Twisted and a true definition of a psychological thriller. Nichole's mind is a knot and her character is an onion. There are so many layers to Nichole that makes the story so amazingly interesting to read. The younger Krystal is an integral part of the story; however, as the story moves along, I find that she is now just a background shadow. Aiden's character is so minor in the end, yet he is an integral part of the story. The style the author writes is very differently innovative.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Secrets Of Us - Lucinda Berry

This is the first book I've read by former psychologist / successful author Lucy DNA Berry, so had high hopes.

The story of two 'sisters' Krystal and Nichole. They aren't related but have lived like sisters since being in foster care, living on the farm owned by the strict Mrs Wheeler are her 'devil child' daughter Veronica.

There is a past and present narrative, the past covering their teenage years on the farm, the present begins with Nichole in secure psychiatric care after apparently setting fire to her marital home after trapping her husband inside to burn.

It is unusual and quite involving, the psychiatric details are all dealt with extremely convincingly. It took a certain incident in their past to be revealed before I was truly hooked and from then on I found it increasingly tense and gripping.

Altogether a satisfying read. I will definitely read more from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer

Krystal and Nichole met as kids in their foster home. Quickly they learned to lean on eachother, and developed a relationship that is closer then blood sisters. Their sisterhood was formed from a shared fear, and secrets kept just between the two of them.
When Krystal gets a call that her sister is in the hospital, after a horrible fire, she cant get to her fast enough. On arrival she finds that Nichole is locked up in the psych ward, and is being accused of trying to murder her husband. Nichole is talking crazy, not making any sense. She says Aiden is a murderer. But then why is she being accused?
Krystal must protect her sister, even if it means keeping an important secret to herself.

The Secret Of Us is a slow burn thriller that explodes at the end. I had a hard time getting through the first half of the book, but Nichole and Krystal's back story kept my interest. If it hadn't been for that, I might have given up on the book.
I'm glad I followed through and finished it. At about 60% in, things get good. A lot of important things are revealed, and things start making sense. You just have to sift through all the crazy to get there. lol The big twist is a good one, and changes the whole story.

This book had a great premise and shocking plot twists. And yet it didn't captivate me as much as it should have. 

Foster sisters Krystal and Nichole have been thick-as-thieves ever since they met as seven-year-olds at their foster home and there is nothing that they don't know about each other. So Krystal is beyond horrified to find a deranged Nichole locked up in a psyche ward and charged with attempting to murder her husband. Convinced that Nichole is being framed, Krystal leaves no stone unturned in trying to prove her innocence. But the key to that lies in the dark and shady past that the sisters had left behind, or so they thought.

The plot had an eerie, creepy quality to it that makes you wary of what to expect. The author explores the effect of childhood trauma on the human psyche which in itself is a very intriguing topic. Despite that, I was not very taken with the writing style, which I felt was all over the place. Also certain points defied logic - like a comatose burn victim who had taken a turn for the worse due to fluid collection in his lungs is miraculously up and about, two days later.

Overall, an average psychological thriller that could have been brilliant with crisper writing and better editing. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A good psychological thriller with twists to the end. With her experience in psychology the author gives some good insight into the mental disorders and the contributing factors. But it becomes more technical and less humane that we could not empathise with the characters who come out as more ruthless and less of a victim.

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I have only read one other book by this author, The Perfect Child and I couldn’t put it down. It was an intense psychological thriller with so many twists and turns I didn’t see coming. This book is the same, we follow two girls put together in the same foster home and have a sisterly bond that nothing can break. Enter current time and a life threatening incident puts one of them in the hospital with a psychotic break, did she do what the police are saying. It’s up to the other sister, now a lawyer to figure it out. An excellent, quick read that will have you on the edge of your seat but also leaves you wondering... highly recommend

The Secrets of Us by Lucinda Berry After a experiencing an abusive childhood in foster care and witnessing the shocking death of one of their friends, Krystal and Nichole are emotionally dependent upon each other. Interesting psychological drama with insights into mental breakdown. The story was more in the telling rather than feeling in touch with Krystal and Nichol. The ending was confusing, ended abruptly and left much unsaid.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

The Secrets of Us is a hard to put down, psychological thriller full of surprising twists and turns. Krystal and Nichole are family from the moment they meet and their loyalty to one another knows no bounds. They've been through a lot, together and Krystal doesn't quit until she finds out what Nichole has been going through without her. You won't know who to trust until the very end. I hope we'll see more of Krystal in the future. It seems like there's a lot more to her story.

The Secrets of Us by author Lucinda Berry is a psychological thriller that captivates your reading attention throughout the entire story. It’s about 2 foster girls, Krystal and Nichole, who become inseparable, they are as close as sisters. They depend on and look out for each other no matter what comes their way. While living in a horribly cruel foster home, a tragedy takes place that forever impacts Nichole’s mental state of mind. This accident is the cause for everything that happens and leads up to the girls present life. The story is told in 2 timelines, past and present, making you aware of everything tragic that takes place in their life. It was sad hearing about how they lived and eye-opening as to how such tragedies can have such a huge impact on a persons mental state. If psychological thrillers is a genre you enjoy reading, I highly recommend you check out this book. I have read and enjoyed almost all of her books and I am looking forward to reading what she writes next. Lucinda Berry is an author you don’t want to miss out on. I’m giving this a 5 star rating!

Krystal and Nichole became sisters when they were in foster care together. The horrific events that they suffered through brought them closer together. After finally escaping this life, they work hard to find success. But a phone call changes all that! This was a twisty thriller! I enjoyed it!

4.75* this is a terrific read which kept me totally engrossed.
A US author who is new to me. By the amount of reviews she is a best selling author.
Foster sisters Krystal and Nicole share a troubled past which they have tried to bury with lies. They are really close, so when Nicole is institutionalised after trying to kill the husband she adores Krystal,a lawyer in mid trial drops everything to help.
The timeframe alternates between them as children and the present. Nichole is the narrator of the past and Krystal the present.
Both are instantly likeable and got me on side, rooting for them both through the book. It’s very emotionally engaging as the characters are so well written.
It’s a great pace to the book, it never lags, there’s so much going on to grab you.
We get a heart rendering insight into Nicole’s torment with her psychotic episode, but also the traumatic event in their childhood.
A fav quote ‘ they spread their meanness like an equal opportunity plague’
There was one small exchange between Krystal and Aidan that didn’t sit right with me which is why it’s not 5*

Thank you NetGalley, Lucinda Berry and Thomas & Mercer for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Secrets of Us is a slower-burn psychological thriller delving into the experiences of two foster sisters and their childhood trauma.

Krystal is absolutely thrown when she hears that Nichole has tried to kill her husband and is now under psychiatric observation. Krystal attempts to unravel the mystery in the present while the reader also gets to take a peek at their past.

Berry created a tense, curious and dark thriller but I do wish we learned a little bit more about some characters. I would have liked to see Nichole and her husband’s backstory a little bit more, as well as Veronica and her mother. The Secrets of Us is a fast and easy read, perfect for a quick thriller bite.

I had no idea that Lucinda Berry is actually Dr. Lucinda Berry, a former psychologist, until I read the author blurb at the end. The Secrets of Us dives right into how childhood trauma manifests when children are young and how trauma progresses into adulthood.

TW: childhood trauma, abuse, psychiatric hospital

The story really took an interesting turn of events toward the end, I had some suspicions as the story went on (because everybody is hella suspicious 😂) so I wasn’t too surprised. However, I really like how things played out.

It wasn’t as twisted as I wanted it to be and had a few pacing issues with the first half, like a few chapters and information weren’t that relevant to the plot.

Overall, a pleasant experience. I already have Phantom Limb by Lucinda as an ebook and plan to read it soon.

Lucinda Berry writes an amazing book in her latest, The Secrets of Us. Ms. Berry lists in her credits that she is experienced in dealing with youth with childhood trauma. Her expertise is evident in this thriller. The story opens as a young woman tries to determine what has caused the mental breakdown and suspected arson and accusation of attempted murder committed by her foster sister. The book continues to explore the crime around that breakdown while masterfully traveling back to the past of two incredible young women who have found family and comfort in each other in the traumatic world of foster care. The author explores that trauma in a way that few understand and transfers that understanding to the amazing story in the present with a multitude of twists and turns. I loved this book and it was a definite "can't put down" for me. One night of sleep lost was worth finding the answers to this mystery. Or did I find the answer? Love this book. I will be looking for more by Lucinda Berry. Thanks to #The SecretsofUs#NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Yes! All the stars. Lucinda Berry does it again. There has not been a book of hers that I haven’t loved and this is no exception.

The author is a former clinical psychologist so all of her novels have some sort of psychological twist to them and that is one of my favorite types of thrillers. This one was no exception.

It all starts when Krystal, a lawyer, is told her foster sister, and best friend, Nichole’s house has started on fire, her husband was trapped inside and she admitted to being the one that tried to kill him. Nichole starts claiming her husband isn’t who he says he is and that someone replaced him and he’s an imposter. Is her husband who he says he is? Is Nichole suffering from some sort of mental health crisis? Is their past as foster children coming back to haunt them?

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy for my honest review.

Krystal gets the call she never wanted. Her sister, Nichole, has just been in a house fire. They’re all each other has. The police say she set it herself... and by time Krystal gets to Nichole, she can see she isn’t in her right mind. The Nichole she knows has dinner on the table every night, she doesn’t bang her head into the wall until she is unconscious. Now her sister is going to be charged with either murder or attempted murder, depending on whether her husband lives or dies. Krystal seeps into her sisters life, and thinks there may be a reason to her sister’s madness.

Growing up in the foster care system, life was difficult for Krystal and Nichole. The only bright moment the two foster sisters had were because of the bond they shared. As adults. Krystal has become a successful attorney and Nichole is happily married to an architect. But then she’s committed to a psychiatric facility for trying to kill him, insisting that the man is not her husband at all, just someone pretending to be him. Krystal rushes to Nichole’s side, desperate to help the woman she considers her sister. In her search for the truth, Krystal will have to face the past and the events that created the bond between herself and Nichole

This incredible thriller kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page. The characters draw you in and the plot is fast paced. I really enjoyed it and looking forward to recommending to friends. Excited to read more from this author!!

The worst part about Lucinda Berry novels are turning the page only to see there’s nothing left to read! I always love her thrillers and The Secrets of Us was no exception. Berry grabs you immediately and doesn’t let go until the very end. I can’t get enough!
The Secrets of Us follows two “sisters”-fostered in the same home since childhood, Krystal and Nichole are each other’s only family. Now adults, Krystal’s world shatters when she learns Nichole has been hospitalized after a terrible incident at her and her husbands home. Nichole is in no state to answer any questions, and Krystal must unravel what happened and why. Raw, gritty memories from their shared past are slowly uncovered as Krystal tries to hold onto her sanity and strength to help her beloved sister.


I received a copy of #TheSecretsofUs courtesy of #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lucinda Berry is notorious for writing psychological page-turning thrillers and this book is no exception. Foster sisters Krystal and Nichole are survivors of a traumatic childhood. Despite witnessing horrendous events in their youth, they seem to have moved on to become successful adults. Krystal is a family lawyer and Nichole, a happily married history teacher. All appears well until Krystal receives a call that there's been a fire at Nichole's house and Nichole is being held at a psych facility. She is being accused of arson and attempted murder of her husband. The Secrets of Us is about the special bond of two sisters and ghosts of their past. Although, this wasn't the best book I've ever read by Lucinda Berry, it held my interest. I enjoyed reading it.