I didn’t like it. I tried to but just could not get into it at all

Secrets of Southern Girls started out a bit slow but the pace definitely picked up!

Sadly this book was just not for me. I enjoy fast paced books, with well developed characters and did not find that in this book. I thought it needed more, but it was definitely not the worst I've read either.

A very interesting tale that held my attention all the way through. Great plot, plenty of smiles & the writing kept me hopping! Thanks for the opportunity with this ARC!

Julie Portland is carrying a dangerous secret; years ago she accidentally killed her best friend. She left Mississippi, believing that time and distance would heal the wound in her heart. But the past has a nasty way of catching up with us, and Julie finds herself compelled to return home to search for her friend's diary. What secrets will the diary hold? Will Julie finally be able to lay the past to rest. A gripping psychological mystery along with a coming of age story.

While I can appreciate a good slow burning plot, this one just moved to slowly for me. The flow of the story was off for me - the transition between the diary entries was at times confusing, and the naivete of one of the characters in regards to racism/KKK just did not ring true or seem realistic to me.

The concept of this book totally intrigued me. The plot moved quickly enough that I was interested the whole time, but unfortunately it fell flat for me at the end. It ended up being predictable, which isn't something I'm looking for in a mystery/thriller.

Haley Harrigan presents readers with a story of survival - how one woman can get past her own past. The death of a teenage friend leaves our heroine yearning for normalcy, but it takes a trip back to her hometown to discover the truth of what happened that fateful night. Harrigan keeps readers guessing while she reminds that there are always three sides to a story - with the truth somewhere in the middle.

I really did not enjoy this novel. There were a lot of things that just didn't work for me. I thought this novel would be primarily told from Julie's point of view. And while most of it was, there were also other perspectives thrown in that took me aback. With no introduction, a chapter would suddenly be told in the perspective of some other character. This really affected the flow of the novel, making it choppy. There were diary entries scattered throughout the book, and while I usually enjoy that, I didn't like it here. That was mostly because the voice of the diary entry was very awkward. The story took a long while to get going and I kept waiting for that moment where the story would pull me in ... but it never happened. There was nothing really appealing about the story. None of the characters were likable, and I didn't really care about what they were going through because they were just so selfish and immature. I thought there would be more twists and turns in the plot but it was really just about Julie and August getting the diary (which happened pretty easily, in all honesty) and then reading the entries that the reader has had access to already. Nothing really made this novel shine or took it over the edge. All in all, I was pretty disappointed with this book and for those reasons, I'm giving it a 1/5 stars.

This slow-building, but thoroughly readable mystery is full of surprises.

This was a pretty easy read with an interesting story line. One of my favorite parts was Reba’s diary.

I loved this book. It was suspenseful, and the change in focus on the different characters really helped the reader experience it from all viewpoints. It was truly a book that I had no clue what to expect until the very end.

Reba and Julie were best friends, but then life happens. The two girls grow apart as they hold onto secrets from each other. Then, tragedy... Reba dies and Julie's life is turned upside down. A tangled web of character interaction follows as the true events of the story comes to life through Reba's diary.
This book has some strong language, but I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good suspense novel.

Meh. What can I say? Let me start by saying, this book was lacking. I felt the characters were under developed. I didn't feel a connection to any one at all.

DNF - this story was just not for me. I did not leave a public review as I don't want to dissuade others from picking it up to read it.

While asking to review this book, I did not realize that it wasn't the type of book I'd normally pick out or read. I wasn't able to finish it, but that is not a reflection on the book it self -- it just didn't fit with my reading tastes and I am not the target audience.

This really wasn't what I thought it would be. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't actually good either. It left me feeling kind of indifferent throughout the entire story.

As debut novels go, this one is a good entry. The pacing was a little off and the dialogue could use some polish, but there is a lot of potential here. I'm not a huge fan of the slow burn plots - of which this is a prime example - so it wasn't my favorite, but it will certainly please those who are. Very excited to see where Ms. Harrigan goes next!

Fantastic for a debut novel!!! Although it’s a little slow, don’t give up on it because you will be hooked halfway through.
Julie Portland was raised by her aunt in the small town of Lawrence Mill, Mississippi. She is an unhappy & lonely child until she becomes close to Reba, the girl who lives next door. The girls are inseparable throughout their childhood and are as close as sisters until the unthinkable happens. As a teenager, Reba dies and Julie blames herself. Although the death is ruled a suicide Julie is convinced Reba is dead because of her. The first chance Julie gets, she flees the small town for New York.
Fast forward ten years. Julie is divorced and has a young daughter from the failed marriage. She is still consumed with guilt over Reba. Reba’s high school boyfriend, August, appears on Julie’s doorstep one day, demanding that she give him Reba’s diary. Julie does not have it and once she convinces August of this, he decides they both have to go back to Lawrence Mill to search for it. August, like Julie, has been unable to move on and he believes the diary will bring desperately needed closure. Julie, after some soul searching, decides she will go back home and search for the diary but, once they find it, will things ever be the same?

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

Excellent writing, but I simply could not connect with the characters.

Fabulous book! This isn't the sort of book I would usually enjoy reading, but once I'd started I couldn't put it down! I found the characters endearing, the plot believable and the mystery very intriguing! So well written, I will definitely be recommending this to my friends.