OMG, this book was outstanding! Who’s double-crossing who??
I usually shy away from books like this because it is about a young child disappearing when he’s out with his mother. The boy’s family is a well-off, good-looking, you know “that” couple. So who took their son and what secrets are they hiding from each other.
This book has so many twists and turns that you might suffer from whiplash!

I wasn't a big fan of Hillier's Jar of Hearts, so I knew I was taking a little bit of a gamble on this one. So much of the story is swimming within the grim world of missing children, and all the what-ifs that any parents asks about the unknowns of a still missing child. All of the main characters of the book are guilty of something terrible, and almost all of them are out for themselves and no one else. Even when Marin finds a way to square things with her conscience at the end of the book, and you feel for her in the ways she's been changed by her missing son, it still doesn't feel like much of a redemption. It may be a case of this just not being the right book for this reader.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the early opportunity to review Little Secrets! This is my second Jennifer Hillier novel, and it did not disappoint! The pacing was phenomenal and kept me interested throughout.

The novel focuses on Marin, half of a wealthy power couple, who loses her young son Sebastian on an outing at Pike's Place Market in Seattle. Marin is devastated, and after over a year of searching, the FBI has not located her child. While her life is in shambles from the disappearance of her son, Marin finds out secrets about her best friend and husband that make her go to crazy lengths to regain control of her life, and ultimately, get closer to discovering what happened to her son.

This book has a ton of twists and drama, which I loved. The last quarter of the book was a little far-fetched for me, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. I highly recommend you read this page-turner when it comes out on 4/21!

Once again Hillier has written an incredibly addicting and suspenseful mystery/thriller. Once I started LITTLE SECRETS I had a very hard time putting it down. The mystery of what happened to Sebastian is compelling, but it's how Marin has reacted to the disappearance of her son, and what lengths she will go to to keep her husband by her side that were so very twisted. I really liked Marin, terribly flaws and all, and thought that she was an interesting and complex protagonist. Kenzie was a little less fleshed out, but Hillier does her due diligence in giving her a well thought out backstory and motivations. I was definitely wanting to find out just what her deal was, and once we got to twist after twist I was mostly taken by surprise by all of them. All around LITTLE SECRETS really delivered.

LITTLE SECRETS is a very well done thriller, and just solidifies Jennifer Hillier as one of the best in the genre right now. If you haven't checked her out yet, you really need to do so.

From the author of Jar of Hearts comes this edge of your seat, domestic suspense thriller of a story!

Marin and Derek are living the perfect life. College love and two driven people. Marin owns a very successful chain of hair salons and Derek owns his own business as well. Money isn't something they think about. They even have a perfectly lovely little boy, Sebastian.

But in the blink of an eye, Sebastian disappears from his mother's hand and is gone. The video surveillance shows him happily walking out with a Santa.

Cut forward a year and you wouldn't know this is the same woman. The leads are dead, no one seems to be looking for her child. She goes to therapy, a group of people with little in common except for the fact their children are all missing. 

Marin has secretly hired a PI, Vanessa, to try and find Sebastian. What she finds is evidence of an affair Derek is having with some young tart.

Marin has been sleepwalking through life until now. Now she is clearheaded and out for blood! Who is this younger woman?

Kenzie is a graduate student and aspiring artist. She is famous. On IG. Derek isn't her first rich catch. But Marin intends to make sure he is the last. Marin may not be able to do anything about her son, but Kenzie is one problem that she can deal with.

With help from a dear college friend, she finds someone to take care of that issue, only to find out Kenzie may know something about her son! And Derek isn't exactly innocent either. 

This book was like jumping into the deep end of the pool. No build-up, no ramping up gradually, nope, not at all. There were really good characters here. Slimy, yes, but good. People I didn't want to like but did so grudgingly. People who were just like me and yet did not see what was right in front of their eyes.

I can say I was properly scared to death and I can't wait to go back and savor it slowly this time!




NetGalley/  April 21st, 2020 by Minotaur Books

This is the first book of Jennifer Hillier’s that I have read....and if her other thrillers are like this....I will be reading more!! I love books that grab you in the very first chapter, which this did. How else to get your heart pumping but to read that a child has been abducted? Marin and Derek had what seemed to be a perfect life until it wasn’t. The kidnapping of their only child, Sebastian, seemed to start a roller-coaster of things not to do in a “perfect life”. The secrets held within this story are many, and they don’t just belong to Marin and Derek. And yet they all lead to a surprising “double-ending”. (To me, this is when the actual story ends....but then there is that post-script that totally ends it.) The storyline is told through some present-time chapters, and some chapters that give an understanding to the story of today. I appreciated that the author gave some insight into Marin’s emotional trauma due to the kidnapping of her son, and brings in the importance of group support. Some of the other characters featured in this book lend their own levels of secrecy to the outcomes...so don’t write them off as just fill-ins for the story! I would definitely recommend this book to readers who love the suspense of a good domestic thriller. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an ARC ebook to read and review in return for an honest review, which this has been. #NetGalley #MinotaurBooks

Marin and Derek are a picture-perfect married couple. They started as college sweethearts, and are now successful and wealthy professionals living in Seattle. Then, one day, their lives are turned upside down when their young son Sebastian is kidnapped in broad daylight. We then re-join them a year later when Marin is a broken woman, struggling to get through the day. There are no leads as to Sebastian’s whereabouts, so she hires a private investigator to take on the case. And the PI makes a big discovery: Derek is having an affair. Marin soon becomes obsessed with the other woman and makes it her mission to ensure she doesn’t lose her husband, too.
I really enjoyed this book. The kidnapping scene was gut-wrenching to get through as a parent, and I really liked most of the characters. Admittedly, the book lost me a bit in the middle, as I felt Marin made some far-fetched choices that seemed totally unrealistic. But it hooked me back in the final third, with many unexpected, heart-stopping moments. This book is a fun drama that’s hard to put down. It’s sure to be a great beach read!

Wow! This was a great book! I read it in one sitting (four hours) because I just could not put it down! I was thoroughly engrossed in the story from the first page to the last. There are so many surprising twists and turns as Marin unravels the secrets surrounding both her missing son and her husband’s affair with a much younger woman. Jennifer Hillier is an exceptionally gifted writer with an amazing talent f creating believable situations and characters who come alive from the pages. Parents, hold your children close today!

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of Little Secrets.
I just love Jennifer Hillier's writing style and LITTLE SECRETS did not disappoint. One often wonders how they would handle similar situations I liked how Marin handled it. Much stronger than I would be.

Jennifer Hillier is one of the best thriller writers today. She engages readers quickly into the story, knows exactly how to build suspense and pull readers into unexpected directions, to the point where you can't stop binge-reading. She has thought-provoking quotes sprinkled throughout. Her writing made me feel so many things: anguish, anxiety, sorrow, anger... ALL of the feels. I loved this book.

I loved how the full story is revealed slowly through switching timelines, flashbacks, and perspectives. Slowly, everything is uncovered and the big truth at the end is unexpected, shocking, twisty, and left me with my mouth hanging open.

I enjoyed how it takes place in the Seattle and greater Washington areas, and showed both the high-end lifestyles & neighborhoods, and the gritty side of town. The characters straddled both sides and it was a fascinating balance.

The plot entranced me. How will Marin deal with the heartbreak of her abducted child, and her cheating husband? Will Kenzie convince Marin's husband Derek to leave Marin for her? What happened to Sebastian? I had to know, and I binge read most of this book.

This book is about heartbreak, loss, grief, guilt, betrayal, marriage, love, hope, rage, lies, family, friendship, desperation, and greed. It's a very entertaining read with well developed, complicated characters, and a fast-paced plot. I highly recommend it.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I will be posting a full review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

Jennifer Hillier is a new-to-me author and what better way to explore new authors than joining buddy reads? And I am glad that I did just that! Little Secrets is an intense, twisty psychological thriller about a successful, high profile married couple whose 4 year-old son, Sebastian was abducted in a busy market place right before Christmas. More than a year later, Marin is still looking for her son despite no new leads. She hires a P.I to continue the search but instead of new leads on her son, Marin finds out that her husband, Derek is having an affair with a much younger woman. Marin is not going to lose her husband too and she will do anything to save her marriage.

I enjoyed the story immensely! It is fast paced and was challenging not to read it in one sitting! There are twists and turns throughout the story which I liked. Being a mother myself, I could definitely relate to Marin's emotions and grief over her lost child, and even her desperation to save her marriage. Oh my goodness, when Marin finds out about the affair and how she deals with the affair by herself is just heartbreaking yet bold. I can't really say much without spoilers, but there are a lot of suspenseful moments in the story.

Truth be told, I did figure out the plot three quarters into the story. But I still enjoyed this story as it is a great read if you like psychological thriller or would like to try out this genre. The ending was unexpected! Go read and find out for yourself! I highly recommend this book!

Pub. date: 21 Apr, 2020

***I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed in this review are my own and was not influenced by the author, publisher or any third party.***

I feel like the given synopsis gives away about half the book. Luckily I went into this book blind (I had previously read the synopsis, but had forgotten most of it), and I'm really glad I did. My heart was racing during the scene where Sebastian is taken. I was surprised when it was revealed that Derek was having an affair, although it had foreshadowed that it would be happening.

While I was underwhelmed by the ending and felt it was predictable, I was hooked by the entire story. I actually loved Marin although she was pretentious, self-destructive and inconsistent. I liked Derek as well even though he was kind of a show-off asshole.

Overall, I'd rate this book 3.5 stars. I really liked the story. I was hooked the entire time and the only let down was the ending for me. It seemed rushed and there were hints throughout the book about what would happen. I would've let up on some of the foreshadowing and probably drawn the ending situation out longer. I would still recommend this book to those who like thrillers, but don't constantly read them.

Domestic thrillers are a hit and miss for me. Sometimes they are spot on and sometimes they fall flat. This one is somewhere in the middle. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either.

Maybe my discourse with this one weighs to the side that I read so many thrillers that it's hard to blow my mind anymore. There are some great twists and connections in this book. Although, I saw most coming, the build up and reveal for them was done to perfection.

Another part of my indifference to this one is probably my dislike for the main character, Marin. I just didn't like her. I didn't despise her. I just had no love for her. Sure, I felt for her. Her son is gone. Her husband... well, her life has fallen apart. I get it. But there was just something about her that didn't feel genuine to me. She is so selfish. I'm not a fan of selfish characters.

One thing is for sure... This book reminds us that there is no such things as little secrets. The term little secrets equals big lies with even bigger consequences. This book is full of some big lies that have some steep consequences for all in involved. For thriller lovers, this book is worth the read. For those that rarely read thrillers, you might be blown away by it.

As parents, we are pretty much aware of how a young child can easily disappear in a crowd. But to Marin, it becomes a reality when she is momentarily distracted with a phone call. In what seems like seconds her 4-year-old son, Sebastian vanishes.

According to video from the Seattle Pike Place Market, Sabastian was lured away by someone dressed in a Santa Claus suit. The video also shows Sabastian carrying a large lollipop that he had been asking his mom for.

Marin’s life begins to fall apart. Not only has her son disappeared, but she is also dealing with guilt over not keeping better track of him.

This slow-burn story starts as you might expect. Marin’s relationship with her husband deteriorates. And in time, with no leads, the police begin to turn to other cases.

Marin’s once wonderful life heads downhill quickly. Her husband Derek who owns his own company has to travel out of town often. But after Sebastian’s disappearance, those trips become more frequent. Marin, who owns her own upscale hair salon, is no longer interested in working. She relies more and more on Sadie, her help, to carry on without her

With nothing happening with the investigation, Marin turns to a private investigator. But she decides not to share that with anyone. Will this be the start of a chain of lies, or secrets, or did those start much earlier?

It’s only a matter of time before the lies start unraveling. But will you know what is the truth and what isn’t?

Marin finds herself relying more and more on Sal, her old college boyfriend and now best friend. We are being left with all sorts of open doors as the story progresses.

But just when you think the story is simply treading water, the PI comes up with some new evidence that just might turn our treading water characters into reckless and wild swimmers!

My Thoughts

To be honest, my first thought when I started this book was, Hmmm, a child who disappears. I’ve read that type of book several times. But this story slowly drew me into the lives of each character. The page-turner aspect of the book almost sneaked up on me. At first, the pages turned more as a curiosity factor. But in time the pages were flying!

This is the first book I’ve read by Hillier and I wasn’t disappointed. As I mentioned, the characters felt real and the dialog completely natural. Not to mention a complex plot.

Though I try not to overthink and analyze this type of book, I hate it when an author creates a grand finale that is completely unbelievable. A little bit of suspending disbelief, sure, no problem. And, I guess this story might have had some questionable coincidences, but it all worked for me.

What Concerned Me
Though a small concern, at times it felt a little long and didn’t move quite as fast as I would have liked.

What I Liked
It felt original and the characters’ actions and reactions, though at times extreme, all felt true to life. Especially given their background and prior history.

THIS BOOK gave me so many feelings! I was seriously on the edge of my seat for most of the book and immediately after finishing I contemplated re-reading so I could follow along with some clues I missed. Have not felt that way about a book in a long while.

Marin the well-off mother and wife finds her whole world coming to a halt when her son is kidnapped. A year has passed and Marin still has a shred of hope that her son will be found alive but when she finds out her husband has been cheating on her for over six months things start to change. Will Marin continue to sit back and let things happen to her or will this be the spark she needed to continue to fight for her life. Enlisting the help of her best friend, Sal they start to conduct a plan that really starts to get things spinning.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books and author Jennifer Hitler for this ARC!

AMAZING! “Little Secrets” is an insanely addictive roller-coaster thrill ride!!

Marin Machado has the perfect life. Married to her college sweetheart, she owns three upscale hair salons with celebrity clientele and her husband Derek is a business mogul. They’re successful, admired in their community and are a loving family—until their world falls apart the day their 4 year old son Sabastian (Bash) is taken.

It only took a matter of seconds for Marin to lose Bash while Christmas shopping at Seattle’s Pike Place Market. It’s now been almost two years since that tragic day. Police consider it a cold case, so unbeknownst to her husband, Marin has hired a Private Investigator to assist in looking for their son.

The PI reports no news about Bash, but instead uncovers Marin’s husband Derek is having an affair. Marin keeps it to herself only telling her bff. She’s enraged and begins to think the unthinkable—how far would she be willing to go to save her marriage? Derek on the other hand is up to his neck with his own troubles. There’s another secret even bigger than the affair he’s been keeping from Marin.

Oh Lordy. This was gripping, gritty, and oh sooo twisty—that I read it in one day. I could not put it down. The suspense, my shocks of surprise were off. the. charts! A top contender for the best book I’ve read in 2020. Read it.

*Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Marin and Derek are reeling from their son Sebastian’s abduction and their marriage is is crumbling. Marin finds herself in a very dark place and frequently finds herself unable to cope. Derek has coped with his grief by throwing himself into work and has been having an affair with a much younger woman. When the private investigator Marin hired to investigate Sebastian’s kidnapping tells her about Derek’s affair, Marin refuses to lose what’s left of her family and decides that Derek’s mistress, Kenzie, must be gone - permanently.

All of the characters are flawed, not always likable and make questionable choices. Pretty much how people are. This book paints a vivid picture of the devastation left after a child has gone missing and the struggles of the family to cope with that loss. The subject matter was difficult but also real. Jennifer Hillier does a good job drawing you in and making you want to hurry up and get back to reading so you can see how it all will play out!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s/Minotaur the the ARC.

Intriguing cover with a mysterious woman. Interesting title given that no secret is little. Frightening storyline: 240 seconds was all it took for someone to steal Marin's four-year-old son. Fast forward one year and the search goes cold. Marin hires a private investigator to continue the case where police left off. Instead of finding her son, she finds out her husband is having an affair with a younger woman. And even worse, the woman may have kidnapped her son.

Little Secrets has the makings of a good suspense story. It held my attention in the beginning then tapered off. I hung in there because it passed my 50-page mark and was not so bad that I could not finish. I hoped it would reel me in, throw a curveball or take a turn for the wow. Instead it was easily forgettable once I finally finished. Maybe other readers will enjoy Little Secrets more; for me, it was just okay.

Happy Early Pub Day, Jennifer Hillier! Little Secrets will be available Tuesday, April 21.

LiteraryMarie

Little Secrets is a haunting fast-paced read that is a real page-turner. A gripping and unnerving story that captivates you from the very beginning. The characters are well-written and set in a story full of twists and turns as well as a few surprises along the way.