First I will say I don't really understand the title, because there were no "little" secrets, only BIG ones!

I could not put this book down! The first chapter sucked me right in, and I knew this book was going to hook me. It was so well-written, I felt all the feelings the main character was feeling, almost on a personal level.

The main character does a few things that I didn't feel were that realistic, and Part 2 kind of went off on a tangent I thought. I wondered "Why is there a different main character now?" but it puts things into perspective when you get to Part 3. I didn't really like the very end, with what she decided to do with the bag (to be vague), but all the parts I thought could be improved upon were minor.

Overall a very entertaining read!

I wouldn’t exactly call this a thriller... the characters weren’t likeable and this book was so simplistic I felt it was targeted as more of a YA book. The villain was predictable, can’t say this was my favourite book.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC

I am in the minority for not liking this story very much. I thought the writing style was engaging, but the actual story was just too much for me. Marin and Derek are devastated when their son goes missing. They both handle their sadness differently. Marin sinks into a depression. I did think this was portrayed well. Derek has an affair with a much younger woman, Kenzie. The story alternates POV between Kenzie and Marin. I don't want to give away anymore of the plot, but I will say it takes a lot of twists and turns.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Ultimately, I went back and forth between 4 and 5 stars when I finished Little Secrets. The writing, the pacing, the character driven story-line, the ending, twists, turns, all of it were so addicting to me. But... the characters. Ugh. All of the characters were awful. All of them. They all suck. So please do not pick up this book anticipating a story that will have you falling in love with the characters. Because well... you won't. Which is why I struggled with 4 / 5 stars but in the end do we really have to love the characters to love a story? No. We don't. Because even though we don't like them, they helped create a kick ass story. 

I thought the author did a fantastic job at covering all of her basis. From the plot to the feelings the characters felt, and the process of the way some of the things happened-- I just really connected with this author's story-telling and writing. I felt like I connected with the author herself which is such an empowering feeling when you finish a book.

Little Secrets is a quick and compulsive read. I absolutely could not put it down. Even when things felt like they were just randomly added to the story-- they weren't. If you feel like there is rambling or random things thrown into this story-- IT'S NOT. Soak it all in. It's riveting, addicting, thrilling, and extremely well written. I did not just read this book. I DEVOURED IT.

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier

Triggers: This book contains content on child abduction and suicide attempts.

Yes, little secrets do turn into big lies. There are plenty of the former and the latter as Jennifer Hillier spins this mystery which has a very satisfying ending. That is not a spoiler to imply a happy ending, but rather, a satisfying one for the reader.

Set in present day Seattle, Washington, lives begin to unravel as young Sebastian is abducted in a crowded Pikes Market. He has devastated, but not perfect parents, so one bad life choice follows another.

Many characters enter the tale and most are important to the story, though I felt there was an excessive number of side stories. The character McKenzie is a spot-on millennial stereotype, so my hat’s off to the author for creating her so well. Today’s trend in novels also seems to be to include every morsel of food anyone eats in a day. Avocado toast again? Another speciality coffee? (though this was Seattle!) Four egg omelette with ..... please, stop doing this!

Anyone could have taken Sebastian, so the story is really how his parents come through the tragedy. You may be surprised, however, how this story pans out. All in all, it’s a four star read from this reviewer.

My thanks to #StMartinsPress and # NetGalley for an ARC for my review.

With multiple twists, not all of them as predictable, this thriller is worth the read compared to many others. Sympathetic characters become unsympathetic and the other way around. This is a nice change from the unreliable narrator books although there seems to be always at least one bewilderingly insane character. Do they really exist in droves, or is this like the unrealistic number of murders a little old amateur lady detective might encounter?

Oh, wow. This book has a killer premise. It's fast-paced, gripping, and completely engrossing. I didn't want to stop reading. It's well-written and emotional in all the right places without being over-the-top or melodramatic. An all-consuming read. Extremely well done.

With that said, there were things about the end that really bugged me, so I'm going with 4 stars instead of 5. I found myself left with a lot of unanswered questions.

I received an advance copy of Little Secrets from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
This book is going to be difficult to review, because TRUST ME, you will want to go into it as blind as possible to enjoy each of the twists and turns. Try to avoid spoilers at all costs!!
Marin, hairstylist to the stars, had it all. Big house, fancy clothes, adoring husband and beautiful little boy. This all changed in 4 minutes (240 seconds) when Marin let go of Sebastian's hand to answer her phone in a crowded mall.
16 months later, there is still no sign of Sebastian. Everyone but Marin seems to have all but given up hope for Bash's safe return. Marin hires a PI to investigate...and her life will never be the same.

I loved Jennifer Hillier's previous book, Jar of Hearts, so I was so excited to receive this book! It definitely did not disappoint! I read this in pretty much one day, in fact I was almost late for work yesterday because I didn't want to stop reading lol. I loved Marin as a deeply flawed character, she was incredibly well written. Her husband Derek? Not so much, I wanted to kick him in the shins and run away! I cannot wait to see what Jennifer Hillier comes out with next...but you can bet your sweet bippy it will be placed IMMEDIATELY on the TBR shelf!

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier.....all I can say is WOW! This was a great psychological thriller that kept me guessing from page one and didn't stop until the last page! Hillier does an amazing job of keeping you guessing and lets little secrets out from time to time without giving up her biggest secret. Little Secrets is about a mother, named Marin, who looses her son close to Christmas while out shopping. He seems to disappear into thin air. What happens next can't be seen as judgement to anyone, because what would any of us do if our child disappeared? So many secrets were revealed and secret lives that each had been living. Did it cost them their child? And how do you go on if you never find your child? So many different situations arose in my mind that quite frankly, I hope I never have to experience in this lifetime. I loved the writing and the ease which the book flowed. I actually devoured this book over a two day span in between working and all. The setting in the pacific north west is an amazing place! I highly recommend this book to others and I will be looking for other works by Jennifer Hillier. She did an amazing job with this one! Special thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
@StMartinsPress #NetGalley

In a crowded shopping area, Pike’s Marketplace in Seattle, on the Saturday before Christmas… “all it took was a lollipop, a Santa suit and 4 minutes” for the world to irrevocably change for this mother, dragging her into an abyss she never imagined. Maybe for the father too, as it explores the myriad of emotions this brings about and how each person grieves differently but just as deeply. Marin and Derek are the parents, wealthy and successful. Expecting a ransom request they wait, and wait and wait. It never comes. Why? Where could little Sebastian be? Who has him and what are they doing to him?

Little Secrets? Seriously? They sound pretty BIG to me. I’m still reeling from all I never expected as this story unfolds. Wow. This, of course is emotional, how can it not be when a 4-yr-old child disappears off the face of the earth in the few seconds it takes to answer a text from his father.

I was totally blown away by the construction of this novel and the talent it took as a writer to choreograph this masterful effort into one we just can’t let go of, even when we need sleep desperately. This was one of my fastest reads in some time, but it captivated me so that it was well worth losing a few hours sleep over. I never saw the ending coming like it did.

I don’t want to say anymore about the plot as it is just too deliciously calculated and must be experienced. The characters are intriguing, if not likable. You will come across a few whose eyes you want to scratch out or worse, but that’s all in the thrill of reading this psychological thriller. For me this was an introduction to author Hillier, but you can bet I want more. Jar of Hearts sounds dark and twisted, but tantalizing.

Predicting Little Secrets will be at the top of the charts when it’s released in April, 2020. My sincere thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books and of course the author for my complimentary copy of this dynamite novel. All opinions are my own.

Fabulous read! This is the second book by Jennifer Hillier that I have read; the first being Jar of Hearts. Hillier is easily becoming a new favorite of mine.

I absolutely loved Little Secrets. I was completely pulled in after the first chapter. The character's are written in a way that it is easy to become emotionally invested. I was immediately drawn to Marin, feeling completely heartbroken for her. I found myself rooting for her and then wanting to scream at her throughout the entire book. Like I said, emotionally invested.

With each page, I found myself clenching my hands and holding my breath, never knowing what was going to happen next. The twists and turns Hillier takes you on in this novel are nothing short of thrilling.

5 out of 5 for Little Secrets. Jennifer Hillier does it again!

Thank you to Netgalley, Jennifer Hillier, and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for a free ARC copy of Little Secrets. Releasing April 21. 2020.

First off I feel like I should say this, I enjoy mystery books the most when I go in blind with it. My friend is a major mystery reader so I pretty much just read whatever she tells me in this genre without knowing much about the book. I think going into this book blind like that made me enjoy it that much more. This story hooked me early in and kept me wanting more and more all throughout. I know some of it was predictable but I also found the ending to be surprising and twisty. Maybe I just went in naive with this but I really had some OMG moments with this one. It was really well written and flowed so well. The revelations were done nicely and all in all I just really enjoyed the whole thing. I found myself not wanting to put it down. Definitely worth the read!

Content warning: sex scenes, some profanity
Trigger warning: infidelity, suicide, abduction, murder, loss of loved one

4.5 stars!

This is one fast paced and engrossing thriller! I adored the writing, the tempo, the setting, the twists, everything about it!

I really think this one will be huge in 2020. So enjoyable - highly recommend!

Wow, just wow. I enjoyed Jar of Hearts but this was on a whole different level. I finished this book with tears streaming down my face. A book that is suspenseful, surprising, and evokes such strong emotion is really rare. This was an excellent read and I really enjoyed it.

I'm a big fan of Jennifer Hillier, so I couldn't wait to read Little Secrets! After her son goes missing, Marin's life is torn apart, and her world is upside down. She barely talks to her husband, and she can't focus on anything but finding her son. Sixteen months later, she's still working with a private investigator, hoping for a break in the case. When the PI finds out her husband is having an affair with a much younger woman named Kenzie, Marin decides to take things into her own hands. Kenzie can't get away with trying to steal her husband. 

I will admit, that lately I've been burned out on "missing child" books, but this one worked phenomenally for me! I loved that the book had two overlapping stories happening. One more focused on Marin, and her attempt to grieve for her missing son without giving up hope, and the other where she finds about about her husband's affair, and feels nothing but rage and anger. These plot lines intersect and interweave, and I loved it. 

I don't want to give anything away, because I feel like Little Secrets is a must read! What I will say is that I love the way the story was told. We had chapters from both Marin's and Kenzie's point of view, which I really enjoyed. Both women have their faults, and both women compare themselves to the other, so I liked seeing that play out. I also really enjoyed the reveals in this book! There are just enough layers unwrapped that the reader can figure things out on their own if they are paying enough attention! 

I rated this one 5 stars, and can't wait to see what Hillier writes next!

First, I want to say this is the first book I have read by this author and it was a fantastic book. Lately, all the psychological thrillers except for a few have been obvious and so unrealistic, that this book was truly a treat to read. Once I picked it up to read, I couldn't put it down till I finished it. The book revolves around a couple who have their child kidnapped. The parents are devastated and this takes a terrible toll on both parents especially the mother. In the time period in which the child is kidnapped Marin, the mother hires a Private Investigator and after about seven months after the kidnapping, the P.I. notifies Marin that her husband is having an affair. From that point on the twists and tuns are unbelievable. I do not want to give away any spoilers but I never saw the end coming or even suspicious of the culprits involved. I received this book from net galley and the publisher as an ARC for an honest review. I want to thank net galley for this ARC and if I could I would give it 10 stars. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers with twists and turns then this book is a must read!!!

Well, this was a great of a book.

It gets quite devious and what happens will definitely surprise you.

This is extremely suspenseful and, while you won’t like some of what our characters do with their lives, most of them are ultimately relatable. Kind of: you may hate what they do, but you don’t hate them.

This is the kind of popcorn read that you simply won’t want to put down until the very end…and then you’ll be disappointed that it’s over!

A truly fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Jennifer Hillier, for allowing me an ARC of the book for a voluntary review.

This author has a winner!!

I absolutely loved everything about this book, from the first page to the last.

The author has a beautiful written and suspenseful book, based upon things that could happen to any of us at any time. The amount of seconds it takes for Sebastian to disappear, in such a short amount of time, and then for Marin to find out that her husband is having an affair, really wakes Marin up.

The story is very well written, suspenseful, full of wondering and sometimes anger and I thoroughly enjoyed it! 5 out of 5. Can't wait for the next one by Jennifer Hillier.

This is the 2nd book I have read by Jennifer Hillier. The first was Jar of Hearts and I enjoyed it immensely. I also caught the "call back" to Jar of Hearts in this book and that made me smile. Anyway, I really loved this book. It was a fast paced read that kept me engaged the entire time. Even better, in a sea full of twisty thrillers, this one took quite a few turns that were completely unanticipated. And lately, the surprises from this genre of book have been few and far between for me. I highly recommend this book to those who love the twisty, domestic, family thriller and to those who thought they were pretty well burned out on them (like I did). This book was completely unexpected.

Marin and her husband Derrick are a prominent couple. He runs a business making energy bars that made $30 million last year and Marin is known for her celebrity clientele and owns several high-end beauty salons. Sebastian, their four year old son is the center of their universe. On a busy shopping day in an open air mall days before Christmas, Sebastian goes missing. She only let go of his hand for a moment to respond to Derrick's text and Sebastian was gone. Almost a year and a half later, all the leads have dried up and the media are chasing other stories. Marin is a shell of her former self and can't stop believing that it is all her fault. Her marriage has devolved to just two people occupying the same house. Most of the time he is away on business and she kind of prefers it that way. When the PI that Marin hired without telling Derrick asks her to come meet at her office, Marin is terrified that it is bad news about Sebastian. Instead, the investigator stumbled across something while following another lead...Derrick is having an affair. This news breathes new life into Marin. This twenty-four year old art student with pink hair named Kenzie cannot be allowed to destroy what is left of Marin's family. While commiserating with her best friend Sal, he jokes that he knows a guy if she wants the problem taken care of. Marin is intrigued because she knows that Sal has some unsavory connections. She hires the hit man and then changes her mind, but events are set into motion that will lead to Marin discovering what really happened to her son.