Little Secrets Book by Jennifer Hillier is a thriller novel that will have you in suspense from beginning to end. If you love a suspense novel that tugs at your heart strings and has you in your feelings, be sure to add this one to your To Be Read list.
The beginning of the book begins with a mothers biggest nightmare. Her son, Sebastian goes missing. Marin desperately looks everywhere for her son in that crowded market. But he gone. Marin is beside herself and from there her life unravels.
In this post, you are going to read about a book review regarding Little Secrets book by Jennifer Hillier. You are going to get a synopsis of the book followed by potential spoilers. The spoilers section will give you a warning prior to reading if you choose to continue. If you are a lover of thriller books, you have come to the right place Let’s talk books!
This post is all about Little Secrets book.
Synopsis:
Marin is with her son enjoying the market when she realizes he is gone. It happens so quickly that she barely remembers what happens. This causes Marin’s picture perfect life to spiral out of control. Marin married her perfect, handsome husband, Derek and she is the owner of one the most successful salons in the area. The salon not only brings in a lot of money, she literally serves celebrities. Marin and Derek are wealthy and have a life that most would be envious of. It does not take long for Marin to realize that her life and marriage are not as perfect as they seem.
The story revolves around Marin desperately seeking answers to if her child is still alive and who would have taken him. Marin cannot think of anyone that would be her enemy so none of this makes sense. Hillier delivers a thriller that is the perfect amount of suspense but also tugs at your heart strings. Please always check the trigger warnings as there are some dark elements to this book. After the case has officially gone cold, Marin does not give up hope and takes matters into her own hands.
This thriller novel follows dual timelines through Marin’s life and what has led to her life becoming what is it in present day. If you love a suspense novel that will keep you on the edge until the end, be sure to add this to your reading list.
Happy reading!
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Book Talk: The below contains SPOILERS. If you do not want any spoilers on the book, do not read further. If you love spoilers or want to chat books, then let’s talk books! 🙂
Devastation
It is clear in the beginning of the book that Marin is sad and depressed. This is understandable given the circumstances of her son being missing over a year later. Marin struggles daily to get out of bed and that life is not worth living without her son. She is beginning to feel hopeless as her world is being ripped from right under her. To make matters worse, she find out her husband is having an affair from the P.I. she hired to find her son. Marin knew that there was distance between her and Derek ever since Sebastian’s disappearance. However, she did not know things had gotten so bad. When a couple loses a child it will bring the closer together or tear them apart. Marin is devasted to learn that they are in the latter percentage. She thought their relationship could withstand anything.
Curiosity gets the better of Marin and she decides to seek out this mistress, McKenzie. Now that there is a name to a face it makes things 10x worse and more real. Not only is the mistress gorgeous, she is 24, several years younger than Marin. This is Marin’s worst fear and is even more sad that Sebastian missing has began to negatively impact her marriage. The perfect life that Marin had is beginning to unravel rapidly.
The Meeting
Marin has tracked down the mistress. She works in a coffee shop and Marin decides to see her face to face. Unsure what to do, Marin acts like a customer. To say that Marin has become obsessed would be an understatement. It is close to stalking at this point. Marin decides that she needs to take matters into her own hands and eliminate the competition. If McKenzie is dead that will solve her marital issues, right?
With Marin as the woman we want to win, the plot thickens bringing in McKenzie’s POV. Not only does McKenzie know that Derek is married but she knows exactly who Marin is. McKenzie decides to play along and pretends like Marin is a stranger.
Hit Man
Marin trusts her bestie, Sal, to be find a hit man for her. Yes, Marin wants her husband’s mistress 6 feet under. Sal has been Marin’s best friend for so long she trusts him with her life. Sal has been the one to pick Marin up and make her realize that her life is still worth living. If you looked up the definition of an ideal and true friend, Derek would be at the top. He is a doll to Marin and she feels forever thankful and indebted to him. However, Sal is keeping some secrets of his own. This is the best part about a thriller book. You cannot trust a soul!
Plot Twist
McKenzie is always communicating with someone named JR. We learn that JR is working with McKenzie to con Derek. Plot twist number 1. However, an even bigger plot twist is that JR and Sal are the same person. Talk about not knowing who you could trust. That is what makes a great thriller book though, am I right?!
The biggest plot twist of all… Sal was the one that kidnapped Sebastian this whole time! Sal was desperate for money so he sent a ransom note to Derek and said not to tell Marin. Another plot twist, Derek knew the whole time. And Sal has always been in love with Marin. This psychological thriller was giving you so many plot twists at the end, your jaw was on the floor for each chapter.
Happily Ever After
Marin gets her happy ending when she is reunited with Sebastian. This entire time he was at least safe and not in some criminal’s home. Although, with everything that Sal AKA JR did, maybe he should be considered a criminal. While it is sad that Marin realizes the people closest to her betrayed her, she has Sebastian. In the end, all Marin wanted was her son returned to her unharmed.
Concensus:
Little Secrets book has it all. The twists, suspense, heartbreak. If you are looking for a gripping thriller book that will keep you on your toes, this is it. Hillier knows how to deliver and captivate her audience. She is an amazing thriller author. While there was a plot twist I guessed (JR being Sal), this book grabbed my attention from the start. The element of suspense is steady throughout the book. The multiple POV’s and characters allowed for me to want to know more. I always love a book with untrustworthy characters and an unpredictable ending. Sal being the bad guy was slightly shocking. However, I learned to not trust the nice character. Also, guessing he was JR allowed for me to figure he had an ulterior motive. It made me feel for Marin. However, I did see that some readers did not find Marin a likeable character. Let me know how you rated the book or if you have a book recommendation in the comments below.
Book Club Questions:
Below are some questions you could use for your book club or to discuss with a friend during a buddy read 🙂
- Did you guess any of the plot twists? Which one surprised you the most?
- Which character did you find the most unlikeable?
- Which character did you find the most untrustworthy and why?
- Did you think this book would have a happy ending with Sebastian reunited with his family?
- What are your thoughts about the ending for Derek? Did you think justice was served for all the bad he did?
Similar Authors:
Did you love this book and are looking for similar thriller authors? Some thriller authors with a similar writing style or plots to Jennifer Hillier are, Freida McFadden, Jeneva Rose, Alice Feeney, John Marrs, and Mary Kubica. These thriller authors know how to grab the readers attention and have jaw dropping moments throughout their books. Be sure to check out these authors and add them to your reading list if you have not yet read any books by them. Also, if you are looking for the most up to date book reviews book recommendations, and book talk, be sure to hit that follow button on Instagram and Pinterest. Let’s be book besties!
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