Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

This was okay. I had a really hard time in the beginning half, it just felt slow and all over the place.

Once i hit the 60% or so mark, it picked up and grabbed my attention fully. It really spoke to quiet domestic violence, and also strong friendships. I saw the "twist" coming, but i do think its a little cosmic that his daughter essentially outed him without knowing it.

Its a good thriller, just a little slow placed.

This story follows three women who have been friends since their school days. They are planning a “friendcation” at a vacation home in Colorado and somehow their husbands and a teen daughter are there, too. When a random, threatening note shows up in their house one evening, it sets off a serious of events involving confessions and secrets- all the stuff we love about a goods mystery/thriller. The ladies have a buried secret amongst them that dates back to high school. The thing is- the secret can potentially ruin their lives if found out.

While I did appreciate the breaking down of everything and the eventual resolution, I felt that the big scary secret was something of a letdown. I was imagining something truly awful enough that it justifies holding onto for what seems like 30+ years. IMHO- it wasn’t.

The other thing that irked me was that some of the dialogue between the wives and their husbands was a little cringe. I just couldn’t picture the men saying some of the stuff they did. Maybe that’s just a me thing, though. It made it harder to connect with the characters.

Anyway, it’s a fairly quick listen and the ending is about as tied up in a neat bow as you can get. I would say 3 stars for me but I can see how it might be more enjoyable to others. I think I’ve just read too many thrillers that it takes more to sort of blow me away plot- wise.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HarlequinAudio for the ARC of the audiobook.

Publication: August 26th,2025

Things We Keep Hidden by Jill Lynn

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

hooked me from the start. Emotional, full of found family vibes, and a friendship story I couldn’t get enough of.
The audiobook was amazing, I didn’t want to stop listening. Love it 🫶

Thank You NetGalley and Harlequin Audio

The publisher provided ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

While the story kept me engaged and I didn’t mind the narrator, this was essentially a big nothing burger. I don’t think I would go out of my way to recommend it but I also would not dissuade anyone from reading it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin Audio and Harlequin Trade Publishing for a free copy of this ALC. All thoughts are my own.

Narrator:

Firstly, the narration of this book was amazing. The Narrator really took care of the sensitive subjects within these pages and did an amazing job at embodying each of the characters.

Plot:

This is my first book by this author but she does an amazing job at writing Women's fiction, which isn't usually my preferred genre. However, I devoured this book and based off this one, would love to read more of her catalog.

Payton, Isley and Clara have a friendship for the ages. Even after school ended, with marriages and relocating around the country, they still manage to keep their friendship strong. This trio wasn't always three however, they used to have a friend named Cece who's life came to an unfortunate end. A charity was set up in her honor to help others who are struggling, and it has had success. Our friends meet up once a year, but this time the husbands are involved and it's for a charity function.

While this meetup does involve the fundraiser, it is also still a girls trip filled with much needed R&R. Each of the marriages/family lives have struggles brewing and while each relationship has issues that come to a head during this trip, a threatening note shows up that shakes the group to their cores. "Tell the truth or I will." Suddenly, Payton, Isley and Clara must confront the truth of the night Cece's candle went out.

I love that this book gives us dual timelines. Not only do we confront the problems within each couple's relationships in the present, along with a few family mysteries and tensions, but we get a flashback from Cece's point of view leading up to the dark night. I was sure I knew what had happened twenty years ago, but as Cece's story starts to get told, doubts start to arise.

I really loved the HEA that each of the couple got, even if it was a bit unconventional for some of them. We get a resolution to the mystery of twenty years ago, but I do wish that there were a bit more signs that point to that resolution sprinkled throughout.

Regardless, this was an amazing story and I can't wait to read what else the author has written,

Review of Things We Keep Hidden by Jill Lynn

Things We Keep Hidden is a heartfelt and engaging story about family, forgiveness, and finding the courage to face the past. Jill Lynn weaves a touching narrative with relatable characters and just the right balance of emotion, romance, and hope. The small-town setting feels warm and inviting, while the personal struggles the characters face give the story real depth. I was drawn in from the very first chapter and found myself rooting for the characters every step of the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Disappointing but had potential
I was drawn in by the premise of lifelong friends confronting long kept secrets in a beautiful Colorado setting, but the execution fell flat for me. The pacing felt slow, and the emotional revelations were either predictable or resolved too neatly to feel realistic. While I appreciated the themes of forgiveness and faith, the dialogue sometimes felt forced and the characters didn’t develop as deeply as I hoped. Overall, a story with promise that just didn’t keep me invested.

A remote location and a long kept secret between friends?? I’m in. Cece committed suicide over 20 years ago. BFFs Payton, Isley and Clara are at Isley’s mountain vacation home planning a charity event for suicide prevention.

Good enough, but I had time staying focused on the story.

Thank you #NetGalley for the complimentary copy of #ThingsWeKeepHidden in exchange for an honest review. Thank you @harlequinaudio for approving my request.

not my favorite. the twist didn’t hit as hard as i hoped, and it struggled to keep my interest. the pacing felt uneven, and while the premise had potential, it just didn’t pull me in the way i wanted. i found myself drifting or getting distracted instead of staying invested.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4/5

Three best friends (since elementary school) are on a lavish mountain vacation experiencing and documenting excursions for an upcoming charity event that will be raising money for suicide prevention in honor of their late bestie. While out boating, someone breaks into their house and leaves a note that says “Tell the truth or I will”. The secrets and twists never stop after that.

The final epilogue felt added and out of place.

This was my first book by Jill Lynn but I will be reading more.

Read this book if you like:
- life long friends
- dual timelines
- mountain vaca things

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Audio, and Jill Lynn for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an audiobook ARC from Net Galley in exchange for a review. This was a story ultimately about friendship and the secrets we keep, even from those we are closest to. Unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me.

Things I liked: The characters were different enough to avoid confusion, well developed, and complex. I enjoyed each of their individual storylines and their shared interactions. I liked the focus on lifelong friendship. The story dealt with a lot of heavy issues but did it in a way that wasn’t explicit or over the top.

Things I didn’t like: The narrator sounded like AI and the dialogue felt very stilted and unnatural. That may have been more of a narrator issue, I’m not sure. The whole “mystery/big secret” plot was entirely unnecessary and distracted from the rest of the book. It didn’t need to be as big of a thing as it was, especially since the “reveal” was extremely unsatisfying. I think the story would’ve been much stronger and felt more focused without that side plot.

Overall, this one just wasn’t it for me, but I seem to be in the minority!

I’m not sure if this is part of a series or not but it definitely felt like. Right from the jump I was lost/confused and felt like I was missing a big part of. Plotline. There were also way too many characters to keep straight. Dnf at 40%

Meh. This one took a very long time to develop. There were some “suspenseful” parts but they hardly kept me intrigued. I kept hoping for more.

Thank you to Jill Lynn, Harlequin Audio, and NetGalley for this ALC of Things We Keep Hidden.

TW: Suicide, abuse, cheating, self-harm, death

Three Couples, three bestfriends, one goal— Raise money for Finches Hope. When this once-group-of-four lose their bestfriend Cece to suicide, Cece’s mother begins the organization Finches Hope.

There’s really not much I can say that won’t spoil but it ended with a twist that I did not see coming at all. It was a great way to wrap up the story and connect everything that happened with all of the characters involved, past and present.

Normally when a book has multiple POVs I tend to get lost at which character is which, but it definitely worked with this story. I liked that we really got to know each character intimately and the troubles they were all experiencing, in both their current life and their teenage years. The narrator did a great job distinguishing between the different characters.

Things We Keep Hidden is a tense, emotional tale of friendship, secrets, and the cost of silence. Jill Lynn masterfully weaves past and present into a story that keeps you guessing while exploring the complexities of loyalty and trust. The women’s current marital struggles add raw, real-life tension, while the lingering blame over a long-ago tragedy simmers beneath the surface, threatening to shatter their bonds. With rich characters and a mystery that unravels at just the right pace, this is a compelling read that lingers long after the final reveal.

Thank you Jill Lynn, Harlequin Audio, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

#ThingsweKeepHidden #NetGalley #NetGalleyARC #ARCReview #BookReview #WhatImReading #BookRecommendation #Bookstagram #ReadersOfInstagram #InstaBook #Bookish #AdvanceReaderCopy #ReviewCopyProvided #BookishThoughts #ReviewersOfInstagram

Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for this ALC of Things We Keep Hidden.

Normally when a book has multiple POVs I tend to get lost at which character is which, but it definitely worked with this story. I liked that we really got to know each character intimately and the troubles they were all experiencing. My five star review was solidified at the very end. I love how it was all wrapped up. I was not expecting that at all.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a great job.

TW: Suicide, abuse, cheating, self-harm, death

Three Couples, three bestfriends, one goal— Raise money for Finches Hope. When this once-group-of-four lose their bestfriend Cece to suicide, Cece’s mother begins the organization Finches Hope.
At the latest fundraising function, the couples are joined once again, but when the things they keep hidden begin to surface, can this group come together or will they be torn apart by the secrets ahead? There’s really not much I can say that won’t spoil but it ended with a twist I DID NOT EXPECT!!! Like… it was nowhere even on my RADAR. This was such a great novel. I will say I’m used to first person POV, so listening to this definitely took focus with how many characters are involved, but I believe this won’t be a problem for readers, just audiobook listeners. Overall this was a 5 ⭐️ read!

Thank you to NetGalley, publisher and author for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Things We Keep Hidden by Jill Lynn
4 Stars

Jill sure does know how to tell contemporary women's fiction stories with real life struggles, issues and characters with depth. This book follows 3 friends - they have swore not to talk about the night their friend CeCe took her life, but with them and their husbands back together at Isley's vacation home, there is a note left by a stranger that says "Tell The Truth or I Will." and they all think it has something to do with the circumstances surrounding their friend CeCe's death many years ago when they were young. Who is the message referring to?

We see this friend group, Isley, Payton and Clara being together again and working through real life problems with their marriages and children, as well as revisiting memories of the past together.

I really enjoyed the story and how Jill brought these real life struggles to the forefront - we see some hard topics discussed such as suicide, grief, drug addiction, rehab, marriage issues, domestic violence etc. and Jill really reminds us all that we all go through hard things and we all make mistakes or do things we wish we hadn't but at the end of the day, those things do not define us.

The end with the twists and explanations made me cry and while I wasn't as emotionally attached for all of the sisters collectively, the story is one that provides growth, emotions and relatability for readers.

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Content warning: suicide, grief, domestic violence, drug addiction, rehab, marriage issues, infidelity mentioned.

This was a first from this author. I have to say I was not disappointed at all. The audio was good. Easy to follow along. Good twists without overkill. The narrator kept it interesting and enjoyable. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good read. I mean come on who wouldn’t love to have get togethers with friends and spouses. Even if there are secrets involved.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc.

Friends hiding secrets together and alone find out how to cope and heal over a friend trip. A break in leads the friends to finally come to share the truth and it not only starts to help the healing process, it also brings justice. This book was a great listen.