This one was definitely a rollercoaster. A woman and her husband separate after he has an affair. She is hurt, lonely, and angry and starts an affair with a stranger. This affair takes precedence over almost everything including her teenage daughter. When she and her husband reconcile she breaks off the affair after a little while. Little did she know he would not let her go so easily.

I’ve checked out a few of Lisa Jackson’s other books in the past and was excited when I saw that I would get to check out Our Little Secret. Lisa is a well-versed author in the mystery/thriller genre and I’ve enjoyed most of her books I have checked out in the past. Our Little Secret fits into her classic style and is a suspenseful spine-tingling mystery thriller.

Our Little Secret follows Brooke and her family. After her marriage to her husband Neal almost ended the two decided to try again, meaning that Brooke would need to end her fling with the sexy Gideon who she met when the two were separated. Gideon helps Brooke get her groove back, and their sleeping together clearly becomes more attached to Brooke than she is to him. Letting the affair go on for too long after she and Neal decide to fix things Brooke decides to finally end it. What she doesn’t expect though is that Gideon will be so unwilling to let her go. Vowing that they will be together and she will be his the two end their relationship in a toxic way. Brooke doesn’t expect that Gideon will follow through on his word but when she notices things being moved in her home and feels that someone is watching the home and following her it seems like he may have stuck true to what he said. Throughout the book, as things progress Brooke struggles to piece together if her nerves from hiding this secret from her family are getting the best of her and making her paranoid or if it is Gideon trying to find a way back into her life. Coupled with issues from her teenage daughter and her deadbeat sister looking for money Brooke struggles to know if what is going on in her head is the truth or not.

I gave Our Little Secret a 7/10 rating. Originally going into the blurb for the book it sounded interesting but I also thought it may be a bit predictable. I mean the scorned lover plot has been done many times before so I just wasn’t sure what would go on in this book that would make it different. I think the biggest factor that I felt made it a different book for me was the unreliable narrator in Brooke. Don’t get me wrong she’s a great main character for the book, but she’s unreliable in the sense that she barely even trusts what she is thinking and seeing, so how are we the reader supposed to? There was also this aspect of Brooke in which I felt like she often forgot that she was the one who invited the relationship into her life with a man she barely knew and was proactively working to hide it from everyone. Don’t get me wrong the ways she was being stalked and treated no one deserves, but she also invited him in and kept him around way longer than she should have. Due to all of this, she refuses to tell anyone else what is going on, or what she thinks is going on, which just puts her into this spot where she just drives herself crazier and crazier.

An aspect that was a bit of a downfall for me in the book was that I found when it came to some of the twists they were a bit predictable. There was a thought I had halfway through the book about where something was going to go, thought I was wrong about it but ultimately was right at the end, so not all of them were predictable. When it comes to the ones that were I will say that the predictability didn’t take away from my want to keep going and see how the book progresses. I know sometimes it can be a bummer but I felt like for Our Little Secret at least you couldn’t always be 100% sure you were right so you want to keep reading to find out. I also realized though that I always try to guess how a mystery and a thrill is going to play out in a book, and not everyone does that, so this may be a very much my issue. One other thing about the book that wasn’t super enjoyable is that all of the characters kind of suck. I don’t mean that in a way in terms of how they were written, but they are all just kind of terrible people. There, in my opinion, isn’t anyone to root for in this book. All of the characters are moody, mean, and just downright terrible in the different things they do and say to one another. Brooke’s teenage daughter pissed me off. She is just so blatantly rude and disrespectful and Brooke is just like ‘you need to change your attitude’. Babe, she’s a demon, that isn’t going to fix it. Brooke picks her up a little bit late and this girl just tears her mom to shreds! I am not going to sit here and act like I was an angel of a teenager, but I was not this bad. I am also not going to sit here and act like Brooke was a perfect lady, but in terms of her daughter, she was just doing her best and in my opinion, was not a terrible mom or anything. Brooke however though is very full of herself and tends to get wrapped up in her world of issues forgetting about the others around her so maybe that plays a role, who knows?

Our Little Secret is filled with spine-tingling suspense which was a really enjoyable aspect of the book for me. I was constantly just tense during different parts waiting for things to explode in the characters' faces and cringing when they continued to make terrible decisions throughout. While as I said before the plot of the scorned lover turned into a stalker has been done in other books in the past I enjoyed reading it from this different context in which for a lot of the book we are unsure if it’s Gideon doing all of this or if its Brookes guilty mind eating at her and playing tricks. I would recommend checking this one out if you have enjoyed others of Lisa Jackson's books in the past, or just enjoy a good mystery thriller based on explosive relationships. Focusing on issues of infidelity, mental health, and how far you would go to try and keep things from changing this is defiantly a great new summer read.

I was hooked right from the start. The characters were all unlikable, but in a way that it made for a great story. Some parts were predictable but it didn’t give me everything right up front, bits throughout the book I picked up on, so my interest was kept right up until about 80%. Then I felt like the book kind of dragged, and then all of a sudden it went 100mph to get to the end. I felt like for the amount of engagement I had in the book at the beginning there would be more to the ending.
I did not like how Brooke, the MC would question something, state it as fact, and then go back and question it again like what was going on with Eli. Are you skeptical or not, because as the reader we knew exactly what was happening so that extra bit was unnecessary. The cover is nice. Overall, the book was a quick, dramatic read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Kensington Publishing for my DRC in exchange for my honest review.

I love Lisa Jackson but this book just did not do it for me. Nothing big really happened until the last like 5% of the book. It was all predictable and characters were unlikable. I’m so disappointed in this book. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

He swore he’d never let her go. She should have believed him.

“How far would you go for something you wanted?”

3.75⭐️ out of 5⭐️

Brooke Harmon is ready to end her short revenge fling with Gideon Ross. She’s going to try to make it work with her husband. But things aren’t always that easy. Brooke quickly learns that what she thought was a fun fling that can be ended at any time, has turned into a dangerous obsession and Gideon may not be the man she thought he was.

“I would do anything.” “If I had to, I would kill”

Our Little Secret is my first Lisa Jackson book and I did enjoy it, even though it had predictable parts and seemed a bit over the top. This book was full of betrayals, lies and laced with some paranoia. No-one is being honest, which makes you not really connect with any one character. Even though the book was written in Brooke’s POV, I think the author did a good job of helping build the sub characters back stories for us. There is a storyline in the book about 2 missing girls, that sort of just disappeared by the end of the book. There was a lot of time spent on this and I feel like it would have been great to get the end to it (we do for one girl but not the second one). Maybe that’s a future book?! Overall, this was an easy read.

** Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and Lisa Jackson for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. **

3.5 ⭐️

Not my favorite Lisa Jackson book but was up there! The story has some intense moments, some more predictable than others, but ended up balancing all out in the end! It was a slower burn but pulled you in from chapter 1 right through to the end - which was a little unexpected leaving behind some plot holes, but still satisfying to say the least!

Thanks to Kingston Publishing for providing me with a copy for review via NetGalley.

This isn't my favorite Lisa Jackson story but overall it's a good read. The characters are intriguing whether you loved them or loved to hate them. I was more interested in the missing girls plot than the affair aspect. There were a lot of things that happen off the page that I felt would have made the story more compelling. There weren't the twists I've come to expect from this author either and I missed that. The ending left me with questions and that was frustrating. As a big fan of this author, if she writes it, I will read it.

Our Little Secret
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Author: Lisa Jackson

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Kensington and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: He swore he’d never let her go. She should have believed him.

Brooke Hastings is ready to end her six-week affair. Gideon Ross is charming and sexy, but he’s not worth throwing away her marriage and family for. So she breaks it off, hoping Gideon will understand.  

He doesn’t. Gideon insists that he and Brooke are meant to be together. Finally, he backs off, but not before issuing a he’ll never let her go. 

Six years later, Brooke wants to believe it’s all behind her. Her family has survived intact. Gideon has vanished.   

But the fear hasn’t disappeared. Brooke can’t tell how much of it is paranoia, and how much is justified, but she’s worried. And maybe she’s right to be.    

Because Gideon is a man who keeps his promises . . .

My Thoughts: Jackson usually writes series books, this is a rare standalone. Brooke and her husband have been married for years and have a teen daughter. Brooke wants revenge against her husband and finds it with a younger man, Gideon, which may be her fatal mistake. An affair intensifies, then she decides to work out the issues with her husband and ends the affair. Well Gideon does not give up easily, Gideon is endangering the family. After one really tense altercation, he seems to drop off the face of the earth. Brooke is overjoyed with relief and is finally getting her life back together, and lets her guard down. Soon thereafter, Gideon shows up under a new identity and engaged to her sister. Will Brooke finally be able to reclaim her family? Or will this new development push her over the edge? This storyline follows the tropes of creepy ex, stalker tendencies, an angsty teen, and missing young girls.

The story is narrated by Brooke, as our protagonist, in her POV. We have several important characters. There is Brooke, her teen daughter, her sister, her husband, and Gideon. All of the relationships are complex and entangled. It took a bit to weed out who was who. The characters were developed well with depth, mysterious, secretive, and intriguing. Every character has their own secrets, which made them even more compelling and intriguing. While the characters were not very likable, they are relatable. The author’s writing style was complex, multifaceted, suspenseful, twisted, and engaging. Jackson is known for her storytelling ability and the way she weaves twists into the twists with unpredictable outcomes, this one is no different. While some of the twists were predictable, they were fun to guess. Jackson always gives her readers a suspenseful, obessive read that is compelling and gripping.

The storyline had some intense moments, some predictable moments, and even some roll my eyes, I have heard it moments, but when all balanced together, you get a well rounded thriller that I enjoyed. It was a slower burn, compelling, captivating, and immerses you in from the first chapter, though the ending. Now, I felt like the ending was surprising, a bit unexpected, while being abrupt, and a bit unfinished with some plot holes, not every question was answered, but it was still satisfying, if that makes sense. It is available now, I would recommend picking up.

Another fantastic read by Lisa Jackson! This one kept me wondering and had me on the edge of my chair!

Brooke and her husband Neal have been having some marriage troubles due to his infidelity and had split, but we’re trying to make things work again. Brooke was having an affair as well, with Gideon, and finally decided to end it. Or so she thought. Things start to spiral out of control and Brooke really begins to question the people in her life.

3.5 stars.
First time reading Lisa Jackson and I was entertained by this popcorn thriller, however if fell off the mark slightly to make it a really sold 4 stars purely on pacing alone as 2/3s of the book was on the slower side story wise, I would have preferred it to be slightly faster paced.
Brooke has a teenage daughter, a husband and a sister with a complicated history. She's also having an affair with a man she doesn't really know well. Since she lost her job and found out her husband had been having an affair Brooke just needed a bit of excitement in her life and Gideon was a means to an end.
When Brooke decides to break it off with Gideon and giver her marriage and her family a proper 2nd chance, Gideon turns to dark obsession and vows never to let her go. in this reverse 'Fatal Attraction' type scenario, the stakes are high and intentions are deadly.

I enjoyed the book, however due to slow pacing it didn't grip my attention as much as I would have preferred. The characters were complicated with good back stories and I loved that they were all so 'grey' in nature - those are always the best!
Execution was simplistic - but popcorn thrillers usually are so I don't really have an issue with it. The mind games were my favourite aspect of the book. Sometimes a good old fashioned cat and mouse story is all it takes!
Thanks to Kingston Publishing for providing me with a copy for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Lisa Jackson did not disappoint in this new thriller. The ending had quite a few twists to it. Brooke has a short affair with Gideon who swears to never let her go.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded down for goodreads.

We follow Brooke Harmon as she ends her affair with Gideon Ross. Gideon is obsessed with Brooke and swore he wouldn’t let her go. Brooke isn’t willing to risk her marriage and relationship with her daughter, but Gideon won’t back down. He is obsessed and goes to lengths to let Brooke know he’s still around.

The story did suck me in, and while I spent a lot of time rolling my eyes, I still enjoyed the read. And then Part 1 ended. I’m sitting here wondering how I’m only halfway through the book? As the second half starts, I predicted the “big twist” immediately.

It was a quick, easy read. A bit far fetched and cringy for me. I like when books aren’t this predictable.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Talk about a fatal attraction..an obsession and a betrayal is the theme of this sit on the edge of your sit book. The book revolves around Brooke Hastings who has an affair with the charming and sexy, Gideon Ross. However, after six weeks she decides to end it even though Gideon believes they are meant to be together and gives her a chilling warning...he will never let her go. Now six years later and Brooke believes it's all in the past. Her family is still together and Gideon has vanished! But Brooke is unsure and a bit paranoid, as she wonders whether she shouldn't worry about it or if it's all justified. The suspense and psychological tension keep me reading and needing to figure out if it's paranoia or real. what will someone do for their obsession and to keep ALL their promises?

if you liked the movie fatal attraction, you’ll like this

i really loved the story and the thriller elements were done really well (i audibly gasped at certain moments). i have never read the author’s other books so i had no idea going in what i was getting into

the only gripe i have is that there was a pretty big plot surrounding the missing girls that just…. goes nowhere? wish that would have gotten resolved

other than that this is a SOLID thriller and gave me very 80s classic vibes

I enjoyed this book, but I found it to be a little long and I feel like the story could’ve been cut by quite a bit. The dynamics between the sisters seemed a little ridiculous in times, and I felt like the drama was not realistic.

It really dragged in places, but the ending was satisfactory.

3.5 stars 🌟
Loved this book, the plot and loved the fact it kept you on your toes and had ideas of what was going to happen.
I didn't give 5 stars because I felt some things were not explained at the end, and I left with questions and no answers.
I also felt the some of the twists and turns I anticipated so wasn't surprised - maybe I read to many thrillers that I'm too good at guessing.
I did enjoy the writing and would love to read more of Lisa's books. I've recommended this book already to people - thank you for the ARC

This was not my favorite. It felt repetitive for the first 3/4 of the book. Why not communicate?!?! Instead go through complicated hoops? For what? It was way too far fetched and I didn’t believe any of it. The ending wrapped up predictably and conveniently. It’s a no for me.

I actually loved this one so much! That I bought it in audiobook form so I could experience in that format as well. Imagine getting a book for free and enjoying it so much you buy it. That is this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the eARC.

Lisa Jackson tends to be hit or miss for me, and this one landed more miss. Gideon freaked me out and I did not like Brooke all that much. Okay I actually really did not like any of the characters... Still worth a try for others, but just missed for me.

This was a good book. It definitely held some juicy secrets. I thought the daughter and the sister were brats, but I guess that’s part of the story. Some of it was predictable, but some caught me by surprise. It definitely kept me interested.