Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. This kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading!

I went into this book blind, having not read the description. Even still, the story was incredibly predictable. There was absolutely no element of surprise, and I knew what was coming next every step of the way.
Nonetheless, I wanted to keep reading, because I kept hoping I would be proven wrong, or that some twist was coming that I wouldn't see ahead of time. Unfortunately, there was no such surprise.
All three of the main characters are rather unlikable. Somehow, despite the predictability and the character flaws, I did enjoy the book, and it was a very compelling read.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was really looking forward to this book after reading the blurb, but unfortunately it did not live up to it. I was expecting a gripping psychological thriller, but this was more like a family drama. It was a good read, but not what I was expecting. Would recommend to fans of domestic noir.

Secrets Between Us had the potential to be amazing.

The premise was definitely catching and intriguing, but overall it fell short. There were times when the pacing was super slow and other times when it was super fast.

I had the major plot twist figured out extremely early on. It was almost too easy, the way it was laid out. I have seen this twist used before, and it has been enjoyable. So I know it can be done.

The ending seemed wayy too rushed without any big thing. Like you just shrug and it's done. I don't consider this to be a "jaw-dropping" thriller, nor was it a gripping psychological thriller. It was mysterious, but that's about it. Once I had it pegged, it was no longer captivating and became quickly boring. Secrets Between Us was definitely a miss for me.

Thank you for letting me review but to be honest it didn't live up to the blurb.
It was hard to connect with the characters and very predictable.

When you don’t like the characters, it makes it hard to enjoy the book. The whole scenario was absurd. For Ellie to have stayed infuriated me, and when Will asked why couldn’t she be its understanding I wanted to throw something at him him, the nerve.

I didn’t understand why Ellie had such an issue with her sister when she was younger, it made Ellie seem quite catty and I just stopped liking her. And the the plot twist, I could see it happening, it was unfortunately predictable.

I did enjoy the read, the author has a lovely way with words but the plot was just not my cup of tea. Looking forward to the authors next work.

Thank you so much for allowing me to preview this work.

I was happy to receive this book, as the premise sounded really good, yet between reading the blurb and the first couple of chapters, it seemed quite obvious to me what was going to happen in this book. I pressed on anyway, hoping for a killer twist, but unfortunately it was not to be.

This was my first time reading a book by the author I recieved a copy via Net Galley. I did pick it up a few times and stopped while other books caught my attention more. This seemed like a predictable read one that wasn't grabbing my attention, then one day it just really drew me in and I ended up finishing it in two days.

Ellie & Will are a happily married couple who are not able to have children. Ellie has a twin sister Tia who has been living in a assisted living home. The two sister's are quite estranged until one day Ellie gets a call that Tia is no longer able to stay at the facility she calls home the only solution is for her to live with Ellie & Will.

As Ellie discusses her sister's situation with Will explaining why she lives in a facility. Will finds it quite strange that he had no clue his wife even has a twin sister. Ellie has as strange need to have a separate her life far from Tia. Something is just not right about the twins relationship.

The the plot goes back and forth you think you know where it's headed then you doubt your thoughts but it ends just as you think.

For me this book was like a lifetime movie. Every once in a while I just need a good lifetime movie my life. This book will definitely give you a lifetime movie fix. If you're in the mood for that type of read I think this is one of those books you'll devour quickly.

About that description…

So…

1) Not a jaw-dropping thriller.
2) The description may be from the book, but it has nothing at all to do with the plot. Nothing!

This is one of those books full of characters you don’t like who do exactly what you expect – and the book ends exactly as you think it will.

It’s interesting enough, but so not suspenseful.

Honestly, I was a bit disappointed in this one.

*ARC Provided by Net Galley

I have a confession to make. Yes, yet another one. I have to be honest and say that prior to being invited to take part in the blog tour for ‘Secrets Between Us’, I hadn’t actually heard of Valerie Keogh. Sorry. Well I have certainly heard of her now. I very much enjoyed reading ‘Secrets Between Us’ but more about that in a bit.
Hand on heart, I can’t say that I took to any of the characters and I certainly didn’t feel like I could believe a word they say. Each character was devious in their own sweet way and very manipulative. Ellie is one of a set of identical twins and she is a successful businesswoman. There’s one big secret though- she not only has an identical twin, but said twin (Tia) is living in a sheltered housing type complex and I did wonder if Tia had been in care for that long that she had become institutionalised. Ellie hasn’t even told her husband much about her sister and so he is stunned to discover the truth. I get what Ellie said about wanting to be an individual in her own right, which she wouldn’t be if she said she was a twin. Personally I think that she was embarrassed of her identical twin, who has a mild disability. Ellie is cold, hard hearted and ruthless- all good qualities to have if you want to get ahead in business. Ellie soon has to make some tough decisions as the place where Tia is is closing down and Ellie has to make alternative arrangements for her. What will happen? Are Ellie and Tia holding any more secrets? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
‘Secrets Between Us’ is very much a slow burn of a psychological thriller and that totally suits the story. I know most family have their secrets and I admit to being a bit nosy in needing to find out if the families in this book were worse than my own family. I found that I got into the story right from the word go and it wasn’t long before I became addicted to reading this book. I had a bit of a reading binge in the sense that I managed to read the book over the space of a couple of days. I found that helped increase my enjoyment of the story because it helped to ramp up the level of tension. The story gathered momentum and I wasn’t expecting the twist in the tale as it were. I cannot honestly think of one thing about this book that I didn’t enjoy. I loved the author’s writing style, the storylines and the characters, who I found to be very realistic.
In short, I did enjoy reading ‘Secrets Between Us’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will definitely be reading more from Valerie Keogh and I can’t believe that I haven’t discovered her until now. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

This is an author to look out for. The story is fantastic and very well written. I can't wait to read more books by this author. I highly recommend it.

Interesting story with 2 very different sisters... one "differently abled", the other a corporate high flyer. Things take a sinister turn once Tia comes to live with Ellie and her husband Will.

Whilst I enjoyed the storyline, I found the characters a little flat. Perhaps this is deliberate so that the build up to the outcome is more surprising, but I found it difficult to engage with any of them. Given that Ellie wrote to Tia every week, I think much more could have been made of this aspect. It was used as setup and then forgotten...

As for the outcome, which seemed to shock some other reviewers, I did predict the significant twists... although I felt that much more could have been made of these events. For a creepy twin tale, I much preferred Beside Myself by Ann Morgan.

3.5* Enjoyable but didn't blow me away.

Fast paced and atmospheric. Kept me guessing until the very end. Enjoyed the characters and the story was gripping.

This was a good read involving twin sisters, one of whom has been institutionalised for many years. The sisters find themselves together once more, living under the same roof alongside Will, husband to Ellie. Tia, having found her way into the household, makes herself at home and starts to work her way between the couple.

I found the way she does this a little suspicious, I didn’t quite believe she was as innocent as she was supposed to be. The final chapter especially proved I was right. I did suspect as much, but the author does a great job of revealing all.

A decent thriller with a slight psychological feeling. Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing a copy.

I was expecting a lot from this book. I really was. The blurb and the premise made it seem very promising. Reality is though, it was not a "gripping psychological thriller." The writing was good, but the plot was SO predictable! If the author meant for you to pretty much despise the characters, then she really did a great job at that. None of them had any truly redeemable qualities.
It's about identical twin sisters Elli and Tia. For the past 15 years, Tia has been institutionalized and never once has her sister ever come to visit her. Ellie does, however, send weekly letters revealing her deepest secrets to her sister, and then telling her to burn each letter after it is read. The facility Tia has been stowed away in shuts down suddenly and Ellie is basically forced to allow her sister to come live with her and her husband Will. Now, this couple has a very successful life and that life doesn't suit having a twin sister about. Especially not one who hasn't got all of her wits about her. The story starts to gain a bit of muster about this time.
I won't say more lest I spoil it for you.
Though I didn't care for the book, I have to admit it was still an enjoyable read. It didn't require a lot of thought and was fast paced. A quick story that passed time well.
I give this book a 3/5.


I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


This review, or portions thereof will be posted (when able) on Amazon, Goodreads, Pinterest, B&N, IG, Litsy, FB, BAM, and my own blog. Unfortunately I am unable to provide all links as I am using my phone. I post as Karylahn on Litsy, Karyl White on Amazon and Pinterest, karylah_bookstagram on IG, and do not post anonymously on any site and can easily be found.

The author wrote a thriller that started with a bang and just kept going! The twists kept coming, so I couldn't put it down. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

A huge fast paced eerie start to this book kept me turning pages furiously. Valerie Koegh did a great job creating memorable characters that draw you in and coerce you to support and empathize with their plights.
It’s difficult not to empathize with Ellie. A successful, determined, career minded woman with her life seemingly under control finds out that she is not able to bare children…one thing not in her control. But the reason she isn’t able to have children will be a shock factor so I’ll leave that for you to read and find out…
Meanwhile, Ellie’s husband is a loyal hardworking man who loves his wife dearly and is devastated but supportive of their currently childless situation. It’s difficult not to be a fan of his too. Until… (I’ll let you figure that one out too…)
THEN…. there’s Tia, Ellie’s twin who was left to grown up in a home for the “differently abled” for her entire life. She never once had a visit from her sister Ellie. (Even though Ellie wrote her letters each week). The reason for Ellie’s resistance in having a relationship with her sister??? Well… I’ll also leave that one for you to read and determine as well!
Life comes to a haltingly unexpected stop as they all know it when Tia’s group home closes down for good. Ellie is her legal guardian. (You can put two and together there!)
After this cast of characters lives crash together like a freight train out of control, you won’t believe what secrets they share! You won’t believe how they choose to harbor them, handle them, and keep them!
If I’m completely honest, I’ve read mixed reviews about this book. I am SO glad I went with my gut instinct and dove in! The story was fast, creepy, and riveting. If you’re looking for a quick read that will have you engrossed for hours… this is it!

This book was very captivating. I was hooked from the first chapter. Five starts. I enjoyed the characters and the story so very much.

I quite enjoyed reading this book. However, I do not feel like the blurb was a good reflection on the content. It was portrayed as a psychological thriller, but I felt it more to be a Womens Fiction. The blurb emphasised these 780 letters, which were briefly reference at the beginning, which was soon forgotten about. As a kindle reader, I do not see the blurb as often as a hard copy reader would. In hindsight, repeatedly reading the blurb as the story progressed would have made the storyline easy to predict, defeating the object of a thriller.
I did enjoy this book overall, but readers that purchase this in search of a thriller will be disappointed.

This is the story of identical twin sisters, Ellie and Tia. Ellie hasn’t seen her sister for 15 years but has communicated weekly by letter. Ellie is a successful business woman married to Richard, but their lives are about to change. Tia is ‘differently abled’ and lives in an assisted residential home,but when the home closes down she then goes to live with Ellie and Richard, but tensions soon begins to take place. This living arrangement has lots of problems and when Richard makes a big mistake the consequences are long reaching. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it is full of suspense and kept me gripped until the end. A highly recommended read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book
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