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stephsbooktalk's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Audiobook: A lawyer sleeping with her married boss who then is found dead in his office...what could go wrong?!
This definitely was a rollercoaster of a ride. I really was invested in this story and to see where this was going. I could have done without all the flashback chapters. Some of them were relevant especially when learning the early history of Ellice and her brother. It's a crazy how Ellice's professional life intertwined with her personal life. I really did feel bad that Ellice got involved with all the craziness of trying to figure out what happened to her lover & then how her younger brother was involved. I thought the audio moved rather quick and kept me on my toes.
Please check the trigger warnings before you read.
This definitely was a rollercoaster of a ride. I really was invested in this story and to see where this was going. I could have done without all the flashback chapters. Some of them were relevant especially when learning the early history of Ellice and her brother. It's a crazy how Ellice's professional life intertwined with her personal life. I really did feel bad that Ellice got involved with all the craziness of trying to figure out what happened to her lover & then how her younger brother was involved. I thought the audio moved rather quick and kept me on my toes.
Please check the trigger warnings before you read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Gun violence
Moderate: Sexual assault
janjanjukebox's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris 384 pages, 11 hours and 47 minutes narrated by Susan Dalian
Genre: Mystery Thriller, African-American Fiction, Contemporary, Suspense, Crime
Featuring: Atlanta, Georgia; Lawyers, Murder, Corruption, Sexism, Racism, Child Abuse, Violence, Stupidity, Secrets, Family Dynamics, Dual Timelines
Rating as a movie: R for adult content
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐
My thoughts: 2% - I have read too many Christian Romances lately as I was not expecting that! I have to get my mind right to enjoy this one.
8% - Meh. Lulled already.
22% - This is unfortunately dull. I'm not quitting but I'm taking a break, 8 chapters down and it's still slow.
25% - That was the best chapter (9) of the book. I wish the best friend was the main character.
58% - 23 chapters down and I'm still just trudging along. This story feels dated. It's not exciting and it is most definitely not on the level of The Firm. If it wasn't for the mention of Get Out and texting, it could have easily been a nineties book. I'll finish it but I'm not impressed, it's written just well enough to keep you going, but not to keep you intrigued.
83% - 😒 I like not. There was a chance for redemption but it went left and I can only take so much stupidity. I hate went they use it to fuel the plot.
This book's first mistake was claiming to be a "fast-paced thriller." I wish publishers would stop doing this disservice to books. Yes, you might get me to read a book because you claim it's a fast-paced thriller or a nail-biting psychological thriller, but if all I get is a suspenseful mystery I'm going to be disappointed, your book is gonna get low reviews and eventually no one's going to read it. If you're just honest people who are looking for those stories will find your book and give it high praise. This story was okay. I didn't like it, but I didn't dislike it overall. Chapter 9 was the best part of this book, at least it had some life. This book was not a true thriller, it was too slow and I didn't feel like the character was in danger, based on her actions neither did she. I think it would have been better as a general fiction book with a mysterious crime. The last quarter of the book was better than the rest of it but by that time I was just accepting that it wasn't gonna get much better. This story had action but in slow motion.
Recommend to others?: Not really. I can see many people enjoying this book but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone in general. Someone looking for something specific, sure.
Genre: Mystery Thriller, African-American Fiction, Contemporary, Suspense, Crime
Featuring: Atlanta, Georgia; Lawyers, Murder, Corruption, Sexism, Racism, Child Abuse, Violence, Stupidity, Secrets, Family Dynamics, Dual Timelines
Rating as a movie: R for adult content
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐
My thoughts: 2% - I have read too many Christian Romances lately as I was not expecting that! I have to get my mind right to enjoy this one.
8% - Meh. Lulled already.
22% - This is unfortunately dull. I'm not quitting but I'm taking a break, 8 chapters down and it's still slow.
25% - That was the best chapter (9) of the book. I wish the best friend was the main character.
58% - 23 chapters down and I'm still just trudging along. This story feels dated. It's not exciting and it is most definitely not on the level of The Firm. If it wasn't for the mention of Get Out and texting, it could have easily been a nineties book. I'll finish it but I'm not impressed, it's written just well enough to keep you going, but not to keep you intrigued.
83% - 😒 I like not. There was a chance for redemption but it went left and I can only take so much stupidity. I hate went they use it to fuel the plot.
This book's first mistake was claiming to be a "fast-paced thriller." I wish publishers would stop doing this disservice to books. Yes, you might get me to read a book because you claim it's a fast-paced thriller or a nail-biting psychological thriller, but if all I get is a suspenseful mystery I'm going to be disappointed, your book is gonna get low reviews and eventually no one's going to read it. If you're just honest people who are looking for those stories will find your book and give it high praise. This story was okay. I didn't like it, but I didn't dislike it overall. Chapter 9 was the best part of this book, at least it had some life. This book was not a true thriller, it was too slow and I didn't feel like the character was in danger, based on her actions neither did she. I think it would have been better as a general fiction book with a mysterious crime. The last quarter of the book was better than the rest of it but by that time I was just accepting that it wasn't gonna get much better. This story had action but in slow motion.
Recommend to others?: Not really. I can see many people enjoying this book but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone in general. Someone looking for something specific, sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Blood, and Abortion
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Medical content, Abortion, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
deepcurvesahead's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Abortion, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Classism
lilydoyle6's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this one. If you liked How to Get Away with Murder with Viola Davis & co you'll love this. A corporate lawyer has secrets in her past that threaten to take everything she's worked so hard for. This is pretty fast paced once it starts going, which I always love in a thriller. It deals with necessary and difficult themes, such as racism, corruption, white terrorism, etc.
I didn't see a lot of it coming and I'm glad I didn't spend this one trying to figure it out and let it unfold naturally. The author does a great job of blending the past/present together and ultimately showing the importance of embracing your past--even if you might be ashamed of it. Although, I guess if you murdered somebody in the past, that small detail might need to stay buried, pun intended, for legal reasons But where we come from shapes who we are and you can't really run away from that no matter how hard you try.
This is a solid debut. I enjoy legal thrillers and it holds more weight when a lawyer is the writer. Morris writes well and I definitely look forward to more books from her.
I didn't see a lot of it coming and I'm glad I didn't spend this one trying to figure it out and let it unfold naturally. The author does a great job of blending the past/present together and ultimately showing the importance of embracing your past--even if you might be ashamed of it. Although, I guess if you
This is a solid debut. I enjoy legal thrillers and it holds more weight when a lawyer is the writer. Morris writes well and I definitely look forward to more books from her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Racism, Violence, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Infidelity, Suicide, and Abortion
joyfleming's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, and Police brutality
stephbakerbooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a great thriller with a compelling lead that tackles some deeper themes, such as racism and sexism in the corporate world.
Ellice is the kind of character that makes questionable decisions but you end up forgiving her for every bad decision she makes because you want her to win at everything she does. I rooted for her from start to finish, I liked the development she got throughout, how as we learn about her past through flashbacks she's learning that she shouldn't be ashamed of her past. This story is more plot-focused than character-focused, so we don't really get development from other characters. I really wanted more of Juice though! He's probably my favorite character and definitely needed some more attention.
The plot kept me reading though—I couldn't put the book down! And I did not guess the ending...but when the reveal happened, everything clicked into place just like you want in a good thriller. I had another nice aha moment when I got that whole elephant/grass metaphor that was happening throughout the book lol.
I did get a little annoyed about 3/4 of the way through the book, when the book dragged a bit before the main finale.There were a couple chapters that where Ellice was like "I'm going to the police asap," then the chapter would end, and the next chapter starts with her just driving around aimless the next day, still having not gone to the police. I swear this happened like three chapters in a row. I wanted *any* explanation for why she wasn't doing what she specifically just said she was going to do. It didn't annoy me enough to make me quit reading, but it did affect my rating a little.
There's good commentary happening here that I think would lead to great discussions—and I love a good discussion book! I also loved that it was set in Atlanta :)
Ellice is the kind of character that makes questionable decisions but you end up forgiving her for every bad decision she makes because you want her to win at everything she does. I rooted for her from start to finish, I liked the development she got throughout, how as we learn about her past through flashbacks she's learning that she shouldn't be ashamed of her past. This story is more plot-focused than character-focused, so we don't really get development from other characters. I really wanted more of Juice though! He's probably my favorite character and definitely needed some more attention.
The plot kept me reading though—I couldn't put the book down! And I did not guess the ending...but when the reveal happened, everything clicked into place just like you want in a good thriller. I had another nice aha moment when I got that whole elephant/grass metaphor that was happening throughout the book lol.
I did get a little annoyed about 3/4 of the way through the book, when the book dragged a bit before the main finale.
There's good commentary happening here that I think would lead to great discussions—and I love a good discussion book! I also loved that it was set in Atlanta :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, and Abortion
Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, and Dementia
kerrygetsliterary's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
liblibby's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was super fun and exciting. I couldn't wait to see how it was going to play out. There were some parts that were a little repetitive but the satisfactory plot-twists made up for it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Blood, Antisemitism, Dementia, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Abandonment