Little Secrets is the first book I read by Jennifer Hillier and I can say with certainty that it won’t be my last. The story was well-structured and kept me guessing. I did not see the twists coming and was surprised over and over. While it is a sad premise to “lose” your young son, it is also a realistic proposition and the author successfully creates a world that seems like it could be someone’s life. We are taken deep inside Marin’s psyche when she loses her son and when she finds out her husband is having an affair. Marin is a well-developed character and because of that, it was easy to become engaged and invested in the story. The pacing was excellent and the short chapters kept me turning the pages. Be warned — this is a book that’s hard to put down! I highly recommend it.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader. Opt in exchange for my honest opinion.

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier is a story of heartache, revenge, and betrayal. Marin Machado has a great life. A loving husband, a beautiful son, and a successful business, she could not ask for more. Until one dark December day, her son is taken from her side and her whole world shatters. Fast forward 18 months and there has been no sign of her son and Marin is barely living as she tries to find herself in her new world. Her life consists now of work, therapy sessions and a support group. She and her husband, Derek, seem to be hanging on by a thread. Her world is about to shatter again as a private investigator, she hired to find her, finds some startling news. As Marin fills with rage and seeks to find her revenge, she learns who she can trust and who has truly betrayed her. Will she find her revenge? Will Marin ever find out what happened with her son?
What a story! Little Secrets starts with every parent’s worst nightmare and launches the reader into the aftermath as Marin tries to find answers and closure. Throughout the book, I was not sure if I liked Marin or any of the characters as they all had their own secrets and ulterior motives behind their actions. However, Ms. Hillier takes the reader on a roller coaster of a journey as the twists and turns keeps one guessing. The characters feel very relatable with real emotions and flaws. This is the type of story that the reader will not figure out, so do not even try. Just go along for the ride and watch as little clues reveal big secrets. I highly recommend Little Secrets!

Little Secrets
is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

Sixteen months ago Marin’s world was turned upside down when her four-year-old son Sebastian was abducted while out Christmas shopping. The case never provided any solid leads as to what might have happened to her son. Marin feels as if she is unable to heal, but she has been trying to put the pieces of her life into some shape that works. She is back at work and attending a support group regularly. Things with her husband, Derek, have never recovered and now it appears that he is having an affair with a much younger woman. As Marin starts to investigate her husband’s extramarital relationship she begins to find hints that may lead her to answers about Sebastian. Could her son still be alive somewhere?

I absolutely loved Jennifer Hillier’s book JAR OF HEARTS and was thrilled to see that she had a new release coming out with LITTLE SECRETS! When I read the synopsis, I knew this was going to be a story I enjoyed, but I wasn’t prepared to find another 5 star read from Hillier!

LITTLE SECRETS is a perfect, binge-worthy, lighter suspense read. Hillier is immediately able to suck the reader into Marin’s life by opening with the disappearance of her young son, Sebastian. Witnessing the event that broke Marin’s spirits allows for an immediate connection between the reader and Marin. From here, Hillier takes us sixteen months into the present where we see how Marin is coping. I have never lost a child, so I do not have firsthand experience on the subject, but for me Marin’s state of mind felt incredibly real. Marin is broken in a way, but she is also strong. She will never let her son’s disappearance rest without answers and she is ruthless in investigating her husband’s affair. Along with Marin, Hillier has included great secondary characters who test Marin to her limits and bring out the multiple facets of her personality.

While Marin is the main character in LITTLE SECRETS, Hillier gifts the reader with sections from a few of the secondary characters throughout the story. This allows the reader to have a chance to learn the other side of the story. In particular, I loved getting to hear from Kenzie, who is Derek’s mistress. It’s so easy to see one side of a relationship, but this allowed me to see much more. I not only got to know Marin and Kenzie individually, but also the character of Derek through them.

Hillier keeps the pace of this story at a rapid pace with short chapters that propel the reader to keep going. This is one of those books that I picked up and somehow binge read 100 pages without realizing any time had gone by. I was instantly drawn to this story from the moment I opened the book and could not put it down! There is so much I want to gush about in this review, but I don’t want to spoil any of the book for readers. My suggestion is to go buy this one ASAP!

A huge thank you to Minotaur Books for my gifted copy!

A horrific account of one mother's journey after her son is kidnapped. She experiences devastating lows to wanting the ultimate revenge against the young woman having an affair with her husband. Betrayal is theme of this book. So many people with secrets and ulterior motives.

The who/what/why of the betrayals and who took her son were lackluster though. No where near the shock factor that we got in Jar of Hearts. And maybe that was my biggest problem, that I was expecting that level and it didn't come close.

Happy publication day to author Jennifer Hillier and Minotaur Books for Little Secrets! In case you don’t read any further (I suggest avoiding as much as you can!), the take-away here is, GO GET THIS BOOK! This is one of those rare books that actually lives up to its Girl on the Train or Gone Girl comparisons that sellers love to tout– though such high praise is usually aspirational, if not entirely inappropriate.

For a book populated with unlikable characters, Little Secrets is surprisingly enjoyable. I read a lot of books in this genre, and am consistently disappointed, but I have to hand it to Jennifer Hillier here, because this is definitely one of the better psychological thrillers to come out over the last year.
I’d recommend going into it blindly, as I did, but if you need to know more, read on:
It’s hard to describe what makes this book stand out from an over-saturated genre, since the kidnapped child scenario is so common, as are the characters (philandering husband, distraught wife, younger, Instagram-addicted mistress). I think, actually, what makes it great is that Hillier doesn’t care about her characters’ likability. The central protagonist, Marin, who is the ‘victim’ in that she has lost her son and now her husband, is not ‘innocent’– she is rash, jealous, and even homicidal. This is one of the rare instances where an author isn’t trying to shove any characters down your throat, or throwing in gratuitous ‘save the cat’ moments (i.e. obviously-plotted scenes which are meant to endear the reader/viewer to a character, even though he/she may be difficult). Hillier operates with a confidence so rarely possessed by authors and a trust so rarely given to readers, knowing that her plot is tight enough to keep us engaged and that we’re smart enough to stick with morally complex and/or despicable characters. I call this the Hannibal Lecter approach. While it’s difficult to achieve as an author, it’s so much more rewarding as a reader when you get to read and cheer for characters you love to hate or hate to love.

Utterly unputdownable. You will loose track of time because you won't be able to put this down. I couldn't. Jennifer Hillier is one heck of a writer and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. Wish that I could give it more than five stars. Happy reading!

Publish date April 21, 2020
Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s press and the author for giving me an e-arc for honest review.

This book is one of the best thrillers that I’ve read this year. Jennifer Hillier did a phenomenal job, I was hooked from the beginning. I honestly went into this novel with little to no knowledge of the main story-line, and the more I read it the more that I got caught up in the lives of the characters.
I love the fact that the author was able to vividly explain how each character felt emotionally while giving a clear understanding of each individuals past. She was able to walk us through the stages of grief within each characters lives, and what caused them to make the decisions they did. With that said, that twist at the end really caught me by surprise, and I had to take a moment to really appreciate what the author was able to execute.

I honestly enjoyed this book, and I am so thrilled to be able to share my thoughts on this novel with others.

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier starts out with every parents worse nightmare. Marin is doing some last minute Christmas shopping and has her young son Sebastian with her. They are planning on meeting Derrick (her husband and Sebastian's dad) once they are done. She feels him let go of her hand and before she knows it, he is gone. This is the beginning of the first chapter and my heart was already invested in this book. I had to find out what happened to Sebastian. Fast forward a year, and Marin is a shell of a her former self. She has tried to kill herself once already, and then she finds out that Derrick is cheating on her. This is the catalyst that she needs to keep going. I won't say anything more than this, because that would be spoiling the book. But believe me when I say, this book has many turns and twists and kept me reading well into the night! It has everything I love in a suspenseful book, heart wrenching moments, anger, tears and jaw dropping moments too!
4.5⭐

Thank you to Netgalley, Minotaur Books and St. Martin's Press for the digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Marin and Derek Machado are happily married and the parents of Sebastian, age 4. Marin owns several high class salons catering to wealthy women and Derek owns his own company.

While Marin is doing some last minute Christmas shopping in a busy area, she has a hard time keeping Sebastian from whining. He wants a lollipop that Marin has promised him when the shopping is done. Just as she gets a text from Derek, she drops her son’s hand to answer and when she looks down, Sebastian has vanished. After calling and searching for him, he is not found. Security cameras show him being walked out of the shopping area by someone dressed in a Santa costume. After 18 months and intensive nationwide searching, Sebastian has not been found.

Marin has been through hell as she hopes her son will be found. She has recently returned to work at one of her salons as her therapist thinks this will be good for her. In addition to the police work, Marin hired a private investigator to look for her son. She has found nothing until today when she calls Marin to tell her that she has discovered that Derek, supposedly on long and frequent business trips, has been cheating on her. Marin discovers the girl’s name is McKenzie, has pink hair, and works as a barista. Furious, Marin is out for blood. Someone may have taken her son but they will not take her husband. When Marin takes a daring step to ensure her husband stays with her, it may be a very bad move. But can she stop it or is too late? But most of all, will she ever find her son?

What a fabulous thriller! Great characters and such a wonderfully twisted plot. Don’t miss this one and join me in seeing what this author has to offer next.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Marin and Derek. Derek and Marin. A power couple in Seattle with self made wealth, large home with all of the comforts money can buy, and a son, Sebastian, conceived after several rounds of IVF treatment. They are the portrait of happiness and success, until one fateful December day when Sebastian is taken from Marin's side at a busy Pikes Place Market while she is responding to a text from Derek. Four minutes is all it took to steal a child. A lollipop, Santa Suit, and two hundred and forty seconds. In this short span of time the idyllic portrait of love and success is shattered.

The story resumes 16 months after Sebastian is taken. Lots of dead ends in investigations from the SPD and the FBI, both of which will keep the case "open" but as it ages have to refocus priorities on newer, current cases. I won't say much more about the plot because I don't want to provide spoilers.

Hillier has made a reputation of writing about dark, twisted people who do dark, twisted things. I was excited to get a copy of Little Secrets after reading Jar of Hearts, a wildly successful book published in 2018. Hillier's writing style speaks to me. I enjoy her characters, prose, and all of the nooks and crannies that she visits during the telling of a story. She has carved out a niche in the thriller genre and excels within the space.

Little Secrets was a great book. One of the things I like about the book are the three main characters all are flawed jerks. They have very human traits and tendencies. For some this may make some of their actions predictable, but I find the realism enticing and helpful in suspending my world for that of the story, This book is edgy, with many twists and turns along the way. Some of them I watched approach with the anticipation of riding the first hill of a roller coaster. Others caught me by surprise, which is always a splendid experience.

If you're looking for a good weekend read, that will captivate, enrage, and tug at heart strings all within the same chapters, then look no further. Check out Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier today!

I'm happy to give this book 9 out of ten stars. I received a free copy of the book from the publisher (Minotaur Books) and NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

I’ve noticed a lot of commentary the past month or so regarding what people are reading – whether it’s venturing out of their comfort zone because all of this lockdown time has provided ample opportunities for reading or, alternatively, those who are remaining firmly planted in their wheelhouses because the world in general has become different enough. I have found my tribe in those who have come out of the closet and admit they enjoy looking for something in the dark rather than the light, the crazy rather than the cozy, the stabby rather than the snuggly, the . . . well you get the picture.

Jennifer Hillier is an author who falls into that second category. She starts off with a simple enough storyline that’s already not for the weak of heart – a kidnapping at a local shopping center by a person dressed in a Santa suit. The chances of ever discovering the whodunit are obviously next to nothing, but the mother hires a private investigator anyway as a last resort when the case goes cold. A year later that mother (Marin) finds out allllllll sorts of stuff. Not about her son, but about her husband Derek’s affair. And she decides that if she can’t do anything to get her child back, she can do whatever it takes to save her marriage.

She’s just batshit. In the best possible way. Hillier’s mind goes from 0 to 60 and while her stories may be over the top and crazy, they walk the knife’s edge from getting too Lifetimey and campy. Really my only “gripe” about this is . . . . . God I hate face covers. They are just so generic.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

Marin and Derek Machado are a power Seattle couple whose lives are shattered when their 4-year-old son Sebastian is abducted. The book focuses not on the abduction but on its aftermath. Sixteen months later, Marin has difficulty coping with daily life, and she and Derek have drifted apart. Then the private investigator she hired to try and find Sebastian tells her that she has discovered that Derek is having an affair with a young art student/barista. Learning about the affair gives Marin a purpose: she doesn’t want to lose the only family she has left and so takes steps to prevent this from happening.

It is certainly possible to have sympathy for Marin. The loss of her son, for which she feels directly responsible, leaves her devastated. She is not, however, a likeable person. Instead of directly addressing the elephant in the room, she chooses to be secretive and makes morally questionable decisions. Her only justification is that she is not thinking clearly because of her emotional state. The problem is that virtually every character in the book carries secrets and behaves immorally. (The title is an understatement because people have big secrets.) The only innocent is Sebastian whose absence casts a pall.

There are several twists and turns, as would be expected in a psychological thriller. A careful reader will not be shocked by the twists because there is ample foreshadowing. There are certainly sufficient hints as to the identity of the master manipulator. My objection is that so many characters are brought together by a major coincidence; even a character involved is surprised by the connections among people. Seattle is a large city, not a small town. I also had difficulty accepting Marin’s actions after learning about the affair; implausibility rears its ugly head.

Despite its flaws, the book makes for a compelling read. It is a fast-paced page-turner. It is not a book that will leave a lasting impression, but it is entertaining. And in difficult times, good entertainment is not a bad thing.

Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

My review can be found here: https://aubreysangle8.home.blog/2020/04/21/review-little-secrets-by-jennifer-hillier/

I LOVED “Jar of Hearts” by Jennifer Hillier so I was VERY excited to get an ARC of her new twisty, evil, strong female lead novel, “Little Secrets”. And she did it again. Jennifer has written about another “innocent young woman” who is willing to commit murder to protect what’s rightfully hers. And she does it in a manner that makes you, the reader fully support the idea! Marin and her husband Derek are a beautiful, successful couple, yet not above being victims of the worst crime possible: the kidnapping of their little boy Sebastian. Less than two years later, Marin learns that her husband is having an affair with a young lady who will most likely extort money from her family. “Oh, heck no”, Mama Bear says.
Marin turns to her ex-boyfriend and best confidant Sal for guidance. Sal knows some less than savory characters that just may be able to make Marin’s little problem go away. But things are never that simple, are they?
Marin has hired a pitbull of a private investigator, Vanessa Castro, to search for her son, but Vanessa doesn’t understand the command “Down” when Marin doesn’t want her to look while Marin’s doing a very dirty deed herself. We really like Vanessa. We really like Marin, too, because Hillier does such a fantastic job of explaining Marin’s deep and flawed logic.
You’ll run right along with Marin as she never slows down to come out on top and a bit wiser.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for making it available.)

This book started off very interesting, but ultimately I found myself bored. It just fell flat as the story progressed. I was definitely more interested in what happened to the missing child, and less interested in the mistress plot. I expected more from this novel, since I loved the authors previous book. I was just rushing through the story just to finish and hoping for something shocking to happen. The characters weren’t all that interesting, so my focus was lacking a bit. The end was meh and predictable. Despite not being wowed, I enjoyed all the descriptions of the main character ‘s grief over losing her child. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

She is fast becoming a go to author for me!! This book was such a stunning thriller leaving me late up thru the night not wanting to stop reading! It’s a must read thriller that will stick with you for a long long time!

4.5 stars - I was hooked from the very first chapter and could not wait to see what happened next. It was fast paced, gripping with lots of twists that kept me guessing throughout the book. It was intense in all the right ways! The writing was great - it was the first book I picked up by this author but it certainly won’t be the last! I have Jar of Hearts on my Kindle and it’s made its way to the top of my TBR list! I highly recommend reading Little Secrets ASAP!

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow... what a ride! 4.5 stars

Marin's life has been a mess since her son was kidnapped almost a year and a half ago. Her marriage is crumbling, she can barely go to work, and she contemplates suicide every day. Marin is also keeping secrets from her husband, and one of them is the private investigator she hired to search for their son. When the PI informs her of Derek's affair, it gives Marin a new lease on life. She may not know who took her son, but she does know the identity of the woman destroying her marriage, and now she's fixated on getting her revenge.

This book was very intense and emotional. If I had a husband and kids I'd probably go into cardiac arrest reading this! But seriously, rarely does a thriller actually make me feel anxious when I read it. This book accomplished that—I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

I think the most impressive aspect of this novel is its characters. They were so dimensional and authentic. None of them were particularly likable, but they did think, act, and speak like real people, and I felt connected to them despite not being able to relate to them in any way. The dynamic between Marin and McKenzie was really interesting. Marin looks at McKenzie and sees her youth, fun lifestyle, and supermodel figure, while McKenzie sees Marin's curves, wealth, and sophistication. They are total opposites, both jealous of what the other has, and neither is willing to back down from what they want. I think readers are supposed to automatically side with Marin, but I was shocked at the some of the choices she made, which led me to feel more sympathetic towards McKenzie than I ordinarily would have.

I'd recommend this to all thriller readers. I don't usually rate them more than 3.5 stars, and this one earned almost a perfect rating. The only thing that really held me back was that the synopsis alluded to things that take place around the 85% mark, which was pretty annoying and I felt like I was just waiting around for it to happen. Regardless, I expect this to be one of my 2020 favorites!

*Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur books for providing this ARC for review*

This is a very fast-paced thriller about the parents of an abducted 4-year-old child. Note I said "parents" as perhaps only half of the story actually concerns the child abduction. Nevertheless, it is a great story line, very suspenseful, interesting characters, and depicts the agony/guilt a parent and marriage go through in this situation.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC to read and review.

Woah. WOAH. What a wild, wonderful (though sometimes heartbreaking) ride!!! I can't even get over how much I enjoyed this book. It sucked me right in and didn't let me go until I'd finished. I am so unbelievably impressed.

It's been a really long time since I've read a thriller that I finished feeling like I'd just run a marathon. But that's how I felt finishing this one. The last third of this book was so action packed, I couldn't tear myself away from this story. There were so many twists and so much action packed into that last third!!!

Although I did guess one element of the ending (so I guess one half of the twist?) pretty early on, that was completely overshadowed by how action packed the ending was. So. There are only so many times I can say WOW THAT ENDING. You get the idea. THAT ENDING.

My only complaint about this book was that all of the action was packed into that last third. Yes, the beginning sucked me in immediately but from there until that last third, it was a lot of setup and not a ~ton of twists and action. So I just wish it would've been paced a little bit differently? But by the ending, that seems like a small complaint. And the part that I guessed is that Sal took Sebastian and it kind of bugged me that that was the case? I think the ~best friend (or any trusted person not being who you think they are) has been really overdone and I almost wish it would've been someone a little more ~unexpected. But all of the other twists involving Sal were really good so my complaint about him being the kidnapper is honestly very minor.

So. Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book!! HIGHLY recommend! If you're looking for your next twisty thriller, definitely pick this one up! It does not disappoint!! I can definitely see what all the hype has been about!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. It was a pleasure!!