What a delightful story! Sisters Lottie and Tina are polar opposites. Lottie is down to earth, realistic and has her life on track. She’s due to marry steadfast Dean, who she’s been with for 10 years. Tina on the other hand, is happy-go-lucky, carefree and without a care in the world! She’s determined to convince her ‘boring’ older sister that life can be a lot more fun. And so, before she’s tied down by marriage, she shleps her off on a whirlwind trip across America – but there are terms and conditions attached! Lottie must agree to a series of challenges – she must say ‘yes’ to all of them, because as far as Tina’s concerned she says ‘no’ to far too much in her life which results in missing out on all the good stuff.
So, off they go! Their relationship is tenuous to say the least. They haven’t spent a lot of time together in recent years and the reasons for this become obvious as the story unfolds. Lottie likes to know what the plan is when she’s going on a trip. Tina tells her they’ll go wherever the road takes them! She doesn’t even know what the challenges she’s promised her sister will be. Some of them land up being ridiculous, some are downright quirky! But they do all challenge Lottie to take huge steps out of her comfort zone, which is exactly what Tina wants!
This isn’t just another chick-lit book that it might appear to be; far from it. It will hit home for many. It’s the story of family and what ties people together. It’s about the bonds of what keeps you close to your loved ones, regardless of the crap you’ve been through, both together and apart. It’s about recognising yourself in the strengths and weaknesses of a sibling and knowing that this person always has your back.
Reiss based the actual road trip on one she’d taken with her own sisters and which she’d documented years previously. This explains the fabulous descriptions that she’s used throughout this book. You’ll feel like you’re right there with Lottie and Tina as they follow the map and landscape of this incredible American roadtrip. I particularly liked Tina’s conversation starters: “What would you be if you were a …” I found them to be a true testament to her quirky nature!
4 stars for this poignant read that manages to just about stop itself (by about a heartbeat) from being heartbreaking.
Thank you to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers, and Zaffre Publishers for inviting me on this blog tour. Take a look at what other bloggers are saying about Live a Little …
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