Closest Kept is about Lily and her life, her struggle, her childhood traumas, and how they shaped her life.

Lily and Inga are best friends from college; they both are artists. One night they met Matt and Alex in a bar. Lily fell in love with Alex and Inga with Matt. They thought it was going to be forever, but life had another plan for them.

Told from Lily’s perspective, she reflects on the weight of her past traumas and the complicated bond with her sister, filled with longing and a wish to reconnect. These experiences have profoundly impacted her friendships and other relationships, leaving her feeling isolated. Despite her efforts to move forward, the journey has been anything but simple. Lily faces the challenges of navigating her emotions on her own.

I appreciate the author’s simple writing, which explores the themes of friendship, love, and family dynamics.

Overall, I loved reading this book.

Here’s a sample 3-star review for Closest Kept by Kitty Johnson:

Closest Kept by Kitty Johnson is a heartfelt and thought-provoking novel with moments that truly resonate. Johnson’s ability to explore complex emotions and relationships is commendable, and the depth she brings to her characters is one of the book’s strongest points.

The story offers a mix of tender and bittersweet moments, which kept me engaged for the most part. However, the pacing felt uneven in places, and some plot points lacked the resolution I hoped for. While the writing style is accessible and fluid, certain sections could have benefited from tighter editing to maintain the momentum.

Overall, Closest Kept is a solid read for those who enjoy introspective storytelling and nuanced character development. It may not have blown me away, but it left an impression and is worth considering for fans of emotional, character-driven narratives.

Kitty Johnson uses a perfectly chosen Shakespearean epigraph from Two Gentlemen of Verona "Fire that's closest kept burns most of all", which I love as a starting point for this novel. It hints at the secrets held by the protagonist Lily as well as the problems that arise throughout the novel when further relationships become tainted by secrets.

The characters are great and Johnson does well to bring them alive on the page. She uses a lot of dialogue so it's easy to listen to the characters and their relationships. I think my uni friends and I would have loved reading this sort of drama in our 20s since it's escapist and a sort of dismissive, almost lackadaisical attitude towards parenting and dating. Of course now I am a parent the characters' attitudes towards relationships, family planning (or not) and postnatal difficulties (and depression) did seem a little distant to me. Nevertheless, there's a lot going on in this novel. Kitty Johnson moves the reader through the periods of her characters' lives so that the story spans a number of years and periods in the central characters' lives: Lily, Inga, Matt and Alex.

For my reading preference, there is perhaps extraneous detail of objects and people, but here's the thing ... it helps the novel read more like a screenplay so that I could imagine this as a series of some sort on screen. There's enough going on with the relationships and hidden family secrets for it to grip viewers. And on that note, although I don't like to listen to novels, I do think Closest Kept would be a good one for audio.
And the ending is cute and emotive with a powerful nod to the character who I loved the most in the novel!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC copy. Happy to have had a sneak peak ahead of publication in May 2025.

#NetGalley #LakeUnionPublishing #KittyJohnson #ClosestKept #readabitofeverything

Kitty Johnson uses a perfectly chosen Shakespearean epigraph from Two Gentlemen of Verona "Fire that's closest kept burns most of all", which I love as a starting point for this novel. It hints at the secrets held by the protagonist Lily as well as the problems that arise throughout the novel when further relationships become tainted by secrets.

The characters are great and Johnson does well to bring them alive on the page. She uses a lot of dialogue so it's easy to listen to the characters and their relationships. I think my uni friends and I would have loved reading this sort of drama in our 20s since it's escapist and a sort of dismissive, almost lackadaisical attitude towards parenting and dating. Of course now I am a parent the characters' attitudes towards relationships, family planning (or not) and postnatal difficulties (and depression) did seem a little distant to me. Nevertheless, there's a lot going on in this novel. Kitty Johnson moves the reader through the periods of her characters' lives so that the story spans a number of years and periods in the central characters' lives: Lily, Inga, Matt and Alex.

For my reading preference, there is perhaps extraneous detail of objects and people, but here's the thing ... it helps the novel read more like a screenplay so that I could imagine this as a series of some sort on screen. There's enough going on with the relationships and hidden family secrets for it to grip viewers.  And on that note, although I don't like to listen to novels, I do think Closest Kept would be a good one for audio.  
And the ending is cute and emotive with a powerful nod to the character who I loved the most in the novel!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC copy. Happy to have had a sneak peak ahead of publication in May 2025.

Added notes for ARC - not for Amazon or Goodreads
-I was hoping to come across the Shakespearean quote in the narrative somewhere, but didn't find it, which seems a lost opportunity unless I missed it?
-Typos: p20 - replace 'the' with 'to' ; p53 - typo remove 'r' from 'your' at bottom of page ; p262 - extra 'pleas'
-A lot of the narrative could be edited even further to cut extraneous details and unnecessary 'telling'. 
-Definitely feels like it could be watched or listened to, rather than read.

#NetGalley #LakeUnionPublishing #KittyJohnson #ClosestKept #readabitofeverything

Closest Kept is a thoughtful exploration of how past trauma echoes through all facets of one's life. Lily thought she finally had her life on track: a burgeoning art career, a comfortable home and a dedicated fiancé. But then her estranged younger sister shows up after being out of touch for three years, throwing everything into question. In order to move forward, Lily must wrestle with the events of her past and how they've shaped the woman she is today and will become tomorrow. Some of the issues explored in the book were treated a bit superficially for my taste: alcoholism, child neglect, drug abuse, but that didn't interfere with my enjoyment of Lily's story. Fans of Johnson's previous work will find a lot to like in this one as well.

Closest Kept by Kitty Johnson is a wonderful, endearing novel I enjoyed.
This book felt like a roller coaster, but in the best possible way.

Lily is the protagonist, and the story is told in her point of view. The story focuses on relationships, with her best friend Igna and also with their boyfriends, who are also best friends.

Found family and friendship are at the center of the themes for this story.
I appreciate the way the author handled Lily's reaction to trauma from many years ago.
Trauma stays with us and affects how we deal with our relationships.

Lily was on such a journey learning more about herself and how her trauma has been detrimental to her relationships.

Such a wonderful novel I really enjoyed.

Closest Kept is a poignant and satisfying tale of secrets, betrayals, and finally breaking free from the past. It's the story of a friendship pushed to its limit and a sisterhood on the verge of splintering, ultimately asking the question: how far should you go to protect the people you love? Like in Kitty Johnson's previous two novels, I found myself swept up by the honest, relatable characters and kept thinking about them long after the final page.

“Closest Kept” by Kitty Johnson is a dizzy novel on traumas and how they impact on people’s lives, on those who experienced it and on the closest ones. Growth, maturity, trauma, forgiveness, love and friendship: this is the complex texture the author finely embroidered to tell Lily’s story, victim of a neglectful and alcoholic mother, and who took the responsibility of her sister since she was only a child, whose growth and the way she builds relationship were put at risk by the lack of a healthy mother figure, staring by lying to her friends on how she lost her mother. Motherhood thus becomes a constant topos, expressing in the tension between an health and neglectful motherhood, and between women’s ambitions and social conventions, which imposes the mother role on the former. This topic is translated into fiction as Lily rejecting motherhood, that will make her breaking out with her partners; as Inga’s challenges as single mother; new Alex’s partner suffering of post-partum depression, which makes him distancing from home; and again Lily, mother-sister to Violet. And here are briefly discussed themse such as social expectations and the impacts of the lack of a social and institutional supporting net close to new mums. But it would be reductive to consider this book as only a novel on motherhood. Central are also friendship and love relationship, how they change, develop, strengthen and break, growth and maturity, and grief.
“Closest Kept” is a journey inside humanity and its emotional and social expression, maturing and transformation. This novel moved me, and yet alienated me, because I was able to get fond of the characters, despite being so well built and developed. The writing style was good, proper, and coherent but not remarkable. But beyond personal impressions, Johnson’s last effort is surely a very solid work.

Both a heartfelt tribute to the endurance of female friendship and a page-turning drama full of explosive secrets and betrayals, Closest Kept is a novel that will stick with readers long past the final page.

Kitty Johnson’s latest book digs deep into the long-term effects of trauma on relationship.

Lily Best and her best friend, Inga, are struggling artists when they meet and hook up (in the modern sense) with Alex and Matt, respectively. The path of love is twisted and messy, illustrating clearly the truism that “you can love someone even when you disagree with their choices,” as Lily reflects late in the book.

Lily’s early inability to reveal her own traumatic past to those she loves leads her to feel increasingly isolated. As things disintegrate around her, we long for her to get past her fears and open herself up to life in all its beauty. But her determination to take care of everyone around her makes you root for her. And it makes her eventual triumph—both personal and professional—all the more rewarding.

Kitty Johnson steals my heart again ❤️ Prickly Company was one of my favorite reads of 2024 so I was so excited to get the chance to read and review this. I looked forward to reading Closest Kept every night, it was the perfect book to get cozy and completely engrossed in Lily’s life and her struggles to overcome her traumatic childhood. I loved the characters, the story and relationships were real, raw, and complicated, and Lily’s character developed beautifully. Kitty’s writing also just doesn’t miss.

I especially need to bring attention to something that meant more to me than anything else in this novel. Lily is *child-free by choice* and UNASHAMED. She is vocal and unwavering regarding her decision to not want kids. Not only this, but Kitty makes it clear through Lily’s character that just because a woman does not want children for herself it does not mean she isn’t nurturing person or a selfish monster , and it doesn’t mean that she cannot have a *family*. Lily stands firm in her decision throughout and as someone who has been burned by this trope before, I kept waiting for the accidental pregnancy or epilogue where she falls in love and has babies and it never came. I’ve read 154 books this year and this is the FIRST time I felt truly represented in a book. THANK YOU KITTY JOHNSON.

Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

For me, this story highlighted how the choices we make because they seem right in the moment can have long-lasting, terrible consequences for ourselves and others. The protagonist, Lily, is very relatable as she struggles with regret over a pivotal decision she made as a teen and the emotional wounds of her childhood. The ensemble of Lily’s friends, interesting and complex characters, sometimes provides lighter moments that balance the story’s deep themes. I also love that Lily’s outlet is painting. Because of the references to childhood, family trauma, this wasn’t always an easy story for me to read. However, its messages of healing, resilience, and forgiveness made it worth it. Thank you, Lake Union, for providing me an Advanced Reader Copy of Closest Kept via NetGalley to review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishng for allowing me the opportunity to have early access to this amazing book. Kitty Johnson wrote a beautiful, emotion-evoking story filled with raw emotions, realistic characters, and plenty of drama. This book does a beautiful job addressing trauma, realistic adult relationships, and the multiple ways to go about addressing adulthood in all of its complexity. This was a fantastic read that I will definetly reccomend to all.

I really enjoyed following the main character, Lily, as she grappled with her misbeliefs and guilts, and came to terms with the hand she'd been dealt. As in Prickly Company, the author deals with some hard realities with an honest but gentle touch. It was a very HUMAN story, and I closed the book at the end with a happy sigh and feeling of satisfaction.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Themes of friendship, family and love surface as drama after drama unfolds for Lily and she juggles each one, all the while pushing away the past she desperately wants to forget. A satisfying read with characters and the complexity of their relationships relatable to readers.

CLOSEST KEPT by Kitty Johnson was a heartfelt, emotional, enjoyable read. Johnson explores the ideas of friendship, family, love, and the question of the road not taken. Lily and Inga are best friends. When they meet Alex and Matt at a bar, it seemed destined they would become two happy couples forever. But as job changes and geography creates gaps between the friends, secrets emerge that threaten to destroy everything. Lily must face her web of lies that have hidden her childhood trauma in order to mend her complex relationships.

I love that Johnson tackles dark, complicated topics with an accessible, sometimes light-hearted style. I found this story to be easy to read and relatable.

[Special Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for offering this book for early consideration/review]. In this novel, Johnson has crafted a tale of family, friendship, trauma, and love in all its forms. What appears to begin as a lighthearted romantic read soon melds to an insightful, deep portrait of childhood trauma and how it shapes a person for life. Brimming with vibrant characters who practically burst from the page, the novel is a stunning example of characterization and character development. I can't imagine what this book would be without its cast of side characters. Through it all shines themes of art, creation, betrayal, parenthood, and doing good by others, even when it doesn't benefit us personally. Lily, the main character, navigates romantic and friendly relationships, falls in love with unexpected people, and pursues her love of painting, all while mending her relationship with her adult sister, who was placed in the foster care system after their mother's addiction and neglect were discovered. These are only some of the core themes Johnson incorporates into this touching story. There are frequent mentions of child neglect and alcoholism, so these would be my only content warnings. I highly recommend this book to readers who are looking for an emotionally deep read that does not hold back from difficult topics. Truly a remarkable read.

Best friends Lily and Inga do everything together—they even meet their future loves at the same bar. After one serendipitous night, it seems like it’s going to be Lily and Alex and Inga and Matt forever.

But life gets more complicated. A job offer moves Inga and Matt from Norwich to London. Lily, who craves stability after a traumatic childhood, is already struggling with the change when Inga confides in her a secret that could tear the group apart for good. At the same time, Lily’s friendship with Matt deepens, and she wonders if she was always meant to be with him instead of Alex.

As the two couples try to hold on to their dreams and one another, Lily’s life is further upended by the reappearance of her long-lost sister—and all the terrible truths she brings home. Lily needs her chosen family more than ever, but in order to heal the rifts, she must find the courage to be honest with herself and reveal the secrets she’s kept hidden from her loved ones for too long.

Loved it. Cannot wait to read more from the author. Will recommend to others.

3.5🌟 I have conflicting feelings about this book. It was a very emotional read, with flawed and realistic characters, and messy and complex relationships.
Overall, I really enjoyed the writing and look forward to read more of this author, but I also found some of the themes and characters a bit too dull and frustrating at times.

4.25/5 stars!
This is the first of Kitty Johnson’s work I’ve read, and I found her writing style pleasantly relatable and accessible. Her characters in this novel were well rounded and thoughtfully fleshed out, but I appreciated the ‘real-ness’ of their interactions between one another. The storyline was well paced, with a hooking premise. I enjoyed the exploration of how friendships/relationships can evolve over time as we age and adapt into adulthood, their fragility but also robustness. I also thought the commentary on motherhood, the struggles women can face, and our right to choose was tactfully and cleverly handled. I fell for these characters hard, and thoroughly enjoyed my time seeing their stories unfold. Would definitely read another of Johnson’s books moving forward too!