Review ~ The Secrets Series: Books 1-5 by Lace Daltyn

After years of searching, Lace settled down with a man whose first words to her were "Save me a dance." That's all it took. Four little words and she was a goner. Twenty years later, she still remembers that first kiss, standing beside his yellow Ford Mustang cool car. (Yes, it was yellow. "Hey," Lace says. "It was cool at the time.") And it still is in her mind and in her heart. That kiss and the future love it represented is the reason she enjoys stories filled with romance and emotion. And dancing. Always dancing. 

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The Secrets Series
Books 1 – 5

By: Lace Daltyn

Evernight Publishing

Masquerade

Secrets series, Book 1

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B & N | iTunes

Kobo | ARe 


Frigid bitch. The words seep into Beth Ritmour's soul, no matter how hard she tries to deny them. A year after her divorce, they still haunt her. So when a mysterious benefactor offers a solution to her problem, Beth takes a vacation from her job as a dental hygienist and follows a cryptic note to Chicago, where she’s soon ensconced as a waitress at Club Masquerade. Although how she’s going to prove she’s not frigid is hard to figure out when the boss makes it very clear that sex, or any precursors to sex, with patrons or employees is strictly taboo. It’s not an easy rule to follow, especially when one deliciously hot bartender keeps very, very close tabs on her. 

Ivory Tower

Secrets series, Book 2

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Jenna Wilton is afraid of getting lost. On the brink of moving from a life under the controlling thumb of her mother, to the arms of her husband, she’s afraid she will never have the chance to know herself. When a mysterious note bids her to leave in the middle of her wedding shower, she slips out the back door and into a world where the choices are hers to make. 

Perception

Secrets series, Book 3

Buy Links:

Amazon | B & N

iTunes | ARe

 

Laid off from her job and evicted from her apartment, life couldn’t get much worse for Melinda Atkins. Dylan Maguire invites her to stay with him, but the strings attached are more than Mel is ready to take on. After all, she’s ten years older than him. And more years than that separate her and the models he photographs. He will lose interest.

Dylan Maguire has tried everything else to convince the woman he loves that he’s forever material, that their age difference doesn’t matter. He’s out of options. Afraid he’s on the cusp of losing it all, Dylan submits a request for help.

 

Pandora's Shame

Secrets series, Book 4

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Settled in her new career as a teacher, letters threatening to divulge Kate Storm’s past and ruin her future force her to ask for help in an unconventional way. Enter Cole Madison, a retired-Ranger-turned-protector, with the scar on his back validating that women are nothing but trouble. Until he sees Kate.

 

Metamorphosis

Secrets series, Book 5

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Kobo | ARe

All the pain, anguish, and terror of Drea’s life coalesce in this fifth and final segment of the Secrets saga. Michael Smith is determined to show Drea Fortier there is life after bad. And she’s had some powerful bad in her life. As he and Drea fight to keep that past from killing her, the Dom in him tries to show Drea that submission can be good. Healing. Loving.

Excerpt:

"Someone trained you how to please a man."
The shadow of her eyes underneath the netting grew larger.
"I know you won't talk about it. Yet. But one of these days, you'll tell me the story of who screwed your past and present up so bad."
She shook her head so hard the hat almost flew off. Righting it, she turned her head away. "No, I won't."
He tipped her chin toward him. "Yes, Drea. You will. Know this, though. I will only wait so long." He gentled his voice. "Certain things, I can surmise on my own. You told me you were abducted." He reached for her arm and ran his fingers along the silk until he held her hand, stifling the urge to close his eyes and get lost in the feel and scent of her.
"I know you were tortured. Maybe by one person, maybe by more." He stroked her hand as he held it and was gratified when she didn't pull away. Instead, her head tipped in such a way he could tell she was watching his hand on hers. He pulled it to his chest and laid it across his heart, keeping her hand safe there with his.
"Feel the beat of my heart. It's racing with only one focus...you. I won't wait forever, but I can manage a while longer. I want to fill all the holes your pain has drilled into you with new memories. I want to show you how satisfying a relationship can be."
Her breathing had slowed, matching his. Her fingers moved slightly on his chest and he felt the touch in his soul. And his throbbing penis.
"Lord, woman. It takes nothing but a small movement from you to make me want to strip you and make love to you until you scream my name."
The shake of her head was much slower and smaller this time. "That won't ever happen, Michael." Her voice was almost a whisper.
"Yes," he said. "It will. I want to pull the veil away from your face and kiss you until you are moaning and wet for me."
Drea sighed.
"I want to undo the buttons on that silk blouse one at a time, kissing my way along your creamy skin as I do. To see if your bra is as sexy as I've imagined."
She stood mesmerized and Michael was way beyond being able to stop.
"Your breasts will fit perfectly in my palms, Drea. Rosy tips will beckon to me and I won't deny them. I'll pull them into my mouth and taste their sweetness until they are tight nubs of need filling you with molten desire."
He almost groaned, knowing he could shoot his load just by having this conversation. "I think I could bring you to a climax just doing that."
He couldn't hear her breathing.
"I know I could. But I won't stop there."
She began to breathe again.
"I'll unzip your slacks and peel them down your body, leaving you only in-" He cocked his head, but kept his hand moving softly along hers, still settled on his chest. "I'm guessing a thong. I'd run my hands over an ass I've wanted to fondle since the first day I walked into your life. Sight unseen, too. That damn cloak of yours, as it turns out, is hiding a fuck-me-now body." He blew out a breath, then pulled himself back into the scene.
"I'd like to see some pink on those ass cheeks. Then, I'd pull the thong down, bare your wet cunt to me. I'll finally be able to touch you. To make you climax, screaming my name. To climax with your fragrance, your name, on my lips."
Drea's breathing had become as erratic as his.
"What if I don't want to go that far?" Drea whispered.
"You won't have a choice. Your hands will be restrained."

My Thoughts:

I read all five books!

Masquerade is the first book in the Secrets series. It begins with the compelling and mysterious character of Drea and her employee Michael. They are the behind the scenes people making others' dreams come true.

In Masquerade, the leading characters are Beth and Anthony. These two knew each other in high school but were separated by the lies of another. 

In the years since then, Beth married an obnoxious man and is now trying to find herself again.

This is her story of how she finds her HEA. :-)

In Ivory Tower, Jenna finds her HEA. 

Her mother was a terror. Jenna's fiance Josh gets the help needed to help Jenna break free from the nastiness and stand up for herself.

Jenna irritated me a little that she let her mother treat her that way.

I absolutely adored Josh though. He was patient, caring, and he adored her. ;-)

We also get another look at Drea and Micheal. :D.

In Perception, the leading lady was Melinda. She was older than her boyfriend Dylan and that bothered her. She had issues that seamed rather superficial and unfounded.

Dylan was wonderful, patient and extremely understanding. I can't say that I would have been.

This was my least favorite book. Partly because of Melinda's insecurities but mostly because I am not really into the whole cougar thing. I understand that it happens and I don't judge. When it comes to reading, I do it for enjoyment and entertainment and I myself don't get that from cougar scenarios.

We do get a little more of Drea and Michael and I was so salivating for the last book and Drea's HEA.

Before we get to that, I read the fourth book.  In Pandora's Shame, there was more action and suspense. Kate was our heroine. She was a teacher with a questionable past. She starts to receive letters that are not so nice. She asks for help.

Enter Cole. ;-) He is a friend of Michaels's and is sent to help protect her.

These two were great separately and together.

Of course we get another slice of the building relationship between  Drea and Michael too.

This was my favorite book out of the first four.

Last but not least is the main event as far as I am concerned. Metamorphosis was both a treat and a torture reading about Michael and Drea little by little but having to wait for the rest of the story.

These two were terrific together.

We finally see what has been done to Drea to make her how she is. Drea was strong and brave. She has suffered much but didn't completely let it break her.

Michael kept working on breaking down the wall that she built around herself. He finally gets through to her and is not only dominating and protective but caring and supportive as well. 
It was worth the wait.

Each of the books was quick, ranging from 86 pages and up. 

Each book had a plot that was unique to that couple but had an underlying similarity pulling them all together.

Some were more emotionally charged than others but they were each enjoyable.

The last book was my favorite hands down but I would suggest reading them in order to understand the build up of the relationship between Michael and Drea. 

I received an ecopy in exchange for my honest opinion. Hot, tender, suspenseful, romantic and intriguing is how I would describe this series.

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