Member Reviews
*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: December 1, 2020
Whew, what a ride! For fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, here’s a new domestic thriller for you to check out. Let me introduce you to the Crazy Rich White Ladies of Atherton, CA, and the drama surrounding their beautiful expensive lives.
What happens when the new social climbing next door neighbor turns out to be your husbands newest employee? How far will these women go to defend or destroy their marriages? This was a fast and entertaining (although sometimes appalling) read filled with drama and revenge!
Deliciously scandalous, such an engrossing and dare I say.. fun, read!
First off A.R. Torre writes a great book. I sped through the pages and wasn't pulled out of the story by any awkward phrasing or redundant scenes. I felt like I was watching a fantastic night time soap, (I'm aging myself here) but this could have been the plot of Knott's Landing or Dynasty with twists and I loved every minute! This isn't a book that throws multiple plot lines and twists at you, there is one basic conflict told through two perspectives, one woman, Neena, who knows what she wants and is out to get it and one woman, Cat, who knows what she has and is planning to keep it, and trust me, that's all you need for a read that you can't put down.
William has a multi-million dollar corporation and a happy marriage to a beautiful wife, Cat, when he hires a team motivator, Neena to work for him. She suddenly moves in next door to him and Cat is certain that Neena has her eye on William and is angling to get more that his professional attention. I can't even describe the plot from there... it's like there is a fast and gorgeous car careening down a hill and hitting things but every once in a while, the driver takes control again and brakes, driving along like nothing happened. Fascinating!! (as long as you aren't on the hill!)
It wasn't as much a thriller for me as it was a drama but I was invested and couldn't put it down to go to sleep! The characters were fully presented and I felt like I knew who they were and how they would act/react. Now these are the bad/mean girls I love to read about! For me it was a bit predictable but I didn't mind at all and I truly can't say enough about her brilliant writing style, I will be back for more of Torre's work for certain! It was a really fun read if you don't take it too seriously and just enjoy the ride.
I ++ recommend that you grab this one up and find out every last secret!🤫🤐
Thank you Thomas & Mercer and Net Galley for granting my wish and offer me an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
WOOOOHOOOOO this book was beyond exciting!!! I just finished it and I feel giddy inside. The plot is nothing crazy: a wealthy young couple (Catherine and William Winthorpe) living in fancy Atherton, CA. They have everything anyone can hope for in life, and then some. Well, almost everything.. Their next-door neighbors have disappeared and, after a while, a new couple finally moves in. Cat has a bad feeling about Dr. Neena Ryder, her new neighbor.. what could she possibly have up her sleeve?
This book was absolutely delectable! I loved everything about this book: the complex characters, the twist and turns,.. author A.R. Torre kept me on my toes till the very end.
Cat and Neena are the two female protagonists: I loved them, I hated them, I felt for them, I understood them, I despised them and wished them the worse. When feeling so many different polar-opposite feelings toward a character, one knows those characters are simply amazing. So many layers; I kept on peeling and peeling. Bravo Ms. Torres, I look forward to reading more of your work!
Revenge is a gripping premise to keep the pages turning and this book did not disappoint in keeping my full attention. The only disappointment was that nothing surprising happens. Every "twist" was foreshadowed to a point that made the story expected at every turn. It was still fun and easy to read but I didn't feel that spark of admiration you get from a clever book. If you love scorn's revenge or you know what it's like to be betrayed, the actions in this book will tap into a satisfaction that is addictive. The characters were unlikable, as usual, but the story moves rapidly so their lack of depth doesn't stall the plot. It's a quick read that I had hoped would shock me at the end but it was still an appropriate and fitting resolution so I was satisfied. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
**I received this book from Thomas & Mercer via Netgalley for an honest review**
This is a story where you have two women who are the complete opposite. Cat is sweet, has the status, the gorgeous home and is very wealthy thanks to her handsome husband. Neena has enough wealth to afford her to live next to Cat but is in no way close to her status. Neena wants in on that lifestyle desperately. She is conniving and manipulative and will do whatever it takes with her mind games. She is also dangerously obsessed with Cat’s husband and does not do a great job of hiding it.
Wow, this book sucked me in from the start. I loved the differing POV of the two women. I of course immediately liked Cat as she came across as genuine and not one of those stuck up individuals who just flaunted their money. She seemed eager to help and ready to please. Her relationship with William was sweet as well and they seemed genuinely in love. I constantly had my guard up with Neena. She provided nothing but drama in her everyday life it seemed. Her obsession with William and disdain for her actual husband was so obvious that even a blind person could see it.
There were so many twists and turns that I thought I knew what was about to happen only to realize I was completely off base. You have two women who are both crazy but one more obvious than the other. I went from feeling bad to thinking that is what she gets to almost feeling bad for her again. I loved the entire process of getting to know these couples and getting to the bottom of everything. Talk about drama!
Impossible to put down! I raced through this fast paced thriller and loved every moment of it. Very interesting, Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review
This book was very interesting. Thank you net gallery for letting me read this excellent book. I love psychological thrillers cause they keep you guessing all the time.
Oh sweet sweet revenge!!! This is a fast-paced, twisty, and utterly addictive book. If you’re like me and have ever been betrayed by someone, this book will probably evoke very powerful emotions. The first half of this book had me reeling and overcome with anger; yet, I kept coming back for more. The story and characters with all their flaws and jealousy were absolutely entrancing. I found myself flying from one chapter to the next without coming up for air. The ending was especially satisfying. This is truly domestic thriller fiction at its greatest. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
I was sucked into Every Last Secret within the first few pages and read straight through until I finished it. There was no way I could sleep until I knew how the "situation" resolved itself. Ms. Torre created characters with so much detail they felt like people you could actually meet.. Of course, several of these people aren't exactly well-balanced role models and this made them all the more interesting. The setting and description of the neighborhood, workplace and other friends is also perfect. I truly felt immersed in this world.
The people are unpredictable and you can't be complacent because things will happen that make you shake your head. Just when you think you know what is going to happen next, things take a different turn. I anticipated a few plot turns but was still surprised at how things all played out.
Great characters (albeit nasty and not nice), great setting and background characters. Twists and turns galore...what more could you want?!
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.
This book is a Psychological/Domestic Thriller and I devoured it. There was just something about the author's writing that kept me turning the pages. With such an intriguing plot that unfolds from multiple points of view and weaves back and forth in time I was able to read it in one sitting.
The story-line is well-written with tension building with each chapter. The characters are interesting but not always likable. With the suspense building to a fever pitch, A.R. Torre brings this compelling novel to a suspenseful conclusion that is satisfying. Highly recommend to fans of the genre.
A delicious fast paced highly entertaining book about a man, his wife and the neighbor who wants him and will stop at nothing to get him.
Told from both Cat's (the wife) and Neena's (the neighbor) perspective, you witness a real life cat fight, pun intended 😂 Cat is territorial, jealous and has her eye on Neena's every move. Neena is ruthless and will stop at nothing, keeping her eye on the prize.
The writing is captivating, chapters are short (my favorite) and the book is absolutely unputdownable.
“There were men you owned. There were men you borrowed. And then there were men you took. I would never let anyone take him from me.”
I don’t even know what to say about this book. It’s essentially about two women, who are wives, and who are cut throat in their own way. Their husbands are sort of superfluous. Just these pieces on an invisible cheese board these two women have between them. They are like trophies of some sort that they have and that they feel ownership over, but I’m not sure if they actually truly love them. I don’t know. I found the overall dynamic of the relationships interesting. How far each woman was willing to go to get what they want or to keep what they had. I hate to say that I more so related to Cat. If you read the book you’ll realize why I say that I’m hesitant to admit that, but yeah. Everyone in this story is a little morally gray or darker, so there’s that.
If you want a suspenseful read, involving married couples, with dark humor, mostly unlikeable characters, infidelity, high society social dynamics, mind games, and maybe a little murder... then I’d definitely pick up this book. It really does focus more on exploring the characters and who they are and why they are that way, but there is a bit of suspenseful whodunit time jumping that you’ll follow starting from the prologue.
Oh Wow! Well, that was intense! Believe me when I say that Every Last Secret grips you from start to finish!
Neena wants what Cat has – the perfect life, the perfect house, and the perfect husband – William. Everything Neena plans is going as she expected, but what she doesn't expect is that Cat fights just as dirty as she does! Neena's well and truly met her match!
Loved this!
I loved this fast-paced thriller from A R Torre (whose books written as Alessandra Torre I always inhale). The characters are awful people, and I delighted in that. Torre doesn't try to rehabilitate her cast. Rather, she presents them as they are, letting them learn (or not, as the case may be) from their mistakes. Those mistakes keep you furiously turning the pages, desperate to find out what happened and who caused all this trouble.
You have two couples: Cat and William Winthorpe, a duo whose looks, brains, wealth, and cunning are impressive enough, but their partnership is even more admirable, and Neena and Matt Ryder, a duo driven by the wants and needs of only one member. Neena begins working for William as a life coach of sorts (I thought the reasons for her being there were pretty funny and quite revealing of the kind of man William is outside of his home), and then she and Matt move in next door to the Winthorpes.
What Cat and Neena can't see--or perhaps refuse to see--is that they were spun from the same cloth. Both grew up poor. Both grew up with fathers determined to undermine and diminish them (if not worse). Both married men who rescued them. One marriage has a deep well of love and togetherness, whereas the other is ruled by only one member. You find yourself wondering if Cat's ability to read Neena and Neena's belief she can manipulate Cat were borne from their shared experience. That same shared experience could also explain their dislike of each other. They escaped their horrible origins, so seeing it in someone else sickens them.
William and Matt, too, are similar. They are successful men within their realms, but they are weak. Their wives are both repelled by and drawn to those weaknesses. Torre keeps you wondering which wife will capitalize on her husband's weaknesses more successfully.
This game of cat and mouse (pardon the pun) between Cat and Neena becomes increasingly fraught, and I could not turn away. I devoured this book, loving the way A R Torre made me truly despise her characters yet at the same time root for them.
By the end, one character shows growth. This person learns from the catastrophes wrought by their own machinations, although it is a bittersweet education. Torre does not reward bad behavior, although she certainly makes you understand it. You may not empathize with her characters, and you may not like them all that much, but you get them.
An un putdownable thriller with lots of twists. I din't like the characters of Cat and Neena but that made the story even more interesting.. Highly recommended and 5 stars from me
When I heard that author Alessandra Torre had written another suspense/thriller I was beyond excited. Every Last Secret follows two women: Cat and Neena (both 1st person POVs).
The book is divided into four parts. It starts with an exciting prologue and then immediately goes back four months. Each part moves us forward one month until we hit the present.
Cat is married to wealthy businessman William. Neena moves in next door with her husband Matt.
I was honestly shocked at so many of the things that happened in this book. Both women were full of surprises.
I did enjoy all of this book. However, I definitely liked the story more once we got back into the present. The problem for me when showing the present in the prologue (and then going back in time) is that I spend most of the book waiting to get back to the present.
My favorite part was definitely the last section of the book. There was so much happening. And it was so good. The ending was super strong. And wow what an impressive epilogue. Overall I enjoyed this book!
I absolutely loved this book!
It was the perfect domestic thriller. Fast paced, two POVs and double deceit.
Delicious
Alessandra Torre has become one of my must-read authors. I have thoroughly enjoyed all the books I have read from her. This addictive novel has it all - secrets, lies, deception, betrayal, suspense with well-developed characters. The perfect recipe for a great novel. It was easy to read with short chapters and the story flowed at a fast pace. This was an entertaining read and I highly recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and A.R. Torre for a copy of "Every Last Secret" in exchange of an honest review.
Every Last Secret is an amazing thriller that will suck you in and not let go to the very end. Neena is a social climber. She wants the good life and won't stop until she gets what she wants. Her husband Matt is just along for the ride and a bit of a push over. But he loves her and wants her happy. Cat loves her husband and doesn't give up on him. William is a smart business man who loves his wife. There is a little chemistry between William and Neena you can't deny. You will love the fact that Neena doesn't give up. Cat spidey senses are up and you will just have to find out how that all happens. I love the dynamic between Matt, Neena, William and Cat. They all keep you pulled in so much that you will not want to miss a single detail of what is going on between them all. I couldn't get enough of this one and you will just have to hang on and enjoy this ride.
3.5 stars, rounded up
Excellent domestic thriller! A story about a couple who seem to have it all and a woman who will do anything to have what she thinks she deserves--even the other woman's husband.
I'm not a fan of books where people get away with being sneaky and getting away with all sorts of awful things. So this book made me uncomfortable at times because I didn't like Neena at all. I thought William was an oblivious idiot who, despite his wife's warnings, just kept on doing what idiots do--walking into Neena's sneaky web.
However, I did love the way the book turned out, thus the upgrade of my rating. I thought it was pretty cleverly wrapped up and it felt like it could have been a movie with the flashbacks to different incidents to look at them from another perspective. The twists aren't difficult to figure out, but that doesn't really matter because this book was overall just fun to read and watch the story unfold.