"A small town ... a prominent family ... a secret. Only two people know the truth, and their silence will have murderous consequences."

Anna Goddard knows the weight behind her name. Being a Goddard has meant always being perfect, maintaining the perfect appearance no matter the cost. But she knows her family is far from how they portray themselves to the world, and when she starts to suspect there's more than she knows going on beneath the surface she starts to dig. But digging always leaves you dirty.

With the help of her new sweetheart, a quiet but charming librarian and historian Michael, she starts to uncover the darker secrets of her family - and now she's going to need them if they're going to survive the fallout of what she's let loose.

Silent Pretty Things was a clever, slow-paced domestic thriller with plenty of tension, packed full of dark family histories and complex relationships. The characters were interesting and displayed a variety of different personalities - holding some intruiging conversations about history, ethics and philosophy to keep the reader thinking.

This was about a terrible secret, but also about Anna's coming of age - about her yearning for freedom from her oppressive family and of course finding a little bit of romance along the way.

"I get it. You want more from life - more intensity, more adventure, more freedom."

For me, this book had far too much telling and not enough showing. There were very large gaps between pivotal plot points, and conversations between characters would go on for pages and in the way of story, there wasn't much happening until the very end of the book but everything that did was very detailed and thought-out.

I had high hopes for a book with such an intriguing plot and character development, but sadly it fell short...really short. My confusion began within the first few chapters when I was struggling to determine the timeline that the book was set in. When I realized this was meant to be set in current times, I was extremely confused at the author's choice to use such dated language. For example, the characters Micheal and Anna share a few flirty moments in the beginning, but the language and description of the situation felt extremely... old-fashioned? I can attest that this might be just a personal irritation, but the lack of story and drive also leads to me feel as though the author wasn't exactly sure of what they were trying to portray to the reader. It felt as though the "mystery" that was meant to be felt by the reader was forced at times. Many storylines did not connect in a way that made me feel as though the mystery was driving the narrative. I will admit I have read many books that didn't make complete sense while I was reading it, but wrapped it up nicely at the end...this story did not accomplish this goal sadly. Overall, I would not recommend this book due to its lack of substance, confusing plots and characters, and amateur writing.

I just want to say that the story is interesting and I was intrigued to find out what was going on. I just think for me personally this book wasn’t something I would gravitate towards. I found the dialogue to be a little too formal but I quite liked the rest of the authors writing style. It took me a while to get into the book and maybe that’s just because I wasn’t in the mood for this genre. I will say though I can see this book being talked about and enjoyed by many others especially on social media!

A small town…a prominent family…a secret. Only two people know the truth, and their silence will have murderous consequences.

Anna Goddard has spent a lifetime being the Good Daughter. Polished and primped into sleek, blond perfection, Anna learned from an early age that being a Goddard meant presenting a flawless façade to the world. But all that changes when Anna stumbles upon a private correspondence that leaves her reeling. With the help of Michael Donovan, a shy but charming local historian, Anna embarks on a journey to find the one thing her family has always denied: The Truth.

Propelled by her mission to protect those she loves, the young woman experiences a tantalizing taste of freedom. But in the process of unearthing the past, Anna and her family will expose a new threat so dangerous it could ruin them all.
The premise of this book sounded interesting from the very beginning. It was a quick, easy read and if you are looking for a quick, entertaining read then this is a great book for you.

Silent Pretty things was a good book then ending though did leave me wanting more. It was like ring in a roller coaster that just stops. Anna and her brother Frank try to figure out what the story is with their very prominent father. As they unearth family secrets should have just kept the secrets buried

I can't say this was my favorite book. I loved the premise and for once, I even liked the cover but it felt a bit off but that might just be me personally. Overall the story was actually really engaging and I loved all the twists and turns. The synopsis definitely made me think it'd be a story that I loved but possibly just the writing style wasn't to my taste but that's just my personal preference. The story itsself is still worth a read though as it is a really good wee twisty thriller and you might find that you take to that style of writing more than I did. By no means would I say that it was in any was a bad story

I was drawn into this story by the cast of very human characters and the elements of family dynamics-inflected mystery and suspense and kept quickly turning the pages until the very satisfying end. This is storytelling at its finest. Don't miss it! It's marvelous. With Silent Pretty Things O. J. Lovaz writes with a sharp eye and a sure voice, and as a reader. This story featuring an amazing protagonist Anna Goddard who has spent a lifetime being the Good Daughter. Polished and primped into sleek, blond perfection, Anna learned from an early age that being a Goddard meant presenting a flawless façade to the world.

"A small town…a prominent family…a secret. Only two people know the truth, and their silence will have murderous consequences."

When I came across Silent Pretty Things, I was instantly intrigued, the title and cover had pulled my attention away from scrolling past. When I read the description, I knew instantly that I had to get my hands on a copy! Boy, was I unaware for what a wild ride this book would take me on. The plot was filled with twists and turns but when I tell you that you will not see the ending coming, I am not even fibbing a little bit!

I started reading around 11pm (Yes, I know, bad idea) Needless to say, I had to call out of work this morning because I was up all night reading.

Silent Pretty Things will be an instant hit and have bookstagram reeling with praise. I am so honored I was able to read and review this book prior to its release date! This is without a doubt a five star read and will have me buzzing all day long.

This book did not hold my attention in the beginning as I hoped and I felt I had to keep trying to get involved with the action and characters. I would say it picked up steam in the back 30% of the book.
Pros: the relationship between Anna and Michael, the way Anna looked out for her mother and tried to give her strength during difficult times, the suspense towards the end of the book.
Cons: the wording felt oddly formal and didn't match with a modern kind of story. I also wish we would have had more character development so we could understand motives and relationships better.

All in all I would rate this 3 stars. Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this book.

Plot

Plot-wise, this book did not hold my attention. The secrets and drama that were seemingly promised in the synopsis fell short to me. I don't want to include spoilers but the twists were predictable to me, so the suspense aspect of the novel didn't hold up for me.

Writing Style

The writing felt very formal, especially during dialogue. An example of this is during this exchange between Anna and Michael:

"But, Mr. Donovan, I haven't even told you my age."
"And I'm not going to ask, but you look young."
"That's kind of you, and so very gracious, but I'm not too young"

"That's kind of you, and so very gracious." Is just...not how real people talk. The book is full of passages like this and it made so many scenes feel very stiff.

Romance

The romance between Anna and Michael was a bigger part of the story than I thought it would be, and that wouldn't bother me if it wasn't insta-love. Right after their first meeting, they already seemed weirdly attached to each other. At only 7% through the book, Anna has this thought about Michael:

"He was clean-shaven with his hair brushed back, but a few strands were already beginning to defy orders, falling over his temples. She imagined him under a full moon with the wind blowing his hair and felt tempted to get her hands in there and mess it up."

This was right after their second meeting, and only 17 pages into the book. I really wanted to like them together, since their relationship turned out to take up a lot more of the story than I expected, but I just couldn't. Their relationship progressed too quickly and because they never built any foundation for romantic feelings, I didn't feel any connection to their romance.

Conclusion

Overall this book was not for me. I was so drawn to the book from the synopsis, but I don't feel like what was alluded to was actually delivered.

This book was provided to me via Kindle by BooksGoSocial and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Twists, turns, thrills and suspense! Silent Pretty Things is a fast paced story, while lacking a bit overall. It’s better towards the end, in my opinion.

Overall, I feel this book was worthy of 2.5 stars out of 5. Initially, I was planning on scoring it 2/5, however the book improved for me as it went on.

Initial thoughts:
I was surprised to find that this book was written in the modern-day. I definitely got an old-fashioned vibe from it, especially in the beginning. Chapters written in Roman numerals added to this sense.

Things I liked about this book:
The almost spy-like nature of some of the story appealed to me. Had this book started about half way through, where this featured more heavily, I think I could have really loved this book. I also loved the romance between Michael and Anna, and I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop.

Things I didn’t like about this book:
This was what I call a slow burn. For me, the book really hit its stride from about 70% onwards. Again, had the book had this intensity in more of the book, it would have been a winner for me. The fact that the book seemed earlier than it’s time was a significant negative for me.

Silent pretty things by O.J.Lovaz.
I enjoyed this book. I liked Anna and Michaels characters. I do hope there is more to come. 5*.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading Silent Pretty Things but I certainly didn't expect it to be as good as it was, I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book and how well it read and flowed.

The writing style was excellent, it was eloquent and descriptive which made it feel immersive and surrounding in turn, I felt as though we were in the history museum, at the family dinner, with Frank, Anna and their mother, it was incredibly well written. There were a few times that I felt the writing hit a sticking point, but these were few and far between, and on the whole it was excellent.

My enjoyment of this book was further enhanced by the light atmosphere that had an undercurrent of mystery, it was the perfect combination and the two balanced each other out as I read through the book. The sense of foreboding was very much in the background until the book reached a point where it needed to come to the surface, and then it was as if a switch was flicked, there was a sudden change in the atmosphere, that fit perfectly with the story.

All of the characters in Silent Pretty Things were well worth their inclusion into the story, they all added so much value. Michael, Anna and Frank all bounced off each other so well, Dianne and Sarah were excellent additions to the book, and whilst I didn't particularly like their father, he was a necessary addition who was so well written that you couldn't help but hate him from the start.

I do have one small criticism of the book, which is that there were small sections where it felt a bit flat and as if the author was trying to fill time with lower quality writing, and it did feel like a let down in relation to the rest of the book.

That being said, the plot itself was brilliant! I was a bit worried at first that it would be really simple and easy to guess but it ended up tying me in knots, I had no idea what was going to happen!

I thought I'd guessed it, I like to have a go and guess these things, but I was completely wrong :(

And as we reached the end of the book it just went absolutely crazy, I felt as if we'd just dropped on a rollercoaster, I had no idea what was happening or what would happen, and the ending was just so unexpected I had to read it twice.

Overall, Silent Pretty Things was an incredibly well written book, with a cracking plot to boot! It had everything you could want from a mystery and a twisty ending that will leave you reeling and needing to re-read the pages you just read!

I, as a wannabe detective, tried to guess the plot and the twist. I thought I had figured it out but ended up being wrong. very wrong. my gosh, I kept changing my mind to the point where I accused almost everyone in the book.

I am a mess, but this is exactly what I needed.

I received an ARC of the ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for this advance ebook copy!

This was an extraordinary thriller. I read this book in almost two days!
The pacing was great. The characters were very well developed.
Awesome story line, great with unexpected twists.
I will say this was a bit different but also very interesting.

Thank you again for the opportunity to read this story.

I received an ARC of the ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review :)

Thing that attracted me to choosing this book was its intriguing title, and the blurb (family secrets, mystery and murder... 100% my type of book). I know all the other reviews so far loved this book... but, I read half of the book and decided to give up, sorry! I must say that this book wasn't completely horrible - hence why I gave it two stars and still got through half of it (I normally only give 1 stars to books that I can't event get through the first couple of chapters). There IS something there that make me want to push through... just I just found myself skipping paragraphs and pages and decided I shouldn't keep wasting my time.

One of my main problems with this book is how nothing extremely interesting happens in it, even when I'm 50% through. I won't go into the plot because I don't want to spoil it for people who do choose to read this book, but all the "secrets" that have been revealed so far aren't exciting (to me anyway), and the way the story is moving along is just missing the suspense and thrill that I would normally get from a book that is labelled as a mystery/thriller. I think the reason why I kept reading until half way despite all this is because I WANT there to be something interesting, but it just never came, and I feel like it will never come since I'm already half way through.

Another thing I dislike about this book is the writing style. There is SO much filler scenes and conversations that does not add to the story for me. Why do I need to know about what they ate, what they wore, what songs they listened to... which absolutely serves no purpose to the plot? I just found myself skim reading and skipping sentences, paragraph, pages, almost entire chapters just so I can get to the points that actually matters. I was expected to read a mystery thriller, and I felt like I was read a romance/chick-flick/slice of life. The writing style was also very juvenile for me.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book. However, that's just my opinion because I can see that a lot of people actually gave it pretty high rating. (Maybe if I pushed through and read until the end, I would love it too, who knows?)

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book. So many twists and turns! I loved this book from the first few pages. The last few books I’ve read have been slow going...this was just what I needed to get out of a reading slump.

I find this book insulting to anyone who has ever set foot in a library, let alone administrating one.

There's this guy working at a small library as 'the director' and he enjoys reading history books. A woman comes in and they start a conversation that sounds embarrassing even for a toddler's level of sophistication:
'Oh, time has no mercy! I'm 30 and have no girlfriend, no purpose in life. I feel soooo old. But you seem to be only 20, you're so young indeed.'
'No, no, I guarantee you I'm not a little girl.'

Really, are people supposed to keep reading such things? To what end, I wonder.

I think I might have mentioned this before, but modern day Mystery novels seem to follow a certain structure:

- A homicide in a hitherto peaceful place
- The police in over their head
- An investigator who is brilliant at solving crimes, but who sucks at live in general

Well, this book goes with a variation in the last part, it substitutes the brilliant investigator for two people who are no investigators, but found themselves drawn to a mystery and are pretty soon in the midst of it. And of course flirting with each other all along the way, with the guy being a tad older than the woman, and also a history nerd.

It's pretty much clear from the start that there is mutual attraction between those two - so much as to make you think they could be hormone ridden teenagers. I'm sure there are readers who will love this romantic side dish - for me, it was a touch to much, bordering on overdoing it (but not quite).

To demonstrate my meaning, this is what Anna thinks when she sees Michael for the second time in her life:

He was clean-shaven with his hair brushed back, but a few strands were already beginning to defy orders, falling over his temples. She imagined him under a full moon with the wind blowing his hair and felt tempted to get her hands in there and mess it up.


Gee, Anna, I don't know. What would you do to this poor man under a new moon? Straighten his hair up?

What's really getting me plot wise of the thin lines the plot is constructed upon. Apparently, Anna first visits Michael in the library because she wants to unearth a family secret. That might be plausible - but the event that triggered her is not grave enough to justify going looking on old baskerball match pictures in the hope to find something. She does find something, but that must be contributed to sheer luck. Okay, spoiler ahead:

My aunt sends my dad a message that they are both to be blamed and will be condemned for it. End of message. I am then so highly disturbed by this message that I don't talk to anyone about it - certainly not my beloved brother whom I trust completely - and instead I go to the local archive to look at an 40 years old picture of a baseball match my dad used to brag about. Where I see him and my aunt kissing decades before my birth.

Sure, that's just the start and we know there will be more coming. She also had a talk with her mother she describes as godawful - but when the content of that talk is laid bare, I again could not see what the fuss is about. One must be highly paranoid to draw the conclusions Anna drew - doesn't matter she is proved right later on, because that just means her character is acting on the faintest hints because the author needs a reason for her to do what she does.

So far the chain of events and the reactions are highly implausible. As someone watching for plot structures - unless the narrative is so compelling I find myself drawn in beyond the point of being on the watchout for this kind of thing - I'm mildly disgusted by such flaws. Too constructed to be plausible, and we're talking Mystery here, not Fantasy. I think I must have a very different opinion about what constitutes dreadful secrets than Anna.

And her brother, when she finally confides in him, is no better, going of at tangents. It's all so darn constructed! Michaels perspective could have saved this - he seemed more reasonable - but so far, he hasn't gotten much time with the audience.

In the end, I gave up. This book is certainly not for me.

Anna and Michael are sweet with each other, so if what you're looking for is a romance with a little bit of plot woven in-between, this book might be just fine for you.

But if you've got lured in by the description and awaited a mind boggling Mystery - like I did - you're probably in for a bad surprise.

I'll admit there might have been more to this book. I DNFed around 20 % out of sheer boredom and struggling with the constructedness of it all - but that's my limit. If a book hasn't hooked me in any way by then, I'll stop wasting my time. There is so much else to read, after all.

1.5 stars for the sweetness between Anne and Michael.