Fast paced, emotional thriller.

First, I must say I love when a novel grabs me like this! It doesn't happen too often so when it does, I have this moment where I just want to yell "YES!" like a kid who just got 100% on a test.

The book begins with Angela, the main character, being interrogated in a police station regarding the disappearance of a woman she apparently has some sort of history with. Instead of answering the investigators questions about the missing woman, she chooses to tell HER story which starts in her teenage years when she meets HP (her best friend). Angela shares the entire story of her and HP with the detective from beautiful beginning to the BITTER ending.

Our Little Secret wrapped itself around my brain until I read the very last page. There was suspense from beginning to end. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters in this book, even the "unreliable narrator". They were all very interesting in their own way, even the characters with smaller roles in this story intrigued me.

The only thing that disappointed me a little was the lack of a twist. There's nothing like an ending you didn't see coming but the suspense made up for it so I'm still giving it 3.8 stars.

This story of a missing woman, told from an interrogation room of a police station, does not disappoint. This story is like that old cliche... you know, can't look away from the train crash. The main character is a little bit crazy. I never found her to be likable, but she held my attention all the same. You know, now that I think about it, I don't think I actually found ANY of the characters to be likable or sympathetic. Somehow that really works for this book.

My only complaint is that I was expecting it it be a bit more action packed, particularly at the end. I had formed a pretty good idea of how the book was going to end, and was not at all disappointed when I was completely wrong.

Roz Nay's debut thriller is centered around Angela Petitjean who, at 26, finds herself in a police interrogation room with Detective Novak. At first, Nay reveals only that something has happened to someone named Saskia and Angela is a suspect. As the hours drag on, Novak indulges or manipulates (the reader will have to decide) Angela as she reveals details of her relatonship with HP, the boy who was her only friend and then high school sweetheart. Through the course of Novak's hours-long questioning, Nay expertly divulges clues to what has happened to Saskia, along with the true nature of Angela's relationships with her, HP, Angela's mother, et al. And as the story progresses, it becomes clear that Angela is not the only suspect. Is she gulty of bringing harm to Saskia or merely loving HP too much? What is Angela really capable of? Is she delusional or the truthteller in this story? At precisely-timed intervals, Nay reveals details that propel the story forward -- and heighten the reader's curiosity. The result is a tautly-constructed tale of obsession, jealously, unrequited love and, perhaps, revenge that is intriguing and will keep readers guessing until the very last page. There is a lot of buzz about Our Little Secret and it is all deserved. It's a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for an opportunity to review an electronic copy of this book. Our Little Secret is a quick and engaging read that opens with twenty-something Angela being interrogated regarding the suspected murder of her former boyfriend's missing wife. The entire story takes place through her interrogation, with her telling her story/ back story (way back...to high school) to the investigating detective. I enjoyed this novel way to tell the story. The story itself is intriguing and pulls the reader along, and although it is a bit hard to connect with Angela (who does not draw much sympathy), it doesn't detract from being mesmerized by the telling of her tale. For me, the ending fell flat. I wanted there to be more to the story, and the ending felt a little abrupt. I'm giving it 3 stars, but more realistically it is probably 3.5.

I was really excited to read this book. Between all of the buzz about it and the blurb, I was itching to get it read. Unfortunately, I was a little too excited.

The whole premise of this story is solid. It has the potential to be that next great book that everyone is talking about... except it just isn't. The way it's written and told, it is lacking. 

I went back and forth while reading this book. I liked it, then I didn't, then I did again. I felt like I was on a seesaw going up and down. Every time the book started to get good, it would drop me.

I just couldn't connect with the story or the characters. Even though Nay seemed to try to develop both of them, it all just fell flat.

All in all, there really isn't anything spectacular about this book. By the time I reached the end, I felt disappointed and a little duped.

This book has it all. It's pretty twisted, but deliciously so. I started reading it twice and it it down twice before I finally really went for it-- and boy, was I glad I did. I can't recommend this book enough.

HA! "A deliciously dark conclusion" indeed!

OUR LITTLE SECRET is a story of a close friendship that grows into ove....with a dark kicker. There's a missing person, some STRANGE personal and family relationships that surface AND a BIG mystery to solve leaving the reader to question who and what to believe....or it did me!

The whole novel takes place within a 24 hour time span while the beautiful and quiet spoken Angela gives testimony in a police interrogation room spilling the whole truth (or so we think) of her relationship with the hunky HP.

As the story evolved, I became more and more engaged finding OUR LITTLE SECRET not so little and a super fast read, but must admit to having an issue with some insane living arrangements encased herein....as you will see. But, overall (for me) a worthwhile read that sure delivers in the end....he.he.he.

3.5 Stars with a round up to 4.0.

Many thanks AGAIN to St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for the complimentary reading opportunity in exchange for my review.

Woman (Angela) toys with detective (Novak) during questioning about her ex (HP's) missing wife (Saskia). Is Angela telling the truth when she says she doesn't know anything about Saskia's disappearance? If so, then where is Saskia?

Our Little Secret provided an intimate look at the last decade of Angela's life with her first love, HP. After Saskia disappeared, Angela was brought in for questioning, but instead of simply answering Detective Novak's questions succinctly, she insisted on sharing her entire history with HP and Saskia. I absolutely loved how she toyed with the detective and found her dark, sarcastic, wry sense of humor extremely amusing, especially since I would never have the gall to speak to a detective the way she did. She admitted thoughts and actions to him that most people wouldn't admit to their best friend, let alone to the detective who suspected you of foul play.

"But they were thoughts, not actions, and you can't get in trouble for thinking things. Because if you could, wouldn't everyone in the world be in jail?"

If I didn't have a stack of books waiting for me, then I would totally reread this to see if I could pick up on more clues about Saskia's disappearance. Don't miss this quick, engrossing read!

Thank you to the author and publisher for an advance copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

A captivating and addictive mystery with a coming of age story at its heart.

I absolutely loved the structure of the narrative in this one - we have Angela who is being questioned by the police, and the story unfolds as she reveals her history to the detective. I thought this was super creative and really kept the pace moving for me.

There are some characters here who are a hot, hot mess which are sometimes my favorite to read about! - - What makes these people tick? Why are they the way they are? Nay has done a great job in a short amount of pages to develop these characters and to make us feel like we know them. And what a doozy of a conclusion - great up until the last sentence!

Speaking of a short amount of pages, coming in at 228 p., I loved the length of this book, I feel like it really helped move things along and keeps the reader engaged.

Thank you to Roz Nay and Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Our Little Secret opens with Angela being questioned in the disappearance of Saskia, wife of HP (Hamish Parker). What follows is Angela’s story as she recounts her entire relationship with HP beginning when they meet at the age of 15. Angela and HP spend a wonderful summer together after graduation until Angela leaves to attend Oxford University for eight months. When HP comes to visit, and they attend a ball, they meet Saskia. Is this the beginning of the end of Angela and HP’s relationship? Did Angela have anything to do with Saskia’s disappearance?

I really enjoyed the writing and the perspective in which this story was told; it kept me engaged as I read it in one sitting. Our Little Secret is like no other psychological thriller I’ve read recently.

I went into this story with high hopes of a good thriller. I enjoyed reading from Angela's POV, but she wasn't the easiest character to connect with. The story didn't flow as well as it could've. The back and forth between the story she is telling and the story actually taking place was a bit confusing. I appreciated the general idea for the plot, as it overall is an interesting book. But I felt like I was pulled in several different directions with unsatisfying closure. I can definitely get behind a non-HEA story. I wouldn't say that's what this is, but the ending was anything but solid. It was slightly confusing and left me with a bleh feeling.

Our Little Secret's opening scene started out with an introduction to Angela. Angela was being questioned by the police about the disappearance of someone named Saskia. But you won't know who Saskia is until later on in the story. At first, not knowing who she was got us turning pages fast in order to put the pieces of the puzzle together! Then, when her identity is revealed, we turned pages more furiously to find out what happened to her! 
The story jumps back and forth between the present (Angela at the police station) and the past. She insists on telling her story to detective Novak from the beginning... a decade ago when she and HP were soulmates. Can't everyone see? Isn't it obvious? Angela and HP are soul mates! Her story can't be told unless detective Novak understands that fact! 
What we liked about this story was the shocking ending!!! We would definitely recommend this story to a YA and adults alike who love a suspenseful love story dripping with deceit, revenge, and mysterious plot twists! 
We look forward to reading more from Roz!

3.25/5 stars

I have both good and bad things to say about this book. For starters, it was really well written. Like REALLY WELL. I'm picky about what I read - it has to draw me in, it has to be a good story - and this book didn't disappoint; it drew me in quickly, it had a good flow, good pacing. The only thing i will say I had a "problem" with, is the fact that it switched back and forth in time with little-to-zero warning. However, that being said, you were quick to grasp when the story had gone back or forth, and that may have been a formatting error due to getting an uncorrected proof. All in all, the story was good...up until the very very end.

Unfortunately, there was some bad with this book. Firstly, while the writing was good, this is like the fourth book of the last four months I've read that's tried to pull this type of ending off, and it wasn't the best attempt. It felt "off" to me. It, among with a couple other plot points, felt slightly sloppy. I hate to take away points for it, but it's how I feel.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read it in advance!

"All love stories are crime stories and all crime stories, love. If you say that's not true, you're not looking properly. Perhaps when two people join, it's inevitable, the things they'll damage in each other." ~Angela to Novak*

Angela is being held for interrogation at the police station. Detective Novak wants only thing from her--to know where Saskia is. But Angela cannot comply; instead, she tells Detective Novak a story, one starting with her senior year, when she fell in love with a boy named HP. As she tells her tale, it becomes clear it is one of love, sadness, betrayal, and anger. Does Angela know where Saskia is? And can we trust her?

This was a really fascinating and different book, and it was so refreshing to read something that felt original and unlike so many of the suspense novels I've read lately. I will say upfront: Nay is an excellent storyteller, and I found this novel to be wonderfully written. Parts of this story actually hurt me to read, because it was so vividly told. I could so clearly picture the events unfolding and visualize this tale of teen love gone wrong.

I loved the idea that our entire book is Angela, trapped at the police station, telling the story of the last several years of her life to Detective Novak. It seems unconventional, and it is, but it worked well for me. It took the unconventional narrator trope to a different level, and it was so much better than the drunken, rambling, angry unreliable narrator that we see so often. Angela tells her tale of woe and bitterness to the Detective, with only minor interruptions as he provides some pieces of new evidence that occasionally cast doubt upon her viewpoints. As such, we are left to guess how truthful she is being with all of us. Every statement she makes is charged with double meaning. I found the entire thing to be incredibly compelling and oddly fascinating. I was completely hooked, madly flipping the pages to find out what happened next. Even more, I was amazed at how Nay created sympathy toward a character who wasn't all that likeable at times. I was rooting for her, even when I knew I probably shouldn't.

I felt this faltered only a little near the end, where I wasn't quite sure I was on board with everything, but it certainly wasn't enough to diminish my love of the novel. And the actual ending is excellent and basically redeemed it all. Overall, this was an excellent, well-written, suspenseful novel. Angela is a dynamic and complicated character who immediately draws you in with her narration. I was constantly second-guessing her as I read and found the entire novel to be incredibly powerful and satisfying. Apparently this is Nay's first book, which is even more impressive. Can't wait for the next one. Definitely worth a read!

Our Little Secret by Roz Nay is a novel of psychological suspense that is not what one would call a super twisty tale but that of one that is super twisted. A story of love, betrayal and obsession that kept the pages turning.

As the book begins Angela Petitjean is sitting in a cold interrogation room with a revolving door of police officers asking her the same question over and over. Where is Saskia and what has happened to her? When Homicide Detective J. Novak enters for his turn at the questions Angela decides to start telling her tale.

Going back a decade Angela weaves the story of how she met H.P. and how their love affair began in high school in Cove, Vermont. Angela’s parents even approved and her mother just know H.P. was the one for her. But somehow when Angela gets accepted to college overseas it all starts to unravel for her.

Our Little Secret is one of those books that isn’t going to be for everyone but I personally devoured this one in just a few hours and absolutely loved it. This one is another that I can’t help but think it’s a bit like coming across a train wreck and not being able to look away when you know that you should. Angela was an obvious mess of a character but her story was mesmerizing until the very end. This one was a definite winner for me and I’d rate it at 4.5 stars and will be keeping an eye out for more from this author in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Where's Saskia? Is Angela telling the truth when she spiels out the story of her relationship with Hamish? It's always hard to review a thriller/mystery because of spoilers, especially when it's as short as this one, but suffice it to say, this one will keep you reading. And, it's really just the right length- Nay packs a lot in but there's no extraneous stuff to divert you from the monologue. The story is bookended by two dances, ten years apart and tells the tale of what becomes a love triangle eventually gone wrong. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is well written page turning entertainment.

ALL THE STARS!!! I absolutely loved Our Little Secret Roz Nay’s debut! The characterization was on point; each character was full of depth and I felt like I knew each one personally.

Angela Petitjean (Peh-ti-shon) is being held on probable cause for the disappearance of a woman named, Saskia. After being held for hours in an interrogation room, Angela decides she will tell her story to Detective Novak, but ONLY if she can tell the story from the very beginning, that’s the only way to truly understand. The story alternates chapters between the past and present as Angela unravel her story over a two day period.

I don’t want to give away any of this delicious story and ruin it so here are a few of my favorite quotes from Our Little Secret…

“I’ve learned everything’s a competition. And that everyone has an agenda even if they don’t admit it.”

“Put a crowd of a hundred people in a room and wait. Eventually the psychopaths will emerge, and I’m telling you now, they won’t be who you first suspected and there’ll always be more than one. Watch the successful people who push to the front; keep an eye on the hierarchy as it establishes itself.”

“No one wants to see the truth: wrong, right, guilty, innocent, honest, dishonest; with the right circumstances, we’re all capable of anything.”

I really loved Our Little Secret and would highly recommend this book if you are a fan of character domestic thrillers and good characterization. I read it in two sittings; definitely a binge read you could easily finish in just one. Riveting, dark, obsessive, gripping, and oh so clever!!! I can’t wait for what Roz Nay puts out next- definitely an author to watch!

***Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great psychological thriller, besides the length, which I wish was longer, but also shows me I throughly enjoyed. I think it had great twists, turns, and chills. I think the author developed the characters and plot well. Definitely recommend!

Do me a favor-- If you haven't already read the given synopsis for this book.. dont.

Trust me..

I did not 'refresh myself' with the synopsis before I started reading and going back now and reading it as I am writing this review... it reveals a few things that I think are better left unsaid, as it takes away from the authenticity of the emotions you experience while reading if you know them before hand.

This is all you need to know going into this novel:
★ Angela, our MC, is in in an interrogation room in police station
★ She is being questioned regarding the disappearance (and assumed murder) of a woman named Saskia
★ Angela is somehow connected to Saskia through a man called 'HP'
★ HP was Angela's first love
★ In order to 'get to the bottom of things', Angela has to take Novak, the criminologist questioning her, back to the very start-- when she and HP were teenagers and falling in love.



This is one of those novels where you can't quite put your finger on whether or not our narrator is unreliable or not--is the guilty of what they are trying to pin on her, or is someone else responsible. But through the process of taking us through her history with HP and the things that occurred between them-- you will experience an influx of emotion that will almost make the crime in question seem... understandable??

I think that everyone will be able to relate to Angela--- Everyone, as some point in time, has experienced a loss in love, everyone has experienced betrayal, jealousy, and injustice. I could easily project the things that Angela was going through onto different memories in my own life and that created just an emotion-provoking reading experience for me, as I am sure it will for others.

The very last chapter of this book made the story!  You will likely think that you know what is going on, and the ending may or may not confirm that, but I promise you... Roz Nay has a final little plot twist for you that was SO satisfying.


This was a one day read for me and I could NOT put it down!!!! Fantastic read!

Thank you to Roz Nay and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a DRC of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.