Rebecca Thornton has created an intense and exciting thriller that examines the dark underbelly of fame.

In "Your Guilty Secret", Lara King is the perfect celebrity that fans have followed for years. Her picture-perfect relationship with movie-star Matthew Raine and her gorgeous six-year-old daughter Ava are paraded all over the press.

But when an incident shatters their façade, all the carefully constructed layers of their life unravel.

Fans of Laura Marshall, Lisa Jewell and Louise Jensen will appreciate the complexity and tension that Thornton creates.

A must-read for anyone interested in uncovering the hidden secrets of celebrities.

It’s easy as a parent to take your eyes off your little darling for a few seconds, whether it’s to answer a call, nip to the loo or to fetch that lukewarm brew that you made and desperately need the caffeine. But in that split second, for them to disappear is heartbreaking.

Lara and her partner Matthew are in the public eye along with Lara’s daughter Ava. Ava vanishes when her and Lara have a pit stop on a girlie day out. Obviously with a high profile couple, there is a media frenzy to find this adorable little girl.

Your Guilty Secret isn’t just about Ava’s disappearance. It’s a time jump story along Lara’s life, from her being discovered, the run up to the big “announcement” and the aftermath of Ava’s disappearance. I got to see the different sides of Lara and how she changed over time. What she was willing to do to be/stay in the limelight. The more I got to know Lara, the less I liked her.

Thornton has written a tense thriller with some unlikeable characters, showing how potential the life of an influencer and star is carefully orchestrated to keep that individual centre stage. Showing the lengths those around a star will go to keep the public on their side despite the bad news stories. Showing how desperate some can get when things don’t go their way. Your Guilty Secret is an addictive read which chilled me with the truth.

I am not leaving a review due to the fact that this book did not interest me enough to finish the story.

Psychological thriller with an extremely unlikeable protagonist who finds fame more important than actual real life things. Darkness lurks underneath the glitzy and glamorous exterior she tries to put out there though. The story takes quite a while to get going and the self-absorbed characters are difficult to stomach at times. Pretty relevant for this day and age with the whole "if it's not on the internet, did it actually happen" thing but all in all Your Guilty Secret failed to convince me and I was left disappointed..

If you enjoy a pshycological thriller then you will love this book. Lara King is a celebrity who will do anything to become even more famous and then her child goes missing.
A really fast paced story that keeps you on your toes

This is a suspenseful psychological thriller about a woman who would do anything for fame and recognition, even put in danger her own daughter. I really didn’t like the protagonist (or the other characters of the story). Self-centred and flawed, Lara King is the perfect protagonist of this twisty novel. When her six-year-old daughter disappears, Lara finds herself struggling between her external façade and her private life that collide with consequences out of control. I literally devoured this novel, eager to see how the story would end, an ending that was perfect and took me by surprise.

On the surface, this is a book that largely focuses on a missing child but with a big twist ... that child is the daughter of a celeb. Enjoyed the rather unique take on the narrative, which flipped between Lara (past and present) and a blogger (Lara's self proclaimed no 1 fan) covering the search for Ava in real time. The plot is tense and gripping. It definitely makes you think about the other side of fame! I really didn't like Lara's character but big thumbs up to the author for hooking me in despite that!

I always find it interesting when I step out of my comfort zones for books as I'm never disappointed, I like mystery novels as I like to guess what happened and I had a theory from the start on this, and I was partially correct which I liked.

I really found it interesting when it swapped between two POVs, it made it all the more fun for me to read.

I think the thing I liked the most was that it really made you see the different sides of fame and how it can affect people.

Definitely a book to read and another successful venture into a different genre for me.

Your Guilty Secret' is a tour de force of information dangling, reveals and tantalising titbits which are teased out of the story of a celebrity whose child has gone missing.

Cleverly swapping between the narrative of mother, Lara King, international superstar and a blog/website called 'ryan's world' , the self proclaimed 'Number 1 fan' of Lara and her daughter Ava, we , the readers, get to see both sides of the missing child investigation .

Lara and Ava were going to make a great announcement that had the eyes of the world upon them-but what did Ava see in the pool house that afternoon?

What happened to Lara in England before she got famous? Does she really not know who her daughter's father is?
Whose secret is being kept, and is Ava's disappearance after stopping at a roadside for her to answer a call of nature whilst her mother answers the phone, real or manufactured?

And who is behind 'ryans world'?

What is going on?!

I cannot reveal any spoilers, other than that this book will keep you on the edge of your seat as you flip the pages with bated breath, hoping for a good outcome for Ava at the same time as Rebecca deftly juggles the multiple plot lines and time frames, leaving nothing smashing to the floor just superbly spinning plates.

I particularly like the inclusion of the comments section of Ryan's site, as the investigation continues, it gives the story a very real life feel, as well as adding a layer of voyeurism to the plot. On the one hand the first person narrative makes it feel as though Lara is talking directly to you, whilst the website makes you feel like you are trawling online.
It gives the whole story such a ring of truth, right from the start as multiple people lay into Lara, from behind their keybords as her 911 call is released...

This is a brilliantly twisty thriller that keeps you hooked from page one.

I absolutely devoured this book. it's like the juiciest blind item you've ever read, until the ending when you realise...well, I won't spoil it,.. It doesn't take long before the reader realises that the narrator, megastar Lara King, is actually an extremely unpleasant individual. The bedrock of her fame is based on her idyllic relationship with her daughter, with every perfect moment Instagrammed to perfection. As you read on, it becomes clear that it's not Lara, but the nanny who is raising her daughter, Ava. In fact, Lara only seems to use Ava for photo ops. When Ava goes missing, Lara's world turns upside down and not for the reasons you might think. In fact, many of the developments leave a bitter taste behind.

I can't go any deeper without spoiling it, but this is a very intelligently written novel about society and aspiration and fame. Fame is portrayed as an addictive disease: a pill that's swallowed by choice. The book has a lot to say about shallowness, vanity, appearances and how there's always somebody that we all want to be like, and always a brand that'll pay them.

The end of this book suggests we all take a long , hard in the mirror, hence the title. Excellent 5/5. I'll definitely read more from Rebecca Thornton.

A definite page-turner about fame and all the entrapments, highs and lows that come alongside that fame.
Sometimes things are not what they seem and some things are deeper than than they first appear.

Your Guilty Secret is one of those books that sucks you in and barely lets go until the very end. I am a massive fan about novels about fame and this was one of the very best - providing a much deeper, darker look into what goes on in Hollywood, akin to what you read about on gossip sites where nobody is perfect and everybody is hiding something. Lara King is one of the most confusing narrators I have ever come across and even after finishing the book, I'm not sure we still got the full story on exactly what happened with Ava, her daughter. It felt like there was a chapter missing in the book, that typical thriller chapter where you think everything is fine and dandy and sorted out properly and then the book throws you one last twist, just because.
I will say that while I enjoyed the novel immensely, I couldn't stand Lara. Considering where she came from and how her career almost ended before it started, she was so conceited. Always so bothered about Lara. What would be good for the Lara King brand? During the whole novel she seemed cold and calculated and I was never quite sure we were getting the real Lara, and that was disturbing. It was like she was playing a part, and I wasn't buying it. I didn't believe her, I didn't trust her and, most importantly, I didn't like her. The way she manipulated Ava was downright sociopathic. Who threatens a six year old with the loss of her nanny so she behaves? Her methods were just completely screwed up and while it might be horrible to say, she deserved the way the public treated her.
What was really incredible about Your Guilty Secret was that, despite despising Lara, I would still read a sequel to this novel. It was fascinating, like can't-look-away-car-crash fascinating. Rebecca Thornton is a fantastic writer and it says a lot about her writing skills that despite absolutely hating her main character, I would still read more from her. Lara was just her own worst enemy I felt, and that really was something to see. You know, you see these beautiful Hollywood couples but you definitely don't see the bad stuff, like anything, they only show you the good times and try to hide the bad times as best they can.
I devoured this book in a couple of days, it was so fascinating, so more-ish. Being a celebrity certainly doesn't give you happiness or the perfect life and that's so apparent in Your Guilty Secret. It still makes for fascinating reading though, and I was hooked. I have no idea if Rebecca Thorton plans to bring back Lara King but I would certainly read more, especially with how Your Guilty Secret ended, there's so much more to be told I felt and I would be there for it for sure.

My thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre for giving me the opportunity to read YOUR GUILTY SECRET. Did this novel make me feel uncomfortable? You bet it did. I've never read anything quite like it, a psychological thriller set in the shallow territory of fame and everything it brings, it shocked me and made me squirm in equal measure. Lara King, a woman with a checkered past who manages to put it behind her and find fame in fortune in Hollywood, discovers her daughter is missing after a promised girly afternoon with her six year old daughter, Ava. Lara is the kind of character we don't really get to know; she is endearing and awful in equal measure, and just when you think you know what she's about, she changes leaving you wondering what she would do for fame. One can't help wondering if it's all worth it, and you begin to think Lara feels the same until her actions turn this thought on its head. Shocking, awful, terrifying, very readable, unputdownable, Your Guilty Secret is all these things, and Rebecca Thornton certainly kept me on my toes.until the very unexpected and gut-wrenching ending!

This is a gripping psychological thriller set in the world of celebrity and fame. Lara King is the celebrity, desperate to be famous no matter what the cost. When her 6 year old daughter goes missing on a special day out together, the events of what happened that day and the events leading up to it are told by Lara, and without giving anything away we get to know more about Lara and her rise to becoming a star.

The book is well written and it definitely had me hooked.

Would recommend this author.

Just like Rebecca Thornton's debut novel, Your Guilty Secret seems like a psychological thriller that is based around shallow people and an equally shallow industry. From the moment I read the first couple of pages, I realised that this was going to be a lot deeper than it seemed on the surface and as such it's a study of fame and the consequences of it. Fame is a fickle and untrustworthy mistress, that is for sure!

Well written, exciting and a definite page-turner, I found it difficult to put this down. As is quite often the case, main character Lara King believes in fame and the cult of celebrity no matter the costs. She is a middle-of-the-road character in the sense that you neither love her or hate her, and she definitely has the potential to annoy with the sense of entitlement that seems to emanate from her throughout the novel. I liked how the dark side of the fame industry slowly unfurls and reveals itself. Thought-provoking and deftly plotted with many surprises and a truly shocking and explosive conclusion, this is a cracking read!

Many thanks to Zaffre for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Your Guilty Secret is a beautifully done psychological thriller that I read in one sitting yesterday afternoon, compelled ever onwards to find the ultimate resolution.

This is not only a twisty page turner but a story about the pursuit of fame at all costs. About public adoration and private struggles, a real human drama set right in this click bait, 24/7 news, voyeuristic society that we live in today.

Lara King is the world’s sweetheart, a brand, widely adored up on that pedestal she has carefully created for herself- but when tragedy strikes Lara will find that fame is a double edged sword..

Rebecca Thornton breathes real life into her characters, layers them carefully and pulls you into their world – a world at their feet, but with its own darkness hiding under the glitz and glamour.

It is a thought provoking, nuanced thriller that has all the hallmarks of the genre but wrapped up in some deeply insightful truths about a life in the spotlight. It will reveal itself slowly then leave you with a lot to think about..

I loved it. Divisive characterisation, clever plotting and a difficult to predict resolution.

Definitely recommended.