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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
Due for release in just a few short days, thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read and review prior to release.
Lisa Jackson, a master of psychological thrillers introduces us again to morally grey characters with serious skeletons in their closets.
Brooke has stepped out on her marriage and has regrets, she wants nothing more than to put this liaison behind her.
Unfortunately the man she had an affair with has other ideas.
Gideon... wow, is a true creep, and this one will have you squirming a bit.
What I loved the most was that every character in this one has something to hide, and the suspense that builds as we expose every secret kept me guessing, along with turning those pages late into the night.
This comes out on 6/25/2024 and will be popular, my advice... read it before someone spoils it for you!
Lisa Jackson, a master of psychological thrillers introduces us again to morally grey characters with serious skeletons in their closets.
Brooke has stepped out on her marriage and has regrets, she wants nothing more than to put this liaison behind her.
Unfortunately the man she had an affair with has other ideas.
Gideon... wow, is a true creep, and this one will have you squirming a bit.
What I loved the most was that every character in this one has something to hide, and the suspense that builds as we expose every secret kept me guessing, along with turning those pages late into the night.
This comes out on 6/25/2024 and will be popular, my advice... read it before someone spoils it for you!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
*thank you netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book*
if you liked the movie fatal attraction, you’ll like this
i really loved the story and the thriller elements were done really well (i audibly gasped at certain moments). i have never read the author’s other books so i had no idea going in what i was getting into
the only gripe i have is that there was a pretty big plot surrounding the missing girls that just…. goes nowhere? wish that would have gotten resolved
other than that this is a SOLID thriller and gave me very 80s classic vibes
if you liked the movie fatal attraction, you’ll like this
i really loved the story and the thriller elements were done really well (i audibly gasped at certain moments). i have never read the author’s other books so i had no idea going in what i was getting into
the only gripe i have is that there was a pretty big plot surrounding the missing girls that just…. goes nowhere? wish that would have gotten resolved
other than that this is a SOLID thriller and gave me very 80s classic vibes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Blood, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Pregnancy, Alcohol
This was a good book. It definitely held some juicy secrets. I thought the daughter and the sister were brats, but I guess that’s part of the story. Some of it was predictable, but some caught me by surprise. It definitely kept me interested.
Our Little Secret by Lisa Jackson was a twisty ride and I was totally invested in the story! There were so many layers to the story and while I predicted a few of the twists it didn't prevent me from loving the story and wanting to see what happens next. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy mystery and suspense books. This book gives off Fatal Attraction vibes, so that is your vibe then you would love this book. This book was action packed and kept me on the edge of my seat. The plot and characters were well written, even though not all the characters are likable.
This book will be published on June 25, 2024.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for voluntarily letting me read an advanced ecopy of this book. This is my honest review.
This book will be published on June 25, 2024.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for voluntarily letting me read an advanced ecopy of this book. This is my honest review.
This feels more like a cautionary tale than a suspense/thriller. The only character I liked was Shep. Now most of the times I can still enjoy a book with unlikeable characters, but there has to be something about them that I can connect with. At first I thought that maybe I needed to get to know Brooke more before she started the affair, but quickly came to realize that wasn't going to help me worry about her and her plight. (And, side note, that woman needs to never ever drive again!) The pacing and space given to different parts of the book also made this a rough read for me. So much time was spent in the first part of the book. It was too much. And then the second part skips ahead a few years without giving the reader any time to feel like the characters had a sense of normalcy before things went haywire again. And the second part needed a lot more time. It concluded way too fast. This was just a sad group of people who pretty much got what they deserved. Well, maybe not Marilee and Shep. They deserved better. So did the reader.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This one was not my cup of tea.
I did read through this book quickly, and the premise was interesting, but it just fell flat for me overall. The characters were all extremely unlikable, the plot lines weren't very believable, and I just found the characters too erratic and over the top.
Without spoilers, the actions of the main character Brooke don't really make sense. She feels threatened, and her daughter, whom she loves, is threatened, but she just simply chooses not to go to the police multiple times. She suspects her husband of hiding things but doesn't sneak onto his computer (which seems easily accessible in his study) to confirm her suspicions... she just let's it go. Her sister is an absolute basket case, and yet she doesn't cut her off. I just couldn't see anyone in real life being so naive and misguided.
The ending is rushed for the build-up as well. I did keep turning the pages because I was intrigued to see where the story would end up, but it was underwhelming. I feel like there were plot lines with loose ends.
I did like that the story was fast-paced. The dog Shep (who is a retriever and not a Shepard) also made the story worthwhile.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I did read through this book quickly, and the premise was interesting, but it just fell flat for me overall. The characters were all extremely unlikable, the plot lines weren't very believable, and I just found the characters too erratic and over the top.
Without spoilers, the actions of the main character Brooke don't really make sense. She feels threatened, and her daughter, whom she loves, is threatened, but she just simply chooses not to go to the police multiple times. She suspects her husband of hiding things but doesn't sneak onto his computer (which seems easily accessible in his study) to confirm her suspicions... she just let's it go. Her sister is an absolute basket case, and yet she doesn't cut her off. I just couldn't see anyone in real life being so naive and misguided.
The ending is rushed for the build-up as well. I did keep turning the pages because I was intrigued to see where the story would end up, but it was underwhelming. I feel like there were plot lines with loose ends.
I did like that the story was fast-paced. The dog Shep (who is a retriever and not a Shepard) also made the story worthwhile.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Stalking, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Murder
Minor: Pedophilia
Our Little Secret written by Lisa Jackson and narrated by January LaVoy is an outstanding psychological thriller that gets right to the core of infidelity, obsession and a stalker who will go to any lengths to get what they want
January LaVoy is a fantastic narrator and really captured the haunting, chilling narrative that has been powerfully constructed by Lisa Jackson
Brooke Hastings has only had a short affair, a man she "bumped into" on a pier, a an who lived on hhis yacht, mysterious, but with an instant attraction. She knew it waas wrong, but in a marriage where she feels unseen, where she is permanently at odds with her teenage daughter, the intense passion and excitement was too much to ignore... but that level of passion comes at a cost and nothing is as good as it seems
Absolutely outstanding, a glorious thriller and one that will have your full attention to the end. Highly recommend!
Thank you to Netgalley, Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio, the author Lisa Jackson and narrator January LaVoy for this stunning ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
January LaVoy is a fantastic narrator and really captured the haunting, chilling narrative that has been powerfully constructed by Lisa Jackson
Brooke Hastings has only had a short affair, a man she "bumped into" on a pier, a an who lived on hhis yacht, mysterious, but with an instant attraction. She knew it waas wrong, but in a marriage where she feels unseen, where she is permanently at odds with her teenage daughter, the intense passion and excitement was too much to ignore... but that level of passion comes at a cost and nothing is as good as it seems
Absolutely outstanding, a glorious thriller and one that will have your full attention to the end. Highly recommend!
Thank you to Netgalley, Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio, the author Lisa Jackson and narrator January LaVoy for this stunning ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book took me on a rollercoaster ride; I couldn’t escape the drama and trauma of the characters—except for Shep, the family dog. He was the only one who didn’t stress me out. Before diving into the review, I want to express my gratitude to the author and Kensington for providing me with an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) in exchange for an honest and opinionated review.
I rates this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (3.5 stars).
From the very beginning, I was hooked on the story. The characters, though annoying at times, were strangely enjoyable. They made me cringe, laugh, and even hate their personalities. Leah, in particular, struck me as the perpetual victim, and she became my least favorite character. Yet, their flaws and complexities mirrored real-world people, a testament to the author’s skill in creating authentic characters.
The writing style and plot were engaging. The balance between dialogue and description was just right—I appreciated glimpses into the characters’ thoughts and text messages.
However, my rating falls short of a full 4 stars because I could predict certain events. The ending, especially concerning one of the missing girls, felt rushed. Predictability can dampen the reading experience. If you’ve seen movies where someone becomes obsessed and will stop at nothing to possess another person, you might anticipate some twists. Still, if you enjoy such themes, this book is worth your time.
Overall, Lisa Jackson’s writing style and suspenseful plot kept me guessing. Despite my reservations, I won’t hesitate to explore more of her books in the future.
I rates this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (3.5 stars).
From the very beginning, I was hooked on the story. The characters, though annoying at times, were strangely enjoyable. They made me cringe, laugh, and even hate their personalities. Leah, in particular, struck me as the perpetual victim, and she became my least favorite character. Yet, their flaws and complexities mirrored real-world people, a testament to the author’s skill in creating authentic characters.
The writing style and plot were engaging. The balance between dialogue and description was just right—I appreciated glimpses into the characters’ thoughts and text messages.
However, my rating falls short of a full 4 stars because I could predict certain events. The ending, especially concerning one of the missing girls, felt rushed. Predictability can dampen the reading experience. If you’ve seen movies where someone becomes obsessed and will stop at nothing to possess another person, you might anticipate some twists. Still, if you enjoy such themes, this book is worth your time.
Overall, Lisa Jackson’s writing style and suspenseful plot kept me guessing. Despite my reservations, I won’t hesitate to explore more of her books in the future.
Our Little Secret was my first ready by Lisa Jackson. The story felt a little predictable & very cliched from the beginning. I finished but didn’t find this to be the type of thriller that I crave.
Thank you NetGalley & Kensington Publishing for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
I’ve never seen Fatal Attraction so I don’t know if that’s a positive or not when it comes to reading a “gender-reverse spin” on it. I liked the premise. I’m not sure how close it stayed to the movie or if it just took the basic idea, but I was nice and scared through most of this so job well done Lisa Jackson, and I’ll probably pass on the movie because I’m a big scaredy cat when it comes to stalkerish behavior.
It did get a little old, Brooke not telling anyone what was happening, because one, I would think your family’s lives are more important than keeping an affair secret and two, your husband had an affair before you and you were technically separated for most of it. Yeah, still not the best look for Brooke, but at a certain point, woman up.
It does get a little repetitive (multiple times Brooke says how she only did a “shallow Internet search” on Gideon and then liked not knowing more; the same events seem to keep happening) and I felt some storylines didn’t need to be there (the missing girls — seriously no idea why this was in there, andthe pregnancy ). Brooke made some odd decisions too that were clearly there to create more story but made her seem dumb (like why not just throw the bracelet away instead of repeatedly hiding it in the same spot? ).
And now this sounds like a very negative Nancy review, but I did enjoy it. I am terrified of somehow attracting a stalker and Jackson did a great job at creating a creepy and unsettling atmosphere, heightened by the Seattle backdrop. Part 2 definitely seemed to pick up and I felt I sped through it. I think once the filler and repetitiveness was gone, it was high speed until the very end.
<i>I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.</i>
It did get a little old, Brooke not telling anyone what was happening, because one, I would think your family’s lives are more important than keeping an affair secret and two, your husband had an affair before you and you were technically separated for most of it. Yeah, still not the best look for Brooke, but at a certain point, woman up.
It does get a little repetitive (multiple times Brooke says how she only did a “shallow Internet search” on Gideon and then liked not knowing more; the same events seem to keep happening) and I felt some storylines didn’t need to be there (the missing girls — seriously no idea why this was in there, and
And now this sounds like a very negative Nancy review, but I did enjoy it. I am terrified of somehow attracting a stalker and Jackson did a great job at creating a creepy and unsettling atmosphere, heightened by the Seattle backdrop. Part 2 definitely seemed to pick up and I felt I sped through it. I think once the filler and repetitiveness was gone, it was high speed until the very end.
<i>I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.</i>