I am so very sorry but I won’t be finishing this book. It’s dragging so bad and I’ve read a bit over half of it. I was hoping it would pick up and peak my interest. It’s not... If Harlan breaks up Jackie’s marriage by using Nasira then Harlan is just a jerk. I think he is a bit off. He obviously likes younger women and that is not a good thing. But this book is taking forever to explain what exactly is happening. It’s just not for me.
I feel awful about that but it is what it is.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #StoriesWeNeverTold, #SonjaYoerg and #LakeUnionPublishing for this ARC.

I give it 2 stars and again am very sorry. I can’t recommend this one.

Sonja Yoerg is another author that I have been a long time fan of, though I have to admit I was a little worried about this one. Yoerg usually writes more women’s fiction, but this one was marketed as more of a thriller.

But I did keep an open mind. I hate how some authors get pigeon holed into writing a certain genre, just because an author is known for writing women’s fiction doesn’t mean she can’t write anything else right?

While Yoerg might be known for a certain genre, I would argue that she should be known for her ability to write complex characters that truly stand out rather than a particular genre—so I took the plunge and started reading this one.

Summary
Psychology professor Jackie Strelitz thought she was over her ex-lover and colleague, Harlan Crispin. Why should she care if Harlan springs a new “friend” on her? After all, Jackie has everything she ever wanted: a loving husband and a thriving career. Still, she can’t help but be curious about Harlan’s latest.

Nasira Amari is graceful, smart, and young. Worse, she’s the new member of Jackie’s research team. For five years, Harlan enforced rules limiting his relationship with Jackie. With Nasira he’s breaking every single one. Why her?

Fixated by the couple, Jackie’s curiosity becomes obsession. But she soon learns that nothing is quite what it seems, and that to her surprise—and peril—she may not be the only one who can’t let go. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
This book has four different POVs so there were a few characters to keep track of, but on the whole it was a fun changeup that kept me engaged and focused on the story. I had to keep my brain engaged and I was absolutely ok with that. This is a novel that really focuses more on characters and how often they aren’t what they seem. For me this one read more like a domestic suspense rather than a psychological thriller or general thriller. If you are a fan of domestic suspense then you will enjoy this one for sure.

While this book landed more in the domestic suspense category for me, there was still plenty to keep me on the edge of my seat and twists that provided chilling shivers. I would say this is an unconventional thriller—maybe that’s the best way to put it. It’s a smart, layered read that I easily found myself looking forward to picking up each night before bed, but then instantly regretting because it was hard for me to put down!

I really enjoyed getting to know these characters through the alternating POVs. I mean I may not have liked all of them but I found that I was eager to know more and see their perspective of the story and events. I was often left to wonder what was real and what wasn’t, what was perception by the character and what was reality. I love books that make readers question what they are reading as ‘truth’. It’s an interesting literary tool and was deployed well here. A great character driven read with lots to discuss and to leave the reader to decide for for themselves.

Once again Yoerg has produced a well crafted read that is different that what I have come to expect from her but I am excited to see more books like this from her because it was a treat to read!

Book Info and Rating
Kindle Edition, 328 pages
Expected publication: May 1st 2020 by Lake Union
ASIN B07WCP61XL
Free review copy provided by publisher, Lake Union in partnership with the Tall Poppy Writers/Bloggers, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own an in no way influenced.
Rating: 4 stars
Genre: domestic suspense, thriller

This was a pretty darn good suspense thriller! I'm a big fan of Sonja's books and was excited to dive in. I'll be honest, I had some trouble at the beginning, but the book is not to blame. It took me til this book to realize that maybe suspense thrillers are difficult for me to get into and focus on right now. However, I got sucked in with this one.

Jackie is a smart woman with an established career and a dutiful husband. She is even on good terms with her ex, whom her husband has also befriended. Things start to go awry when her ex brings Nasira, young and beautiful, to dinner with Jackie and her husband. Nasira also happens to be Jackie's post doc. How interesting, that her ex is doing so much more with Nasira than he did with Jackie. They were together for years before he would even go on a trip with her, yet with Nasira, it's only been a couple weeks.

Jackie cannot get over how quickly her ex is moving with this girl. You may say she becomes obsessed. Her husband starts traveling more, she's starting to look a little crazy, her test data has been compromised...why is her life derailing so quickly all of a sudden? How has she lost control?

I did figure out the ending, though I normally do. But there were twists I didn't see coming too. The psychological narcissism of this book kept me hooked til the end.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Life changes after Jackie has dinner with her husband miles and her ex Harlan
Harlan is her co worker in psychology. Harlans new love is Nasira who works with Jackie and looks like princess jasmine. I thought harlans and Jackie's obsession and feelings for each other was unhealthy and could cost Jackie her marriage.

I was excited to read Stories We Never Told. My excitement diminished rather quickly. The main character Jackie is a psychologist working at a university and is in charge or a research project on autism. I kept saying to myself, “I can’t believe this woman is a psychologist. She is the most screwed up person with no self confidence.” I just could not find a character I liked. I kept hoping the book would get better, but it did not for me. Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sonja Yoerg's latest book Stories We Never Told is a tale of obsession, jealousy, hidden truths, mingled with a cold control on the part of one character.

Jackie Strelitz is a professor married to a sport scout, Miles. For five years she had been in a relationship with Harlan another professor who had wooed her but set a lot of boundaries. Finally when she realises he won't give her what would make her happy she walks out. Now he springs Nasira on her and then let the games begin.

And they are far from pleasant games. The story builds slowly as the person setting up carefully stacks  a very careful, coldly thought out plan. Most of the characters are quite flawed, mainly because they hide so much and while they "see" they still deny.

I kept turning the pages, although I have to admit this is not my usual kind of read and therefore in some ways I would say "this isn't for me". However those who like a good psychological thriller I think will be quite satisfied with it.

WOW! Sonja Yoerg, author of "Stories We Never Told" has written an intense, edgy, page-turning, suspenseful and riveting novel. The genres for this book are Psychological Thriller and Fiction. The story is set in the author's present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events. The author describes her dramatic characters as dysfunctional, flawed, complex, and complicated. Some are manipulative, unscrupulous, and suspect. There are betrayals, lies, and murder.

Jackie Strelitz, is a Psychological professor doing important studies with autistic children.  On her team are very bright doctoral students. Jackie has a husband and is very busy. Her colleague and ex-boyfriend seem to be getting Jackie's attention.  He is dating one of the young members of Jackie's professional team. Jackie is aware that this is causing her anxiety.

Jackie discovers that some of the data in her studies have been deliberately changed. There are strange happenings that are going on. Someone is a Master Manipulator and seems to be causing emotional and physical havoc. This has now become a deadly and obsessive game. I would highly recommend this chilling thriller.

Whew! What a ride. This novel kept me glued to the pages and my mind churning with each piece of information Sonja Yeorg doled out. STORIES WE NEVER TOLD is a suspenseful novel that makes you wonder how well you know the people around you, or even yourself.
Jackie Strelitz is a successful professor with a research project she is passionate about. She and her husband, Miles, have a good marriage and they are even friends with her ex, a colleague at the university she dated for five years. When Harlan meets them for dinner with a “friend,” who is also doing her post-doctoral work under Jackie, things start getting interesting. Why does it seem that Harlan and Nasira’s relationship is moving forward faster than Harlan and Jackie’s ever did? Why does Jackie care so much when she is married to Miles and they have such a great relationship? Or do they? Why does it seem that everyone is hiding something? As things unravel for Jackie, including professionally, she must step back and figure out what is really going on in her life and who she can trust before it’s too late.
Told mainly form Jackie’s point of view, we get Harlan’s and a peak into the lives and back-story of the other two players in this novel. Yeorg kept me on my toes and engrossed as she spun her tale and developed unforgettable characters. Don’t miss this one!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
#TallPoppyWriter #TallPoppyBlogger #BloomReads #StoriesWeNeverTold

Well written but I had trouble connected with any of the characters and started to not really care what they were doing...there was an edge of your seat mentality that moved the story along and I thought the plot was very well developed but I just didn't love it. I have read from this author before and will again as I have loved her other work. Not every book is for everyone... and that's ok! Thank you NetGalley & Lake Union for this ARC copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! This story took me down a path I was not expecting to go down. These people really have some issues with each other. Stories We Never Told is full of very interesting characters and relationships. We get to watch as these relationships start to fall apart and unravel. Seriously, do any of them have any redeeming qualities?

What I really like about Sonja's books is that each story is so different from her previous ones. I never know what I'm going to find between the covers of her books. Each story is a new adventure and I never know where she's going to take me. And I love that!

I've loved each of Sonja's stories, right from her very first book. I love that I can be immersed in her fictional world for a bit and find characters that I am going to love, or love-to-hate, as the case may be.

I loved Stories We Never Told. It was definitely a page-turner, full of memorable, somewhat disturbed characters who kept me enthralled. Honestly, this was the book that finally pulled me out of my pandemic reading slump. I highly recommend it!

Jackie Strelitz is a happily married successful psychology professor, so why should she care if her ex, Harlan has a new girlfriend? It turns out, she does care, A LOT. .

The fact that Harlan is now dating Nasira, the beautiful, young and smart woman who has recently joined Jackie's research team means Jackie has to face her (and her not-so-friendly feelings toward her) most days. To make matters worse, Harlan seems to be flaunting his relationship and breaking every boundary he strongly established during his relationship with Jackie. She becomes obsessed with learning all she can about Harlan and Nasira. However, unbeknown to her, she is not the only one with an obsession.

I have mixed feelings on this book as I devoured it over 2 days, however I felt the plot was very predictable and I found myself rolling my eyes at every character several times. It's worth a read but I wouldn't be pushing it to the top of your TBR pile.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Sonja Yoerg has taken her writing in a different direction with Stories We Never Told. This book is a suspense novel. Jackie is married but her ex-boyfriend works at the same university as her. When she finds out that Harlen, the ex, is dating on of the research team working on the same program as Jackie the jealousy comes through. She stalks Harlen, she questions Nasira, and she questions the life she is living. As things start happening to Jackie at work and at home, she starts to question what was really going on.

I devoured Stories We Never Told. I couldn’t put the book down and was curious to see where the story would head next. The mystery of what was happening to Jackie, who was messing with her, who could she trust kept me turning pages, trying to figure out the who-dun-it aspect of the story, and hoping that I was heading in the wrong direction.

I can’t say enough for the ending, it was phenomenal. I didn’t see it all coming, I had some ideas and wasn’t entirely wrong, but the last part of the book was the absolute best.

Stories We Never Told is a study in characterizations and in deeply layered plot. Readers are sure to be swept into its page-turning pace and cast of characters. I highly recommend this book; it bends the genres of domestic suspense and contemporary fiction, and is unexpected and refreshing, such that readers of either genre will enjoy and appreciate it.

Master storyteller, Sonja Yoerg returns following (2019) True Places with her latest STORIES WE NEVER TOLD. Perfectly paced and brilliantly crafted a compulsively readable and deeply satisfying psychological suspense thriller! I LOVED THIS BOOK!

Be prepared to be “wowed” and blindsided. Unpredictable, chilling, EXPLOSIVE! I read this one in one sitting. Nothing could distract me from this book! Top Books of 2020.

Trust me, you will be enthralled. You will not be able to stop turning the pages until the shocking final jaw-dropping twist. Literary meets psychological thriller.

Meet Jackie and Miles. Jackie is a psychology professor. The couple is friends with Jackie’s ex-boyfriend of five years, Harlan. As the book opens, Jackie and hubby are meeting Harlan and a new woman in his life for dinner.

However, Jackie is totally shocked to see Nasira, her new postdoctoral research associate. Young, beautiful, and smart, Jackie finds herself JEALOUS. What is she doing here?

Jealousy turns to obsession.

“She knew (in her mind, not her heart) that appearances could be deceptive, and that love, desire, and ambition make it harder to see others for who they are.”

However, this is only the beginning. Soon, Jackie will find her life unraveling. Someone is out to get her.

This is no ordinary triangle. There is so much more below the surface, so get ready for the "ride of your life." There are so many stories, lies, secrets, manipulation, and deceit. So how will the players determine who is controlling this game?

We hear from Harlan, Jackie, Miles, and Nasira. You might think this is a game of cat and mouse. There is so much MORE to be uncovered.

Someone is hiding something big. (well more than someone) Someone is a sociopath. Who can be trusted and just how evil and sinister is this monster? How far will they go, and who will be collateral damage? How much of their personalities are shaped by their past?

From past to present, we soon learn nothing is as it appears. Appearances are deceiving.

Yoerg dazzles! This book is darker than her previous books (and man, has she found her niche). More, please! Movie-worthy (fingers crossed). 🎬 However, fans, do not worry, her signature lyrical prose is still apparent throughout.

A twisty, intelligent, wickedly plotted psychological thriller with dark, creepy surprises and best of all the hilarious dark humor! (cover love)

I loved Nasira’s character, and STORIES WE NEVER TOLDis quite thought-provoking. Beneath the pristine exteriors, we see that often the stains will ultimately show.

Sonja does a brilliant job balancing the darkness and the light with the contrast between the relationship between Grace and Hector compared to the others.

"Perhaps everyone has stories they keep in a lockbox, stories they are not willing to own much less share. But if you don't acknowledge your own history- all of it, especially the underside-then aren't you creating blind spots of your own?"

OK, readers, I know you guys say it is hard to keep your mind on reading during COVID-19. Well, Sonja Yoerg's STORIES WE NEVER TOLD hooked me from the first page and never let up. I was not thinking of anything else except "the book." I was transported. One of my favorite thrillers of 2020.

If you loved Heather Gudenkuaf's THIS IS HOW I LIED, Jennifer Hillier's LITTLE SECRETS, Kimberly Belle's DEAR WIFE, Kaira Rouda's THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER, and Victoria Helen Stone's JANE DOE, you are assured to devour Sonja's STORIES WE NEVER TOLD!

Get this book on your list NOW!

#JDCMustReadBooks

Very interesting and edge on your seat type of read. I felt like the story was realistic with writing that felt natural.

I felt like I could connect to the main character and understand their story. The title is also strong and reflects the context of the novel well.

The world-building, scene and plot development were all also well-executed.

I look forward to reading more by this author.

Psychology professor Jackie Strelitz is married to Miles, a football scout who is often traveling. They are good friends with Jackie's colleague, Harlan Crispin. Harlan also happens to be Jackie's ex-lover. The relationship was full of severe limitations, so it is much to Jackie's surprise, when Harlan bring a new 'friend' to dinner with the couple. The new 'friend' is a member of Jackie's research team.

If the story had stayed on this same line of storytelling - this could be a great book of literary fiction. Instead, 100 other plot points are added and this story turned more into a thriller rather than a book of personal growth for a young woman trying to move on from a manipulative ex-lover.

This may have been the first book I read by Sonja Yoerg, but it certainly won't be my last. I found the story to be engaging and the characters interesting, though not the most likable. I liked the way the author inserted each character's back story as the book progressed. Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advance copy to review.

Stories We Never Told is a contemporary novel about people who cannot move on from prior relationships, and remain so invested in them that they become obsessed with their past love to the detriment of their current lives and relationships. And then it ramps up...

I have enjoyed Sonja Yoerg's previous books and will continue to look forward to them, but this one was just so-so for me. I never really connected with the main characters, and at points thought "are there ANY non-dysfunctional people in this book?" The author also has a lot of side-stories going, used (I suppose) to flesh out the characters, but I felt there were too many and that they distracted from the book overall. The main theme of the book is obsession and betrayal, yet there's also dealing with step-children, ADHD, autism, drug use, homosexuality, Syrian refugees, disappointed parents, male cougars (sorry, don't know the correct term for them) etc. etc. etc.

My thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read an e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Jackie and Miles, Harlan and Nasira. Two couples, lots of lies and secrets. Jackie and Harlan were lovers and are still colleagues. She's married to Miles. Nasira works for Jackie and now she's with Harlan. It all seems cozy and fine til it's not. This actually swings from each character's POV to tell a tale of academic (and personal) jealousy, unrequited love, nasty behavior and so on. You'll get a taste of academic politics in the midst of a domestic thriller. Yoerg's a good storyteller and the pages turn quickly. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A fast and entertaining read.

Excellent Work Partially Marred By Problematic Ideas About Autism. This book, as so many of its type, starts relatively slow and low key - a woman goes to dinner with her husband and a friend, and the friend announces he is bringing someone along out of the blue. It begins to spiral from there, and we get into a mystery with the requisite twists and turns, some of which were noted long before their respective reveals, others of which were more shocking. Random and sporadic chapters taking us to other perspectives other than the primary narrator, to give the backstories of those characters - and at least two major reveals that our primary narrator will only learn about much later. Truly excellent work on that side of the story.

It is within the subplot of the primary character's actual work that things get more problematic, as this researcher is trying to diagnose Autism in babies. As an Autistic adult that only learned that label in my teens - and didn't fully learn just how much it affects my life until my 20s - I can tell you without hesitation that by and large (there are always exceptions to any rule), a label of Autism tends to be more problematic than helpful at such early ages. (Later in life it becomes less problematic and generally easier to use as a means of communication - a bit ironic, really - to help explain to others about your own neurological divergences in ways they can more easily understand at least some modicum of.) But this review isn't exactly the place to really dive into that particular rabbit hole, so with it simply noted I'll move on.

On the whole, a very well written and executed story, and much recommended.