I love love love to stumble across a Canadian author!   I devoured this book; it was creepy, gripping and left me wanting more.  That is my only complaint; I felt like the ending was rushed.  I could have read this book for longer or even read a sequel!

I enjoyed this read, I liked the way it was written and found the characters believable, none were over the top. I would say the overall theme is tragic friendships and I was totally invested.  I found the twists kept me hooked, and think the author did a great hob at showing us, humans, and all our ugly.

WOW!

This was a pretty dang good thriller! Excellent story line and one that would probably keep many guessing to the end!
BUT .... I guessed early on and only need it to be confirmed which it was at the very end so the story did keep my attention to the very end! It was almost a ONE sitting read but I had to get sleep or it would have been!

Excellent story that will keep you on the edge of your seat till the very end!

I really enjoyed this book and as I felt there were some parts that dragged on the others made up for that fact. Highly recommended read.

Well I can basically say that Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier left me speechless. I've had so many people tell me how much they loved this book and I can definitely see why!

Triggers, oh there are triggers, rape being a big one. Jar of Hearts is chilling, disturbing, maddening, and amazing. While I did figure out a major part of the plot before it was revealed, the journey getting to that point was riveting and dotted with so much doubt. This is one of those can't-put-down-until-you-finish type books and I stayed up until 2 AM one night to do just that.

While it sometimes takes me a little bit to get into a book, I was hooked as soon as I started Jar of Hearts. The pacing was steady, and I loved that it was broken into parts with each part switching between Geo and her high school friend-turned-detective, Kaiser. It gave the book a police procedural feel at times that I really enjoyed, while also being a nail-biting thriller.

I also picked up on the fact that Hillier seems to like using the same world in the Pacific Northwest which she ended up noting in the author's note. It was fun seeing the names of a couple of places that were also in Little Secrets and I will have to make sure I pay attention in her other backlist books now! Jar of Hearts is my second time reading a novel by Hillier (both in the same month) and I can't wait to read the rest of her books. Stunning writing and you will not want to put this down! If you can get over the triggers anyway...

Thank you to the publisher for my advance review copy via NetGalley. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I have found a new favorite author in Jennifer Hillier.  She writes flawed characters perfectly.  And the suspense is well-crafted.  Although I was able to fairly closely predict the whodunit before the ending, I was impressed with how Hillier spun the web.  And I was particularly impressed with how she created Calvin's character.  It takes a good writer to create a better than one-dimensional villain and she did a really good job.

This is one of the BEST thrillers that I've read in a quite some time. Talk about a page turner. It left such a lasting impression, I'm eager to get my hands on more of Hillier's work.

Angela Wong was 16 when she disappeared 14 years ago. Now her remains have been discovered. Geo, who was Angela’s close friend, is sentenced to 5 years in prison for aiding Calvin, the murderer.  

There was some foreshadowing that gave away the twists, but this was still an entertaining story. The character of Geo was fully fleshed out, but that was not really the case for Angela or Calvin.  I particularly liked the prison section. My least favorite part was the ending, which I found abrupt and unsatisfying. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Only thing holding back my five star was that I guessed the ending several pages before it was revealed. Good story with awesome timing with info reveals. Worth the read!

I really enjoy books by this author. I would definitely recommend if you enjoy crime fiction/thrillers.

This is a perfect summer read. Another book I think should become a movie. Jennifer Hillier did a great job with the development of the characters and the story.

I recently read my first book of Hillier's, Little Secrets, which absolutely blew me away and I eagerly jumped on this one, having had it recommended to me from a friend.
It did not disappoint. Just like "Little Secrets", this book is incredibly well-written, the plot awesome and I really had no idea who, when and what was about to hit me. Exactly my kind of story, one that keeps me guessing to the end.
I have already started recommending Hillier to all my fellow book addicts. This book is seriously awesome.

I just realized I never posted my review!!!

Compelling, Engrossing, 😍 Chilling!!!

Jennifer Hillier is the "queen" of thrills, and JAR OF HEARTS seals the deal. I have been a huge fan of hers since her first book and she continues to WOW me and readers worldwide! Top books of 2018.

Cleverly crafted, razor-sharp, JAR OF HEARTS is an emotional page-turning riveting psychological suspense thriller that will keep you reading long past your bedtime. Not sure you will be able to sleep after reading, though.😜

A story of three best friends: one who was murdered, one who went to prison, and one who's been searching for the truth all these years . . .

The Sweetbay Stranger (Calvin James). The trial. The disappearance of Angela Wong fourteen years ago. Now Angela's body has been found. Was she the victim of Calvin James who murdered at least three other women.

Geo and Angela were best friends. Geo was a popular cheerleader with a future until she met bad older drop out boy, Calvin James.

He was her first love. They had an obsessive and dysfunctional relationship. Dominance and control.  Things turn violent.  

Now she is engaged to someone else but Calvin is still on her mind. Does Geo know what happened to Angela? Who is she protecting and why? Can she live with her past? She now has a successful life.

Now, in Seattle years later, Geo is to testify at the murder trial of her old love, the Sweetbay Strangler, a serial killer.

Geo goes to prison for five years. What was it like to do something years ago and fall in love and things you do which have consequences?

What is the truth? There are secrets and lies. These two have a secret. They have a jar of hearts. (not sure you can ever look at candy hearts in the same way). 💘 Would Calvin be her first love and her last? What was love? Is love supposed to be demented and monstrous? The line between love, hate, and obsession. 

Wow, this one grabs you by the heart and never let's go. It is terrifying. Plot-driven and character-driven, JAR OF HEARTS is heart-wrenching. Once again, Jennifer delves into the human psyche to explore the intimate and emotional feelings of two teenagers in love.

This book is loosely based on the story of Paul Kenneth Bernardo, also known as Paul Jason Teale, a Canadian serial killer, and serial rapist. Bernardo is known for initially committing a series of rapes in Scarborough, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto, between 1987 and 1990.

Watch Video. The most sinister account in Canada. He and his wife, Karla Homolka were The “Ken And Barbie Killers.” Paul Bernardo had met Karla Homolka in 1987 when he was 23 and she was 17. Did she share the same psycho personality? On the exterior, these two were the all American couple. It is chilling to read. I spent a lot of time Googling and watching videos and documentaries about this couple and it is scary and terrifying. Do you really ever know anyone? I this case she gets out of prison after cutting a deal and now she is rebuilding her life and living among everyone as a normal person.   

I urge you to WATCH Jennifer's powerful Videos before reading the book. (below and above).  It will enhance your reading experience. JAR OF HEARTS is Deep. Intense. Extreme! It will chill you to the bone.

You will learn the inspiration behind the book, as she dives deep into the mind and the 5 stages of grief (5 sections) —of a sixteen-year-old-girl and her troubled relationship with a killer. All teens make mistakes. However, this is a big one.

The five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance are a part of the framework that makes up our learning to live with the one we lost. They are tools to help us frame and identify what we may be feeling. "But they are not stops on some linear timeline in grief."

Her best book yet! (that says a lot since I have read every book of hers, and they are TOPS). She is a "Thriller" writer like no one out there. She is genuine and enjoys connecting with her readers. It is time she is finally receiving the "applause" for her talent. It will be a killer movie. Congrats! Winner: Best Novel, 2019 ITW Thriller Award. 

Read My Reviews:
Wonderland
Top Books of 2015

The Butcher
Top Books of 2014

Freak
Creep

Congrats, Jennifer! Can't wait. Greatly- deserved. A huge fan of her writing.

EXCLUSIVE: Cinelou Films has secured the film rights to Jennifer Hillier’s novel, Jar of Hearts, which is slated for publication June 12 via Minotaur Books. The announcement was made today by Cinelou co-CEOs Mark Canton and Courtney Solomon, both of whom will produce the project with Danny Davids, Neil Canton and David Hopwood. Hillier will serve as exec producer. Read More

#JDCMustReadBooks

A special thank you to  Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.  

Look for my Q&A with the Author coming April 2020 - LITTLE SECRETS!

I devoured this book. It was the most intriguing thriller I've ever read.

I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

This isn’t my typical genre of books. Suspense/thrillers are more my mom’s flavor. 
I really enjoyed this one though. I’d heard good things about it from my book friends, so I stepped out of my comfort zone and went for it. I’m really glad I did.
It wasn’t too gory, or gruesome, and there was just enough suspense to keep me guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books for a copy of Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier.  Georgina (Geo) Shaw, Angela Wong, and Kaiser Brody were best friends in high school until the night Angela disappeared.  Years later when bones are found in the woods behind her home Geo, and her boyfriend from high school are arrested for Angela's death.  The books goes back in forth in time from high school to the current day as Geo is getting out of prison.  Lots of secrets and twists are revealed as the story progressed.  I wish there was a bit more at the end of the book with a few more details of what happened to everyone, but overall it was an exciting read.

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

Jennifer Hillier is a fantastic author. Jar of Hearts is one of those books you just don't want to put down. Have to go to work? I will read one more page.......only one more page is completely impossible.

The none stop action makes this book intense just as with all Jennifer's books. If you have never read anything by this author boy are you missing out.

I finally got around to reading this book and I'm not sure what to make of it.  It was suspenseful and well written but there was a lot of disturbing content and just a lot of plot holes.  The author kept trying to make Geo likable and while you could feel sorry for her, she was still a terrible person.

Jar of Hearts is a very creepy, psychological thriller, and I loved it. 

I’d never read a thriller that had such an interesting and unpredictable plot twist because I can normally figure out the ending, but this one caught me by surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, how complex the story became especially with the flashbacks, and the different characters + their developments. I didn’t particularly like Geo or any of the other characters, but I enjoy reading about them and wanted to see where the story went.

I was completely satisfied with the ending, even if it was more of a happy ending than I thought the characters deserved, but that’s okay. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading more by this author.