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screamking's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
It wasn't horrible, but the main character is. I'm all for main characters doing bad things and believing they're justified. But LJ's constant attitude of thinking she's above everyone else, even when she screws them over is hard to read. She's not likable. She has the mindset of "I'm only friends with guys, girls just don't like me" and it's cringe.
The ending was unsatisfactory. And there is very little suspense or thrill.
The ending was unsatisfactory. And there is very little suspense or thrill.
mgleeson's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was a fun, quick psychological thriller of the unreliable narrator sort. In this book, Angela is being held as a suspect in the disappearance of Saskia, her ex-best friend and ex-boyfriend's wife. The entire book is set in the interrogation room, with Angela telling the story of her and HP from he beginning. Mostly, she's talking to Novak, the detective, and occasionally she's filling the reader in on different memories. Everything changed with HP and Angela's relationship when HP came to visit Angela in Oxford and he met Saskia. After that nothing was the same. But, where is Saskia? And who really knows what happened? Angela's mom? Freddy, Angela's uppity college friend? HP? Or could this all be orchestrated by Saskia herself? This one will keep you guessing until the end!
magyklyxdelish's review against another edition
3.0
The wife of Angela’s ex goes missing and the police are questioning her. This is how the book opens.
Right off the bat, the writing and the pacing had me hooked. This is a super quick read which I appreciate and I really do like the way this author writes.
The characters were developed enough but I didn’t really feel super attached to any of them.
My main issue is that the ending was super predictable. It was a good ending, I just saw it coming a mile away. I did enjoy the build towards it though.
I don’t know if this is one I would read again, but it’s one I would recommend.
Right off the bat, the writing and the pacing had me hooked. This is a super quick read which I appreciate and I really do like the way this author writes.
The characters were developed enough but I didn’t really feel super attached to any of them.
My main issue is that the ending was super predictable. It was a good ending, I just saw it coming a mile away. I did enjoy the build towards it though.
I don’t know if this is one I would read again, but it’s one I would recommend.
shannonw19's review against another edition
3.0
Angela moves with her parents to a small town- Cove, Vermont - where she starts high school and meets HP. He's her neighbor. They become best friends. After graduation, they become more, but then Angela leaves for Oxford, where her father has called in favors and gained her admission. HP visits and meets, Saskia, an Australian, who steads HP out from under Angela. Angela is devastated and uses her mother, and her British friend, Freddy, to win HP back.
That is the basic plot of Our Little Secret. You learn this information from Angela, an unreliable narrator. She is being interrogated by a police detective investigating Saskia's disappearance, as she reveals the story.
This book was okay. There were some things about it that I liked. There was more things about it that I disliked. Some of the characters are not developed. For instance, HP's best friend, Ezra, kind of disappears from the story. He shows up again, drunk, but there is little to no explanation as to why he has taken the path he has. I kind of liked Ezra and was disappointed that he kind of vanished from the story like that.
Thriller-wise, I have read better ones. I have also read worse one. This book was okay.
I won this book and the opinions expressed herein are mined and mine alone. I received no compensation in exchange for this review.
That is the basic plot of Our Little Secret. You learn this information from Angela, an unreliable narrator. She is being interrogated by a police detective investigating Saskia's disappearance, as she reveals the story.
This book was okay. There were some things about it that I liked. There was more things about it that I disliked. Some of the characters are not developed. For instance, HP's best friend, Ezra, kind of disappears from the story. He shows up again, drunk, but there is little to no explanation as to why he has taken the path he has. I kind of liked Ezra and was disappointed that he kind of vanished from the story like that.
Thriller-wise, I have read better ones. I have also read worse one. This book was okay.
I won this book and the opinions expressed herein are mined and mine alone. I received no compensation in exchange for this review.
cgac14's review against another edition
2.0
Quick read. Annoying characters, especially narrator. Ending did not feel like a twist and was not surprising.
bookrantreviews's review against another edition
3.0
Plot Overview
Angela Pettijean sits in an interrogation room, being questioned by homicide detective J. Novak. He wants to know what happened to Saskia. He is convinced that Angela can tell him. But in order to tell him what she knows, Angela insists that she must first tell him a story. Her story. About her life. About her relationship with H.P. He was her first love. Her only love.
The story she tells starts when she moved to Cove, Vermont and met H.P. eight years before. By the time she’s finished, she reveals what happened to Saskia and who’s responsible for her disappearance. However, one final twist lies ahead...
My Review
You never forget your first love.
Even though “Our Little Secret” is set in an interrogation room, the story that arises from the pages is one of first love more than than a potential crime. It’s easy to sink into the book and to get caught up in your own memories. We all have first loves, and most of us remember them as sweet and intense — just like Angela does. It’s what makes Angela relatable throughout the first parts of the book. However, first loves rarely last a lifetime, and most of us move on with someone else.
But what happens when you can’t let go?
It becomes clear as “Our Little Secret” progresses that Angela couldn’t (and wouldn’t) ever completely let go of H.P. There are also hints along the way that Angela is an unreliable narrator. While memory isn’t perfect, and we tend to remember the past in a way that paints us in the most favorable light, it’s clear that’s not what she’s doing. She’s lying. Angela makes untruthful statements about Saskia in order to detract from her character. While they’re never proven to be actual lies, they don’t match the version of Saskia who plays a role in the story.
The problem is that all this takes too long to reveal itself in the book. While Angela’s story sucks you in and reminds you of your own first love, there’s not a lot of suspense built in to make you care what happened to Saskia. Besides, what happened becomes obvious as you continue to read. The hints become more like flashing neon signs. It makes the big twist at the end less than shocking or satisfying — and more like a dull thud.
“Our Little Secret” by Roz Nay is an enjoyable read. It’s well written with strong characters. Angela and H.P.’s romance comes to life on the page, and you can feel how much Angela loves him. It just doesn’t pack the punch I expect from a psychological thriller. It’s a good book that falls short of my expectations for the genre.
Angela Pettijean sits in an interrogation room, being questioned by homicide detective J. Novak. He wants to know what happened to Saskia. He is convinced that Angela can tell him. But in order to tell him what she knows, Angela insists that she must first tell him a story. Her story. About her life. About her relationship with H.P. He was her first love. Her only love.
The story she tells starts when she moved to Cove, Vermont and met H.P. eight years before. By the time she’s finished, she reveals what happened to Saskia and who’s responsible for her disappearance. However, one final twist lies ahead...
My Review
You never forget your first love.
Even though “Our Little Secret” is set in an interrogation room, the story that arises from the pages is one of first love more than than a potential crime. It’s easy to sink into the book and to get caught up in your own memories. We all have first loves, and most of us remember them as sweet and intense — just like Angela does. It’s what makes Angela relatable throughout the first parts of the book. However, first loves rarely last a lifetime, and most of us move on with someone else.
But what happens when you can’t let go?
It becomes clear as “Our Little Secret” progresses that Angela couldn’t (and wouldn’t) ever completely let go of H.P. There are also hints along the way that Angela is an unreliable narrator. While memory isn’t perfect, and we tend to remember the past in a way that paints us in the most favorable light, it’s clear that’s not what she’s doing. She’s lying. Angela makes untruthful statements about Saskia in order to detract from her character. While they’re never proven to be actual lies, they don’t match the version of Saskia who plays a role in the story.
The problem is that all this takes too long to reveal itself in the book. While Angela’s story sucks you in and reminds you of your own first love, there’s not a lot of suspense built in to make you care what happened to Saskia. Besides, what happened becomes obvious as you continue to read. The hints become more like flashing neon signs. It makes the big twist at the end less than shocking or satisfying — and more like a dull thud.
“Our Little Secret” by Roz Nay is an enjoyable read. It’s well written with strong characters. Angela and H.P.’s romance comes to life on the page, and you can feel how much Angela loves him. It just doesn’t pack the punch I expect from a psychological thriller. It’s a good book that falls short of my expectations for the genre.
phrasecollector13___'s review against another edition
3.0
I don't what I'm going to do, but books that made me believe one thing when it's the other way around... are following me, LOL! It wasn't a bad book.
rmarcin's review against another edition
5.0
I really liked this book. It was told by Angela Petitjean, aka LJ, to a detective. The detective is investigating what happened to Saskia. It is a mesmerizing tale, you are drawn into hearing the story of LJ's friendship with HP, and their intertwined lives over the next several years.