This story was WOW! I am totally pissed at myself because I didn't realize what the twist was until it happened. The story was so fast paced that I could not put this one down. This is one thriller that will make you think and just keep turning the pages.

Oh. My. Gosh. This was everything. I thought books I had read before had twists and turns but nothing like “Little Secrets” by Jennifer Hillier. I was awed by the complexity of the situation at hand but it was written so well that I was never confused. In her acknowledgements, she writes that it was hard to get through this book and you can tell the thoughtfulness of her writing as you read. I can not wait to buy a physical copy!

This was such a refreshing, thrilling read. I have become a bit bored by many suspense novels recently but this was such a unique story. Maren loses her son, Sebastian, while shopping in a crowded market right before Christmas. This story explores a mother’s love and the depths she will go to find her son. But, it’s also so much more. It explores desperation, class, and infidelity. This book kept me guessing and I truly had no idea who to trust until the very end. Highly recommend.

I really wanted to love this and maybe I would have a few years ago, but it was just so so for me. It has all the makings of a really great story, which is clear from the rave reviews. I am not even really sure what about it didn't win me over but I had a hard time getting into it, I think part of it was numerous really unlikeable characters. Overall I think a lot of people will really love this book, it just wasn't for me.

Little Secrets By Jennifer Hillier

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Synopsis: “Marin had the perfect life. Married to her college sweetheart, she owns a chain of upscale hair salons, and Derek runs his own company. They're admired in their community and are a loving family—until their world falls apart the day their son Sebastian is taken. A year later, Marin is a shadow of herself. The FBI search has gone cold. The publicity has faded. She and her husband rarely speak. She hires a P.I. to pick up where the police left off, but instead of finding Sebastian, she learns that Derek is having an affair with a younger woman. This discovery sparks Marin back to life. She's lost her son; she's not about to lose her husband, too. Kenzie is an enemy with a face, which means this is a problem Marin can fix. Permanently.”

Review: First off, let me start by saying “Thank You” to NetGalley for approving me for this ARC, very thankful to get a chance to read books and give my honest reviews before they are published. Secondly, WOW. What. A. Suspenseful. Book.

This book blew me away. I had no idea where the book was going to go but man am I glad that it went where it did. I laughed, I cried, and I felt every emotion of this book. From the second Sebastian was taken I couldn’t stop thinking about who took him and what happened to him. I don’t have children and I’m not married but I really felt for Marin throughout this whole book. I didn’t have the whodunit pegged until close to the end so I was continuously guessing throughout the book and I absolutely loved that. This is the kind of suspense that you love to hate. I’ll admit, while you won’t like some of what our characters do with their lives, but most of them are relatable. You won’t hate them, but you’ll hate what they do.

I’m so disappointed that this book is over, this is my second Jennifer Hillier book and I’m so excited to read some of her other work. She’s slowly becoming one of my favorite artists, Jar Of Hearts blew me away as well.

What are some of your other favorites from Jennifer Hillier? Or just favorites (books/authors) in general?

I LOVED this book. There were so many twists; I couldn't;t put it down. I was so invested in Marin's story. The way that everything played out was really creative and I loved every second of it. The webs that were weaved between the characters were enticing. Hillier took the time to develop the characters and I felt for every single one of the at some point in the story, despite the roles that some of them play. I would say that this is my top thriller of 2020 so far!

I would like to thank both NetGalley and Minotaur Books for allowing me to have this arc for review. I would also like to thank Jennifer Hillard for writing this high action packed story. I was immediately sucked into this story from page one. I enjoyed all the aspects of this story. The kidnapping, the affair, and even seeing Kenzie’s side of the story. Although I do think the synopsis gives too much away and the big reveal was something I saw coming, the story was what kept me turning the page and not being able to put it down. I would highly recommend this author and this book because it was worth it.

5 Stars!! Highly addictive! I admit, it started off a tad slow but then it just took off. There was a big plot twist I did not see coming. This story is filled with deception and many twist and turns. I absolutely love thrillers and Hillier did not disappoint!!!

Because I think you should go in as blind as you can on this one I’m keeping it short! All I’ll say is it’s a psychological thriller about a missing child. That’s all you’re getting from me.

Pick it up, read it and enjoy it! It’s so good!! If you love a book you can’t put down because you gotta know what happens, a book that keeps you at the edge of your seat then this is most definitely the book for you!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

Marin has what she thinks if her perfect life which is quickly taken away from her. Her son is taken and a year later the police have gone cold so she hires a PI to look into the kidnapping. What the PI discovers is more then she bargained for. Her husband is having an affair and this is something she can handle, but is she going to go to far and cause herself to be lost forever.

Marin blames herself for her young son’s abduction. Over a year later, she’s seeing a therapist and attending a support group, while dreading a call confirming her worst fear. Discovering her husband’s betrayal, gives her the opportunity to release her feelings of powerlessness by extracting revenge on her husband’s young mistress.

Everyone has little secrets, but little secrets can cause big problems. Each of the primary players in this book has secrets and those secrets. once revealed, have significant consequences.

LITTLE SECRETS, like all great thrillers, is a compulsively readable book. The characters are so well drawn, and it’s difficult not to get sucked into each one’s personal dramas. A piece of writing advice I see exemplified in this novel is to have every primary character act as though they are the hero of the story. Marin’s guilt over taking her attention away from her son for mere minutes in a crowded public place is the heartbeat of the story, like the organ in Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart, it’s ever present. Just being able to get out of bed is a heroic act for her, as is living in a world without her son. Derek, her husband, believes himself the hero by doing his best not to trigger Marin’s self-destructive tendencies, by staying in their distant marriage and by keeping things, like his affair, on the down low. Instagram Influencer Kenzie doesn’t see anything wrong with being a “professional girlfriend.” She’s providing an unofficial service and deserves compensation, and her monetary expectations are low compared to what the wealthy men she dates are worth. While Marin sees Kenzie as a home wrecker, Kenzie finds the men to blame for any collateral damage.

For me, LITTLE SECRETS is a four and a half star read, rounded up to five.

Hillier’s novel JAR OF HEARTS won the 2019 International Thriller Writer’s Award for Best Hardcover novel, and her follow up LITTLE SECRETS proves her ability to consistently produce outstanding thrillers. I cannot wait to see what she has next in store for her rapidly growing fan base.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group, for providing an Advance Reader Copy.

I am not sure what is going on this year but it seems that these authors are doing awesome bombshells when they are writing. This is another book from NetGalley that as I get half way through the book I am hit with something mind blown and I am left going what? How did I miss that? So huge thank you to authors who leave us readers in suspense until close to the end.

Marin and Derek have a normal life minus the fact that they have money. So when on a devastating day when their son goes missing their whole life changes. Of course as you would expect Marin and Derek are just here on this planet. Marin finds herself counting the days on how long their son has gone missing. She hires a P.I. to find him because she knows he is not dead she knows he is out there. Little does she know that what her P.I. uncovers will unravel her world like no other. This book will have you gripped from the beginning and once you start you will not put it down. I really enjoyed how the author captured the way Marin and Derek acted towards each other I felt she did it in a way that we as readers could really see parents becoming distant from each other in the wake of a tragedy. I loved the grief meetings that Marin attended and that we got a bit of story with those characters as well. Just so you know if you are expecting this book to go one way you will be in for a heck of a surprise. Love this author. She is rated up there for me as my top 10.

Jennifer Hillier you have done it again! I absolutely loved and devoured Jar of Hearts and she managed to nail it again with something unique and intricate. This tale is consuming and so well thought out. No bases are left uncovered in this masterful suspenseful tale. I loved Marin and Kenzie’s pov’s equally. The author manages to fully engage us with current matters all while giving us the background we need to understand the characters. Depth of characters is not something we always get with thrillers so I’m impressed. Highly recommend everyone pick this book up when it releases in April.

Ho. Ly. Cow. I LOVED THIS BOOK! Five huge stars. This book sucked me in and then took me for a ride! It tells the story of Marin and Derek whose son had been kidnapped a year ago. Marin learns something information about her husband and the whole thing gets VERY interesting. The characters were great and plot was so fun. Highly recommend! I couldn’t put it down!

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

Marin’s world is completely shattered when her four-year-old son, Sebastian, goes missing. After a year and a half of uncertainty and disappointment, she is absolutely desperate to know what happened to him. One day, Vanessa, a PI she hired, shares some recently uncovered information, not about her missing son, but about an affair her husband is having with a much younger woman. The story takes off as Marin slowly uncovers dark secrets that unravels the mystery as to what really happened with her son.⁣
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This was one of my favorite reads so far this year! I really loved the main character and felt like I didn’t expect the ending at all. @jenniferhillierbooks did an amazing job building the plot and making you absolutely sucked into this story. The pub date for this book is April 21st and I strongly recommend you pick it up!⁣

A great book full of twists and surprises... a wonderful addition to the domestic thriller genre. Although there's a huge coincidence that took me out of the world of the novel, overall it's a great puzzle with pieces that fit well together.

Another thriller this month that I read and thoroughly enjoyed and this book needs to be turned into a movie ASAP! Can't give to much away and going back to read the synopsis even gives away a little too much in my opinion. One of the twists although predictable to me, I was still happy to go along for the ride and enjoyed the conclusion of it all.

There's no telling what anyone of us would do if faced with a lost child or an affair in your marriage and I think Marin reflects that. I was glad Jennifer Hillier didn't hide her faults and wrote about an honest and human woman for lead in this story,

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing me with the book in exchange for an honest review.

A continuous flow of suspense. and a terrific blend of characters, setting and story.

SUMMARY
Marin’s life is perfect. She lives in Seattle, owns a chain of hair salons, and is married to her college sweetheart. They're admired in their community and are a loving family—until their world falls apart the day their four-year-old son Sebastian is taken.

A year later, Marin is still struggling to get through the day. The FBI search has gone cold and the publicity has faded. Marin and her husband Derek, rarely speak. She hires a P.I. to pick up where the police left off, but instead of finding Sebastian, she learns that Derek is having an affair with a younger woman. This discovery sparks Marin back to life. She's lost her son; she's not about to lose her husband, too. Kenzie, the other woman, is a problem that Marin can fix.

REVIEW
LITTLE SECRETS is as deliciously written as the chocolate creme truffles at La Parisienne Doux. You will be hooked in Chapter one and will not be able to put it down. The story is riveting. You will just have to find out what happened to Sebastian, in his cute little reindeer sweater.

The plot moves fast and you’ll have no problem consuming it all in one or two sittings. It’s a continuous flow of suspense. and a terrific blend of characters, setting and story. You can feel Marin’s panic when Sebastian disappears from the bustling Pike Place Market just before Christmas, her character comes to life on the pages. One of life’s pleasure is when a book unexpectedly surprises you with how good it is. This one did!

Author JENNIFER HILLIER was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, lived in the Seattle area for years, and has just moved back to Toronto with her husband and son. Jennifer is the author of Wonderland, Creep, and Jar of Hearts.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher St. Martin’s Press
Published April 21, 2020
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

My Mini Thoughts

I've heard such good things about this author from others that have read Jar of Hearts.  So I bought that book, it's on my never ending TBR pile.  Then I was approved for this one on NetGalley, so I decided to go with this book first.

Here's the thing, I shouldn't be allowed to read books about little kids being kidnapped.  Ug, the mom in me just can't handle such a realistic subject.  I teared up a lot in this book. 

I struggled with this one because I couldn't relate to any characters in the book.  There were times I liked Marin and times I wanted to strangle her!  Yes, she still had a private investigator working for her to find her son, way to go!  She never gave up hope of finding him.  On the other hand I thought she was too focused on Kenzie Li, her husbands mistress.  Don't even get me started on the husband!

I will say I never guessed who the kidnapper is.  That was a good twist, a sad one if your Marin.  

So now it's onto Jar of Hearts!  

This book comes out April 21, 2020.

Thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was the first time reading this authors work. Can I say I have found my new favorite suspense author. Her writing flows and her storyline weaves seamlessly captivating her audience. After reading this I am going through everyone of her precious novels one by one. With so many current popularly suspense women writers I am shocked she hasn’t been found as one of the top. Imagine Stephen King as a female. The book is set in Seattle and you won’t be able to stop until you finish this book. Highly recommend.

Little Secrets is my first read from Jennifer Hillier, but it certainly will not be my last!

Little Secrets is emotionally charged. Hillier toys with each of the relationships we, as humans, hold dear. What happens when you experience trauma as a parent, a mate, and a friend, all in very short order? Little Secrets quickly become all consuming!

Hillier artfully weaves a web of misconceptions and outright deceit. You will second guess who and what you thought you knew. Full of all those delicious twists and turns we crave, rest assured Little Secrets follows through to a satisfying end.

If thrillers are your forte, I recommend giving Little Secrets a try!