The past is never really gone, as we see so many times in history when things seem to repeat. So it is in our lives,things you have done that you may think are hidden, never to be seen again, are actually there, where they have been all along. Call it karma, just desserts or getting what you deserve,out of the dark you are surprised by your old 'error' in life.
This is a marvelous dark, gritty story told with honesty and clarity. There is no hiding the horrendous sights of things that happened, it is told as is with feelings and visions you wish you did not see! An explicit,and fast-paced read that I could NOT put down, as the author's words kept me engaged and turning pages. Three teenagers were best friends, going through the turmoil of a young person's life together. There are boyfriends, dances, gossip etc; when a group of 'older' guys show interest in the girls. This is the beginning of the end...
Years later police enter a flourishing company and arrest a beautiful young VIP, the story hidden for fourteen years starts to unfold...There are several murders, with all sights described, including some very young children..
A very entertaining thriller, my first read by this author but not the last!!
I received an ARC from Netgalley, the author Jennifer Hillier and publisher Miontaur books , all of who I thank for a very good read, and I am able to give my thoughts to you in this review!!

Georgina Shaw has it all going for her. Corporate executive, engaged with nothing but possibilities ahead of her. Until she's arrested for a crime that was committed when she was a teenager. To add insult to injury her ex bestfriend is the arresting officer.
Thank you NetGalley & St Martin's Press for allowing me to review this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book - all opinions are my own.

I LOVED this book - once I picked it up I could NOT put it back down, it will devour you whole. Dark, gritty and completely twisted, this is every single thing that a good psychological thriller should be, and then some.

Geo, Angela and Kai were best friends in high school, until Angela went missing. Fourteen years later, one of them is in prison and one of them is trying to unravel what really happened the night Angela disappeared.

Everything about this book is bang on - from the characters who are wonderfully and thoughtfully flawed, to the movement of the story between present day and their high school past, topped off with high tension and twists that keep coming at you. I completely enjoyed the pace that kept the story moving along without every feeling like a plot point had stalled out, and absolutely kept me guessing.

This should be on every thriller lovers must read list for summer. It will keep you up well into the night.

TRIGGER WARNING: This book features very graphic scenes of rape, and if that is a trigger for you, please proceed carefully with this read.

Geo has everything going for her. She is a young and savvy business dynamo living a charmed life with her corporate mogul fiancé. Life is good…that is until her past catches up and she is thrown into jail for being an accessory to a heinous crime. Was she responsible for her childhood friend’s gruesome rape and murder years before or is she simply a victim of a charismatic and controlling Manson-type character/boyfriend named Calvin?

Fast forward 5 years later when Geo completes her 5-year sentence and walks out of jail to discover a mother/child have just been murdered with evidence pointing to Calvin who escaped and disappeared 5 years earlier. Clearly, he is back in town and this is a message aimed directly at Geo. Her hope for a normal life post-prison fades.

Wow, what a gripping and chilling story, unputdownable from the start. Jennifer’s style of writing, the slow and methodical building of suspense was spot on. I felt for her characters - loved and loathed Geo and Calvin, sympathized for those betrayed like Kaiser and Geo’s hard-working widower father. A perfect summer read to get lost in!

(4.5 stars) A very gripping, chilling, suspenseful and at times terrifying read that I thought was very well done. There were quite a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming and totally surprised me. I liked the way the story was told alternating from the present to the past as we get the back story of the events that led up to the murder that took place. I also love the title of the book. It's perfect! This is a book that will keep you turning those pages because you won't be able to stop reading. It is definitely a must-read for those who enjoy chilling psychological thrillers!!

I received an advance reader's copy of Jar of Hearts from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book pulled me right in and kept me turning pages. I love a good mystery/thriller and this was definitely one I enjoyed.
Thank you to NetGalley for this book. I’m so sorry I didn’t finish it before it was archived.

A rollercoaster ride from the beginning until the end. A book that grabs you from the getgo. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a thriller Totally worthy of 5 stars and look forward to her next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

So horrifying it sent chills cascading down my spine! Unable to put it down, I read it in one sitting!

Gorgina, Geo as she's known to her friends, has a secret. A horrific, soul crushing secret. She's kept it hidden, buried deep in a sealed box in her mind.
Fourteen years ago her best friend, Angela Wong, went missing, disappearing into thin air, or so it seemed.
Search parties were coming up empty, the police had no leads, even the increasing reward money went unclaimed. As the days stretched into weeks, then years, the hope of finding sixteen year old Angie fades. Throughout it all, Geo knows that her best friend will never be found alive.
She knows because she helped bury her the very same night Angie went missing.

Now, fourteen years later, Angie's body, now just a pile of bones, has been discovered in the woods, only one hundred yards from Geo's childhood home, dismembered and buried in multiple shallow graves.
Facing a lengthy prison sentence, Geo cuts a deal for a reduced sentence, agreeing to testify against her, then, twenty one year old boyfriend, Calvin James.
But Calvin James isn't just Calvin anymore. Now he's known as the Sweetbay Strangler. A brutal serial killer who, after murdering Angie all those years ago has gone on to strangle and kill three more women.
Only now does Geo tell the truth about what happened that night. Or does she?

*****
[book:Jar of Hearts|36315374] by [author:Jennifer Hillier|4534486] is as riveting as it is chilling! The storyline immediately grabbed my attention and never let up. Angela, Geo, and Kaiser (Kai), are expertly portrayed as normal, emotional sixteen year olds trying to navigate through those confusing years in high school. Then, fourteen years later, as Geo and Kai grow into adults their teenage personalities blend perfectly into adulthood, carrying the past with them.
The sense of foreboding, and tension ratchets up further as more murders occur. The on-going romantic suspense adds an extra element of emotion that's felt throughout the story. I could hardly contain the excitement and anticipation that kept building as I devoured and assimilated each tantalizing clue as each one revealed more and more of Geo's secret in it's entirety. What really happened the night Angie was murdered? And the astounding conclusion?
Well, I'm not going to tell you that, now am I?

Let's just say I'll be reading more of [author:Jennifer Hillier|4534486]'s novels!

With thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Three high school best friends have no idea that one will die, one will keep it a secret and one will never recover from the pain of losing his first love.

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hiller is intense, chilling, dark and twisted. I couldn’t stop reading until I discovered the outcome of all the characters.

The story is complex with many layers. Ms. Hillier does an excellent job writing about pain. This story is not for the faint of heart but if you enjoy well-written thrillers, this is your book. I'm willing to bet this will be turned into a movie, so I suggest you read it right away.

Please be aware: this book contains graphic scenes that include rape and violence.

Aside from the graphic scenes in this book, I actually really enjoyed the story. It was the thriller that I needed to cleanse my pallet after reading a high fantasy. I absolutely flew through the story and finished in one sitting. Jar of Hearts kept me guessing the entire time and had so many twists.

There isn’t much else I can say without spoiling anything, but definitely pick this one up if you enjoy thrillers and need a book that will hook you instantly.

First of all, I will never look at cinnamon hearts the same way again!! Second of all, this thriller was EXACTLY what I needed! It was refreshing because it was so different, but so suspenseful, so dark, and kept coming out of nowhere with twists that I DID NOT SEE COMING!! I loved every minute of it, and it is very fast paced. We start with Georgina (Geo), who is a rising executive that appears to have it all, but very quickly her world falls apart. Her high school boyfriend has been arrested for a series of murders, including the one of her best friend Angela who went missing at 16 but was never found, and she finds herself being arrested for helping him hide her body. The book is broken up into 5 parts, and goes back and forth from Geo's POV as well as Kaiser's, who was the best friend of both Geo and Angela in high school and is also the cop who arrests Calvin (Geo's ex-boyfriend). We also go back and forth from past to present, so we can learn / relive what happened. Again, this was not like anything I have read before, and I really appreciated that. It was gritty, thorough, and well thought out. My only complaint is I did not want it to end! This came out today so there is no need to wait! Thanks to NetGalley for an electronic ARC. All opinions are my own.

Well now -- you know how it is when you pick up a book you know next to nothing about and then can't put it down? One that is written in such an engaging style as to be addictive, and you want to keep reading? That was this one -- a psychological thriller that dots all the i's and crosses the t's. Until the end.

Geo (Georgiana) Shaw is just 16 when she meets the man who will help her destroy her life. Calvin James. They end up committing the crime that puts Geo in prison for 5 years and Calvin for life. Though Geo had moved on and was never held to account for the murder and burial of Geo's best friend, Angela Wong 14 years prior. But the authorities finally found out the truth, and Geo tries to serve her time and lay the past to rest.

Unfortuntely, the past really never fades and when Geo gets out of prison, she's faced with a new trauma. Cavin has escaped prison and more murders are occuring. No spoilers, but at near the very end was a twist I actually didn't see coming. I never really cared for Geo as a character, I thought she got off easy, and I couldn't understand the love and devotion extended to her by her high school friend, now cop, Kaiser. I didn't like her no matter how sympathetic the author tried to make her. And did I already say this? I hated the ending. It just didn't seem right to me after I'd invested all that time reading! Nevertheless, I did like the book a lot until that point.

Despite the offending conclusion, I enjoyed this novel and will most likely read another by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for this e-book ARC to read and review.

A great read; fast-paced, well-written and just different enough to stand out amongst all the other murder mysteries. Genuinely enjoyable.

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier
Release date: June 12, 2018.....TODAY!!!!
🌟🌟🌟🌟.5 (4.5 out of 5 stars)

What if the worst thing you ever did was when you were 16 and you had to pay for it the rest of your life? That's what happens to Geo. Three friends torn about by one drunken night. Numerous lives ruined....and dead bodies piling up.

I still dont even know how to articulate how I felt about this book. It's hard without giving some parts of the plot away. What I can say is this book kept me on my toes and thinking all the time. Even when I wasn't reading I'd find myself at work trying to think about the next plot twist. Not a solid five stars but definitely a 4.5!! I expect more hits from Jennifer Hillier to come.

This was an intense read from beginning to end. A dark and twisted psychological thriller, the writing and story kept me glued to my seat and turning the pages to see what would happen next. The characters were well written; so well-written that I wasn’t sure I liked any of them. There were so many fun twists and quite a few surprises.
If you like dark and twisted psychological thrillers don’t miss this one. When you pick it up, be sure you have time to just read, because you will be so engrossed you won’t want to put it down.
#JarofHearts #Minotaurooks #StMartinsPress

Do you ever read a book by a new to you author and then immediately run to see if they have any other books because you liked their style that much? That’s exactly what happened the minute I finished Jar of Hearts and I was excited to see Hillier has several older books for me to add to my never ending TBR. There was something about her writing style that drew me in within a few pages of starting this and my interest never waned for one minute.

This was absolutely perfectly paced, there were no dull moments or times where I wanted things to speed up a little, I was on the edge of my seat so many times waiting to see what would happen next. It alternates between Geo and Kaiser and is broken into five parts and the ending of each one was exciting and opened the door for another delicious twist. There were many shocking moments and I only figured one surprise out just before it revealed, but overall this was fantastically well plotted and extremely exciting.

The less you know the better for this one, but I will say I’m not sure if I’ve ever struggled with how I feel about a character more than I did with Geo. One minute I hated her and thought she was a horrible human being and then the next I would be jolted by the sympathy I was feeling towards her. To me, that’s always the sign of a gifted writer, bringing out unexpected emotions in me, (especially in a thriller!) is an appreciated bonus and not something I take note of lightly.

Jar of Hearts in three words: Intricate, Exciting and Gripping.

Three high school friends, Geo, Angela and Kaiser are together most of the time. Slurpees, parties, studying, they are just the best of friends. Then Geo starts dating Calvin. Calvin is controlling and not a guy she needs to be with. But, she is young and stupid. Then, Angela comes up missing. 14 years later, Angela’s body is found.

I love it when an author creates a character you are supposed to hate…but you just can’t. Well! Geo is the best of these I have ever come across. She is so flawed but, I could not help but like her and feel sorry for her. She is just 16 when she makes one of the worst mistakes of her life. This mistake stays hidden for 14 years. Then, Geo goes to prison. She is arrested by Kaiser, no less.

The author SLOWLY draws out Geo’s past and what actually happened to Angela. This creates such tremendous anticipation. If I had to put this book down because of life…I was constantly thinking about it. What is about to happen next??? The secrets and the lies just build constant pressure. There were places I was a nervous wreck!

Amazingly done! OVER THE TOP GOOD READ!

This was a riveting page turner right from the beginning. As a teenager, Geo falls in love with an older boy which totally consumes her life. It has even affected her relationship with her best friend, Angela. When Angela turns up missing, Geo keeps the secret of her part in it for fourteen years. When it comes out, she spends five years in prison. This is just the beginning. As the author drops many hints throughout the book, you think that you know what happened, but you’ll probably be wrong. The ending is shocking and well worth the read.

One of the most original stories I have read in a long while. The way the events unfold make for a compelling read that I could not put down. The story is full of suspense and twists. More than that, the characters grab the reader, good and bad. While portions of the book are gritty and dark and difficult to read, they are well-written and necessary to the story. For me, honestly the only truly like-able character was Kaiser Brody. Yet, Geo and Calvin were much more complex and interesting to read and make the reader ask themselves, "Can one person be both hero and villain?" and that ending and epilogue will have you asking "Can redemption really be earned?" I will definitely be reading this author again.

This is a great story. I had the hardest time putting it down until the end and then I didn’t really want it to end.

There are enough twists in this story to make me shake my head. I started out really hating Calvin and by the end I may not want to take him home but is he really the monster I was lead to believe. As for Geo. There is so much to her all I can say is I feel so bad for her dad. And then there is Kaiser. Is there such a thing as blind love. This book made me examine so many facets to the characters personalities. It made me feel I was on an emotional rollercoaster. It made me look around and maybe take time to see people just a little differently. I love this story. I was given a free copy by Net Galley and this is a voluntary review.