I am a huge Samantha Hayes fan and loving that she is now part of the Bookouture family! Now there is a match made in heaven for me! But I do have to start but saying that I worried that she had lost her touch with her newest book Tell Me A Secret that came out last week. I always pre-order her books and read them straight away but when I started this one, I did think it didn’t seem like her usual style! The first half of the book was a bit of a slow burner and I got very frustrated with the main character of Lorna and her “big secret”. She seemed to have the perfect life, a wonderfully supportive husband and adorable daughter and even though her stepson was sometimes a difficult teenager, their relationship was getting better. Then about a third of the way through I realised I was hooked by Lorna’s stressful life and worried about how she was going to cope with all the drama that was being thrown at her!

I do love a dual narrative and trying to work out how the points of view are connected, and here I spent quite a long time thinking about theories for this book. I’m not going to say anymore than that because I want you to be just as surprised by the twists and turns of the plot as I was! And I have to admit I was way off with my guesses! Because I totally underestimated Samantha Hayes at the start of Tell Me A Secret! Of course she hasn’t lost her touch!! The second half of this book was the pay off for the slowly savoured and increasing tension of the first half and I absolutely loved it! There was some jaw dropping reveals and twists aplenty that just kept on coming!! I physically couldn’t put this down! And I still can’t quite believe I doubted one of my most favourite author’s because she totally delivered for me!

Tell Me A Secret is a shocking and addictive triumph! A psychological thriller that came together perfectly, leaving me desperate for more! Loved it!

I am a big fan of Samantha Hayes. 'You Belong to Me' & 'The Reunion' were great favourites so I was really excited to get my hands on 'Tell Me a Secret'.

Sadly this one did not live up to my expectations. From the start I really struggled to connect with the main character. Lorna's life is regimented, keeping to a strict time table- her way of coping with her guilt over an affair. She is a psychotherapist, married to Mark & they have a daughter, Freya & Jack, Mark's son from a previous marriage.

I found her obsession somewhat irritating! I definitely thought she was in need of some psychological help!

Lorna's life spirals out o control when her lover turns up for an appointment as a patient & she goes against her professional ethics as well as everything else. Her life becomes one long deception.

Towards the end there are a lot of revelations that made me feel the book had been worth reading but sadly it isn't amongst my favourites. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for giving me the chance to read & review this book.

This mesmerizing,riveting thriller has more twists and turns than a roller coaster.It's a gripping tale of two women,deceit,secrets,relashionships,obsessions,manipulation and revenge that had me hooked in from the first page right through to the shocking final chapter.

My review is written with thanks to Noelle at Bookouture for inviting me to join in with the tour, and for my copy of the book via Netgalley.
Lorna Wright is a therapist. She's happily married to Mark and lives with her stepson, Jack, and daughter, Freya. Her life begins to spiral out of control when Andrew comes into her practice for counselling. Will anyone discover her secret?
Tell Me A Secret is told in first person with chapters written from the perspective of Lorna and Nikki. I enjoyed this approach, as it helped me to get to grips with each character's motives for the things they did. I've attended counselling before, and I'm glad I didn't have a therapist like Lorna! She breaks so many rules and I wanted to give her a good shake and ask her what on earth she was doing. At times, this made it difficult for me to like Lorna, but as the novel picks up pace, I began to see her vulnerability and this softened my feelings towards her slightly. It's not clear how Nikki fits into the plot until further on in the novel, but her presence made me feel quite uneasy, and this created lots of tension in the novel for me.
From the very first page, Hayes creates an air of mystery in Tell Me A Secret. There are several questions that crop up as the plot gains momentum, and these questions are complicated by so many secrets and lies. This makes it a hugely compelling book, and I felt I had to keep reading to find the answers and get to the truth.

I’ve been a massive fan of Samantha Hayes since I came across one of her earlier numbers “Until You’re Mine” a few years back on kindle. I took a chance on this author I hadn’t heard of and it was a fantastic decision.

Lorna is the main character. She’s a psychotherapist, married to Mark, with a stepson Jack, and a daughter Freya. When Andrew, the man she had an affair with the year previous shows up, things take a dramatic twist. Lorna loves Andrew but feels guilty because she has a stable life with husband Mark.

Narrated mainly from Lorna’s point of view, sometimes in first person and sometimes through old diary entries, the story unfolds as we learn more about Lorna and her need for schedule and routine in her life. There’s something underlying with Lorna that I wasn’t able to put my finger on and we don’t get to see that side of her till the end of the book.


I didn’t always agree with Lorna’s questionable actions but from very early on I could tell there was something not quite right with her marriage and situation, just an odd little word here and there, so subtle but enough to be able to empathise with her.

We also get a number of chapters from another character called Nikki, but we don’t find out who Nikki really is until the very end.

The ending was a total surprise and I really wasn’t expecting it, but somehow it ties everything together and makes sense as the individual threads of the plot are tied up.

The writing is excellent, the characters are well-formed and believable and there is plenty to love in this book. I read it a single sitting as I was intrigued by the story and wanted to know what was going to happen next. It certainly keeps you on your toes, trying to guess where the plot is going.

If you haven’t read anything of Samantha Hayes I would recommend that you start with ANY of her books as they are all great, Tell Me A Secret is no different.

Lorna, a successful therapist, has built up a beautiful life with her husband Mark, her daughter Freya and her stepson Jack. Despite this, Lorna has a guilty pleasure that will surely be her downfall. She knows she needs to put a stop to her affair with Andrew, a patient of hers. Andrew on the other hand, has other plans and refuses to let her go. This is where Lorna's perfect house of cards begins falling apart, both personally as well as professionally.

Add this to the the fact that the author dangles delectable carrots of clues and red herrings alluding to something more sinister than first appearances would suggest, this compelling and intriguing read had me guessing throughout, holding me hostage, as I found it impossible to tear my eyes away from the enigmatic personalities and their dark lies, secrets and betrayals, the plot building up to an explosive outcome that I in no way saw coming. An enjoyable read indeed!

I would certainly recommend this domestic drama by Samantha Hayes and would like to thank her, Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Be sure your lies will find you out!
I love a psychological thriller which drops lots of red herrings and keeps you guessing right to the very end. This is one of those books, and what an ending it is! Another well written compelling thriller from Samantha Hayes that I totally recommend.

"The worst kind of secrets are always the ones we keep from ourselves."

What a compelling and unputdownable psychological thriller! Yes, read in a single sitting, and could not look away as all the secrets, lies, betrayals, and confusion bubbled to the surface in an explosive conclusion that I really didn't see coming. I love it when I'm surprised!

Lorna is married to Mark and has a stepson, Jack, and they have a daughter, Freya. She's a therapist and he's a dentist. They have a nice little life. Except for the fact that Lorna has been carrying on a torrid affair that she wants (needs) to end...She feels that she is in love with this man, Andrew, and when he won't let her go, she finds herself falling apart both personally and professionally. But, wait! There are a couple of things going on behind the scenes that are really going to wrench her ordered life about. Nothing is quite what it seems.

This book was full of pathology and characters that draw you in even as you're thinking there is something not quite right about them. I have to say that I really enjoyed this one! Domestic drama, psychopathy, dangling clues and hints to something darker than what it first appears.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to review. Don't miss it!

I have read most of Samantha Hayes books and I'm always delighted when a new one appears. She writes absolutely amazing books with characters that are just so real. This book is no exception. Loved it!
I just couldn't put this book down. I had to keep keep reading to find out what was going to happen next.
Samantha has once again created a very compelling intruiging read, a book full of dark secrets and darker characters and for me an unexpected ending. I would definitely recommend reading this authors books.

Thank you!

Thank you.

Tell Me a Secret by Samantha Hayes


Lorna has it all: the nice house, loving husband, perfect job, and well-mannered kids. Nothing is ever perfect though. Lorna is keeping secrets from everyone which makes her guilty pleasure her downfall.


This book had me from the prologue. However, it soon dragged for about three quarters of the book. Lorna kept going back and forth with herself about cheating on her loving husband. She was so indecisive it made me sick. Also, the fact that she had to even think about cheating repeatedly was disgusting. I do not enjoy reading about affairs. So, after reading the prologue I was left wondering how the rest of the book even connected. That was until the plot twist was revealed, then everything made sense! I loved how she made it right at the end. My biggest complaint about the book was the cheating and dragging out the plot.

"...the worst kind of secrets are always the ones we keep from ourselves."

"Even therapists have secrets."

Lorna has a deep, dark secret that threatens to destroy her family and her career. Her secret is so thorny that she will do everything in her power to keep it from the people she loves.

What is this secret? 

Lorna has been hiding an affair from her coworkers, friends, and family for nearly a year. It's an intensely passionate relationship, one that caused her to violate her professional code of ethics as a practicing clinical psychologist. This is because the affair involved one of her patients, Andrew. Lorna tries to end the smoldering affair by up and leaving her psychology practice for a new one, but Andrew hunts her down at her new practice. And despite Lorna's best intentions, they rekindle old flames.

But there's someone watching from afar, taking note of Andrew and Lorna. They want revenge. They want to settle the score. They are stalking Lorna like prey. And Lorna and Andrew have no clue.

Samantha Hayes' Tell Me a Secret could be used in a master class on writing a suspenseful psychological thriller, one that shocks at every turn. I can't reveal much without revealing significant plot twists and turns, but I can promise you that this book will keep you on your toes. This would be the perfect book for a women's book club; when I finished it, I wanted to talk about the ending to anyone who would listen. I did not see the ending coming, which is all the more reason I enjoyed it!

Another thing that I enjoyed about the book was the different ways Hayes' told Lorna's story. She gives readers insight into Lorna's deep thoughts by providing snippets of Lorna's journals (take note, readers!). She also incorporates illicit conversations via text and a dating website into the narrative, giving us hints of what is to come with Lorna and Andrew. This writing style kept the book current and fresh for me.

Thank you to the author, Samantha Hayes, the publisher, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of Tell Me a Secret!

There’s a popular cliche that therapists are more screwed up than their clients, and Lorna, the main protagonist here, does nothing to dispel that, seeming to be deep in denial about many aspects of her life both past and present. (Her marriage is perfect and her husband wonderful, or so she repeatedly tells us..... but why then did she have an affair?)

Then there’s Nikki, whose under no illusions that her own life is clearly far from perfect. She’s watching Lorna. What does she want, and why?

I found this to be a very intriguing read though it did take a while to warm up - it was a good while before I felt I had any kind of grasp on what was going on. Which isn’t surprising, because you’re not meant to know, and Samantha Hayes deftly leads us down a number of wrong paths. Lately I’ve been good at spotting plot twists but there’s a big one here which I definitely didn’t see coming - the sort that makes you want to go back and read everything again. (That’s my favourite sort.)

That said, I did feel there were a few unanswered questions and areas where disbelief had to be suspended, and I found certain elements of the behaviour of one character, in particular, difficult to fathom.

Tell Me a Secret is a great read about the secrets we keep, even - or perhaps especially - from ourselves. The “therapy” aspect adds a very interesting dimension and as a character study of Lorna, in particular, it’s really quite fascinating.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Gosh!!! What a Book Tell Me A Secret by Samantha Hayes was. I can honestly say that was the best psychological thriller I have read this year. I am lost for words but hard to write this review as I don't want to give anything away......This fantastic book was tense, gritty, dramatic, face pace and a page turner that will leave you saying Omg when you finish reading it.
The last few chapters were just brilliant, well the whole book was brilliant but the ending I didn't expect that!

This is a book I can Highly recommend with Glowing 5 Stars more If I could give them.

Samantha Hayes, hats off to you for a brilliant book you have written..........10/10 read.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read and enjoy in exchange for my honest opinions.
Just brilliant.

This was the second book we read by Samantha Hayes. We loved “The Reunion” and couldn’t wait to be a part of the blog tour for “Tell Me A Secret”. Before we say anymore, we would like the readers of our blog who know and trust in our book recommendations to PUT THIS BOOK ON YOUR TBR PILE IMMEDIATELY!
Ok now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, we can move on to our proper review! First impression… HOLY MOLY! Hooked from page one is an understatement. The opening scene will play like a nightmare in your brain; one you can’t wake up from and can’t stop thinking about.
Moving right along, Hayes introduces the starring characters that will leave you with a conflicting love/hate feeling. We definitely loved to hate Lorna! Obsessed bitch who doesn’t appreciate what she has orrrrrr, victim?? Hmmmm 💭 Nikki… mysterious.. what is her connection to this crazy bunch? Should we feel bad for Mark? For Andrew? What’s up with Lorna’s parents… strrrannngeeee! Who is getting played here? The general feeling: WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE!! But, we mean this in the best way possible.
Readers of psychological thrillers know that when a book can keep you guessing until the very end, its most likely a great read! The plot twists were as twisty as they come! We constantly felt like we were on a roller coaster ride and surprises awaited at every turn!
Samantha Hayes… BRAVO to you. We LOVE your writing and are officially fans forever!

This book!!! Please read this!! It kept me up all night guessing what would happen next. Totally worth the sleep I lost to get scared to death!!!

Having loved Samantha Hayes' previous novel, 'The Reunion', I nearly wet my pants in excitement when I found out about her new release, 'Tell Me A Secret'.

Let me just get this out of the way first - I wasn't taken with the first half of the book as, for me personally, I struggled to grab hold of the grit and the oomph despite the author writing a storyline with a lot of rollercoasters in it. I appreciated the red herrings, the uncertain characters with their uncertain personalities, but for a while I did find myself waiting for things to start happening.

However, and yes, that is a big HOWEVER; just a little way after the halfway point things started to take off. 'Tell Me A Secret' seemed to go from 0-100 in a matter of seconds, making me react with an almighty gasp. I didn't see THAT coming but by golly was it welcomed!

'Tell Me A Secret' is a book which is best to be read with your head in the sand. The author drip feeds her readers vital pieces of information as the storyline progresses, whilst also throwing in a bucketful of red herrings to keep her readers on their toes as well. Lorna is such a firecracker of a character - I honestly couldn't keep up with her multiple personalities, but they did make for excellent reading in the latter half of the book.

I thought the suspense was written well with the author whacking it up a notch further into the book. For me, the last half of the book was outstanding as the pace was on point, the grit was overflowing, and the intense nature of the storyline was through the roof. Samantha Hayes is exceptional at writing complex, and intrusive characters who make their marks on readers in the most colourful of ways.

'Tell Me A Secret' and I may not have gotten off to the best of starts, but I am so pleased that I persevered as I ended up thoroughly enjoying this twister of a novel. It's shocking, it's memorable, it's addictive - but shhhh, I've just told you a secret ;).

t’s been a year since Lorna had an affair with a man, a man who never knew her real name because she used a false one. Now, Andrew shows up at her office as a new client, and to Lorna’s shock, it’s the man she had the affair with. Instead of distancing herself from Andrew, Lorna finds herself drawn closer, like a moth to flame, risking her marriage and her career. But the Andrew is murdered and Lorna keep getting messages from him. Someone knew the truth about her affair, but who? You may not like Lorna very much, but you will get wrapped up in her twisted life

This book is about a woman on the edge! Lorna is married with a daughter and stepson (who she struggles to relate to) and works as a therapist.
She seems to spend her life obsessing about other men. She recently had an affair with one of her clients and remains infatuated. I found Lorna as a character to be irritating, unprofessional and frustrating and for that reason I really struggled to enjoy the story.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley. I read The Reunion by Samantha a few months ago and really enjoyed it so I decided to take part in this tour too.

I have to start by saying I didn't like Lorna for the majority of the book. She was selfish, stupid and ungrateful. I really struggled to identify with her. Yet I felt compelled to continue with the story. I wanted to see how her life was going to unravel.

There were also chapters which were told from another characters POV. Her name was Nikki. If you have read some of my reviews before you will know I like alternating POV so I enjoyed this aspect. I also preferred Nikki as a character. I enjoyed reading her chapters a lot more than Lorna's.

Samantha weaved such an incredible twist that there was absolutely no way to see it coming. It was fantastic. Dramatic and jaw dropping. It really saved the story for me as I found Lorna's such a difficult character to gel with.

Samantha's writing has a way of making you want to see the ending. It's like a compulsion. Even though you can't stand the main character you absolutely need to know the end of the story. It's very clever and skilled.

Well well well. Bravo, Ms. Samatha Hayes. Bravo.

What an unexpected little gem of a psychological thriller. (I downloaded this book on a whim and this has now become a must read author for me!) I am actually blown away by this one - such a fun, twisty read and I have whiplash from all the twists and turns, all of which I did not see coming from a mile away, I’d like to happily add!

There were red flags all over the place from the word go but I am very pleased to report that this one stumped me big time. I love it when I book takes my hunches and flips them around on me and is like HA! You are so wrong!

This was well written, engaging, entertaining ride. Definitely recommend to fans of the psychological thriller and happy to say it’s on sale tomorrow!

Thanks so much to Bookouture for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.