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We Knew All Along
Blame the booze, her shaky marriage, her troubled son, or a thousand other things. Jewelann Jordan has one thing on her mind when she attends her class reunion, and that's making sure her old crush Christian Campbell sees exactly what he lost all those years ago. A late night, a hotel room, a rekindled flame that burns even hotter than it did back then. What could go wrong?
Everything.
The night with Christian isn't the first secret Jewelann has kept from her husband Ken, so one more shouldn't be much harder--except that Christian shows up without warning, seemingly determined to do his best to mess up Jewelann's life in any way he can. Worse than that, he seems to have his sights set on charming her son, Eli, and befriending her husband. Revenge isn't so sweet when it bites you back, but Jewelann is determined to keep Christian from ruining everything she's worked so hard to keep safe, including her son.
Fighting to keep it all from spiraling out of control, Jewelann discovers Christian is not the man he claims to be. When darker secrets emerge, even closer to home, Jewelann takes the chance to turn the tables on him. The more Jewelann digs for the truth, the uglier--and the deadlier--it gets.
Everything.
The night with Christian isn't the first secret Jewelann has kept from her husband Ken, so one more shouldn't be much harder--except that Christian shows up without warning, seemingly determined to do his best to mess up Jewelann's life in any way he can. Worse than that, he seems to have his sights set on charming her son, Eli, and befriending her husband. Revenge isn't so sweet when it bites you back, but Jewelann is determined to keep Christian from ruining everything she's worked so hard to keep safe, including her son.
Fighting to keep it all from spiraling out of control, Jewelann discovers Christian is not the man he claims to be. When darker secrets emerge, even closer to home, Jewelann takes the chance to turn the tables on him. The more Jewelann digs for the truth, the uglier--and the deadlier--it gets.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published December 6, 2022
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8885 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 356 reviews
December 4, 2024
My prediction for this book was 5 stars, love the title & the cover, too. This ended up being a whole lot of nothing. Nothing & I truly mean nothing happened until page 200/260. I don’t have anything more to say.
December 6, 2022
Jewelann Jordan wants what many women want when she attends her high school reunion-to show up looking better than the girls from your class who ignored you-and to have the guy who broke your heart regret that he had ever let you go….
She straps on the designer shoes 👠 that she found unworn in an estate sale and gives herself a pep talk, before walking in..”I am bright. I am sparkling. I am poised. I am vibrant. I am a vision!”
But what she is really thinking is-“I am a mirage”
Her husband is traveling (again) and cannot attend with her, and her son has been troubled since a traumatic event from his childhood, but she will play a part when she sees Christian again-and she will lure him away from the party with a promise of something more…
“I am bold. I am seductive. I am the one in charge here” (though she will make him think otherwise)
She thinks she has succeeded at the charade-until he shows up after the reunion in her kitchen, having just rented the carriage house in her backyard, from her husband.
Whoops!
She can’t have Christian this close to her controlling spouse-her marriage is a “string of deceptions, one after the other like pearls on a necklace-cut the string and they”ll all scatter”! (Favorite highlighted passage)
And, she has worked too hard to protect her son, Eli to have anyone or anything threaten her marriage or their home.
But she feels powerless to change things now.
Mina Hardy (who also writes as NY Times best-selling author, Megan Hart) has an engaging writing style, and she had me intrigued from the start….where was this going?
Is it a stalker story?
How does her son’s early childhood trauma play into the narrative?
And, why are there so many plumbing issues?
Two interesting plot points which may have worked better had they been two separate novels as they didn’t quite come together in the end for me.
BUT-I was entertained and never had to skim!
3.5 ⭐️
This was a buddy read with Sabrina (Sabireads) and we had so much fun trying to guess where this was headed! (we did pretty good! 😉) Be sure to check out her amazing review for additional thoughts!
NOW AVAILABLE
Thank You to Penguin Random House for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley! It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
She straps on the designer shoes 👠 that she found unworn in an estate sale and gives herself a pep talk, before walking in..”I am bright. I am sparkling. I am poised. I am vibrant. I am a vision!”
But what she is really thinking is-“I am a mirage”
Her husband is traveling (again) and cannot attend with her, and her son has been troubled since a traumatic event from his childhood, but she will play a part when she sees Christian again-and she will lure him away from the party with a promise of something more…
“I am bold. I am seductive. I am the one in charge here” (though she will make him think otherwise)
She thinks she has succeeded at the charade-until he shows up after the reunion in her kitchen, having just rented the carriage house in her backyard, from her husband.
Whoops!
She can’t have Christian this close to her controlling spouse-her marriage is a “string of deceptions, one after the other like pearls on a necklace-cut the string and they”ll all scatter”! (Favorite highlighted passage)
And, she has worked too hard to protect her son, Eli to have anyone or anything threaten her marriage or their home.
But she feels powerless to change things now.
Mina Hardy (who also writes as NY Times best-selling author, Megan Hart) has an engaging writing style, and she had me intrigued from the start….where was this going?
Is it a stalker story?
How does her son’s early childhood trauma play into the narrative?
And, why are there so many plumbing issues?
Two interesting plot points which may have worked better had they been two separate novels as they didn’t quite come together in the end for me.
BUT-I was entertained and never had to skim!
3.5 ⭐️
This was a buddy read with Sabrina (Sabireads) and we had so much fun trying to guess where this was headed! (we did pretty good! 😉) Be sure to check out her amazing review for additional thoughts!
NOW AVAILABLE
Thank You to Penguin Random House for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley! It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
June 22, 2022
Jewellann Jordan is stuck in a bad marriage with a young son who’s troubled. She decides to attend her high school reunion, and to make herself feel better, gain the attraction of Christian Campbell. He’s the one she used to love in high school, and he left her high and dry.
Christian can’t help but notice Jewellann and how great she looks now. She decides to get a bit of revenge, but things don’t go as planned. Suddenly Christian is everywhere, and he seems intent on ruining her life. If only she left well enough alone.
This is an entertaining and well written suspense story that was easy to fly through. I was never bored, but I have to say I didn’t find the ending to be that realistic or surprising. It was a bit too much in a story where everything was pretty logical up until that point. Still, not a bad one to fly through if you’re looking for a quick, engaging beach read.
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 12/6/22.
Christian can’t help but notice Jewellann and how great she looks now. She decides to get a bit of revenge, but things don’t go as planned. Suddenly Christian is everywhere, and he seems intent on ruining her life. If only she left well enough alone.
This is an entertaining and well written suspense story that was easy to fly through. I was never bored, but I have to say I didn’t find the ending to be that realistic or surprising. It was a bit too much in a story where everything was pretty logical up until that point. Still, not a bad one to fly through if you’re looking for a quick, engaging beach read.
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 12/6/22.
December 12, 2022
I don’t know how I came to request this from the library, but I’m not happy with whatever version of Kelly it was that cost me the hours I’ll never get back from reading it.
Things started with what seemed to be a revenge tale where the leading lady is plotting something against the boy who took advantage of her back in high school …. but all she does is gives him blue balls.
She used to be a pill addict and now is hiding a secret shopping addiction … but she shops yard and estate sales and $20 was her big purchase???
She thinks her husband is leading a double life and is super jelly he has never taken her on her dream vacay … to Wisconsin Dells.
Her husband is a control freak and turning abusive so she’s going to kill him … with the help of her new tenant renting the carriage house … who just happens to be the boy from high school.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this everything but the kitchen sink story.
Eesh.
Things started with what seemed to be a revenge tale where the leading lady is plotting something against the boy who took advantage of her back in high school …. but all she does is gives him blue balls.
She used to be a pill addict and now is hiding a secret shopping addiction … but she shops yard and estate sales and $20 was her big purchase???
She thinks her husband is leading a double life and is super jelly he has never taken her on her dream vacay … to Wisconsin Dells.
Her husband is a control freak and turning abusive so she’s going to kill him … with the help of her new tenant renting the carriage house … who just happens to be the boy from high school.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this everything but the kitchen sink story.
Eesh.
September 14, 2022
I hate, hate, hate that I didn’t love the ending of this book. I updated my progress at about 60% in, and said I had no idea where this book was going, but it was entertaining - and it was, until about the 80% mark, when it all fell apart.
Jewelann is a married mom, going through the steps of a perfect housewife, despite the fact she is anything but. She had a past problem with pills, and she exchanged that addiction for shopping and hoarding. Her teenage son is a loner with no friends, and her husband is almost always out of town on business. Jewelann is looking for a change.
Then, comes the high school reunion. As a teenager, a boy named Christian used her and broke her heart, and she hasn’t forgotten. She shows up to the reunion looking amazing, hoping to get a slice of revenge, but she opened up a can of worms that seemed almost impossible to get out of.
Most of the book was great; the characters were decent, there were some shocks along the way, and I liked the writing. I still had no idea where it was going, and unfortunately, it seemed like the author didn’t either. Instead of a nice, neat ending, there was a lot of action shoved in right before a relatively vague finish.
The ending wasn’t awful - there were tons of twists, quite a few surprises and it made sense, in a dramatic domestic thriller way. I was, however, left with a couple of questions, and feeling like there was something missing. It was kind of a “thisiswhathappenedTheEnd” ending, when I would have preferred it to be more drawn out. That took this from a solid four star book, to a 3.5 for me, but rounded up because I still thought it was pretty entertaining and enjoyable.
(Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, Mina Hardy, and NetGalley for the ARC In exchange for my review.)
Expected publication date: December 5, 2022
Jewelann is a married mom, going through the steps of a perfect housewife, despite the fact she is anything but. She had a past problem with pills, and she exchanged that addiction for shopping and hoarding. Her teenage son is a loner with no friends, and her husband is almost always out of town on business. Jewelann is looking for a change.
Then, comes the high school reunion. As a teenager, a boy named Christian used her and broke her heart, and she hasn’t forgotten. She shows up to the reunion looking amazing, hoping to get a slice of revenge, but she opened up a can of worms that seemed almost impossible to get out of.
Most of the book was great; the characters were decent, there were some shocks along the way, and I liked the writing. I still had no idea where it was going, and unfortunately, it seemed like the author didn’t either. Instead of a nice, neat ending, there was a lot of action shoved in right before a relatively vague finish.
The ending wasn’t awful - there were tons of twists, quite a few surprises and it made sense, in a dramatic domestic thriller way. I was, however, left with a couple of questions, and feeling like there was something missing. It was kind of a “thisiswhathappenedTheEnd” ending, when I would have preferred it to be more drawn out. That took this from a solid four star book, to a 3.5 for me, but rounded up because I still thought it was pretty entertaining and enjoyable.
(Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, Mina Hardy, and NetGalley for the ARC In exchange for my review.)
Expected publication date: December 5, 2022
December 12, 2022
I enjoyed the first thriller by this author so I auto-requested this one. It wasn’t bad, but based on my expectations I was a little disappointed. I didn’t find myself liking any of the characters in this book, but I did think Jewelann was a good narrator. This thriller was such a slow burn I found the first half to be rather boring. When things finally seated to get exciting they felt rushed . Jewelann seems to have it all - she wears designer clothes and is the perfect stay at home wife. She has it all but somehow isn’t happy. Her husband travels all of the time and doesn’t connect well with their moody and weird teenage son. She attends her high school reunion so she can see her high school love who used her and left her. Jewelann has secrets from everyone in her life but the problem with secrets is that they rarely stay that way.
June 14, 2022
This one wasn't my favorite. The story centers on Jewelanne, who attends her HS reunion with the hopes of running into the guy that broke her heart years ago and show him what he had been missing. She succeeds in this effort (though in a really juvenile way) but then he shows up at her home to rent the small house that sits on their property and tries to befriend both her husband and son and Jewelanne can't seem to break free of him. I felt like the story itself really didn't match the synopsis.
I didn't really like Jewelanne- I thought she was immature and shallow. Her back and forth with Christian, the ex-boyfriend, felt kind of romance novel-y; does she like him or not like him? If she hates him so much, why does she keep interacting with him? The story brought in some twists and turns that you couldn't glean from reading about it in advance, which was odd in itself, and I felt like much of what happened was unrealistic followed by a very abrupt ending.
Overall, kind of an odd read to me- it held my interest but the need to suspend my disbelief and the :"almost romance novel" vibe just didn't do it for me. Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't really like Jewelanne- I thought she was immature and shallow. Her back and forth with Christian, the ex-boyfriend, felt kind of romance novel-y; does she like him or not like him? If she hates him so much, why does she keep interacting with him? The story brought in some twists and turns that you couldn't glean from reading about it in advance, which was odd in itself, and I felt like much of what happened was unrealistic followed by a very abrupt ending.
Overall, kind of an odd read to me- it held my interest but the need to suspend my disbelief and the :"almost romance novel" vibe just didn't do it for me. Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 6, 2024
The plot must have been what clogged Jewelann’s toilet because it was nowhere to be found for the first 75% of this book. The little plot that did come out in the last 25% was so ridiculous that it should have just went into the toilet as well.
February 16, 2023
I clearly waited entirely too long to read We Knew All Along by Mina Hardy! This is another one of those books that kind of snuck up on me with how much I ended up loving it, and while it is a slow mover, the payout at the end is completely worth it. I could not put this book down, and it could have easily been a 1-sitting read for me if I hadn't started on Valentine's Day of all days. I saw it making the rounds on Instagram and knew I had to pick it up, plus I couldn't help but appreciate the fact that the publisher is Crooked Lane Books. I don't mean to impose my views (yes I do) on anyone, but IMO they have some of the best crime fiction books I have read to date. I completely lost myself in all of the secrets and lies, and while some people may have considered the end rushed, having it make my jaw drop multiple times made it a winner for me.
I was also an enormous fan of the audiobook narrator Zura Johnson, and I don't think I could have picked anyone better to narrate Jewelann. I highly recommend the audio (which also helps with pacing) if you love listening to books, and she really knocked it out of the park for me. There ends up being a lot more going on with the plot than I first realized, and the twists and turns in this story will make you see stars. I really enjoyed that Jewelann is incredibly relatable and her spending being out of control brought me reminders of myself TBH. I don’t shop like she does, or pile things up in a storage area, but man did I understand plenty of what she was going through. There is also a heavy theme of addiction in the book (not just the shopping habit), and it gave the story a lot of substance. And don’t even get me started on the revenge aspect! I actually have Hardy’s debut sitting in my house and I think it’s high time I read it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I was also an enormous fan of the audiobook narrator Zura Johnson, and I don't think I could have picked anyone better to narrate Jewelann. I highly recommend the audio (which also helps with pacing) if you love listening to books, and she really knocked it out of the park for me. There ends up being a lot more going on with the plot than I first realized, and the twists and turns in this story will make you see stars. I really enjoyed that Jewelann is incredibly relatable and her spending being out of control brought me reminders of myself TBH. I don’t shop like she does, or pile things up in a storage area, but man did I understand plenty of what she was going through. There is also a heavy theme of addiction in the book (not just the shopping habit), and it gave the story a lot of substance. And don’t even get me started on the revenge aspect! I actually have Hardy’s debut sitting in my house and I think it’s high time I read it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
July 25, 2022
In a nutshell, ‘We Knew All Along’ is an entertaining combination of mystery, chick-lit, drama with a splash of eroticism.
A priori, it sounds a great cocktail for an undemanding summer reading. In fact, it is easy to read. And the author, skillfully and in a practiced manner, spread the clues to arouse my curiosity in such a way that I was intrigued up to the last page. Nevertheless, I found the beginning a bit discouraging, maybe because Jewelann Kahan seemed to me a sort of stereotyped housewife inicially, but at the same time, I must recognize I finally understood her anguish.
Confused by a hurtful puppy love and damaged by a bad marriage, of course, Jewel was not in a pleasant situation and you can expect unlikeable characters around her story. Then, by the second quarter, the story tangled up, and it got more dynamic and free-flowing. I liked some of the last twists and the fast-pace of the ending, however, there were a few thinks that seemed too murky.
I was especially pleased with the evolution of the main character, and with the realism of some characters. Overall, I felt the plot had been sewn strategically to create a satisfactory suspense without loose ends.
Writing: 3.8 | Plot: 3.7 | Beginning: 2.7 | Ending: 3.5
3 bright stars, because it kept me interested despite the shortcomings.
Thank you to Mina Hardy, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 06 Dec 2022.
A priori, it sounds a great cocktail for an undemanding summer reading. In fact, it is easy to read. And the author, skillfully and in a practiced manner, spread the clues to arouse my curiosity in such a way that I was intrigued up to the last page. Nevertheless, I found the beginning a bit discouraging, maybe because Jewelann Kahan seemed to me a sort of stereotyped housewife inicially, but at the same time, I must recognize I finally understood her anguish.
Confused by a hurtful puppy love and damaged by a bad marriage, of course, Jewel was not in a pleasant situation and you can expect unlikeable characters around her story. Then, by the second quarter, the story tangled up, and it got more dynamic and free-flowing. I liked some of the last twists and the fast-pace of the ending, however, there were a few thinks that seemed too murky.
I was especially pleased with the evolution of the main character, and with the realism of some characters. Overall, I felt the plot had been sewn strategically to create a satisfactory suspense without loose ends.
Writing: 3.8 | Plot: 3.7 | Beginning: 2.7 | Ending: 3.5
3 bright stars, because it kept me interested despite the shortcomings.
Thank you to Mina Hardy, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 06 Dec 2022.
June 23, 2022
"I am bright. I am sparkling. I am poised. I am vibrant. I am a vision. I am a mirage."
I'm immediately hooked. By this woman. By her motives. By her suspicious attitude and how it does not at all line up with the life she now has. With the past she's trying to avoid. And then head-over-heels invested once I meet her husband and then her ex boyfriend. Yikes! This woman has a knack for attracting predators--but what kind? Her husband is a cheater, sure, but what else is he up to? And this ex has quite the ego, the audacity, to make his intentions quite clear from the her. But how Dar will he go?
This book had such potential to be so great but it really fell flat. Literally nothing happened until the 85% mark and then a few big twists concluded the story. Most were predictable. Very disappointing.
I'm immediately hooked. By this woman. By her motives. By her suspicious attitude and how it does not at all line up with the life she now has. With the past she's trying to avoid. And then head-over-heels invested once I meet her husband and then her ex boyfriend. Yikes! This woman has a knack for attracting predators--but what kind? Her husband is a cheater, sure, but what else is he up to? And this ex has quite the ego, the audacity, to make his intentions quite clear from the her. But how Dar will he go?
This book had such potential to be so great but it really fell flat. Literally nothing happened until the 85% mark and then a few big twists concluded the story. Most were predictable. Very disappointing.
May 23, 2022
I’m going to be honest here. I almost stopped reading this one a couple of times. I just hated every single character. Unlikable characters are fine, but they also need to be entertaining. And I wasn’t entertained…until I was.
I can pinpoint exactly when it switched – suddenly, there was a house guest and previously bad behavior became more mysterious. And I started to realize that things were much darker than sordid affairs of the heart.
The secrets were stunning – especially one that utterly shocked me.
I enjoyed this. The author completely surprised me.
• ARC via Net Galley
I can pinpoint exactly when it switched – suddenly, there was a house guest and previously bad behavior became more mysterious. And I started to realize that things were much darker than sordid affairs of the heart.
The secrets were stunning – especially one that utterly shocked me.
I enjoyed this. The author completely surprised me.
• ARC via Net Galley
December 19, 2022
This was a wild rollercoaster of a ride! I was captivated immediately, and then it was a bit of a slow burn, and then BAM, Hardy delivered twist after twist with a explosive ending that left me shoooook!
I love my Domestic Thrillers and this one was full of secrets and deception and I couldn’t wait to see where everything was going to go in this ‘picture perfect’ marriage and family that was farrrr from that.
We get the first person narration from Jewelann who is intriguingly flawed and somewhat of an unreliable narrator with a questionable past. This worked for me and the short chapters were perfect for keeping me engaged while constantly building the tension!
This one definitely takes us on the Hot Mess Express and I ultimately found it incredibly entertaining and wickedly fun!
I love my Domestic Thrillers and this one was full of secrets and deception and I couldn’t wait to see where everything was going to go in this ‘picture perfect’ marriage and family that was farrrr from that.
We get the first person narration from Jewelann who is intriguingly flawed and somewhat of an unreliable narrator with a questionable past. This worked for me and the short chapters were perfect for keeping me engaged while constantly building the tension!
This one definitely takes us on the Hot Mess Express and I ultimately found it incredibly entertaining and wickedly fun!
March 27, 2024
So I need to catch up on my reviews. I read this ages ago, but I wasn’t that into it. I was hooked at first. There’s so much drama, it was super interesting. But then I felt like it got to be too much craziness.
I actually didn’t really like any of the characters except maybe the son, because they were all a mess. More of a mess than I’m used to. Hiding secrets and motives. Doing or wanting to do terrible things. I was hoping the end would be what wrapped it all up and make me like it more, but it was just kind of a mess.
I don’t really recommend this one. It was just all over the place and the characters weren’t very relatable to me. Oh well!! On to the next one!!
I actually didn’t really like any of the characters except maybe the son, because they were all a mess. More of a mess than I’m used to. Hiding secrets and motives. Doing or wanting to do terrible things. I was hoping the end would be what wrapped it all up and make me like it more, but it was just kind of a mess.
I don’t really recommend this one. It was just all over the place and the characters weren’t very relatable to me. Oh well!! On to the next one!!
October 27, 2022
“You think we knew all along?”
Knew what? That’s the question you’ll be asking yourselves as you flip through the pages of this dark and gritty drama as fast as you can. Don’t worry, you’ll get there.
Jewelanne, married to a man she hates with a kid who’s a weirdo, can’t wait to get to her reunion solely to reunite with her high school crush Christian. They hook up and she plans on keeping it her dirty little secret until he shows up to rent out her guest house. Her husband’s bright idea. The man is a barnacle and she can’t shake him off.
As he weasels further into her life, we begin to learn her history with Christian and also the inner workings of her marriage to Ken. (Spoiler alert: it’s messy as hell.) It had a lot of things going on, side quests if you will, but the final plot reveals were mind-blowing. I didn’t see any of it coming.
The first half of the book is interesting but I started to skim because although I don’t need lovable characters, I just couldn’t connect to any of them because they weren’t acting in a way that I could understand and say “ok, I get it.” I’m glad I stuck with it though. You can’t connect to them because they’re all terrible.
About halfway through, it became wildly interesting and I devoured the rest. It was an unexpected gem that took a while to reveal its shine. This book could be a Lana Del Rey song.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review!
Knew what? That’s the question you’ll be asking yourselves as you flip through the pages of this dark and gritty drama as fast as you can. Don’t worry, you’ll get there.
Jewelanne, married to a man she hates with a kid who’s a weirdo, can’t wait to get to her reunion solely to reunite with her high school crush Christian. They hook up and she plans on keeping it her dirty little secret until he shows up to rent out her guest house. Her husband’s bright idea. The man is a barnacle and she can’t shake him off.
As he weasels further into her life, we begin to learn her history with Christian and also the inner workings of her marriage to Ken. (Spoiler alert: it’s messy as hell.) It had a lot of things going on, side quests if you will, but the final plot reveals were mind-blowing. I didn’t see any of it coming.
The first half of the book is interesting but I started to skim because although I don’t need lovable characters, I just couldn’t connect to any of them because they weren’t acting in a way that I could understand and say “ok, I get it.” I’m glad I stuck with it though. You can’t connect to them because they’re all terrible.
About halfway through, it became wildly interesting and I devoured the rest. It was an unexpected gem that took a while to reveal its shine. This book could be a Lana Del Rey song.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review!
March 18, 2023
This one got me! I was hooked as soon as I started. The reunion was a bit disorienting but the odd shopping, hidden pills and weird interactions had me hooked. I wanted to know more and understand what was going on. I honestly just started this one for the cover but I definitely stayed for the story! I loved the twists, rarely saw them coming, and the ending left my mouth hanging open! So dark and so good. I loved this one!
January 18, 2023
What a strange book!
But not in a bad way... I just cannot decide how I feel about it. Maybe 3.5 stars rounded down.
It was filled with opposite sex tension, friendship tension, and who dunnit tension too.. So, lots of stuff going on, page to page.
I enjoyed it, it was fun guessing what was really going on (I was kinda spot on, let's be honest!) and that was cool too.
A quick read of a day or so; I do not think it will be a very memorable book, but while reading it, I had fun!
Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley!
But not in a bad way... I just cannot decide how I feel about it. Maybe 3.5 stars rounded down.
It was filled with opposite sex tension, friendship tension, and who dunnit tension too.. So, lots of stuff going on, page to page.
I enjoyed it, it was fun guessing what was really going on (I was kinda spot on, let's be honest!) and that was cool too.
A quick read of a day or so; I do not think it will be a very memorable book, but while reading it, I had fun!
Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley!
March 17, 2024
I liked the Jewelann, but the ending seemed a bit much to me. A bit rushed. Also, I just want my thriller heroines to have their cake and eat it too.
November 27, 2022
Genre: Thriller
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person - Female
Rating:
Jewelann Jordan was a master at keeping up a front. To other people, her life seemed enviably perfect. But the weight of deception started to take a toll, especially when Christian Campbell, a man from her past came crashing into her life and threatened to unravel the threads she barely held on to.
I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this book. It was slow at some parts, but I enjoyed it overall.
This book is full of unlikable characters with questionable actions, including the main characters. I liked certain things about their personality, but there were also a lot of selfish actions and decisions made throughout the book.
We Knew All Along is a story of revenge and buried secrets. It would appeal to readers looking for a domestic thriller with unsavory characters.
➕️🗝➕️. . . (F)BR with Twinsie CC . . .➕️🗝➕️
For more reviews/interviews/book talk/promo visit:
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person - Female
Rating:
Jewelann Jordan was a master at keeping up a front. To other people, her life seemed enviably perfect. But the weight of deception started to take a toll, especially when Christian Campbell, a man from her past came crashing into her life and threatened to unravel the threads she barely held on to.
I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this book. It was slow at some parts, but I enjoyed it overall.
I am not real. I am a doll, a puppet dancing ferociously from the pull of its strings. I am an empty space contained within the shape of a woman, sealed up with an ever-present smile.
This book is full of unlikable characters with questionable actions, including the main characters. I liked certain things about their personality, but there were also a lot of selfish actions and decisions made throughout the book.
We Knew All Along is a story of revenge and buried secrets. It would appeal to readers looking for a domestic thriller with unsavory characters.
➕️🗝➕️. . . (F)BR with Twinsie CC . . .➕️🗝➕️
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December 3, 2024
In the beginning it was just a woman seeking the need to show off to old friends from high school but then turned into a rekindle flame that she tried so hard to put out. As well as having a damaged marriage she wanted so desperately but couldn’t bring her self to end until she found out the news of the husband. The ending will most definitely throw you for a loop!!
January 23, 2023
Unfortunately, it is not possible to give less than one star on goodreads. This review will contain "spoilers" if you can even call it that.
First off, I am convinced that this book was written by an involuntarily celibate teenage boy who is posing as an adult woman. The initial underlying plot line is that bad. Jewelann and Christian were hookup buddies in high school. She always wanted more, but he just used her. At their high school reunion, she gets her "revenge" by flirting with him, going back to his hotel room with him, letting him get undressed, and then telling him she is not going to sleep with him because she is married, and she leaves. The entire rest of the book is Christian is getting his revenge (because she left him with a big ole blue pair) by renting the cottage house on Jewel's property from her husband, worming his way into her life and essentially attempting to ruin everything. ALL BECAUSE SHE SAID NO TO SLEEPING WITH HIM?!?! I will get off my high feminist horse, but absolutely ridiculous that this is written by a female.
Then there is Jewel's husband, Ken, whose main form of communication seems to be grunting in response. We don't get much of a back story about him, he travels for work.
Apparently, Jewel used to be a pill addict, but is now a shopping addict, and she hides it from her husband. Ken makes sporadic appearances, with his character ranging from disinterested, to obsessively in love, to smacking Jewel across the face. You don't have any actual idea of who his character is supposed to be, so everything is a fun little surprise.
Then there is the son Eli, who apparently was bullied at some point, but you don't get any backstory on that either. Eli is a good, shy kid, but ends up selling drugs for Christian. Oh, did I mention, Christian is going to be a surgeon, and doing a surgical residency, only (SPOILER), he actually isn't. No explanation as to how he ends up with a prescription pad. It made sense if he was actually doing a surgical residency.
The best comparison I can make is that this book is a garbage disposal. The author took a whole bunch of shallow, unrelated ideas for novels, dumped them all together, and then ground them all up into an even bigger, singular piece of garbage.
The big finale you might ask..... the culmination of this spectacular dumpster of a novel....
SPOILER
The husband Ken is a child serial killer. I had zero idea there was even a child serial killer on the loose until the last few chapters when it is revealed that it's Ken. But hey, way to go Ken, at least you got a personality. Jewel stabs Christian in the chest, and everyone lives happily ever after.
First off, I am convinced that this book was written by an involuntarily celibate teenage boy who is posing as an adult woman. The initial underlying plot line is that bad. Jewelann and Christian were hookup buddies in high school. She always wanted more, but he just used her. At their high school reunion, she gets her "revenge" by flirting with him, going back to his hotel room with him, letting him get undressed, and then telling him she is not going to sleep with him because she is married, and she leaves. The entire rest of the book is Christian is getting his revenge (because she left him with a big ole blue pair) by renting the cottage house on Jewel's property from her husband, worming his way into her life and essentially attempting to ruin everything. ALL BECAUSE SHE SAID NO TO SLEEPING WITH HIM?!?! I will get off my high feminist horse, but absolutely ridiculous that this is written by a female.
Then there is Jewel's husband, Ken, whose main form of communication seems to be grunting in response. We don't get much of a back story about him, he travels for work.
Apparently, Jewel used to be a pill addict, but is now a shopping addict, and she hides it from her husband. Ken makes sporadic appearances, with his character ranging from disinterested, to obsessively in love, to smacking Jewel across the face. You don't have any actual idea of who his character is supposed to be, so everything is a fun little surprise.
Then there is the son Eli, who apparently was bullied at some point, but you don't get any backstory on that either. Eli is a good, shy kid, but ends up selling drugs for Christian. Oh, did I mention, Christian is going to be a surgeon, and doing a surgical residency, only (SPOILER), he actually isn't. No explanation as to how he ends up with a prescription pad. It made sense if he was actually doing a surgical residency.
The best comparison I can make is that this book is a garbage disposal. The author took a whole bunch of shallow, unrelated ideas for novels, dumped them all together, and then ground them all up into an even bigger, singular piece of garbage.
The big finale you might ask..... the culmination of this spectacular dumpster of a novel....
SPOILER
The husband Ken is a child serial killer. I had zero idea there was even a child serial killer on the loose until the last few chapters when it is revealed that it's Ken. But hey, way to go Ken, at least you got a personality. Jewel stabs Christian in the chest, and everyone lives happily ever after.
January 1, 2023
Ugh. Not the best read to kick off the new year but to be honest, I had been really hoping to finish it before the year ended and that just didn’t happen. So here we are with my first 2023 book rolling in at 2 stars.
The story follows Jewelann who decides to seduce an old flame, Christian, at their high school reunion despite being married to her controlling husband, Ken. When she goes home the next morning she finds Christian has made a deal with her husband to move into their carriage house. As Christian’s efforts to work his way back into her life increase, her husband’s erratic behavior does too. Clearly everyone has secrets and they’re all coming out whether they like it or not.
This was pretty terrible. It managed to be boring, unrealistic and have no redeemable characters. The plot is poorly plotted with nothing happening until more than 3/4 of the way in. When things do start getting ramped up the fall out is so ridiculous it’s laughable. When the reveal of what Ken is hiding finally rolls in I had to go back and reread it because there was no way that could be right. Also, the shopping addiction? What a strange tidbit to throw in there. I kind of see how it threads itself in but it was just such a weird secret that it sticks out.
The story follows Jewelann who decides to seduce an old flame, Christian, at their high school reunion despite being married to her controlling husband, Ken. When she goes home the next morning she finds Christian has made a deal with her husband to move into their carriage house. As Christian’s efforts to work his way back into her life increase, her husband’s erratic behavior does too. Clearly everyone has secrets and they’re all coming out whether they like it or not.
This was pretty terrible. It managed to be boring, unrealistic and have no redeemable characters. The plot is poorly plotted with nothing happening until more than 3/4 of the way in. When things do start getting ramped up the fall out is so ridiculous it’s laughable. When the reveal of what Ken is hiding finally rolls in I had to go back and reread it because there was no way that could be right. Also, the shopping addiction? What a strange tidbit to throw in there. I kind of see how it threads itself in but it was just such a weird secret that it sticks out.
December 15, 2022
This was SO good… and that ending! I can honestly say I was so surprised the turn this book took. It started as a vengeful stalker ex and ended with a murder mystery, what?! Read this if you are looking for a thriller with some wild twists!
June 12, 2022
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞? 𝐁𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞? 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭, 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧, 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞.
I've seen a lot of reviews that said it was difficult to connect with the characters, which begs the question: why do characters need to be likable for a reader to connect with them?
Jewelanne Jordan is showing all the signs of a midlife crisis. She's in an unhappy marriage, her teenage son Eli is withdrawn, doesn't have any friends, and is "weird," Jewelanne admits, but she assumes that any boy would be different after experiencing what he did as a young child. A little boy was at their house playing but never made it home, presumed to be kidnapped or having drowned in the nearby river.
Her husband Ken's job takes him on the road frequently, which leaves Jewelanne time to indulge in her favorite activity, shopping and frequenting estate sales. She definitely has a spending problem, but she rationalizes that it's not hurting anyone and it gives her something to do.
Everything changes when she sees her old flame Christian Campbell at their high school reunion. They certainly have history, and she can't wait to make him pay for some unnamed grievances. But Christian turns the tables and insinuates himself in Jewelanne's life, renting their carriage house from her husband, who is growing increasingly hostile and secretive. Christian's presence in her life threatens to bring to life secrets that just can't get out. When that twist came, it was a big one, and all the unrelated pieces quickly fell into place. I thoroughly enjoyed this twisty read. A big thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my early read. WE KNEW ALL ALONG publishes December 6, 2022.
I've seen a lot of reviews that said it was difficult to connect with the characters, which begs the question: why do characters need to be likable for a reader to connect with them?
Jewelanne Jordan is showing all the signs of a midlife crisis. She's in an unhappy marriage, her teenage son Eli is withdrawn, doesn't have any friends, and is "weird," Jewelanne admits, but she assumes that any boy would be different after experiencing what he did as a young child. A little boy was at their house playing but never made it home, presumed to be kidnapped or having drowned in the nearby river.
Her husband Ken's job takes him on the road frequently, which leaves Jewelanne time to indulge in her favorite activity, shopping and frequenting estate sales. She definitely has a spending problem, but she rationalizes that it's not hurting anyone and it gives her something to do.
Everything changes when she sees her old flame Christian Campbell at their high school reunion. They certainly have history, and she can't wait to make him pay for some unnamed grievances. But Christian turns the tables and insinuates himself in Jewelanne's life, renting their carriage house from her husband, who is growing increasingly hostile and secretive. Christian's presence in her life threatens to bring to life secrets that just can't get out. When that twist came, it was a big one, and all the unrelated pieces quickly fell into place. I thoroughly enjoyed this twisty read. A big thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my early read. WE KNEW ALL ALONG publishes December 6, 2022.
May 27, 2022
We Knew All Along
By Mina Hardy
Release date 12/06/2022
The night with Christian isn't the first secret Jewelann has kept from her husband Ken, so one more shouldn't be much harder--except that Christian shows up without warning, seemingly determined to do his best to mess up Jewelann's life in any way he can. Worse than that, he seems to have his sights set on charming her son, Eli, and befriending her husband. Revenge isn't so sweet when it bites you back, but Jewelann is determined to keep Christian from ruining everything she worked to stay safe, including her son.
Jewells is full of secrets. This entire book is one secret after another, after another, from all of the cast. She’s leading a life of pretending to be someone she’s not and hiding mountains of debt from her husband. She leads the perfect life for him. She’s her husband Ken’s puppet. Always playing the part, she is in complete denial. This book is super intense, and I read this one sitting. I could simply not put it down.
5 sensational S҉҉T҉҉A҉҉R҉҉S҉҉🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
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By Mina Hardy
Release date 12/06/2022
The night with Christian isn't the first secret Jewelann has kept from her husband Ken, so one more shouldn't be much harder--except that Christian shows up without warning, seemingly determined to do his best to mess up Jewelann's life in any way he can. Worse than that, he seems to have his sights set on charming her son, Eli, and befriending her husband. Revenge isn't so sweet when it bites you back, but Jewelann is determined to keep Christian from ruining everything she worked to stay safe, including her son.
Jewells is full of secrets. This entire book is one secret after another, after another, from all of the cast. She’s leading a life of pretending to be someone she’s not and hiding mountains of debt from her husband. She leads the perfect life for him. She’s her husband Ken’s puppet. Always playing the part, she is in complete denial. This book is super intense, and I read this one sitting. I could simply not put it down.
5 sensational S҉҉T҉҉A҉҉R҉҉S҉҉🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
#booklover #bookstagram #bookcommunity #booksofinstagram #readingtime #ilovebooks #bookblogger #bookblog #booknerdigans #bookobsessed #bookishfeatures #currentlyreading #igreads #instaread #bookworm #booknerd #bookaddict #weknewallalong #crookedlanebooks #netgalleyreader #netgalley #pageturner #arcbooks
June 17, 2022
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Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for approving this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
TW:
This was a gripping thriller that explored gender roles and expectations, and how violent those can be. Jewelann Jordan's suburban life seems perfect - from the outside. In reality, she's spent many years pulling herself apart just to keep it all together and protect her son. Then, she reconnects with her former high-school classmates, including Christian Campbell, her old on-and-off flame, who seems determined to stay in her life. As Jewelann tries to figure out what Christian is hiding from her, the threads of her perfect life finally begin to unravel and expose what lies underneath.
The beginning might feel slow to readers who enjoy more fast-paced stories, but I was okay with it. It was clear something was going on and I enjoyed pulling out the boxes to see what I'd find inside, although I do feel like the revelations came one after another and made the last few chapters of the book intense. There were several twists that I didn't see coming and left me gaping, and wanting to go back for a re-read.
Most of the characters felt real, ugly bits and all. I couldn't help but root for Jewelann. Christian felt a liiiitle bit like a cartoon villain to me, though.
While religion isn't really part of the plot, the main character and her son are Jewish and are seen practising, so that was cool.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a domestic thriller that incorporates some social commentary, as long as you don't mind the trigger warnings. I enjoyed it a lot!
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for approving this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
TW:
This was a gripping thriller that explored gender roles and expectations, and how violent those can be. Jewelann Jordan's suburban life seems perfect - from the outside. In reality, she's spent many years pulling herself apart just to keep it all together and protect her son. Then, she reconnects with her former high-school classmates, including Christian Campbell, her old on-and-off flame, who seems determined to stay in her life. As Jewelann tries to figure out what Christian is hiding from her, the threads of her perfect life finally begin to unravel and expose what lies underneath.
The beginning might feel slow to readers who enjoy more fast-paced stories, but I was okay with it. It was clear something was going on and I enjoyed pulling out the boxes to see what I'd find inside, although I do feel like the revelations came one after another and made the last few chapters of the book intense. There were several twists that I didn't see coming and left me gaping, and wanting to go back for a re-read.
Most of the characters felt real, ugly bits and all. I couldn't help but root for Jewelann. Christian felt a liiiitle bit like a cartoon villain to me, though.
While religion isn't really part of the plot, the main character and her son are Jewish and are seen practising, so that was cool.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a domestic thriller that incorporates some social commentary, as long as you don't mind the trigger warnings. I enjoyed it a lot!
January 20, 2023
Are you a fan of a hot mess of lies, revenge, deception, and deceit? If your answer is yes, pick-up a copy of We Knew All Along, grab a glass of wine and get ready to enjoy the ride.
I can honestly say that I didn't see 90% of the ending coming. It came out of nowhere, but somehow worked.
Everything in Jewelann's life is a mess and its pure enjoyable voyeurism to watch from the sidelines as she tries to resist the charm of her high school love, stop her compulsive shipping habit and figure out what on earth her husband, Ken, is up to.
When her high school love Christian comes back on the scene, my mind kept singing the Mace lyrics "bad, bad, bad, bad, boy, You make me feel so good...." Christian is the definition of the hot and unattainable guy that is irresistible to certain women… or so I’ve been told….
We Knew All Along is pure entertainment. Pair it with a big glass of wine, and your have your afternoon plans set!
Thank you to Crooked Lane & Netgalley for the eARC to read and review.
I can honestly say that I didn't see 90% of the ending coming. It came out of nowhere, but somehow worked.
Everything in Jewelann's life is a mess and its pure enjoyable voyeurism to watch from the sidelines as she tries to resist the charm of her high school love, stop her compulsive shipping habit and figure out what on earth her husband, Ken, is up to.
When her high school love Christian comes back on the scene, my mind kept singing the Mace lyrics "bad, bad, bad, bad, boy, You make me feel so good...." Christian is the definition of the hot and unattainable guy that is irresistible to certain women… or so I’ve been told….
We Knew All Along is pure entertainment. Pair it with a big glass of wine, and your have your afternoon plans set!
Thank you to Crooked Lane & Netgalley for the eARC to read and review.
December 5, 2022
This was a very dark sinister read. It begins one way and then quickly morphs into something I never saw coming.
Jewelann has a spending problem and a husband who is never home. Suddenly he is and her old boyfriend from high school is hanging around, causing havoc.
The plot was decent and the story line was twisted and evil.
I didn’t like any of the characters. I thought they were all truly reprehensible, especially Jewelann.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the early read.
Jewelann has a spending problem and a husband who is never home. Suddenly he is and her old boyfriend from high school is hanging around, causing havoc.
The plot was decent and the story line was twisted and evil.
I didn’t like any of the characters. I thought they were all truly reprehensible, especially Jewelann.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the early read.
March 9, 2023
This was one twisted tale of domestic suspense where no one is who they seem. We Knew All Along started off slow but kicked into high gear with all the twists & turns and culminated in a skillfully crafted psychological mystery. I was guessing who did it until the end.
December 30, 2022
DNF at 40%. I wish I knew all along that I should have stopped reading sooner.
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