Closest Kept

A Novel

By: Kitty Johnson

Narrated by: Imogen Church

Breaking free from the past is one woman’s greatest challenge in an emotional novel about love, friendship, and the courage to overcome the worst of times by the author of Prickly Company.

Best friends Lily and Inga do everything together—they even meet their future loves at the same bar. After one serendipitous night, it seems like it’s going to be Lily and Alex and Inga and Matt forever.

But life gets more complicated. A job offer moves Inga and Matt from Norwich to London. Lily, who craves stability after a traumatic childhood, is already struggling with the change when Inga confides in her a secret that could tear the group apart for good. At the same time, Lily’s friendship with Matt deepens, and she wonders if she was always meant to be with him instead of Alex.

As the two couples try to hold on to their dreams and one another, Lily’s life is further upended by the reappearance of her long-lost sister—and all the terrible truths she brings home. Lily needs her chosen family more than ever, but in order to heal the rifts, she must find the courage to be honest with herself and reveal the secrets she’s kept hidden from her loved ones for too long.

©2025 Margaret K Johnson. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Emotionally engaging, complex, original, compelling, Closest Kept by novelist Kitty Johnson is a fascinating and compulsive page turner of a read from cover to cover…Especially recommended.”—Midwest Book Review

“I read this book with my heart in my throat! Filled with secrets that ripple like stones tossed in water, Closest Kept is a stunning novel about truth, trust, and the bravery it takes to love honestly and with your whole heart.”—Jennifer Gold, author of Halfway to You

I loved it!💖

Closest Kept by Kitty Johnson

Best friends Lily and Inga do everything together—they even meet their future loves at the same bar. After one serendipitous night, it seems like it’s going to be Lily and Alex and Inga and Matt forever.

But life gets more complicated. A job offer moves Inga and Matt from Norwich to London. Lily, who craves stability after a traumatic childhood, is already struggling with the change when Inga confides in her a secret that could tear the group apart for good. At the same time, Lily’s friendship with Matt deepens, and she wonders if she was always meant to be with him instead of Alex.

What I loved about this book 💭

It is impossible not to find Lily the kind of person you want to hug and comfort! Even when she shows herself as a tough, self centered and independent woman; she hides an enormous pain in her heart.

It is the same pain that will lead her to doubt herself and takes her back in time, to those times when she felt neglected and abandoned and had to assume responsibilities that were far out of reach for someone her age.
Those days dug deep into her mind and self confidence and Lily will try her best to get over the place where she comes from and make peace with her past.
I would love to leave a special place for Inga, because even when it’s quite obvious that she made mistakes, it was such a lovable character in her own way.
Maybe, her mistakes paved the way for a serendipitous ending for all of them. Maybe not. But I love to think that we can all heal from our would from the past and transform them into something brighter.

I fell in love with the story!💖

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 @kittyjohnsonbooks

Well-written and emotional

Well-written! Narrator did a wonderful job! The story got heavy at times without being too intense, but definitely emotionally engaging.

2 stars

Closest Kept by Kitty Johnson is a struggle to get through. From the onset, it wasn't clear what the point of the book was, aside from all the characters being either terrible, selfish, or perfect. We are clearly meant to have sympathy for Lily, but I had no patience for her put-upon, woe-is-me attitude. Her secret was made out to be bigger than it needed to be.

Inga was Lily's terrible opposite. She was extraordinarily selfish, even appalled that Lily would be upset at her for cheating. Alex and his mother were equally selfish. When they lashed out at Lily, she just took it, as perfect characters do. Matt was the perfect specimen, not a flaw to be seen. Of course, everyone loved him and wanted to be with him.

I will say, I enjoyed the last hour or so of the book, which is why I'm rating it 2 stars.

Imogen Church was, by far, my favorite part of this book.