I REALLY enjoyed this book, from the strength of the characters, to the setting and the trials the characters endured. I devoured it and would absolutely read more from this author. It was relatable and very real. I felt drawn to the characters, even the ones I didn't like. The pace and writing were pleasing and the interactions were intuitive and it was a satisfying read. Thank you for the opportunity to read this title.

This is an amazing read. It really makes you think about how you treat yourself and others. Good tear jerker.. Highly recommend everyone to read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

At first, it was just a case of mistaken identity - and a chance to get a feel meal. Then it became more. But when do you say enough? I remember a new friend asking me that once. If you had a secret, when do you reveal it to a potential life partner? In the beginning when a relationship is new, but there is no trust or later when there is trust, but it might be too later to reveal it? The lies weren't intentional, but they happen and they allowed everyone to be happier. This book is joyful. It isn't full of angst. It won't add to your street level. It's a great book to read to make you feel good and to allow you to escape your world for a little while and relax. I highly recommend you read this and enjoy it!

I have always enjoyed reading Bette Lee Crosby’s books and this one didn’t disappoint. Her character development and the different perspective from each of the characters was great. It was a heart warming story and very true to life. I would definitely recommend this book.

Bette Lee Crosby is a treasure as are all her books! She has the extraordinary power to pull magical stories from what could have been a tragedy. A Million Little Lies is one of those stories that this author tells so well. She holds me spellbound by her words and the story she weaves. I was into this book from beginning to end!

I have known Bette for more than several years and she has yet to disappoint me! Her stories always keep me interested. This is a book that should be read at least once, maybe more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bent Pine Publishing for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

4.5 stars

One innocent fib turns into a long list of lies in A Million Little Lies. Like in real life, one lie often leads to many more to cover up the truth. This story starts with a lie of omission when Suzanna lets Ida assume she is someone she isn't, leading them to forge a relationship based on lies.

Overall, this was a light quick read, with short chapters, which I prefer. I often find myself with just little pockets of time, and find it easier to pick up a book with easy stopping points.

I enjoyed watching the relationship form between Suzanna, her daughter Annie, and Ida. Although this book is on the lighter side, I was still immersed in the story and very much cared about the characters. This book made me think a lot about relationships and how family bonds, and connections of blood relatives, help us form relationships that may not flourish otherwise. I think humanity would benefit by us all treating others as family, strengthening our ties and increasing connection.

Thank you Bent Pine Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I am thrilled to be introduced to Bette Lee Crosby as an author and will definitely read more of her books.

I really enjoyed this one and am interested to read more books by this author. A Million Little Lies is a story about the heartache of the past, the hopefulness of the present and the forgiveness and love for the future. Suzanna has told so many lies and they just keep getting easier to tell until these lies come at the cost of losing someone she loves. Is it too late to finally tell the truth? Read this book to find out! Thanks Net Galley for this ARC.

A Million Little Lies by Bette Lee Crosby I found to be a so-so book. The story was far fetched as were the characters. At one point I was just skimming the pages. I, unfortunately, would not recommend this book.. Thank you NetGalley for the free e-book in exchange for my review.

Another great by Bette Lee Crosby.

Each book I read by this author gets better and better. This is a very heartwarming story of love, sadness, lies, childhood and forgiveness.

My favorite line from this book: Over the years, Suzanna had told a million little lies and not once had she stopped to look back at the damage they might have done.

Suzanna left a bad relationship with her seven year old daughter for a better life. At least that is what she was hoping for when she left Earl. She had got pregnant while in high school only to be left alone by Bobby, the father of her baby. Earl took her in after her dad kicked her out. Earl was not a good man. He was a drunk and a bit abusive. Suzanna wanted more for herself and her daughter, Annie.

Suzanna ended up in Cousins, GA where she met Ida Parks and thus her new life began. Ida is a widow and looking for someone to make her feel like living. That is where Darla Jean enters the story. Ida Parks thinks Suzanna is Darla Jean, her deceased husbands long lost granddaughter. The relationship born from this is one of much love, laughter, happiness and a few tears. This is a family even though there is no blood relationship there at all. Darla Jean goes through a lot of ups and downs but eventually she accepts that she has to tell a few more lies for a little while to make Ida feel happy again. She intends to move on soon. Ida does not make it easy on Suzanna/Darla Jean though.

This is a great story told from Suzanna, Ida Parks and Earls points of view. It’s set in the 50s and has that small town charm going on that will capture your heart from the start. Throw in a man named Gregg and then you have a love story on top of everything else. This book is a great read that will keep you turning the pages. Keep you wanting more. Keep you rooting for everything to work out. You will want to smack Bobby and Earl a few times but will give you faith in humanity in ways too.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #BetteLeeCrosby, #BentPinePublishing for this ARC. This is my own true honest review.

A big 5 stars from me and a very high recommendation.

Thank you Net Galley and Bent Pine Publishing for an early copy of this book. The comments and review are my honest opinion.
What’s in a name?
One name is a life with a continuation of abuse, loneliness and despair.
Another name comes with a home, friends and loving relationships.
Which name would you choose?
Lies with just enough of the truth make up the life of Suzanna Duff. As she and her daughter run away from an abusive relationship, Suzanna hopes to finally find a good life for her and her daughter.
Travel along with Suzanna as she chooses a name that will change the life of her and her daughter. But it is all built around a lie...a lie once told that continues to build and build until only finally telling the truth can a real relationships be formed and a family found. Bette Lee Crosby has written another book that tugs at your heart and makes the reader believe in a name can mean everything.

In her last year of high school, Suzanna was in love with Bobby. When she discovered she was pregnant, Bobby broke up with her and her father kicked her out of the house. With nowhere else to go, she moved in with Earl, an older man who liked her. It's now 1960, eight years later, and Suzanna is in an abusive relationship with Earl and she's had enough. She sneaks off with her daughter, Annie, with $18 stolen from Earl's pants and heads to New Jersey, where she hopes to start a new life.

Suzanna and Annie hitchhike and get a ride as far as a small town in Georgia. She sees there is a memorial service for a man who had recently passed away. The buffet luncheon attracts her so she figures they will stop in, have a big meal and then move on. What she hadn't counted on is the widow thinking Suzanna is her long lost granddaughter, Darla Jean, and wanting her to stay on with her. So Suzanna becomes Darla Jean, which provides her and Annie something they have never had ... a stable home life and a loving family. As she builds a new life, gets a new a job, and falls in love with a school teacher, she is always looking over her shoulder, figuring the real Darla Jean will show up.

I thought this book was okay. It was written in third person perspective in Suzanna's voice. If you are looking for a nice clean wholesome story, you will like it. I've read many of this author's books and this is her style.

I found a couple things hard to believe. When Earl wakes up after a drunk and realizes that Suzanna is gone and not coming back, he is determined to find her. For some reason, he assumes that she has gone back to Bobby ... the boyfriend who dumped her eight years ago when he found out she was pregnant. Suzanna has had no contact with Bobby in eight years and suddenly Earl assumes Bobby will be wanting them to be a family? Really?! So he goes on the hunt to find Bobby figuring Suzanna and Annie would be with him.

Another thing was when Suzannna's life is good ... she has a nice job, a "grandmother" who loves her and a boyfriend ... Bobby pops back into her life. She realizes she's still in love with him and is prepared to drop her new life for him so they can be a family. Keep in mind that this is the guy who dumped her eight years ago and wanted no part of being a dad ... I found it unbelievable that Suzanne would make the leap immediately that Bobby wanted to marry her, especially considering the crappy life she's had until she found her "grandmother". By this point, she's about 26 and I couldn't believe she would suddenly still have the same feelings for Bobby she had when she was 18. No way!

A truly charming Southern novel. This book is so heartwarming, but also very heartbreaking!! It's about forgiveness and family. You learn the term forgiveness in this book. This Author is the very best at pulling at your heartstrings!!

The story of Suzanna Duff is a tale of a woman who feels the need to lie in order to survive in life. She lost her mom when she was ten, her dad was an awful example of love, so on her own she decides to make her way in the world. Along the way, she got pregnant as a teen and had baby Annie to take care of, again without any support system. Hooking up with a drunk named Earl meant years of hopeless abuse, but Suzanna escaped and was determined to start a new life. At a bus stop in Georgia, she meets her destiny in the form of Ida, a widow who is seeking family and chooses to believe that Suzanna and Annie are family. Not meaning to continue to lie, Suzanna decides to harmlessly go along with Ida’s belief that she is Darla Jean, her long-lost step-granddaughter. I loved the way Suzanna was a strong female character with gumption and independence. Of course, I didn’t like her continued lies, but the author presented her dilemmas in such a way that they were understandable and fascinating. I was totally absorbed in “Darla Jean’s” story and how Annie kept making wishes that she saw fulfilled, one after another. The author does a great job of tying up all of the loose ends in Suzanna’s life and giving her reason to hope for a better future. I love happy endings, and Suzanna’s was particularly appreciated since she suffered so much to get there. That’s not to say that everyone in the book had a happy ending; you will have to read it to find out who does and who doesn’t end up with happy endings. Fans of women’s fiction will really enjoy this book that offers a laugh or two, a happy ending and a hope for more wishes come true for little Annie. This is the first book that I have read by this author, but I will look for more by her since this was a perfect book to read during this current pandemic...offering hope and healing and second chances at love and happiness.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Thank you Netgalley and Bent Pine Publishing for providing an ARC of this book for an honest review.

Suzanna Duff escapes an abusive relationship with her daughter Annie. While waiting for a bus to take them away they end up meeting a grieving widow Ida Parker. That is when the lies began. Suzanna becomes Darla Jean and she ends up becoming too close to the widow to leave.

This was a fun easy read. A great story with fantastic characters.

If you took all the place names and descriptions out of this text you would still know that it is a book set in the USA – especially down South. How is that? Because of all the double-barrelled names, oh and of course the hometown cosy feel, hospitality and the faith in the Lord.

That said, this was a simple, moral tale - the truth will out, the truth will set you free: a feel-good comfortable make you smile book – as good as Mama’s apple pie. Oh! Perhaps just a bit too sweet for me. For those of you with a sweet tooth. Enjoy this well written, well structured book.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

Suzanna Duff's Mama died when she's ten years old. Suzannas dad manages his grief by drinking badly. She told little lies that they were okay. She wants to tell the truth for Annie.She lies Earl ,her fiance for a new life. Ida is saying goodbye to her husband bill and Suzanna is mistaken for someone else. She does not correct the mistake. It was a little hard to believe Suzanna could pretend to be someone else for so long but still really good ♥️

Really enjoyed this book, it was heart warming and i loved how the story enfolded with the 4 main characters. Brilliant writing style. Will be keeping an eye out for future books by this author

WOW! I love everything about Bette Lee Crosby's new book "A Million Little Lies". Especially in these times, Bette Lee Crosby has written a novel that is "Heart wrenching and Heartwarming, a novel to satisfy your soul and leave your heart feeling happier."

 Bette Lee Crosby has written a captivating, intriguing, emotional, and thought-provoking novel. The time-line for the story is set in the 1960's and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. This mostly takes place in Georgia. The author describes her colorful and dramatic cast of characters as complex, and complicated. Some are good-natured and likable. The southern feel and atmosphere is delightful.

Bette Lee Crosby is quite a talented and natural storyteller.  I love the way she vividly describes her characters, events, scenery, and landscape.  I appreciate that Bette Lee Crosby discusses the importance of family, friends, forgiveness, second chances. love and hope.

"Darla Sue" has had a difficult life, no fault of her own, and to cope started telling little lies. She is now responsible for her daughter and wants to make sure that she has a job to support her daughter Annie, and can take care of her.  "Darla Sue" basically has a good heart and wants to make the people in her life happy. Her omissions of the truth and lies were her way of surviving, with really no bad intent.

According to Wikipedia, "a white lie" is a harmless or trivial lie, especially one in order to be polite or avoid hurting someone's feelings or stopping them from being upset from the truth."

Circumstances bring "Darla Sue" and Annie with an older woman Ida, and wonderful home. Yet circumstances might occur that take it away and reveal the secrets and lies.

I have recommended this amazing and memorable story to several friends to get from NetGalley since it is the perfect book to read during our quarantine. I also highly recommend this novel to all readers. Bette Lee Crosby has me laughing and crying at the same time. Happy Reading!!!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: June 16, 2020
Susanna Duff is on the run. With her seven year old daughter in tow, Susanna escapes her abusive boyfriend, with nothing but the shirt on her back and the vague memory of an address in New Jersey where, long ago, a friend of hers used to live. After accepting a ride from a random truck driver, Susanna and her daughter, Annie, end up in a small town in Georgia. When they stop at a convention centre in hopes of finding free food and drink, they are befriended by Ida, a lonely widow who mistakes Susanna for her granddaughter, Darla. Soon, Susanna is living in Ida’s house, and Ida has developed a fast and friendly relationship with Annie. But Susanna knows that she will eventually be found out and she has to tell Ida the truth before someone else does.
Bette Lee Crosby is the epitome of Southern Charm, her novels are delightfully romantic and uplifting, and they provide the right amount of solace and positivity that you didn’t know you were looking for. In her new novel, “A Million Little Lies”, Crosby again shows us how the love and acceptance of others can change your life.
Susanna, Ida and, of course, Annie, are charming and endearing, and their relationship together defines the idea that “family is what you make it”. The characters are well-developed, and it is not hard to fall in love with the small Southern town that houses the story.
This novel could fit into a wide array of genres; women’s fiction, romance or Southern romance, Crosby’s novel would be comfortable in any of these. The writing is easy and flows well, and of course the novel ends happily, with all the positivity you’d expect. Of course a novel in this genre has a predictable ending, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be an enjoyable ride getting there.

I am a new Bette Lee Crosby fan. I recently read her Wyattsville series and immediately fell in love with her writing. Her books contain southern charm, a bit of romance, a sprinkle of mystery and a touch of class. Every one of her books I have read in a day. I instantly connected to Bette Lee Crosby's writing style, her storytelling, her characters. It doesn’t hurt that I’m a fan of books that take place in the south. I’m at a loss for words to convey how much I loved this book, how sad I was to finish it. When you feel as though you’re losing friends, well that says something. An emotional roller coaster of a story, secrets are revealed right to the end. The book is filled with secrets, betrayal, loss, death, forgiveness, redemption, with love shining through. A stunning achievement. This is poignant, happy, yet always amazing.