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Your Dark Secrets
An LA PR exec and her private investigator ex uncover a dangerous conspiracy led by the world’s most powerful people, whose deadly sights are now set on them.
This propulsive up-all-night read seamlessly blends globe-trotting adventure, suspenseful thriller, and rivals-to-lovers romance, perfect for fans of the Flight Attendant and the Recovery Agent.
Addison Stern is unparalleled when it comes to spinning a story. A ruthless PR executive, Addison is the star employee of the infamous Ovid Blackwell Group where the rich and famous go to hide all their secrets.
Connor Windell, on the other hand, is in the business of finding out information others would rather keep hidden. He used to be LA's top private investigator until a betrayal from his ex-girlfriend ruined his reputation and sent him into early retirement. That ex? None other than Addison Stern.
Connor has one chance to redeem himself and salvage his career, but he needs Addison’s help. Addison would rather lick the bottom of her Jimmy Choo than assist, but with some good old-fashioned blackmail, she agrees to team up for one job. But when that job proves bigger than either imagined and they uncover a dangerous hidden web of influence led by the world’s most elite and powerful people, they’ll have to rely on each other to expose the truth…and stay alive.
From the Vegas strip to the beaches of Monaco, this globe-trotting adventure is filled with misplaced trust, competing motivations, and more than a little sexual tension. This gripping romantic thriller will have you up reading all night!
This propulsive up-all-night read seamlessly blends globe-trotting adventure, suspenseful thriller, and rivals-to-lovers romance, perfect for fans of the Flight Attendant and the Recovery Agent.
Addison Stern is unparalleled when it comes to spinning a story. A ruthless PR executive, Addison is the star employee of the infamous Ovid Blackwell Group where the rich and famous go to hide all their secrets.
Connor Windell, on the other hand, is in the business of finding out information others would rather keep hidden. He used to be LA's top private investigator until a betrayal from his ex-girlfriend ruined his reputation and sent him into early retirement. That ex? None other than Addison Stern.
Connor has one chance to redeem himself and salvage his career, but he needs Addison’s help. Addison would rather lick the bottom of her Jimmy Choo than assist, but with some good old-fashioned blackmail, she agrees to team up for one job. But when that job proves bigger than either imagined and they uncover a dangerous hidden web of influence led by the world’s most elite and powerful people, they’ll have to rely on each other to expose the truth…and stay alive.
From the Vegas strip to the beaches of Monaco, this globe-trotting adventure is filled with misplaced trust, competing motivations, and more than a little sexual tension. This gripping romantic thriller will have you up reading all night!
400 pages, Paperback
First published July 30, 2024
36 people are currently reading
19009 people want to read
About the author
Elle Marr
9 books801 followersElle Marr is a #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of seven thrillers. Her work has been featured in PopSugar, Woman’s World Magazine, Goodreads, Audible, and TV affiliates for CBS, ABC, FOX, and NBC. Originally from Sacramento, Elle graduated from UC San Diego before moving to France, where she earned a master’s degree from the Sorbonne University in Paris. She now lives and writes in Oregon with her family.
Last year's THE ALONE TIME was named a Silver Falchion Award Judges' Pick among 2024 Suspense titles. Her following book YOUR DARK SECRETS was her first thriller romance, from Disney Publishing and Hyperion Avenue.
Now, THE LIE SHE WEARS publishes on November 18, and contains one of Elle's favorite twists that she's written. Signed copies are available via indie bookstore, Annie Bloom's Books (and make great gifts!).
For more info, check out ellemarr.com or follow her on social media.
Last year's THE ALONE TIME was named a Silver Falchion Award Judges' Pick among 2024 Suspense titles. Her following book YOUR DARK SECRETS was her first thriller romance, from Disney Publishing and Hyperion Avenue.
Now, THE LIE SHE WEARS publishes on November 18, and contains one of Elle's favorite twists that she's written. Signed copies are available via indie bookstore, Annie Bloom's Books (and make great gifts!).
For more info, check out ellemarr.com or follow her on social media.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
December 15, 2023
Addison is a top public relations specialist working toward partnership. When one of her clients, Phinneas, is found dead she is one of the suspects. Connor is a private investigator and Addison’s lies forced him into retirement. Connor has the job of finding out if his only client’s daughter is being cheated on while trying to avoid a bookie looking for money from him. Years ago, Addison and Connor dated and they find themselves looking at some of the same people to solve their problems.
Addison and Connor’s relationship is complicated but adds a lot to the story. Three of the people they want to question are dead. Addison is out for herself and so is Conner. Connor needs to salvage his career and his efforts are many. I liked that the story took them to several places. There are a lot of secrets to uncover.
Addison and Connor’s relationship is complicated but adds a lot to the story. Three of the people they want to question are dead. Addison is out for herself and so is Conner. Connor needs to salvage his career and his efforts are many. I liked that the story took them to several places. There are a lot of secrets to uncover.
May 29, 2024
SYNOPSIS
- Addison is a successful LA PR executive at the Ovid Blackwell Group, and she is really hoping to become a partner soon.
- Addison finds one of her clients, Phinneas, dead. Addison becomes a suspect.
- Connor is Addison’s ex, and he is also a private investigator. They didn’t exactly end on amicable terms. Addison apparently ruined Connor’s professional reputation, and he was forced into an unwanted, early retirement. Connie left LA, and he moved to Las Vegas with a pretty big gambling problem. Connor’s former client seeks him out for an assignment, and he winds up back in LA doing the PI assignment.
- Connor and Addison end up teaming up.
MY THOUGHTS
- Multiple POVs and timelines - Addison (present), Connor (present), and Phinneas via recorded voice notes (past).
- Lacked the suspense/thriller aspect. Felt more like a rivals to lovers romance.
- Premise was good, but execution fell flat for me.
- Characters are very one-dimensional & lack much depth.
- I didn’t like how Addison would randomly talk in third-person in her POV chapters (e.g., the whole chapter is in first-person, then random sentences say things like “Addison Stern always gets what she wants.”)
- All the Kevon Bacon references. Why?? Seriously?
- 400 pages with slow pacing. This should have been majorly cut down in length.
- Many legal aspects didn’t make sense to me. Why was the FBI involved? Why would the FBI mail a packet to your residence to tell you that you’re a person of interest?
- The reveal of who is behind everything wasn’t satisfying. It made no sense at all & was illogical.
- The ending was not satisfying.
TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️not for me. although premise was intriguing, let down in a lot of ways.
Thanks to Hyperion Avenue and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchanges for an honest review. This book will be published on July 30, 2024.
- Addison is a successful LA PR executive at the Ovid Blackwell Group, and she is really hoping to become a partner soon.
- Addison finds one of her clients, Phinneas, dead. Addison becomes a suspect.
- Connor is Addison’s ex, and he is also a private investigator. They didn’t exactly end on amicable terms. Addison apparently ruined Connor’s professional reputation, and he was forced into an unwanted, early retirement. Connie left LA, and he moved to Las Vegas with a pretty big gambling problem. Connor’s former client seeks him out for an assignment, and he winds up back in LA doing the PI assignment.
- Connor and Addison end up teaming up.
MY THOUGHTS
- Multiple POVs and timelines - Addison (present), Connor (present), and Phinneas via recorded voice notes (past).
- Lacked the suspense/thriller aspect. Felt more like a rivals to lovers romance.
- Premise was good, but execution fell flat for me.
- Characters are very one-dimensional & lack much depth.
- I didn’t like how Addison would randomly talk in third-person in her POV chapters (e.g., the whole chapter is in first-person, then random sentences say things like “Addison Stern always gets what she wants.”)
- All the Kevon Bacon references. Why?? Seriously?
- 400 pages with slow pacing. This should have been majorly cut down in length.
- Many legal aspects didn’t make sense to me. Why was the FBI involved? Why would the FBI mail a packet to your residence to tell you that you’re a person of interest?
- The reveal of who is behind everything wasn’t satisfying. It made no sense at all & was illogical.
- The ending was not satisfying.
TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️not for me. although premise was intriguing, let down in a lot of ways.
Thanks to Hyperion Avenue and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchanges for an honest review. This book will be published on July 30, 2024.
May 8, 2024
A mystery and romantic thriller with a fun rivals-to-lovers trope. Addison, a PR executive and her ex-boyfriend and private investigator Connor find themselves needing each other much to their chagrin. I liked that they had a history and backstory complicating their current-day relationship as they travel around the globe, desperate to uncover the truth and unearth secrets before they become casualties. If you like multiple POVs and crazy plotting, you'll probably be a fan of this book.
June 19, 2024
1.5 ⭐️ The synopsis made this one sound so fun. Unfortunately, I don’t think the book delivered on its promises and I was bored from the start and never pulled in. 😕 For me, the story lacked character development and the overall execution was lacking. In trying to be a mystery coupled with some romance and a bit of action/adventure, it lacked tension and caused all three to fall well short of their mark. I was hoping for a fun Mr. and Mrs. Smith type story, and I think perhaps that’s what the author was going for, but I was left wanting in the end.
My thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for a complimentary advance copy of this eBook, out 7/30/2024.
My thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for a complimentary advance copy of this eBook, out 7/30/2024.
January 16, 2024
Elle Marr is going to take you on a trip - a ride actually, so hold on!
Her new characters are a strong and feisty PR exec names Addison as well as her ex boyfriend, PI Conner. The two have no lost love for one another and it seems for good reason. When Addison's biggest client is murdered before an awards show, she has to scramble to gain favor in her company. Meanwhile, Connor was hitting bottom in Las Vegas but is hired by an old friend for a secret job.
The two are forced to work together and the sparks fly both in a very good and a very bad way. Marr does an excellent job withe scene - I can easily picture Conner in the bright lights and noises of Las Vegas and Addison jetting to Hong Kong. Both characters are likeable and imperfect - just my kind of heroes!
If you are ready to take a trip and cash in on an excellent thriller, Your Dark Secrets is for you!
#hyperion #yourdarksecrets #ellemarr
Her new characters are a strong and feisty PR exec names Addison as well as her ex boyfriend, PI Conner. The two have no lost love for one another and it seems for good reason. When Addison's biggest client is murdered before an awards show, she has to scramble to gain favor in her company. Meanwhile, Connor was hitting bottom in Las Vegas but is hired by an old friend for a secret job.
The two are forced to work together and the sparks fly both in a very good and a very bad way. Marr does an excellent job withe scene - I can easily picture Conner in the bright lights and noises of Las Vegas and Addison jetting to Hong Kong. Both characters are likeable and imperfect - just my kind of heroes!
If you are ready to take a trip and cash in on an excellent thriller, Your Dark Secrets is for you!
#hyperion #yourdarksecrets #ellemarr
August 9, 2024
Addison is a top public relations specialist working toward partnership. When one of her clients, Phineas, is found dead Addison is now one of the suspects.
I absolutely loved the characters and situations that they were in. The protagonist drew me in and the plot (and the supporting characters) were well-developed and interesting. Great summer read for me!
I had the honor of reading this ARC thanks to Netgalley, Hyperion Avenue and the author, Elle Marr.
I absolutely loved the characters and situations that they were in. The protagonist drew me in and the plot (and the supporting characters) were well-developed and interesting. Great summer read for me!
I had the honor of reading this ARC thanks to Netgalley, Hyperion Avenue and the author, Elle Marr.
September 7, 2025
Overall, I thought this book was fairly entertaining. It has a mix of serious and funny parts. Some aspects that I liked most were the fact that the chapters are numbered, the name of the narrator and (almost always) the date appear at the beginning of each chapter. The name and date are unusual, but I appreciated knowing in advance when the point of view would change, which happened regularly. The chapters were of reasonable length, and some were really short.
Frankly, I liked the structure of the book more than the story itself. I would have preferred less cursing, which was sprinkled in lightly in various chapters, especially when Phinneas would narrate. In its defense, the language had a comedic effect at times, but other words could have been used. To avoid spoilers, I'll just mention that I didn't like what happened to Addison at the end and that I didn't enjoy the final chapter, either. Not surprisingly, the murderer was not revealed until near the end of the book (chapter 39, I think--of 41 chapters). Opinions can vary, as I've noticed in the other reviews.
Content warnings: some profanity in various chapters, though the book wasn't full of it, some description of sex scenes, but not very graphic--possibly similar to PG or PG13 in a US film
Writing is extremely difficult, so congratulations to the author for writing a popular book! I am grateful for my free evaluation copy. Peace be with you.
Frankly, I liked the structure of the book more than the story itself. I would have preferred less cursing, which was sprinkled in lightly in various chapters, especially when Phinneas would narrate. In its defense, the language had a comedic effect at times, but other words could have been used. To avoid spoilers, I'll just mention that I didn't like what happened to Addison at the end and that I didn't enjoy the final chapter, either. Not surprisingly, the murderer was not revealed until near the end of the book (chapter 39, I think--of 41 chapters). Opinions can vary, as I've noticed in the other reviews.
Content warnings: some profanity in various chapters, though the book wasn't full of it, some description of sex scenes, but not very graphic--possibly similar to PG or PG13 in a US film
Writing is extremely difficult, so congratulations to the author for writing a popular book! I am grateful for my free evaluation copy. Peace be with you.
July 22, 2024
Novel Concept: 5/5
Execution of Novel Concept: 5/5
Title: 3/5
Characterization: 5/5
Dialogue: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Atmosphere: 5/5
Theme: 5/5
Prose: 5/5
Does this pass the Bechdel Test: Yes
Title
I think the place where this title is mentioned feels natural and fitting. And for the purpose of a mystery thriller this title is practical and it engages with the theme of secrets. My issue is that the person if specifically connects to does not appear enough to warrant the title space and I do fear that this book's title feels somewhat generic. It doesn't seem indivisible from the story the way that other titles do.
Characterization
Addison and Conner are two idiots sharing the same braincell and I love that. Each of them feel like fully realized and developed characters with quirks and flaws. They are like perpetually flipping magnets, both pulling each other close and repelling away from each other. They are a difficult due, and that's what makes them so interesting.
The minor characters are fleshed out and fascinating. Authors have to be economical about minor characters because of how little time they get and I do feel that each minor character glows in a unique way, taking full advantage at what little page space they have. I am a personal fan of Emelia. She had two scenes and cooked each time. What a legend.
Our antagonist felt correct. Sometimes I worry about being dragged by a red herring only to have the real answer shoved in the end with complex enough mental gymnastics that Simone Biles would be impressed--but the shoving in here was minimal and the true antagonist of the story haunts the narrative in an effective enough way that I was willing to buy into it and didn't even realize there was a red herring until it was quite literally pointed out.
Dialogue
The dialogue is witty and fun. It seems like the author was having a fun time embodying cold hearted Addison and I really enjoyed her perspective. Conner's interior monologue is also ripe with humor and quirk, and was equally a pleasure to read.
My hitches are, probably to no surprise, the Villain Monologue and Phineas' last chapter. The Villain Monologue just felt anticlimactic. It's difficult to keep tension past sixty seconds and honestly? No idea why Mx. Big Bad Evil Guy would be so honest. Was is truly ego? In a book that's all about public relations and lawsuits, I would think it's understood that in court it is never about what's true, it's all about what you can prove. The story that you can spin and get people to believe. There were 3+ witnesses to that villain monologue. What????
Finally, the Phineas' final chapter. There's a section in that chapter that ties up all the lose ends and I found it fairly clunky. I like where it's placed in the narrative and I like the way that it ends. I like the context in which it's being recorded--it's just the overexplaining of the final questions this book has seemed unnecessary ESPECIALLY when the author chose to end it the way that it ended. I think that Phineas' final chapter belongs there, I don't think his explanations of the final plot threads does.
Plot
The plot is engaging and I seldom got lost or turned around. The conspiracy was working well, the glamor and travel. The ruthlessness of a PR firm. Everything was coming together.
But why Addison does what she does at Fashion week? I don't understand her actions and I feel like the book never explains it and I am left confused. Why did she do that? I'm just confused at what game of 5D Chess Addison thinks she's playing.
The other plot point that cases the plot to stumble and cough is the connection point between Conner's benefactor and Mx. Big Bad Evil Guy. Yes the information is technically planted and Addison recalls it but there's more to seeding information than digging a hole and sticking the seed in there, metaphorically speaking. All in all, Mx. Big Bad Evil Guy felt completely underutilized and a lot of their relevant information comes right in at the end, sort of shoved in. It's not enough that I feel the need to dock a star, admittedly this is nitpicky, but for someone who so effectively haunts the narrative and get's the TITLE, I would want him to haunt the narrative a little harder. Have the information that's relevant about him exist in more places than just the very end of the story. This book needs to be so haunted by this guy that The Ghost Busters, The Scooby Gang, and The Winchesters show up.
Atmosphere
The nuances of being in PR came to life in this story and it felt well researched enough or the writing is well established in the rules it sets for itself that I believed the world that the author was feeding me. This story unveils the glamorously dark world of Public Relations and scandal that exists just below the surface of what the media is saying.
And for a mystery and thriller, I did generally feel stressed. Stressed that The Dumb Genius Duo struggled to get along and stressed about the collapsing world they're forced to sift through. A good stress. What is a thriller if you're not stressed just a little?
Theme
This book is about the deconstruction of truth. How easily it can be swayed. How a lot of the world is pointing people in the right direction so they can hide the stuff no one needs to see. It's also about ego--the way people drive themselves forwards and sometimes off a cliff in the name of being right or being successful. The genuine difficulty of admitting wrongdoing. And most important, the way that progress is not linear. It is a frustrating gallop of back and forth, and this novel executes that fairly well.
Prose
The prose is easy to follow and I seldom got lost in terms of comprehension. I wish I recorded my reaction to Phineas' first POV. I was just so thrown for a loop but man, I AM HERE FOR IT. What an interesting way to provide dramatic irony and context to the things that Addison and Conner are doing. Phineas meets a dude and in a few chapters that name shows up again in Addison or Conner's POV and your mind is like !!!!!!!!!!!!!! we know that guy!!!! from Phineas!!
The shifting perspective is good because neither Conner nor Addison are truly honest with the reader. Again, ego is a theme of the story and part of that is believing justification and full transparency is beneath you. So no, Conner and Addison feel no obligation to be honest with each other nor to you the reader so when we are switching POV's we cannot fully trust that the stuff we don't witness is the full truth. It's almost like each POV is a camera recording and if we don't see Addison doing something recorded--we can only take Addison's word on it--and she already lies to everyone and us so it's on us to really decide if we believe her or not. I live for unrealizable narrators and the fact that these two dumb idiots struggle trusting each other and being fully transparent with the reader adds to the (good) stress of reading this book. You want them to work together, but hell, you can't even trust them yourself.
Conclusion
This book was very fun to read and I had a great time and honestly, that's what I find the most valuable in a book. While there were plot details that my careful eye caught that fully didn't make sense to me, it wasn't enough that it soured my reading experience. I'd tell people to read this book--it was fun.
Execution of Novel Concept: 5/5
Title: 3/5
Characterization: 5/5
Dialogue: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Atmosphere: 5/5
Theme: 5/5
Prose: 5/5
Does this pass the Bechdel Test: Yes
Title
I think the place where this title is mentioned feels natural and fitting. And for the purpose of a mystery thriller this title is practical and it engages with the theme of secrets. My issue is that the person if specifically connects to does not appear enough to warrant the title space and I do fear that this book's title feels somewhat generic. It doesn't seem indivisible from the story the way that other titles do.
Characterization
Addison and Conner are two idiots sharing the same braincell and I love that. Each of them feel like fully realized and developed characters with quirks and flaws. They are like perpetually flipping magnets, both pulling each other close and repelling away from each other. They are a difficult due, and that's what makes them so interesting.
The minor characters are fleshed out and fascinating. Authors have to be economical about minor characters because of how little time they get and I do feel that each minor character glows in a unique way, taking full advantage at what little page space they have. I am a personal fan of Emelia. She had two scenes and cooked each time. What a legend.
Our antagonist felt correct. Sometimes I worry about being dragged by a red herring only to have the real answer shoved in the end with complex enough mental gymnastics that Simone Biles would be impressed--but the shoving in here was minimal and the true antagonist of the story haunts the narrative in an effective enough way that I was willing to buy into it and didn't even realize there was a red herring until it was quite literally pointed out.
Dialogue
The dialogue is witty and fun. It seems like the author was having a fun time embodying cold hearted Addison and I really enjoyed her perspective. Conner's interior monologue is also ripe with humor and quirk, and was equally a pleasure to read.
My hitches are, probably to no surprise, the Villain Monologue and Phineas' last chapter. The Villain Monologue just felt anticlimactic. It's difficult to keep tension past sixty seconds and honestly? No idea why Mx. Big Bad Evil Guy would be so honest. Was is truly ego? In a book that's all about public relations and lawsuits, I would think it's understood that in court it is never about what's true, it's all about what you can prove. The story that you can spin and get people to believe. There were 3+ witnesses to that villain monologue. What????
Finally, the Phineas' final chapter. There's a section in that chapter that ties up all the lose ends and I found it fairly clunky. I like where it's placed in the narrative and I like the way that it ends. I like the context in which it's being recorded--it's just the overexplaining of the final questions this book has seemed unnecessary ESPECIALLY when the author chose to end it the way that it ended. I think that Phineas' final chapter belongs there, I don't think his explanations of the final plot threads does.
Plot
The plot is engaging and I seldom got lost or turned around. The conspiracy was working well, the glamor and travel. The ruthlessness of a PR firm. Everything was coming together.
But why Addison does what she does at Fashion week? I don't understand her actions and I feel like the book never explains it and I am left confused. Why did she do that? I'm just confused at what game of 5D Chess Addison thinks she's playing.
The other plot point that cases the plot to stumble and cough is the connection point between Conner's benefactor and Mx. Big Bad Evil Guy. Yes the information is technically planted and Addison recalls it but there's more to seeding information than digging a hole and sticking the seed in there, metaphorically speaking. All in all, Mx. Big Bad Evil Guy felt completely underutilized and a lot of their relevant information comes right in at the end, sort of shoved in. It's not enough that I feel the need to dock a star, admittedly this is nitpicky, but for someone who so effectively haunts the narrative and get's the TITLE, I would want him to haunt the narrative a little harder. Have the information that's relevant about him exist in more places than just the very end of the story. This book needs to be so haunted by this guy that The Ghost Busters, The Scooby Gang, and The Winchesters show up.
Atmosphere
The nuances of being in PR came to life in this story and it felt well researched enough or the writing is well established in the rules it sets for itself that I believed the world that the author was feeding me. This story unveils the glamorously dark world of Public Relations and scandal that exists just below the surface of what the media is saying.
And for a mystery and thriller, I did generally feel stressed. Stressed that The Dumb Genius Duo struggled to get along and stressed about the collapsing world they're forced to sift through. A good stress. What is a thriller if you're not stressed just a little?
Theme
This book is about the deconstruction of truth. How easily it can be swayed. How a lot of the world is pointing people in the right direction so they can hide the stuff no one needs to see. It's also about ego--the way people drive themselves forwards and sometimes off a cliff in the name of being right or being successful. The genuine difficulty of admitting wrongdoing. And most important, the way that progress is not linear. It is a frustrating gallop of back and forth, and this novel executes that fairly well.
Prose
The prose is easy to follow and I seldom got lost in terms of comprehension. I wish I recorded my reaction to Phineas' first POV. I was just so thrown for a loop but man, I AM HERE FOR IT. What an interesting way to provide dramatic irony and context to the things that Addison and Conner are doing. Phineas meets a dude and in a few chapters that name shows up again in Addison or Conner's POV and your mind is like !!!!!!!!!!!!!! we know that guy!!!! from Phineas!!
The shifting perspective is good because neither Conner nor Addison are truly honest with the reader. Again, ego is a theme of the story and part of that is believing justification and full transparency is beneath you. So no, Conner and Addison feel no obligation to be honest with each other nor to you the reader so when we are switching POV's we cannot fully trust that the stuff we don't witness is the full truth. It's almost like each POV is a camera recording and if we don't see Addison doing something recorded--we can only take Addison's word on it--and she already lies to everyone and us so it's on us to really decide if we believe her or not. I live for unrealizable narrators and the fact that these two dumb idiots struggle trusting each other and being fully transparent with the reader adds to the (good) stress of reading this book. You want them to work together, but hell, you can't even trust them yourself.
Conclusion
This book was very fun to read and I had a great time and honestly, that's what I find the most valuable in a book. While there were plot details that my careful eye caught that fully didn't make sense to me, it wasn't enough that it soured my reading experience. I'd tell people to read this book--it was fun.
July 4, 2024
This book. THIS BOOK! Writing it took me to different head spaces and forced me to stretch my usual dark and foreboding style of my past thrillers to lean into the snarky, sexy, noir humor that makes Your Dark Secrets (IMHO) a fun read. I hope you agree.
If you are just discovering YDS, please know that not all sheroes wear capes. Some wear RBF.
If you just finished YDS, thank you for going on this journey with me. As my main character might remind us: Never underestimate Addison Stern.
If you are just discovering YDS, please know that not all sheroes wear capes. Some wear RBF.
If you just finished YDS, thank you for going on this journey with me. As my main character might remind us: Never underestimate Addison Stern.
February 4, 2024
Glitz and glamour and a wild ride that takes the reader all over the world! These are deeply flawed characters, but you will end up rooting for them by the end. Looking forward to seeing what Marr writes next!
December 27, 2023
Thank you so much Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for this ARC of Your Dark Secrets !
I had such high hopes for this one and the cover alone was a stand out for me and the synopsis had me intrigued.
This was more of a mystery read to me that had multiple POV's and long chapters that never seemed to end . For me the story lacked the thriller edge that I am more attracted to, as it was more on the light side , but that could just be me so don't let my point of view steer you away from this read!
Who doesn't love a LA Hollywood back mystery story ?? Addison is a LA PR exec and her ex is a private investigator that needs her help, but she would rather die than help him, but when threats of past history are dangled in front of her she resorts to assisting Connor.
If you love murder , and rival to lovers then this is a read for you !
I had such high hopes for this one and the cover alone was a stand out for me and the synopsis had me intrigued.
This was more of a mystery read to me that had multiple POV's and long chapters that never seemed to end . For me the story lacked the thriller edge that I am more attracted to, as it was more on the light side , but that could just be me so don't let my point of view steer you away from this read!
Who doesn't love a LA Hollywood back mystery story ?? Addison is a LA PR exec and her ex is a private investigator that needs her help, but she would rather die than help him, but when threats of past history are dangled in front of her she resorts to assisting Connor.
If you love murder , and rival to lovers then this is a read for you !
December 9, 2025
This is a 3.5 for me, rounding down simply because of that opening chapter of Addison and I STG if this author wrote "dominate" one more time......
But, overall, it's a good mystery. There are some twists along the way and Connor's character kind of saved the characterization for me. By the end, we're not supposed to hate Addison so much and she did seem to have a lot of character growth throughout this story.
This is told in multi POV with Addison, Connor and then Phinn's memoir voice recordings. These come into play towards the end but they kind of felt less necessary to the story than the other two POV.
The settings in this were luxury and super fun (although at times thrilling for the characters).
It's not my favorite Elle Marr story but it isn't bad and I think a lot of readers will love this one!
But, overall, it's a good mystery. There are some twists along the way and Connor's character kind of saved the characterization for me. By the end, we're not supposed to hate Addison so much and she did seem to have a lot of character growth throughout this story.
This is told in multi POV with Addison, Connor and then Phinn's memoir voice recordings. These come into play towards the end but they kind of felt less necessary to the story than the other two POV.
The settings in this were luxury and super fun (although at times thrilling for the characters).
It's not my favorite Elle Marr story but it isn't bad and I think a lot of readers will love this one!
April 25, 2024
The premise of the book sounded very interesting to me. I like a good mystery novel. Unfortunately this one fell very flat for me. I found it to be very slow except for the big twist in the end.
It was very hard to follow as it jumped around so much and thru multiple POVs.
You couldn’t really understand the characters too much. Addison was very much wanting to be pushed forward to a promotion but it never really said why.
I wasn’t a big fan. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for the honest review
It was very hard to follow as it jumped around so much and thru multiple POVs.
You couldn’t really understand the characters too much. Addison was very much wanting to be pushed forward to a promotion but it never really said why.
I wasn’t a big fan. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for the honest review
May 5, 2025
3/5 stars! This is a thriller by Elle Marr. I really liked the legal components of the story. The characters were good and I liked the timeline the story took place on. That said, I really struggled with this not feeling edgy enough; it felt like a lot of the suspense wasn't very suspenseful and was easily resolved.
July 20, 2024
4.2 🌟
an exciting combination of thriller/mystery and lovers to enemies to lovers. has some of the same vibes as mr. and mrs. smith. the perfect novel for a film adaptation… needless to say i greatly enjoyed.
an exciting combination of thriller/mystery and lovers to enemies to lovers. has some of the same vibes as mr. and mrs. smith. the perfect novel for a film adaptation… needless to say i greatly enjoyed.
July 7, 2024
Suspenseful mystery set in the world of PR and the wealthy. Also included an enemies to lovers trope. Enjoyed the story but the pacing was a little off for me. I thought it was okay and left open for a sequel. I won an advance copy in a Goodreads Giveaway.
January 14, 2025
Your Dark Secrets is a stand-alone mystery.
An advertising executive becomes a suspect when one of her clients is found dead.
I found this a struggle to stay with it until the end. I have read others by the author that were
much more interesting that I liked better.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an unbiased review.
An advertising executive becomes a suspect when one of her clients is found dead.
I found this a struggle to stay with it until the end. I have read others by the author that were
much more interesting that I liked better.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an unbiased review.
June 25, 2024
Simply put, this book was not good. I stuck around because the story/ mystery interested me and I wanted to know who done it, but trust me when I say it’s not worth it.
First of all, the writing. The inner monologue of one of the main characters is super cringy. Who says things like “ Palm trees dot the cityscape visible from the fifth floor of the Sunset Boulevard high-rise- permanent pom-poms cheering me on to do what I do best: dominate” Or “ The sooner the murders resolved the sooner I’m able to resume dominating”. I rolled my eyes so many times with just how bluntly the author was trying to make Addison a strong “girl boss”. I don’t mind when books have characters I hate, but when I’m explicitly supposed to like someone and end up finding them irritating, it really ruins the story because I don’t care what happens to them.
I only found out after finishing the book that it’s supposed to be a romance. I definitely wouldn’t call it that. The whole book is just a back and forth of; I like you, I hate you, I need you, I don’t need anyone. I guess it’s a romance if you find irrational behavior of a women having sex with you one minute, and then never wanting to see you ever again the next romantic? There was no sense in a lot of the reactions the characters had to each other and it left me feeling lost and confused.
For the majority of my read I was thinking this was like a solid 2-2.5 star book, but after reading the end it earned itself a 1 star (something I usually reserve for books I don’t even finish). Imagine the most corny speech at the end of a movie where the villain spendings forever going over his “master plan” and how the characters were being manipulated the whole time according to him, yeah that’s what this was. I mean the “mystery” took like 5 pages to explain and I still don’t fully understand. It was like an overly complicated explanation to tie everything together was randomly thought of after the whole book was written and someone was like “well what’s the answer to the mystery? Who’s behind everything?” and the author had to scramble to come up with something. I don’t know it was garbage. And then it pulled one of those “wait there’s more! Surprise!” and it was total overkill that didn’t fully make make sense.
Overall, it’s a hard pass.
First of all, the writing. The inner monologue of one of the main characters is super cringy. Who says things like “ Palm trees dot the cityscape visible from the fifth floor of the Sunset Boulevard high-rise- permanent pom-poms cheering me on to do what I do best: dominate” Or “ The sooner the murders resolved the sooner I’m able to resume dominating”. I rolled my eyes so many times with just how bluntly the author was trying to make Addison a strong “girl boss”. I don’t mind when books have characters I hate, but when I’m explicitly supposed to like someone and end up finding them irritating, it really ruins the story because I don’t care what happens to them.
I only found out after finishing the book that it’s supposed to be a romance. I definitely wouldn’t call it that. The whole book is just a back and forth of; I like you, I hate you, I need you, I don’t need anyone. I guess it’s a romance if you find irrational behavior of a women having sex with you one minute, and then never wanting to see you ever again the next romantic? There was no sense in a lot of the reactions the characters had to each other and it left me feeling lost and confused.
For the majority of my read I was thinking this was like a solid 2-2.5 star book, but after reading the end it earned itself a 1 star (something I usually reserve for books I don’t even finish). Imagine the most corny speech at the end of a movie where the villain spendings forever going over his “master plan” and how the characters were being manipulated the whole time according to him, yeah that’s what this was. I mean the “mystery” took like 5 pages to explain and I still don’t fully understand. It was like an overly complicated explanation to tie everything together was randomly thought of after the whole book was written and someone was like “well what’s the answer to the mystery? Who’s behind everything?” and the author had to scramble to come up with something. I don’t know it was garbage. And then it pulled one of those “wait there’s more! Surprise!” and it was total overkill that didn’t fully make make sense.
Overall, it’s a hard pass.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2024
I just finished Your Dark Secret by Elle Marr and it was just okay. The bones of a good story were there, but the execution was lacking. Let’s start off with characters.
The Characters:
I found her characters to be a bit lackluster and hard to love. I simply did not care what happened to them. I started this book at the end of December, but took a 3 week break due to some vacation time. When it was time to get back to reading, I realized that I was in no rush to figure out what was going to happen to them.
I think the biggest issue is that when it came to the characters and their backstory, we were only told a little bit and were shown even less. For the main female character, she was very gung-ho about proving herself and getting to the top, but we never really got a lot of the why. I don’t usually mind having an unlikable character, but if that’s the route you’re going to take, I really need a proper villain origin story. What we did get as far as her backstory, just seemed very underwhelming.
That’s the same for the male character as well. His personality wasn’t necessarily that of a villain, so an origin story really isn’t necessary, but I would have liked to be shown more of his back story with his accompanying emotional narrative. Without that, I simply cannot connect with him either.
When it comes to the characters’ emotions, we were mostly told of the anger but not much else. I think it’s says something about how we connect with people. Anger is more of a secondary emotion and is usually born out of a deeper, more raw emotion like betrayal or hurt. I think for the main female character we never truly got the underlying emotion. we just got her anger and her desire to prove herself. we never actually got the rawness underneath and I think that is why it was so difficult to connect with not just her, but both of the characters.
The Plot:
The next issue I had was some of the plotting. I’m not a big fan of plot lines that end up being misdirects from the author. It’s one thing if the misdirect is intentional on the part of one of the characters, but when the author throws in misdirects that are left dangling, it really takes away from the story. I wish it would have been better tied into the overall plot in some sort of way. It just seemed to exist to fill up pages, rather than to actually lend some kind of credence to the story.
The Logic:
My last issue was the logic. As the story was concluding, their just seemed to be so much happening at the end and it felt a bit convoluted. It felt like there wasn’t enough of a motivation for the story to have gone the way that it did. I just needed more motivation to explain the actions of each character. I simply didn’t buy it.
Finally, what was that ending? I don’t think it was necessary. It almost felt like Marr was trying to not let the “bad guy” win. In my opinion, the character growth was enough to end the story.
As far as what I did like, Marr’s writing is very smooth, I had no trouble with reading through her writing style. This was not a difficult or distracting read in the least.
Overall, there was enough of a story here to where I didn’t DNF it. I just didn’t really enjoy it or find it intriguing. For that reason I give it three stars.
The Characters:
I found her characters to be a bit lackluster and hard to love. I simply did not care what happened to them. I started this book at the end of December, but took a 3 week break due to some vacation time. When it was time to get back to reading, I realized that I was in no rush to figure out what was going to happen to them.
I think the biggest issue is that when it came to the characters and their backstory, we were only told a little bit and were shown even less. For the main female character, she was very gung-ho about proving herself and getting to the top, but we never really got a lot of the why. I don’t usually mind having an unlikable character, but if that’s the route you’re going to take, I really need a proper villain origin story. What we did get as far as her backstory, just seemed very underwhelming.
That’s the same for the male character as well. His personality wasn’t necessarily that of a villain, so an origin story really isn’t necessary, but I would have liked to be shown more of his back story with his accompanying emotional narrative. Without that, I simply cannot connect with him either.
When it comes to the characters’ emotions, we were mostly told of the anger but not much else. I think it’s says something about how we connect with people. Anger is more of a secondary emotion and is usually born out of a deeper, more raw emotion like betrayal or hurt. I think for the main female character we never truly got the underlying emotion. we just got her anger and her desire to prove herself. we never actually got the rawness underneath and I think that is why it was so difficult to connect with not just her, but both of the characters.
The Plot:
The next issue I had was some of the plotting. I’m not a big fan of plot lines that end up being misdirects from the author. It’s one thing if the misdirect is intentional on the part of one of the characters, but when the author throws in misdirects that are left dangling, it really takes away from the story. I wish it would have been better tied into the overall plot in some sort of way. It just seemed to exist to fill up pages, rather than to actually lend some kind of credence to the story.
The Logic:
My last issue was the logic. As the story was concluding, their just seemed to be so much happening at the end and it felt a bit convoluted. It felt like there wasn’t enough of a motivation for the story to have gone the way that it did. I just needed more motivation to explain the actions of each character. I simply didn’t buy it.
Finally, what was that ending? I don’t think it was necessary. It almost felt like Marr was trying to not let the “bad guy” win. In my opinion, the character growth was enough to end the story.
As far as what I did like, Marr’s writing is very smooth, I had no trouble with reading through her writing style. This was not a difficult or distracting read in the least.
Overall, there was enough of a story here to where I didn’t DNF it. I just didn’t really enjoy it or find it intriguing. For that reason I give it three stars.
February 28, 2024
Public Relations firm, Ovid Blackwell, and its top smoozers, Addison, and firm partner Peter, are pros at making less-than-perfect clients appear as models of society with glistening reputations in Elle Marr’s novel, “Your Dark Secrets.”
However, when patrons start dying, fingers seem to be all pointed towards Addison for their murders—although she typically has solid alibis during the times of the murders.
No one’s fool, sassy, strong-willed, and truth-seeking Addison, along with her former colleague and boyfriend, Connor, a private detective, take matters into their own hands investigating. What they uncover is a long history of corruption and abuse that taints the very foundations and integrity of Addison’s world.
JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Elle Marr, and Publisher Hyperion Avenue, an adult imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide, for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.
However, when patrons start dying, fingers seem to be all pointed towards Addison for their murders—although she typically has solid alibis during the times of the murders.
No one’s fool, sassy, strong-willed, and truth-seeking Addison, along with her former colleague and boyfriend, Connor, a private detective, take matters into their own hands investigating. What they uncover is a long history of corruption and abuse that taints the very foundations and integrity of Addison’s world.
JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Elle Marr, and Publisher Hyperion Avenue, an adult imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide, for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.
January 17, 2024
2.5 rounded down
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, as well as the author, for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
*sigh* This book is advertised as an "up-all-night read" and "suspenseful thriller", but I found it soo boring. Literally felt like nothing happened until 80% in. Even then, it still wasn't even thrilling to me. I was expecting there to be conspiracy with the world's most elite and powerful people, but they didn't get the memo I guess. LOL
I STRUGGLED to remain in the story. By the end, I just wanted it to be done so bad. It was ridiculously drawn out and there was so much going on that it was hard to follow. Half the time, whatever they were doing didn't really add to any plot line what so ever. And what TF was that ending? Did you just throw that in there to give a wow factor because everything else was a bust?
It just all fell very, very flat for me and I didn't enjoy it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, as well as the author, for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
*sigh* This book is advertised as an "up-all-night read" and "suspenseful thriller", but I found it soo boring. Literally felt like nothing happened until 80% in. Even then, it still wasn't even thrilling to me. I was expecting there to be conspiracy with the world's most elite and powerful people, but they didn't get the memo I guess. LOL
I STRUGGLED to remain in the story. By the end, I just wanted it to be done so bad. It was ridiculously drawn out and there was so much going on that it was hard to follow. Half the time, whatever they were doing didn't really add to any plot line what so ever. And what TF was that ending? Did you just throw that in there to give a wow factor because everything else was a bust?
It just all fell very, very flat for me and I didn't enjoy it.
July 30, 2024
3 out of 5 Stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Addison Stern was a powerful LA PR exec who would do anything to protect her clients. She works for Ovid Blackwell Group, where the rich and famous go to keep their secrets hidden. Connor Windell is a private investigator trying to make a new name for himself, after his reputation is ruined by his ex-girlfriend. Better known as Addison. While working separate jobs, they come together when their clients overlap. While working, they uncover lies from the world’s most elite and powerful people. Will they be able to uncover the truth? And stay alive?
I can confidently say I have never read a book like “Your Dark Secrets” by Elle Marr! This was a very fast-paced, refreshing thriller about the most influential people. The plot really reminded me of a spy movie, uncovering secrets left and right. If you really enjoy books about crime, I would highly recommend this book to you. Even if you just like mysteries and thrillers, I think this book will still appeal to you as the mysteries unfold! Also, there is a tad of romance if you are into that too. Seriously, what didn’t this book have?
This was a very fast-paced book, with multiple POVs propelling the book forward. Not only are you hearing about Addison and Connor, but reading a transcript of a podcast of one of the characters. I really enjoyed this, as it lightened up the book and added a comedic effect. I really liked the main characters, Addison and Connor! They were sharp, funny, and interesting to read. I really enjoyed learning about their line of work and their backstories.
Even though I love tangled webs, this book was a lot for me. I was really glad I was paying attention at the beginning of the book with the introductions of multiple characters. I do think it was a tad great, with multiple storylines taking place. I think with fewer characters with complex stories, it would have been a top book contender.
Lastly, the ending answered all of my questions and left me with questions at the same time. I think we need one more chapter to wrap everything up. Maybe Elle Marr was leaving it open-ended for a series? Which I would totally read. But, I think the second to last chapter muddled the waters for me.
Pick up “Your Dark Secrets” by Elle Marr on July 30th, 2024!
Thank you to Hyperion Avenue, Elle Marr, and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Addison Stern was a powerful LA PR exec who would do anything to protect her clients. She works for Ovid Blackwell Group, where the rich and famous go to keep their secrets hidden. Connor Windell is a private investigator trying to make a new name for himself, after his reputation is ruined by his ex-girlfriend. Better known as Addison. While working separate jobs, they come together when their clients overlap. While working, they uncover lies from the world’s most elite and powerful people. Will they be able to uncover the truth? And stay alive?
I can confidently say I have never read a book like “Your Dark Secrets” by Elle Marr! This was a very fast-paced, refreshing thriller about the most influential people. The plot really reminded me of a spy movie, uncovering secrets left and right. If you really enjoy books about crime, I would highly recommend this book to you. Even if you just like mysteries and thrillers, I think this book will still appeal to you as the mysteries unfold! Also, there is a tad of romance if you are into that too. Seriously, what didn’t this book have?
This was a very fast-paced book, with multiple POVs propelling the book forward. Not only are you hearing about Addison and Connor, but reading a transcript of a podcast of one of the characters. I really enjoyed this, as it lightened up the book and added a comedic effect. I really liked the main characters, Addison and Connor! They were sharp, funny, and interesting to read. I really enjoyed learning about their line of work and their backstories.
Even though I love tangled webs, this book was a lot for me. I was really glad I was paying attention at the beginning of the book with the introductions of multiple characters. I do think it was a tad great, with multiple storylines taking place. I think with fewer characters with complex stories, it would have been a top book contender.
Lastly, the ending answered all of my questions and left me with questions at the same time. I think we need one more chapter to wrap everything up. Maybe Elle Marr was leaving it open-ended for a series? Which I would totally read. But, I think the second to last chapter muddled the waters for me.
Pick up “Your Dark Secrets” by Elle Marr on July 30th, 2024!
Thank you to Hyperion Avenue, Elle Marr, and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
September 6, 2024
📚 BOOK REVIEW! [ARC] 📚
Your Dark Secrets by Elle Marr
Length: 400 pages
Genre: Thriller
POV: Multiple (Phinneas, Addison, Connor)
Pub Date: July 30, 2024
Thank you to @netgalley and @hyperionavebooks for the e-ARC of this book. The opinions here are solely my own.
Synopsis:
Publicist to the A-listers, Addison Stern with go to extreme lengths to keep her clients happy and in the limelight for the right reasons. Unfortunately, she has had to step on quite a few toes along the way to get to where she is. Connor Windell, P.I. is in major financial trouble and just happens to be one of her stepping stones. Their paths cross when one of Addison's top clients is murdered and the case coincides with one of Connor's investigations. Addison and Connor's previous passionate romance is getting in the way of solving who murdered her client as all avenues make them both question each others' motives... Can Addison and Connor trust each other enough to find out who is picking off the firm's clients before all the fingers end up pointing at them??
Opinion:
I have to be honest, this book was not really what I hoped it would be. I was looking for a little more excitement and it was a little slow-paced at times. I enjoyed the variety of locations, but felt that the characters weren't super likeable and I wasn't invested in their investigation. Without giving away anything, I also thought the end was completely unnecessary and made me feel like the whole point of the book was kind of for nothing. It might be worth giving this one a try if you are into A-lister cover-ups and pharmaceutical scandal (yes those are very specific haha). I would definitely give this author another chance as maybe it was just this particular story I didn't completely gel with.
Your Dark Secrets by Elle Marr
Length: 400 pages
Genre: Thriller
POV: Multiple (Phinneas, Addison, Connor)
Pub Date: July 30, 2024
Thank you to @netgalley and @hyperionavebooks for the e-ARC of this book. The opinions here are solely my own.
Synopsis:
Publicist to the A-listers, Addison Stern with go to extreme lengths to keep her clients happy and in the limelight for the right reasons. Unfortunately, she has had to step on quite a few toes along the way to get to where she is. Connor Windell, P.I. is in major financial trouble and just happens to be one of her stepping stones. Their paths cross when one of Addison's top clients is murdered and the case coincides with one of Connor's investigations. Addison and Connor's previous passionate romance is getting in the way of solving who murdered her client as all avenues make them both question each others' motives... Can Addison and Connor trust each other enough to find out who is picking off the firm's clients before all the fingers end up pointing at them??
Opinion:
I have to be honest, this book was not really what I hoped it would be. I was looking for a little more excitement and it was a little slow-paced at times. I enjoyed the variety of locations, but felt that the characters weren't super likeable and I wasn't invested in their investigation. Without giving away anything, I also thought the end was completely unnecessary and made me feel like the whole point of the book was kind of for nothing. It might be worth giving this one a try if you are into A-lister cover-ups and pharmaceutical scandal (yes those are very specific haha). I would definitely give this author another chance as maybe it was just this particular story I didn't completely gel with.
April 2, 2024
My one thousandth book on Goodreads!
*4.5 stars rounded up*
Welcome to the world of the wealthy & famous, where merciless PR executives like Addison Stern help spin the truth & private investigators like Connor Windell dig up secrets for hire. Networking is everything in their lines of work, & back before Addison forced Connor into early retirement they had quite the connection (maybe it was even love), but now these two exes have to set aside their differences (for the most part) & team up to figure out a mutually beneficial case. This book takes you to Las Vegas, Los Angeles & its Fashion Week, the Amalfi Coast, the French Riviera, & Hong Kong - along the way the sparks start to fly between these two again, but the danger is also ratcheting up…
I really enjoyed the format of this book, getting the POV of both Addison & Connor as well as the memoir recordings of one of the clients. The different players in this story & the way they connected made for quite a puzzle, & the travel around the world made for some great settings - I’m a big fan of Elle Marr’s thrillers, & it was fun to have the added romance in this one - also loved little details like the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game that made the characters feel more real. I will say that I’m not personally wild about the ending, but I definitely understand why the author made that choice & it’s not what I would’ve predicted - so props to her for being surprising!
Thank you to NetGalley & Hyperion Avenue for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
*4.5 stars rounded up*
Welcome to the world of the wealthy & famous, where merciless PR executives like Addison Stern help spin the truth & private investigators like Connor Windell dig up secrets for hire. Networking is everything in their lines of work, & back before Addison forced Connor into early retirement they had quite the connection (maybe it was even love), but now these two exes have to set aside their differences (for the most part) & team up to figure out a mutually beneficial case. This book takes you to Las Vegas, Los Angeles & its Fashion Week, the Amalfi Coast, the French Riviera, & Hong Kong - along the way the sparks start to fly between these two again, but the danger is also ratcheting up…
I really enjoyed the format of this book, getting the POV of both Addison & Connor as well as the memoir recordings of one of the clients. The different players in this story & the way they connected made for quite a puzzle, & the travel around the world made for some great settings - I’m a big fan of Elle Marr’s thrillers, & it was fun to have the added romance in this one - also loved little details like the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game that made the characters feel more real. I will say that I’m not personally wild about the ending, but I definitely understand why the author made that choice & it’s not what I would’ve predicted - so props to her for being surprising!
Thank you to NetGalley & Hyperion Avenue for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 24, 2024
One of my favorite books of 2023 was Jordan Harper’s Everybody Knows, which follows a PR executive and a disgraced PI as they unravel a gritty neon-noir mystery at the heart of Los Angeles. Ever since I’ve been looking for that magic pairing of “PR and PI” in the hopes I can find more books where these two seedy, seamy undersides of Los Angeles come together in some kind of mysterious tangle.
I was hoping Your Dark Secrets would give me the high I was searching for, but I spent the whole book chasing it and then was absolutely upset with myself at the end for sticking with it.
The first half of this book is interesting, if a slower build than I like to see in a jet-set suspense thriller with so much on the line for the main characters and taking place over what seems like a pretty short time frame. The pacing is off, there’s a bit too much filler, but it wasn’t unsalvageable. Sadly, in the back half of the book it just fell apart for me: the pacing was all over the place, the characters were inconsistent, there was too much filler, there was a very obvious evil villain monologue, and everything was either tied up too neatly or left dangling like a snagged sweater.
Ultimately, it was a very flawed book, in my opinion.
I was provided a copy of this title by Netgalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Reviews rated three stars or below will not appear on my social media. Thank you.
File Under: Suspense Romance/Suspense Thriller
I was hoping Your Dark Secrets would give me the high I was searching for, but I spent the whole book chasing it and then was absolutely upset with myself at the end for sticking with it.
The first half of this book is interesting, if a slower build than I like to see in a jet-set suspense thriller with so much on the line for the main characters and taking place over what seems like a pretty short time frame. The pacing is off, there’s a bit too much filler, but it wasn’t unsalvageable. Sadly, in the back half of the book it just fell apart for me: the pacing was all over the place, the characters were inconsistent, there was too much filler, there was a very obvious evil villain monologue, and everything was either tied up too neatly or left dangling like a snagged sweater.
Ultimately, it was a very flawed book, in my opinion.
I was provided a copy of this title by Netgalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Reviews rated three stars or below will not appear on my social media. Thank you.
File Under: Suspense Romance/Suspense Thriller
August 9, 2024
Many thanks to Netgalley for this book. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.
3.5/5 stars
In this book we are following Addison and Connor. Addison and Connor are former lovers who broke up after Addison used information that she toke from Connor’s phone to her her career as a publicist. Connor also worked in public relations until Addison’s stunt cost him his job and he had to leave LA. Then the night that Addison’s newest client Redwood who is in pharmaceuticals is found murdered she ends up being the prime suspect. Addison is asked by her boss to take a leave of absence but she doesn’t and ends up getting a big name client who is starting her own fashion line. Throughout the month leading to Fashion Week Addison and Connor learn that their former clients knew each other and another one of Addison’s former clients ends up dead and an actress that Addison worked with may be next. Addison and Connor work together to solve the mystery and get justice for Addison’s clients. Peter, Addison’s boss, is revealed to be the killer who wanted to keep the company’s name clean and Addison live-streamed the entire thing. Addison and Connor were also able to connect the dots through Phineas voice memos that he was making prior to his death including one that she never heard where he named his killer. A month after Peter is arrested Addison is with a new client but is shot by a man that she was mean to at the beginning of the book and she believes that she is dying. Addison was a pretty unlikeable character until close to the end when she changed her ways.
3.5/5 stars
In this book we are following Addison and Connor. Addison and Connor are former lovers who broke up after Addison used information that she toke from Connor’s phone to her her career as a publicist. Connor also worked in public relations until Addison’s stunt cost him his job and he had to leave LA. Then the night that Addison’s newest client Redwood who is in pharmaceuticals is found murdered she ends up being the prime suspect. Addison is asked by her boss to take a leave of absence but she doesn’t and ends up getting a big name client who is starting her own fashion line. Throughout the month leading to Fashion Week Addison and Connor learn that their former clients knew each other and another one of Addison’s former clients ends up dead and an actress that Addison worked with may be next. Addison and Connor work together to solve the mystery and get justice for Addison’s clients. Peter, Addison’s boss, is revealed to be the killer who wanted to keep the company’s name clean and Addison live-streamed the entire thing. Addison and Connor were also able to connect the dots through Phineas voice memos that he was making prior to his death including one that she never heard where he named his killer. A month after Peter is arrested Addison is with a new client but is shot by a man that she was mean to at the beginning of the book and she believes that she is dying. Addison was a pretty unlikeable character until close to the end when she changed her ways.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2024
2.5 stars -- this book had everything I was looking for -- a badass PR exec and a disgraced PI who are enemies to lovers uncovering and solving a conspiracy in a "propulsive, up-all-night thriller". Well this -- was not that.
First of all, I could never get over my dislike of either of these characters, Addison and Connor. I was not rooting for them to get together and in fact their relationship was so toxic I actively wanted them to leave each other alone. Instead of having tension and genuine interest in one another, these two were shallow and untrustworthy until the bitter end. Addison alluded to her lack of trust in anyone coming from a bad upbringing but there wasn't enough there to explain her actions. There's ambition and then there is just razing anything that gets in your way to the ground.
There were way too many moving parts and the reveal of the conspiracy totally fell flat after the way it was built up. I keep waiting for some big time players to get involved and that never happened.
Addison as a suspect for her dead clients never made any sense, as did many parts of this plot.
So much of this story felt unbelievable and shoe-horned into the direction the author wanted to take it. I found myself desperately wanting to get to the finish but that last chapter left me totally gobsmacked.
Unfortunately, just a miss for me largely due in part to the way it was marketed (which is ironic given that this book is all of the untruths in marketing).
Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
First of all, I could never get over my dislike of either of these characters, Addison and Connor. I was not rooting for them to get together and in fact their relationship was so toxic I actively wanted them to leave each other alone. Instead of having tension and genuine interest in one another, these two were shallow and untrustworthy until the bitter end. Addison alluded to her lack of trust in anyone coming from a bad upbringing but there wasn't enough there to explain her actions. There's ambition and then there is just razing anything that gets in your way to the ground.
There were way too many moving parts and the reveal of the conspiracy totally fell flat after the way it was built up. I keep waiting for some big time players to get involved and that never happened.
Addison as a suspect for her dead clients never made any sense, as did many parts of this plot.
So much of this story felt unbelievable and shoe-horned into the direction the author wanted to take it. I found myself desperately wanting to get to the finish but that last chapter left me totally gobsmacked.
Unfortunately, just a miss for me largely due in part to the way it was marketed (which is ironic given that this book is all of the untruths in marketing).
Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
June 12, 2024
2.5 stars
The premise has everything I’d want in a thriller - enemies to lovers, a disgraced PI, dual POV, a whip smart PR exec whose heels and reputation can smash any rumor for her clients, and a murder mystery spanning several glamorous locations. Unfortunately, this failed to deliver in several regards.
The logic of this book was confusing and difficult to follow - why would the fmc be the FBI’s main suspect with no physical evidence in this day and age? Why is the FBI involved at all with the first crime which took solely place in LA? The twists were ultimately very convenient and the final reveal from the “big bad” read like a lame Bond villain confession.
There were also a few moments that were cringeworthy for me. The sheer number of Kevin Bacon mentions. The way the main character repeatedly referred to herself in third person to emphasize her badass nature (“Addison Stern always gets what she wants”), the social media app called Boom Boom.
Finally, the love story could’ve been improved. This is a closed door romance but the interactions weren’t heated or exciting enough to make me root for the couple. I truly didn’t care if they hooked up or not, especially since Addison was constantly reminding the reader what an ice queen bitch she was who needed no one.
Thanks to Goodreads Giveaway for an ARC. This book releases on July 30.
The premise has everything I’d want in a thriller - enemies to lovers, a disgraced PI, dual POV, a whip smart PR exec whose heels and reputation can smash any rumor for her clients, and a murder mystery spanning several glamorous locations. Unfortunately, this failed to deliver in several regards.
The logic of this book was confusing and difficult to follow - why would the fmc be the FBI’s main suspect with no physical evidence in this day and age? Why is the FBI involved at all with the first crime which took solely place in LA? The twists were ultimately very convenient and the final reveal from the “big bad” read like a lame Bond villain confession.
There were also a few moments that were cringeworthy for me. The sheer number of Kevin Bacon mentions. The way the main character repeatedly referred to herself in third person to emphasize her badass nature (“Addison Stern always gets what she wants”), the social media app called Boom Boom.
Finally, the love story could’ve been improved. This is a closed door romance but the interactions weren’t heated or exciting enough to make me root for the couple. I truly didn’t care if they hooked up or not, especially since Addison was constantly reminding the reader what an ice queen bitch she was who needed no one.
Thanks to Goodreads Giveaway for an ARC. This book releases on July 30.
January 2, 2024
Super engrossing story about two deeply flawed characters that you can't help but root for in their quest to solve the mysteries around them, salvage their careers and rekindle their relationship. It had a little bit of a slow start, but once it got moving, it was hard to put down. Well written, engrossing twists and turns and an ending I didn't see coming.
For those who love a true enemies to lovers story and a second chance romance with the mystery/suspense front and center and not a sub-plot, you will dig this one!
Slight spoilers ahead!!!!!!!
At first, I didn't love the way the book ended. Seeing the book tagged as romantic suspense, I wasn't expecting the HEA to take the turn it did at the very end. BUT after thinking more about it (the book was THAT good that I was still thinking about the next morning), it's kind of poetic justice for Addison's story arc. Was I cheering for that ice queen to thaw a little and have her HEA? Yes. However, it makes sense that she wasn't able to outrun the choices she'd made to get where she was.
I will also throw it out into the universe that the ambiguous ending could leave it open to a sequel! :) Could we see Addison and Connor come back again to solve another mystery while still trying to figure out how to trust each other???
For those who love a true enemies to lovers story and a second chance romance with the mystery/suspense front and center and not a sub-plot, you will dig this one!
Slight spoilers ahead!!!!!!!
At first, I didn't love the way the book ended. Seeing the book tagged as romantic suspense, I wasn't expecting the HEA to take the turn it did at the very end. BUT after thinking more about it (the book was THAT good that I was still thinking about the next morning), it's kind of poetic justice for Addison's story arc. Was I cheering for that ice queen to thaw a little and have her HEA? Yes. However, it makes sense that she wasn't able to outrun the choices she'd made to get where she was.
I will also throw it out into the universe that the ambiguous ending could leave it open to a sequel! :) Could we see Addison and Connor come back again to solve another mystery while still trying to figure out how to trust each other???
January 3, 2024
Addison is an overachieving, stop at nothing PR specialist who will stop at nothing to earn the title of partner at the elite LA firm she works for. Connor is a has been PI who is down on his luck, out of money, and running from a bookie, battling the desire for love and revenge against the woman who took everything he had worked for. When one of Addison's clients if found dead (by her) she becomes one of the prime suspects. Connor is given one more chance as a PI to try and find out if his client's daughter is being cheated on. We quickly learn of the past love life of Addison and Connor, which ended badly. They keep crossing paths and leaning on each other for information, when they realize there a few too many coincidences in their very different scenarios.
Overall, I enjoyed this read. I liked the ebb and flow of the relationship between Addison and Connor and the alternating points of view. It made things interesting to see how differently their minds and experiences worked for them (and against them) to solves some tricky puzzles. There did seem to be a lot of characters to keep track of, but it was fun getting to know them and how they were all connected in one big web.
Overall, I enjoyed this read. I liked the ebb and flow of the relationship between Addison and Connor and the alternating points of view. It made things interesting to see how differently their minds and experiences worked for them (and against them) to solves some tricky puzzles. There did seem to be a lot of characters to keep track of, but it was fun getting to know them and how they were all connected in one big web.
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