We couldn't wait for this story! We absolutely LOVED Little Liar. Clare Boyd's writing style and her ability to capture her readers attention is comparable to the best-of-the-best of Psychological Thriller authors!
Three Secrets started out to be a very fast paced read. Boyd's strong writing makes it difficult not to bond quickly with this cast of characters straight away. After learning about the Tennants and how posh and perfect they appear to the outside world but how utterly dysfunctional they really are, the story takes a more slow paced turn. Boyd spends a lot of time developing the story behind Robert's death, his mother's involvement and her seeming need to keep secrets hidden, and the relationship between Fran and John.
But hang on... don't put this book down because about 60-70% in, you may need to hold on to your seat! When we reached this part of the story, the plot twists like a rollercoaster out of control! The thrilling way Clare Boyd ties together the importance of each character and their relevance to the climax was crazy awesome! We couldn't believe the turn of events and how the story ended!
If you enjoy a plot twist that jumps out at you like a clown in a haunted house on Halloween... yep, this is the book for you. One piece of advice from Two Girls and a Book Obsession... stick with this book. You won't be disappointed. Patience will definitely pay off here!

I would like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Three Secrets’ written by Clare Boyd in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Robert kisses his wife Francesca and leaves their flat to walk to the shops to buy some cigarettes. He heads off in the direction of the busy A1 motorway, climbs onto a bridge and jumps, plunging to his death beneath the wheels of a red car. Francesca is consumed with guilt that she was the cause of Robert committing suicide but could it have something to do with his family, parents Camilla and Patrick and brother John, who are good at keeping secrets?
Phew, I’ve just finished reading ‘Three Secrets’ and I can truthfully say it’s one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read in a long time. From page one it was gripping with an exceptionally well-written and complex plot. The tension kept increasing with each page until the final chapters which left me totally shocked and dumb-founded. The characters appeared to be so normal they could be anyone’s next-door neighbours, and then they show their true lights and it becomes spine-chilling with the horror of what could happen. I can thoroughly recommend this novel to everyone as it definitely deserves five stars.

An excellent, dark psychological thriller. This story has quite the cast of characters - the family left behind after Robert's suicide. Camilla, his domineering mother who wants the world outside to see perfection. Fran, his widow, distraught with grief and guilt and the John the brother, a kind, gentle family guy with traumas of his own. You can feel the tension and atmosphere at the seemingly enviouble family meals in a stunning setting as the family keep Fran and her daughter close to them. This book starts to slowly introduce his backstory via the family and wow is their some dysfunctional stuff going on. The pace quickens as you go along and bam some real twists of who is keeping some pretty twisted secrets. The end is dark but delivers a great punch. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Net Galley and Bookouture for the chance to read and review this book.
This book was billed as a suspense thriller, and I found very little in this book to be suspenseful. It was more a story about a dysfunctional, crazy family. It was well written, but a bit predictable. For me, it was just an ok read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the Publisher, Bookouture, for this review copy given in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Noelle for organising the Blog Tour!

My second book by this author. The first book, Little Liar, began quite slowly for me but built up to a great ending. This book was exactly the same and it’s obviously this author’s style of writing – build the suspense up slowly and finish with an explosive finale!

The story is told from several perspectives throughout the book, both in present day and 10 years previously. Francesca and Robert are married, until one night when Robert goes to the shop for more wine and ends up jumping to his death from a bridge onto the busy road below. Two years later, Francesca and her daughter are persuaded by Robert’s mother to move nearer to them. Francesca has never been comfortable in her mother in law’s presence and her suspicions about Robert’s death are raised when she finds Robert’s sleeping pills in her mother in law’s bathroom cabinet. Francesca soon begins to realise that there was more to her husband’s death than meets the eye.

As I have already said this book, for me, begins quite slowly but it builds up the tension at a steady pace. It doesn’t have many characters and is easy to follow, even with the difference time frames. Francesca’s in-laws, the Tennant’s would definitely take a bit of getting used to! Camilla is certainly an overpowering mother in law and I do feel for Francesca where she is being railroaded into decisions that she doesn’t really want to make. As the story moves on, you begin to realise that there are a lot of secrets within the Tennant family and slowly they all start to come tumbling out.

This book is definitely one where you need to read to the very last page. In the last quarter of the book, the tension drove up several notches and the story began to twist and turn to end with an ending I just didn’t expect! A nail biting thriller which I would definitely recommend!

How gripping this book was! I could not get enough!

I started reading this around 3 PM, thinking to myself I will read a few chapters before making a start on my mountain of laundry.
Needless to say, I did not stop reading until I finished the story and my laundry mountain is still growing.


Read this book. Seriously. Read it.

We couldn't wait for this story! We absolutely LOVED Little Liar. Clare Boyd's writing style and her ability to capture her readers attention is comparable to the best-of-the-best of Psychological Thriller authors! 
Three Secrets started out to be a very fast paced read. Boyd's strong writing makes it difficult not to bond quickly with this cast of characters straight away. After learning about the Tennants and how posh and perfect they appear to the outside world but how utterly dysfunctional they really are, the story takes a more slow paced turn. Boyd spends a lot of time developing the story behind Robert's death, his mother's involvement and her seeming need to keep secrets hidden, and the relationship between Fran and John. 
But hang on... don't put this book down because about 60-70% in, you may need to hold on to your seat! When we reached this part of the story, the plot, twists like a rollercoaster out of control! The thrilling way Clare Boyd ties together the importance of each character and their relevance to the climax was crazy awesome! We couldn't believe the turn of events and how the story ended! 
If you enjoy a plot twist that jumps out at you like a clown in a haunted house on Halloween... yep, this is the book for you. One piece of advice from Two Girls and a Book Obsession... stick with this book. You won't be disappointed. Patience will definitely pay off here!

“Three Secrets” by Clare Boyd is a fabulous novel.
Francesca’s husband Robert commits suicide. Why? Well I’m not telling you... it’s a secret! The effects of suicide on a family are horrific... especially when people are holding secrets. Let’s face it... secrets destroy relationships and families.
This is a definite page turner that will keep you up into the wee hours. There are many twists that will keep your head spinning.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookoutre for a digital copy to read and review.
I loved this book and highly recommend it.

“The bond that ties us – that ghastly, life-altering night- was loaded with thoughts and feelings that could never be aired.” - Quote from Three Secrets

This book earned an astonishing 5/5 stars from me because one of the themes, dealt with a different take on spousal abuse and it put me in mind of the movie, Misery. Believe me, they are very different, but YOU MUST-READ to find out!

The way the author developed the characters, I felt a strong connection with Fran because she was always trying to do the “right” thing, even to her own detriment. Roberts was a strong but extremely fragile soul, who you instantly wanted to protect. John, seemed charming and the life of the party but he had demons that he was trying to shake most of his life. I was most conflicted by Camilla, she was Robert’s & John’s mother and I believe she loved them but got trapped in keeping up the picture of “perfection” and just plain-old fear of the unknown. I felt that Dilys was the character I hated for good reason (you will learn more about her, as you read the book).

I liked that the book didn’t have too many POVs, just Fran’s and Robert’s. Some chapters were flashbacks to the past, but it was key for the story; thus not confusing to follow. This book had all the topics that interest me (love triangle, parenthood, and coming of age). The author, Clare, did a wonderful job of building a connection to each character and dealing with sensitive topics; this is a one-day or weekend read!!!

“But I got the sense that she was hiding something, John. He blinked, slowly, over his grey eyes. “Aren’t we all?” – Quote from Three Secrets

I enjoyed this novel enormously. The characters are odd, damaged, memorable and unpredictable. Two brothers Robert and John have been damaged by their domineering mother, Camilla. On the surface, it seems as though the extended over-privileged Tennant family have everything, but underneath the glitter, Camilla the matriarch is formidable, controlling and suffocating. The past catches up with the impaired sons who have married with children. An interesting issue is the bullying from several unexpected sources. I like the way the author subtly peels back the layers, flaws and secrets of the family history little by little. When these well-kept secrets are revealed it becomes quite sinister. Lots of twists and turns, some of which are really sad.. A surprising ending. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

Loved this! This is my second book by this author and thoroughly enjoyed both. As for her first book, Little Liar, I loved it all the way up until the end. The end left me a bit confused and I was afraid that may happen with this one as well but it didn't! woohoo! Characters are very well developed and I am still thinking about them days after finishing the book. Some have stated that it took them a while to get into this one, not me, the prologue pulled me in and intrigued me from the very beginning. "John's lips were parted, his eyed fixed on his brother. The air between them was charged. My heartbeat had begun to speed up. I wished the window was bigger to let in some more air." "Do you feel trapped? John asked. I imagine John plays that question back in his nightmares."

The "Tennant's" are a bit of a dysfunctional family that hold many secrets that begin to unfold and unravel as you learn more about them.

This was very well written with great character development. Twists and turns throughout made this a page turner! I would definitely recommend and look forward to Ms. Boyd's next book!

A huge thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

This isn't what it looks on the first glance. Keep reading...

This is something of THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL meets LITTLE CHILDREN. In fact, it's 99% B&B and only 1% some hanging out between two people of opposite gender, both with little children, by the pool or in the playgrounds, no reason really explained, and they end up having sex.

Just keep reading, I'll let you in on the details...

The family dynamic and the characters are sooooooo similar that it's impossible to assume Clare Boyd hasn't been subconsciously hypnotized by those long years of screening the unbearably slow moving show.

I've never watched it, was too young, but as much as I've heard from my mom's and grandma's comments and heavy sighs about the chemistry - THREE SECRETS is exactly the same love triangle as Ridge, Thorne and Caroline. Funny enough, even the physical and emotional descriptions of the two sons more or less matched. And the hierarchy or their jobs etc.

This book is addictive. It's absolute women's literature B-level romance novel that's presented as some sort of a murder mystery. But it's addictive. And it's written in a very nicely moving along the way (here's where Clare Boyd's spell from the hundred year long TV must have snapped because the structure of the book is great and original). Did I mention it's super addictive?

OK, here comes the real warning!
There are no hot and steamy happy ending scenes. It's NOT that kind of story. You get hooked, and then you want to see it like that but there's still a reason why it's sold as a mystery as opposed to a simple love gone bad.

And unfortunately, the absolute worst part is that THE MAIN HOOK OF THIS UNMISTAKABLE TRAGEDY ISN'T EXPLAINED ANYWHERE IN THE STORY. It simply hangs in your own interpretation of two people's characters, or else is nothing at all.

And all this having two different narratives with plenty of chapters where it could've - should've - been explained. I literally forgot about it, also assuming it's so coming next because it's that logical that there IS some kind of an explanation. And then the book ends, comes the epilogue where the third secret comes up BUT why two of them even began to exist is NEVER really rationally worded out. And that for me made the entire book sound cheap, forced and simply an arousal hook. I did mention it's addictive, right? Because it'll be read mainly by women and they will hope that John is something or another, and Francesca will have maybe some explanation of her own. But neither of their narratives actually delivers.

So the supposed GIANT family explosion comes due to the fact that John and Francesca actually met FIRST, like three weeks before she even met Robert, who later became her husband (another weakly explained detail actually) and falsely believed Alice to be his child. We learn about the events of what happened starting from sixteen years ago only from Fran's perspective. But there are plenty of flashbacks on John's part as well. HOWEVER, why they were never together IF they supposedly LOVED each other sooooo much is NEVER EXPLAINED. In fact, Fran says he simply ignored her completely, if not avoided her, for three whole weeks after their first interaction - does this sound like a love at first sight, a meeting that neither has been able to forget? WHY he did that IS NEVER EXPLAINED. So if you live in the real world and have dated at least one man who's been into you and has at least called, or said hello - they even work on the same film set...then HOW does this translate in a suppressed love affair to come? All the why why WHY are missing. And it's really a shame because given the complexity of this family's background it would've been so simple to place a few lines about John and Robert's chemistry or that Robert had actually already been crashing on Fran and John had known it - which is what I assumed would be explained but wasn't - or some sort of a mutual understanding between the brothers given their characters, which is how more or less the triangle had started in The Bold and The Beautiful. But there's nothing..

I think this book is great, it's just places in the wrong genre misleading the reader until the very end, thinking it's a romance novel.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was posted as a mystery/suspense. There was no mystery or any thrills. It was basically a romance novel with a rather boring plot. I think my three-star rating is quite generous for this book.

What a great thriller! Took me on so many turns, found my mouth dropping with a few twist.
Loved loved loved this book!


Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an early release of this book.

Secrets, betrayal and true love. A family unravels in the wake of a suicide. Francesca’s story is slowly revealed in flashbacks and the truth finally emerges. A slow burn, this book had me in its grip from the beginning.

When a man kills himself, who is to blame? The dutiful wife? The loving brother? The proud mother?
Is everything like it seems to be?
Everybody has one or two secrets. Which ones are the reason why?

On this amazing mystery, Clare Boyd introduced us to this perfect family, but didn't people used to say that there's no such thing as perfection?

Nothing is what it seems and secrets will be revealed and - maybe - one can rest in peace.When a man kills himself, who is to blame? The dutiful wife? The loving brother? The proud mother?
Is everything like it seems to be?
Everybody has one or two secrets. Which ones are the reason why?

On this amazing mystery, Clare Boyd introduced us to this perfect family, but didn't people used to say that there's no such thing as perfection?

Nothing is what it seems and secrets will be revealed and - maybe - one can rest in peace.

♥I got an ARC from publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest uninfluenced review♥

Rating: 6 of 7; 5 of 5; 8 of 10

Positves: I'll say in a minute that I thought the first half was kind of slow, but since the moment I started this book, I just couldn't put it down. I so needed to know everything that happened and that would happen. I just couldn't stop reading it. And that's definitely the bestest thing I can say about any book.

Ending: There's an accident and that was already some huge plot twist for me, but then we have another plot twist that was even like I didn't see it coming but is just so huge! I just wish we had a little more history after all that happened. I would ask for more time to see how things would be from now on.

Downsides: I felt like the first half was kind of slow, there was a lot we could have known before, especially some that was pretty obvious, but the author let us wondering for more than the necessary, but honestly, it didn't make it bad though.

Side note: There are a few things that I just can't accept and that makes me hate deeply some characters and wish someone just kill them. And in that book, it's Dilys. What an abusive piece of shit. Also, there's a difference between I wouldn't be alive without you and I won't be alive without you even if that's not literally what one says. If one is the second type, please run the fastest you can in the opposite direction. No one, no one, is responsible for the other's life. It's usually a huge red trap.

Tags: mystery, thriller, cheating, betrayal, secrets, affairs, abusive partner, physial abuse, psychological abuse, abuse, parenting abuse, toxic relationship, murder, attempt muder

In this book you will follow the story of a woman named Francesca and her relationship with her husband Robert, and her in-laws: The Tennant family. The Tennant family are dysfunctional and carry secrets from the past, and you slowly learn those secrets as the story unfolds.

As the cover of the book states: A terrible secret killed your husband, but which one? This book was very enjoyable and I loved reading about the main characters and getting a sense of their personalities, emotions, and what makes them tick. There are quite a few shockers in the book right through to the very end that leave you shocked. 

Definitely a page-turner, edge-of-your-seat type of thriller that is a must to add to your book collection! I definitely recommend this book, you won't be disappointed!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher Bookouture for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I didn’t want to put this book down. It was fantastic from the first chapter. Great storyline and characters. It was a bit sad and heartbreaking at times mainly for the children, I felt sorry for them. I liked Francesca and hoped that things worked out for her and John. Not to pushed on Camille or Dilys they got what they deserved in the end. Definately worth 5stars.

3.5/5 This story revolves around 3 secrets kept by members of a family, though you don't find out about the 3rd one until the final few pages. All in all an interesting read, though for me the pacing was just too slow. The slow draw out of what the boys saw, especially that it was written in italics, just really wanted to make me shout, out with it already! I thought the gender swap of the spousal abuse was an interesting twist, and it could have been used to add much more suspense to the story by not immediately revealing what was going on. For a psychological thriller, it was a bit too straight forward.

The start of the story seems like there are a dime a dozen, but I felt an undercurrent of something that was not quite right. Why was the atmosphere so strained?
Very soon, you feel like you are a speck of dust in front of a powerful hoover. You can't resist and are sucked into the tube. You have to follow the winding road full of twists and turns until you arrive in its belly where you keep swirling. You can only settle down when the hoover is switched off at the end of the book.
If, by any chance, you are still wondering how I felt about the book? The answer is easy : I loved it!
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for another fabulous read.