For a debut, this is exceptional. The beginning pulls you in & the ending ties everything up with a satisfying & plausible ending. The middle did kind of lag for me …IDK if it seemed to wander or try to flesh out the more inconsequential characters (like Bryce), but I did enjoy this read for most of the journey. I look forward to Ms Trench’s sophomore attempt.

This story is told by three different characters and also in "then", "now", "three days later"....you name it.
It is all over the place. But mostly..
For me the characters fell flat, uninteresting and seemed to be the same person. I kept having to go back to see who's point of view I was reading. It was rather confusing. This is my first DNF ever. I went back at least three times but just couldn't finish it.
I will withhold my Goodreads review.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Crown Publishing, and Claire Douglas for the opportunity to preview this book. The Wrong Sister is a very quick read, It grabs your from the start and moves along quickly. This incorporates family intrigue, quick plot twists and a surprising ending that does sum up nicely. There is a little too much "chatter" that I skimmed over while reading but over all a good read. I look forward to reading more by Claire Douglas in the future.

I did not particularly enjoy this read, and there were several reasons behind my disappointment. Firstly, the constant switching of perspectives and the abrupt time leaps made the story quite confusing to follow. It was difficult to keep track of where I was in the narrative, and I often found myself lost in the transitions. Additionally, none of the characters stood out to me. They felt underdeveloped and lacked depth, which made it hard to connect with them or care about their journeys. The pacing was also inconsistent. At times, the story dragged, and I struggled to stay engaged, while other moments felt rushed, leaving important plot points underexplored. That being said, I did enjoy the fast-paced ending, which picked up the momentum, and I appreciated the twist at the conclusion, as it added an element of surprise. However, overall, the flaws in the execution overshadowed these redeeming qualities for me.

This book gave me vertigo, the constant change of perspective and character points of view as well as timelines. I did not particularly like any of the characters. The story kept me guessing and intrigued but the pacing was just off.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a really good thriller, made you feel tense and scared and even worried for the characters. It was twisty and turny, and had a lot of unexpected things pop up, I recommend it!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

I love a thriller over past relationships and secrets but this book just had so much going on that I was getting lost. Just wasn’t for me.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book from NetGalley. I'm so glad I did. I flew through this book. I can see why it's releasing in the summer because the only thing missing from my read of this novel was being on a beach to binge it all in one sitting.

I'm a picky thriller reader. I hate when I can guess a plot twist of a book, and when they are predictable.

I felt like Our Secrets Were Safe was everything I was looking for in a thriller. I loved the POV switches, and for the first time I wasn't favoring one characters' POV over another. I thought both Caroline, Brooke and Sofia were complex characters and I never quite knew where their choices were going.

I think this book is going to be a hit when it comes out.. I would recommend it to fans of twisty novels, complex friendships, and if you loved a good CW/WB show back in the day.

I think this book has a lot of potential- the storyline is intriguing. There was just entirely too much going on that made it hard to keep up with. New characters were constantly being introduced, the back and forth from past to present- it was just a bit too much. Hopefully a little tweaking before the pub date will make this a solid read.

I thought this book would be for me but it's just not clicking.

I think a big "ick" for me in books is having the text messages sent between characters formatted in a way that is distracting from the book itself. I know this is an ARC copy on an ereader, but I have a feeling that specific portion of the formatting may not be adjusted much, I have no idea. But it impacted by ability to enjoy the book.

I think it came down to the writing style and a very very personal issue with the book that has nothing to do with the actual book itself (one of the characters names is too similar). It's a me problem for that specifically.

This book also goes back and forth in time which is not my favorite. Multiple POV and back and forth in time can be just a bit too much to keep up with.

I made it to 18% through the book before I decided it was not for me. I do think this book will find its target audience of thriller readers, but I am not one of them unfortunately.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book! I appreciate the opportunity to leave honest feedback.

I really wanted to like this one, but I needed to really force myself to power through at times. I liked the whole "friends with a secret" trope, but the time shifts felt abrupt at times and I found myself getting characters confused because they didn't have strong enough personalities to easily tell them apart. The ending had a nice twist and I'd read something else my Trench as I think she has great ideas, but the execution of this one just didn't work for me. Thank you for the ARC!

This is a twisted read. Friendships, secrets, murder, revenge. I was given an advanced reader copy by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review.

I liked the idea of the book but too many flashes back and forth and too many POVs. This one was just okay for me, although I liked the characters.

This was realllllly good. I love a "everyone has secrets" thriller. The end was quite shocking!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Take a Dramamine before you read this book as you will have motion sickness from not only all of the POV changes, but also all the back and forth going from “Then” to “Now”! However, I did like all the characters (as well as the ones I was not supposed to like). 3 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️!

Thank you to both #NetGalley and Crown Publishing/Crown for providing me an advance copy of Virginia Trench's debut #mysterythriller, Our Secrets Were Safe, in exchange for an honest review.

#OurSecretsWereSafe is touted as a propulsive thriller, but is perhaps better ingested as an adult parody of books in or adjacent to the genre that were popular throughout the early aughts, namely, #GossipGirls, #PrettyLittleLiars, and #Private. Readers may also recognize influence from more recent novels, such as #BigLittleLies, #OneofUsIsLying, and #TellMeLies. In short, approach this novel as breezy entertainment that pokes fun at the trope and you will not be disappointed.

The story is told from the perspectives of the three main characters, and alternates between the past and present--the present being 2019, and the past circa 2009-2010 for the girls' college years, along with some vague references to high school. Don't worry about the years as much as the chapter headings "Then" and "Now" for plot purposes since most of the story feels as if it is set in the 90s (e.g., the number of times cigarette smoking is mentioned.)

Which leads me to one of my two major gripes with this novel. To say the setting is disorienting, would be an understatement. The descriptions of NYC and New England are painful to say the least. The passages read like someone watched a 90s movie that featured these locations and cobbled together scenes after a single viewing. Basically, there is no sense of place.

The second of my two gripes is that the characters are primarily one note. Readers can usually forgive this issue in thrillers where there is a complicated, yet riveting, plotline that offsets the weaker character components. In this instance, the characters and their motives are crucial to unraveling the mystery. Even as I write this review, I'm still trying to determine why Sophia was so angry, other than the patently obvious--I don't buy it. Though it seems other readers did, so that is only one opinion.

I won't go into the intricate details I noted for the other two, but it feels as if Brooke and Caroline are nearly the same person until the latter half of the novel when Brooke's actions and reactions no longer support what the reader has already been told about her upbringing. Additionally, Caroline would not have done or referenced some of the things she did as a the CEO of a tech company. Again, only one readers' opinion.

Overall, I think there is a solid story here that can be tweaked before the publication date. The meat of the story is intriguing and the writing is technically strong, with some great similes and quips. Looking forward to reading the final version come publication day. 3.5 Stars, rounded up.

I loved the decade-old secrets and the (partial) academic setting of Our Secrets Were Safe. Based on the premise, I assumed it's exactly the kind of book I can't put down. And it might have been, had the beginning held my attention more. The first few chapters felt so focused on internal monologue and scene-setting that it felt like the plot wasn't really moving. Additionally, many of the characters came off as one-dimensional or stereotypes, which didn't encourage me to keep reading. Based on the glowing reviews from other readers, I'm confident a lot of other people will really enjoy this book — it just isn't right for me.

This was fantastic!!

The story follows a group of friends as they are forced to revisit a dark time in their lives. Sofia's been gone for ten years, but someone wants to dig up the truth and spill all their deepest, darkest, secrets.

This gave me Pretty Little Liar feels and kept me on my toes the whole time! The twists were great, the writing was smooth; it was all-around enjoyable. Well done! Virginia Trench will be on my radar for any future publications from here on out.

Virginia Trench's debut novel delivers everything I look for in a thriller—college and childhood friends, wealth and jealousy, flashbacks, double-crosses, psychological twists, and social media stalking. What sets Trench's work apart is the seamless integration of all these elements. Nothing feels forced or overly polished. Instead, she weaves them together naturally, creating a truly immersive experience.

Trench has crafted complex psychological backgrounds for her characters, which adds authenticity and depth to the story. She effortlessly bridges the characters' pasts to their present-day challenges—navigating careers, dealing with corporate pressures, and grappling with the pervasive influence of social media, all while adding the compelling layer of sexism in the workplace. The information about these issues is meticulously detailed, adding a dimension that many female readers will particularly appreciate. This nuanced approach gives the novel an elevated level of interest and relatability.

The book is set ten years after college, and through flashbacks, we learn about a tragic event that continues to haunt the main characters. Sofia was killed in a car accident, and her friends Brooke and Caroline were also in the vehicle. As the story unfolds, we see Brooke and Caroline navigating their successes in life, while also delving into the struggles of Caroline's brother, Leo, who has been battling to stay sober. The plot becomes increasingly tense with the presence of a stalker who has begun harassing the group of friends.

The stalker's messages eerily reference the accident, claiming to be from Sofia herself. What really happened that night? Has Sofia somehow returned, or is someone playing a cruel game? Trench keeps the reader guessing until the very end, masterfully blending suspense with psychological complexity. This is a gripping read that will keep you turning the pages, making it a standout thriller for fans of character-driven mysteries with unexpected twists.

#VirginiaTrench #Thriller #DebutNovel #PsychologicalThriller #Suspense #BookReview
#crownpublishing #oursecretsweresafe #virginiatrench

This was such a strong thriller novel and had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed from the genre. The overall feel worked with the story being told and was hooked from the first page. Virginia Trench wrote this perfectly and was glad it was so well written. The characters had that realism that I was looking for and was glad I got to read this.