A fairly enjoyable read that told the story well until the end, which was rather abruptly and conveniently brought about.

Jar of Hearts

Every once in a while a book comes along that knocks it out of the park. This is one of those books. Geo is 16 when she falls in love with an older boy at the expense of everything including her best friend Angela Wong. At a party one night Geo is trying to mend the fences that have been broken with her friend when things go life changing wrong. A choice that changes Geo’s life for good. The unravelling of this story is absolutely gripping and is in my top 3 reads of 2018 so far.

Wow-a psychological thriller and definitely not for the faint-hearted. It has a bit of everything murder, prison betrayal keeps the reader gripped and turning pages right until the very end. .Jennifer Hillier is an incredible writer. She can freak you out then make you cry in the same paragraph. Fantastic.

A probable spoiler within!
Geo (short for Georgina) tells her story backwards, starting with her five year prison sentence and then letting the reasons for it unfold. I was gripped by this soapy, twisted story of murder and mayhem, which kept me on my toes throughout, despite the ludicrous coincidences. (How likely is it that one man has 3 children by 3 different women over a period of 20 years and all 3 are carried to term and given up for adoption?) However, its easy to let these things slide in the interest of entertainment and this was so entertaining, I'll be looking for other books by this author. If you love a really murder-y thriller, this one is a good summer choice. I loved the prison section (OITNB fans will be comfortable in 'Hellwood') and warmed to both the slightly unsympathetic Geo and her soulmate, detective Kaiser. Lots to enjoy here but some pretty dark sexual moments which aren't for the faint of heart.

I was disconcerted by this book, because despite Geo being not a hugely likeable character, I found myself rooting for her and wanting her to find some kind of happy ending. It's a dilemma, can a young girl be so manipulated by her boyfriend? It's a theme that runs through the entire text, and you're given all the ingredients, what you end up with is how you personally feel. Is Geo evil who manages to maintain a socially acceptable exterior or is she basically a good person who was easily led? I'm still not sure. For me, it's what made this book so absorbing. As the story progresses we get to glimpse more and more, but even after the denouement, I was still vacillating between whether Geo was good or bad, weak or strong. Detective Kaiser was a great character, and because I liked him so much, I was desperate for him to get his happy ever after. A deep and thoughtful story that challenges your perceptions and caused a great deal of pensive, soul searching for me. Even thinking about it now, I'm not convinced I've reached a decision. A beautifully written book that will haunt you for some time after you've finished.

I’m a HUGE fan of Jennifer Hillier and read Jar of Hearts as soon as I got a copy. Her previous books have been great but Jar of Hearts is…… OMG….. BLOODY BRILLIANT!!! And I use bloody in the literal sense here as I do have to warn that you may need a strong stomach for some of the scenes created here. This is a VERY dark and violent book with its fair share of blood and gore but I know that even if you want to put it down at certain points, you won’t physically be able to do so as you will have become completely addicted to this fascinating and involving thriller. I don’t know what this says about me but I have to tell you that I absolutely loved this book and it’s probably going to be making another appearance on here towards the end of the year when I lost my top 20 favourite reads of 2018!

Jar of Hearts starts with Geo (short for Georgina) on trial for her part in the murder of her best friend Angela Wong who was a victim of The Sweetbay Strangler, Calvin James, Geo’s boyfriend at the time. And having lived with what happened that night for 14 years, the successful career woman is now sentenced to jail after the discovery of Angela’s body proves that Geo knew more about her friends death than she had admitted at the time. Her old school friend Kaiser is an investigating police office on the case and when Calvin escapes from jail he thinks that Geo is the missing link in discovering what has happened to him. But delving into the past seems to stir up forgotten memories for them both and when more bodies start turning up, Geo is in greater danger than she ever was all those years ago.

This was such an unexpected pleasure for me as I followed Geo both in the present, as a successful business woman who loses everything when she goes to prison for 5 years, and in the past where we meet a rather different character in the teenage Geo. In fact all the characters here were well thought out and developed. I adored Kaiser and enjoyed peeling back the layers of his personality especially when I compared his present self with the teenage boy he once was. And I loved spotting references to the authors previous books as, although Jar of Hearts is a standalone novel, all her books are linked in some small way.

Jar of Hearts is a well written and exquisitely plotted novel that will grab you from the start and not let you go until those final shocking pages. It’s a disturbingly twisted tale of obsession and friendship with the scenes in the women’s prison particularly hard hitting but also simultaneously poignant. Although I was quick to pick up on some of the plot twists, there was still a full on shock value in the outcome to some of the threads that I didn’t see coming and that I am still thinking about even now! If, like me, you’re a fan of Lisa Gardner or you loved The Final Girls by Riley Sager as much as I did then you will definitely need to get your hands on a copy of Jar of Hearts.

Very highly recommended by me!!

I recognized the title “Jar of hearts” from a song and like that song this story weaves its own magic and tensions between love, hate and betrayal. It’s difficult at first or even ever to like the main character Geo as she has been involved in the murder of her best friend. But she is resilient and as the story unfolds of her arrest, time in prison and her eventual release the real story begins linking back to that first death, her relationships and her actions. Thoroughly gripping, as the body count increases and Geo’s serial killer boyfriend escapes from prison. Mix in an old friend who is now a cop and this is a thrilling thriller.

This is a very enjoyable book and well worth reading. The story line differs from other books I have read. The author wants you to believe that everything is as detailed in the book and there is a clear distinction between the good and the bad for the 19 year ago murders. Although there are a couple of hints in the book that maybe Calvin is not totally to blame for murders old and new. I was surprised at the apparent 'and they all lived happy ever after'. epilogue - I would have preferred an ending where you are not quite certain who is the father of the baby.

A dark thriller that grips the reader from beginning to end. A successful young business woman Geo is brought crashing down as her teenage past catches up with her and she is imprisoned for her part in the terrible killing by her then boyfriend Calvin of her best friend Angie. After her release her life is again haunted by him after he escapes from jail although an ever present is a previous admirer of hers and now the local detective doing his best to protect her and catch the rampant killer as more and more bodies are found in the same area.

The book concludes with yet more twists and turns that keeps the reader's attention to the very end.

I heard so many great things about this book that I had to read it myself. Just to see what all the fuss is about. I am so glad I did.
Three high school pupils Angela Wong (the pretty and popular one), Georgina that always in her shadow and Kaiser who has a crush on Geo are best friends. They hang around and do everything together. When they meet a group of older boys on a night out. Instead of being interested with Angela, bad boy Calvin James is interested in Geo instead. Geo starts going out with Calvin and It causes friction in the girl’s relationship.
When one night, they decide to go out together to a party. Geo doesn’t usually drink after what happened to her mother who died some years previously. But, she decides to have the punch and eats the fruit in it. The next thing she realises that she has woken up to Angela being raped by Calvin and he ends up killing her. With the shock of what’s just happened. Instead of calling the police Geo helps Calvin get rid of Angela’s body in the woods.
Fourteen years later, Geo now working for a pharmaceutical company and is just about to marry the CEO Andrew. When Calvin and herself gets sent down for Angela’s murder. But Calvin escapes and suddenly more bodies turn up and they think that Calvin is killing again. Kaiser now a Cop Visits Geo in prison to see whereabouts he might be.
This is the first Jennifer Hillier book that I have read and I will be looking out for the others that she has written. Wow I lived this book because of its originality, the way it went back and forth in time and gave little titbits of the whole picture, that will keep you addicted to the story to the very end. There were lots of twists and turns but, I kind of guess what the ending was, But, regardless of that I think it’s a fab book.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Georgina has made a plea deal on exchange for her testimony against her ex boyfriend, Calvin, who raped and murdered her best friend when they were 16, and went on to kill other women. Geo is sentenced to five years for concealing the murder 14 years before. On her release from prison, bodies are starting to pile up, could it be Calvin trying to get her attention?

I was so excited when I received this arc as there was a lot of hype about it and without a doubt it's worth the hype. I really enjoyed this gripping read! Highly recommended

When Geo was 16 her best friend disappeared, 14 years later the past is coming back to haunt her – who will be next?

Jar of Hearts focuses on main character Geo who is a hard-edged, successful business woman with a secret who is well used to lying to get what she wants. Against the odds I actually quite liked Geo as a character, she had a lot of depth to her and kept a lot of details to herself, without giving everything away even to the reader. The mechanic of having an unreliable narrator worked really well to stop the plot from being too predictable. If we had known all of the details at the beginning the plot would have been quite easy to guess but drip-feeding us important information at key points in the plot made it impossible to jump ahead. The use of flash-backs and jumps in perspective between Geo and her friend/police officer Kaiser also help to keep the pacing of the book just right – it kept me hooked to read more!

Jar of Hearts is an interesting story exploring first love, obsession and abuse tied up in a murder mystery which is delicately painted. The chapters set in the women’s prison were well-researched, I felt that they were realistic and relatable and the characters we were introduced to inside were well developed.

My only criticism would be that the author was a bit too keen to come to the conclusion with quite a number of characters that committing sexual or emotional abuse was an entirely genetic trait. There is a whole nature vs nurture debate in science and psychology but Jennifer Hillier makes it very clear which side she is on! As someone who believes there is a combination of factors at work, I found a few of the points made a little unrealistic at times.

Overall Jar of Hearts is a well-paced and detailed ride led by an unreliable narrator to keep you intrigued and guessing at every turn. Thank you to Netgalley and Atlantic Books for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Where do I begin? This book had it all, it’s a dark psychological thriller that kept me hooked, at times it was scary, emotional and much much more.

The friendship between teenagers, Angela, Georgina and Kaiser is threatened when Georgina meets older boy Calvin. Angela’s body is discovered 14 years later.

After hiding the secret of what happened the night of the murder, Calvin & Geo (Georgina) are both sent to prison. The inspirational friendship between Geo and Cat is in sharp contrast to the harsh prison environment.

I loved this book and OMG! That’s all I’m saying about the ending!

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

A gruesome thriller with lots of unexpected twists. This story is written and well worth a read

Wow ! What a fantastic read , started and finished in a day . I was gripped from the first pages and can highly recommend this . We start with Geo ( Georgina ) who has made a plea deal regarding a crime she covered up as a 16 year old She serves five years in prison and is then released . Her high school boyfriend is a serial killer who has escaped from prison , more bodies are discovered with similarities to his past crimes and Geo really fears he's working his way back to her . I haven't read any other books by Jennifer Hillier but I will e sure to seek them out now . Great twist , thrilling with a satisfactory conclusion . Thank you for the opportunity to read this ……..

Teenagers. The angst. The rivalry can be deadly. One girl gets jealous of another girl's boyfriend and their lives - and the lives of many around them are changed for ever.

This book has twists and turns running through it, with the biggest left until near the end. After reading this I feel unsettled, sad and realise that although most of us don't have such secrets from our teenage years, we have some that stays with us forever - or at least I do.

This was my first experience of this author, Jennifer Hillier, and it certainly won’t be my last. This was a thriller in the real sense, with a compelling but chilling storyline. Geo’s involvement in the original crime was so cleverly revealed, layer by layer, as the story progressed. Several unexpected twists and turns as the story flipped back and forward between timelines kept the story moving at a relentless pace. The complexity of the characters of Geo, and of her one-time boyfriend, were fascinating, and so well described by the author. What a riveting read, I really could not put it down! Thanks to Netgalley for sending me a preview copy.

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier was my 13th book of 2018.

The story is about 3 friends; Angela the popular girl in school, Geo her best friend and Kaiser who is uselessly in love with Geo but never did anything about it.

The story picks up 14 years later where Angela is dead, Geo is in prison for her part in the murder, and is is Kaiser who has put her there.

Geo’s teenage boyfriend Calvin James murdered her friend and got her to help him cover it up and blackmails her. The body goes undiscovered for years, but when found, links Calvin to 3 other murders by the Sweetbay Strangler. Geo’s evidence in court puts him away.

Geo gets 5 years in prison, whilst in prison Calvin escapes and evades capture. Geo forges alliances with useful people to make her stay easier and then later a friendship which keeps her sane through her term. Nearing the end of her time, 2 bodies are found near her home and to where she and Calvin buried Angela, similarities to her death too, is Calvin back is the question?

The story is dark but sucks you in wanting more. As the story unfolds more revelations are made to make the story develop into a really good read. It’s not one for the feint-hearted as it’s full of darkness, twisted people, prison insights, abuse both mental and physical and a lot of damaged souls, not to mention a fair bit of violence.
You reach the end and it is over before you are quite ready, which I couldn’t decide if it was cos it was a little too rushed or cos I wanted more from it.

I found the story layout of this book a little jumpy as you went into a chapter not knowing if you were in present day or the past, or who was the feature character until you were a page in. Other than that it was a thoroughly enjoyable read and a well constructed story, with characters you knew well.

I received this free copy from @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I give this a strong 4/5.

Thank you to Atlantic Books and Netgalley for this advanced copy. I totally enjoyed this book especially the flash backs to the past describing the events which told the story and linking it altogether. It was a really good read. Totally gripping.

Wow, just wow. This story was amazing. I was gripped from the start and i love the complexity of Geo and Kai. They are fascinating characters and as the story unfolded i was surprised by the twists and turns that i didn't predict. This is going to be one of my favorite books of 2018 i can tell.