I struggled to get into this book. Part of it was the layout offered to read it on net galley as it wasn’t user friendly. But the whole book didn’t catch my interest and the characters were hard to connect with. I felt it was a bit all over the place. Definitely not one I would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for providing this book, with my honest review below*

Your Dark Secrets by Elle Marr left me with mixed feelings, because where it was good it exceeded my expectations, but there were some key elements I felt led to stumbling blocks during my read.

I enjoyed the suspenseful plot and the global adventure this book took me on. The characters, Addison and Ovid, had undeniable chemistry as well which played out nicely as the story unfolded. That said, I can’t say I particularly liked Addison or Ovid as people, which should not be held against the book, but not having main characters I had an interest in did make some of the slower pacing in the middle harder to get through. It was also a bit difficult to keep up with all the characters and storylines, which made the read at times feel a bit incomplete. I did greatly enjoy the ending, and wish this book had carried more of that energy in the middle.

Undeniably Elle Marr is a talent and this book is great for those who enjoy suspense and excellent writing, just set expectations for getting into a more complex thriller where you may not connect with the characters.

Thank you again for the ARC, Hyperion Ave. I appreciated the opportunity to share my feedback.

I loved the mystery and suspense in this one, and loved how the twist was something I didn’t necessarily see coming. I’d absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good thriller romance

"Your Dark Secrets" by Elle Marr earns a 3-star rating. The novel presents a mix of globe-trotting adventure, suspenseful thriller, and rivals-to-lovers romance, offering a blend that will appeal to fans of similar genres like the Flight Attendant and the Recovery Agent.

The narrative follows Addison Stern, a skilled PR executive at the Ovid Blackwell Group, and Connor Windell, a former top private investigator seeking redemption. The story takes unexpected turns as they reluctantly join forces to uncover a dangerous conspiracy orchestrated by the world's most powerful individuals, with their lives on the line.

While the plot promises a propulsive, up-all-night read, the execution falls somewhat short of expectations. The dynamic between Addison and Connor, with its mix of rivalry and romance, adds an intriguing layer. However, the storyline's complexity and the globe-trotting settings don't always seamlessly come together, leading to moments of confusion and disconnect.

The novel has its strengths, including the exploration of misplaced trust, competing motivations, and sexual tension. Yet, the execution leaves room for improvement, making it a good choice for those seeking a moderately engaging romantic thriller with a global twist.

2.5 stars -- this book had everything I was looking for -- a badass PR exec and a disgraced PI who are enemies to lovers uncovering and solving a conspiracy in a "compulsive, up-all-night thriller". Well this -- was not that.

First of all, I could never get over my dislike of either of these characters, Addison and Connor. I was not rooting for them to get together and in fact their relationship was so toxic I actively wanted them to leave each other alone. Instead of having tension and genuine interest in one another, these two were shallow and untrustworthy until the bitter end. Addison alluded to her lack of trust in anyone coming from a bad upbringing but there wasn't enough there to explain her actions. There's ambition and then there is just razing anything that gets in your way to the ground.

There were way too many moving parts and the reveal of the conspiracy totally fell flat after the way it was built up. I keep waiting for some big time players to get involved and that never happened.

Addison as a suspect for her dead clients never made any sense, as did many parts of this plot.
So much of this story felt unbelievable and shoe-horned into the direction the author wanted to take it. I found myself desperately wanting to get to the finish but that last chapter left me totally gobsmacked.

Unfortunately, just a miss for me largely due in part to the way it was marketed (which is ironic given that this book is all of the untruths in marketing).

Wow! What a read! We have sparks, romantic and otherwise, in this suspense/murder mystery that ends with an explosive twist. I'm a fan and look forward to see what Marr does next. Unputdownable!!

So, I was pretty excited about this book, especially with that catchy cover and mysterious plot. I'm all for a good mystery, you know? But, turns out, it was more of a slow burn thriller. The characters weren't my favorite.. Plus, the whole thing about a dangerous conspiracy involving powerful people? Didn't seem as big as the book summary suggested. The ending, felt a bit too out there and left me underwhelmed. It might still be a hit for some mystery fans, but it might not be your jam if you like a more thrilling read.

I really enjoyed the characters Addison and Connor and their relationship that reignited through everything that was going on. I can be honest, I got a little confused with all the characters in the book and their relation to one another as everything was going on. I found it a little difficult to follow sometimes and found myself having to go back to remind myself who people were. I feel also the setting and the business aspects of the plot could have been what made me loose interest. When I got to the end, I was shocked when finding out who was responsible; I giggled with satisfaction at the clever way it was revealed. The 3 stars are given to the ending and the character development between the 2 main characters. I feel this book would be really enjoyed by people with a business mindset and can relate more to that lifestyle!

I really wanted to like this book. The cover is catchy and the storyline is intriguing. Who doesn’t love a good mystery? I just thought this book had a slow burn and was not the keep you up all night reader that it claimed to be. The characters to me were not all that likeable and I just couldn’t get into it, the way I wanted to. Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to review.

This book was not my favorite read. It had suspense but it was drawn out and at times confusing. It didn't really ever have that moment of not being able to put it down that I look for in books. The ending was quite disappointing and left me scratching my head. Maybe I missed something but I was more confused than enthralled with this book

A quick and suspensful read that I read in one sitting! Fast paced with great characters, highly recommend!

Public Relations firm, Ovid Blackwell, and its top smoozers, Addison, and firm partner Peter, are pros at making less-than-perfect clients appear as models of society with glistening reputations in Elle Marr’s novel, “Your Dark Secrets.”

However, when patrons start dying, fingers seem to be all pointed towards Addison for their murders—although she typically has solid alibis during the times of the murders.

No one’s fool, sassy, strong-willed, and truth-seeking Addison, along with her former colleague and boyfriend, Connor, a private detective, take matters into their own hands investigating. What they uncover is a long history of corruption and abuse that taints the very foundations and integrity of Addison’s world.

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Elle Marr, and Publisher Hyperion Avenue, an adult imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide, for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

Wow this was unexpected and it took me completely by surprise over and over again!! I gasped, i was shocked and I was hooked. Plus, THE TWIST!!!!! Holy Cow, that twist!!! Total shocker but I LOVED it. This book was perfect from cover to cover.

Addison is an overachieving, stop at nothing PR specialist who will stop at nothing to earn the title of partner at the elite LA firm she works for. Connor is a has been PI who is down on his luck, out of money, and running from a bookie, battling the desire for love and revenge against the woman who took everything he had worked for. When one of Addison's clients if found dead (by her) she becomes one of the prime suspects. Connor is given one more chance as a PI to try and find out if his client's daughter is being cheated on. We quickly learn of the past love life of Addison and Connor, which ended badly. They keep crossing paths and leaning on each other for information, when they realize there a few too many coincidences in their very different scenarios.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. I liked the ebb and flow of the relationship between Addison and Connor and the alternating points of view. It made things interesting to see how differently their minds and experiences worked for them (and against them) to solves some tricky puzzles. There did seem to be a lot of characters to keep track of, but it was fun getting to know them and how they were all connected in one big web.

Thank you, Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for my first ARC!

Super engrossing story about two deeply flawed characters that you can't help but root for in their quest to solve the mysteries around them, salvage their careers and rekindle their relationship. It had a little bit of a slow start, but once it got moving, it was hard to put down. Well written, engrossing twists and turns and an ending I didn't see coming.
For those who love a true enemies to lovers story and a second chance romance with the mystery/suspense front and center and not a sub-plot, you will dig this one!

Slight spoilers ahead!!!!!!!
At first, I didn't love the way the book ended. Seeing the book tagged as romantic suspense, I wasn't expecting the HEA to take the turn it did at the very end. BUT after thinking more about it (the book was THAT good that I was still thinking about the next morning), it's kind of poetic justice for Addison's story arc. Was I cheering for that ice queen to thaw a little and have her HEA? Yes. However, it makes sense that she wasn't able to outrun the choices she'd made to get where she was.
I will also throw it out into the universe that the ambiguous ending could leave it open to a sequel! :) Could we see Addison and Connor come back again to solve another mystery while still trying to figure out how to trust each other???

Your Dark Secrets

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

I tried to read this one five times, as I have never met an Elle Marr novel I haven't been able to finish and enjoy, but for some reason although I enjoyed the individual characters, and the relationship between the two primary people, I just couldn't get into the story. Perhaps it was too "socially oriented" with the thinly veiled social media, Tic Tok (Boom Boom) references, or focus, or the lightweight reasons the main characters decided the other was being deceitful, I am just not sure. Personally, I have to say I found it a bit lightweight for an Elle Marr novel...

I was so disappointed in this book. It began with an interesting premise, and a couple of potentially interesting characters and kept me reading until about the halfway mark. After that it began to get muddled, over complicated and sloppy. The ending was a mess. If the author has to try that hard to wrap up the novel, and add a shocking twist, I’m out. 2 stars.

I hoped for a lot more from this book but didn't get it. I found it to be boring at times and I think I normally would have given up. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

3.5 rounded up. I loved the general storyline and the book was well written. I would definitely read more by this author!

My only complaint was that it was a bit jumpy. If you’re not reading the book in one sitting, it is hard to keep track of who is who and what they have contributed/are contributing to the story. As I was approaching the final chapters I was wondering to myself why it was still dragging on after the mystery was solved. With that being said, I did lovingly hate the ending as it was not expected until the very last moment. I don’t like super predictable endings and I did not guess this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this ARC!

Very much thought I'd love this one, but sadly a little too farfetched for me!

I don't want to spoil anything, but the summary says, "...[they] uncover a dangerous conspiracy led by the world’s most powerful people." So I was waiting the whole book for governments/higher-ups/a secret society (??) to get involved, but that was not what actually happened, at all. Everything remained very contained to their celebrity bubble, and even the international portions were only a couple chapters in the first half.

I'm torn because those were clearly just my misled assumptions, and I still had fun most of the way through, but I found the end reveal both extremely farfetched and underwhelming--so this just wasn't the book for me!

So sad about this one! Still, I'm very grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc--it was one of my most anticipated's of the year!