📚 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!

Many thanks to Netgalley for this book. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.

3.5/5 stars

In this book we are following Addison and Connor. Addison and Connor are former lovers who broke up after Addison used information that she toke from Connor’s phone to her her career as a publicist. Connor also worked in public relations until Addison’s stunt cost him his job and he had to leave LA. Then the night that Addison’s newest client Redwood who is in pharmaceuticals is found murdered she ends up being the prime suspect. Addison is asked by her boss to take a leave of absence but she doesn’t and ends up getting a big name client who is starting her own fashion line. Throughout the month leading to Fashion Week Addison and Connor learn that their former clients knew each other and another one of Addison’s former clients ends up dead and an actress that Addison worked with may be next. Addison and Connor work together to solve the mystery and get justice for Addison’s clients. Peter, Addison’s boss, is revealed to be the killer who wanted to keep the company’s name clean and Addison live-streamed the entire thing. Addison and Connor were also able to connect the dots through Phineas voice memos that he was making prior to his death including one that she never heard where he named his killer. A month after Peter is arrested Addison is with a new client but is shot by a man that she was mean to at the beginning of the book and she believes that she is dying. Addison was a pretty unlikeable character until close to the end when she changed her ways.

Many thanks to the publisher for my copy - all opinions are my own.

Your Dark Secrets is a great little popcorn thriller that makes for great summer reading. This plot was full of twists and turns with a cast of characters that you are never quite sure you can totally trust.

I really enjoyed the jet setting locations throughout the book, and I do love a good murder mystery which this serves up nicely. The only slight downfall for me was that I never really did care about any of the characters which made me a little less invested in the outcome of the plot than I wanted to be. But didn't stop me from devouring this one on the way home from a trip in one plane ride.

Overall really easy and fun reading for summer TBR's!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. Your Dark Secrets is the first book that I have started by Elle Marr. Unfortunately I did not finish the story. I could not relate to neither Addison or Connor. The storyline jumped from different perspectives and I found myself lost. I also found that I had no interest in either of the storylines.

With no trust between them, these two characters join forces to investigate the death of a prominent celebrity. Both use their past to leverage the cooperation of the other, taking the investigation into many places they'll regret going. A fun read that leaned more on the romance side than the thriller side.

It is not easy to turn the reader against the main character in the first five pages, yet this book accomplishes it with ease. I get the "I'm the boss" attitude, but it should be based on merit, right?
Every example of the publicist magic and wit we see is weird and not believable. (Spinning the political nudes scandal by stating the politician is a budding photographer? Firing the whole filming crew and taking their phones because your star threw up?) It only gets worse from there.
Addison is an extremely unlikable character and her inner monologues are cringy as hell. Connor is a bit better, but he can't save the story alone.
The book is very long, and it does not pack enough (action? common sense? good dialogue?) to keep the reader engaged.
The ending is dramatic enough to make up for some of it, but overall, I was not a fan.

Thank you, NetGalley, Hyperion Avenue, and Elle Marr, for providing an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Addison is a PR ex and when one of her clients winds up dead she is in complete shocks. She makes it her mission to figure out what happen to her client. You follow her journey with Connor to determine what happened to her client. Will Addison solve the mystery or will she did the hole deep for her to escape and end up hurting herself in the long run.

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc!

I enjoyed this story. Before reading it, I was not aware of what a PR person does, and after reading it, I have a better understanding of the concept. Right from the beginning, Addison is a strong, driven character. She is very confident and knows what she wants. She will stop at nothing to make sure her clients are successful. Her life is filled with excitement not only is she always coming up with ideas to ensure her clients have a good image in front of the public. Then she comes across a dead body, and her life is turned upside down. From then on she must prove not only that she had nothing to do with that situation but that she's great at her job as well. Her ex returning was an interesting turn and then all the situations they are thrown into. I liked that Addison's job was the main focus of the story and that her love life slowly became an important part of her life without it becoming the main focus.

So many things were revealed towards the end that I was not expecting. Overall, an enjoyable thriller with a strong confident FMC.

3 out of 5 Stars!

Addison Stern was a powerful LA PR exec who would do anything to protect her clients. She works for Ovid Blackwell Group, where the rich and famous go to keep their secrets hidden. Connor Windell is a private investigator trying to make a new name for himself, after his reputation is ruined by his ex-girlfriend. Better known as Addison. While working separate jobs, they come together when their clients overlap. While working, they uncover lies from the world’s most elite and powerful people. Will they be able to uncover the truth? And stay alive?

I can confidently say I have never read a book like “Your Dark Secrets” by Elle Marr! This was a very fast-paced, refreshing thriller about the most influential people. The plot really reminded me of a spy movie, uncovering secrets left and right. If you really enjoy books about crime, I would highly recommend this book to you. Even if you just like mysteries and thrillers, I think this book will still appeal to you as the mysteries unfold! Also, there is a tad of romance if you are into that too. Seriously, what didn’t this book have?

This was a very fast-paced book, with multiple POVs propelling the book forward. Not only are you hearing about Addison and Connor, but reading a transcript of a podcast of one of the characters. I really enjoyed this, as it lightened up the book and added a comedic effect. I really liked the main characters, Addison and Connor! They were sharp, funny, and interesting to read. I really enjoyed learning about their line of work and their backstories.

Even though I love tangled webs, this book was a lot for me. I was really glad I was paying attention at the beginning of the book with the introductions of multiple characters. I do think it was a tad great, with multiple storylines taking place. I think with fewer characters with complex stories, it would have been a top book contender.

Lastly, the ending answered all of my questions and left me with questions at the same time. I think we need one more chapter to wrap everything up. Maybe Elle Marr was leaving it open-ended for a series? Which I would totally read. But, I think the second to last chapter muddled the waters for me.

Pick up “Your Dark Secrets” by Elle Marr on July 30th, 2024!

Thank you to Hyperion Avenue, Elle Marr, and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Your Dark Secrets by Elle Marr was a fantastic book! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
The well-drawn characters and super twisty plots that pull you in from the first page.
Elle Marr is an automatic read author for me - I've enjoyed every book of hers I've read, but this might be one of my favorites.

Thank You NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Wow! I loved this! I couldn’t put it down and read during every free second I could spare. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my review!

This book didn’t really deliver everything I needed in a book. It wasn’t a bad read per say, but it wasn’t a great read either, it was just alright. I found it too long and drawn out and I much prefer my thrillers to be more succinct and to the point. The long chapters were also a turn off, again I prefer my chapters to be on the shorter side. I really wanted to like this one more, especially since I have enjoyed other books by this author, but this one just didn’t hit me the same way.