This is one of those thrillers that have so much suspense within the pages that it is hard (almost impossible) to put down. The scenario at first is an all too common one. Marin is Christmas shopping with her pre-school son Sebastian when within a few minutes, he disappears. The video shows that he walked away with Santa. What?!? Sixteen months later, the story continues. Marin and her husband Derek are barely acknowledging each other and Marin is in therapy. From being a successful upscale hair salon owner to being a total nervous wreck, that is Marin’s life. She went from having a seemingly perfect life to one where the bottom fell out, especially when she discovered that Derek was having an affair with a barista named McKenzie. The clues in the book point to Derek and McKenzie having something to do with “Bash’s” disappearance, but this is where the twists and turns begin and don’t stop until the ending. I enjoyed the excellent and well-written book, but I did not like any of the characters. Marin was supposed to be the most sympathetic character, but she was also too flawed for me and had some one-dimensional characteristics that were unexpected in a mom who had lost her only child. Derek was manipulative and conniving, as was his paramour McKenzie. Neither struck a chord with me and I spent my time reading the book, hoping that they got what was coming to them. Fans of thrillers will not want to miss this one, if only for the surprise at the end!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

4.5 stars!! When the 4 year old son of Seattle power couple goes missing on trip to Pikes Place, Marin`s world comes crashing apart. With the FBI not finding anything Marin hires a PI that even a year later is looking into what happened, when she discovers something about Marin`s husband Derek. Why is he doing this? Does he know more then she thinks? Who is this lover? What does she know?

This is a twisted complex read that I couldn't put down! The realness, the never ending deep emotions, the relentless search for her son, made this such a great read! There was so much I was surprised by and I love that in a thriller! This made you think what would you do? How far would you go to get your family back.


Thank you to Minotaur Books and netgalley for my review copy!

My favorite thriller so far this year! Even though I had some of the plot points figured out, there were still a lot of twists, and I was on the edge of my seat o see how all of the pieces were put together. Absolutely could not put this one down

Marin and Derek had the perfect life until their son was kidnapped. Now over a year later they are going thru the motions, waiting on news of their son. They are just going thru the motions in their marriage and rarely connect. This was a great thriller. I had started thinking, maybe, suspecting the twist, but was still blown away. The book will keep you on the edge of your seat and there is a twist that will catch you off guard. Great book by a new author for me. I will definitely read her again! Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Oh my goodness.... I thought Ms Hillier's novel "Jar Of Hearts" was incredible, but this just blows it out of the water!!
This book is full of twisty plot turns, duplicitous characters and a whole lot of stuff that I never saw coming. This is my second 5 star read of 2020. Do yourself a favour and don't miss out on this book!

“[Marin] takes a long sip of the latte. She can’t say if it’s good, because she can’t taste it. The metallic tang in her mouth won’t dissipate. Copper pennies, she’s learning, is what betrayal tastes like.”
...
“The one term Kenzie has never liked is homewrecker. She is not a homewrecker, and neither was the woman her father left them for. Men wreck their own homes.”

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an ARC of Little Secrets in exchange for an honest review. Marin Machado is living her best life: rich, successful, happily married to Derek. That is, until the day her four-year-old son Sebastian is kidnapped. A year later, the FBI has given up hope, and Marin’s private investigator has no leads. Marin is a shell of her former self, and barely getting through each day with the help of her best friend Sal. And then one day Marin learns that Derek has been having an affair for at least six months with a twenty-something named Kenzie, and Marin finally has a problem she can solve....

I read a fair amount of psychological thrillers, and so many of them rely on gimmicks: flashbacks, time-shifted narratives, unreliable narrators, etc. This book had none of that, as it just relies instead on great writing and storytelling. Marin and Kenzie are both richly drawn lead characters, but all of the secondary characters are also believable and believably flawed—the only innocent character in this tale is poor missing Sebastian. The story is deliciously dark, perfectly paced, and takes multiple unexpected turns. Even if, like me, you figure out the ending about halfway through the story (I’m not even sure how it could have been any other way), the story is still gripping, with little surprises along the way.

Little Secrets is the first book I’ve read by Jennifer Hillier. It will most assuredly not be the last. It’s the best thriller I’ve read in years, and maybe the best since Gone Girl—a comparison I don’t make lightly. A must read.

Book rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫 .

It was a quick read.
The blurb told us the story about a missing kid, but it’s not really about that, I think it focused more around the other characters and not the kidnapping of the kid. It’s a very complicated plot. And I felt that it’s not too original.
Thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the book ARC.

I love Jennifer Hillier....I wanted to love Little Secrets. I just didn’t 🤭.
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With this one I had several issues that brought me to a three star read...let’s talk about them.
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• All the blame on the mistress. That drives me crazy. IT’S NOT JUST HER FAULT...your husband played a pretty large role mmmmk.
• The twist was not original...it had some redeeming points, but that was all the way at the end.
• I struggled with the characters. Quite a bit. I’m not sure that’s a flaw though. I don’t think I was suppose to enjoy them...or even feel sorry for them.
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Overall. I would read Jennifer again, but this particular title I will not be recommending.

WOW. This book is a trip, from the very first page until the last. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me a chance to review this novel.

I haven’t had a chance to read this authors other novels, but boy did Little Secrets blow me away. I was skeptical at first about the “child abduction” plot but I knew that there had to be another story behind it since the synopsis gives it away. You sort of find out “whodunit” and that’s a very loose sort of, but the whole premise is why and how.

If you’re read for a novel to take up your day, pick this one!

This review is a hard one to write. Usually my 5* reviews are longer as I want to pinpoint why this book deserved a 5. I....I can't with this one.. It's a psychological thriller, fast paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat. It starts from the beginning and twists and turns all the way through it.. SUPERB! I feel that saying anymore will be revealing, this book just grabs you from the beginning with the suspense and keeps running full force!

Little Secrets is a thriller written by Jennifer Hillier about a woman named Marin who tries to save her marriage after tragedy. Her son, Sebastian, was abducted. After a year long search, the FBI drifts off and Marin hires a private detective. His first discovery is that her husband is involved with a much younger woman. Marin decides to fight for her husband as they continue to search for Sebastian. This book was a thriller and a mystery. I loved this book. Thank you to net galley for an advance reader’s copy for review.

[4.5/5] This is the type of thriller that claws its way into your mind and doesn’t let go (a.k.a the best kind!). It’s an emotional hard-hitter with an action-packed plot.

The main character, Marin, was easy to root for. Some of her actions were fueled by emotions rather than reason (but we’re all human, and we all make mistakes).

Her son - her entire world - was taken from her, with no explanations. I could imagine myself in her place, and as the story evolved, it felt both devastating and hopeful (depending on the moment).

I especially loved that this story was set in my hometown in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle, WA). I felt like I was transported back there - to the bustle of Pike Place market and the rolling hills of Queen Anne.

I recommend going into this book blind. Don’t read the synopsis. It’s best to find out each twist and turn as you go, and I think the summary gives too much away. Even knowing what was going to happen in the first third of the book, though, my attention never waned.

Definitely pick this one up!

**Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the review copy!

Though I figured out the main twists, I enjoyed the path to finding whether I was right. So good. So good. While the ending was convenient, I recommend this story for the surprises and the twisty heart it offers.

Whenever a book takes only a day or two to finish, I know I picked a winner.

4/5

This thriller left me breathless with some butterflies fluttering in my stomach. I feel like the summary gives away too many details. If you’re a reader affected by lots of triggers, though, you should take a peek to make sure this is the right book for you. Honestly, I just wanted to read this because it's JENNIFER HILLIER.

There were some cute, light-hearted moments that helped to balance the heavy plot. Main character Marin’s a fan of The Princess Bride, so she often recalls TPB quotes at inappropriate moments. I also loved the way that Hilliard makes Seattle seem almost like a small town. I’ve never been there, but if I ever get to visit, I would like to have a cookie from The Green Bean.

What would you do if your child was missing? How would it affect you? Your marriage? Your career? Every relationship you have with others? Marin has experienced this and as reader, you go through those feelings with her, every scary one of them.

Some of the side plots include wondering if her husband is cheating on her, hiring a private investigator to find her child, a friend/former lover who checks on you every day to make sure you are ok and a support group for those who having children who are missing. All were issues explored in Little Secrets which gets the title from all the little secrets the characters are keeping from each other.

All was well done until a point where it seemed to get sloppy, part three of the book. It went downhill then with plausibility issues that cheapened the book. It was almost like someone else was writing the plot which I found disappointing.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion,.

Little Secrets was my first novel by Jennifer Hillier and it certainly will not be my last! My heart pounded through the opening chapters, then broke through through Marin's grief. The author dove deep into the myriad of emotions, and the impact on close relationships, following a tragedy. This was a fast paced page thriller with that was very hard to put down!

This was absolutely everything I want in a thriller - gripping, page-turning, suspenseful, unpredictable, real characters... I could go on and on! I really think it is best to go into this story blind - and I promise you will be thoroughly entertained!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Marin is living every parent's worse nightmare, She let go of her son, Sebastian's hand for a moment and he was taken. A year later, the search is no longer active and her son is still missing. Marin's husband, Derek runs his own company and Marin owns a few upscale beauty salons catering to the rich and famous. They are both very wealthy so Marin hired a PI a month after he was taken and the cops stopped actively looking. She receives a message from the PI asking her to go in and her heart skips, thinking the worst.
Another part of her life is unraveling as the PI shows her pictures of Derek with another woman, Kenzie, a twenty four year old Art student in a overwhelming amount of debt who is having an affair with her husband. Marin has lost her son and she will not lose her husband too. In a moment fueled completely by emotion she makes a terrible decision that has dire consequences. as a result, Marin soon starts to connect the dots and realizes that someone close to her may know the truth of what happened to Sebastian.
This was a great book with unseen twists and the final ending came out of nowhere. Highly recommend! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

WOW! This book has it all. Heartbreaking despair and mystery are the heart of this story. We start with loss and end with hope. One of those books you don’t want to put down. Grab this and get lost in the story. Add this one to the Top of your TBR list.

Oh my goodness guys!! This is how it is done.

This book is all sorts of twisty and turny. I could not put it down and read it late into the night. Marin has had a tough last 1.5 years, her son is missing and her marriage is falling apart. This book follows her journey and what a journey it is. The book is honest and you really feel for Marin but I also didn't' agree with all her decisions. The company she keeps are all terrible people. I would definitely suggest reading this one. It was fantastic. Jennifer Hillier may be my new favorite author.

I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.