Read One, Skip One: Tiny Little Thing and Pretty Is

Both these books have ladies in profile on the covers, yet the covers have such different feels! And, so did the books…

Tiny Little Thing, Beatriz WilliamsTiny Little Thing by Beatriz Williams
Fiction (Released June 23, 2015)
368 Pages
Bottom Line: Read it.
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source:  eGalley provided by the publisher via NetGalley

Plot Summary: While spending the summer of 1966 at her husband’s family’s Cape Cod compound, perfect political wife Tiny Hardcastle (the oldest of the Schuyler sisters from The Secret Life of Violet Grant) begins to crumble under the pressure of maintaining appearances.

My Thoughts: If you read this blog regularly (especially around summer time!), you know that Williams’ A Hundred Summers is my favorite quintessential beach read…and she’s back with another book that’s perfect for summer! The Hardcastle family that Tiny married into is a bit Kennedy and a bit Cleary from “Wedding Crashers”. Tiny struggles against the family’s expectations to portray a pretty picture at all costs. And, her struggle with her identity as a woman and her fight to maintain a sense of herself within her high profile marriage provide just enough substance to keep things interesting. The story is told in alternating time periods (1964 and 1966) and the suspense lies in how everyone got from Point A in 1964 to Point B in 1966. Tiny’s voice is a bit tongue in cheek, which I loved, and I had a literary crush on Caspian, Tiny’s cousin by marriage! Tiny Little Thing is a quick-reading, fun beach read starring some wealthy people behaving badly (one of my favorite summer topics!) and is going on my 2015 Summer Reading List.

Pretty Is, Maggie MitchellPretty Is by Maggie Mitchell
Fiction (Release Date: July 7, 2015)
318 Pages
Bottom Line: Skip it.
Affiliate Link: Amazon
Source:  eGalley provided by the publisher via NetGalley

Plot Summary: Almost two decades after twelve year old Lois and Carly May were abducted by a charming stranger and held captive in the woods for two months, they are forced to revisit the past.

My Thoughts: I had such high hopes for this debut novel, especially after highlighting about 3/4 of the first three paragraphs. I was expecting a story that focused on the psychological impact of the kidnapping on the girls (particularly, why they went willingly and their attitudes toward their kidnapper) and the reactions of their families upon their return. Unfortunately, things proved a bit uneven. The story is told through present day sections from Lois’ and Carly May’s perspectives and sections about the actual kidnapping and immediate aftermath twelve years earlier. I got what I was looking for from the kidnapping sections, but the present day sections lost me, especially Carly May’s. I just couldn’t make myself care about her B/C list acting career. While I did enjoy parts of Lois’ perspective, her interaction with a student in her class was too big of a stretch of the imagination for me.


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16 Comments

  1. Oh, good… I’m glad Beatriz Williams has written another winner! She has become my favorite beach/summer author. And what is it with “wealthy people behaving badly” … I never tire of that!

    Posted 7.2.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      I know, right?! Wealthy People Behaving Badly is my go-to juicy summer read topic!! Rarely fails…

      Posted 7.2.15 Reply
  2. I had pretty mixed feelings about Pretty Is. I loved the dynamic between Lois and Chloe, but the present-day thriller angle felt really misplaced.

    Posted 7.2.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      Me too! I was really into it from 40-55%, which was Lois’ book, but just couldn’t get into the present day stuff.

      Posted 7.2.15 Reply
  3. Uh oh… I haven’t gotten to Pretty Is yet, but have plans to read it next. We shall see how it goes for me!

    Posted 7.2.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      Will be interested to see! There were parts I really loved, but unfortunately felt really disjointed 🙁

      Posted 7.2.15 Reply
  4. Amanda wrote:

    Oh I loved A Hundred Summers too! I am so glad to hear her new one is a winner as well.

    Posted 7.2.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      This one wasn’t as good as Summers, but that’s a high bar to reach and I still really enjoyed it!

      Posted 7.2.15 Reply
  5. Have I told you that I have yet to read A Hundred Summers? Don’t kill me! I know, I know! Okay, this summer, I promise – ha! I already want to read Tiny Little Thing, too; thanks for the recommendation. It stinks that Pretty Is didn’t pan out; it had potential, but don’t they all? Hope you’re having a great day!

    Posted 7.2.15 Reply
  6. Lorri wrote:

    Oh good! I definitely need a good beach read to pick up. thanks for the easy-to-read and to-the-point reviews!!!

    Posted 7.2.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      Thanks, Lorri! Thanks for stopping by!

      Posted 7.4.15 Reply
  7. Somehow, when I saw the title of your post and the book images, I had a strong feeling about which book fell into which category. I’ve seen some not so pleasant pre-reviews for Pretty Is. I still want to read Tiny Little Thing because…well, it’s Beatriz Williams, after all. I’m happy it was enjoyable as you’d hoped.

    Posted 7.3.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      Yes, I’ve seen some mixed things about Pretty Is as well. And – Beatriz Williams manages to hit the spot with a certain type of book for me every time!

      Posted 7.4.15 Reply
  8. Beatriz Williams sounds like a satisfying summertime author and I should check her out. The other, well thanks for the tip. It’s annoying when you have a preconceived idea of what will happen and then the plot goes in a whole other direction.

    Posted 7.5.15 Reply
  9. Susan wrote:

    I just read and reviewed Tiny Little Thing too at http://www.thecuecard.com/movies/tiny-and-suite-francaise/. It was my first novel by Beatriz Williams and while I thought it an okay beach read, I wasn’t overly taken with it. Though it was quick. I’m sure A Hundred Summers was a lot better. I’ll have to read that one.

    Posted 7.6.15 Reply
  10. Say bye to my TBR list, Pretty Is! Thanks for your honesty. I ain’t got time OR money to go out of my way to acquire this book haha.

    Posted 7.7.15 Reply

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