Secrets After Sunset
Jessica Lynn Sorensen Read 12/16/2024-12/18/2024
Jessica’s enigmatic style of writing draws you in, hooks you then throws you on the wildest thrill ride of your life in Secrets After Sunset. Honestly, I don’t even know where to start with this one. Trying to formulate the words to do this book justice in a review that doesn’t leave spoilers yet intrigues you as a reader of the reviews to WANT to read, it has proven a challenge but here goes.
I can say I haven’t read anything in the last 6 months, maybe ever at this point, that took me on a ride as wildly enticing as this. From the very start, the hook is cast, and you are slowly reeling in the story then BOOM, it’s like deep sea fishing trying to reel it all in and get hold of what in the world is going on!!!! Now, that metaphor is not meant in a negative light by saying there is a lot going on, I love to fish and let me tell ya, this was the best catch I have had in a long, long time!!!
Let me give you a couple examples just from the first page of the prologue, Prologue y’all!!! Again, no spoilers here, just something that will introduce you to and leave you drooling to find out exactly what Jessica has in store for you:
“It’s under the cover of darkness that the most nefarious plans take place. The midnight schemes of liars, cheaters, and killers.”
“Suspicion turns to resentment. Small betrayals metastasize into something darker, something deadlier.”
Now, if these two quotes from page one of the prologue don’t increase your curiosity, are you really a lover of psychological thrillers?? I swear I felt my toes tingle reading those lines knowing there was something deep, dark and sinister coming up!!!
Start Part One.
Your FMC, Jamie, is introduced in the first chapter waking up after what has apparently been the party of her lifetime with little to no memories of what has happened. Well, I say she’s the FMC but I feel that Jamie and Kayla should be sharing that title if not geared more towards Kayla. But, in the beginning it feels like Jamie is the FMC. So, a gruesome discovery, tests of friendship, determining loyalty, learning of betrayal…………is it all real, who is really your ally and who is really a foe? Can you trust those you are closest to or is the old saying of keep your friends close but your enemy’s closer hold true here??
After you meet Jamie, a whole cast of supporting characters are introduced. Now how Jessica was able to interweave the number of characters into a story this length, have their interactions work out perfectly baffles me. You have Evan, Sam, Al, Craig, Whitney, Davin, Halle, Kayla, Angela, Seth…………………see what I mean, that is a lot of baggage to unpack and keep straight in one story this size and Jessica manages to do this flawlessly.
Then we have our MMC, Evan, I know I listed him and Kayla as supporting characters, but they evolve later in the story. So here I can give you a spoiler because one of the first important facts you find out when you get into the meat of the story is he’s dead. How, when, why – that’s for you to read and find out.
Start Part Two.
Holy what the heck did I just start. Revelations to Part One just came to light, throwing the whole first part you read into an upheaval questioning everything you thought you figured out. I mean every little thing from part one is questioned. In Part Two, Kayla, whom you met in Part One, becomes your FMC. All your supporting characters from Part One are also here but with twists and turns so crazy it leaves you with whiplash if you aren’t careful. Don’t worry, Jamie is still here as well, she’s just a little held up at the moment.
But Kayla and her level of crazy isn’t the only plot twist in Part Two. Your MMC makes another appearance in the story revealing more information about his death that will clear about 20 million things up in the story – ok slight exaggeration on 20 million things but boy, there is a lot that has gone on that will be cleared up with his death story. Now Kayla has to undo what she’s done – or can she?
Enter Epilogue.
Jessica truly wraps this story up in a neat little package – weighing about 50 lbs. with everything that has transpired from start to finish LOL – with putting Kayla in the spotlight and adds a fancy little bow on top of the package leaving you shaking your head. This story pointedly makes you realize that as humans we are all flawed and unfortunately, mental health is important.
Trigger Warnings: Death, Mental Health Challenges (although they aren’t brought to light as that in the story but it is clear that there is a mental challenge going on with quite a few characters with their behaviors).
Thank you, Jessica Lynn Sorensen, for entrusting me with a free copy of Secrets After Sunset to review. All opinions in this review are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily with no promise of any compensation from the author, current or future.
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