Closest Kept is filled with little joys and uncomfortable situations that Lily and her three close friends experience throughout the years after university. A story about working through difficult moments and being true to yourself, Closest Kept provides readers with the inner struggles many people face. Something that resonated with me in the novel is the struggle of the artist. Here, Lily and her best friend, Inga, are artists who constantly have to choose creativity or social/societal expectations. When they choose anything but art, they don't seem to feel whole. When art is selected, there is growth and emotional expression.

Overall, I enjoyed the pacing and realistic challenges Lily works through.

Lily's painful past resurfacing is a large part of this novel, which may be triggering for some readers.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for the gifted ARC!

#fiction #womensfiction #NetGalley #ClosestKept #bookreview #bookstagram #bookreviewer

Don’t be fooled by the rom-com vibes in the blurb—Closest Kept dives way deeper than your typical love story. This is an emotional rollercoaster of secrets, healing, messy friendships, and second chances that’ll have you rooting for Lily even when you kinda want to shake some sense into her.

Lily’s been through it—childhood trauma, guilt, betrayals, and one seriously tangled friend group. She’s flawed, but she’s also selfless and real in a way that sticks with you. Watching her navigate complicated relationships (and her own inner chaos) feels like cheering on a friend who really deserves a happy ending.

The book tackles some heavy stuff—addiction, illness, abortion, abandonment—but it’s written with so much compassion and honesty that it never feels overwhelming. It’s raw, yes, but also hopeful and heartfelt.

Bonus points for Matt and a cast of characters who actually grow and evolve. So if you’re looking for a thoughtful, beautifully written story with emotional depth and a side of redemption, Closest Kept is totally worth the read. Just maybe bring some tissues.

Lily and Inga are best friends who live together and find boyfriends who are best friends. The foursome spends a ton of time together and when Matt, Inga's boyfriend, gets a job offer in London, they move away and it slightly splinters the group. Lily and Alex, her boyfriend, grow closer but it's clear Lily misses Inga and Matt. The group tries to maintain their initial closeness but as life happens, the group continues to move apart. Amid this, Lily struggles to find work and deal with her sister Violet.

Lily is strong and resilient but there are times that I wanted to shake her out of frustration. She ignores her needs and enables everyone around her.

Beautifully written and compelling.

This book did the INEXCUSEABLE.
It made me FEEL THINGS.
ALL THE THINGS.
Happy things. Sad things. Tender things. Frustrated things. Stabby things.
Emotional gumbo, if you will.
I loved the themes of family, fidelity, and female friendship (isn’t it nice when everything aligns alliteratively?), and I loved that the book gave redemption arcs to some relationship, and healthy boundaries with others.
I think most of the characters would benefit from some Better Help therapy, and I would benefit from another book by this author.

As I began reading this character-driven drama, I thought this would be a light love story about two friends, Lily and Inga, who meet their boyfriends, Alex and Matt, on the same night. While there is romance, it becomes a complicated journey of secrets and betrayals, as well as friendships and healing.

Lily is a character whom I wanted to shake at times, but mostly I wanted to hug. She had been through so much as a child; she carries guilt and scars that shape her. Her struggles with her friend group after letting a secret slip, her estranged little sister's return, and her own personal demons make her a profoundly complex and relatable character.

While this does delve into some difficult topics, such as childhood trauma, abortion, infidelity, drug use, illness, and abandonment, the author’s writing is generous and compassionate, so the story itself does not feel overly dark or heavy.

I was invested in Lily’s journey; she was likeable - flawed, yes, but selfless in many ways. I wanted to see her have a happy ending after everything she had been through. Be prepared for a roller coaster ride of emotions.


Thank you to @suzyapprovedbooktours and @kittyjohnsonbooks for the gifted book and ebook via #NetGalley.

This was very much a character driven novel and it focused a lot on relationships, choices, and secrets. Lily had a lot of trauma from her childhood that she has carried into her adulthood. I loved the emotion from Lily. While she didn’t voice her feelings often, her internal monologue brought them all to the surface. It felt like she could never catch a break but she still found the courage to have some difficult conversations. Matt was my favorite of her friend group because of the support he always gave her. When the decisions of others start to affect Lily’s life is when I saw the most growth. It felt realistic not only with the conversations but the drama that happened.

Thank you @kittyjohnsonbooks @suzyapprovedbooktours @netgalley and the publisher for the gifted copy.

I think I would categorize this as women’s fiction. There is a strong emphasis on relationships that include family, friends, and romantic. There is also plenty of drama that keeps the plot and the people moving along.

The book focuses mainly on Lily, an artist living in Norwich, England. Lily has a secret which she has never told even her best friend, Inga. As the story, unfolds we learn more about Lily and this traumatizing event.

Inga and her relationships become tied into the plot because Lily and Inga are so closely connected.

This book could be considered found family as well as learning to process the choices made within a nuclear family.

I was delighted with the opportunity to read “Closest Kept” by Kitty Johnson.

I love books about friendship and here, the friend we meet Lily and Inga who are so close, they meet their love interests the very same night. But Lily had a troubled childhood and when her sister reappears in her life, she has to struggle to relieving some of that trauma while questioning whether she is with the right man.

There is so much drama is this novel but the author executes so well. There is also plenty of growth, especially for Lily, but Johnson’s develops her characters in such a way that you feel as if they are people you know and care about. It’s been a long time since I have read a story where I could not stop reading but was dreading its end at the same time. I will definitely go back and read Johnson’s early two novels.

Thanks to Kitty Johnson, NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this novel.

Thank you @kittyjohnsonbooks @amazonpublishing @netgalley and @suzyapprovedbooktours for the #gifted ebook and this is my honest review.

Best friends Lily and Inga find their boyfriends (who also happen to be best friends) in a bar one night. They two couples do everything together. There are ups and downs in their friendship and a betrayal threatens to tear them apart.

Lily had a traumatic childhood and has never told anyone about her past. She struggles to let anyone see her true self and finds herself through her painting. When her sister Violet comes back into her life, she needs to reveal her past or lose everything she loves.

Lily was a complex character who put her family and friends first. I was invested in her story and could not put the book down. CLOSEST KEPT is a story about friendships, relationships, childhood trauma, and how to break away from the past to follow your dreams.

An engaging and emotional story exploring the effects of childhood trauma on adult relationships.
I had ambivalent feelings of love/frustrations for most characters (except Matt, he was the best), especially Lily... such a good person, but also a big pushover. I would have loved to get into the book and give her a stern talking to!
I loved how Lily found an outlet for her trauma in her art. I could actually visualise the paintings she created in the darkest moment of her life, such a powerful medium.

I'm happy about the ending... although I would have loved to read something about the 2 years we skipped! So much happened, and I was invested (especially the couple... I wanted to witness the moment we were all waiting for!)

This wasn’t really one of my favorite reads. The story mostly centers around Lily, who’s dealing with a lot of baggage from her childhood—abandonment, helplessness, and trauma she never really talks about. Instead, she pours her emotions into her art and keeps people at arm’s length.

She becomes close friends with Inga in college, but even with that strong friendship, Lily never opens up about her past. One night, they meet two guys—Inga quickly “calls dibs” on Matt, even though Lily feels a real connection to him. Not wanting to step on any toes, Lily ends up spending more time with Alex instead.

Over time, their little group gets complicated. There are misunderstandings and betrayals, and I felt like Lily never really stood up for herself—especially with Inga and Alex, who were honestly pretty terrible to her at points. Her relationship with her sister is rough, too—Lily basically takes the blame for everything and becomes an emotional punching bag.

As for Matt and Lily, they clearly care about each other and help each other through a lot, but Lily struggles to be honest about her feelings. Their romance doesn’t really come together until the very end, and by then, I kind of wished she had spoken up sooner.

Overall, it had potential, but I found myself frustrated with how Lily let others treat her and how long it took for her to find her voice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily

Just finished reading this book and whew.....my heart’s a little bruised. It’s about Lily, who’s craving stability but life throws her curveballs..friendship drama, a maybe-wrong boyfriend, and a long-lost sister with secrets. Messy, emotional, and painfully real. It’s a quick, heart-tugging read about love, betrayal, and figuring out who your real people are. I ate it up in one sitting.

Lily's life is complicated and she tries to pretend that it isn't. This is one of those books where the main character would find things improved greatly if they didn't keep everything to themselves, but if they did, there'd be no book. Brought up (barely) by a mother with her own problems, she has a traumatic background that unsurprisingly impacts on her present. Avoiding conflict, trying to please her friends rather than being honest, she finds herself in an endless crisis, unable to move forwards. Sometimes you have to help yourself before you can help others.
Lily's a sympathetically drawn character and her friends and sister are convincingly awkward people who are fighting their own battles, some more effectively than others. There are various places where this involves them being really annoying, in a very realistic way.

I always enjoy Johnson's writing, which is clear and straightforward, with some nice descriptions.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this.

This heartfelt read dives into love, loyalty, secrets, and found family. With complex characters and emotional twists, it’s a story of healing, forgiveness, and the bravery it takes to face the truth.

If you enjoy stories about chosen family, hidden truths, and the beauty of human connection, this one’s for you.

Lily has always put others before herself: her sister, her best friend Inga and when she meets Alex, she quickly falls into the same pattern. In Closest Kept, we follow her journey to happiness, true friendship and success. I picked up this books thinking it was a lighthearted rom-rom but it’s not. It is a gripping story about living with and overcoming childhood trauma. The book deals with - trigger warning - serious topics such as alcoholism, drug use, abortion, pregnancy, child abandonment, cancer and death. Yet it is so beautifully and tastefully written that it isn’t pulling you down but makes it feel like ‘real life’.
The story is told from Lily’s POV and most of the time I had a love-hate relationship with her. Early on we learn how childhood trauma followed her all the way into adulthood and affects all facets of her life. She’s kept most of it a secret rather than dealing with it and has built a net of lies around her and her relationships. When she is finally forced to face reality, she realizes that she has to trust others to find herself and true relationships. I loved how the author developed the individual characters each of them growing into the persons they are meant to be. Matt was, of course, my absolute favorite. This was a great read with a lot of food for thought. I was rooting for Lily the whole time and wish her all the best. I can’t wait to read more from this author.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing and Ms Kitty Johnson for gifting me the ARC. It was a joy and honor to read and the above is my honest review and own opinion.

A well written story. That kept me glued to my kindle.
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

Just published!

3.5
Lily and Inga are besties, and Matt and Alex are besties. They pair off from the get go, and their friendships stay close, but as the years pass they find incompatibilities and question whether can continue in their relationships as these challenges cause rifts.

These characters are well drawn, but sometimes challenging to like. I wish we'd seen personal growth in more than just Lily.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book I have read by this author the first being [book:Prickly Company|193772019] which I really enjoyed.
This book was quite different, it focuses on Lily Best, who is in her 20's, a struggling artist with a difficult past she is trying to bury. On a night out she and her best friend, Inga meet to two guys who are also best friends, Alex and Matt. For a while they make the perfect foursome, Inga and Matt, Lily and Alex. However, for her own reasons, Lily holds back on letting them really get to know her and it starts a slide into mistrust and betrayal.
The book touches on some very confronting topics, including neglect, addiction, betrayal and honesty. There were some very difficult sections to read, but the author didn't linger unnecessarily on any lurid information as she equally didn't soften any blows.
A warts and all story, that can feel heavy and exhausting, but which is also very realistic.
Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

Best friends and artists Lily and Inga meet their future partners, Alex and Matt, on a night out. They all stay close even when Matt gets a job in London and Inga follows him.
As Lily continues to grapple with her tumultuous childhood, her long-lost sister returns along with Lily’s guilt over an incident that tore them apart.
This was a wonderfully engrossing story about two friends, two couples and two sisters. Lily, as the main protagonist, keeps getting up each day despite facing so many complications so you can’t help but admire her and really hope she gets her happy ending. A very compelling read that exceeded expectations.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I am not sure why but this book did not work for me. However, as I always say when I don't like a book, just because I did not like the book, it doesn't mean that someone else won't like it. It also doesn't necessarily mean that I may not like another book by the same author. Or even that I may not like the book if I try it again in the future.