Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read this ARC.

I enjoyed this book but found it was a little far fetched and repetitive.

A full review has been left on the goodreads site.

This is told in alternating viewpoints, you hear from both Amy and Ramona as Ramona tries desperately to reconnect with her birth mother and get answers about her past. There was definitely an emotional component here, I truly felt awful for Ramona and the author did a good job at showing how not knowing about her history really affected her life. I especially felt bad for when she was trying to deal with Amy, she was such a frustrating character! You figure out very early on that Amy has issues being truthful and sometimes she wouldn’t give Ramona a straight answer and others she would answer with a half truth or a total lie. As annoying as this would be in real life it sure made for a fun reading experience because I was never sure what would come out of her mouth next and it led to a bunch of twists and turns. The setting added a layer of mystery and intrigue to the story and it paired well with the domestic drama. It’s also a fairly short read that you can get through quickly, I raced to the end to get to the truth and I was satisfied in the end.

I love a twisty family story with lots of secrets and lies and this novel delivers. Told from the viewpoints of Amy and Ramona it takes a few chapters to really get into the story and then you can't put it down. Amy's version of past events keeps changing and like Ramona you want to believe that she's telling the truth this time all the way up to the end. Amy is a fantastic unreliable narrator and the audiobook is a great way to enjoy this suspenseful mystery. Amy Bentley and Caitlin Kelly do a fabulous job of bringing these characters to life.

✨Book Review✨
🗣️ I’ll Tell You Everything 🗣️

Synopsis:
Amy’s biological daughter, Ramona, tracks Amy down and wants to know about her biological parents, but there’s a lot Amy doesn’t want to tell.

My thoughts:
🤔 This one was just okay for me. I thought it was going to be more of a thriller, but to me, it was more like a domestic drama. It wasn’t super suspenseful and the stakes were never very high.
🤔 I felt it was very repetitive, drawn out, and there wasn’t much depth to the plot.
🤔 I did enjoy the setting. I felt that the author did a good job of making it so I was right there with the characters.

Who is going to love it? Those who love…
❤ An Unreliable Narrator
❤️ Unlikeable FMC
❤️ A Slow Pace

📣 This one just released on January 14, 2025!

🥰Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and @NetGalley for this gifted eARC in exchange for an honest review. Although I didn’t love this one, I really appreciate the opportunity to be an advanced reader!

I loved this and how it unraveled the story of her life and what happened to her. So many twists and turns and the ending oh my well worth reading

An interesting back and forth between a mom and daughter and past and present.

Amy Linden loves her husband and son and working at their hotel in the mountains. She has a past though and it is coming back to the present and might ruin her future if she isn’t careful. Ramona Crawford, the daughter Amy gave up for adoption twenty years ago, shows up and wants answers about her father and what happened twenty years ago. Amy starts to tell Ramona about the summer she found out she was pregnant and then after she had her, but the more Amy talks the less Ramona believes. The longer Amy talks, the more her story changes and Ramona starts to uncover secrets that Amy would have preferred stayed hidden from the world.

I’ll Tell You Everything started out strong for me but then slowly fizzled a bit by the end. It is a good premise and storyline was solid, but it just didn’t hold up all the way through. The moments spent in the past were well done and held up the right amount of suspense and I enjoyed seeing those moments play out. Fans of psychological thrillers will likely enjoy this read and how the character development plays out, but might feel a bit let down when the suspense doesn’t carry all the way through.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

I really enjoyed the setting of this book - the author's description of the landscape helped me to picture the scene and imagine all the characters. It kept me interested throughout and I liked the mix of family issues and relationships, with the thriller/action aspect of the book.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Where to even start with this one! This was a book about a complicated woman. I enjoyed the story telling and the overall message, who you are is more than blood basically, at least that’s what I got from it. I really hated Amy. She was just so frustrating with all her lies and inability to just tell us everything lol. Every time you thought you got the whole story there was always more that needed to be revealed. She really came off as desperate too which was also off putting about her character. I did enjoy and appreciate Ramona and could understand why she was looking for answers. However, to the extreme of upending Amy’s current and actually somewhat stable life… idk it was a bit much. The emotional journey of this book was nice though and I feel worthy of exploring. My dad was adopted and he sought out his blood relatives eventually so, as far as that goes, I could see people connecting with that aspect for sure. Thank you to the author for reaching out to me and Netgalley for providing the digital access to this novel!

I'll Tell You Everything by Rebecca Kelley is absolutely unputdownable.
I was so pleasantly surprised. I stayed up way too late finishing it, but I had to sed how it ended. I really liked it!!

From Rebecca Kelley, the author of No One Loves Us Here (2023-loved), comes another emotionally powerful, intriguing mystery with page-turning suspense: I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING—a fitting title and an ideal pick for book clubs.

A shocking act of violence unfolds into a tender story of family, long-held secrets, and what-ifs, creating a suspenseful narrative that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

It may often be better to leave the past in the past. If you want to know everything, be prepared for an answer you may not want to hear.

“The worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves."—Richard Bach

Audiobook...

I read the e-book and listened to the audiobook, which I found very well done with perfect pacing, twists, suspense, and emotions beautifully captured by talented Amy Bentle and Caitlin Kelly, giving distinct voices to the two main characters, mother/daughter, making the story come alive, keeping you glued to your earbuds to see how this twisty saga will end.

About...

The story comes full circle, ending where it began at the secret lake they called Shangri-La. This lake holds a significant place in the characters' lives, serving as a backdrop for pivotal moments and symbolizing the cyclical nature of their experiences.

The past: A young couple fell in love. A young, ambitious girl became pregnant. A boy who loved art and the theatre. A boy's mother who was successful and controlling. A young girl who wanted to be her. Things did not go as planned. Lost dreams. A child was born and given up for adoption. Dark secrets were hidden. An unreliable narrator.

Amy, Freddy, and Cory form a complicated love triangle, their lives intertwined by love, ambition, chance, and tragedy. This dynamic adds a layer of complexity to the story, as their relationships and decisions shape the narrative.

The present: Amy Linden is married with a loving husband, Jonathan, and a young son, Gabe, with a glamorous and successful career as the hotelier of a grand mountain lodge.

Ramona Crawford, the daughter she gave up for adoption twenty years earlier, shows up for a surprise visit. She is not here to uproot her biological mother's life (but she will). She wants to know where she came from. Her goal: She wants to know the identity of her biological father.

In the past, Amy was a single parent trying to make her way up the hotel management ladder, and she thought it best to give up her daughter to make a life for herself. Ramona's adoptive mom is diagnosed with cancer. Now, she wants answers about her biological parents.

But you see, that may be a big problem for Amy. The truth could destroy everything she has worked for and her carefully curated life. The one she has sacrificed for. She has several versions of the truth. Will one of them be acceptable to Ramona?

There is a problem. Ramona will reach out to the man, intrigued and excited, but he has a different story. Amy has never told her husband about Ramona. She was good at keeping secrets and had several versions of the truth.

There is a mystery and a love triangle in the past. Amy, Freddy, and Cory. Neither of these two is her current husband. She has memories of what she wanted it to be, but the actuality was a different, darker story.

What is the big secret? When all is unraveled, it will be jaw-dropping. How far will someone go to keep their secrets hidden? What happened at the lodge that fateful summer? Once the truth is revealed, there will be no more versions and retellings.

Will the truth set you free?

My thoughts...

With its alternating POVs of Amy and Ramona and two timelines, I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING offers a unique and poignant exploration of love and forgiveness infused with thriller psychological vibes. The emotional depth of the characters will draw you in and make you feel connected to their journey.

The author writes of complex women making impulsive, reckless decisions, and I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING is a riveting thriller and a wise, profound novel of redemption.

The tranquil yet chilling front cover draws you in (which is a big focus of the novel) with the secluded rural setting of the hotel and the summer lodge. The author offers vivid descriptions that I can see on a wide screen.

As a reader, despite everything, you may sympathize with Amy as Ramona seems manipulative and pushes and demands Amy to the point when she does get the real truth; it is not what she wants to hear through her rose-colored glasses. I adored the ending, which gives a satisfying conclusion.

Engrossing and emotionally charged, I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING delves into themes of love, regret, guilt, split-second decisions, moral ambiguity, mistakes, forgiveness, and the toll of keeping secrets. It's a deeply moving novel about letting go of guilt and finding redemption.

Uniquely and cleverly told, it is a suspenseful, addictive page-turner filled with literary insight that compels readers to consider whether the worst thing they have done in their lives is all that defines them.

As in her previous book, the author showcases her storytelling skills and dives deep. Once again, she explores familial loyalty, women, relationships, motherhood, ambition, privilege, and risking it all. The novel's exploration of these issues will surely engage and provoke readers' thoughts.

The author does an outstanding job with the unreliable narrator and how she unravels the secrets of the past through Amy's retelling to Ramona. Infused with art and theatre, young love romance.

Unexpectedly, the novel turns dark and sinister turn, adding a psychological thriller vibe to the strong, insightful, thought-provoking family drama. The unexpected twists will keep the readers on the edge of their seats, adding a layer of suspense and intrigue to the narrative.

Amy is a complex woman but I will hand it to her, she gave Ramona what she asked for but was Ramona prepared for the answer she received?

I do not think this book or the author is getting enough love. I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING is a suspenseful domestic drama that builds slowly until all its explosive secrets are revealed. Be sure to check out No One Knows Us Here too (for fans of Robyn Harding and BA Paris).

Recs...

I highly recommend this novel for fans of the author and those who enjoy domestic suspense, character-driven narratives, emotionally resonant psychological dramas, and literary fiction. This is for readers of Liane Moriarty, Ann Patchett, Celeste Ng, Tracey Lange, Suzanne Refearn, Eileen Goudge, and Jessica Strawser.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Brilliance Audio for an ARC and ALC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4.5 Stars rounded to 5
Pub Date: Jan 14, 2025
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📚: I'll Tell You Everything by Rebecca Kelley
⭐️: 1.5/5 (rounding up on #goodreads)

I have never, ever, ever disliked (despised) a character in a book more than Amy. Honestly, that's my entire review. This book wasn't for me because of it. As an adoptee it made my stomach churn (honestly, an adoptee shouldn't read this), and if it wasn't for being gifted a digital ARC to review, I would have DNF'ed.

Character issues aside, the writing here was confusing within the POVs of each main character. The ending twist felt obvious. And it needs to be said again, I despised Amy's character so much in this that it wasn't just morally questionable (which I typically enjoy!) but irredeemable.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'll Tell You Everything is out today.

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of I’ll Tell You Everything.

Ramona has known her whole life that she was adopted and when she became an adult she decided to find her birth parents. She met her birth mother once but she needs more answers so she shows up at the hotel she runs to get them. She wants to know about her father but what she finds out will shock her.

This book had so much potential but the execution fell flat. I like the dual point of views but I disliked that one of them was unreliable. The writing was okay but I disliked that it led you down one path that ended up being a lie. I was not a fan.

This wasn’t the worst mystery book I’ve ever read but it definitely wasn’t the best. The unreliable narrator was a bit too unreliable and made the story predictable. The ‘plot twists’ aren’t surprising when you are able to call them by the beginning of the story. By halfway, I was just reading to get it over with.

I'll Tell You Everything by Rebecca Kelley is touted as a thriller but I would say it is more of a domestic drama. Amy is a hotelier spending the season with her husband and son in Seven Glacier. Her world is changed when Ramona, the daughter she gave up for adoption twenty years ago, shows up wanting to know the story of her past. Who is her father? Where did she come from? What happened and why was she given up for adoption? Amy desperately tries to keep the past firmly in the past by telling Ramona the perfect version of her past. But soon Ramona realizes that the story that Amy told her can not be true. Each time Ramona catches Amy in a lie, the story changes, making Ramona wonder what really is Amy trying to hide? As Ramona keeps digging to unravel her past, Amy's carefully constructed life and lies are exposed.
This story is told in two different POVs and is definitely an unreliable narrator theme. I do like a story with twists and turns but I did find this one lacking something. Maybe because I went into this book thinking it was more of a psychological thriller than it was.
Thank you to NetGalley, Rebecca Kelley, and Lake Union for this ARC. Expected publishing date is January 14th 2025.

Thank you Netgalley & Rebecca Kelley & Lake Union Publishing for an eARC ♥️

"Web of Lies: A Mother's Desperate Secrets"

Amy Linden's life looks perfect - a loving husband, adorable kid, and glamorous career. But when her estranged daughter Ramona shows up, asking about her biological father, Amy's world begins to unravel.
Forced to spin a web of lies to keep her secrets safe, Amy's stories start to contradict each other. Ramona's determined to uncover the truth, and Amy's desperate to keep it hidden.
As the lies pile up, the tension builds. Amy's secrets are expertly woven into a complex web of deceit that threatens to destroy her relationships and her reputation.
I was completely absorbed in this gripping novel, racing through the pages to uncover the truth alongside Ramona. One of my favorite aspects of the book was the way the author seamlessly wove together past and present timelines, slowly revealing the secrets and lies that had been hidden for so long. I love when books use this dual-timeline approach - it adds such depth and complexity to the story!♥️

Rebecca Kelley’s masterful storytelling weaves together themes of family, identity, and the destructive power of secrets.

I honestly do not know what to think or feel about this book. I got this book based off the details, covers etc. However, I found the FMC's "mother" highly annoying and to be honest very unbearable. Amy to me I feel like never gives us the truth of how Ramona came along. Honestly, I didn't really like any of the characters in this book, I felt like they all had their own major flaws, and it added to the story. If you're looking for a book that has lots of family drama and the mystery of finding oneself this might be the book for you. This is the first book i have read from this author.

Ramona is just a 20-year-old girl that like anyone wants to know who she is and where she comes from. Ramona researches and finds her birth mother to find her birth mother. Upon meeting Amy I feel like Ramona literally just wasted her time.

Amy Linden has a beautiful job as a hotelier at a posh mountain lodge, a devoted husband, and a cute son. Then she receives an unexpected visit from Ramona Crawford, the daughter she placed for adoption twenty years prior. Amy fully understands Ramona's need to find out who her biological father is. There is only one reality that would ruin Amy's meticulously planned life.
Amy tells a heartbreaking story of her adolescent passion with Freddy and the difficult choice to give Ramona a brighter future than they could offer. The pieces initially come together, providing Ramona with closure and an opportunity to get to know her strange yet endearing mother. However, Freddy then tells Ramona a different narrative, and Amy's version of the truth seems like memories keep changing.

Hard to grasp the meaning of this book, just answer the question? DNF:d it at 40% because i had stopped caring. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

Ramona, Amy’s daughter whom she gave up for adoption 25 years ago, comes back with questions surrounding their past. Who is Ramona’s father?

I loved the setting of Glacier Park, it was descriptive and quite immersive. The book is a dual POV which adds layers to the plot. However, I couldn’t enjoy the book as much because I didn’t like the way the unreliable narrator was set up; it led me to feeling less invested in the characters. There are characters who are unlikeable but whom I’ll still enjoy reading about, but Amy was purely an unlikeable character for me, to the point where it was frustrating and annoying. I’m not sure if this was a thriller, but I can see the theme of moral ambiguity within the book.

If you like family mysteries with unreliable narrators, this book might be you.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader's copy.

The narrative unfolds from two perspectives: Amy, a hotelier spending the season in Seven Glacier with her family, and Ramona, the daughter she placed for adoption, seeking answers to the questions that have plagued her for years. While the use of an unreliable narrator isn’t groundbreaking, the introduction of Ramona’s relentless search for truth creates a unique balance in the story. The interplay between the two viewpoints adds depth and complexity, and the setting of Seven Glacier worked wonderfully to enhance the mood and atmosphere.

While I’m usually a fan of stories filled with twists, this one felt a bit overwhelming. I anticipated more suspense or tension, but the mystery didn’t quite land as I hoped. The twists, though intriguing, became somewhat predictable as the plot progressed, and each new layer made the final reveal feel more obvious. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but I felt there were too many twists for my taste. If you’re picking this up, I’d suggest viewing it less as a thriller and more as a domestic drama with a bit of mystery.

This book really tested my patience. We really just needed the answer to one question. There was an unreliable narrator and a relationship that was not believable. Thank you, NetGalley.