Unfortunately, I ended up DNFing this one. Only 3% into the book and the amount of characters introduced at once and Sage's internal monologue also talking about different characters w/ names was confusing and disorienting.

I wasn't sure who was relevant / mattered. Additionally, I get that she seems to have this "board" voting in her head, but it took me longer than it should have to discern whether this was a flashback or not. I feel like this needs to be smoothed out as all the information at once was overwhelming.

The writing felt disjointed and unfortunately didn’t work for me. I really tried to like this book as the premise was interesting.

This book truly felt just all over the place and chaotic as a read. The POV of three different characters is normally not too bad. But I kept wondering for most of the book, why are these three even friends? Nothing about them quite meshes and like I get that they have a bond from High School that is hastily spoken about in a chapter. But there was nothing that made me want to root for any of them.

The end didn't feel like even a cliffhanger, it just feels like it stops dead in the middle of the story.

Overall, this was just not the book for me.

SAGE sold her decisions to a wealthy corporation called the Board. Now, strangers anonymously vote on her life decisions, forcing her to entertain. She’s ordered to rob a bank, flash a bartender, and spy on a new friend. It’s a secret she’ll never tell. But when she receives a cryptic note from a blackmailer, she has until gala night to figure out the blackmailer’s identity before they expose her.

CALA is an heiress to a demanding stepfather. Wanting independence, she’s willing to apply for jobs she feels are low-class. Without a job, her self-esteem tumbles into oblivion and to cope, she parties and meets strange men. Then, desperate for money, she breaks into her stepfather’s work office, and stumbles upon a secret she’s determined to uncover.

JACKIE watches her best friends Sage and Cala struggle. The only one with a steady income, she works fifty hours a week at a local bank and still has to borrow money for tampons. During one of her many late-night shifts, an affluent customer withdraws a large sum of money, and she gets a sinister idea. Knowing her bank’s security perfectly, she steals money, believing she alone can alter her and her friends’ lives. But after her boss discovers the discrepancies, she's forced to figure out how to save herself while preserving her friends.
Enjoyable read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An absolutely amazing and exciting read! An intricate storyline that shows the dangerous and powerful strength of friendships, and the decisions that one must make in every day life. The fears and grit of the characters were marvellously displayed and I absolutely loved Jackie’s resolve to help her friends even though it ended up in more trouble. The world-building was also splendid and I found the air of mystery around it all very alluring.

At times I would get a bit lost and confused along the way which made it a bit hard but I pushed through to the end.

All in all, I’d certainly recommend this to readers out there who enjoys fiction with an air of mystery, and would like to try out new authors!

One Secret to Keep is an intriguing read but one that falls short. I was drawn to its unique premise and the cover. While the pacing keeps the plot going, there is little to no character development or world-building. I felt that Sage, Cala and Jackie were supporting characters rather than the main ones. There is no backstory of their origins or how their paths cross, so the stakes presented have a weakened hold on their outcomes. There were multiple plots (potential love triangles) that remained unsolved. This read leaves me with more questions than answers. The ending caught me off guard, which was a good surprise. I do appreciate and give props to the author for having this book independently published! A 3-star read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Indie for providing an ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily,

2.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an arc for an honest review.

To be very honest I did not like the book at all. The cover, title, and the description was very intriguing and that's why I initially requested an arc of the book. The book and plot had potential to be amazing but I felt like the story was progressing very fast and I could barely learn anything about the main characters. There were parts of the story that had many plot holes and the worldbuilding wasn't explained at all. It felt like I had to create the world myself based on some of the information provided by the characters which was very limited. I couldn't even tell what kind of world I was reading about, it gave hints of dystopia and a futuristic setting but for all I knew it could have been something completely different.

I did not like Sage, Cala, or Jackie at all and I couldn't find any way to connect with them. Sage seemed like she couldn't make any decisions for herself, not because she was controlled by the Board. She could have given that up but it was mentioned once in the book that she was scared to live on her own without the Board, but throughout the rest of her story all we saw was how miserable it made her. Cala seemed like a spoiled party girl that was 100% a fake friend and all she did was want to create drama for no reason. Lastly, Jackie was portrayed as the quite girl who had a little bit of a reckless streak but the entire time she complained about how she had to be responsible and no one noticed her.

There was also some sort of love triangle/square between Sage, Reed, and Anderson as well as Sage, Reed, and Cala. But nothing ever happened between any of the characters and their interactions were all awkward to read.

I did read the author's other book, Cruel Venom Wine, which was a lot better then this book. I would recommend that book for anyone that likes a Greek mythology retelling. I would however, not read this book again or recommend it. I will read the second book of this series and I hope that the worldbuilding issues can be addressed to fix some of the holes in the book's plot. The foundations of the book/series will be fantastic if the author can execute them as the series progresses.

This is kind of the story I didn't know I needed. The author manages to build an intriguing world, a full cast of real characters, action-packed plot and dangerous secrets. The plot moves quickly but not too quickly.

This book had so much potential, but I wasn’t feeling it! Every single one of the main characters was petty, catty, and annoying. I had no idea this was set in the future (I guess?) and I really needed a clear explanation if who or what The Board is. I love a story with drama, scandal, intrigue, and secrets, but there was barely anything engaging!
I wish there was more action! That might have made it a bit better. Or more character exploration!

A gala threatens to reveal the secrets of three friends that they are desperate to keep.

Sage's decisions were sold to a wealthy corporation called the Board, which allows anonymous subscribers to make decisions for her in exchange for a one-time sum of cash. Despite being placed in some embarrassing situations for the Board's entertainment, she's managed to keep this a secret until now. After receiving a threatening note it is revealed that somebody knows Sage's secret and plans to blackmail her into revealing her secret. In order to avoid this, she must discover their identity before 10 p.m. on the night of the gala.

Cala spends most of her nights partying and meeting strange men while spending her rich, demanding stepfather's money, or so she thought. After finding out her funds will soon run dry and craving independence, she searches for a job in an economy that has begun to heavily rely on robots as a labor source. In her hunt for a well paying job and dirt on her stepdad, she happens on two well kept secrets.

Jackie is the mediator for Cala and Sage, along with the only one with a steady income. However, working fifty hours per week at a bank doesn't pay as well as one would hope. After a wealthy customer comes in withdrawing a high amount, Jackie decides to use the camera problems she keeps pointing out to her boss to skim a bit off the top. She hopes that this can help provide for both her and her friends. However, her boss catches on and makes a mysterious threat.

------

I would have loved a bit more world building and information about Sage's past with her family and the origins of the Board. Despite people clearly hating the organization, it somehow remains legal and in operation. Also, there is a lot that could be uncovered by Anderson. However, I believe there is going to be a second book where this could all be addressed.

The multi-pov setup can be a bit confusing at first, especially when keeping each character's story straight. However, I love how these three plot line started to connect and where it could be taken in the future.

This book genuinely took me by surprise the minute I picked it up from the moment I put it down. What I got versus what I was expecting shocked me. This is a thriller that I wanted to keep reading right until I got to the very end. While Sage and Cala were characters I liked reading, you can't help but like Jackie, despite the choices she makes in the beginning of the book. All three women have their own paths and are going through their own things, because of this they were all relatable in their own ways. If you're looking for a good thriller and mystery book, you have to pick this one up!!

The city’s biggest gala jeopardizes their darkest secrets.
SAGE sold her decisions to a wealthy corporation called the Board. Now, strangers anonymously vote on her life decisions, forcing her to entertain. She’s ordered to rob a bank, flash a bartender, and spy on a new friend. It’s a secret she’ll never tell. But when she receives a cryptic note from a blackmailer, she has until gala night to figure out the blackmailer’s identity before they expose her.
CALA is an heiress to a demanding stepfather. Wanting independence, she’s willing to apply for jobs she feels are low-class. Without a job, her self-esteem tumbles into oblivion and to cope, she parties and meets strange men. Then, desperate for money, she breaks into her stepfather’s work office, and stumbles upon a secret she’s determined to uncover.
JACKIE watches her best friends Sage and Cala struggle. The only one with a steady income, she works fifty hours a week at a local bank and still has to borrow money for tampons. During one of her many late-night shifts, an affluent customer withdraws a large sum of money, and she gets a sinister idea. Knowing her bank’s security perfectly, she steals money, believing she alone can alter her and her friends’ lives. But after her boss discovers the discrepancies, she's forced to figure out how to save herself while preserving her friends.
Couldn’t put it down really enjoyed this book totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Indie
I just reviewed One Secret to Keep by Allyssa Brinker. #OneSecrettoKeep #NetGalley