This one was excellent. I loved the family dynamics and it gripped me to know all of the juicy secrets. Would highly recommend

I'll Tell You Everything is a tense and thought-provoking novel about the lies we tell to protect our carefully built lives and the truths that inevitably unravel them. Amy Linden has it all—a successful career, a loving family, and a perfect image. That is, until Ramona, the daughter she gave up for adoption years ago, reappears and asks for the one story Amy fears to tell: the truth about her biological father.

Amy’s attempts to shield her daughter from the reality of her past through multiple conflicting stories make for a compelling narrative of deception and self-preservation. The plot is engaging, and the shifting memories and revelations keep the reader intrigued. However, while the premise is strong, the pacing can feel uneven, and some of the twists may seem predictable to seasoned readers of family drama. Despite this, the emotional depth of the story and the examination of guilt, identity, and the consequences of keeping secrets give I'll Tell You Everything a powerful core.

Overall, it's a solid read for those who enjoy character-driven stories about the complexities of family and the burden of hidden truths.

It was okey, the plot twists were really good and also the pacing, a fun little thriller to get into the genre for those not familiar with it.

If you hate unreliable narrators then this is not the book for you. Amy's daughter that she gave up for adoption tracks her down and Amy tells her "I'll Tell You Everything" but she also wants to paint herself in a positive light. As her story slowly unfolds you start to doubt how much truth is in what Amy is revealing and even in the end you are left wondering whether she's really told you everything.

When Ramona seeks out her birth mother after 20 years, she is seeking the identity of her birth father and the story of how things came to be. Amy then spins tale after tale, while protecting the truth at all costs. I’ll tell you everything she continues to tell Ramona but will the truth set her free?

This was such an intriguing story for me. And haven’t we all known someone like that? A great storyteller without any connection to the actual truth.

This is the first time I have read a book from this author. It had a great concept for the story line and plot point, but I feel like it wasn't written as well as it could have been. The idea was about Ramona, an adopted girl, who is searching answers about her bio family, and she find out so much more. I think the main character could have used so much more depth to make the story more interest. Overall, it wasn't bad, but I didn't think it was that good. Thank you Net Galley!

Told alternately between the points of view of Amy Linden and Ramona Crawford, this book was difficult to review for several reasons. Firstly because I didn’t care for either of these women, despite their story being a fascinating, though devastating one.

Amy is happily married and the mother to a young son. She is a successful hotelier, a career she has aspired to her entire life.

Ramona is a twenty year old woman whose adopted mother has cancer. She is eager to find her birth-parents to learn her own history. She finds Amy Linden, and they meet up in Seattle. Though Amy seems receptive to Ramona’s myriad questions, Ramona does not wholly trust her – with good reason.

“Memories haunted us because we let them, but that was the thing –
we didn’t have to let them.”

Later, Ramona surprises Amy by showing up at the Mountain Lodge in Montana that she runs. Amy introduced Ramona to her husband and son, who welcome the new addition to their family with surprising equanimity. Bursting with more questions for Amy, particularly about her birth father, Ramona interrogates Amy again. Amy spins a captivating tale about her younger self when she worked at this very lodge as a dishwasher. Still, Ramona does not wholly trust Amy’s version of events.

Mind you, Amy does know how to spin a tale. If you love unreliable narrators, then Amy Linden might be your woman. She attempts to portray her younger self in a rosy hue. Making herself out to be the victim of circumstance. Should Ramona believe Amy’s version of events? Amy embellishes her narrative in a capricious way…

This is a novel about taking responsibility for your own actions. For owning up to your mistakes in a transparent way. The denouement was open-ended and not entirely satisfying. The reader gets to decide how things might proceed in the future. Some readers will likely relish this opportunity, I didn’t personally care for it.

The cover was beautiful and the title fit the novel perfectly.

However, at the end of the day, I did find this novel to be quite memorable. The setting and characters were well drawn, though not ones I would care to know. Recommended with reservations…

This book wasn't for me. Nope, not at all. I didn't enjoy the characters. I didn't enjoy the story. I'm bummed I wasted the time reading it at all.

And ... what kind of mother tells her daughter about how someone performed oral sex on her??? Major ick happening.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was an emotional book but just did not hit the mark for me. Thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy.

As somebody that’s adopted I loved this story. Ramona is 20 years old and goes looking for her birth mom, Amy. She finds her mom and wants to know her story. The story changes multiple times and Ramona doesn’t know if her mom is being honest or making it up as she goes.

I loved the mother daughter bond in this. The book was good the entire way through. I liked hearing the story about how Amy got pregnant and decided to give her up for adoption. It wasn’t the common story.

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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