DNF @ 40%

Unfortunately, the narration for this one wasn't working for me. It was very lackluster and hard to listen to because I felt no inclination to turn this one on.

It's a unique premise and one that maybe would be better read via print. However, I wasn't overly into the mentioning of infidelity and harm and that was the tipping point to give up on this book.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Really liked this book, it was different but in a good way and it was really hard to put down! would buy.

What You NEver Knew is a psychological thriller with a supernatural twist. It is only after her mom and her older sister, May, dies that June comes to know that her summer home, Avril Island, which she thought was long sold off, is still with the family. Her trip back to the island raises some ugly questions about her family and their secrets, including the mysterious disappearance of her father years ago.

While I did guess how the story would end, I fully enjoyed the buildup and layers to the characters, and especially, the bond between the two sisters. The pacing is excellent, and I am looking forward to reading more books from this writer.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

This dual character presentation was a mixed bag. On the one hand, the ghost character, May, is brilliantly developed and told. This portion of the story is enjoyable – as much as it can be in a murder mystery.
The sister’s –June’s – part is less well done. It isn’t well thought out. Little details escaped the author’s notice, creating little conflicts which throw the story to an angle. More, the character does things that are highly improbable. One example is when she is locked in her bedroom when supposedly all alone in the house and her response upon discovering the situation is simply to return to bed and go to sleep? No one would do that.
It was a great premise and partly well executed. Ultimately, it served as a testimony to the immaturity of the author as a writer. The editor did Ms. Hamilton no favors by allowing the glaring errors to stand through to publication.

Likewise, the voice of May – Laura Jennings – was well done. Ms. Jennings knows how to deliver a natural sounding portrayal of a character and in doing so far outshines her co-narrator. Sara Mollo-Christensen, delivers a nearly annoying presentation of June’s portions of the story. Her cadence makes one wonder if she pre-read her parts or if she just stumbled into a recording room and started in. Very disappointing. The combination of the two was so discordant that switching to Ms. Jennings was like a breeze on a sweltering day.

Great thriller with a little bit of a supernatural twist. I greatly enjoyed the beautiful New England setting as well as the way the drama played out. Would definitely recommend.

What You Never Know is told from alternating points of view between two sisters, June and May, one alive and one dead.

June, the living sister, returns to a cabin after the tragic death of her sister only to find that her family still owns t the cabin. She begins to uncover what happened when her father disappeared years ago. and long-buried secrets come to life and lies are uncovered revealing devastating truths. The past comes back to haunt the present in this suspenseful tale of loss and deception.

The narration adds to this tragic story of betrayal. It was a slow burn for me and a little predictable that left me wanting a little more, but overall it was an enjoyable read. #NetGalley # DreamscapeMedia

This was such a good story! I enjoyed the drama-mystery between June and her dead sister May. This is a great summer time suspense read. At some points it got a bit too slow-burning for me but overall a fantastic read that has me eager to see what else the author will write!

What You Never Knew is a slow-burn mystery crossed with family drama, told from the perspective of June and her deceased sister May, who watches over June as she grieves.

I'm not normally one for ghost stories, but I really like how it was done in this book. The ghost part was tasteful and believable, and served to provide another perspective rather than a cop-out explanation for why spooky things were happening.

I really felt for June. She has lost her mother and her sister, and is beginning to discover that her childhood was nothing like the way she remembered it. Her character had a lot of depth for a thriller, and this book explores grief in a very thoughtful way.

Drenched with atmosphere and dripping with suspense, WHAT YOU NEVER KNEW is a brilliant debut by Jessica Hamilton. When June's older sister May is killed in a car accident, she struggles to move on. As she grieves and revisits old memories, she learns she has inherited her family's summer home on Avril Island, and travels there to find out why her mother lied about selling the property. Told from alternating points of view, the sisters -- one dead, one alive -- uncover a cache of family secrets and make a disquieting discovery about their long-lost father. Richly drawn with a strong sense of place, this is a must for mystery and thriller lovers and the perfect summer read.

I really enjoyed this book. However, it did take me a minute to get use to the narrator's voice. I believe it was the voice that narrarated June's voice. it was very hush hush and soft. Annoying! However the story was good enough that I was able to ignore it and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The author has you reading through the eyes of the May and June who are sisters. June sets out to understand what happened on Avril island, their childhood summer vacation spot and what happened to their father who disappeared suddenly. I would definitely recommend this book. Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy of What You Never Knew by Jessica Hamilton.

May and June are sisters and spend most of their childhood at their summer home on Avril Island with their mother and father. Their father goes missing/leaves them one day and they never return to the island.

Fast forward ,April, their mother passes away and that’s when everything starts to unravel leading June back to Avril Island to uncover what really happened.

This started out a bit slow for me. However, the pace does eventually pick up. I really enjoyed the authors writing as it was extremely atmospheric. I love books that take place on an island or some sort of getaway. It really adds to the claustrophobic feel. I also loved the way the author describes the characters, I could picture them all. None however were particularly likeable, but I promise it does not take away from the story.

Truthfully, the ending and mystery wasn’t all that shocking, it was almost expected. However, there were some points in the story that led me to believe something else was going on, so it was thrilling.

I would recommend this book and would read another book by this author.

I listened to the audio version of this book and unfortunately it wasn't the easiest listen for me. I didn't particularly enjoy the narration and felt that if I had read the paper copy instead I would have enjoyed it so much better. I had a hard time getting into this book and staying engaged.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Jessica Hamilton for the opportunity to listen to this book.

What You Never Knew is a slow burn family drama told from the perspective of two sisters, one alive and one dead. Long buried secrets come to life and lies are uncovered revealing devastating truths. The past comes back to haunt the present in this suspenseful tale of loss and deception. The narration adds an element of despair and foreboding to this tragic story of betrayal and devastation. Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my audiobook.

I loved this book so much!!! The family dynamic was totally relatable, as my family hid many secrets that I discovered as an adult. In the end of this book I was super shocked! The twist was something I didn’t see coming. Having two perspectives from sisters (one living, one dead) was another interesting aspect of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advance listening copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Content warnings at the bottom of the review.

What You Never Knew is a murder mystery following June, who comes back to her family's small private island, an island that she had thought her mother had sold, but finds out is still in their possession after her mother passes and her older sister dies in a tragic car accident. The story is told from June's perspective as she tries to uncover secrets of her family's past, especially the disappearance of her father that many in the surrounding area believe was actually a murder. The book is also told from May's perspective as a ghost, tied to her sister as she lives on the island, and May tries to bring her own memories of the events back from where she's buried them.

While I enjoyed the general premise of the book and liked the unique perspective of the differing sisters, I did find the book somewhat predictable for me, and some of the relationships a bit frustrating and unrealistic. However, I'm pretty picky when it comes to the mystery and thriller genre, so I think avid readers who enjoy a good twist and spooky location would really enjoy this one.

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content warnings: infidelity, death, grief and loss

This was enjoyable as an audiobook. The narrators were engaging and absolutely drew the reader in to the story. Sisters May and June were left a home on an isolated island after the death of their mother. They had believed that the home was sold when they were children. When June returns to Avril Island, she finds somewhat of a sordid and sinister past. While some parts were predictable, it was still enjoyable.

This review was also posted on Goodreads.

Thanks to publisher for providing an eARC of What You Never Knew in exchange for an honest review.

What You Never Knew lays out and layers its twists in a way that both provides clues for observant readers but can also blindside you in a way that makes logical sense which is normally my #1 look for in mystery thrillers. I think having the story be told through both June and her dead sister May's perspective was an interesting storytelling choice, but I don't think just having the ghost POV justified calling this "for fans of The Lovely Bones" since they're both very different stories with very different themes (that isn't a personal gripe I had since I'm not a Lovely Bones fan, but I could see it letting people down if they go in wanting something like that). I wish the cast list was a bit wider since while red herrings are introduced, they're only in a handful of scenes and quickly fall to the sidelines which makes it a bit too easy to guess who's going to end up being the villain before the clues are properly planted but other than that there's nothing else I didn't love here that I could talk about without it being a major spoiler.

Half of this book was great the other half was ... not good. I loved the writing (for a thriller) and the narrator was good and the pacing was great but the second half of this book was just NO.

What You Never Knew by Jessica Hamilton was a good enough read to finish. I will also check out anything else this author may write. The plot was interesting, and the scenery was detailed and idyllic with a hint of peril. The characters were not as well-developed as they could have been. I could not quite feel for any of them, even Ezra, who is so nice it was over the top. I am also not a fan of the ending. Not only was it not a satisfying HEA, we also do not really know why it wasn’t. I need more of a tighter bow. The audiobooks narrators, Sarah Mollo-Christensen and Laura Jennings, did a great job of setting the tone and pace of the book.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

I absolutely loved the ending message of this book! This was such a crazy but beautiful story about two sisters. Not my usual read so I’m quite surprised how much I loved this book.