Every Single Secret

Every Single Secret is a dark, edgy psychological thriller featuring newly engaged couple, Daphne and Heath, who decided at the beginning of their relationship to keep their pasts secret, even from each other. But after a bout of extreme nightmares, Heath suggests they participate in a couple's retreat (much to Daphne's chagrin) at a secluded location in the backwoods of Georgia. But this private facility has strange rules - insisting on monitoring the couples and absolutely no interaction with the outside world or the other couples. This is no 'Dr. Phil feel good' retreat.

I have been a fan of Emily Carpenter's for several years because she knows how to write a story with creepy undertones that gets readers invested in the lives of her characters. In this book, as readers become privy to Daphne and Heath's pasts, secrets are revealed and a chilly twist part way through will surprise readers. The twists will lead readers to question the intentions of the characters and fans of Emily Brontë will notice the whisperings of Wuthering Heights echoing in the background. This is a southern Gothic story that kept me turning the pages, but I'll admit that I found the ending to be a bit rushed and not quite as tightly told as the early parts of the book.

Every Single Secret is a tension-filled story about childhood memories, secrets, and lies as Carpenter creates an atmospheric read, complete with a deliciously creepy undertone that asks the question, "Can love truly conquer all?" Get ready for a captivating and disturbing read that takes readers deep into the lives of its two main characters. 

Stay tuned for my review of Emily's upcoming book Reviving the Hawthorn Sisters later this month!

Other Emily Carpenter books I'd Suggest:

The Weight of Lies

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Emily Carpenter

Genre: Suspense

Type and Source: eBook (personal copy)

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

First Published in Print: May 1, 2018

Opening Lines: There are monsters all around us -- people who have 

to hide because the world can't bear to see them for who they truly are. 

They're good at keeping secrets, the monsters.  Sometimes, too good. 

Which is why I've always suspected that I am one of them.

Book Description from GoodReads: Emotionally guarded Daphne Amos always believed she’d found a kindred spirit in her fiancé, Heath. Both very private people, they’ve kept their pasts hidden from the world, and each other, until Heath’s escalating nightmares begin to put an undeniable strain on their relationship. Determined to give their impending marriage the best chance of succeeding, Heath insists that Daphne join him on a seven-day retreat with Dr. Matthew Cerny, a psychologist celebrated for getting to the root of repressed memories. Daphne reluctantly agrees—even though the past is the last place she wants to go.

The retreat’s isolated and forbidding location increases her unease, as do the doctor’s rules: they must relinquish their keys and phones, they’ll be monitored at all hours by hidden cameras, and they’re never to socialize with the other guests.

One sleepless night, Daphne decides to leave her room…and only then does she realize that the institute is not at all what it seems—and that whatever’s crying out from Heath’s past isn’t meant to be heard. It’s meant to be silenced.