Little White Secrets

Definitely a novel that had me hooked from the first page!
There are so many secrets! None that are "little"!
The Rossi family is crumbling and the "closet skeletons" are beginning to escape for all of this family!
One of my thoughts as I continued on with this story : "Hell hath no fury like a Mother protecting her Children". Emily will Not let her daughter ruin her life as she learn's of Zara's secrets. There is nothing that will stop her from keeping Zara safe!
Zara who has always been a "good" kid, has gone way off the beaten path and made friends with a girl named Bethany who is nothing but dangerous as we find out.
This is truly an intense, well written book with suspense, anger, crisis and family all rolled into it!
I truly will look for other of Carol Mason's books! Excellent!
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OMG just WOW. As a book blogger I get to read some pretty amazing books but now and again I come across one that absolutely blows everything out of the water – and Little White Secrets is one of them!

Right from her first novel, Carol Mason has delivered an evocative and almost poetic style of prose, and over the years I have seen this grow into something that is quite remarkable. Her last book The Shadow Between Us saw a slight shift away from her usual genre of Women’s Contemporary Fiction, with the plot bordering Psychological Suspense. This was one of my favourite reads for 2019 and how the author has now managed to push the boundaries of her already exceptional voice yet again is quite beyond me. But she has, and Little White Secrets delivers a domestic noir style narrative at its absolute finest.

In true Carol Mason style, the protagonist, Emily, is a strong female character who is both easily identifiable and likeable. At the beginning of the novel it seems as though Emily has a pretty much perfect life: a happy marriage, nice home, two happy and successful children. However; as the story progresses small seeds of doubt are cast as to just how perfect this family is – first with Zara, her introverted daughter who lives in the shadows of her successful brother; and then Eric, Emily’s husband, who not only works away but sometimes chooses to stay away at weekends. The story begins with Emily and her family being interviewed for a newspaper, as her son, Daniel, is a teenage local tennis celebrity. This event leads to the story’s intriguing hook that had me whizzing through so fast, at one point it felt like I was watching the scene playout in front of me with the remote control stuck on fast forward! How was this person involved in Emily’s life – I just had to find out.

The novel is structured around both a dual perspective and timeline. The present day is from Emily’s perspective, and the past timeline is from Eric’s perspective. This complex structure not only draws the reader into the lives of both characters it also adds a layer of dramatic irony as we start to understand how what happened to Eric in the past is affecting the problems his family are facing in the present; and all the while Emily is left in the dark and you're just itching for her to find out. When reading Emily’s present-day perspective you start to think Eric is a bit of a dick, especially when the reader is privy to flashback scenes. But when drawn into Eric’s past timeline you really empathise with him – but just how much can you trust him?

But this twisted and heart-wrenching plot is only part of what makes this such a brilliant read, and as the sub-plots merge, Emily’s true strength of character is revealed, making for one extremely satisfying read. I really can’t recommend this fabulous novel enough, and I am absolutely certain that as brilliant as Carol Mason’s previous books are, this is the one that will bring her reputation as the outstanding and exceptional writer that she is, well and truly under the spotlight.

I would recommend this book for anybody who likes any of the iconic Queens of Domestic Noir such as Louise Jensen, Lisa Jewell, Jane Shemilt, Jane Corry …

Very well written and plotted story about secrets....all kinds of secrets.

The characters were all well rounded and while some I liked and some I didn't, they were the overriding thing that pulled me into the story. I felt sorry for Zara because all the focus was on her brother and sadly, I think that might have been why she went off the rails.

This is an engrossing story, filled with foreshadowing as to what the big secret was. It wasn't difficult to figure out, but it was a good read as the final secret unfolded slowly throughout the book.

I think this is the first book I've read by Carol Mason, but I will be reading more of her work in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for granting my request for an ARC. All thoughts in this review are my own and freely given.

Things are rarely as they appear. As this story unfolds and hidden truths surface, you realize this very thing. One "little white" lie, compounded over time creates a landslide for the whole family.
I enjoyed the flow of the story as well as the characters (most of the time). I am a sucker for a female character who stands up for herself!

What a page-turner-I was completely hooked by the premise of this book and then when I started reading it was hard to put down! Watching a seemingly perfect family crumbling so fast was disturbing yet made for a fascinating read as you watch the author Carol Mason put it all into motion.
There are so many internal and external struggles within each character- Emily trying to shield her teenager from a troublesome girl while she continues to clash with the girl's mother, trying to support her athletic son and struggling to understand why her husband spends so many weekends away. The author did a beautiful job of peering into the inside of each of the characters without giving away too many secrets upfront.
I had an inkling where the story was going but there were plenty of surprises to keep me interested and anxious to get to the end. It's a perfect read if you are looking for an intense, suspenseful family-centered book! This was the first Carol Mason book I have read but I will be on the lookout for more in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Carol Mason for an e-ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Who knew there could be so many little secrets in the Rossi family! The son Eric is a star tennis player and the daughter Zara is the introvert living in her brothers shadow. The protagonist Emily is a strong female who teaches a communications course at University. Eric is the father/husband who works in London and comes home on weekends. The story is told in the past and present from the prospective of Emily and Eric.

Zara starts staying out late, drinking and taking drugs when she starts hanging out with the new girl Bethany. Emily realizes that Bethany is no good for her daughter and tries everything to keep them apart. This is where the story starts to unfold along with all the little secrets. Eric's past is slowly revealed and you start to understand how it is affecting his present family problems. Emily is in the dark when it comes to Eric's past, but hell knows no fury like a woman scorned.

There are characters I felt sorry for and characters I hated. The book is a well written intense story that kept me turning the pages. I figured out one of the secrets but still enjoyed the book and the ending. If you like stories filled with suspense, anger, and family issues, I highly recommend this book. This is the first book I have read by Carol Mason and I will be looking up her other books. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book and this is my honest review.

It's hard to believe that I have not read any of Carol Mason's books. I was thrilled to have received an advance reader's copy of Little White Secrets and after reading it, I now want to read all of her books. This book had me captivated from the beginning. A story very well written with a good plot, believable characters, at times intense, and very realistic. I applauded Emily Rossi for doing the best she could to keep her family together even with a husband that wasn't always around to help as he worked away from home in London and had issues of his own, and a teen daughter who suddenly becomes friends with a girl who is not a great influence and causes many problems for the Rossi family. Many lies and many secrets. Did they cause this family to be torn apart? Well, you will have to get a copy of this book to find out. This is one I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend. Make sure to put it on your TBR list.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

This is the first novel I have read by this author, and I enjoyed it. The writing had a good flow, and Ms. Mason created very realistic, human, flawed main characters that made you want to know the outcome of their story. I had predicted the ending early on, but I still found the revelations of the little white secrets compelling and well-written. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

This is the story of a family that looked like the perfect suburban family from the outside... but had SO MANY secrets. It’s a quick, engaging read, I definitely wanted to know what was going to happen next. The story is told mainly from the mother of the family’s point of view, with some perspective from her husband. Though the story jumps around in time, the author did a great of job of not making that confusing. My only reservation with the book is that there almost seemed to be too much going on - husband/wife drama, husband work drama, wife work drama, mother/daughter drama, daughter/friend drama... but it all came together, and I definitely wanted to know the resolution of all of it. If you are feeling like your life is out of control, let me tell you, this book will make you feel way more normal! :) This is the first I’ve read by Carol Mason, but would definitely read more!

I knew from the very beginning that I was gong to love this book! Mason carefully wove together an interesting cast of complex, flawed characters, showing us that even the most perfect looking family can be hiding the most terrible secrets.

An intense and gripping story of family secrets that threaten to tear a seemingly perfect family apart. Fans of women's fiction and suspense will absolutely love this novel. Once you start reading, you won't be able to put it down!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for granting my request for an ARC. All thoughts in this review are my own and freely given.

I have to admit, I did struggle a bit with this one, but plugged away and in the end was rewarded with a pretty decent family drama/mystery! At time of seemed to drag and covered the same issues over and over which made the characters seem "whishy-washy", but about halfway through the story and plot devolved more body and picked up. I had the ending sort of figured out but not all of it and it was great!
Ended up earning a 4 star rating.

This is my first book by this author and won’t be my last.
I enjoyed this book although I do admit I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected pub date: May 1, 2020
Little White Secrets by English author Carol Mason, is the ultimate “family skeletons” drama. Emily Rossi and her husband Eric have a seemingly perfect life; both have great careers, an ideal country house and two beautiful children, one of whom is on his way to becoming the next great tennis star. When her daughter, Zara, starts hanging out with the wrong crowd, Emily and Eric must band together to try and keep Zara away from the life of drugs, lying and partying that is following her. However, in doing so, Eric’s little secrets also pop up, revealing themselves in a vicious way. Between their daughter’s dangerous behaviours and Eric’s potentially life-changing secret, can the family survive?
This novel is the first one I’ve read by this author and I’m intrigued! A new novel in a done-to-death genre always has me a little skeptical going in, assuming a trite storyline, banal characters and predictable twists, but “Little While Secrets” surprised me!
Emily is a great character, full of spunk and intelligence, taking on anyone who interferes with her family and the life she has worked so hard to build. Right from the beginning, the reader knows that Eric has secrets he is keeping, but Mason does a decent job at keeping him relatively likable as we try and sort out his mystery.
This novel hooked me from the get-go and didn’t slow down. I found it very easy to read, and I was easily pulled into the plot. Dramatically told and well-developed, Mason has found her calling in writing. She knows what she’s doing and she does it well.
As an avid (ridiculously avid….almost dangerously so) reader, I was able to predict most of the ending before it got there. But it was still a heck of a ride getting to the end point, and I was satisfied with the way it played out all the same.
A delightful surprise of a novel, bound to draw in fans of women’s fiction and family dramas, with great characters and a satisfying ending!

I did some day-reading with this one. I wanted to finish it last night but my eyelids refused to cooperate!

Ok, this is a good book, loaded with suspense and wondering. When Emily and Eric's daughter starts hanging out with a new friend, life spirals out of control. In a span of not much time, all sorts of nasty things happen to this family of four. The characters are very vivid and their internal chitchat really sounds like a regular joe. You can feel what Em is thinking. You sort of have an idea of one of the mysteries early on but you don't/can't know the depth of it. The timing is kind of strange in this one. You have back and forth from past to present but the present seems like way too much happening in such a small amount of time. But the book works well.
The pages practically turned themselves. The other night, I started reading at chapter 12, hoping to get in a couple chapters before I fell asleep. I read to chapter 26. I would absolutely recommend this one to friends. I was invited to read an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

Carol Mason British author and this is her sixth novel. I'm not sure how I missed reading her books but after reading Little White Secrets I plan to read her earlier books. This was a well written book about a family in trouble and the lengths that a mother will go to make sure her family is safe.

Emily and Eric Rossi live in a small town in England. Eric works in London and only comes home on the weekends and Emily is a professor at the local university. They have two children: 18 year old Daniel who is a tennis superstar and Zara, 14 years old, who is quiet and sensitive and doesn't fit well into her school life or her family life. Life may not be perfect for the Rossi family but it's pretty close to perfect. As the reader gets to know the family, we see the cracks developing that may tear them apart. Emily resents Eric being gone all week and leaving the parenting to her. Eric is developing a drinking problem. Zara who hasn't had a friend since they moved finds a new friend and she and Bethany become inseparable . The problem is that this friendship is toxic - Bethany has no respect for authority, drinks and has a boyfriend 10 years older than her. Bethany's mom turns a blind eye to all the trouble that her daughter causes and doesn't get involved in her life. When Emily finds out that Zara has been skipping school and hanging out with Bethany's older friends, she forbids Zara to see her friend again. We all know how well that works out with a teenage daughter! We are aware that Zara has secrets but it's the secrets that Eric and Emily are keeping from each other that may implode this family. Even small secrets, over time can become major. Can Emily save her family as the secrets come to light or will the secrets keep her family from surviving.

This is the story of family and love and acceptance. It's full of suspense that keep the pages turning and make it into a very satisfying novel. It kept me up most of one night to see how it would end. If you enjoy family-centric novels, this is one to add to your to-read list.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

This has been a great and emotional read which I have not been able to put down. I have been kept gripped from the beginning to end of this book.
The characters in this one are likeable and the plot keeps you guessing from beginning to end.
This is my first read by this author but it definitely won't be the last. I have really enjoyed reading this one. I can't wait to add more to my TBR list.
This is without a doubt a five star read which has really lifted me out of a reading slump. I highly recommend this book.

This was a very enjoyable book. A well written tale of a middle class family, living in a small English suburb. Emily is a Professor of Communications at the local University, Eric is an engineer currently working in London and home on weekends. Their son Daniel is a talented and up and coming tennis star, while his younger sister Zara is a introverted teenager, struggling to make friends and get out of Daniel’s shadow. The marriage is rocky and damaged by
Eric’s drinking and the job away from home.
A work colleague Janet is fixated on Daniel, dangerously so, and her willful daughter Brittany is a bad influence on the impressionable Zara. Many secrets and lies have infiltrated this cast of characters and a blowup is bound to happen.
Carol Mason is a skillful storyteller and has brought strong characters into this book. The tale of lies and deceit festers to a breaking point and the result is a real page turner.
My thanks to #LakeUnionPublishing and #NetGalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own. A book worth the journey!

The reader is told that the husband in the story has a secret from the outset. From outlookers Eric has the perfect family but it's all a facade. There are a multitude of cracks tearing their family portrait and it's barely clinging together. There's not a lot of drama until you're well and truly towards the end of the story but it didn't seem to compensate for the long drawn out first half of the book.

This felt like a fairly predictable domestic read and a good 'holiday' read. I've read other reviews claiming they thought there was a huge twist in the story but it all felt too easy. It's a dark book with cracks forming in the various character's friendships, relationships, home and work lives respectively. It wasn't easy to keep picking the book up and I felt a bit disappointed that I'd instinctively figured out the ending of the book. Clearly I read too many mystery books.

Having said that, it's a well written book and one that has an accessible style to read easily. Mason has created realistic characters who are easy to sympathise with. She paints the picture of living with an alcoholic in brutal honesty. The denial, anger and chaos they inflict upon those they love is captured in painful clarity.

Not an easy read but on which shows the importance of telling the truth to our loved ones. Not all little white secrets are as little as they seem.

Secrets and deceit. Carol Mason has crafted a fast-paced addictive story filled with drama, lies, and misdirection. Emily seemingly had the perfect family a loving husband, a super athlete son, and a sweet daughter. That is until it all began to unravel one secret at a time. What I really liked most about this book is Emily was such a likable character. She seriously did not deserve the hot mess that her life turned into. Struggling to keep her family afloat while her husband grew more and more distant and her daughter found her way into a bad situation. And then to compound things the past starts to rear its ugly head. Tense, riveting, compulsive, entertaining, and dark. This is a book that will definitely appeal to anyone who is a fan of a dark domestic drama with some unforgettable twists.

*** Big thank you to Lake Union for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Wow this book is completely different to what I’ve read before and I LOVED that about it!

This book follows a family who from the outside look like the perfect family in their big house, long marriage, nice things! However when a new girl comes to town their lives start falling apart!

There are so many secrets to uncover (some I found predictable and others were huge shocks) Eric (the dad) continues to succumb to alcohol! Daniel (the son) is the idle son however Zara (the daughter) goes extremely downhill when the new girl (Bethany) comes to town!

I don’t want to say too much about the story as I’m too worried about giving things away, but many secrets surface, many lies are told, many threats are made and life for Em (the mum) is extremely tough!

I really felt for Em throughout the whole book because she put everyone’s happiness before her own and tried to keep the family together and going! I can imagine there are many families like this where one person might be doing the same!

Everything falls apart for her, however she has done nothing wrong so I just find this heart breaking for her!

There is some sadness to the ending but also some peace and happiness!

I can imagine so many parents struggling with their teen who is going down the wrong path and feeling at a loss to what to do to get them back in the right path!

I found this book, intense and thrilling, dark and secretive and that just kept me invested the whole time!

Another 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rating from me as I thoroughly enjoyed this and would love to read more of this authors writing!

Well-written, well-paced look at a family splintering under alcoholism, infidelity, and deception. Dark and plot-driven, with few sympathetic characters among the adults. Frequent readers of thrillers may find the twists predictable.

Overall a well written story with good characters although for me it was a bit of a slow burner but I think that is because my main reads are psychological thrillers.

Not sure I would read more from this author but this is purely my own opinion.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an early copy.

Little White Secrets is well written.
It’s captivating domestic drama, hooks you in from the beginning chapters, into a fictional but realistic world that you feel you’re there, living the characters lives.
There’s a bit of everything in this tale, deception, addiction, mental health issues, lies, teenage angst and relationship. It pulls at your heart strings
I really enjoyed this book and would happily recommend it and will definitely read more of this author's books in the future.

Overall I enjoyed this. I predicted most of the twists though but it still highlighted the drama around teenagers and family secrets. How little white 'secrets' are actually just lies.

The picture was Emily Rossi's favourite, it was a picture that portrayed a happy family, a picture of perfection. Emily, her loving husband Eric, their son Daniel who was a tennis superstar and their quiet,sensitive daughter Zara. If it is true that every picture tells a story then the Rossi families would be a fairy tale.

But their fairy tale is about to take a dark turn when Zara brings a bad apple into their perfect world, a girl who Emily takes a instant dislike to. Soon Zara is sneaking out, drinking, possibly taking drugs and hanging out with bad company. Emily has no idea what to do and really needs Eric to be an involved father but he seems more concerned about his job in London... plus, he is drinking again.

Emily's picture perfect world is crumbling apart and she is not prepared to just stick her head in the sand and pretend it's not happening. But how far is she prepared to go to save her damaged family?

This enthralling, domestic drama is voiced almost entirely from Emily's perspective, a character who I didn't like or feel any sympathy towards for various reasons. I know many readers will probably have thought that Zara was a brat but I actually felt a lot of empathy towards her and fully understood why she behaved in the way that she did. I can also say the same for poor Bethany, she didn't stand a chance in life really but that didn't excuse her behaviour. The difference in the two girls upbringings raised the question, does whichever side of the social decide that a child grows up on affect their behaviour as they grow up and strive for their independence? I spent most of the book disliking Bethany's mother Janet but then the truth behind her actions was revealed and I suddenly felt quite guilty for being so judgemental. Interspersed throughout the book was chapters that slipped back in time and were voiced from Eric's perspective. I had mixed feelings about Eric as the story unfolded, there was times when I felt sorry for him and other times when I found him very unlikable.

Little White Secrets is a well written, captivating Domestic drama that hooks you in and draws you into the author's diverse characters fictional but realistic world. It's a tale of deception, addiction, mental health issues, lies, teenage angst and relationships that plays with the reader's emotions and pulls at your heart strings. I really enjoyed this book and would happily read more of this author's books in the future. Very very highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this book, it was easy to fall straight into, at first I felt it wasn’t giving me quite enough thrills and wasn’t moving as quick as I would have liked it to however the author was very clever at building the picture up and getting you really hooked to the characters and the twisted plot.
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I found a few characters frustrating and felt quite cringy reading about the husband Eric! I just didn’t have a very good feel for him through the whole book and thought he came across as an absolute pig!
Overall a capturing read and an absolute page turner!

3-4 Stars rounded up

The Rossi family seem to have the perfect life. Father Eric has a good job in London, mother Emily has a part time lecturer job at Leeds University, son Daniel is a promising young tennis player and daughter Zara seems to be doing well. Within six months their lives start to implode revealing the cracks they are papered over in the last few years. It’s apparent Eric is hiding several things, Emily’s work life is about to undergo a worrying upheaval but most alarming of all is that Janet and daughter Bethany Brown Exeter their loves and Bethany’s malign influence over fellow teenager Zara is to become frightening in its power. The story is told by Emily and Eric.

The characters are well portrayed and some are likeable such as Emily and Daniel. Janet and Bethany are strange, both are quite rude and abrupt and very easy to picture. The teenagers are their behaviour is well depicted and shows very clearly how easy it is for lives to be utterly derailed extremely rapidly when one person exerts control over another. Eric is delusional about a lot of things and is only truthful when he has no choice but he is interesting. His behaviour in the past shows that one wrong decision can have a tsunami effect even years later. The plot is believable, the pace is good and it’s well written and their spiralling out of control lives make for entertaining reading! There is tension and suspense between characters which comes across clearly. The ending is surprising and unexpected and though not necessarily morally right it is believable.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for a copy of the book.

Overall, an easy read which shines a light in how seemingly perfect lives can be uprooted by an unlucky chance with resulting destruction of a family.

FirstLine ~ PROLOUGE: 'Zara?' I shout, as I stare at my face in the mirror at the bottom of the stairs.



This book was a quite the read. It had a lot of twists and turns that I certainly did not see coming. It was an intense domestic thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat! I loved the characters and how dynamic all the relationships were. You definitely had some breadcrumbs laid out for you, but you never quite knew where the intense intersections of the plot/subplots were going to come to a head. Brilliant!

To me it remains a bit of a secret why other people find this a great book.
I mean the writing is great, but the story never really hooks me. From the first few chapters I already knew where the story was going and how it might end. For this type of book it’s not what you want.

Emily seems to have a perfect family, but in the first few chapters you already know this absolutely isn’t the case. The only character who seems to be ‘perfect’ is her son, but he only rarely makes an appearance. The story is about her daughter, Zara, and her husband Eric. Zara seems quiet and a thoughtful soul until she brings home a new friend who sets in motion a slew of life changing events for this family.

As I mentioned before I found this book unsurprising and highly predictable. You’d expect twists and turn and surprising secrets and reveals in this book, but it didn’t have it for me.

As Little White Secrets begins, the Rossi family is posing for pictures to accompany a feature article in a glossy magazine. Eric, the father who has a temporary job in London, is perhaps a bit too effusive. Mother Emily, a college professor, is proud of her family but worried about her appearance in her new green dress. Daniel, the son and superstar tennis player, is the subject of the article. His younger sister Zara, a bit overweight and uncomfortable with publicity, stands by awkwardly. In the magazine, six months later, they appear to be a perfect family. Things are not always what they seem.

The Rossis deal well with superficial problems, ignoring the serious fractures in their relationship that threaten to break it apart. While Emily deals with a career threatening situation and the handsome doctor next door, she ignores Eric’s manipulations and absences. When Janet and her daughter Bethany enter their lives, things begin to unravel. Zara falls under Bethany’s spell and her personality changes almost immediately. While Emily tries desperately to reconnect with Zara and distance her from Bethany’s friends, it becomes obvious that Eric has major hidden problems of his own. The explosive conclusion is both satisfying and sad.

Little White Secrets is a 5 star read. While I would have liked to see Daniel as a more developed character, the pressure his sports success puts on the family helps to explain why problems have developed. No one in the Rossi family is without fault. Their mistakes have been hidden too long and as Carol Mason slowly reveals them, you realize how much damage has been done. This is family drama at its best.

Thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing and Carol Mason for this ARC.

This book is really well written.

I read this as an ARC.

It didn't pull me in at first but I am the type of reader that can't stop reading a book and I'm very glad I am for this book because the secrets (from the title) that unfold throughout the book were really good. I wasn't expecting any of them.

There were times in the book where I found myself gasping and saying 'no don't do it'. I was invested in the characters. I felt sorry for Zara as she was teen going through teen stuff and then all the other stuff on top and getting into the wrong crowd of people because she seemingly just wanted to fit in.

Relationships, family and secrets a plenty in the book. I really liked it.

The writing of this book really captivated me. It’s a good mystery and has a twist that is always welcome. I guessed the secret Eric was keeping from his wife but felt that the characters, story and writing were good enough to keep me reading and enjoying the book. I highly recommend Little White Secrets to anyone looking for an engaging suspense book that is filled with strong, memorable characters. Ms. Mason's clever look at how people are not always who they seem creates a story that keeps you turning the pages. What secrets are they hiding and could those secrets hurt us? Who can we really trust and do we really know those people closest to us that we love? This is a psychological family drama about deep secrets, real fear, love, and losses. Right up to the last page, I was pulled in, engaged, and could not put this book down. If you enjoy suspenseful stories, this is a book you want to read. I look forward to reading each new book this author puts out!

This book wasn't what I expected.

Nope.

It was more. I'm not a fan of family suspense but I decided to give this a chance. A bingeable tale.

Little White Secrets is gripping, tense and full of drama! I was hooked from the beginning reading this story as it alternates with a dual plot line. Emily appears to have it all – solid marriage, nice house, good job and two children. But what happens when you are not sure you can trust your husband, you can no longer relate to your rebellious teenage daughter, a mysterious woman and her daughter suddenly appear and a newly widowed doctor moves in across the street. Who is holding secrets, how will they impact your perfect life and which are more than little while lies?

Carol Mason writes with the brilliant forensic complexity of Cath Staincliffe and the searing emotional veracity of Liane Moriarty in her latest addictive thriller, Little White Secrets.

Perfection is a word that could be used to describe Emily Rossi and her lifestyle. She seems to lead a life straight out of the glossy pages of an inspirational magazine with a great husband, a thriving career, a beautiful house in the country and two wonderful children. Emily seems to be living the dream until her daughter Zara brings a cuckoo in the nest that ends up up-ending all of their lives forever. Emily’s family starts spiralling out of control with Zara beginning to stay out late, take drugs and making unsuitable friendships. Emily is at her wit’s end and she needs her husband more than ever. But Eric seems to be too concerned with his job in London and keeping his drinking habit a secret to care…

Secrets seems to be desperate to tumble out of the Rossi’s closet. After years of perfection being the gold standard of their lives, when a dark and twisted secret is uncovered, Emily’s life is once again turned upside down. With her family’s life to protect, can Emily save her damaged family? Even if by doing so might mean keeping her own dark secret from them?

A chilling family drama about the lengths a mother goes to for the sake of her family, Little White Secrets is not your average thriller. Incredibly tense, brilliantly suspenseful and with twists and turns galore, Little White Secret is a white knuckle edge of your seat kind of book you will struggle to put down – just make sure you lock all your doors and windows first!

A brilliant thriller that is a cut above from the usual domestic noir fare, Little White Secrets is a nail-biting chiller from the talented Carol Mason.

5☆ An Enthralling Dark Domestic Drama, I Couldn't Put Down!

Emily and Eric have a lovely home and the perfect family but Eric spends alot of time away from home working and he is clearly hiding lots of things from Emily. His behaviour towards her starts to deteriorate especially when he turns to drink to get him through the week!

Zara (14yrs old) has always been quiet and sensitive. Unlike her older brother Daniel (16yrs old) who plays Championship Tennis and is the current Winter Cup Winner. Zara always seems to go under the radar, until she meets Bethany!

Zara meets ‘Bethany when she knocks on Emily's door with her mum asking for charitable donations for abused women.
But something about ‘Bethany & her mother feel off with Emily. She just can't put her finger on it.

So the last person she expects to see Zara hanging out at home with is ‘Bethany.

But the more Zara hangs around with Bethany the more Zara's behaviour rapidly changes. Sneaking around, drinking, being deceitful, being rude.....But just what is so appealing about Bethany.

Slowly Emily's perfect world is crumbling around her and she has no clue what to do.
Can Emily find a way to fix her family before it's too late?

One character I did adore was Otis the Lurcher, what a sweetheart.

Little White Secrets is such a thrilling, Pacy, domestic drama, I devoured it in two nights.
It's a lil suspenseful, dark, gripping, intriguing, enthralling and a Page Turner.
The story deals with mental health, grief, deceit, addiction, plenty of teen angst, family relationships and friendships.
The characters are brilliantly portrayed, complex, flawed not all are likeable but perfect for the plot.
I loved the cleverly plotted twists and turns as the story progresses, secrets are divulged.

So if you are looking for a gripping, tense, domestic drama, that will keep you hooked, has plenty of teen angst, secrets and deceit then I can't recommend reading Little White Secrets enough!


Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

How many secrets unroll out of the first secret? When Emily’s life starts to unravel, she has no idea what the root of the issue is. Her work, her husband and daughter seem to be spiraling out of control. Can she figure it out and pull it all back together?

While I figured out some, the rest kept me guessing. A solid read.

Emily’s family is picture-perfect. She has a star in the making son, Daniel, who excels in tennis and a daughter Zara, who is quiet and pliable when it comes to doing whatever her parents want. She has been married to Eric for twenty years and of course, they have had their issues, but who hasn’t? They are such a perfect family that a newspaper wants to do a special report on them because of their son, and they play their parts perfectly, because they are, after all, the perfect family.

But flawlessness has a way of unravelling in the most unexpected ways. Zara becomes friends with the new girl at school, Bethany, a girl who is a little rough around the edges. A lot rough. And she makes Emily feel uneasy because her pliable daughter starts to change, and not in the best of ways. And Eric is behaving oddly. Only Daniel seems to be acting as normal. And somehow, ever so slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, life starts to become unlivable. Zara is acting out, and the ringleader is always Bethany. Eric is drinking more than is good for him. Daniel is losing tennis matches.

And Emily finds herself torn in how to react. Eric is of no support when Zara goes off the deep end. Emily finds the support she desperately needs in the form of her neighbour Steve, a widower and quite possibly attracted to her, as she may be to him. And then life gets out of control and there is no telling how it's going to end for this once ideal of families.

Deceptions, deceit, cruelty and confusion are all interwoven in this novel that deals with addiction, infidelity and bad choices that watch as a family implodes in slow motion. Its as if the reader is watching a fatal car accident happen right before their eyes, each new revelation more painful than the last. Emily is forced to confront the lies that have held her family together and the lies that will now tear her family apart and there is an extraordinarily strong possibility that there will be no survivors.

Mason has written a novel that is powerful and painful and gripping all at the same time. There are times when the surprises are so gut-wrenching it's necessary to put the book down and remind yourself that it's only a novel. The characters are well-drawn and capable of making you invest in them emotionally. The only way to describe the way the family careens off the rails is stupefying. The sad part of this novel is that despite it being so brutal, it is totally believable, and all too often played out in one way or another every day. Perhaps that’s why the emotional intensity of the piece works so well.

Trigger warning, this novel deals with alcoholism.

You have to read this book.

What a wonderful surprise this book was! A page turner that keeps up the suspense throughout, with relatable characters and a story that will grip the heart of any wife and mother of teens.
I highly recommend it!

I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

LITTLE WHITE SECRETS has been a roller coaster, not for a second allowing me to anticipate events. It is an enthralling family drama I could not put down.

Emily’s life is picture perfect with a wonderful husband, a striving career and two adorable children – a tennis champion, Daniel and a very quiet teenage girl, Zara. She couldn’t wish for more, some would say. But when her fourteen year old daughter starts hanging out with the wrong people, it all goes downhill.

All of a sudden, Zara is skipping school, taking drugs and hangs out with the exact people you wouldn’t wish your child to even meet. And, as Emily’s marriage seems solid, she needs her husband more than ever but he proves to be unreliable and hiding a very dark secret that turns her life upside down. Her marriage lasted all these years through lies that are now tearing her apart and I have to admit that I thought this will be a story with no survivors or one where the bad guy wins.

I can definitely say that this terrifying story will grip the hearts of every mother and wife out there. All throughout this novel deals with addiction, infidelity and bad choices, teen drama, mental health and loss getting you more and more involved. As the events unravel, the reader receives shock after shock with each new discovery more painful the previous. I have to say that Mason did such a good job portraying each character. They are all complex, far from perfect and not easy to like but most certainly suited for the plot.

This novel is full of twists and turns, of secrets divulged as you dive into the story and I have to admit that I had times when I had to stop and get a grip. As soon as I went over one shock I had to get back, desperate to know what happens next. So if you are looking for a five star domestic drama that will keep you hooked, grab LITTLE WHITE SECRETS by Carol Mason

I enjoyed this book and the many twists and turns. However I feel like the character of Eric wasn’t fully developed and was not completely believable.

One of the best books I’ve read in a while. Loved it.

Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

Brilliant book. Not so little White secrets more like skeletons behind every closed door. Had me hooked from the beginning. Cant wait to read mor eb y theis author

Carol Mason, the best-selling author of After You Left and The Shadow Between Us has written an incredibly moving and poignant novel in this exhilarating work of familial drama.

The Rossi family all have wonderful lives... but they also have their own little secrets. Daniel, 16 is a star tennis player and his sister Zara, 14 is the introvert of the family. Mother and protagonist Emily teaches a communications course at University. Emily's husband Eric and father to Daniel and Zara, works in London and comes home on weekends. When Zara brings home new best friend, Bethany, Emily’s seemingly perfect family life starts to crumble around her. Emily realises that Bethany is no good for her daughter and tries everything to keep them apart. But just how far is she prepared to go to save her family?

The story is told in the past and present from the perspectives of Emily and Eric. Emily’s narrative is in the present, whilst Eric's contributions are from the past. This structure expertly draws the reader into the lives of both characters, as well as adding depth to the story as the reader begins to understand how Eric's experiences are now affecting his family currently. I found myself occasionally empathising with him but with some trepidation... For her part, I found Emily to be an extremely intriguing character. Although not always likeable, she regularly displayed a cocktail of emotions, from anger and frustration to wariness. All of this added to and complemented this wonderful character-driven story.

Deceptions, deceit, cruelty and confusion are all masterfully interwoven in Little White Secrets that encompasses addiction, infidelity and some very poor choices as the Rossi family slowly implodes, with each new disclosure becoming more painful than the last. An insightful and thought-provoking read about how the mistakes we sometimes make impact on others and the power denial can have. I found Little White Secrets an exceptionally enjoyable read, helped by Carol Mason’s beautiful writing which has depth and substance. The ending was very fulfilling with a little surprise. I will definitely be looking out for more of her books in the future.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Amazon Publishing UK via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

Although I read this book as I wanted to know the Ending it wasn’t an easy read. The characters are all a little self obsessed, can’t see what’s in front of their eyes and not really very likeable. Which OK is kind of part of the plot but you still need to identify a little with the lead so you want her to persevere - to come out victorious but in this book I just think she wasn’t someone I would want to know.

This was a great book that I really enjoyed all the way through. My first read by Carol Mason but certainly not my last. I knew from very early pages I was going to like this one.

Carol depicts her characters very realistically, even her grasp on moody teenage girls is impressive! As the book and the story really revolves around a cast of mixed characters I really liked the way I could connect. The book seamlessly moves back and forth in part between two timeframes and not for one moment was that disconnecting me from the book. It added a layer of questions that were not answered until the end and then that reveal was worth waiting for.

Families. Marriage. Friends. Teenagers. Neighbours. Secrets and Lies. You will get a blend of all this in Little White Secrets. Carol manages to give you enough teasers to want to taste more without giving away too much. My feelings about each character changed TOTALLY from beginning to end. I love it when a book can do that, play with my emotions around characters. This would make a great TV mini-series.

Some of it was totally unexpected for me and other bits I did see coming from early on, however I think each reader will have a different perspective reading this, I highly recommend for book clubs as it would make for hot discussion. I am a sucker for a bunch of dysfunctional, imperfect people in a novel and Carol delivered this really well. I thoroughly enjoyed Little White Secrets and am eager to read more from Carol, born in the North East of England like myself she must be a fabulous person. Recommended reading for sure.

FABULOUS! I really enjoyed this book. Full of secrets, some guessable and some surprising. This held my interest to the end. Great thriller.
Thank you to publisher, author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not what I expected! At the start of this book I expected a plot centered around the son, and star tennis player. Not the case, although I was not disappointed. I finished this book in two days time, as there was something that drew me in. The author does a great job of going between decades to tell the story. Character development was key as there were times I sympathized with the character that ultimately is the antagonist of this story. The main characters feelings as a mother are spot on, although the twist at the end got me! No spoilers! I will be looking this author up online to read more! Thank you again for the advance copy!

This book started off like any other thriller, knowing something was going to happen but not sure.
However I thought there was going to be alot of twists and turns but everything that happened you could see coming chapters before.
There was no major twist to the story and no big storyline, kept reading in the hope some big story would happen but it got to the end and nothing had happened.
If you are after a fast paced read with lots of twists this isn't it. It's a pleasant read but not gripping unfortunately.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have liked everything this author has written and this was just as good, good storyline, liked the characters and kept me guessing until the end.

This book was not good (at least not for me). I'm not sure if it's because I read a lot of thrillers, or if it's because it just wasnt my type of book. All I can say was I had to struggle to finish it, and I didn't like it once I did. The "twists" at the end were twists I saw coming at the beginning of the book. All in all, not worth the time it took to finish it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are of course my own.

This was a great surprise! I had never read this author before but was under the impression that she wrote romances so I requested this on NetGalley because it was filed under mystery but was apprehensive nonetheless.

It's a well-written mystery that reminded me a lot of Liane Moriaty's and Lisa Jewell's style, and that's a huge compliment, since they're some of my all time favorite authors.

The way the narrative is presented the reader gets parts of the picture as the story goes on but never the complete frame, so I was taken aback at some points by some revelations that I did not see coming. I think that having Eric tell his version of events in separate chapters was clever and made the novel even better.

I am for sure going to read more from this author now.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with and ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

When I think of a little, white lie, I think of a fib that isn’t going to really hurt anyone if it gets out. It might hurt a feeling or two. I was expecting some minor secrets from this story, but it went much further than that.

Emily has a perfect life. She teaches part time at the local university. Her husband Eric has taken a job in London. Her son Daniel is a tennis star. And daughter Zara is doing just fine. But things are not what they seem in this family. Eric is a drinker and that is not the only secret he’s keeping from his wife.

Emily struggles through raising teens essentially by herself. Zara has made a new friend, Bethany, who may be a bad influence. Eric is away all the time. Emily is getting to know the new neighbor who just happens to be a good looking doctor.

The beginning was hard for me to get into. Once the ball started rolling, I had a hard time putting it down. It ended up being a good story with a not perfectly happy ending.

The Rossi fami!y is going to be on the newspaper more than one time. An interview with the tennis player star and his family is going to be the first. But it will be more.
How can a family find their way back to what they knew as normal after several difficult situations?
Would they be able to do so?
I pick up this book because I thought it was women's fiction. But it was a lot more. The characters are so well developed! And even if the author goes back and forth in time, she does it in a neat and organized way.
I would like to read more from this author and absolutely recommend her.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just ok. I guessed what was going to happen from the beginning. No great shocks at all.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for letting me read this book unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

I struggled at first - the characters weren't rather endearing, the plot was a little jumbled. Then came the first twist and I was hooked - I had to find out what happened.

Don't get we wrong - the characters are still pretty despicable but the story is well written and has some great twists!

Thanks to Netgalley for a preview of this book. I was not disappointed! From the get go this book had me gripped &; engrossed. This book is fast paced and based plenty of twists to keep you going. Thus us a book not to be missed

Thank You to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this eBook!!

For Emily Rossi, life may not be perfect, but it’s pretty close. She has a great career, a house in the country, a solid marriage to Eric and two wonderful children, Daniel and Zara. But when Zara brings home a toxic new best friend Bethany, Emily’s seemingly perfect family starts to spiral out of control.

This was an intense book!! It's full of suspense and twists that keeps you turning pages to find out the little white secrets (which btw were not little at all) !!

Little White Secrets by Carol Mason was my first read from this author, and I was certainly impressed by her ability to draw the reader in with an intriguing storyline and richly developed characters. This is a compulsively readable domestic drama that will engage you from the very start.

Emily Rossi, to all outward appearances, is living a life that others would envy. A loving husband, two children who are her pride and joy, and a challenging career provide the foundation of a near idyllic life. Everything changes, however, when fourteen year old daughter Zara brings home a new friend, Bethany, and as the lives of the Rossi family members begin to unravel, Emily knows that her perfectly ordered life will never be the same.

This is an engaging read that, in my opinion, lands solidly in the genre of domestic drama, rather than mystery or thriller, although there are certainly some elements of surprise. Wonderful characterization and a few well-placed plot twists will keep you turning the pages.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this ARC.

Parts of this story were really good and others were too predictable. Overall it is still a good read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

When you know you don't want to do anything till you finish a book - this one will do it! This was an outstanding thriller that kept me up nights till I finished it.! It is a painful marriage that Emily Rossi is enduring....what looked like a perfect one is being torn apart by secrets, lies, and a husband who is an alcoholic, works in London and is absent when she needs him most. Her daughter Zara gets into a bad crowd and is using drugs. What secrets does Emily have that adds to the drama? This story is intense, gripping, and heart wrenching. It is a real look into how addiction manipulates and steals lives.

The premise of this novel sounded interesting, but unfortunately It just didn't grab my attention the way I hoped it would. I found the characters to be a bit dull, and the story to be quite predictable.

This book really blew me away.

It started off slowly and you started getting the impression very early on that the Rossi family was living behind this very glossy facade. Pretty soon chunks of the facade came crashing down and dragged little secrets everyone was keeping tucked away into the glaring spotlight.

I didn't particularly feel that I liked the main character, Emily, but in a way she earned some respect from me for dealing with what she had to without totally losing her sanity.

Some chapters start off slightly tricky to understand because it is not always indicated who the speaker is, but a few sentences in you quickly click who is speaking. In a way the initial uncertainty as to who is speaking adds to the atmosphere in the spiraling chaos of Emily's life.

The closing words stunned me. I put the book down after finishing it and was unable to focus on any other novel for at least a day. As a mother to two pre-teens my answer (Yes, possibly) to the question, "Would I do the same if I was in Emily's shoes?" scared me slightly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

What a story! From the beginning the characters are well developed, likeable until they shouldn't be, relatable and it was superbly written as a great women's fiction with a hint of suspense.

Told from 2 points of view, the unravelling of a family is told while captivating the reader right from the beginning to try and figure it all out. If you pay attention and try to guess, it should be evident the direction of the story... however if you love to read to escape and let the story engulf you without thinking ahead - this would be a fun read!

Thank you Carol Mason, Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. Always so grateful for the opportunity to read complimentary books!

Can there be such a thing as little white secrets?. This book beautifully explores when these secrets are exposed and the devastating consequences which follow.

Emily seems to lead a charmed life . A fantastic career, beautiful children and husband but something under the surface makes her uneasy. When her fourteen year old daughter brings home a new friend Bethany it sends her orderly life into free fall.

Zara’s personality changes overnight, she’s mixing with the wrong company and experimenting with alcohol and drugs. Emily struggles to guide Zoe and with the continual absence of her husband Eric who works in London she feels alone with the responsibility solely on her.

Eric has his own little secrets, one of these he finds at the bottom of a bottle.

The narrative of this book is very clever. We hear the story from different perspectives and the slow unraveling of the story leads the reader to a gripping end.

The effects of addiction on the whole family and the unseen consequences were beautifully explored in this book The mother’s love for her children is undeniable and the length they will go to to protect their children was also brilliantly portrayed . .Teenage years can be hard on parents and I feel many readers will relate to some parts of the story . Carol Masons skill at writing solid characters with relatable issues are brilliant.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this page turner.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for approving my request to read on netgalley. This is a new author to me.I raced through this psychological thriller,it had me absolutely hooked!Lies,secrets and scandals begin to resurface and set to destroy everything. Packed with twists and turns. Fast paced and a exhilarating read. I will definitely be reading more from Carol .

What a great story! I started Little White Secrets expecting a little something else and got a really good book! You never really know just what people are hiding and what people's intentions are. Em is married to Eric and they what seems to be an everyday marriage. They struggle with the day to day. Mom is overworked and is attempting to deal with teenagers while Eric is working in another city for a time. The daughter meets new friends and it all starts to fall apart. You learn of their struggle from the beginning (so there is some going in between the past and current time). Some of the chapters are written from different characters point of view but are clearly labeled and I think the book flows very nicely. I felt for Em, she was trying. But what do you do to punish sneaky teenagers?! Especially when dad isn't around. This book had some very good twists that I didn't see coming. i highly recommend this book to others and I will be looking for other books by Carol Mason.
#LittleWhiteSecrets #NetGalley

The Rossi's seem like the perfect family. The parents have a strong marriage with good careers, the son is a rising tennis star and the daughter is a beautiful teenager with a bright future ahead of her. But beneath the surface of this seemingly perfect family is a web of devastating secrets that could destroy each one of them. This book has a wonderfully well-conceived storyline with deep solid characters. There is a bit of a slow start to the story but it quickly gets interesting and is quite the page turner. A very complex storyline that is told from different perspectives and includes flashbacks but flows nicely. Just when you think you have it all figured out there is another secret revealed causing a plot twist you were not expecting. There is a slow reveal of the secrets that this family holds and the reader's opinion of the family will most likely change drastically from the beginning to the end. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a thrilling family drama.
I am grateful to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read an ARC of this thrilling book in exchange for a honest review.

A brilliant family drama with secrets brewing underneath.
My first book by this author, I loved how the cracks in a perfect family were slowly revealed by the author. Written in dual timelines, the story was slow to start with, but soon picked up pace.

An engrossing read.

So impressed with this book from Carol Mason! A great read that had me turning the pages deep into the night. Pick this one up if you are a fan of Liane Moriarty!

Thank you, NetGalley, for my e-ARC.

"Such and such has the PERFECT life." If only...The grass is always greener...True or not, most of us are prone to such feelings.

It would seem that Emily Rossi has an enviable life : beautiful home, career, loving husband, and two model children. The reality is not so pretty. Her mother recently passed away. Her career as a professor of PR & Communications is in jeopardy. Her friendship with her neighbor, Charlotte, is on a break after a falling out. Her relationship with her husband Eric is going through a rough patch. He is an absentee father and husband, unavailable to his family due to his away job and excessive drinking. Her daughter, Zara, lives in the shadow of her older brother, tennis superstar, Daniel, and has become BFF's with toxic Bethany. Ironically, Emily and Zara first met Bethany and her equally unbalanced mother, Janet, when they came to their door fundraising for domestic violence.

Emily blames herself and Eric for the negative change in Zara. They were so consumed with Daniel's tennis aspirations that Zara was not given her fair share of their love and attention. Emily is determined to make up for lost time. But it may be too little too late. Feeling alone and overwhelmed, Emily comes to depend on Steve, a new neighbor. He is reliable, empathetic, attractive, single, and...interested. She is sorely tempted. Steve is everything Eric is not. At least, not anymore.

Set in England. Two timelines, present and past. Written from the perspectives of Emily and Eric, this was a realistic rendering of an imperfect family in crisis. The Little White Secrets start revealing gradually. So many secrets. Until the end, when all is out in the open. Again... too late. But, would it have better if they were uncovered sooner?

This women's fiction title was a change of pace from the suspense thrillers I typically read. A bit wordy at times, but overall, it was ok.

Really good read. Would recommend to friends and family. I could sympathise with characters (important for any fiction novel!) and looked forward to picking it up and reading the next few chapters! Interesting plot line and a good ending. Will look out for more novels by the author. Thank you.

Secrets and deceit. Carol Mason has crafted a fast-paced addictive story filled with drama, lies, and misdirection. Emily seemingly had the perfect family a loving husband, a super athlete son, and a sweet daughter. That is until it all began to unravel one secret at a time. What I really liked most about this book is Emily was such a likable character. She seriously did not deserve the hot mess that her life turned into. Struggling to keep her family afloat while her husband grew more and more distant and her daughter found her way into a bad situation. And then to compound things the past starts to rear its ugly head. Tense, riveting, compulsive, entertaining, and dark. This is a book that will definitely appeal to anyone who is a fan of a dark domestic drama with some unforgettable twists.

Well I obviously couldn't go without including a thriller and this one is a good one!

All the best features are included - a relatable situation, drama, suspense and the need to keep reading to find out what is going to happen. All the 'little white secrets' build up and show what can happen when it all gets too much.

I really liked the main character, she was very realistic, strong and flawed at the same time. The supporting characters were also well written and they were able to inspire feelings of hatred and sorrow, which I think is always a sign of good writing.

am surprised that I haven't come across this author before but will definitely keep an eye out for more thrillers by her from now on. Highly recommend this one, especially if you are a thriller fan.

Little White Secrets
by Carol Mason
HOLY MOLY!!! This tale was one that I couldn't seem to read fast enough because it was so delicious - yet - I didnt want to finish it because I didn't want it to end!! Eric is jerk. There are so many other things that I could call him - but that's probably the most kind. I loved the story line with Bethany and all the characters involved - yet, feel that Daniel was totally under-utilized - I kept waiting and waiting for him to really be relevant to the story and he never was. It was hard to have sympathy for Zara until we find out the abuse and manipulation that she suffered at the hands of her "friend". Normally, I would want to string Janet up - but crazy enough - my heart went out to her at the end. Like I said - Eric is a jerk - a Wimpy jerk!! This was my first Carol Mason book and I seriously can't wait to read more!!! Thank you to Netgalley for providing a digital copy of Little White Secrets in exchange for an honest review <3

Great book. A family of four, where mum and dad have good jobs, the son is a local sport celebrity and the teenage daughter Zara. They seem a perfect family,but cracks are starting to show, the husband is away a lot with work, mum loses her job and Zara's best friend is not what she seems. I certainly recommend this book.

This was an incredible read and an absolute page turner. I was hooked right from the beginning and stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this book. I just could not put it down.

The Rossi family has a lot of little (and not so little) secrets. Once Eric’s past is slowly revealed and you start to understand how past choices affected the present. Perfect for anyone who is looking for a suspenseful read with interesting characters and family drama.

Middle of the road read for me.

This is not a mystery/thriller, instead a domestic/family drama. Had that been established at the start I may have had more appropriate expectations. There are some twists, yes, but they were hardly surprising.

The cast is pretty much a horrible and unlikable group, definitely all the main characters. Was it well written? Yes, decent premise, good pacing and I was overall entertained. Had I done a little digging and realized that this was a drama I think it would have gone down a little better. If you’re into that then I think you will enjoy this. I would check out more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Amazon Publishing UK for a copy in exchange for a review.

Brilliant story although I found it a little slow in the beginning. I was relieved that as the story went on, I became more invested. I loved the complex relationships and I the twist at the end was unexpected.

Thank you to Netgalley, Amazon Publishing and Carol Mason for the opportunity to read this e-copy in return for my honest review. I'm a big fan of Carol Mason, having loved 'The Shadow Between Us' and this book was no different. The story was filled with believable and flawed characters and the damage that secrets can do do relationships. Stunning!

What a brilliant read this was. Absolutely loved everything about it. This is the first book I've read from this author but I will certainly be looking at her other titles.

Couldn't put it down as it had me engaged from the very start. It just had everything in it, mystery, humour, drama. and was so well written. This is well deserving of 5 stars.

Thank you Amazon Publishing and Netgalley.

I volunteered to read this book, through netgalley in exchange, for an honest review.
An exceptional read with so many twist and turns, I couldn't put the book down. I became invested in the characters that had so many layers

This book was only ok for me. It picked up closer to the end... but I didn’t really find it as gripping or interesting as I had hoped.

Little white secrets centres around the Rossi family with the story mainly being told from the point of view of Emily the wife of Eric and mother to Daniel and Zara. Their smilingly happy family appears picture perfect from the outside but is crumbling from the inside. Things start to really go wrong when Zara makes a new friend in Bethany who seems to be a wild child, every parents nightmare. Her mum Janice doesn't seem to care all to much about her wild child and appears to know the family more than she's letting on.

I wasn't sure what genre this book fell in when I started reading it, but that really made no difference to me I really enjoyed it! The story really looks at family dynamics and how easily things can go wrong.
Its interesting that Emily tells the story because she is a university professor in communications yet ironically she seems very bad at communiticating. She has missed subtle hints throughout the years esp in relation to her husband. She at first doesn't seem to be the character who you want to tell the story, Zara is so central to the storyline it would make sense she told it. However after a few chapters it made sense why it was Emily.

The description is really well written sometimes a tad graphic for my liking however totally necessary..There are many times where you feel like you are there yet the narrative doesn't completely bombarded you with description.

Eric is a wet blanket! I cannot say much more about him without devoluging his storyline but believe me, you will agree.
Zara is isolated lost and just looking for a friend, this is why she so easily falls into the spell of Bethany Brown. She finds she is in over her head but she's a people pleaser. Although this doesn't seem to work out too well for her.
Bethany another lost teenager. Her mum appears to have little to no interest in her. She is left to her own devices. This lands her with an older boyfriend who is more than happy to ply her with drugs and alcohol.
Daniel is the success of the Rossi family a championship winning tennis player. The family celeb and adore by everyone it seems. But he seems so sad., almost like tennis is hid escape of his reality.
Janice is an interesting character I question her motives but they become clear.

It was a great book, one where all the characters bring something to the story. The book itself is well written and enjoyable. I found it hard to put down esp near the end of the book. There are a few twist one seemed extremely obvious from the get go, to be honest the title made mr guess that one. Then the second twist I suspected but was sad. The last twist again I had guessed I was waiting for a twist within it but that didn't come but its okay. I almost felt like I want to read a part time see how everyone is getting on.
Great read easy 4 stars.

Thank you Netgalley, C.Mason and amazon publishing for the APR in exchange for a fair and honest review.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Well, called it from the start but still a pretty wild read ngl, better than i thought it was going to be too

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me sold from the first page! It was so good! I loved it so much. There were so many hidden subplots within this book. Man… I just have no words. There was so much suspense and family drama rolled into this one!

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

A thoroughly engaging story about a picture-perfect family with dark secrets. On the surface, Emily's life seems to be perfect. A solid marriage, tennis-star son and a successful career. But behind closed doors, the story is very different. Believable, relatable characters and a storyline that draws you in until the last page (with a few unexpected twists thrown in along the way) - all the ingredients of a great book.

Great book to read. It was very well written. Great characters. Down to earth and realistic plot. Lots of twists and turns in the book to keep you interested

Thank you, Netgalley and to the publisher for my advanced copy of Little White Secrets

This was my first novel by Carol Mason. I give Little White Secrets 4-4.25 stars! After reading several historical fiction and thrillers recently, this book was a nice palate cleanser, and an excellent family drama read. I enjoyed all of the characters in this book, and they were very well written, easy to get to know and quickly become absorbed in. We start off with a family having their picture taken for an article due to their son's all-star tennis career, seeing the picture perfect family. As things slowly unravel throughout the story, we learn that they are far off from being perfect. I enjoyed this book also because it was about a couple in their 40's. It was refreshing not to read about 20 somethings or 30 somethings for a change (being in my 40's myself). Not only did this book have the heavy drama that I love in a story, but you eventually realize, by the end, that there was a thriller twist. I loved the ending and didn't expect it coming in the least. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves women's fiction genre or family drama. Again, 4-4.25 stars!

Took me a little while to get into this book, but once I was in, I really enjoyed the story.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

In my opinion, the publisher's description is misleading p- this is most of all the domestic drama, where main heroine Emily gets confronted with the little nice bubble where she lives her problem-less life with her family of two kids and husband. But when not one, but two life crises hit the bubble, Emily is to see what is real and what is pure fiction.

Carol Mason definitely can bring the interesting topics on the table and she writes with openness, even brutal honesty, about the life issues, what I welcome in my reads. But she also does not go all the walk- one of my critique points is that her female heroines always get pass. Emily never confronts the mistakes she did and the many blind spots she has evaded all her life. I would even go so far to even confront certain co-dependency angles. The other major heroine also goes from all lack to almost all cleared, without really taking responsibility for her life (sure, the mental health issues are not to be treated lightly, but the true healing also means to face the music). Men definitely are black and white here. And if we are to talk about alcoholism, lets not put it on the side as some red herring, lets take it into the light and deal with all the problematic issues.

Having said all that - I do believe this novel can make a very good read for a book club. I am brimming with opinions about it - and it is always a good sign of a food for thought being present. Because all of my critique points do not diminish the issues mentioned here - and they certainly need to be pondered and addressed.

Little White Secrets by Carol Mason was overall a well-written book with well-developed characters and a fairly interesting plot. The book took me a while to get into, kind of a slow burn. There was no huge twist, if there was I already figured it out, just kind of a meandering tale. Just an okay from me.

Zara's new friend Bethany arrives at the Rossi home and things go off the rails. What will Emily do to protect her secrets and her family? This one is somewhat of a slow burn but its a good read.

This was a middle of the road book for me. It's a decent family drama that peels back the illusion of a "perfect" family, but I failed to emotionally connect with any of the characters and therefore didn't really feel vested as the story unfolded. There were many clues to what was really going on...and I figured out the "secret" long before it was revealed. It all wraps up neatly in the end (which feels a bit unrealistic). This one was good for me...just not great.