Yes! All the stars. Lucinda Berry does it again. There has not been a book of hers that I haven’t loved and this is no exception.

The author is a former clinical psychologist so all of her novels have some sort of psychological twist to them and that is one of my favorite types of thrillers. This one was no exception.

It all starts when Krystal, a lawyer, is told her foster sister, and best friend, Nichole’s house has started on fire, her husband was trapped inside and she admitted to being the one that tried to kill him. Nichole starts claiming her husband isn’t who he says he is and that someone replaced him and he’s an imposter. Is her husband who he says he is? Is Nichole suffering from some sort of mental health crisis? Is their past as foster children coming back to haunt them?

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy for my honest review.

Krystal gets the call she never wanted. Her sister, Nichole, has just been in a house fire. They’re all each other has. The police say she set it herself... and by time Krystal gets to Nichole, she can see she isn’t in her right mind. The Nichole she knows has dinner on the table every night, she doesn’t bang her head into the wall until she is unconscious. Now her sister is going to be charged with either murder or attempted murder, depending on whether her husband lives or dies. Krystal seeps into her sisters life, and thinks there may be a reason to her sister’s madness.

Growing up in the foster care system, life was difficult for Krystal and Nichole. The only bright moment the two foster sisters had were because of the bond they shared. As adults. Krystal has become a successful attorney and Nichole is happily married to an architect. But then she’s committed to a psychiatric facility for trying to kill him, insisting that the man is not her husband at all, just someone pretending to be him. Krystal rushes to Nichole’s side, desperate to help the woman she considers her sister. In her search for the truth, Krystal will have to face the past and the events that created the bond between herself and Nichole

This incredible thriller kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page. The characters draw you in and the plot is fast paced. I really enjoyed it and looking forward to recommending to friends. Excited to read more from this author!!

The worst part about Lucinda Berry novels are turning the page only to see there’s nothing left to read! I always love her thrillers and The Secrets of Us was no exception. Berry grabs you immediately and doesn’t let go until the very end. I can’t get enough!
The Secrets of Us follows two “sisters”-fostered in the same home since childhood, Krystal and Nichole are each other’s only family. Now adults, Krystal’s world shatters when she learns Nichole has been hospitalized after a terrible incident at her and her husbands home. Nichole is in no state to answer any questions, and Krystal must unravel what happened and why. Raw, gritty memories from their shared past are slowly uncovered as Krystal tries to hold onto her sanity and strength to help her beloved sister.


I received a copy of #TheSecretsofUs courtesy of #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lucinda Berry is notorious for writing psychological page-turning thrillers and this book is no exception. Foster sisters Krystal and Nichole are survivors of a traumatic childhood. Despite witnessing horrendous events in their youth, they seem to have moved on to become successful adults. Krystal is a family lawyer and Nichole, a happily married history teacher. All appears well until Krystal receives a call that there's been a fire at Nichole's house and Nichole is being held at a psych facility. She is being accused of arson and attempted murder of her husband. The Secrets of Us is about the special bond of two sisters and ghosts of their past. Although, this wasn't the best book I've ever read by Lucinda Berry, it held my interest. I enjoyed reading it.

Are you ready to get on an emotional roller coaster?

The Secrets of Us, by Lucinda Berry, is just that, a roller coaster. Ms. Berry is able to grab your attention right at the very start. This novel gave me a true book hangover and I have been unable to stop thinking about it since i finished last night. This novel is fast paced and you can easily finish it in one sitting. Although I wish there was an alternate ending I do understand why it had to end the way it did.

I would highly recommend this novel to people who enjoy the gut wrenching attachment and anxiety while reading.

I received The Secrets of Us as part of a NetGalley giveaway.

Krystal and Nichole are foster sisters who bonded over traumatic events in their childhood. Twenty years later, Nichole is being held in a psych ward and faces charges of attempted murder of her husband. Now a lawyer, Krystal attempts to seek out the truth and save her sister. But to do so, she must delve into their troubled past and face truths she had long buried.

This was a nice thriller, with lots of twists and turns and generally well-crafted characters. At times I thought a couple of the "villains" were a bit cartoonish, but on the whole it was very enjoyable. I think Berry's experience as a psychologist informs her narrative well; her treatment of Nichole in particular was really interesting and heartbreaking, and the nuances of mental illness were well explored. I'd be interested to read more from Lucinda Berry in the future.

This author has been on my radar for a while so I was excited to be able to read this new release. With its enticing cover, I felt drawn to the two characters, Krystal and Nichole, as readers learn just exactly what has caused a present-day melt-down.

The narrative switches between Krystal's perspective in present day, as she attempts to unpick the reasons behind Nichole's apparent break-down. Considering themselves as sisters because they are so close in age and supported each other during their childhood as foster children, Krystal acts as big sister and guardian, determined to prove to others that Nichole is innocent of the damaging house fire that leaves Nichole's husband seriously injured.

Mixed in with this, readers are taken back to the girls' past and growing up on a farm with their foster parent. Told from Nichole's perspective, I liked this switch between characters. Compared to present day, this past narrative is where we truly learn what Nichole is like; it makes the story more enriched and I felt like I knew both protagonists on a deeper level. It is in this past timeline that it is clear what Nichole and Krystal are concerned about with their past. As Nichole's instability in present day does not appear to be dissipating, the tension increases in the secondary storyline, informing readers of why the two women behave as they do.

I loved the exploration of mental stability and the impact of a life-changing event. I could not have foreseen how the novel would progress and I enjoyed the subtle surprises that Berry includes - even down to the final few pages. In my opinion, even the supporting characters are incredibly rich, although I think I would liked to have seen more of Nichole's in-laws. This is especially because a fair amount of attention is drawn to the fact that Aidan's family are incredibly rich and influential; I would have liked to have seen this stretch into Nichole and Krystal's story a bit further.

This is an explosive story that had me gripped very early on. I enjoyed Berry's writing style and found the panic emanating from both characters incredibly palpable and believable. I think it is clear that Berry's background in psychology has informed her writing of this story and thought some of Nichole's scenes were particularly chilling. Again, this all added to the realism of the story and the horror that hides behind a very suspicious fire.

A great read from Berry and certainly not my last! As enthralling as the cover itself, this should delight fans of suspense and psychological thrillers. The two women attracted my attention from the beginning and I was keen to see how such a traumatic event as a house fire has caused incarceration and further suspicions.

Lucinda's latest release does not disappoint! On the surface, this MAY seem like another cookie-cutter story of 2 sisters who share a traumatic upbringing...BUT there's oh so many dark, twisted hallways in that upbringing! Full of twists and turns, that will have you holding your breath to the very end! The story grabs you from page 1, and every time you think you have the plot figured out, a new curveball comes flying at you.

The Secrets of Us is a great beach read type book. The story is exciting and fast moving, and I zipped right through it. An excellent pick if you're looking for a quick, fun read.

The Secrets of Us is a twisty book. This was a good quick read but my only really dislike would be the s!ow burn! The story being told here will grab you and not let go! This is an amazing psychological thriller at it's best! I love the writing it's honestly her best book yet!
This book had me up all night trying to finish it. And once I did I didn't want it to end!
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this amazing ebook copy!

I’m such a fan of this author, she writes really smart psychological thrillers and as a psychologist herself she provides such a fascinating insight into her books. She has a knack for getting deep inside her characters minds and psyches that really allows for a very interesting reading experience. If you like psychological thrillers with an emphasis on the psychological aspect you have to check out her books.

This flips from the present day and Krystal’s viewpoint to the past in Nichole’s POV. Both timelines were great and super interesting for me, both women had an incredibly rough childhood and seeing how their bond in the past informed their present day relationship was fascinating for me. As the book nears the finish line I was totally caught up in this dark story of loyalty and how tragic events can bond people in an unbreakable way. Definitely recommended as a fast paced and engaging read.

Wow! Another home run for Lucinda Berry! The Secrets of Us is now my new favorite of her books!

The Secrets of Us follows two foster care sisters, Krystal and Nichole, and weaves between two alternating time lines - one in present day narrated by Krystal, and one when the girls were teenagers narrated by Nichole. In the present day, Nichole has set fire to her house with her husband trapped inside, and finds herself in the psychiatric ward. Krystal is determined to figure out what happened the night of the fire. In the past, readers get to know more about the girls growing up with their foster family in rural Iowa. But then an accident on the farm happens, and the girls must keep secret the truth of that night.

Lucinda Berry is a former turned full time author. Her educational background and experience with studying childhood trauma combine to help her dream up twisted psychological thrillers that are real page turners. She develops complex characters and places them in situations that create the perfect journey into the complexity of mental illness.

So I’ve been reading Lucinda Berry’s books for years and years and I love her writing so much. I love that she’s an actual psychologist and knows soooo much about what she writes about. But let me tell you that I read the last 30 minutes of this book with my hand planted firmly over my mouth and I gasped so many times I lost count. I learned about a condition that I’ve never heard of somewhere in the there but OH MY FREAKING GOSH I can’t even begin to tell you how shocked I was by everything in this book! I have no idea how Lucinda will even try to write anything this good again. Her books are phenomenal but this one is on a level I can’t even begin to describe. Read all of her books. But read this one the most. I want to read it all over again!!!

I am so glad that I was given the opportunity to read this book early. Even though I have already pre-ordered a copy for myself. Lucinda Berry does and excellent job of drawing you in to the story and keeping you engaged and lighting the NEED TO KNOW fire!

A touching story about two girls brought together by circumstances out of their control who formed an unconditional bond and became sisters. I loved following along with these girls and getting to know them in the past as well as the present. The hardships they endured and survived together and the love they have for each other in refreshing.
With that being said, the story is also full of the dark parts of life that can leave a person fragile and raw! I second guessed my predictions throughout the entire story and was left shocked and satisfied. I cannot wait to read more of Lucinda's work! She is an amazing story teller.

5 Stars from me!!

My Review:

This is not my first rodeo with this author and it certainly will not be my last. I have read several books by Lucinda Berry and can’t get enough of her. I am totally addicted to this author and I am not ashamed to admit it. What an amazing read this was along with all her other books I have read. I loved, loved, loved this book so much. It had me on the edge of my seat the whole entire time. I could not swipe through the pages fast enough. I did not want to eat or sleep until I found out what happened. It was just that good.

Now let’s talk about the actual book and what I loved about it. First, I want to tell anyone who will listen that this book blew my mind. Lucinda Berry uses her background as a Psychologist to create a story that will stay with you for a very long time. She is the Queen of Psychological Thrillers in my book. On to the characters. Every character in this book had something to hide and it was so interesting to watch it all unfold throughout the whole book. You do find out that the past never stays that way. You will get punished for those actions even if you have changed. I loved watching how each character grew to become the person that they were today. The author did such a great job on each of them. I was so sad to see the book end as I really got super involved in all of their lives as if I was living it with them. The plot went back and forth between the past and present. This worked so well and I loved the way the author did this. It showed how the past finally caught up with each of them and how it affected their lives. So let’s talk about that awesome ending. I never saw that one coming. I couldn’t believe the last few chapters of this book. It was like I was dangling from the side of a cliff. So very intense and I loved every minute of it. The whole story finally came together and you are like wow, now I get it. It was like a Christmas present wrapped so nice and neat with a great big beautiful bow on top.

Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Lucinda Berry does it again! I gave The Secrets of Us four stars. My access to the book was on my Kindle Paperwhite, so it monitored the percentage of the book that I had read. I swear, I read 30% of the book in one night because I just could not put it down. The twist at the end (the final one...not the ones leading up to it) caught me off guard.

Part of me felt that this book was just a little bit more predictable than her others, but it may also be me getting used to Lucinda Berry's writing style.

I had also hoped that the book would be a little bit more psychological than it was. I mean, Dr. Berry is a former psychologist, and Nicole ends up experiencing a psychotic break. My obsession with psychology yielded me wishing for more mental health diagnoses and things.

Overall, Lucinda Berry wrote another knockout with The Secrets of Us. You can (and should) preorder it now because you'll definitely want to read it.
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Lucinda Berry is one of my favorite authors and she came through once again with flying colors! This one will keep you engrossed until the very end. I loved how the characters were portrayed and I couldn’t wait to see how it ended. Highly recommend!

Lucinda Berry has done it again. I highly recommend this book. I literally could not read fast enough. I loved it and you will too. This fabulous book is everything this Genre should be and more!!
Lucinda Berry is an automatic buy for me. She could write a book about a stick and I would devour it.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me the thrill of reading early.