⭐

There wasn't anything in this entire book that worked for me, unfortunately. The dialogue seemed stilted and awkward. None of the characters were likable or interesting. The mystery was obvious from the start. Just a complete miss for me on all levels. However, I am but one voice in a sea of many, so your millage may vary!

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Thank you to NetGalley and O.J. Lovaz for this E-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback and review.

I did not complete reading this book. After trying to pick it up several times I eventually DNF'd. Unfortunately the characters did not stand out to me at all. They seemed undeveloped and a little boring. From the other reviews I have seen this book is not for everyone.

Silent Pretty Things is a mind boggling book filled with charming and not so charming characters.
Where a long held secret is finally brought to light and the damage it causes could be fatal for some.
Definitely a hardcore thriller at the end.

DNF at 10%
While I was intrigued by the premise I didn't think that the writing style was for me. I think it was too descriptive but at the same time didn't say anything.
I didn't hate it by any means I just don't think it was the right book for me.

I'd like to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

I'm tempted to give one star but I'll give two stars because towards the end it wasn't completely unbearable. The greater first half of the novel reads so blatantly like a man, writing a woman, who has no idea what really goes on in a woman's mind. Anna, Diane, Lydia, and Marlene are all unbelievable women who are only interesting as a result of the relationships with men in their lives. They fall flat with no real dimension, they feel like mere cardboard cutouts for the plot. Anna and Diane especially spend an enormous amount of time primping, choosing outfits, and shopping, because, that's all women do in their spare time, I suppose, in a man's mind?

The dialogue between the characters is heavy and sounds straight out of a textbook or google search at times. But a quick google search would have told the author that a nurse's regular schedule (which he extensively describes in regards to Diane) is NOT 5 days a week, altering day and night shifts, which is absolutely absurd considering nurses work 12 hour shifts. Lovaz's Male characters, on the other hand, are all overly inflated philosophers who constantly debate politics and religion because that's what normal men must do, right?

The ending was rushed, since I read this as an ebook my kindle could tell me that exactly around 70% did the true thriller events of the novel start to take place. The family dynamics could have been very interesting if only there were more character development.

It seems as though the novel's title perfectly captures how the author must view women, as Silent, Pretty, THINGS.

The cover pulled me right in to start reading this book. I had pretty high hopes for this one as the synopsis was intriguing. However, the plot and character development was somehow lacking. Everything was not up to par to my standards and the "thrill" I was hoping for never really came until the end. It felt such a last minute thing. I struggled a lot with this book, trying to understand the time line and the current situation. I was also having a hard time with the writing style. A lot of the book didn't make sense to me and the writing style was just very amateur.

This book had a lot of hype on Youtube and Bookstagram which is why I originally requested it from NetGalley. I must say, it did not quite live up to my expectations but I did end up enjoying the story regardless. Here are just a few of my thoughts.

Firstly, I really enjoyed the element of family and their secrets/drama in this book, finding it a good way to keep me, the reader, interested. There was a lot of twists and turns throughout the plot with many revelations occurring throughout. I found the story to be rather fast-paced and therefore was an easy read that kept me on the edge of my seat. I thought the plot overall was an interesting, suspenseful idea that was enjoyable to follow and kept me wanting more. However, I do think this book, and its plot, was slightly let down due to other aspects.

One issue I took with this book was the characters. I personally found it hard to connect with some of the characters because, to me, they didn't seem to have much personality and/or backstory. I noticed this the most with Michael and, although I did like the character, found it hard to route for him and Anna as a couple as I thought their relationship to have almost been rushed. We, as readers, were not given enough time or information in order to fully fall in love with the characters and I, therefore, found myself feeling almost distanced from the action. Saying this, I did think the author did a good job at portraying the father as the villain and only wish the same effort had been put into the other characters.

Another slight problem I had with this book was the inconsistency in the writing. There were several chapters/moments in this story, more towards the end, that I really enjoyed and found hard to put down. However, in contrast, there were a few points during the book when I thought the writing was of a less good quality and it felt, to me, that the writer was just trying to fill space between two key moments. In these moments, I had to force myself to continue reading and, once I did, I enjoyed it nevertheless but it simply did not feel as well thought out as the rest of the book. It was a real shame because in the good moments, the story was really enjoyable, suspenseful and captivating. I do think the latter part of this book was the best and the beginning let the rest down.

I'd quite like to know what happened after the end of this book but I am pretty sure this is a stand-alone novel. Although, if the author was to write a sequel, or another unrelated book for that matter, I would pick it up.

Overall I would rate this book a 2.75 out of 5 (3 out of 5 for the sakes of Goodreads).

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this.

Secrets on top of secrets, on top of secrets. Loved this book and was truly guessing until the ending.

I did not enjoy this very much. I felt the premise was contrived. Anna needs proof about a hunch she has after one weird conversation with her parents, so she goes to the library archives to find pictures her grandfather donated. Why would this be the first place she looked? And how convenient to find two mysterious pictures to deepen her hunch.
I also did not like the way the characters spoke. It was unlike anything real people say.
"I do believe we have a most unpleasant matter to discuss".

Also random details "She felt quite comfortable, resting her head on a nice, downy pillow she had bought a few months back" I don't need to know when she bought it. It never talks about her shopping. The fact that it is new is not important.

Dark family secrets in a small town are uncovered as Anna Goddard, with the help of a local historian, sets out to find the truth about her parents.

This one has an interesting synopsis, but failed to really deliver on the promise of a thriller. I was bored and glad it was a short read.

** spoiler alert **

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book!

I feel like such a hater looking over some of these reviews because I did NOT enjoy this AT ALL.

For starters, the characters did not feel or act like they were in their thirties, at least to me. I feel like they did this completely childish, elaborate ploy to discover a potential affair much like teens would do, rather than the grown adults they are. Next, I would not have considered this a mystery OR thriller since the story was honestly lacking any sort of action until WAY past the fifty percent, maybe even seventy-five percent, mark.

I also did not like ANY of the characters. Their conversations didn't feel or sound real AT ALL. It just sounded so forced and emotionless. Also, for being middle aged, spoiled, small town siblings, they certainly could figure out every single thing in a police investigation and how to get away with the perfect murder.

Also the ending didn't even make the time spent with this book worth it. Nothing was wrapped up nicely and it just felt like a quick escape after spending two hours invested in this story... The police just give up? And $11,000 is enough for someone to leave the country and create a brand new life? I personally don't buy any of it.

Nice story about family mysteries in a small town. Side character Michael is the highlight of the book. I'd love to read more about him. The main story is uninspired and I just want to tell the main characters to mind their business.

Anna Goddard is a good daughter and sister but she's keeping a secret; her father rules the house with an iron fist and whilst his outward veneer is that of a loving husband and father nothing could be further from the truth. When family secrets are revealed the truth comes to light in the most shocking way.

This was an interesting domestic thriller set in a small town setting which I really enjoyed.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 3 🌟
First and first, I'd like to express my gratitude to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book.

“I just wanted to help kids learn to cope with the hard stuff life throws at them. I mean, a lot of kids have great childhoods, full of love and precious memories; but that, which seems like a human right to me, is denied to many children. Life is hard enough. A happy childhood should be a part of the deal. You get one guaranteed happy season. Good luck with the rest.”

The first half of the novel was extremely engaging, as the protagonist found some problems and set out to resolve them with her sibling and lover. However, the second half disappointed me because I had hoped for something more.
I thought the romance was rushed for me since it seemed artificial, but their relationship grew as the story progressed, and I liked how they embraced and supported each other.
One of the elements of this story that hooked me in was the author's depiction of childhood trauma for the verbally and physically abusive parent. I had the want to interrupt the story and hit the MC's father at one point. It just fueled my wrath and helped me realize that not every relationship appears to be as lovely and flawless as it appears on the surface.

This was a really good book with suspense and definite nail-biting cliffhangers. I really couldn't set this book down. This'll have you never wanting to put the book down, flipping the pages continuously. Really good read, and I definitely recommend.

This book for me was very hard to to get into . I didn’t like the characters , and I constantly found myself thinking about other things. This book just could not grasp my attention. I got halfway through before it became a DNF

I didn't like most of the things, the characters and the plot. They just didn't work for me. From the beginning I was bored because it seemed that the only thing was about discovering the big secret of Anna's dad.
Only at the end the book got interesting with a surprising ending.

Thank you NetGalley for the free e-book.

I apologize. I found this book extremely hard to get into and did not finish the novel. I could not grasp the plot within the first few chapters and for me, I need a book that hooks me right away.

I didn’t really enjoy this book; it wasn’t my cup of tea. I found the characters to be one-dimensional, and while I was expected a domestic noir, I got something more similar to a Clive Cussler-type novel. I think readers who enjoy that and John Grisham’s style might get into this book, but it just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Really enjoyed the writing style & was impressed with how well the story unfolded. Love a great mystery with a solid group of characters.
Thanks so much to NetGalley for the early opportunity to read Silent Pretty Things!