While this book appeared riveting by the cover and description, I found it very tough to "get into", which isn't usually an issue for me with this genre. I thought the narrative style was interesting, and I liked being "told" the story more than I thought I would. Ultimately, I didn't find this book to be as exciting as I had hoped - but I'm going to re-read as I think it merits a second look!

RATING: 4 STARS
(I received an ARC from the NETGALLEY)
(Review Not on Blog)

What happened to Saskia? This is the question that Detective Novak puts to Angela and Saskia's husband. Through Angela's story we go to when Angela meets Saskia to what happened to her. Angela claims she had nothing to do with it and it's up to Detective Novak to unravel all the secrets the three held tight to them.

I wasn't really expecting to like this one as I disliked all the characters, and after a slew of horrible psychological thrillers/suspense I thought this was another meh book. I apologize, Roz as this book had me out on the deck till I finished the book. While I disliked Angela, and Saskia even more, I was invested to see what would happen and where it will go. It was well-written and realistic. I cannot wait till the next book.

OUR LITTLE SECRET, is the debut character-driven psychological thriller by author Roz Naya, that definitely packs a punch for such a short read at 228 pages. about a missing woman, a tangled love triangle, and the secrets we keep and the secrets we share. I couldn’t put this book down. I loved it!

“It was the greatest love affair of the century.”

The compelling story takes place in a police station where Angela, the narrator, is being held in a police interrogation room, being questioned by an investigator, Detective Novak.

“Her ex’s wife has gone missing and Detective Novak is sure Angela knows something, despite her claim that she’s not involved.”

Instead of simply answering questions, Angela decides to tell the whole story from start to finish...but is it the truth? Angela tells a story going back ten years, explaining how she met and fell in love with her high school friend HP. The story slowly reveals itself… a disturbing love triangle and a dark, web of betrayals.

“The detective wants to know what happened to Saskia, as if I could just skip to the ending and all would be well. But stories begin at the beginning and some secrets have to be earned.”

The complexity of the story slowly over time reveals itself. It is a cat-and -mouse game between Angela and her police detective Novak. Who is telling the truth. The drama is intense! My heart went out to Angela, as she has lived a hard life, and I trusted her.

"Put a crowd of a hundred people in a room and wait. Eventually the psychopaths will emerge, and I'm telling you now, they won't be who you first suspected and there'll always be more than one."

I'm not saying a lot about the plot of this book, because it is best to experience this drama for yourself. The writing is superb and the character development is spot on. Don’t miss out on this gem!

Thank you to Roz Nay, Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley and for providing me with an ARC.

Roz Nay's Our Little Secret is a fast-paced, suck-you-in-from-the-get-go psych-thriller that is deliciously deceptive, dark, and twisty. I wish I could have a brief case of amnesia so that I could experience this one again, like it was the first time reading it! Obviously, I loved this book a ridiculous amount.

Initially, it had me reliving some angst-y, "how is my heart still beating, when it's been ripped clean out of my chest, like that?!" moments from my university years and identifying with/relating to the protagonist in many ways.

There is no denying that break-ups are hard. Especially when it happens in such a way that it leaves you feeling like the wind has been sucked from your lungs, wondering 'How did this happen?! How did we get here?!" without closure, without any kind of understanding of how the bottom fell out of it all. And sometimes it takes a looooooooooooooong time to recover. Eventually, though, most of us stop feeling like we're walking around with a gaping chest wound. The feeling of drowning in pain and grief eases. But we don't let the loss consume us. 

Angela, though, is ... special. But is it 'feels things more deeply than other people' special? Or 'pet bunny in a stew pot' special? Grab your own copy to find out!

This was an excellent, couldn't-put-it-down, you'll-gladly-give-up-precious-sleep read and I would give it more than 5 stars, if I could.

Roz Nay is officially on my "if she writes it, I'll read it" list!

There are a lot of positive reviews on GoodReads; almost everyone has given this book a 4 or 5 star rating. After reading this novel, I'm confused: did I read a completely different book from everyone else? After seeing the positive reviews, I even read this book again and I still didn't get it. Anyways, here are my thoughts on this book:

Angela's character and personality really did not work for me. I understand that not all characters are likeable; I've read many Gillian Flynn novels and hated the characters but loved the books so I don't really consider likeability to be an issue. The problem was that I really didn't understand or connect with Angela. The novel was told completely from her perspective but I had a hard time making sense of her voice and personality; for some reason, it just didn't seem believable and I couldn't accept it. Angela is a very entitled character and it bugged me so much. Just like the Detective, I had no patience or sympathy for her because she literally has everything but still is dissatisfied. I'm sure that was the author's intent but it just made me hate Angela so much. 

The story itself was quite interesting and I quickly became engrossed in watching how the relationships unfolded. However, I found there were loads of things that made me roll my eyes. I'm not going to say any of them because I don't want to ruin the story but there were things that were so far-fetched; they made no sense but were there for the sole purpose of making the facts all work out.

The ending was supposed to be a twist. There was no twist. I'm pretty sure that I had predicted things before the halfway point of the novel. When I am being told that I am reading a psychological thriller, I expect it to really change my perspective and be completely unexpected. That didn't happen here so I was quite disappointed.

Overall, this thriller did not work for me. The main character was not likeable or easy to connect with, the plot had elements to it that didn't really make sense, and the ending was a disappointment. Obviously, many people thought otherwise so maybe I'm just that one person for whom this novel didn't work so if you like thrillers, consider giving it a shot!

I haven’t had this much fun reading a thriller in a long time. This book is fast a 220 page rollercoaster – buckle up for this fast-paced thriller because Our Little Secret is about to give you whiplash!

The story is told from the point of view of Angela, a late 20-something born living in a small town setting. Angela is being held for questioning regarding the disappearance of her ex-boyfriend’s wife. The interrogation room gave a claustrophobic feel to the story and the entire plot is told during an exhausting 24 hour time frame. Roz Nay’s story telling abilities are remarkable.

Fast-paced, clever and dark, I could not put this book down. I high recommend this addictive read!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Roz Nay’s debut thriller Our Little Secret.

"Put a crowd of a hundred people in a room and wait. Eventually the psychopaths will emerge, and I'm telling you now, they won't be who you first suspected and there'll always be more than one."

That quote illustrates the book. How far would you go to retrieve the true happiness that you once lost? To find a love so pure, a first love again? Are you willing to live in sadness until you find it?

Mesmerizing, dark, and brilliantly clever!

This is a character-driven psychological thriller that illustrates just how fine the line between love and obsession can truly be and reminds us that every choice, good or bad, has a consequence.

The writing is crisp, polished and fluid. The characterization is spot on with a multitude of characters that are multi-faceted, insecure and vulnerable. And the plot is an intricately interwoven tale that unravels piece-by-piece creating tension, unease, and suspicion as it subtly reveals all the personalities, relationships, motivations and actions within it.

This is, ultimately, a story about deception, danger, competition, desperation, dependence, loneliness, manipulation and the fragility of young love and it's hard to believe this is Nay's debut novel. It's sophisticated, highly entertaining, and a must-read that I guarantee you won't be able to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.