Jewelann Jordan is a hot mess. She hates her husband, has a son who is seriously troubled about something, and her shopping addiction has gotten so bad she is renting a storage unit!

But wait, her high school reunion is here and all she wants is what we all want. To inspire envy and regret in all women and one certain man. Christian Campbell has been her crush for a long time and she can’t wait to let him see what he missed out on!

With all of that pent-up sexual energy mixed with a lot of booze and you have a recipe for bad decisions. And this one will cost her everything!

Christian has his own motives for making a move on Jewelann. And they are not good!

This had so many things going on! So many despicable people. But what a shocker of an ending!

NetGalley/December 6th, 2022 by Crooked Lane Books

While this was a quick read, and obviously kept me engaged, I can't help but feel confused by this book. We have like three simultaneous plot lines opening up rather quickly. You have Jewelann and Christian almost having revenge sex; Jewelann's son who apparently experienced severe trauma when his little friend went missing a decade earlier; and whatever the hell is going on with Jewelann's husband. In the synopsis of the book, you're led to believe this is going to be a thriller based on the aforementioned revenge incident with Jewel and Christian, only to find that Christian has absolutely nothing to really do with anything in the plot...maybe? The bulk of the book is spent with Jewel sandwiched in between her present and her past, and Christian sort of being a threat to it all. When the actual big twist comes it has nothing to do with Christian whatsoever. It was kind of out of left field, and I was left feeling like the author had several ideas on what to write a book about and couldn't decide which one of them to actually go with.

Review to be posted 10/6:

Wow, this is a RIDE. I was drawn to this upcoming release because I read AFTER ALL I’VE DONE by Mina Hardy in 2020. My experience reading that book was that I couldn’t put it down and had whiplash in the best way from all the twists and turns. I’m happy to report the experience of reading WE KNEW ALL ALONG was very much the same.

The story opens on Jewelann attending her high school reunion with the sole purpose of exacting revenge on her ex-boyfriend, Christian, or “C.C.” As the narrative unfolds, we learn that Jewelann is an unhappy housewife with a checkered past. She’s overcome a prescription drug addiction but currently battles a spending problem, which she manages to hide from her husband, Ken, who is out of town more than at home.

Focusing on being mother to Eli and pursuing sobriety, Jewelann is shocked when Ken informs her of the tenant he has rented their carriage house to: it’s none other than her ex-boyfriend, Christian. In exchange for repairs on their dilapidated property, Christian will be residing just a few yards from Jewelann’s front door, and their remaining chemistry is undeniable. So why did she want revenge? And who is her husband spending time with on all of his business trips? How will she stay afloat with her finances out of control and secrets piling up?

Mina Hardy weaves a complex web of high stakes. This is a psychological thriller about secrets, lust, and - in a twist I didn’t see coming - what a mother will do to protect her child and the family life she has built.

I whipped through this book, but it is not for the squeamish or faint of heart. It is worse than anything you’d see on network TV? Probably not, but there were definitely some shocks that made me cringe.

I didn’t totally buy Jewelann’s motive for wanting to entrap Christian. It felt like the suicide of Jen Tillis was taking us somewhere it never really ended up. I could say the same from the mention of Christian bearing a resemblance to Ken… it felt like there was going to be a twist involving the two of them working in tandem or being related, but instead served to explain the paternity questions Jewelann had about Eli.

I’d put this somewhere in the 3.75/5 star range. Hardy is an expert at what she does: building suspense and creating tension, while getting you to really invest in her protagonist.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for access to this ARC in exchange for my honest review. WE KNEW ALL ALONG will be available on 12/6 and would make a great holiday gift for a thriller lover on your shopping list.

Okay this book. This book. I did not love the ending. Yes there was suspenseful twist but when I finished I have so much questions.
Before that I was invested and enjoying everything I read.
All in all I'm glad I read it but I won't be re reading.

I enjoyed this book, it was easy to read and held my attention. I will be reading more from this author :)

The many problems of Jewelann, our main character. She doesn’t like anybody, except, of course, her teenage son who is a typical moody teen. Her addiction changed from pills to shopping. In order to keep this a secret from her husband, she has storage units of stuff she has bought at estate sales. Her old house has plumbing problems.

I liked the author’s description of home parties “held by women who were not my friends but invited me anyway, hoping their parties would have enough sales for them to earn the bonus hostess item.” True to life I say ruefully to myself looking around here.

A very interesting read. I asked myself where the story was going even though I didn’t care about Jewelann and the people in her life.

Jewelann Jordan wants what many women want when she attends her high school reunion-to show up looking better than the girls from your class who ignored you-and to have the guy who broke your heart regret that he had ever let you go….

She straps on the designer shoes 👠 that she found unworn in an estate sale and gives herself a pep talk, before walking in..”I am bright. I am sparkling. I am poised. I am vibrant. I am a vision!”

But what she is really thinking is-“I am a mirage”

Her husband is traveling (again) and cannot attend with her, and her son has been troubled since a traumatic event from his childhood, but she will play a part when she sees Christian again-and she will lure him away from the party with a promise of something more…

“I am bold. I am seductive. I am the one in charge here” (though she will make him think otherwise)

She thinks she has succeeded at the charade-until he shows up after the reunion in her kitchen, having just rented the carriage house in her backyard, from her husband.

Whoops!

She can’t have Christian this close to her controlling spouse-her marriage is a “string of deceptions, one after the other like pearls on a necklace-cut the string and they”ll all scatter”! (Favorite highlighted passage)

And, she has worked too hard to protect her son, Eli to have anyone or anything threaten her marriage or their home.

But she feels powerless to change things now.

Mina Hardy (who also writes as NY Times best-selling author, Megan Hart) has an engaging writing style, and she had me intrigued from the start….where was this going?

Is it a stalker story?
How does her son’s early childhood trauma play into the narrative?
And, why are there so many plumbing issues?

Two interesting plot points which may have worked better had they been two separate novels as they didn’t quite come together in the end for me.

BUT-I was entertained and never had to skim!
3.5 ⭐️

Scheduled Publication date: December 6, 2022.

Thank You to Penguin Random House for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley! It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

What a great ride! This was one of those books that made me feel very smart because I thought I had the twist all figured out. (I absolutely did not.) Really it was the author cleverly leading me down a path before smacking me in the face with the REAL twist. And the best part about it is that the twist felt earned and logical, not out of the blue. These characters are messy and complicated and damaged but you root for Jewelann and her son Eli all the same.

A thriller that doesn't just shock once but over and over again. This thriller was so full of twists and turns I was shocked how many revelations were revealed and not once was I not surprised, and also it always made sense to the story. The writing was sharp and witty and well written I couldn't put the book down at the end of each chapter I just kept saying ok just one more page... and before I knew it. I was another 50 pages deep into the life of Jewel and her family. It was so good I can't recommend this enough. The characters where all complex holding a plethora of secrets that you never became bored and some of the steamy scenes made me blush and I loved the ending.
Jewel is a housewife with a 17-year-old son and one word to describe here these days is bored. She's bored with her marriage that is anything but happy and bored with the mundane life she has created for herself. That is until her high school reunion when she runs into Christian her old high school hookup the man that she loved who left her broken. She is determined this time to leave him broken. What starts as a subtle plan to get him back for all he's done to her soon becomes far more complex when he shows up at her house wanting to rent her guest house. Jewel doesn't know what to do but she soon learns she's not the only one keeping secrets. Everyone around her is hiding something some secrets darker than others and her own secrets might be finally ready to catch up with her at long last.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

PUBLICATION DAY: December 6, 2022

Jewelann has issues - with her marriage, parenthood, overspending, you name it. So it’s no surprise that she also harbours a crush on her high school boyfriend who unceremoniously dumped her years earlier (like I said…issues). Seeking to soothe her damaged pride, her attempt at revenge only leads to more issues for her - what is Christian’s end game? And what will happen to Jewelann when all her secrets are revealed?

PROS and CONS:
A simple writing style equaled a quick read. I enjoyed the break from anything too substantial (and historical) and ended up really liking it…especially the ending! It wasn’t too surprising, but it wrapped everything up in a very satisfying way.

READ IT?
It’s not fabulous and it’s not terrible - if you’re looking for a novel of domestic suspense with a touch of heat, give this one a try.

4 Stars

I enjoyed the writing in this book. The writing made it easy and enjoyable to read.
I think the first part of the book was a bit slow moving and I didn’t like many of the side characters.
I was definitely invested in Jewellann and there were enough twists and turns to keep me interested! Would recommend to friends for sure.

We Knew All Along by Mina Hardy(pseudonym of Megan Hart) is a domestic mystery focused on a seemingly perfect marriage of an unhappy housewife Jewelann Jordan. Her life is incomplete and filled with guilt and hidden lies. To escape her shaky marriage and troubled son Eli, she decides to attend her high school reunion to see Christian, her former crush, to make him desire everything she has become. From that night on, choices are made that lead to the downward spiral of Jewelann and her family. Dark secrets are revealed and people are not who they appear to be.

What I enjoyed about this book:
-the class reunion storyline: the idea of going back to seek revenge on past people who have hurt you
-the dysfunctional family unit who on outward appearance seem to be picture perfect: the big house, money, dutiful housewife and meals eaten together family unit
-shopping addiction and hoarding, so fascinating
-multiple twists especially at the ending

What I disliked about the book:
-the characters were very unlikeable with few redeeming qualities…I found Jewelann immature and stunted
-a little too romance-like instead of mystery
-twists were a little predictable at times
-at times too chaotic with the financial woes and state of marriage unsettling

My Rating 3 ¾ out of 5

Trigger Warning- controlling relationships, hoarding and shopping addiction, drug abuse

My final takeaway: This was an enjoyable read with a twisty, sometimes steamy thriller vibe.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for this eARC.

I felt like this book has potential I would say this is more a suspense book than a thriller. I feel like I never knew where this book was going, and neither did the author. It just kept changing directions and I never quite could tell what was going on. Characters existed for no purpose or they were just not used to their full potential. Then the ending threw me for a loop. All of a sudden we have all these murders? It just felt like it came out of literally nowhere. I think this book needs to just decide what it is, because I am not sure.

I hate, hate, hate that I didn’t love the ending of this book. I updated my progress at about 60% in, and said I had no idea where this book was going, but it was entertaining - and it was, until about the 80% mark when it all fell apart.

Jewelann is a married mom, going through the steps of a perfect housewife, despite the fact she is anything but. She had a past problem with pills, and she exchanged that addiction for shopping and hoarding. Her teenage son is a loner with no friends, and her husband is almost always out of town on business. Jewelann is looking for a change.

Then, comes the high school reunion. In high school, a boy named Christian used her and broke her heart, and she hasn’t forgotten. She shows up to the reunion looking amazing, hoping to get a slice of revenge, but she opened up a can of worms that seemed almost impossible to get out of.

Most of the book was great; the characters were decent, there were some shocks along the way, and I liked the writing. I still had no idea where it was going, and unfortunately, it seemed like the author didn’t either. Instead of a nice, neat ending, there was a lot of action shoved in right before a relatively vague finish.

The ending wasn’t awful - there were tons of twists, quite a few surprises and it made sense, in a dramatic domestic thriller way. I was, however, left with a couple of questions, and feeling like there was something missing. It was kind of a “thisiswhathappenedTheEnd” ending, when I would have preferred it to be more drawn out. That took this from a solid four star book, to a 3.5 for me, but I rounded up because I still thought it was an entertaining and enjoyable.

(Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, Mina Hardy, and NetGalley for the ARC In exchange for my review.)

Expected publication date: December 5, 2022

The book's premise seemed interesting enough, I'm a sucker for perfect families with a big, dark secret.

Jewelann attends her high school reunion with one thought in mind: to make her high school boyfriend, who broke her heart, regret it. So, she looks amazing, flirts with him, and leaves him in a hotel room. But things seem to come to bite her back because he rents a small carriage house that sits on her property, promising to get HIS revenge.

Unfortunately, all characters were deeply unlikable, from Jewelann to Christian, Ken, and even her son, Eli. They didn't feel real enough and they all made horrible choices.

I feel like the author had an idea when she wrote the book's description, meanwhile, the story followed a different path. It seems like she didn't really know what to do with Christian or how to make him more menacing.

The pace was super slow, I kept waiting for twists and turns, but they failed to happen until the end of the book. The second part of the book is more intriguing, but not enough to salvage it all. The ending seems rushed and a bit unrealistic.

<b>Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. </b>

3.5 stars!

This was a thriller/domestic drama, although at times, it felt more like a romance, especially because some situations or dialogues seem a bit unrealistic. It's not a super fast-paced book, but once you get into it, it's difficult to put it down. An enjoyable book, perfect for a summer read!

Skillfully plotted and utterly engrossing, WE KNEW ALL ALONG is brimming with dark secrets and the terrifying lengths some people will go to keep them buried. A twisty and addictive read that will keep even the savviest of suspense readers guessing until the final page.

Oh, Jewellann. Hell hath no fury and all that may well be the driving force behind this woman's odd behaviour, but frankly, I found it all rather, well, weird. I didn't warm to any of the characters in the book and while entertaining and maybe great for a plane trip or beach read, this wasn't really my cup of tea.

Two and a half stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my ARC.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC! A book full of insane twists and very dark secrets in family and marriage. My favorite thing about the novel were some of the powerful lines, especially the ones used to finish chapters. Here are some examples….
“But it’s a lie. I am not real. I am a doll, a puppet dancing ferociously from the pull of its strings. I am an empty space contained within the shape of a woman, sealed up with an ever-present smile.”

“Once again I’m reminded of how I’ve trapped myself here. In this house. In This marriage. This life. A rat will chew off its own leg to get free. What will I do?”

Jewel was not a character I could root for, so I did not finish the book We Knew All Along.
Thanks anyway for the arc.