Member Reviews

Crazy story from beginning to end. I did not like most of the characters, at all. But, when the truth comes out I was really surprised. The beginning tore my heart out because the author did a fantastic job describing Marin's terror at losing her little child. I highly recommend to anyone who likes twists in thrillers.

Thank you to Net galley for the chance to read and review.

Was this review helpful?

I had a really hard time putting this one down when I had to. The world is Marin's oyster. She owns several upscale salons and her husband is a very wealthy business owner. When her son is taken right under her fingers at a local market she falls apart as most mothers would. A year later she's trying to get things back on track in her life. Her marriage is struggling but at least she has her best friend Sal. When she hires a PI to help find her son since the police trail has gone cold she learns nothing more of her son but finds out her husband is having an affair. Tired of leaving things to chance she decides this very young woman will not take what's left of her family. What price are you willing to pay for what you want?

Was this review helpful?

"Little Secrets" can have big consequences, as we find out in Jennifer Hillier's latest thriller. Tense, taught, and fast-moving, you don't want to miss this thriller.

Marin Machado and her husband Derek appear to have it all. Attractive, ambitious, and rich, they are happily raising their four-year old son in Seattle. Their life is charmed....until the day it turns upside down with the kidnapping of their son. He is taken quickly, but the search drags on. One year later, the Machados are no closer to answers. With a marriage on the rocks and Marin falling into a state of depression, things go from bad to worse when Marin hires a private investigator. The investigator does not make any headway with locating their son, but she does discover that Derek is having an affair. His mistress is young, attractive, and money-hungry. Once Marin discovers this news, her devastation over losing her son turns into a white-hot rage. While she may not be able to locate her child, she CAN do something about the other woman in her life. And she plans to.

As Marin begins to plot her revenge against her husband's mistress, information begins to come to light. It appears that Derek's new girl may hold a clue as to what happened to their son. Perhaps her involvement is not merely coincidental, but staged. What does she want with Marin and Derek? How far will she go to get it, and how far with Marin go to protect her family....what's left of it anyhow.

If you enjoyed the movie "Ranson" with Mel Gibson, you will LOVE this book. So many twists and turns, and the ending blew me away. Awesome. Highly recommend, but I guarantee you won't be able to put it down.

Was this review helpful?

This book had so many twists and turns. It dealt with some very difficult topics while balancing out the suspense and hopes and fears of Marin the main character. It kept me hooked. I look forward to reading the next book from this author.

Was this review helpful?

When Marin’s 4 year old son, Sebastian is kidnapped her world is turned upside down. A year later and no trace of her son, Marin discovers her husband has secrets he’s been keeping from her. From the author of “Jar of Hearts”, Jennifer Hillier delivers a thriller that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster and have you turning page after page. I couldn’t put it down! Five stars!
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

WhenMarins son goes missing while Christmas shopping, her entire life is uprooted and she loses sight of who she is. She joins a support group, grows distant from her husband, and leans heavily on her ex-boyfriend turned best friend, Sal. When the private investigator she hired in secret finds out her husbands secret, all of the secrets they’ve been keeping come to light one at a time. As Marin unravels each secret that she keeps and that her husband keeps, she finds out they aren’t the only ones with secrets.

Was this review helpful?

I went into this book blind! I knew I wanted to read it automatically because @jenniferhillierbooks wrote it so I knew I’d like it, but let me tell you, I. LOVED. IT. I haven’t read any thriller quite like this one! Do yourself a favor and when this is published on April 21, 2020, run don’t walk to grab it! And while you’re waiting if you haven’t read Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier yet, do it! (These books are not related, but it was one of my favorite 2019 reads and I will continue to recommend it until I’m blue in the face!) Thanks @netgalley and @minotaur_books for the chance to read and review this ARC! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Was this review helpful?

What happens when a mother is faced with the disappearance of her son and the knowledge that her husband is having an affair? Does her best friend have anything to do with it? These are some questions I found myself asking while reading this book. I really loved the twist this story takes at the end. Marin and Derek have just gone through one of ThTte worst things that can happen to parents. Their son has been taken. Everyone in this book has secrets and they are not little. They are also connected in one big web of depravity. In the middle is the disappearance of one sweet little boy who just wanted what his mother promised. I began to suspect that the friend might know something about the little boy. The mother and father were not all that likeable and the ending was a unexpected. All in all I liked the pacing and the story as a whole. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publishes for the free ARC. I tried not to give too much away so that other might enjoy the reading.

Was this review helpful?

Little Secrets was my first read of 2020 and it did not disappoint!

Marin Machado has it all: a thriving business, a handsome husband, and a son she adores. Her life is perfect until one day, her entire world comes crashing down when her son is abducted in broad daylight. Flash forward a year later and Marin, who is still searching for her son, learns that her husband is having an affair with a much younger women. Determined to keep her fractured family together, Marin will do whatever it takes to hold onto her husband...desperate times call for desperate measures.

This was a great domestic thriller. Flawed characters, unpredictable twists and turns, and lots of little secrets. I highly recommend this!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Marin has the perfect life. Husband her own business an beautiful son. The unthinkable happens when Sebastian let's go of Marion's hand. She searches every where the police have stopped looking. A year has passed when she finds out her husband is having an affair. This sparks her to life but how far will she go to get even? 5 star

Was this review helpful?

I wasn’t expecting this book to be as scary as it was. At times it gave me nightmares. I like thrillers but this one was a bit much for me. Still, it was very well written and I was compelled to finish it despite my fears.

Was this review helpful?

Review#2 LITTLE SECRETS by Jennifer HILLIER and reviewing for Netgalley. Wow! Thanks so much to Netgalley for letting me read and review this awesome book! From the author of JAR OF HEARTS comes another fantastic read. When little Sebastian is kidnapped, his mother will stop at nothing to find him...but she may just find that nothing in her life is all that it seems. This fantastic story kept me running from door to door as they opened up all new aspects and possibilities and kept me guessing (wrongly) right up until the explosive end! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Five stars

Was this review helpful?

I must confess that I have not read any of this author's previous books and that is my loss. This author takes the reader through a range of e I'mmotions which will leave them wondering what else could possibly occur. With the kidnapping of her young son, just before Christmas, our heroine leads the reader down a path of emotions that include panic, loss, despair, bitterness, drugs, adultery, and the hiring of a contract killer to resolve her problems. I could go on but believe this story must be read to be fully appreciated. To go on would reveal too much. But keep your eyes peeled for subtle clues scattered throughout like daises
In a meadow.

I have rated this book 5 stars and would recommend it to any reader who appreciates a keen exploration of their inner self emotions.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

Was this review helpful?

What a fun read! Little Secrets was a unique thriller that kept me guessing for quite a while! The author also did an absolutely tremendous job of portraying a mother's grief and willingness to do whatever it takes when her child is taken from her. As a mother myself, I could completely empathize with Marin. I highly recommend this book, and I thank NetGalley for the advance copy.

Was this review helpful?

I was excited to jump into this one, as Jar of Hearts was one of my favorites. But this one went kind of slow for me. Nothing to really keep me on the edge of my seat, only the curiosity of wanting to know what happened to Sebastian.

This was an ok read, can't say I didn't like it, but can't say I didn't either. Completely on the fence with this one..

Was this review helpful?

4.5 stars

I'd heard wonderful things about Jar of Hearts and Jennifer Hillier on Twitter, so I was thrilled to receive an eARC of Little Secrets from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for review consideration.

I was hooked from the first page.

Jennifer Hillier's story of a woman dealing with the kidnapping of her son hit me right in the heart. I was with Marin when she got distracted by her phone, when she counted down the minutes, hours, days of her son's absence, when she refused to move his belongings because she didn't want to tuck him in a corner and pretend that he hadn't existed.

I can't begin to explain how emotionally exhausting parts of this book read. As a mother of two, I know what it's like to have to take your kids to a busy, public place, to get swept up in the frustration and hunger and crankiness, and at that moment, to have the phone ring. It tore at all the deepest fears I have of that moment in the best possible way.

I couldn't put this book down.

The kidnapping is as layered as the characters, deeply-developed and complex in their motivations. I did find the plot to be a tad predictable, and wasn't altogether shocked by the ending, but it was a refreshing, beautiful take on kidnapping story with intricately-woven strands of intrigue.

What truly makes this story, though, is Hillier's wonderful writing style. Scenes leaped of the page, and I'd be surprised if someone doesn't make this into a Netflix series in the near future. Cinematic, clever, and dripping with emotion, Little Secrets is a 2020 Must Read.

Was this review helpful?

Wow! And I do mean WOW! This book was incredible. It was well written, emotional, dramatic, suspenseful and a true page turner. I literally devoured it from start to finish. Very high recommendation from me to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller. I do warn that as a mother, the topic was heart wrenching at times, but that just made it that much more irresistible.


*This ebook was an ARC I received via #NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Wow, so many surprises and twists!

If you like dark, twisty and edge of seat suspense.... this is it!

This novel was so riveting from the very first chapter! What I thought was going be a typical kidnapping, missing child tale, turned into a thriller not to be missed.

"Exhale. Deep Breath in. Exhale."

It is a roller coaster of suspense that has a .... this could really happen..... in a reality is stranger than fiction kind of way.

Emotion filled, spine-tingling chills, and high five that Karma baby!

Last thought- This will be a HIT in 2020.

Was this review helpful?

On paper, Marin Machado has it all. She has a successful, thriving business; an adorable 4-year-old son, and she’s been happily married to the love of her life for two decades. One day, it’s all taken from her when her son suddenly disappears at Christmastime. Her business begins to take a slight dip and her marriage, well, her husband starts to cheat on her with a woman half her age. Instead of falling deeper into despair like the old Marin would have, she gets angry. The problem is, when she gets angry, does she place her trust in the right people?

I flew through this book on the train, and when I was done, I went back to re-read the ending. I thought this book was great. It was well-crafted storybuilding and I’m glad the author didn’t try to paint Marin in a positive, glowing light. She was a destructive force and was clearly responsible for some of the problems in her life. Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced reading copy. The book is scheduled for release on 04/21/2020.

Was this review helpful?

Little Secrets starts with every parent’s nightmare―the disappearance of a child in a crowded store. That gut punch of an opener jumps to a twisty tale of trauma and grief and revenge, with empathy for everyone involved. Suspenseful and compelling, You will be obsessed with this unputdownable read. complex characters, heart-pounding suspense and a stunning conclusion. Little Secrets will leave you completely floored. You don't just read this book; you inhale it.

Was this review helpful?