What I thought would be a thriller turned out to be a slow moving, rivals to lovers type romance/mystery told through multiple perspectives. I didn't not like it

Unfortunately this book was not for me. It started off strong, but I got about halfway through and lost interest.

I think the idea of this was very unique. It starts of with a bang, I think that the beginning was a little slow for me, but it started to pick up about 1/3 of the way in. This was a good, but a bit of a slow-burn romantic thriller. Addison is a feisty PR Executive who is trying to make partner at her firm, and it looks like she is on track because her tactics are ruthless. She finds herself in a bind when one of her high profile clients winds up dead, and she’s the one who found the body. She ends up working with a person from her past to try to get to the bottom of things and that is where the plot thickens.

I love Elle Marr’s writing. I think she did a great job with the use of multiple POVs - I think it was the formatting of the eARC that messed with me a little. She does jump around a bit and that leads to more suspense. It was interesting to see the references that were included, and the degrees of Kevin Bacon just made me laugh. Overall, I enjoyed this as a quick read. I look forward to more from Elle Marr!

Thank you to NetGalley, Hyperion Avenue, and Elle Marr for the eARC of Your Dark Secrets in exchange for an honest review. Again, I’m a little behind - pub date for Your Dark Secrets was 30 July 2024.

thanks netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

this book was lacking a lot. the synopsis made the book seem like it had so much potential.

I think the book lacked character development, the real tension in romance with mystery and thrill.

I did not finish this novel. After two weeks of barely wanting to pick it up and hating the main characters, I chose to move onto something else.

This was fine, but about 100 pages too long, and tightening up the pacing would have made a big difference. The very scene-y, LA, PR fixer bits were the best part of the book, and I did enjoy this. I feel like this was going for contemporary Sunset Boulevard type vibes.

the premise of this book was so interesting but the pacing was way off for me. the relationship between the exes was intense. It was an easy read but I had difficulty following and staying interested. It wasn’t my rule of thriller and then the spin with the romance just didn’t intrigue me enough to stay exciting.

Description
An LA PR exec and her private investigator ex uncover a dangerous conspiracy led by Hollywood’s most powerful people, whose deadly sights are now set on them.

This propulsive up-all-night read seamlessly blends globe-trotting adventure, suspenseful thriller, and rivals-to-lovers romance, perfect for fans of The Flight Attendant and The Recovery Agent.

Addison Stern is unparalleled when it comes to spinning a story. A ruthless PR executive, Addison is the star employee of the infamous Ovid Blackwell Group where the rich and famous go to hide all their secrets.

Connor Windell, on the other hand, is in the business of finding out information others would rather keep hidden. He used to be LA's top private investigator until a betrayal from his ex-girlfriend ruined his reputation and sent him into early retirement. That ex? None other than Addison Stern.

Connor has one chance to redeem himself and salvage his career, but he needs Addison’s help. Addison would rather lick the bottom of her Jimmy Choos than assist, but with some good old-fashioned blackmail, she agrees to team up for one job. But when that job proves bigger than either imagined and they uncover a dangerous hidden web of influence led by Hollywood's most vindictive and powerful people, they’ll have to rely on each other to expose the truth…and stay alive.

From the Vegas Strip to the beaches of Monaco, this globe-trotting adventure is filled with misplaced trust, competing motivations, and more than a little sexual tension. This gripping romantic thriller will have you up reading all night!

I am a romantic thriller girlie, but this book came to me when the mood reading rode me hard and I was not in the mood to read something dark and twisty. As a consequence, most attempts to read this book were met with difficulty and I was unable to fully love or hate it: I am right in the middle. That said, if the premise intrigues you, give it a try.

The premise of two former lovers—now enemies—forced to work together sets the stage for an engaging romantic thriller, and Addison's sharp, no-nonsense PR persona is a refreshing contrast to the usual female leads in this genre. Connor, the disgraced private investigator looking for redemption, adds a layer of intrigue, especially given their messy history. However, the chemistry between them feels forced at times, and their interactions, while witty, lack the emotional complexity that could elevate their dynamic.

The thriller aspects, with secrets from the world’s most powerful elites and a dangerous conspiracy at its core, are compelling but overly ambitious. The plot’s twists become predictable, and the pacing stumbles as the stakes escalate too quickly without enough buildup. The settings—from Vegas to Monaco—are glamorous and exciting, but sometimes the descriptions get lost in the spectacle, detracting from the character development.

While it’s an entertaining read with plenty of action, it falls short of the gripping, edge-of-your-seat experience it promises. A solid but unremarkable thriller.

Addison is very successful in PR, until one of her clients is found dead, and she is a suspect. She then teams up with her PI ex, to try and clear her name and unearths a conspiracy in the process. And they might be rekindeling their romance. This was a like, not a love for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. This was a DNF unfortunately, it wasn't to my taste and I was having a hard time following. I really wanted to like this one because the premise was appealing.

📚 BOOK REVIEW! [ARC] 📚

Your Dark Secrets by Elle Marr
Length: 400 pages
Genre: Thriller
POV: Multiple (Phinneas, Addison, Connor)
Pub Date: July 30, 2024

Thank you to @netgalley and @hyperionavebooks for the e-ARC of this book. The opinions here are solely my own.

Synopsis:
Publicist to the A-listers, Addison Stern with go to extreme lengths to keep her clients happy and in the limelight for the right reasons. Unfortunately, she has had to step on quite a few toes along the way to get to where she is. Connor Windell, P.I. is in major financial trouble and just happens to be one of her stepping stones. Their paths cross when one of Addison's top clients is murdered and the case coincides with one of Connor's investigations. Addison and Connor's previous passionate romance is getting in the way of solving who murdered her client as all avenues make them both question each others' motives... Can Addison and Connor trust each other enough to find out who is picking off the firm's clients before all the fingers end up pointing at them??

Opinion:
I have to be honest, this book was not really what I hoped it would be. I was looking for a little more excitement and it was a little slow-paced at times. I enjoyed the variety of locations, but felt that the characters weren't super likeable and I wasn't invested in their investigation. Without giving away anything, I also thought the end was completely unnecessary and made me feel like the whole point of the book was kind of for nothing. It might be worth giving this one a try if you are into A-lister cover-ups and pharmaceutical scandal (yes those are very specific haha). I would definitely give this author another chance as maybe it was just this particular story I didn't completely gel with.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. In fairness, I gave the title a whirl in an effort to step out of my comfort zone. I found the narrative arc terribly implausible. It felt as if I was reading a pitch for a movie I'd rather not see. I was looking and hoping for more character development, a bit more of the Detective and Mystery Hardboiled take on LA and Vegas. The Romance aspect played a bigger role in the novel's bandwidth than expected, which I am admittedly not a big fan of! Even if I was, two dimensional characters and the utilization of an overused multiple POV trope left me wanting. THAT BEING SAID, there IS a market out there for these kinds of page-turning breezy adventures. Taking my own subjective awareness in light, it would be unfair to totally blast a book whose themes and prose style are not in my wheelhouse. Three Stars, as I realize there is a strong readership out there hungering for a novel like this. Thank you sincerely for the advance copy.

Your Dark Secrets has a protagonist that is hard to like, making the book hard to like as well. I read the first part, skimmed the middle, and finally got drawn into the story at the end. It was an okay thriller, with a weird ending, but if you want something that compels you to keep reading, this will meet that mark.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.

My first read by Elle Mar. I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style. The writing was smooth and not too YA. The story itself was lacking slightly.

The meat and bones: main character Addison is a PR exec gunning for a promotion. She's ruthless and her EX Connor is her Ex for that very reason. After screwing over Connor to make gains professionally- Addison finds herself in some trouble when one of her clients, phinneas, turns up dead. Connor is a retired PI trying to regain his reputation after Addison ruined it. A new client, a large sum of $ and Addison and Connor find themselves partnering for more than one reason.

I usually love multiple POV and varying timelines but this one left me a bit confused. The story jumped around almost too much. Also, the whole quirky "Monk" (tv show reference) persona is not my favorite. Every incredibly intelligent investigator had to have some quirk these days.

Overall I will definitely read more by Elle Mar.

Your Dark Secrets - Elle Marr
Pub Date: 7/30/24
Rating: 3/5
Thoughts:
Thank you to Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. This book was decent, nothing too amazing in my eyes. I was hooked at the beginning due to the premise of a more fun thriller, but slowly, the execution wasn't what I would have hoped. I felt like the book was dragged on and could have ended sooner with the big reveal. Overall, not a bad story or plot.

I ended up purchasing this book since I missed the download window. It was good, I enjoyed it. I apologize for missing the deadline and will ensure this does not happen again. This book was well written and I wish I would have read it sooner.

Solid 3/5 stars. I did love the general idea around this book however I do believe the execution could have been better! I had no problem with Addison and while her morals are definitely concerning, I didnt find her frustrating or unlikable as some have said. The timeline was hard to follow at times and jumped around a lot. I was very surprised with the true identity of the killer, which I personally love! Overall, I did like the books and would recommend the author.

I also have a bone to pick with the ending….super unsatisfying to me in my romance loving heart!

This was an ok read I enjoyed it but the plot could have been tighter I found parts very slow and almost DNF. It
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

Addison is a top public relations specialist working toward partnership. When one of her clients, Phineas, is found dead Addison is now one of the suspects.
 
I absolutely loved the characters and situations that they were in. The protagonist drew me in and the plot (and the supporting characters) were well-developed and interesting. Great summer read for me!