Review: The Secret Between Us by Kate Hewitt
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

Kate Hewitt delivers another emotional punch in The Secret Between Us, a domestic drama published by Bookouture that explores trust, betrayal, and the invisible cracks in a seemingly perfect life.

Set in the high-stakes, hyper-social world of a private school community, the story follows Elise—a PTO leader with twin boys and a picture-perfect marriage to neurosurgeon Michael—and Harriet, a new mom whose sudden friendship with Michael raises all the wrong flags. Elise has been here before, and when Harriet begins to slip deeper into her family’s life, the alarm bells get louder. But this isn’t just a story about infidelity. It’s about the secrets we bury and the consequences when they surface.

Told from the perspectives of both Elise and Harriet, the novel smartly blurs the lines between villain and victim. Neither woman is wholly likable, and that’s exactly what makes their unraveling so compelling. Their flaws feel real, their motives murky, and the tension is relentless.

The plot is dense—maybe too much at times—with threads involving chronic illness, parental pressures, emotional manipulation, and misunderstood intentions. But Hewitt keeps it grounded with strong emotional undercurrents and sharp insight into how easily trust can fracture.

This is a fast-paced, can’t-look-away read that’s perfect for fans of layered domestic dramas with psychological weight. While the ending may leave some wanting more, the journey is tense, gripping, and heartbreakingly believable.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the advanced review copy. The Secret Between Us releases July 24, 2025—don’t miss it.

I loved this read about a wife and mother who has strived to give everyone the impression that her life and her are perfect however when a new mother arrives at the school and seems to be attracted to her husband the wheels start to fall off. As her suspicions mount she keeps catching the two of them having cosy chats and her perfect life may be crumbling around her and then a life and death situation changes everyone’s lives. This is one of those books that would make a great drama on tv with characters you love and hate in equal measure, it also proves no one’s life is perfect and we all have our secret struggles behind closed doors!

What can I say that I haven’t already seen. Michael and Elise seem to be, you know, that perfect couple that everyone envies. He is a neurosurgeon, and she is involved in her children’s school. But when a new student enrolls, it is her mother Harriet, who pushes all of Elise’s buttons. When she sees a developing rapport between Michael and Harriet… let us just say she is not amused.
When I chose this book, I thought it was a mystery and thriller. That was my bad and when I went back and looked it said, ‘Women’s Fiction’. I just mention that because I was waiting for the Cray Cray to come out and it never did. Again, my fault and I went back and reread this book with different expectations. There were lots of secrets and lots of drama and I truly felt bad for Elise. I am not a crier, but my little thriller loving heart felt bad for all the main characters. This one was out of my usual genre box, and I wound up genuinely liking the story.

LOVED THIS BOOK! This book definitely should be on everyone’s must-read list and it stayed with me long after I read it!

It was fantastic in EVERY way! I literally had NO WAY of working out what was going to happen until the end; I was holding my breath as I just couldn’t stop reading until the end!

This book had many jaw-dropping twists prepare to be on the edge of your seat until the very end as I was!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars!

read if you like:
🎓 private school drama
🤷🏻‍♀️ infidelity
🩺 physical and mental health challenges

summary:
Kate Hewitt is a must read for me, and when I saw she had a new book coming out, I rushed to request it! While it isn’t my all time favorite of hers, it makes you think and pulls at your heart strings as only she can.

It follows two moms — Harriet, mother of Kyra, who recently moved to NYC with her daughter to move in with her daughter’s father, Allan, in an effort for them to grow closer, and Elise, mother of Lewis and Luke, who leads the PTO at The Garden School while married to her attractive, neurosurgeon husband, Michael. When Kyra starts attending The Garden School, Harriet meets Michael, and finds herself drawn to his approachable attitude and easygoing demeanor. Elise, on the other hand, immediately suspects that something is off with her husband’s relationship with the new woman. As the school year begins, Elise and Harriet find themselves at odds, with both of them hiding their feelings — and their true intentions — from each other. When their kids become friends, their relationship comes to a head — and they both realize their lives may be changed forever.

It’s hard to say much more without spoiling the plot, but there is a lot going on in this book — health issues, bullying, accused infidelity, misunderstood intentions….its just a lot. With all of these storylines overlapping, it starts to get hard to figure out whose side you’re on and whose actions you agree with. I also found myself struggling to like either Harriet or Elise as characters — they both are a little conniving, a little backstabby and neither makes an effort to find common ground with the other. Just when you think you’ve started to grasp the threads of the story, another curveball hits you and resets everything you think you know.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the advanced copy, and if you love a good emotional tearjerker, check this out when it releases on July 24!

Kate Hewitt never disappoints with her novels. This latest novel showcases what happens in a marriage when there is a lack of trust and proper communication. Added to that a vipers nest at the school gates and you have a powerful storyline.
Elise has always suspected her husband Micheal of having past affairs and when a new mum, Harriet, shows up at the school gates and seems to become very friendly Elise is automatically on her guard. But suspicions can be unfair and rumours are rife. Elise has to careful she's not too vindictive as who knows what will happen.
This was a fast paced novel that I really enjoyed. I didn't particularly like Elise's character to begin with, she was very self centred but as the novel continued and the reasons behind her behaviour were revealed I had more sympathy for her.
This novel is sure to be another bestseller

If you read Kate Hewitt’s books you know she will always give a heartfelt story to her readers and This Secret Between Us does not disappoint.

You will love some characters and love to hate others but in the end you will come to think differently about all.

I loved everything about this book and can’t wait to read more of Kate.

She is a master at her craft which not all authors accomplish.

As soon as the story begins, I was already able to draw a few conclusions. On the one hand, I had the feeling that the rumor mill would be running wild here, and on the other hand, that things were getting a little too cozy between Michael and Harriet.

The three main characters are Harriet, Michael, and Elise. The story is told from the perspectives of the two women.

Harriet is a bit of an outsider in the sense that she stands out among the other women. She’s different and wants to be different, and that doesn’t exactly make her popular. However, she knows exactly what she’s doing—and that might just backfire on her.

Michael isn’t entirely innocent either. He could have been more honest earlier on, but it also seemed like he didn’t really care much about being caught. I don’t find him very respectful towards his wife.

Then there’s Elise, Michael’s wife. She was manipulated into keeping things secret in order to keep the peace. Now she thinks she sees the same signs again, and that’s why she continues down the same path. Is that justified in this case or not?

It’s often the case that you fall into a pattern where you can no longer distinguish between what’s important and what’s not. Sometimes something serious needs to happen to wake people up and make them see what they were on the verge of losing.

Sometimes that means staying and adapting to the situation, and sometimes it means turning your life completely around.

Communication is a key word here—something that wasn’t used enough. It could have prevented or solved many problems more quickly, but then again, this would have been a very short and boring book. ;)

Luckily for us, the author spoiled us with a beautifully written and heartbreaking story.

I had just expected a different, maybe slightly stronger ending, but nevertheless I’m happy to give it 4 stars.

Thank you

I was totally engrossed in this story.. it hurt my heart eith the heavy essence that was going on. Drama, sickness all which make a great interesting read. Glad of the ending.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book.

The way this book is written is really easy for the reader, it flowed beautifully and I enjoyed the short chapters. The story primarily follows the lives of 2 families who's children attend private school, each with their own secrets and problems, and how their lives become intertwined with lots of miscommunication, jealousy and tragedy thrown in. I enjoyed the back and forth between Elise and Harriets points of view, I thought that worked well. I personally would have like a bit more of a climax to the story, it felt like it was building to something and then it didn't arrive. However I appreciated how it was wrapped up in the end. Overall, an enjoyable and quick read, perfect for fans of domestic drama

Wow what an incredibly eye opening book. I think a lot of people will be able to relate to this. You will definitely go through all the emotions reading this. A great range of characters, some you will hate some you will love.