Wow, this was an emotional rollercoaster of a book! I didn't want to put it down and I couldn't wait to find out what happened.

The first thing about this book that grabbed my attention was the gorgeous cover. Yeah, I know “You can’t judge a book by its cover” but in this case you can. Everything about this book was wonderful. It grabbed me with the cover then held on until the very last page.

I easily give Little Secrets 5 stars and can’t wait to read more by this author. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Jennifer Hillier for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my review.

I am a fan of this author. I can still remember, Creep. After that book, I was hooked and could not get my hands of anything Ms. Hillier wrote. This is the first time that I was not fully engaged in a book by this author.

I did not really understand why Marin was bent out of shape about her husband, Derek sleeping around on her. He did not show any reason as to why he loved Marin or was good for her. When Marin did find out about Derek's mistress, it seemed tame on the actions that she took. In fact, the mistress was a bit more bold with breaking into their home.

While, I was not as thrilled with this book, I am still a fan. I look forward to the next book from this author.

Every mother's worst nightmare is experienced when Marin's son disappears from a busy market. More than a year later Sebastian has still not been found and Marin's marriage is falling apart. With the help of her assistant, support group parents, and her long-time friend Sal, Marin is slowly returning to a sense of normal but she will never stop looking for her son. This book highlights what happens after a child goes missing and the police stop looking. What effect does it have on a marriage, a mother? This read was full of sneaky reveals and I recommend a read.

This was a 5 star read for me! Completely unputdownable!! Thank you for the ARC! I can’t wait to read more of Ms. Hillier’s work!!

Wow! This book was incredible! If I had started it during the day, it would have been a one sit read; as it was I started it before bed and woke up dying to know how it ended. This book has several trigger warnings, the main two being (undiagnosed) PTSD and child abduction.
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I highly recommend going into this book blind. Read the blurb for it on Goodreads, but don't read any reviews. That's exactly what I did, and I do NOT regret a thing. This book was perfection. As a mom, I felt heartbroken for Marin. As a (now ex) wife, I felt anger on Marin's behalf. And at the end, I was as stunned as she was. How could this have happened to her?! It's like everyone's primal fears come true. Don't start this book if you have something to do - you won't want to put it down! 4.5 stars, and I am DEFINITELY checking out Hillier's backlist!

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for an advanced ecopy of Little Secrets, by Jennifer Hillier. This is my second book by Jennifer Hillier and I just love her writing style. Before I review the book, I want to make a marketing comment. I know I am not alone in my annoyance when a book is marketed as something it is not.. Often times, I believe it mismarketing/misleading descriptions are a big reason readers end up disliking a book they might otherwise have really enjoyed if their opinion wasn't colored by the fact they feel mislead. This book was presented as a thriller about a couple who's son disappears and the chase to find out what happened to him.

The book started and ended with the mystery of the missing boy, but the 70-80% in the middle was pure marital drama that was not really a thriller. The book worked well and I really did enjoy the story of the marriage drama. I just kept wondering when the thrill of the mystery was going to come up again and there was waaaaaay too much time spent on other stuff before it ever got back to that.

Marin, the mother and wife protagonist, is a super-successful entrepreneur of hair salons for the rich and famous. when her son goes missing while shopping with her, she understandably falls apart, even becoming suicidal.. Her husband, Derek, has his own dysfunctional way of dealing with the suffering: he has an affair. Clearly, their coping mechanisms lead to marital stress. Marin accidentally finds out about the affair through a private investigator she has secretly hired to keep looking for her son long after the police have determined it is a cold case. Marin ends up investigating the younger woman her husband is involved with and decides to exact her own revenge. Few readers will agree with how Marin decides to take said revenge. Her choice might have been more relatable and empathetic had this been Derek's only affair. However, the reader is told early on that Derek had cheated on Marin before the kidnapping, WHEN SHE WAS PREGNANT WITH THEIR SON!!! So knowing about this flaw in Derek's character, the reader might feel similarly to how Marin's best friend and college sweetheart feel: HOW CAN YOU BE SO STUPID?!?!?!? The only reason I didn't take any stars off for this misfire from the main character is because, unfortunately, Marin's anger being directed as it was in the book is, unfortunately the most realistic compared to how people respond to affairs in real life.

I liked the resolution to the mystery and thought that the way it was woven back into the story was well done. I will be first in line for the next Jennifer Hillier book. After Jar of Hearts, I knew she was great at thrillers. Now this book proves she has a great way or writing about domestic drama equally as strongly.

Today I'll be taking a look at Little Secrets written by Jennifer Hillier. I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It was released on April 21st--and is an excellent option for readers out there looking for lots of twists and turns.

This book focuses on Marin Machado, a celebrity hairstylist, who just a little over a year ago, had it all. But just before Christmas time her eight year old son was kidnapped. Now 16 months later, she's still avoiding the grieving process, and not moving on. Her husband Derek, a wealthy CEO, has moved on to an affair with 24 year old McKenzie (Kenzie) Li.

Marin is still moving through the world in a deep depression. She's already attempted suicide, and is clear in her stance that if she ever learns her son Sebastian has been dead this whole time, she will successfully end her life.

Her best friend Sal, who also happens to be her ex-boyfriend with a lot of issues, checks in on her daily to make sure she is still alive.

The private investigator that Marin hired to search for her son after the FBI gave up turns up information on Derek's affair with Kenzie and turns it over to Marin. And for once, instead of feeling empty, Marin is enraged. Sal tells her that he knows someone who can fix her problem, but can she go through with murder?

The majority of this book alternates between Marin and Kenzie's points of view, and the further you get into the book the more twists and turns there are.

But will anyone leave this book with a happy ending? I think you should take the time to find out.

Happy reading :)

Exciting and scary plot. What is one of a parent's greatest fears? Having their child kidnapped. Infidelity also plays a major role. A group of parents that have had their children go missing have formed a support group. Each one's situation is different, but all are heart-breaking. Surprising ending.

It was just for a second that ultra-successful entrepreneur Marin let go of her 3-year old son’s hand in Seattle’s crowded Pike Street Market at Christmastime, but that second was all it took for him to disappear without a trace. In the years that follow, Marin and her husband Derek, devastated, grieving, and full of guilt and terror, react to this unbearable situation in their own ways, each keeping secrets and suffering alone.
I was engrossed in this book, and enjoyed reading it for the most part, although there were parts that i found somewhat implausible, even for people in such an extraordinary situation. The characters were distinct and believable, and the descriptions of locations detailed and evocative. Having lived for years in Seattle, it was especially fun for me to read about places I’ve been many times and the author did capture the essence of these places and people.
The final pages were puzzling and hard to believe, even offensive. They seem tacked on at the end for a reason I cannot fathom. I thought it was outrageous that calculating and vicious behavior was somehow accepted and even rewarded. These were not people who had made a mistake, or acted in the heat of passion, but were people who over many years had deliberately and callously destroyed numerous lives in order to advance their own greed and selfish ambitions. Why justify and reward this? Without these last few pages, I would have liked the book so much more.

Note: I received an advance copy of the ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Wow.  This book was just what I was looking for.  I was looking for a psychological thriller that would just sweep me away and keep me on the edge of my seat, and this one did that.  I had requested an ARC a while back and had honestly forgotten exactly what the book was about.  So when it started out with the kidnapping of Marin's son, I thought, it would be solely about that, but then it took a turn with the discovery of the affair.  There was a lot going on in this book.  It is fast paced, well-developed, containing lots of secrets, and characters that don't always act like you would expect.   The storyline was gripping and twisty, pushing my emotions all over the place.  Highly recommend this for anyone looking for a thrill ride.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This thriller is a wild ride. I had to read this in one sitting. The premise is that a littly boy has been taken. Marin was on the phone and let go of his hand in the middle of a busy market for a second, when she looks back he’s gone. We travel on a journey of loss, Marin has never fully recovered from the loss of her little and her and her husband deal with this grief in different ways. When Marin discovers her husband is having an affair, she finally feels a spark of life again. No one is going to take the remaining member of her family and she’ll do whatever it takes to keep them.

Marin’s grief is palpable through the story. The plot moved quickly with the kidnapping happening right in the beginning and the aftermath flashed forward to 16 months later. We see how her grief has crippled her through mentions to her therapist and her own self discovery. Attending group meetings also reveals a network of “friends” who have also lost children also reeals a window into Marin’s character. Grief is complicated, humans are complicated and we are many layered people. Marin has many emotions and not all of them good.
Her husband Derick is a key element to this story. We don’t really hear his side of things but as a reader we discover the duality of his nature. His betrayal is the catalyst to this story and as we unravel more of the plot, we’re left on the edge of our seat.
I wish there was more of an epilogue to this story to hear more but what we did get was outstanding. I did not see that twist coming! Every step was calculated and led us to an explosive ending. It checked off all of my thriller boxes.

Fabulous, twisty, addicting, enthralling. I loved it! I am hooked on Jennifer Hillier’s writing! She makes you feel instantly connected to characters you love to hate and hate to love!

Marin and Derek seem to have it all until they don't. While on a Christmas shopping trip their young son, Sebastian, is taken. More than a year later there is still no trace of him. Their marriage crumbling and Marin living on the edge, a secret is revealed and Marin feels she needs to take desperate and dangerous action. Who and what has she become?
This book is well crafted. It is well plotted, fast moving and gripping. The characters are flawed and the secrets they harbor are profound. Little Secrets is a true page turner. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's and NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Holy smokes! I was hooked from the first chapter of this book. The idea of losing a child, as Marin loses Sebastian at the start of this book, is every mother's worst nightmare. Add to this trauma a cheating husband, a questionable mistress, and you have a recipe for an thriller that will keep you up reading late into the night. Hillier is a master of her craft. This book was IMPOSSIBLE to put down.

Not having been a massive fan of Jar of Hearts, I was hesitant to pick up Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier. Would it be another middle of the road thriller? The answer might astound you, but no. It was compulsively readable, gripping, and everything I like in a thriller. HOWEVER, the main mystery of this book, I felt, should have been what the hell happened to Sebastian! Would he ever return to his parents? Would Santa be captured? Would Christmas be ruined for EVERYONE?! Rather the amount of focus that actually went to Sebastian was severely lacking. Instead, we find out that Sebastian’s father is having an affair with grad student Kenzie Li. Marin, Sebastian’s mother, is frustrated with the lack of information regarding her son and turns her attention to Kenzie. This completely took the attention off of what I felt should have been the actual story. I would not have minded having some Kenzie storyline, but the majority of the book where attention is diverted just did not sit well with me. So, while I enjoyed what I read, this one just missed the mark for me.

I really enjoyed discovering this author through Little Secrets. It took me just over a day to finish this and would have been less but, you know, I had to take out time to eat and sleep, lol!

What a great, dark, psychological suspense this was! While I figured out the who and the why of Marin and Derek's missing son early on, I had to read on to find out the how. Knowing what I knew just made me root for Marin to hurry up and catch on as well! But then....twists and turns, and one by one, all the characters had their secrets revealed. The writing was engaging, the characters well developed, and the plot stayed together throughout. Little Secrets is one of the most creative and imaginative stories of this type that I've read in a while!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/review/R2TK01F9W7MW7D/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

*** 5 Stars ***
Available now!!!

Marin Marchado's 4-year-old son Sebastian is taken from her while distracted at a busy market place while doing some Christmas shopping. Now a year later, no further details have been discovered and Marin is a wreck. She has hired a private investigator to help with the search and instead uncovers her husband is having an affair with a much younger woman. Will they ever find Marin's son? Will she lose her husband too?
If you think you're going to hear a single negative about Jennifer Hillier from me you're mistaken. Ever since I read Jar of Hearts, she has been my favorite author. Once again she sucked me in and I couldn't put this down. You know a book is good when you get close to the end and you put it down because you don't want it to end... That's Jennifer Hillier. I was completely blown away by the twist that I never say coming. I won't say anymore because I don't want to ruin this! Follow me on instagram @AmyKous34 for a book giveaway if you're interested. Contest will run until May 3rd and winner announced May 4th!

*** Special Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review***

Wow! This book! Marin has it all, loving husband, a three year old son, a fabulous career, home....until Marin goes Christmas shopping in Downtown Seattle and she looks away from her phone for just a few seconds and her son is gone.....surveillance cameras show him leaving with Santa holding a big sucker....Marin is compounded with grief, she attempts suicide, she goes to therapy, meets in a group with others whose children disappeared, grows distant from her husband....after hiring a PI to pick up where the FBI left off when the trail grows cold, Vanessa, the PI finds out that Marin's husband is cheating on Marin. Now Marin has a target to focus on all her energy and with the help of her best friend Sal, she plans to harm Mackenzie. This book was amazing, it was all that and then some. I couldn't put it down.