By: Rebecca Kelley
Narrators: Amy Bentle, Caitlin Kelly
Brilliance Audio
ISBN: 9781662517952
Publisher: Lake Union
Publication Date: 01/14/2025
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC) (ALC)
When her estranged daughter asks to hear the one story she doesn’t want to tell, a woman spins lie after lie to protect her perfect life in this gripping novel.
Amy Linden has a loving husband, an adorable son, and a glamorous career as the hotelier of a grand mountain lodge. Then Ramona Crawford, the daughter she gave up for adoption twenty years earlier, pays her a surprise visit. Ramona wants to know the identity of her biological father—and Amy completely understands. There’s just one problem: the truth would destroy Amy’s carefully curated life.
Amy shares a sad tale about a teenage romance with a boy named Freddy and the painful decision to give Ramona a better future than they could provide. At first, the pieces fit together and give Ramona both closure and a chance to get to know her odd but charming mother. But then Ramona gets a different story from Freddy, and Amy’s memories seem to change…and change again.
Will Amy ever reveal the full story of that fateful summer at the lodge? And if so, can Ramona live with the truth?
My Review
From Rebecca Kelley, the author of No One Loves Us Here (2023-loved), comes another emotionally powerful, intriguing mystery with page-turning suspense: I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING—a fitting title and an ideal pick for book clubs.
A shocking act of violence unfolds into a tender story of family, long-held secrets, and what-ifs, creating a suspenseful narrative that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
It may often be better to leave the past in the past. If you want to know everything, be prepared for an answer you may not want to hear.
“The worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves."—Richard Bach
Audiobook...
I read the e-book and listened to the audiobook, which I found very well done with perfect pacing, twists, suspense, and emotions beautifully captured by talented Amy Bentle and Caitlin Kelly, giving distinct voices to the two main characters, mother/daughter, making the story come alive, keeping you glued to your earbuds to see how this twisty saga will end.
About...
The story comes full circle, ending where it began at the secret lake they called Shangri-La. This lake holds a significant place in the characters' lives, serving as a backdrop for pivotal moments and symbolizing the cyclical nature of their experiences.
The past: A young couple fell in love. A young, ambitious girl became pregnant. A boy who loved art and the theatre. A boy's mother who was successful and controlling. A young girl who wanted to be her. Things did not go as planned. Lost dreams. A child was born and given up for adoption. Dark secrets were hidden. An unreliable narrator.
Amy, Freddy, and Cory form a complicated love triangle, their lives intertwined by love, ambition, chance, and tragedy. This dynamic adds a layer of complexity to the story, as their relationships and decisions shape the narrative.
The present: Amy Linden is married with a loving husband, Jonathan, and a young son, Gabe, with a glamorous and successful career as the hotelier of a grand mountain lodge.
Ramona Crawford, the daughter she gave up for adoption twenty years earlier, shows up for a surprise visit. She is not here to uproot her biological mother's life (but she will). She wants to know where she came from. Her goal: She wants to know the identity of her biological father.
In the past, Amy was a single parent trying to make her way up the hotel management ladder, and she thought it best to give up her daughter to make a life for herself. Ramona's adoptive mom is diagnosed with cancer. Now, she wants answers about her biological parents.
But you see, that may be a big problem for Amy. The truth could destroy everything she has worked for and her carefully curated life. The one she has sacrificed for. She has several versions of the truth. Will one of them be acceptable to Ramona?
There is a problem. Ramona will reach out to the man, intrigued and excited, but he has a different story. Amy has never told her husband about Ramona. She was good at keeping secrets and had several versions of the truth.
There is a mystery and a love triangle in the past. Amy, Freddy, and Cory. Neither of these two is her current husband. She has memories of what she wanted it to be, but the actuality was a different, darker story.
What is the big secret? When all is unraveled, it will be jaw-dropping. How far will someone go to keep their secrets hidden? What happened at the lodge that fateful summer? Once the truth is revealed, there will be no more versions and retellings.
Will the truth set you free?
My thoughts...
With its alternating POVs of Amy and Ramona and two timelines, I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING offers a unique and poignant exploration of love and forgiveness infused with thriller psychological vibes. The emotional depth of the characters will draw you in and make you feel connected to their journey.
The author writes of complex women making impulsive, reckless decisions, and this is a riveting thriller and a wise, profound novel of redemption.
The tranquil yet chilling front cover draws you in (which is a big focus of the novel) with the secluded rural setting of the hotel and the summer lodge. The author offers vivid descriptions that I can see on a wide screen.
As a reader, despite everything, you may sympathize with Amy as Ramona seems manipulative and pushes and demands Amy to the point when she does get the real truth; it is not what she wants to hear through her rose-colored glasses. I adored the ending, which gives a satisfying conclusion.
Engrossing and emotionally charged, I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING delves into themes of love, regret, guilt, split-second decisions, moral ambiguity, mistakes, forgiveness, and the toll of keeping secrets. It's a deeply moving novel about letting go of guilt and finding redemption.
Uniquely and cleverly told, it is a suspenseful, addictive page-turner filled with literary insight that compels readers to consider whether the worst thing they have done in their lives is all that defines them.
As in her previous book, the author showcases her storytelling skills and dives deep. Once again, she explores familial loyalty, women, relationships, motherhood, ambition, privilege, and risking it all. The novel's exploration of these issues will surely engage and provoke readers' thoughts.
The author does an outstanding job with the unreliable narrator and how she unravels the secrets of the past through Amy's retelling to Ramona. Infused with art and theatre, young love romance.
Unexpectedly, the novel turns dark and sinister turn, adding a psychological thriller vibe to the strong, insightful, thought-provoking family drama. The unexpected twists will keep the readers on the edge of their seats, adding a layer of suspense and intrigue to the narrative.
Amy is a complex woman but I will hand it to her, she gave Ramona what she asked for but was Ramona prepared for the answer she received?
I do not think this book or the author is getting enough love. I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING is a suspenseful domestic drama that builds slowly until all its explosive secrets are revealed. Be sure to check out No One Knows Us Here too (for fans of Robyn Harding and BA Paris).
Recs...
I highly recommend this novel for fans of the author and those who enjoy domestic suspense, character-driven narratives, emotionally resonant psychological dramas, and literary fiction. This is for readers of Liane Moriarty, Ann Patchett, Celeste Ng, Tracey Lange, Suzanne Refearn, Eileen Goudge, and Jessica Strawser.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Brilliance Audio for an ARC and ALC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4.5 Stars rounded to 5
Pub Date: Jan 14, 2025
MY REVIEWS
About the Author
Rebecca Kelley is a fiction writer from Portland, Oregon. Her most recent novel was published in 2023, No One Knows Us Here and her upcoming I'll Tell You Everything will be released Jan 14, 2025.
Her first novel, Broken Homes & Gardens, was published in 2015. She also coauthored The Eco-nomical Baby Guide with Joy Hatch.
When Rebecca isn’t writing, she is conducting elaborate baking experiments, designing book covers, and keeping up her thousand-plus-day streak in Duolingo. Find her at www.rebeccakelleywrites.com.
