Scan barcode
ceskayyy's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. SO glad I chose Little Secrets as my last read of 2020 because damn, that was a fan-freaking-tastic way to end an otherwise pretty shitty year.
Right from the get-go, I was drawn in by Marin’s heartbreaking narrative, but it was Hillier’s masterful storytelling and ability to build such a gripping, tension-packed story that kept me reading way past my bedtime every single night until I was finished.
The pacing of the entire book was so exhilarating and the amount of times I audibly gasped while reading (I was FLOORED by that big reveal and am honestly shocked that I did not see it coming at allll) is pretty indicative of just how perfectly twisty Little Secrets was. Hands down one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long, long time.
Right from the get-go, I was drawn in by Marin’s heartbreaking narrative, but it was Hillier’s masterful storytelling and ability to build such a gripping, tension-packed story that kept me reading way past my bedtime every single night until I was finished.
The pacing of the entire book was so exhilarating and the amount of times I audibly gasped while reading (I was FLOORED by that big reveal and am honestly shocked that I did not see it coming at allll) is pretty indicative of just how perfectly twisty Little Secrets was. Hands down one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long, long time.
elissalynn's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I guessed one of the twists but not the other so it was a pretty good thriller in my book :)
I thought there were a couple loose ends I would have like tied up (why she visits their house, the creepy building guy in the laundry room…) and I didn’t like how things ended with McKenzie.
Being a mom this was just really hard to read…so I think that factor makes my rating lower…
I guessed one of the twists but not the other so it was a pretty good thriller in my book :)
I thought there were a couple loose ends I would have like tied up (why she visits their house, the creepy building guy in the laundry room…) and I didn’t like how things ended with McKenzie.
Being a mom this was just really hard to read…so I think that factor makes my rating lower…
alisarae's review against another edition
5.0
This is a slow burn, character-based thriller. The characters were so well written, especially the MC Marin and her internal dialogue. Very believable. I tore through this in less 24 hours and I will definitely read other books by this author.
hannahpdunne's review against another edition
4.0
Kinda predictable BUT still enjoyed this book a lot!! Sometimes you just need a psychological thriller that you can’t put down to get you through the week!!!
christinavaz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
mrsbooknerd's review against another edition
4.0
I have a young son and losing him is my absolute biggest fear. My heart properly stopped while I was reading the early pages of this novel and I felt Marin's pain, grief and desperation throughout. I cannot imagine being in that position. I do not want to imagine it.
Reading about Marin's horrendous 16 months, and also (though to a lesser extent) Derek's reaction and subsequent actions were so intriguing and compelling. As crazy as it sounds, I loved reading about their struggle.
The twist genuinely took me by surprise which hasn't happened in a while. I don't know if it is because the affair was so much at the forefront that I wasn't focusing on the abduction, but I didn't even consider it. Though I suspected other links and connections I certainly didnt get it all.
I can't give it a full 5 stars because I felt that the pacing dipped in the middle. The tension and emotion was in the abduction plot for me, and yet this was actually a very small part of the overall plot. The main plot was the affair and this lacked pacing, it turned into Kenzie whining and moping and I didn't want to know. Kenzie was not the relatable narrator, Marin was. I'd rather have spent the page time developing Marin than having to read pages and pages about Kenzie's insta posts. Of which there were many.
Derek was a shit. Marin should have upped and left him the first time let alone this time. There is no excuse for cheating, it bugged me that Marin didn't leave him and went to more desperate measures against Kenzie rather than Derek but at the same time, part of me understood why she wouldn't and felt that she couldn't.
To me, both Derek and Kenzie were irredeemable. They were bad people, just genuinely bad people and it bugged me that they got fairly happy endings. But hey ho. Life is largely unfair.
I read this book so quickly, with my heart in my throat at the start and towards the end, and while the pacing and focus seemed to lose momentum in the middle, there was no way that I was going to stop. Definitely a good read.
Reading about Marin's horrendous 16 months, and also (though to a lesser extent) Derek's reaction and subsequent actions were so intriguing and compelling. As crazy as it sounds, I loved reading about their struggle.
The twist genuinely took me by surprise which hasn't happened in a while. I don't know if it is because the affair was so much at the forefront that I wasn't focusing on the abduction, but I didn't even consider it. Though I suspected other links and connections I certainly didnt get it all.
I can't give it a full 5 stars because I felt that the pacing dipped in the middle. The tension and emotion was in the abduction plot for me, and yet this was actually a very small part of the overall plot. The main plot was the affair and this lacked pacing, it turned into Kenzie whining and moping and I didn't want to know. Kenzie was not the relatable narrator, Marin was. I'd rather have spent the page time developing Marin than having to read pages and pages about Kenzie's insta posts. Of which there were many.
Derek was a shit. Marin should have upped and left him the first time let alone this time. There is no excuse for cheating, it bugged me that Marin didn't leave him and went to more desperate measures against Kenzie rather than Derek but at the same time, part of me understood why she wouldn't and felt that she couldn't.
To me, both Derek and Kenzie were irredeemable. They were bad people, just genuinely bad people and it bugged me that they got fairly happy endings. But hey ho. Life is largely unfair.
I read this book so quickly, with my heart in my throat at the start and towards the end, and while the pacing and focus seemed to lose momentum in the middle, there was no way that I was going to stop. Definitely a good read.
sevans35's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
brittawagner's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
laurennorris's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0