Wow, what a story. It seems almost inconceivable to me, but I am certain things like this have happened.
Youthful ignorance and indiscretion, bad luck masquerading as getting away with things, really bad decisions and even more violence surround these people. The cruelty is indescribable and they do get away, for a while. Then things all fall apart and continue to do so.
The final explanation ties things together, neatly, if it can be called that. I guess it was satisfying in a way, maybe a bit Shakesparian.
Interesting perspective as the narrator throughout the story.

Thank you Netgalley for this book. This review is my own opinion and completely honest.

I’ve been a fan of this author since I read her first novel, Creep, which was absolutely impossible to put down. Let me say, Jar of Hearts is just as amazing! I read this book while waiting for my cases to be called at court, at the gym, pretty much everywhere until I was finished.

I like how the book doesn’t try to be too obscure like so many mystery/thriller novels these days. You’ll get no “Gone Girl” vibes from this book, which is not to knock Gone Girl but I feel like the unreliable narrator novel is just so common lately. All of the characters in this book are well-developed and the story is well-paced.

My only criticism in the entire novel would be that the storyline with Cat seemed unnecessary. I loved the ending & the twist at the end felt like it fit well. I kept thinking at the end what a great movie this would make.

Definitely one of the best books I’ve read in recent memory.

I read this in 1 day, it was hard to put down.
This book is a suspenceful then and now book. The consequences of actions committed as a teen, living with the repercussions as an adult. Each chapter providing just information to guess what happens next but not being sure until the twisted end
A good read, tough subject matter- teens, good kids and bad kids; drinking, murder, prison, responsible adults and terrifying adults.

When the authorities come knocking Georgina Shaw knows the secret she has been holding onto for the last fourteen years needs to finally come to light, but doing so will put her life in jeopardy... it's a small price to pay for taking part in the death of her once best friend. She knew back then that Calvin James was trouble, but she was young, naive, and thought she was in love, and now she is paying dearly for her ignorance. She has given up five years of freedom for that man, and now that she has rejoined society, that man is once again reeking havoc on her life, he believes they have unfinished business and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants... more time with her! Bodies start to pile-up, in the same way they did years ago, and all signs point to Calvin... but sometimes things aren't always as they appear!

Between the pages of this twisted little tale, you will meet some exquisitely crafted characters who will immerse themselves into your world, manipulate your thoughts and feelings, push you beyond your boundaries, and make you second guess yourself at every turn! Ms. Hillier has created a gem of a tale here, with it's thought provoking plot, edge of your seat action, and well constructed characters you won't be able to put this one down... it will lure you in from the first page and hold you hostage until the last!! It's definitely one of the best first reads I have had the pleasure of devouring in a long while, I wholeheartedly loved every single mind twisting moment of it!! Highly recommend!!!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed.

This was an excellent psychological thriller. As the blurb states, you think you know the truth, but you don’t. This book is written in a style I don’t normally like, but it works for this storyline. You slowly learn throughout the whole book what happened that fateful night. As you think you know the whole story, BAM it tasked a turn you never expected. It’s going to take a few days to mull over this storyline. It was truly a very engrossing tale. Received an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley.

This was like a 4.5. --a nearly flawless read--for me.

After I completed this book, I took a moment and thought about its construction. Nearly everything in this book is here for a reason...there are no wasted characters or meandering subplots. The result is a tightly paced thriller that captures your attention and keeps you guessing. Even when I thought I knew exactly where this book was going, it managed to throw some surprises my way. (And that's not an easy feat considering I read a ton of serial killer books.)

In my opinion, there were only two weaker areas in this story. While Geo's time in prison and her relationship with Cat helped flesh out her character, I felt like that section slowed down the story somewhat and wasn't as relevant to the larger narrative. Thankfully it was short. Also one of the many big reveals toward the end of the book made me have more questions about Geo--questions that never really get answered. Perhaps that isn't a bad thing, though.

Overall, this book was a pleasant surprise and just the kind of of thrill-ride I wanted for a vacation read. Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jar of Hearts kept me reading and swiping as fast as my eyes would go! This is one of those books that has twists and things around the bend that you didn't see coming. Good storyline, good characters some good some you want to shake here and there and of course the bad ones, rounded out with mystery and murder.... Thank you Jennifer Hillier for writing a great book!
A big thank you to Netgalley and St.Martins Press for allowing me to read this ARC book and give my own personal opinion.

This book was excellent, completely drew me in, geo is a very flawed character but the author manages to make her sympathetic too. The ending was well plotted, when I realised how it was going to turn out I thought of the little breadcrumbs I hadn't noticed before yet were strewn throughout the book.

Really, really excellent story full of interesting characters and twists.

This book certainly kept my attention but after reading it I felt quite discontented, discombobulated even. What a bagful of unlikeable characters. Georgina (annoyingly shortened to Geo - ugh - how are we supposed to pronounce it? Geo as in geology or Jaw as in Georgina?) is an unpleasant protagonist. Her best friend Angela disappeared 14 years earlier. She knew what happened to her but didn't say. Her boyfriend of the time, Calvin, is arrested and when bones are found near her house it comes out that she was there at the murder. Unsurprisingly she is charged and sent to prison. As is Calvin but he escapes. More murders happen. At the end, I don't feel that justice was done. Very unsatisfactory. This was way too gruesome for me. There are scenes of rape and violence,
the prison scenes are horrible and generally it was very graphic in its descriptions. Not for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

The twists and turns kept coming in this one. Well-defined secondary characters really kept me reading this one, and the author builds a vivid world. Will be reading more from this author, too.

I received an ARC of this book for review purposes.

Excellent thriller. Fast paced mystery involving three best friends;. one who was murdered as a teenage and remains a cold case, one who became a detective and the other a corporate executive. The unsolved murder brings the detective and executive together along with the serial killer. The plot twists are amazingly complex and the ending was completely unexpected. I can't wait to read more by this author. Edge of your seat entertainment.

I really enjoyed reading Jar of Hearts. I could not put it down once I picked it up and started reading. I was hooked on the mystery or what happened that night to Angela and what role her best friend really played in it. I thought the main characters were relatable and the book easily flowed from one character's point of view to another's. I was a bit surprised by the ending. This was a great book!

Jar of Hearts
By Jennifer Hillier

Oh my gosh! This book was so well-plotted from the very beginning. And the characters are so complex that you find yourself liking them one minute and hating the the next.
When the book opens, we find Georgina, who prefers to be known as Geo, testifying at the murder trial of Calvin Jones. Due to her involvement afterward, Geo must serve a five year prison sentence. And did I forget to mention that this murder happened 14 years earlier when Geo was 16?
The story weaves smoothly back and forth across time, but I don’t want to reveal anything more. It is a little more of a suspense novel rather than a cozy mystery, so be prepared.
This is the first of Hillier’s books I have read. I am going to look for the others.

This is the first book I have read by Jennifer Hillier. It starts out in a courtroom and moves back and forth from past to present, but is not hard to follow at all like some books can be. Geo is the main character and is immediately likable, no matter what she's done. Jennifer's style of writing keeps you reading right to the end. I would definitely read more from this offer.

Georgina is a successful executive for her fiance's company. Her best friend the cheer captain disappeared 16 yrs ago. They find her remains a few hundred feet from where Geos childhood home is. As the story unravels the author takes you back to that time when it happened. I loved this book. Read it in one sitting! Will keep you in suspense until the end.

Jar of Hearts is a compelling tale of bad decisions. When she was sixteen, Georgina (Geo) Shaw falls in love with Calvin James, an older man at twenty-one. Angela Wong, Geo's best friend, disappears without a trace. Kaiser Brody, the third in the group of best friends, later becomes a detective determined to catch a serial killer.

from the description: This is the 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.

Jar of Hearts is an edgy, suspenseful tale that has some grim elements. While wanting to sympathize with Geo, it is sometimes difficult to do. Geo is, however, brutally honest with herself. While she keeps some things secret, she accepts and admits her role in Angela's death.

The book follows Geo in the past and in the present, and the events on the night in question are revealed a little at a time. In the present, a new nightmare is about to begin.

The conclusion bothered me a bit and seemed a bit rushed, but this is an intense book that

will keep you turning the pages, getting involved with the characters and their situations, and puzzling through your own opinions.

Read in April; blog review scheduled for May 29.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press

Suspense/Crime. June 12, 2018. Print length: 320 pages.

I received an e-ARC of Jar of Hearst from Jennifer Hillier from NetGalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review.

That was certainly a rollercoaster and I must admit I'm not sure where to put this reading experience. The book is a page-turner and consistently readable, as a thriller should be. It was twisted. It was disturbing. Those are the upsides. The downside? It was, at times, incredibly annoying and not a little convenient and predictable. And let's not get started on how many pet peeves this story knocked into over and over again (unfailingly describing the skin color of POC using food descriptions--ugh, and the repeatedly graphic rape scenes, and the weird association between fatness and badness, and *sigh* "almond-shaped eyes" because apparently we haven't outgrown that yet). The ending was pat and, being perfectly honest, felt unearned.

All in all, I think this book would be a more enjoyable experience for someone other than me, and I respect that.

Three stars.

This was such page turner that I ended up starting it at 8pm and finishing at 2am! I literally could NOT put it down! You know from the beginning of the book what the 'bad' thing was, the murder of a teenage girl. BUT what you don't know is the why/ But is the why REALLY what you think it was, or is the truth even more dark and disturbing? THAT is what keeps yoou reading the pages, that and a sympathetic character of Geo. The shocker of an ending will leave youo up the rest of the night, wondereing where you missed the VERY subtle clues that things were NOT as they seemed! This is honna be THE book of the Summer, so be sure it is on your to -read list NOW for as soon as it comes out, you won't be sorry!