Member Reviews

I really enjoyed Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier. The book starts out being about a child abduction and an awful moment in a family's life but it turns into so much more. All of the adults in the book are harboring secretes and some secretes are bigger than others. These somewhat normal seeming rich people get into some crazy situations. I don't want to give anything away about this book because the twists keep you guessing until the end. This book makes you binge read even in the busy holiday month of December.

Thanks #Netgalley for an ARC copy of this book. It is a fun read and will be available April 21, 2020.

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This was a wild ride a child abducted a mother’s worse nightmare.I was drawn right into this chilling thriller so many twists and turns kept me guessing till the end.#netgalley #st.martinsbooks.

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This book was great fun to read! It centers around Marin, a mother whose son Sebastian was kidnapped, and Kenzie, a younger woman with whom Marin's husband is having an affair. Both of these main characters were flawed but in a way that the reader was still (mostly empathetic towards them). The book goes back and forth between the search for Sebastian and the growing tension that both Marin and Kenzie are experiencing.

This is one of those books where you don't want to put it down until you see what happens, and the ending was truly unexpected. You got to know all the characters and it was shocking when you realized the betrayals that had occurred. I also loved the tie to Seattle because I live there and could relate to the locations (though I am still confused about whether Sal's bar "near the stadium" is near the Seahawks or UW stadium because the references around her travel there didn't fully make sense with other locations like where Marin lived).

i have little to complain about with this book- there were a couple of times where Marin made what felt to me like really stupid decisions that I didn't think a "regular person" would make; and the ending felt a little rushed. That being said, I really enjoyed the story overall and would strongly recommend this book to fans of the genre.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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This psychological thriller is many different genres wrapped into one book. It is a heartfelt, twisty, drama filled, thriller that will have your thoughts racing. You are right with Marin throughout the story, feeling the pain she feels, the betrayal she feels, the anger she feels. Jennifer Hillier helps bring you into her novel as if you are experiencing the story yourself. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Star rating from me (more if I could)! A must read for 2020 for sure! Thank you St Martin’s Press, Jennifer Hillier, and Netgalley for this lovely read in exchange for an honest review!!

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This book wasn’t at all what I expected, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It had a few flaws, but it featured strong characters and kept me entertained throughout.

Little Secrets stars two female protagonists who couldn’t be more different. Marin is the wealthy, successful owner of a chain of high-end salons, married to business mogul Derek. Their son, Sebastian, was kidnapped a year ago in plain sight. Kenzie is a broke twenty-four-year-old MFA student, barista, and “professional girlfriend” having an affair with Derek. They were complex, well-written protagonists, and very flawed, which only made them more compelling.

It took me a few chapters to get used to the third person, present tense narration, but ultimately I think it worked. Jennifer Hillier’s writing style gives plenty of insight into her protagonists’ thoughts and feelings, which drove the story. Her side characters were as complex and flawed as her main characters.

The pacing was excellent. The plot was complicated, but mostly in a good way. There were a few different things going on - Marin trying to find out what happened to Sebastian, Kenzie trying to get as much money as she can from Derek, Marin finding out about the affair and dealing with it, and more I won’t give away - and I didn’t know until around the three quarter mark where it was all leading, which kept me guessing. There were also quite a few red herrings in the mix, and I was genuinely surprised by the twist.

There were some minor details that I didn’t like. Kenzie’s sick mother felt like she was added at the last minute to make Kenzie a more sympathetic character, and Hillier demonstrated a complete misunderstanding of the “dark net.” The biggest flaw was that the ending was slightly rushed, a little too “out of nowhere,” and wrapped things up just a tad too neatly. Thankfully the rest of the book was good enough to make up for it.

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Absolutely intensely good. Definitely a read-in-one-sitting book.

Every mother's greatest fear is losing their child. I lost mine momentarily in Boston's Logan Airport and I still remember that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

So many good characters, good ending. This would make a fabulous movie.

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Little Secrets is about every mother’s worst nightmare...your child (son) is abducted when you turn your back for one minute. After the abduction, we witness the roller-coaster journey the Mother accepts as her new reality including the slow and torturous demise of her life as well as her previously happy marriage. Her will to live takes a hit. This thriller is going to be a hugely successful book when released in April 2020. That thin line between love and hate is always a juicy theme in any novel but author, Jennifer Hillier, has created some thriller magic here. This ARC was gifted to me but the review and my thoughts are my own and without bias. #littlesecrets @minotaur_books @jenniferhillierbooks @stmartinspress #thriller #crazy #reading #books #bookstagram #book #read #bookworm #booklover #bookish #bibliophile #reader #bookaddict #booknerd #bookshelf #novel #booksofinstagram #booklovers #ilovebooks #fiction #lovebooks #bookish #book #bibliophile #lindaleereads2019 @netgalley

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Jennifer Hillier has once again knocked it out of the park with a 5 ⭐️ psychological thriller. I devoured her novel Jar of Hearts in one sitting, so I was ecstatic to receive an early e-copy of Little Secrets, courtesy of St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur/NetGalley, in exchange for a honest review.
Marin and Derek Machado are THAT couple. They are gorgeous, rich, successful, and want for nothing in life. They have a young son, Sebastian, who is the center of their world. Days before Christmas, that world is flipped upside down. Marin and Sebastian are out in the market, and in a moment of distraction, a mother’s worst nightmare comes true. Sebastian quietly slips away from Marin and disappears.
More than a year later, Marin is a shell of what her former vibrant self used to be. Wracked with guilt over losing her son, and the torture of not knowing if he is alive or dead, destroys Marin day by day. As a result, Marin and Derek’s relationship suffers. They drift apart, and essentially co-exist in a life that was once perfect.
Marin soon discovers that Derek’s distance from her has an explanation. McKenzie Li, a 24 year old college art student, has managed to steal Marin’s husband away from her and begin an illicit affair. Not wanting to confront Derek with what she knows, Marin keeps her knowledge of the affair a secret, and plots her own revenge against McKenzie—who may or may not have knowledge of what happened that day Sebastian disappeared.
Told from different POV, this novel unfolds at lightning speed in a race to find out what happened to Sebastian, and what McKenzie Li really wants with the Machado family.

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Wow, what a ride. While I found a few aspects of the story distracting (lots of side stories and anecdotes), the overall story was engaging. A ton going on and it all fit together in the end. This is the first book I have read by Hillier and I would read another.

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This is going to be one of the best reads of 2020. There are so Many twist and turns to this book, you just never know how you can trust. Marin only wanted to find her missing son but she found so much more. Marin's life may seem perfect from the outside 20 years married to the "perfect" man, business owner, beautiful home and child is not all it's cracked up to be. There are tons of problems once you really start to get behind the scenes. As they say never judge a book by the cover. I thought I knew what was going on 50% into the book but when I got to the end I was shocked. I will definitely be recommended this book to everyone. This should be on all TBR list for 2020.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of LITTLE SECRETS by Jennifer Hillier in exchange for my honest review.***

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Little Secrets was a great book. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters unique tone of voice. I never felt bored of the storyline and I couldn't wait to continue reading until the end.

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Kept me reading... coulnd't stop. Good twist. I did not figure out the end until the very end. A bit too many stories but they all came together. Dont want to give spoilers, but this book was a good read!! Add it to your TBR pile for the Spring!

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Wow! Little Secrets had me on the edge of my seat wanting more. This was quite enjoyable. An action packed novel with plenty of twists and turns. I’m amazed that so many storylines are woven together so perfectly. I totally didn't see the ending coming. I highly recommend it. I would like to thank Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of this book.

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I wasn't quite sure where this book was going at first but then the twists started coming and I was hooked. I loved the main character Marin who is a high end hair salon owner living her best life until her son is abducted in a crowded marketplace.
I read this book in a few short days and I stayed up late to finish it. Once I got into the story I couldn't put it down. Definitely a 5 star read for me.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book for review.

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Absolutely loved this amazing thriller. So many twist and turns you hate to put it down.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this one!

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This is a thriller, one with increasing, incredible twists, deep secrets. It starts with a child abduction, and an affair that is heart wrenching. It had me so engrossed I read it in two days... haunting me, not wanting to put in down. The characters stayed deep in my heart with shifting emotions about what was happening, seeking to find the thread that tied them all together. This author knows how to turn up the suspense, you won't be able to figure it out, a little child abducted by someone in a Santa Claus suit is just the beginning to hook you. There is so much more to this story, lies and scams. This quote - "It's interesting to watch a liar when you know they're lying". "Things you wouldn't ever think to look for if you didn't know they were lying". This is a brilliantly written story about Marin and Derek, one that had me taking deep breaths...

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Holy smokes! 4.5 stars for this Jennifer Hillier winner!!

Marin and Derek’s son is kidnapped right under their nose, leading to disconnect between the couple, heartache and ultimately betrayal.

The twists and turns this story takes makes this one of the best JH books ever - one I truly enjoyed and couldn’t thank the author and publisher enough for for the ARC!

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Oh my gosh this was an amazing psychological thriller. I was hooked from the very first page and just could not put it down! This is a masterpiece with a little deliciously dark woven plot. Characters were so well developed which made them easy to fall in love with and care deeply about, as well as some that just made me crazy mad.
There is no way to know who did what! It all comes together with shocking and disturbing ease. Jennifer Hillier just knocks it out of the park again. She just gets better and better. And this did not disappoint.
I highly recommend this book!!
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this fabulous book.

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A wonderfully written and suspenseful book, I highly recommend reading this book. I've never read one of Ms. Hillier's novels, but I'll be rectifying that soon.

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OMG I don't even know where to start on this one. Jennifer Hillier has outdone herself! Throughout this book I was left hanging on the edge of my seat to see what would come next. The twists and turns never disappointed. Marin is a successful woman married to a successful Derek, after having tried to get pregnant finally she has Sebastian after several rounds of IVF treatments. One a busy winter day while shopping during the holiday season Marin lets go of Sebastian's home for a moment - in that moment of time he goes missing. Marin and Derek have to live with the after affects of what comes next - none of which they expect or that the reader expects. Don't miss this book....its a winner!

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