The Secrets We Keep by Mia Hayes review: Perfect for Gossip Girl and Real Housewives fans

If you’re looking for something similar to Gossip Girl, you’ll want to check out The Secrets We Keep by Mia Hayes. It’s also excellent for fans of the Real Housewives franchise.

I got a copy of The Secrets We Keep by Mia Hayes from Voracious Readers Only for free in return for an honest review.

The Secrets We Keep is the first book in a franchise known as The Waterford Novels. The other books don’t follow the same characters, but they follow similar settings and personality types. However, one thing the novels show is that people aren’t who they initially seem from the outside.

In this first book, we follow Elizabeth Mavery, who is simply trying to survive in her new world. After her husband had an affair, the whole family moved to Waterford to start a new life and get away from the things of the past. It soon turns out that Elizabeth is battling bipolar disorder, and it certainly threatens a lot in her life.

But she has to keep so much under wraps. It’s important to hide her real self from the people around her. That’s not going to be so easy when someone is blogging about the village’s secrets.

Gossip Girl meets Real Housewives of Wherever

The Secrets We Keep is one of those juicy novels that is all about the gossip in the local area. When a blogger starts writing about secrets, the entire group of women go on the hunt for who it could be.

We’re pulled into this mystery while also learning about all the secrets of the women everyone wants to be. It’s everything you would expect from the Real Housewives series, so it will certainly pull you in if you love that.

The blogging part reminds me of Gossip Girl a lot. It’s only one person doing it, and this person seems to have an ear to the ground everywhere. The person doesn’t ask for people to share the secrets they’ve noticed, which leads to this mystery of who it could be.

You’re taken on twists and turns throughout, but the big reveal at the end will certainly make you smile. You probably figured it out all along.

Not everyone is as they seem in The Secrets We Keep

This novel isn’t just about gossip. It’s about characters. It’s about how we will always make a presumption about a person based on the way they look, dress, or even speak.

Waterford is cliquey, and there is always someone looking to get into the main group. Everyone has their secrets that could force them out of the group at any time, but nobody really wants to be honest about them. However, Elizabeth realizes that those she believes are her friends really aren’t.

The entire story is from Elizabeth’s point of view, with her spotty memory and struggle to hold onto her mental health. She tries to run from her bipolar disorder, or even ignore it at times. But she can’t do that if she wants to keep her children.

If you’re anything like me, everything her husband puts her through will anger and annoy you. You’ll find yourself screaming at Elizabeth to get rid of the loser, but she doesn’t have the courage to do that. Her bipolar disorder doesn’t help that matter, especially with the threat that she wouldn’t get custody of her children.

Can she turn the tables? You’ll want to read to find out.

Final thoughts about The Secrets We Keep by Mia Hayes

One thing I’ll note is that this isn’t one of the deepest mystery books you’ll read. However, it is an enjoyable read that you won’t be able to put down. And the rest of the novels in the series are just as fun.

If you love gossip or just shows that involve gossip, you’ll want to check out The Secrets We Keep. For what it is supposed to be, it gets my thumbs up.

Star rating: 4 out of 5.

Get The Secrets We Keep by Mia Hayes on Kindle Unlimited with Amazon Prime.