I felt like the story was way longer than what it needed to be. Most of the time I wasn't thrilled. I only did at the end. I couldn't predict it. But I feel like there are still too many remaining questions at the end. I felt sad for some of the characters. I think the other characters should've had more "screen time" compared to the main character who at some point became unrealistic to the point of being not likeable.

The narrator was astonishing.

Overall good book but bad thriller.

Holy Crap! Well, this was a surprise!
Just when you think things cannot get any worse...guess what?? They can! 😩

OK..so first...TRIGGER WARNING....If you are not in a good state of mind...do not pick this one up!
This deals with drugs, overdoses, drugs in school, bullying (a little)...and, if you are not up for it, I would suggest you pass over this one for now. You can always come back to it!

Otherwise, this is not to be missed!!
Not sure if I've read this author before, but just when you think, well, the other shoe dropped. Nothing else can go wrong... Well, you would be WRONG!

We start out with 2 families that are close friends, and they live next to each other. Additionally, the Mom's had their kids 2 weeks apart. So, Joe and Annie know each other literally, since they were born. And they have been friends forever!
Also, Eve and Lisa, their Mothers have been best of friends as well.

We open up with Joe's 16th birthday, and the party that is being planned...before the sh*t hits the fan.... Eve and Noah are trying to make everything just perfect for their son's big day. And, once the party starts, they head across to Lisa's house to spend some time there while the kids are having fun.

It's really amazing how things can turn on a dime. And to see these families falling apart...well, it is just sad. Very sad. And the small community around them....well, they are no help whatsoever.

Of course the police are involved...but that's not even the worst of it. It just keeps getting worse and worse as time goes on...

And that's all I'm giving you on this one!

It was 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me! Very different, but also, very SAD....

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #BookoutureAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which is due for release in just a few days.... *** ON 10/21/24!! ***

#EveryoneHasSecrets by #AJMcDine and narrated beautifully by #TamsinKennard.

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Family drama, psychological thriller. Kept me guessing throughout! Enjoyed being introduced to this author who is new to me.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for this opportunity!

In a small village where people would just die to live, the Griffiths family stands out with their beautiful home, framed by ivy around the double bay windows. Eve, her husband, and their sixteen-year-old son seem like the picture of happiness, always sharing laughs together. Across the street, Eve’s best friend Lisa and her teenage daughter Annie live in a charming cottage, making the neighborhood feel like a dream.

But on their sons 16th birthday he asks to have a party with no parents. And something horrible happens. Her best friends daughter is somehow given a drug and is on the floor unconscious.

Desperate to uncover the truth, Eve sets out to find what really happened. But as she digs deeper, she starts to wonder who she can trust. Is someone in her own family hiding something—or could it be her best friend? Someone is lying, and Eve is determined to find out who.

I loved this narrator, she did an amazing job with the different voice and a very easy listen to voice. This is a book that will have you questioning from the start up until the last page who did it! I couldn't stop listening.

This was a quick and easy listen, full of suspense, and had me hooked from the very beginning. I finished it in one sitting. 😅 Tamsin Kennard’s narration was fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to her.

Four stars because I found it to be a little predictable and cliche. Minus the twist at the very end. But even though I wasn’t necessarily expecting that, it was a very obvious conclusion. I enjoyed it nevertheless!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ARC audiobook*

Wow! I really enjoyed this audiobook. It took me a while to get used to the accent from the narrator, but I did love her voice acting and expression throughout the book. This one kept me HOOKED and kept me guessing throughout the entire book. It was such a fast and easy listen as well. Definitely recommend to all thriller fans!

This was the first book I read by A J McDine and I really enjoyed it. I listed to the audiobook version and think that the narrator did a great job reading the story and portraying the suspense and emotion of the story. I thought it was a great suspenseful story, a bit of a family drama type thriller. The story line kept me guessing as new little bits of information were thrown at me and there were different twist and turns along the way. Right towards the end I did start to piece it together but there were times before that where I just wasn't sure.

I really didn’t like Eve so that did sour the book for me but then none of the characters were particularly likeable and it did need something to draw me in. The background that no one really knows anyone else is a bit overdone to fit the plot and I wouldn’t be drawn to read the obvious follow on.

This is the first I have read by this author. Well, I just have to say: I LOVED IT. Magnificent suspense that grips you from the first page. It's so real and with such empathetic characters that you can't put it down. It was a wonderful reading experience.

Eve seems to live an ideal life with her teenage son and loving husband in her dream home. Her best friend lives across the street and her daughter is best friends with Eve's son. After Eve's son's birthday party goes terribly wrong, her friend's daughter's life hangs in the balance. As Eve is determined to find who is responsible, she realizes that everyone she loves holds secrets.

This was my first time reading a book by A.J. McDine and I thought it was fine; I didn't enjoy it as much as other readers seemed to. I guessed the ending from the get-go and while the plot contains a scenario that would be a worst nightmare for any parent, I didn't particularly find this book to keep me glued to my earbuds (I listened to the audio format).

Thank you to NetGalley and A.J. McDine for an advanced audio copy!

Eve has everything she’s ever wanted. She adores her husband Noah, her son Joe, their beautiful home and her best friend/neighbour Lisa.
When Joe asks if he can have a few friends over for his 16th birthday his parents allow it but Eve can’t help but have a bad feeling about it.
Lisa’s daughter Annie has grown up with Joe and also attends the party.
After Eve receives a frantic call from her son to rush home because Annie had collapsed everything just continues to go horribly wrong.
As the story unravels, I felt it was less thriller and more family drama.
I did enjoy it but found it a bit depressing. I didn’t see the twist coming at the end. Would recommend but not as a thriller.
Loved the narrator 💕

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very well written with characters that had their own unique personalities. Annie was the only character I liked. The story was interesting. The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job at bringing this story to life. I liked Eves character growth at the end. The ending was unexpected and shocked me.

Minus 2 stars because I didn’t like most of the characters. The story got a bit repetitive.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

When I come across an audiobook by an author Im not well familiar with, Im often swayed by the familiarity/ likability of the narrator - that was absolutely there case with 'Everyone Has Secrets', narrated by the very fabulous Tamsin Kennard, I was not disappointed, author, AJ McDine has created a superb novel that will appeal to readers of general fiction. and thrillers / psychological thrillers alike.

The story starts with ever parents worst nightmare - enjoying a glass of wine with best friend when teenage son calls to advise of an emergency situation - a girl at his 16th birthday party has collapsed, the girl happens to be best friends daughter - and things are not looking good for her. The book really looks to uncover the events, motivations and circumstances that have lead to this tragedy, and of course the fallout of said events. It is gripping, original and just the right amount of twisty! 100% recommend!

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

The narrator did an amazing job at keeping me om the edge of my seat, just the right amount if emotion without going overboard

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was full of so many twists and turns. I really enjoyed how layered this story was and how all the secrets made more twists and turns. This was a great thriller and was so gripping.

Eve’s 16 year old son is having a small party for his birthday at their house while Eve and her husband visit a friend nearby. She soon gets a panicked call from her son that his friend is unconscious on the floor. The whole neighbourhood turns on the family and Eve finds out that both her son and husband are keeping a lot of secrets.

It’s a very past paced but rather generic thriller. I was keen to keep listening and see how the story will conclude. The narrator did a great job but I was not very satisfied with the end of the book which took a star from my rating.

Have you read/listened to thrillers where the end just did not work for you?
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the eARC.

#bookstagram #booknerd #thrillerbooks #bookish #bookishlife #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #bookreview #readmorebooks #NetGalley #everyonehassecrets

Everyone Has Secrets👀
By A.J. McDine👤

Review👄

This was a fun read that started out calmly and then became really wild. Following a traumatic tragedy in her home, the main character loses control. While digging for the truth, she discovers far more than she anticipated. I wasn't expecting anything else to happen, and I thought I had everything figured out. I usually appreciate it when a twist surprises me, and this book accomplished exactly that. It was an enjoyable read!

Thriller🔪
Mystery⁉️
Secrets🤫
Plot twists🌀

4 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*The audio book was great and I enjoyed the narration.

The story got me hooked right away and kept me entertained the whole book! I love the way this story was written and the audiobook narrator was also really good.
This is your typical mystery book that keeps you guessing the entire time!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Wow. This was a good listen. The book itself was great. A lot of surprises and psychological twists. A real story inside of the entire mystery of what happened at the party. I was pretty surprised about the ending even though there were some hints towards it.
Great book and narration.

Thank you to AJ McDine and Bookouture for the ARC and ALC!

How well do you really know the people you love? When Eve is called home to a party her teenage son is having, to find her best friend’s daughter unconscious, everything she thought she knew comes into question. And the entire neighborhood is looking to her family for answers. Just what happened at that party? Who is responsible for what happened to that young girl, and is someone in her family hiding the truth?

I was drawn into this story immediately - as a boy mom myself, I could relate to Eve as she tried to give her son space, and to make the right decisions. And then when the unthinkable happened, I knew I would have the same protective response as Eve - after all, hell hath no fury like a mama bear who thinks her cub is in danger. But as Eve dug deeper to get to the truth, I really didn’t know what to think. The unexpected twists had me on the edge of my seat and I was hoping I was wrong at one of my predictions. The final twist got me good!

AJ McDine never disappoints with her domestic suspense novels! Thank you for allowing me to read this one!

”Everyone Has Secrets” releases October 22, 2024. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)