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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
“Small towns are a soap opera, you’re either acting our you’re watching.”
Our Little Secret opens with Angela Petitjean in an interrogation room as a result of her high school ex-boyfriend’s wife's disappearance. Did Saskia just up and leave her family, or did something more sinister take place? In order to get to the bottom of it, the detective begrudgingly allows Angela to start from the beginning, going back in time to over a decade ago.
The tale Angela weaves is one of a friendship that turns into a first love, self-obsessed parents who just don’t understand, and the consequences of life choices that we make as young adults navigating the world. Eventually, the story turns to obsession, jealousy, heartbreak and a completely unbelievable series of events. I enjoyed a lot of the backstory, especially in the beginning. When we hit around the 60% mark things started to go downhill for me. This is where the pacing slowed, the story became quite unbelievable, and we could have genuinely used an addition of another perspective to Angela’s story, or even more of a showing and not telling approach.
“She was like a child wandering out of a burning building with no concept whatsoever that she’d lit the match.”
Pros: short chapters, easy to read writing style, no time hops, good pacing, twisty ending, emotional, short read
Cons: one dimensional and unlikable characters, only one POV, unbelievable at times, unoriginal plot
Our Little Secret opens with Angela Petitjean in an interrogation room as a result of her high school ex-boyfriend’s wife's disappearance. Did Saskia just up and leave her family, or did something more sinister take place? In order to get to the bottom of it, the detective begrudgingly allows Angela to start from the beginning, going back in time to over a decade ago.
The tale Angela weaves is one of a friendship that turns into a first love, self-obsessed parents who just don’t understand, and the consequences of life choices that we make as young adults navigating the world. Eventually, the story turns to obsession, jealousy, heartbreak and a completely unbelievable series of events. I enjoyed a lot of the backstory, especially in the beginning. When we hit around the 60% mark things started to go downhill for me. This is where the pacing slowed, the story became quite unbelievable, and we could have genuinely used an addition of another perspective to Angela’s story, or even more of a showing and not telling approach.
“She was like a child wandering out of a burning building with no concept whatsoever that she’d lit the match.”
Pros: short chapters, easy to read writing style, no time hops, good pacing, twisty ending, emotional, short read
Cons: one dimensional and unlikable characters, only one POV, unbelievable at times, unoriginal plot
This just didn't work for me at all. The decisions made by the characters were not believable. The lack of suspense was a disappointment and the ending was incredibly predictable.
This book was amazing. It captivated me from start to finish. The ending really surprised me.
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book!
LOTS OF SPOILERS BUT I'M TOO LAZY TO TAG THEM ALL OR SEPERATE THEM OUT IN ANY KIND OF REAL WAY SO SCROLL ON BY UNLESS YOU REALLY WANT THEM.
Pros: I was drawn in pretty quickly, which is no small thing considering I've just lost my mom and my attention span has been more suited for 20 minute episodes of Parks and Rec and less suited for reading. And I liked Angela... at first.
I liked the set up, of being in an interrogation room and Angela slowly spinning the story of the last 11 years or so. I liked the promise of the story answering questions and possibly buying time for something else to happen.
I even liked that my feelings changed the more Angela talked about her life. I don't mind unlikeable protaganists, especially if I'm drawn to their story. And I was totally on board with disliking the missing Saskia at first.
Cons: The ending just had me disappointed. I kept waiting for Angela to live up to her potential (although, really, wasn't everyone?). I though Angela (although, to be honest, I prefer Little John for her name) had a GAME PLAN. But she didn't. And that makes me a little angry. She repeatedly talks about her intelligence, but it's not on display.
Like, at all.
Is it twisted that I wanted her to either A. Not be the killer or B. Get away with it?
Instead, the book bummed me out. I love a good thriller, and I can deal with sad, messed up endings, but in the end the thing that made me most sad was all the lost love. Her parents marriage, Angela and HP, Freddy and Angela, Saskia and HP... everything was just depressing.
Also, it was hard to tell what was fact and fiction about HP's relationship with Angela. If he wasn't still in love with her, I totally don't get why he kept such a close relationship with someone who was a total drag (seriously, Angela is a bummer), clearly hated his wife and had no respect for his marriage, and said some effed up shiz to his kid.
And I get why teen Angela loved HP so much, but after he pretty much ditched her, I don't know why she still considered him so perfect. It's so clear that her life was revolving around some dude that only kind of existed. Same with Freddy and his obsession for Angela (although again, the end was so weird).
Verdict: I'm still mixed, but it did keep me reading, even if the ending was a let down.
LOTS OF SPOILERS BUT I'M TOO LAZY TO TAG THEM ALL OR SEPERATE THEM OUT IN ANY KIND OF REAL WAY SO SCROLL ON BY UNLESS YOU REALLY WANT THEM.
Pros: I was drawn in pretty quickly, which is no small thing considering I've just lost my mom and my attention span has been more suited for 20 minute episodes of Parks and Rec and less suited for reading. And I liked Angela... at first.
I liked the set up, of being in an interrogation room and Angela slowly spinning the story of the last 11 years or so. I liked the promise of the story answering questions and possibly buying time for something else to happen.
I even liked that my feelings changed the more Angela talked about her life. I don't mind unlikeable protaganists, especially if I'm drawn to their story. And I was totally on board with disliking the missing Saskia at first.
Cons: The ending just had me disappointed. I kept waiting for Angela to live up to her potential (although, really, wasn't everyone?). I though Angela (although, to be honest, I prefer Little John for her name) had a GAME PLAN. But she didn't. And that makes me a little angry. She repeatedly talks about her intelligence, but it's not on display.
Like, at all.
Is it twisted that I wanted her to either A. Not be the killer or B. Get away with it?
Instead, the book bummed me out. I love a good thriller, and I can deal with sad, messed up endings, but in the end the thing that made me most sad was all the lost love. Her parents marriage, Angela and HP, Freddy and Angela, Saskia and HP... everything was just depressing.
Also, it was hard to tell what was fact and fiction about HP's relationship with Angela. If he wasn't still in love with her, I totally don't get why he kept such a close relationship with someone who was a total drag (seriously, Angela is a bummer), clearly hated his wife and had no respect for his marriage, and said some effed up shiz to his kid.
And I get why teen Angela loved HP so much, but after he pretty much ditched her, I don't know why she still considered him so perfect. It's so clear that her life was revolving around some dude that only kind of existed. Same with Freddy and his obsession for Angela (although again, the end was so weird).
Verdict: I'm still mixed, but it did keep me reading, even if the ending was a let down.
Thank you to the publisher and author for a copy of this book for an honest review.
What an amazing book! I practically read it in one sitting! Why is our main character Angela sitting in a police station telling a story of soul mates, love, lies, and young love to a Detective Novak? This book is explained in “flashbacks” that have led her to where she is now, being interrogated…for a missing woman, who happens to be the wife of her soul mate. What a wonderful story that Roz Nay weaves of first loves, sweet beginnings and hope that quickly turns to darkness and twists that I did not see coming.
This book was full of ups and downs! What a ride, Full of truths and half-truths that creates an ending you don't see coming! Highly recommend!
What an amazing book! I practically read it in one sitting! Why is our main character Angela sitting in a police station telling a story of soul mates, love, lies, and young love to a Detective Novak? This book is explained in “flashbacks” that have led her to where she is now, being interrogated…for a missing woman, who happens to be the wife of her soul mate. What a wonderful story that Roz Nay weaves of first loves, sweet beginnings and hope that quickly turns to darkness and twists that I did not see coming.
This book was full of ups and downs! What a ride, Full of truths and half-truths that creates an ending you don't see coming! Highly recommend!
I really enjoyed this book! Angela and HP were a confusing mix of thoughts and emotions. And when you throw another woman into the mix? Explosive.
This was one of the few books I couldn't figure out before the end. What a great read!
I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.
This was one of the few books I couldn't figure out before the end. What a great read!
I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.
I received an advance copy of this book for review. I liked this book. It was a quick read with an interesting unreliable narrator and I always find the stories of mentally unstable women who wish to harm their exes new lover entertaining. However, this book really didn't bring anything new to the table.
One that you will not put down the second you crack it open! Did she? Didn’t she? You are literally wondering the whole book, but are left in the dark, but an edge of your seat dark. Great, very fast paced read.
3.25/5
A rather cheap and tawdry affair of a novel. Angela is obsessed with her ex boyfriend and goes as far as to insinuate herself as the godmother of her ex's and new wife's baby. When wifie goes missing, guess who everyone's got eyes on. And they're right too! This chick is totally crazy and she told did it and everything else is just ramblings of a lunatic.
A rather cheap and tawdry affair of a novel. Angela is obsessed with her ex boyfriend and goes as far as to insinuate herself as the godmother of her ex's and new wife's baby. When wifie goes missing, guess who everyone's got eyes on. And they're right too! This chick is totally crazy and she told did it and everything else is just ramblings of a lunatic.