A powerful trip into one truly toxic friend group, The Secrets We Buried was full of epic twists and turns that kept me guessing. From the slow unwinding of their hidden secrets to the firestorm of a climax, my eyes were locked on the page from the very first word. What in particular did I love? Well, read on and all will be revealed…

The strongest piece of this book was easily the the friend group that took center stage. With three women who had plenty of dastardly secrets and a fourth willing to do whatever it took to keep them in line, they were spellbinding characters to say the least. Even better, we got to see each of them from their own perspective through the well-written multiple POVs. I do think one more POV would’ve cemented this plot into five star territory: that of the perpetrator behind it all. I can’t add much more or I’ll surely spoil the plot, but, needless to say, I’ve always loved a villainous narrator, so it would’ve been a great addition here.

Now onto that plot. A riveting mix of a slow burn first half that transformed into a jaw-dropping climax, I greedily gobbled up the pages. I especially loved the true crime YouTuber angle. With enticing transcripts woven into the storyline, they provided explosive reveals right, left, and center.

The only piece that bugged me was how melodramatic and overdone the last third felt. Stepping away from perfection, it felt decidedly over-the-top. So much so, in fact, that it actually took away from the book. Did it ruin it for me? Not in the least. But I did feel like the climax and conclusion could maybe have been smoothed out some.

As for those delicious twists and turns, they were whiplash inducing to be sure. Even better, they were all preceded by a brilliant cliffhanger at the end of a chapter, just begging for me to read just one more page. And each time that I thought I had figured it all out, a wholly mind-blowing revelation blew my guess out of the water. One after another, the story shifted and twisted into it was all laid brilliantly bare.

All said and done, most of this book was an utter home run. With a delectable Big Little Lies meets Desperate Housewives vibe, I was sucked in from the very first page. Full of calculating characters, shocking secrets, and one misdirection after another, the suspense was stretched out over much of the book, building and building until an epic explosion. I mean, there was even yet one more twist on the very last page. Leaving off with somewhat of a cliffhanger, this avid reader is just praying for a sequel. Either way, this novel is not one to be missed. Rating of 4 stars.

Who killed rising film star, Geneva O’Connell? Everyone thinks it was her husband, Elliot, but a new true crime podcast is pointing fingers at Geneva’s best friends Zara, Frankie, and Nadine. All three women who were cleared by the police, so what information would some amateur Youtuber have that the three forgot to bury?

They all had secrets—secrets Geneva threatened to tell that would’ve ruined all their lives. Is that why they killed Geneva? This podcast surely thinks so.
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Good gracious did this take me for a ride! I was immediately sucked in with the podcast and was dying to know all about Geneva’s murder. Day did an awesome job with stretching out the suspense and keeping me guessing the whole time. The final reveal was excellent but oh my god that twist at the end though! I’m definitely recommending this one and can’t wait to read another of Becca Day’s books. Make sure you give this one a shot while it’s still on Netgalley!

Thank you to #NetGalley, #Embla Books and Becca Day for the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Secrets We Buried, to be published September 5, 2023. A psychological thriller about four women who are all close friends in a well to do neighborhood in England and one of them is murdered. The three remaining women all have secrets that must be kept, however, the dead woman, Geneva, knew them all and they thought the secrets went with her to the grave. However, over the course of the five years since her untimely death, these secrets began to be divulged and there is suspicion thrown on everyone. I enjoyed the Podcast Transcripts which helped pull it all together. 5/5 Stars. #NetGalley #EmblaBooks #BeccaDay #TheSecretsWeBuried

What a rollercoaster. This book definitely does not lack on the twists and drama. This had me engrossed almost immediately and kept me guessing. While an entertaining murder mystery, it does almost have too many twists & towards the end it became almost too easy to predict the outcome. A quick and easy read for those who love a good “whodunnit” crime.

This book is a rollercoaster of secrets and drama that kept me hooked from the start. The fast-paced narrative had me invested in discovering who was behind Geneva's death and the hidden truths of the other characters.

However, I noticed that the story starts to veer off course quite early on. The abundance of simultaneous events can be a bit overwhelming, leading to some confusion. While Juniper wasn't a favorite character of mine, I thoroughly enjoyed the podcast episodes and how they impacted Frankie, Nadine, and Zara. The ending, though, felt a bit clichéd and predictable. By that point, I was experiencing twist fatigue, and the final revelation seemed somewhat far-fetched.

That being said, this popcorn thriller took me on an exhilarating journey of betrayals and revelations, providing the perfect dose of entertainment I was looking for. #TheSecretsWeBuried #NetGalley

A brilliant and extremely well written story. A dark story of toxic friendship with loads of twists and turns. A nice easy and enjoyable read.

A nice little twist at the end but I found this book to be too slow paced for me age didn’t really capture my attention. Rounded up to 3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Embla Books and the author for the chance to review.

🤐 HOW FAR would you go to keep your secrets buried?? The STRUGGLE with who to TRUST is real in “The Secrets We Buried” by Becca Day 🤫

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Four best friends and neighbours (Zara, Frankie, Nadine and Geneva) were living the good life together until 5 years ago. One night Geneva is found dead on the beach, and since then the remaining 3 friends have distanced themselves from one another. Is it their shared grief that is keeping them apart … or is it guilt from THAT night since they were the last people to see Geneva??

The killer was never found and the case was put on the back burner until an amateur YouTuber revisits the case for its 5 year anniversary! Geneva held onto a deep dark secret of EACH of her friends that would ruin their lives forever if leaked. NOW these dark secrets are threatening to be exposed … BUT who else knows their secrets?? AND WHO is divulging sensitive information to the YouTuber who is already suspicious of them??

THIS BOOK 🚨!!!! So many twists and turns and an ending that I just did not see coming! I loved the YouTube transcripts and the multiple POVs of the main characters! Just when you think you are going to find out each women’s secret, you are left with a cliff hanger as the next chapter switches to a different POV! This book is a mixed vibe of Big Little Lies, Dead to Me and Desperate Housewives! Just SO fun, so calculated, so dramatic and an entertaining wild ride!

Thank you kindly to @authorbeccaday @emblabooks @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on September 5, 2023!

Uhm woah?? This was nuts! I could not put this book down. The story of secrets, lies, twists, and a true crime podcast? I was sold from day one. On the 5-year anniversary of the death of their best friend Geneva, her three best friends are approached by a woman digging up the real truth behind her murder. They refuse to talk, knowing only between the three of them that their secrets are in danger if they talk.

I appreciated how the chapters kept me guessing and cliffhangers left me wanting more. The final reveal and FINAL final reveal had me shook. I will be referring everyone to read this asap!

WOW, The Secrets We Buried. Definitely recommend. I hope Becca Day decides to write more about Callie. Had me hooked from the beginning. I loved the writing style.

Thank you to Embla Press & NetGalley for the ARC.

Secrets & drama; this book has plenty! I found this to be a fast paced read and one that I was engrossed with pretty quickly - I had to know who killed Geneva and what everyone else was hiding!

However, I did find that it starts to spin out of control reasonably early. There’s so much going on at once & it becomes a little confusing. While I didn’t like Juniper, I did like the podcast episodes & the effect they had on Frankie, Nadine & Zara. I did think that the ending was tired & overdone - by the time I got there, I was getting tired of all the twists and I found this last one to be a bit ridiculous. In saying that, this popcorn thriller took me on a ride ride with betrayals & reveals, and it was just what I needed.

The body of Geneva O’Connell was discovered five years ago, on the beach near the glamorous Millionaires Row on Sandbanks. Despite intensive police investigation, no one was ever brought to trial, though the locals had made their minds up that it was Elliot, Geneva’s husband. Now a local True Crime YouTuber, Juniper Rose, has taken it upon herself to get to the root of the murder and bring justice for Geneva. The secrets that the victim’s friends have are threatened with exposure, with all the old lies and deceptions quickly unravelling.

As usual Day made this a captivating read from the start, with the setting and the residents perfectly depicted. Very melodramatic and over the top, with lots and lots of separate threads, all tied together perfectly at the end. The writing was excellent and flowed beautifully.

Although the denouement was pretty much a given, the last chapter more than made up for it! A lovely twist!!

Thank you NetGalley.

5 years ago Geneva is killed and her husband is the main suspect, now the case is reopened by You-Tuber Juniper Rose who believes he is innocent. Juniper investigates the case and films what she has found out for her You Tube channel while Geneva’s friends Frankie, Zara and Nadine try the best to keep their own secrets hidden.
The story is told from the points of view of the three friends and transcripts of the Crime after wine podcast. I enjoyed this modern way of telling the story and found myself gripped by the plot.

Friends Frankie, Zara, Nadine and Geneva were close until Geneva was found dead on the beach.

Podcaster Jupiter Rose is investigating this murder on the 5th anniversary of her death.

The story is told with alternative chapters from the friends perspectives.

Who can you trust? All the friends seem to have secrets. But how far would they go to keep their secrets buried!!

I would highly recommend this book, be warned you might read it in one sitting.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This one was insane! Shocking, thrilling, and absolutely unputdownable thriller that hooked me from the start!

I really liked this book and the mystery of what really happened to Geneva. The different points of view really made it a fun and kept me engaged.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Becca Day for my gifted copy.

When Frankie comes back to the exclusive Millionaire’s Row for a funeral, she learns that old secrets won’t stay secret for long. With her two estranged friends by her side, the truth is about to come no matter what they do to stop it. And they will stop at almost nothing.

The story is told from revolving POV’s and YouTube recordings. The 3 main characters, Frankie, Nadine, and Zara, are easy enough to read but I found Juniper to be absolutely insufferable and really struggled to get through her chapters.

I was going to give this 4 stars but the ending just absolutely killed it for me - not in a good way!

I definitely enjoyed the author’s writing and will absolutely read more from her but I do wish the ending would’ve been different.

Thank you to NetGalley and Embla Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Zara, Natalie, Geneva and Frankie are all friends. Their backstabbing friend Geneva is murdered on the beach one night. Her husband Elliott is sent to prison for five years for her murder. He is released and podcaster Juniper Rose looks into his case. A hornets nest is stirred up and lies and secretes are revealed. This was an awesome read with enough twists and turns to give whiplash. Thanks Embla Books and NetGalley for this ARC that will be released September 5, 2023!

The story is told in alternating chapters between Nadine, Frankie, Zara and the transcript from YouTube True Crime After Wine, along with occasional others. The twist and turns had me drawn in and I couldn't put the book down. A masterfully written psychological thriller and definitely a must read!
Thank you Netgalley and Embla Books for a chance to read the advanced copy.

A slow simmer storyline but the wild twist near the end makes it worth the read.
(2.5 rounded up to 3)
Thank You to NetGalley, Embla Books, and Becca Day for the opportunity to read this ARC.