a lighthearted one and it was an emotional roller-coaster! I really enjoyed this book and the evolution of Milly dealing with grief and how she turned her life around. Lots of sadness but also loads of laughs! The way is toñd makes you empathise with her so easily. Social media can be really bad for us if misused but also can bring in great things.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews