I found the book to be a great page-turner.

Initially, the multitude of characters was a little confusing but I found myself gripped from the very first page. The story is fast paced and very addictive, I read the whole thing in 3 sittings.

I'm not usually one for thrillers but will be looking to read more of this genre after reading this book.

This novel begins after the events of the prequel. While it can be read and enjoyed on its own, I would suggest reading the prequel first to fully enjoy this story. While some of the needed backstory is revealed about a quarter of the way into the novel, we do not get the rest until well over half way through.

There is lots of action in this political thriller and it is well paced. The characters are engaging and Lily makes a capable heroine. The plot centers on an international threat and is something that could be out of today's headlines. The plot is a bit complex but it does come together in the end.

This series has good potential and I'll be looking for the next one.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Living Secrets by. S. F. Baumgartner is action-packed and a page-turner. Mutiple government agencies, foreign agencies' involvements, secrets, and biological warfare all join to make this book a thriller.

A copy was provided for my review, but all opinions are my own.

A disappointing book that was difficult to follow even after reading the prequel. Unlike others, I find I have a hard time recommending it to others.

Review:
A very fast paced thriller. The plow is heavily reliant on the characters and their connections to each other. There was a certain twist that made my interest increase a bit. The crisis does take a back seat in the story. Or at least felt that way to me. It wraps up a little too quickly for my taste. But not a bad ending. I enjoyed this and felt like I flew through it. There's a lot of different POVs which is challenging at first but you get used to it.
Overall a solid thriller.
I'd give this 3.75 but I'll round it up to 4 stars

I'd like to thank the Author, and Netgalley for allowing me this arc to read and review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher forbthis edge of your seat nail biting thriller!

I am excited for the next installment!

The book is one you will not want to put down, and if you read it at night, you will jump at every noise and check the locks on your doors and windows.

Highly recommend.

•Fast Paced
•Short Chapters
•Multiple POV
•Mystery and Secrets
•Suspense Thriller

The book is suspenseful and mysterious. It’s full of secrets and mystery. There are multiple POVs. The chapters are short and the book grips from Chapter one till the end. There are some new characters, if you have read the prequel. This is book 1 in The Mirror Estate Series. The author did a great job. The characters were intriguing and mysterious.

Lily Tso is a young Chinese woman who has grown up as an orphan. She currently works at Marino Hotel in Hong Kong. Her world turns upside down when she the secrets unveils about her biological parents. She gets tangled in a secret operation and hidden secrets. There is also an involvement of FBI. The book keeps on the edge of the seat. Lily must figure out the mystery to save herself and save America.

Thank you Netgalley, Author, and Publisher

Living Secrets isa very well written romantic suspense. I enjoyed the plot and character dynamics. I definitely recommend this book.

After reading the previously published prologue, Buried Secrets, I was looking forward to learning more about Mirror Estates and Dylan and his family. But for a book promoted as a thriller, this one was less than thrilling. The first third of the novel seemed to drag on. I did not connect with the characters at all. Everything felt flat to me and I was ready to quit, but decided to hang on until half way through, at which point it finally picked up some speed and I understood what was going on. But by the 80% mark, I was ready to be done. I did finish it, but will not be reading anything else by this author in the future.
Two main things were the demise of this book for me. First, it had very little to do with Dylan or the estate. Yes, his aunt was heavily involved, but Dylan was a minor character and the visit to the estate was brief. I had expected the action to be centered on Dylan and his grandmother. Second, and maybe more importantly, there were over 100 mini chapters. Each chapter heading gave a name, day, time, and place. Having this abrupt break literally every minute or two and needing to switch gears to another place and another person’s point of view was very distracting. It kept me from losing myself in the story and prohibited a natural flow of events. Several times, by the time a character came back around I had forgotten what was happening there. I felt like I was told a lot of things, but never really got to know the characters, a few of which just seemed to show up without much explanation.
There is more I could say but I will leave it at this. Living Secrets had a lot of potential, and I really wanted to like it. If you enjoy the above mentioned format and do not mind it not being about Mirror Estate, you may enjoy this book.
*I received a complimentary copy of this e-book from NetGalley and the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The book was fast paced & engaging. I did find it challenging to keep jumping back & forth between each of the different characters, but I kept looking forward to seeing what would happen.

Some of the events were a bit unbelievable, not so realistic. But it is fiction & that is their perspective.

Thank you to the publisher & Netgalley forthis ARC. All opinions are my own.

A gripping complex storyline that had me compelled to continue reading. Such detail and complexity was inspirational. It was very realistic and I could imagine it actually happening in real life.

This story was so engaging for me as a reader! I enjoyed how the chapters were small and changed quickly between the characters as the story unfolds. There are lots of characters so in the beginning it was hard to keep everyone straight but the story line was so interesting, that it kept me reading. I enjoyed how some of the characters made such great sacrifices to protect their loved ones. I look forward to reading the next book!



Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.