Pros:
- The prose for the most part was fine and made the book easy to read.
- The pacing was quite good for the first 2 thirds of the book.
-The switching back and forth between timelines and character POVs made the story more interesting.
- The characterisation was done well.
- Very little, if any, political commentary from the author.
- I didn't DNF.

Cons:
- The ending lacked suspense as we weren't made aware of the villain's plans or the reason for their actions; we didn't know what was at stake, so it was hard to care about the fate of the victim.
- The plot development in the third act was pretty terrible. The boring and uneventful climax to the chase happened off-page and then everything fizzled out.
- The characters were all annoying, selfish brats and there wasn't much redemption by the end of their arcs.
- Every now and then the prose went from smooth and relatively pedestrian to jarringly melodramatic with weird metaphors and similes thrown in that didn't make sense.
- It was blatantly obvious from about 25% into the book who the villain was.

I would read a book by this author again, if they spent a little more time on their plot, pay-off and foreshadowing.

BOOK REVIEW- Every Little Secret by Sarah Clarke. ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

This book is fast paced and a really easy. I was gripped by the storyline and it had many twists and turns along the way. Some surprising and some obvious. I had an idea of what the secret was but I never guessed the extent of the secret or how deep it went. The ending Truly shocked me and I was left sitting open mouthed for a while after finishing the book. The book is separated between three main characters and it is also split into Now and Then instead of chapters. It could be confusing but as the authors writing is good the story is easy to follow and move between the two time frames.

.......................................................
Grace Wakes up to which is the start to a perfect mother's day. Breakfast in bed by her 8 year old daughter Kaia and her husband Marcus by their side. After breakfast they decide to go on a mother's day walk as a family. Kaia and her father have an adventurous relationship with rather other. Kaia and Marcus decide to race and climb up a tree. On the way down Kaia falls and seriously hurts herself. At the hospital Kaia discloses to the doctors that her dad pushed her out of the tree and that he hurts her mommy too. That is is Kaia's job to protect her mom and that's what Kaia has not told anyone. Grace is taken to one side by the doctors and they ask if Marcus has ever hit her.
Grace is stunned. Marcus wouldn't do that, would he? Grace thinks back to their relationships/ friendships as teenagers. Marcus could be aggressive but not to her and especially not to their daughter Kaia. Kaia's behaviour towards Marcus changes and her allegations get worse.
Grace 're lives her time as a teenager with Marcus and their friends and family. Can Grace trust her instincts? is Marcus an abuser or could that one moment of aggression be the Key to unlock why Kaia's behaviour has changed.

Every Little Secret
by Sarah Clarke

3 stars

I was mixed on this book. There were aspects I like about the drama, the slow build up of tension, the character development. But it started to go over the top with the drama, the length, and by two-thirds of the ay through it became predictable about who was behind all the drama.

An easy read, that will entertain most drama seekers.


This title has been reviewed by www.books-reviewed.weebly.com

This title was provided by Netgalley and the publisher in return for an open and honest review.

#EveryLittleSecret #NetGalley

Its a meduim paced book that holds your interest the whole way through. I was feeling comfortable thinking I knew what was going on , but I was very wrong. It was such a tense book.

This nail-biting thriller had my heart in my chest and I could not wait to reach its conclusion. With such an emotive topic, I wanted to believe Grace, disbelieve Kaia and dislike Marcus. However, doubting a child’s claims is so harrowing in itself that I think my emotions were all over the place with this pacey story.

When Kaia begins accusing her father of hurting her, it is a mother’s worse nightmare. Grace is under the impression that Kaia’s accident that left her concussed is the cause behind such allegations. Grace truly believes in her husband and his devotion to their daughter, dismissing Kaia’s claims very quickly. Yet, Kaia’s behaviour starts to change, even at school, and this leads Grace to accepting that perhaps some intervention is required. As Kaia receives formal therapy and Grace turns to her brother who seems to be a slight expert in this field, Grace’s doubts about her husband start to increase, particularly as he is known for his bad temper.

It is a harrowing topic and one that is seen in the media far too many times. However, the way that Clarke presents these accusations focuses more on the relationship between mother, daughter and husband, rather than the supposed violence taking place. Grace’s helplessness was palpable and I could not imagine how she could support her husband, support her daughter and not break down with the stress of the circumstances.

As the story progresses, readers find out about Grace and Marcus’s past. This was an intriguing part of the narrative because of the revelations that feed into the present day timeline. As connections are established, I felt like I had a better understanding of what was happening to Grace and Kaia. Indeed, Clarke’s manipulation of readers added to the tension of the story, especially when some key truths are finally revealed.

I raced through this story in the end and I was on tenterhooks to find out how the plot would conclude. It was particularly chilling at the very end of the book and it even brought me out in goose bumps. I had not predicted how the plot would conclude and I loved how much the writer was able to surprise me right until the very end.

This was a great read and a superb page-turner. Uncomfortable topics aside, this was full of character development that, once you delve even deeper, you start to find some significant revelations.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oooo this was a good one, a really good thriller with so many twists you don’t have time to keep up!!! I thought it was brilliant and will look out for more from Sarah!

Hmm... I'm not quite sure what to make of this book. So dramatic it was bordering on unbelievable and almost theatrical.

What I did like was the development and building of the characters - I found myself not knowing who to trust. There were lots of twists and turns, and I never quite figured out what the ending would be. The pacing was good, and I think would it not have been for the excessive drama, I might have given this a full five stars.

However, for me it has got to be a 3.5, rounded up.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review*

A thrilling book full of secrets that keeps you guessing until the end!!

A domestic drama that is told in multiple points of view and alternating timelines, which are usually two of my favorite things. The amount of drama in this book was just too unbelievable because it bordered on theatrical. If a child is accusing her father of hurting her and begins acting out, a mother wouldn't just wring her hands and have an internal debate; she would take action. I understand those moments were in the book to heighten the moments of suspense, but it just felt cheap and sop-opera like.

This was brilliant (sorry for the late review) the character build was brilliant and you really didn't know who you could truly trust as the story went on...Told between two time zones helps build a picture of just who these people were before the now. I whizzed through it - definitely one for those who love domestic noir and page turners!

Author Grace has a great life, beautiful daughter, brilliant husband and great career but that’s from the outside looking in . . . When her daughter starts acting out and has an accident major crack start to appear in all aspects of her life. This was a brilliant read so so so twisty and turns and once I thought I’d worked it out it all changed again l. It’s told through dual timelines and also different character perspectives which really added to the feel of this book. It also highlighted internet safety for children and how important this is in this day and age. My first book by this author but it won’t be my last - such a great read.

Now this is what you call a psychological thriller!

Who do you believe.. your daughter or your husband? What an agonising choice for any mother/wife to make!

A tale of secrets, secrets and more secrets! Told from the POVs of Grace, Marcus and Coco and the dual timeline of Then and Now this is one hell of a read that certainly kept me on my toes from start to finish. Be aware it's not a book that you can skim through, or needs your full attention!!

The build up of suspense was written brilliantly, the character development was spot on and the unreliable narration just added to it all.

I found the pacing just right and quite happily sat and read in one sitting, in all honesty I dont think I'd have been able to put it down even if I wanted to!

Whilst I didn't actually guess the twist (for once) , once I knew it felt really obvious and made me wonder how I hadn't figured it out *no spoilers *

Fantastic read with twists a plenty and a great ending.

Huge thanks to netgalley and HQ for the ARC.

3.5 stars, and I'm rounding up to 4 because it really was a page turner. Imagine your daughter, after suffering a mild concussion, all of a sudden starts telling you her dad hurts her. You are sure in your heart he would never do so, but yet you can't not believe your child. It's an awful position to be in. Top it all off with some truly complicated secrets and you have the makings of this story. I guessed what was really going on (the "who" done it, but not truly the "why") long before it was revealed. I don't think I cared for the explanation for the behavior as it just kind of came out of nowhere, at least for me. That being said, I still was glued to the pages. I actually woke up in the middle of the night and finished up that last 15% of the book, so if that's not a recommendation, I'm not sure what is!!

I loved this fast paced storyline, lots of twists and turns, keeping you wanting to read more and more. Brilliant

Thank you Netgalley and HQ Media for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review

I had to DNF at 7%. The format of this ARC was awful. There were words strung together, lack of punctuation and weird breaks everywhere that really deterred from the story. So much so that I couldn't finish it.

For clarification, this review is not based on content whatsoever.

I will possibly revisit with a finished copy, but I don't know for sure. I will not be reviewing on Goodreads or any other platform as I did not finish the book.

Very good book
Plenty of twists and turns
And plenty of secrets
It will have you hoo ked
Thanks NetGalley

This is a well written tightly plotted book of family and friend dynamics, with the terrible question of what would you do if your child accuses your husband of hurting her. I don’t want to give away the story but I think the subtle tension was cranked up exquisitely to the point you don’t know who to believe and which of your own theories are correct. Just my cup of tea.

This was my first book to read by Ruby Speechley and it will not be my last. Maddy just lost her 5 year old to Meningitis and now less than a month from her death the police arrive to inform her that her husband, Max has committed suicide. Maddy has an older daughter named Emily and wants to try to hold down life while she looks for answers. What will Maddie discover? More secrets than she can imagine. There are several twists and turns along the way that are riveting, compelling, and intense. This story was a gripping and delicate thriller that totally intrigued me from the beginning. The lifelike story full of cunning and craftiness that is also heart rending and tear jerking while gripping till the end. You don't want to miss the truths that are discovered.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first time I have read any books from this author, but it won't be the last. Well-written, great characters, good plot-realistic and relatable. A recommended read.

Interesting and well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. Definitely creepy. Just a little slow and unbelievable at some points. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.