This book seems to really sneak up on you and bury itself in your subconscious. It is so true when the author mentions that a character can be both hero and villain. I had so many mixed emotions and didn't want this book to end.

Thank you Netgalley for my copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Everywhere I’ve turned I have seen some mention of Jennifer Hillier’s Jar of Hearts. To call this a buzz book is an understatement. In short order the novel has received over 200 reviews on Amazon, and has a rating of four and a half stars. Happily, I can say that the accolades are deserved. The publisher states that this is a story of “three best friends: one who was murdered, one who went to prison, and one who's been searching for the truth all these years . . .” and those lines alone should be enough to compel the average reader to give the story a try. In Georgina Shaw (the one who went to prison), Hillier has created an unreliable narrator, ala Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, that will make readers shake their head in disgust. Equally compelling is Kaiser Brody (the one who has been searching for the truth). On the way to discovering what happened to Angela Wong (the one who was murdered), the reader will encounter shocking twist after shocking twist. This is a jet-propelled tale. Pure candy. And the perfect summer beach read.

Omg! Could this book get any twistier? I stayed up until the wee hours to finish it! I could not stop until I found out what happened! This is one of the best thrillers I have read in a very long time. I will definitely be looking for more Novels by this author. It was exciting from beginning to end and contained a love story as well. The surprise ending definitely makes a person wonder!

** spoiler alert ** Wow ! This book was really messed up. It was dark and twisted but the best books are, in my opinion. Relationships can be toxic and twisted, especially young, first loves. I think many people can relate to stories that contain relationships like this because they hit home.

This book contains rape and abuse/domestic violence.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Jennifer Hillier for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Meet Georgina Shaw, Geo to her friends. Beautiful, successful and on her way to jail for being an accessory to murder. Not just anyone, but charged for helping murder her best friend, Angela Wong, when they were just sixteen years old. What’s made it worse is that for fourteen years Georgina kept it a secret. She knew that her boyfriend killed Angela, she was there that night, but she lied to everyone around her and pretended that she knew nothing. Just imagine what she put Angela’s parents through pretending to grieve, all the while knowing that Angela was cut into little pieces and buried in the woods behind her house. She could have spared them the pain of wondering what happened to their daughter but Georgina decided to get on with her life, go to college and work her way up the corporate ladder. So successful at such a young age and to top it off she is even engaged to the head of the company. Oh Andrew, what will happen when he hears the news. And who walks into her boardroom to arrest her but her other best friend, Kaiser, the detective on the case. He has been chasing the “Sweetbay Strangler” for years. They would never have known Georgina was involved if the serial killer hadn’t turned out to be her boyfriend back in high school. Kaiser never like him, Calvin James, but then again he had been in love with Georgina ever since they were kids. Still, Calvin wasn’t a good influence on Georgina. He was older, controlling, but Georgina had never felt like that for anyone ever before in her whole life. Her head was turned upside down and she didn’t care if her grades were dropping, if she was losing her friends, or even, if Calvin sometime hit her. But Georgina has secrets and Calvin know what they are. She can never let anyone know what really happened that night.

This story is told in a multi perspective voice between Kaiser and Georgina. We get to see the relationship of the three friends in high school. Angela was more beautiful, more popular, but definitely more bitchy. In the present we go through Georgina being convicted, her life in jail and life after being released. Calvin, who was supposed to spend the rest of his life in jail, escapes. New murders are taking place, even more gruesome than the originals. Has Calvin escalated? Is he in contact with Georgina? Kaiser might have been the skinny guy who was put in the friend zone, but he is all grown up, confident and handsome, and he wants the whole truth. I have been tiring of this kind of storytelling but this time it was done so well. The story flowed and it wasn’t like chapter 1 - Georgina, chapter 2 - Kaiser, blah blah blah. It would switch voices but the story didn’t stop. The excitement and suspense was allowed to build. There were twists and turns and even though I could see the direction that it was going, I was still wanting to get to the end. There were a lot of moving parts, covered lots of different periods and many characters, but somehow the story never suffered. It all served to enhance the plot.

If you love psychological thrillers, this is one for you. It was dark enough without being disturbing, edgy but with enough story to fill the spaces, characters you care about and want to know more about and a level of detail that made it believable, created depth without getting bogged down. I enjoyed the writing so much I am going to check out Jennifer Hillier’s other novels.

This novel induced the same spine tingling absorption and appreciation for the talents of the author as did Paula Hawkins' "Girl on Train." There were no real heroines in the plot, just deeply flawed individuals, specifically Geo Shaw, whose lives continued to be drawn inexorably to the death of Angela Davis. The haunting impact that choices can have on the course of one's life and the importance of the achievement of justice were the themes that were central to the tale, with Ms. Hillier providing a wealth of context and perspective regarding the actions of all those involved. I will welcome further publications by the author.

I was given an ARC of this title from St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest review.

Geo and her boyfriend killed her best friend in high school and buried her in the woods, in pieces. Now it seems there is a copycat, and we don't know who or why.

These are my type of books. I read them voraciously. I love the mystery, and I am always waiting for the twist. This one was a pretty fun read, if a little slow at times. The murder, and the accomplices, are revealed right out the gate and then the story fills itself in little by little through flashbacks. I enjoyed reading it, and the twist was not exactly what I expected, but it didn't blow my skirt up. I called it about a chapter prior to the reveal. Still fun, and pretty well-written.

Jar of Hearts is the first book I have ever read by Jennifer Hillier. I was immediately impressed with how the story was constructed. We follow the perspective of two main characters, Georgina 'Geo' and Kaiser. The narrative flows seamlessly between the two characters and also flows particularly well between past and present. For the majority of the book I was confident that I would end up giving it a solid-4 stars however, at the conclusion, I am somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4-☆ rating. I am going to round up to 4 because I think overall it lies closer to a 4-star read than a 3-star read.

Trigger Warnings for dating abuse/violence, date rape, rape and murder. Hillier definitely does not shy away from the gritty sides of this story and scenes of rape are described in vivid detail; if you are a reader who is particularly sensitive to these heavy subject matters please tread cautiously.

I feel a bit stuck with this review because it is hard to talk much about this book without giving anything away. For me, the build-up to the reveal was more exciting than the reveal itself. I think about 3/4 of the way through the end is pretty clear and plot points that make the ending possible are a bit far-fetched, to say the least, but overall, if you are just looking for a gritty psychological thriller with a bit of mystery and long buried secrets coming to light, you should definitely check this one out. It was fun and I would definitely read more from this author. She definitely knows how to spin a great web of intrigue.

Thank you so much to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy to review. I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to seeing other readers reviews now that I am done!

This is one of the most psychologically twisted thrillers I've read in a while, and I must say - I loved every bit of it. The story is being told by 2 different perspectives - Georgina (Geo) and Kaiser (Kai). They were best friends with Angela, who has been the topic of interest for the last 14 years. Angela went to a party with Geo and Kai 14 years ago, and never made it back home. What happened to her? Why did Geo turn herself in? And, Calvin James - Geo's first love turned serial killer. How did everything tie in?

Hillier did a really fantastic job at writing this novel, and it is making me curious about her earlier works as well. Rumor has it they are just as well written as Jar of Hearts. She had me guessing until the end of the novel, and even then she was still able to manage a few surprises at the ending. Would I recommend this book? Absolutely.

Thank you NetGalley for an Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
ARC

This had an ending I wasn't quite expecting. It was a little slow in the middle, which is where I stopped reading for a few days, but it picked back up in the end. Other than the slight pacing issue, it was a well-rounded story with all of the blanks filled in by the final chapter. I was surprised that Geo had more secrets than first expected, but I had started to piece them together slowly but surely only for them to be revealed by the story shortly after. Great story, interesting concept, fun read.

I have been seeing a lot of people talk about this. I decided to get it when Netgalley had it as Read Now. Everyone was talking about how good it was and how they really enjoyed it. I was very excited to read it. Did I end up enjoying it like everyone else? Let's find out.

I have to say, yes I did end up really enjoying this one. Yes it did take me a little while to read but that did not affect my enjoyment of the book. I do have to say the first day I read it, I didn't really know what was happening. I wasn't very focused on the book. However the next time I picked it up, I got really into it. I'm not sure what it was but I just didn't have any motivation to pick up my ebook. I ended up reading someone's review about it and that helped me to pick it up and finish.

This book is told in two perspectives. You get the point of view of Georgina, she has just been arrested for the murder of her best friend. The other perspective is Kaiser, he is a detective who use to be best friends with Georgina. So it's told in different parts and each part is a different character's perspective. Their chapters go between past and present. I felt it was very easy to tell which chapter was past and which one was present. The author did a really good job keeping you on your toes this way. I felt one minute I'm finding out about something that happened in the present and she'll drop something big and then give you a flashback. It left me wanting more.

I do have to say I wasn't a very big fan of any of the characters. Sometimes that ends up affecting my thoughts on the book but in this case I still really enjoyed the story. I don't want to give to much away about the characters. Let's just say they had a lot of flaws about them. I do feel Georgina and Kaiser did a lot of things I didn't agree with. I did hate Calvin. I thought he was a horrible person. It was interesting to learn more about them as the story unfolded.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It had a lot of characters I didn't like but I still really ended up liking the story. The author did a great job getting you hooked. There were plenty of times I had to stop reading during big revels and I was so upset. After I read this book I ended up looking up the author. I have a series by her on my list and I really can't wait to get to it. If it's anything like this I'm sure I'll end up enjoying it.

*Thank you Netgalley for giving me this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Entertaining, quick read. Didn’t have as many twists as I was expecting though. Ending was a little abrupt.

Question - What if your childhood sweetheart turns out to be a serial killer?

Dark, chilling, edge of your seat thriller. Jennifer Hillier pulls out all the stops on this one! And dark and chilling is exactly what you’ll get here in spades!

Jennifer Hillier is the queen of obsessive, misguided love. I read one of her previous books a few years ago Creep and thought it was brilliant. Now Ms. Hillier has done it again. And this time it’s over the top!

Calvin is the boy every teenage girl’s father warns her against. He’s big trouble through and through. But isn’t that what draws every teenage girl in? The ultimate bad boy.

Georgina is just 16 when she falls for the charms of the first older boy to show her attention. It isn’t long before her grades begin slipping and her lifelong friendships are wavering. She’s in way over her head and not totally sure she even wants to find a way out.

There’s been a lot of positive buzz around this book and it absolutely deserves every bit of it. It had just the right amount of twists to keep you guessing but not so many that you lose your way. Well written from beginning to end. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Highly recommend!

A buddy read with Susanne!

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Jennifer Hillier for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This book had an interesting storyline but was a bit too much for me I wasn’t able to finish it because the amount of bad language and brutality were not something I was comfortable with

Thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was looking forward to this book as there was a lot of hype about it. It was a great psychological thriller. The novel begins with the trial of a murderer in a case that went unsolved for 14 years. As the novel develops, Geo, who was involved with the murderer back then, reveals more and more about what happened that fateful night when her best friend was murdered.
After serving time in prison as part of her plea bargain, Geo sees that murders similar to the one that happened long ago are happening once more.
Kai, a cop, and former best friend of Geo’s, is on the case. He is concerned that Calvin, Geo’s former boyfriend, is responsible.
The mystery continues to unfold until it reaches a climax. There are clues along the way, but you may be surprised at the conclusion of the story.

I really enjoyed both Creep and Freak, which were previously written by this author. I was super excited to see another of her books come out. I was hooked on from the second I started it, which happened to be at midnight. Very hard to put down. Great psychological thriller. Can’t recommend enough.

Three best friends.
Angela Wong was the most popular girl. Everyone wanted to be her friend. Everyone wanted to be her.

Geo Shaw, her best friend who always took second string to her. And Kai, a shy guy who just followed Geo around.
Then one night Angela disappears.

The story starts off in present day when Geo is being arrested for her crimes in relation to Angela's murder. By that SAME KAI! (He's a cop now)
Then we find out that Geo's boyfriend from back in the day is a serial killer.

This was better than watching soap operas with my Gran! I kept expecting him to give her the "Jar of Hearts" and it turning out around this type....


*spoiler alert* He didn't.

It was still dark juicy goodness through out the book. It's not a flowery book because you know I would have given it one star if it was. So be ready when you go into it.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review

4 1/2 Stars!

Hooo, boy! This one was a page-turner! Jennifer Hillier delivers a well-written and gripping story with characters that are compelling and unlikable, but largely unforgettable in a story with twists that are both timely and seriously disturbing.

“In every story, there’s a hero and a villain. Sometimes one person can be both”

We start in the midst of a murder trial. Georgina (Geo) Shaw is testifying against Calvin James, her ex-boyfriend turned serial killer and the man who raped and murdered her best friend, Angela when she was 16. Geo has taken a plea deal in return for her testimony. What we're not sure of is why. What involvement did Geo have? And why did she keep it a secret for 14 years?

In the middle is Kaiser Brody, Angela and Geo's high school friend, now a homicide detective. When Calvin escapes from prison, Kai is convinced Geo knows more than she's letting on. And when bodies start turning up around Geo's family home (and where Angela was buried), he is even more determined to find Calvin, all while walking a fine line between his long-time feelings for her and his anger over what she has done.

Told in two points of view from both Geo and Kaiser, Jar of Hearts absolutely keeps you guessing. It's hard to surprise a long-time mystery/thriller reader, but Ms. Hillier manages to misdirect and shock with skill, coupling her flashbacks with current events easily.  It's not a pseudo-thriller by any stretch of the imagination.

Jar of Hearts is definitely darker than your average offering and readers should be warned there are themes that may be triggering for some (including domestic violence and rape), but it's easily one of the best books I've read so far this year.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to review!

This novel started out slightly slow, but quickly became so intense and suspenseful. I wanted to hate and love Geo, but despite all of her issues, the story took such a dark and twisted turn so quickly that it was both shocking and yet made all the sense in the world.

This one was a truly great read!

I flipping love this book. It is Spellbinding, Gripping and Amazing. I was easily drawn to the story. This is a MUST READ Thriller. Even after finishing this book, I am thinking about it.