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.

Are you ready to get on an emotional roller coaster?

The Secrets of Us, by Lucinda Berry, is just that, a roller coaster. Ms. Berry is able to grab your attention right at the very start. This novel gave me a true book hangover and I have been unable to stop thinking about it since i finished last night. This novel is fast paced and you can easily finish it in one sitting. Although I wish there was an alternate ending I do understand why it had to end the way it did.

I would highly recommend this novel to people who enjoy the gut wrenching attachment and anxiety while reading.

I received The Secrets of Us as part of a NetGalley giveaway.

Krystal and Nichole are foster sisters who bonded over traumatic events in their childhood. Twenty years later, Nichole is being held in a psych ward and faces charges of attempted murder of her husband. Now a lawyer, Krystal attempts to seek out the truth and save her sister. But to do so, she must delve into their troubled past and face truths she had long buried.

This was a nice thriller, with lots of twists and turns and generally well-crafted characters. At times I thought a couple of the "villains" were a bit cartoonish, but on the whole it was very enjoyable. I think Berry's experience as a psychologist informs her narrative well; her treatment of Nichole in particular was really interesting and heartbreaking, and the nuances of mental illness were well explored. I'd be interested to read more from Lucinda Berry in the future.

This author has been on my radar for a while so I was excited to be able to read this new release. With its enticing cover, I felt drawn to the two characters, Krystal and Nichole, as readers learn just exactly what has caused a present-day melt-down.

The narrative switches between Krystal's perspective in present day, as she attempts to unpick the reasons behind Nichole's apparent break-down. Considering themselves as sisters because they are so close in age and supported each other during their childhood as foster children, Krystal acts as big sister and guardian, determined to prove to others that Nichole is innocent of the damaging house fire that leaves Nichole's husband seriously injured.

Mixed in with this, readers are taken back to the girls' past and growing up on a farm with their foster parent. Told from Nichole's perspective, I liked this switch between characters. Compared to present day, this past narrative is where we truly learn what Nichole is like; it makes the story more enriched and I felt like I knew both protagonists on a deeper level. It is in this past timeline that it is clear what Nichole and Krystal are concerned about with their past. As Nichole's instability in present day does not appear to be dissipating, the tension increases in the secondary storyline, informing readers of why the two women behave as they do.

I loved the exploration of mental stability and the impact of a life-changing event. I could not have foreseen how the novel would progress and I enjoyed the subtle surprises that Berry includes - even down to the final few pages. In my opinion, even the supporting characters are incredibly rich, although I think I would liked to have seen more of Nichole's in-laws. This is especially because a fair amount of attention is drawn to the fact that Aidan's family are incredibly rich and influential; I would have liked to have seen this stretch into Nichole and Krystal's story a bit further.

This is an explosive story that had me gripped very early on. I enjoyed Berry's writing style and found the panic emanating from both characters incredibly palpable and believable. I think it is clear that Berry's background in psychology has informed her writing of this story and thought some of Nichole's scenes were particularly chilling. Again, this all added to the realism of the story and the horror that hides behind a very suspicious fire.

A great read from Berry and certainly not my last! As enthralling as the cover itself, this should delight fans of suspense and psychological thrillers. The two women attracted my attention from the beginning and I was keen to see how such a traumatic event as a house fire has caused incarceration and further suspicions.

Lucinda's latest release does not disappoint! On the surface, this MAY seem like another cookie-cutter story of 2 sisters who share a traumatic upbringing...BUT there's oh so many dark, twisted hallways in that upbringing! Full of twists and turns, that will have you holding your breath to the very end! The story grabs you from page 1, and every time you think you have the plot figured out, a new curveball comes flying at you.

The Secrets of Us is a great beach read type book. The story is exciting and fast moving, and I zipped right through it. An excellent pick if you're looking for a quick, fun read.

The Secrets of Us is a twisty book. This was a good quick read but my only really dislike would be the s!ow burn! The story being told here will grab you and not let go! This is an amazing psychological thriller at it's best! I love the writing it's honestly her best book yet!
This book had me up all night trying to finish it. And once I did I didn't want it to end!
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this amazing ebook copy!

I’m such a fan of this author, she writes really smart psychological thrillers and as a psychologist herself she provides such a fascinating insight into her books. She has a knack for getting deep inside her characters minds and psyches that really allows for a very interesting reading experience. If you like psychological thrillers with an emphasis on the psychological aspect you have to check out her books.

This flips from the present day and Krystal’s viewpoint to the past in Nichole’s POV. Both timelines were great and super interesting for me, both women had an incredibly rough childhood and seeing how their bond in the past informed their present day relationship was fascinating for me. As the book nears the finish line I was totally caught up in this dark story of loyalty and how tragic events can bond people in an unbreakable way. Definitely recommended as a fast paced and engaging read.

Wow! Another home run for Lucinda Berry! The Secrets of Us is now my new favorite of her books!

The Secrets of Us follows two foster care sisters, Krystal and Nichole, and weaves between two alternating time lines - one in present day narrated by Krystal, and one when the girls were teenagers narrated by Nichole. In the present day, Nichole has set fire to her house with her husband trapped inside, and finds herself in the psychiatric ward. Krystal is determined to figure out what happened the night of the fire. In the past, readers get to know more about the girls growing up with their foster family in rural Iowa. But then an accident on the farm happens, and the girls must keep secret the truth of that night.

Lucinda Berry is a former turned full time author. Her educational background and experience with studying childhood trauma combine to help her dream up twisted psychological thrillers that are real page turners. She develops complex characters and places them in situations that create the perfect journey into the complexity of mental illness.

So I’ve been reading Lucinda Berry’s books for years and years and I love her writing so much. I love that she’s an actual psychologist and knows soooo much about what she writes about. But let me tell you that I read the last 30 minutes of this book with my hand planted firmly over my mouth and I gasped so many times I lost count. I learned about a condition that I’ve never heard of somewhere in the there but OH MY FREAKING GOSH I can’t even begin to tell you how shocked I was by everything in this book! I have no idea how Lucinda will even try to write anything this good again. Her books are phenomenal but this one is on a level I can’t even begin to describe. Read all of her books. But read this one the most. I want to read it all over again!!!