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Dangerous Secrets
Isabelle Ballantine has been fighting for independence since she was old enough to walk. Now that she's finally out from under her father's shadow, she won't let anyone stand in her way. It's tough living on her own, working in a bar and keeping her true identity a secret, but things start to look up when a sexy new stranger walks into her life. After working side by side for weeks, Izzy can't figure out why he won't make a move...
To cinch the deal of a lifetime, Adam Marcellus agrees to help Izzy's eccentric father convince his daughter to move home. He'd assumed Izzy would be another spoiled rich princess, but he's surprised to discover his feelings for her are stronger than anything he's ever experienced. When a deranged stalker targets her, Adam finds himself fighting not only an unknown threat-but an unexpected attraction to the one woman he can't have...
55,900 words
To cinch the deal of a lifetime, Adam Marcellus agrees to help Izzy's eccentric father convince his daughter to move home. He'd assumed Izzy would be another spoiled rich princess, but he's surprised to discover his feelings for her are stronger than anything he's ever experienced. When a deranged stalker targets her, Adam finds himself fighting not only an unknown threat-but an unexpected attraction to the one woman he can't have...
55,900 words
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 21, 2011
45 people are currently reading
414 people want to read
About the author
Katie Reus
164 books3,244 followersKatie Reus® is the USA Today bestselling author of the Endgame trilogy, the MacArthur Family series and the Deadly Ops series. She fell in love with romance at a young age thanks to books she pilfered from her mom's stash. Years later she loves reading romance almost as much as she loves writing it. However, she didn't always know she wanted to be a writer. After changing majors many times, she finally graduated with a degree in psychology. Not long after that she discovered a new love. Writing. She now spends her days writing paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
March 9, 2011
I had insomnia last night and this was the book I chose to read to pass the time. I can't say I stayed awake because the story was so riveting I couldn't stop, but it was good enough.
Isabelle "Izzy" Ballantine has moved from Savannah, GA to Coconut Bay, FL to get a reprieve from her overprotective, meddling father and she's quite happy working as a bartender and living on her own. Sure, money is tight now and then, but going back home to live under her wealthy father's shadow isn't an option that interests her - especially now that her boss has hired tall, dark and handsome Adam to work with her...
In order to cinch the multi-million-dollar Forester deal, security expert Adam Marcellus lets Izzy's father convince him to move to Coconut Bay and keep an eye on her - without her knowing his true identity, of course - for five weeks. It's icing on the cake if Adam can convince her to return to Savannah, but as long as he assures her father that she's safe, he will land the Forester deal. He manages to get a job at the same bar she works and is nicely surprised when he meets her and realizes that she isn't anything like the spoiled rich princess he thought she would be.
Adam is undeniably attracted to Izzy and vice versa, but he holds himself back because he knows they have no future. Not only he's been lying to her since they met, but he's also learned the hard way that a classy woman like her would never settle down with a straight blue-collar working man like him. When Izzy unwittingly crosses a sexual predator's path and becomes his next target, Adam finds himself reconsidering his decision to stay away from her and fighting to keep her alive. He only hopes she forgives him when she finds out the truth about him...
I liked this story - most of it, anyway. Adam and Izzy were very likable and had good chemistry together. Their relationship progressed a bit too fast, but not in a completely unbelievable way. Izzy's reaction when she finally finds out Adam's identity and the bargain he's made with her father was predictable and I couldn't help feeling somewhat disappointed because I'm not fond of that particular cliché. On the bright side, I really liked their love scenes. Skinny-dipping at the beach, anyone? ;) Check this out:
As for the suspense, I was surprised when I realized that Adam wouldn't be playing an active role in investigating and catching the bad guy. His job was to protect Izzy, and it was up to the police to chase and get the man who was after her. It was refreshing to get the detectives' POV, as secondary characters rarely get to have that kind of attention, but their scenes were rather bland and I never got fully engaged in the progress of their investigation.
All in all, this was an okay read. And last but not least, it got a bonus point for the nice epilogue.
Note: I received this eARC from Carina Press via NetGalley. That had no influence on my review/rating.
Isabelle "Izzy" Ballantine has moved from Savannah, GA to Coconut Bay, FL to get a reprieve from her overprotective, meddling father and she's quite happy working as a bartender and living on her own. Sure, money is tight now and then, but going back home to live under her wealthy father's shadow isn't an option that interests her - especially now that her boss has hired tall, dark and handsome Adam to work with her...
In order to cinch the multi-million-dollar Forester deal, security expert Adam Marcellus lets Izzy's father convince him to move to Coconut Bay and keep an eye on her - without her knowing his true identity, of course - for five weeks. It's icing on the cake if Adam can convince her to return to Savannah, but as long as he assures her father that she's safe, he will land the Forester deal. He manages to get a job at the same bar she works and is nicely surprised when he meets her and realizes that she isn't anything like the spoiled rich princess he thought she would be.
Adam is undeniably attracted to Izzy and vice versa, but he holds himself back because he knows they have no future. Not only he's been lying to her since they met, but he's also learned the hard way that a classy woman like her would never settle down with a straight blue-collar working man like him. When Izzy unwittingly crosses a sexual predator's path and becomes his next target, Adam finds himself reconsidering his decision to stay away from her and fighting to keep her alive. He only hopes she forgives him when she finds out the truth about him...
I liked this story - most of it, anyway. Adam and Izzy were very likable and had good chemistry together. Their relationship progressed a bit too fast, but not in a completely unbelievable way. Izzy's reaction when she finally finds out Adam's identity and the bargain he's made with her father was predictable and I couldn't help feeling somewhat disappointed because I'm not fond of that particular cliché. On the bright side, I really liked their love scenes. Skinny-dipping at the beach, anyone? ;) Check this out:
As for the suspense, I was surprised when I realized that Adam wouldn't be playing an active role in investigating and catching the bad guy. His job was to protect Izzy, and it was up to the police to chase and get the man who was after her. It was refreshing to get the detectives' POV, as secondary characters rarely get to have that kind of attention, but their scenes were rather bland and I never got fully engaged in the progress of their investigation.
All in all, this was an okay read. And last but not least, it got a bonus point for the nice epilogue.
Note: I received this eARC from Carina Press via NetGalley. That had no influence on my review/rating.
December 31, 2021
Narrator Review: Gabra Zackman
Distinguishable between characters: 5 Stars
Impersonating opposite sex: 3 Stars
Accents: N/A
Any critiques: I wasn't a fan of the Hero's voice.
Overall enjoyment of Performance: 3 Stars
Recommend audible version: Yes
Borrowed on Audible Romance Package
Story Review: 3.5 Stars
Isabelle Ballantine - From a very rich family. Due to a kidnapping when she was younger, her father smothers her too much. She moves to another town to get breathing room. She bartends which is where she meets hero. I like her character but she is a bit naive as a protected daughter would be. She does have a few TSTL moments but not unexpected due to her background.
Adam Marcellus - Owns an up and coming security firm with his brother. Isabelle's father offers them the lucrative government contract if Adam moves to Isabelle's town to protect her for 5 weeks and try to convince her to move back home, all in secret. Adam is also a very like-able character. No annoying habits or traits.
As Adam gets to know Isabelle, he realizes she isn't the rich spoiled girl he thought she would be. the attraction is very strong and he ends up falling for her. During the 5 weeks there, she interrupts a kidnapping at her bar and the kidnapper turns his attention towards Isabelle. Adam must protect her while their relationship grows closer and figure out a way to break the news to Isabelle that he was hired to guard her.
Overall, I liked the story but the Hero wasn't as Alpha as I'm used to from this author. I didn't really like that even after he met and was instantly attracted to her, he still planned to keep her at arms length and get back to his life at the end of 5 weeks. I personally would have loved this more if he put her first sooner. No other woman/man drama.
Distinguishable between characters: 5 Stars
Impersonating opposite sex: 3 Stars
Accents: N/A
Any critiques: I wasn't a fan of the Hero's voice.
Overall enjoyment of Performance: 3 Stars
Recommend audible version: Yes
Borrowed on Audible Romance Package
Story Review: 3.5 Stars
Isabelle Ballantine - From a very rich family. Due to a kidnapping when she was younger, her father smothers her too much. She moves to another town to get breathing room. She bartends which is where she meets hero. I like her character but she is a bit naive as a protected daughter would be. She does have a few TSTL moments but not unexpected due to her background.
Adam Marcellus - Owns an up and coming security firm with his brother. Isabelle's father offers them the lucrative government contract if Adam moves to Isabelle's town to protect her for 5 weeks and try to convince her to move back home, all in secret. Adam is also a very like-able character. No annoying habits or traits.
As Adam gets to know Isabelle, he realizes she isn't the rich spoiled girl he thought she would be. the attraction is very strong and he ends up falling for her. During the 5 weeks there, she interrupts a kidnapping at her bar and the kidnapper turns his attention towards Isabelle. Adam must protect her while their relationship grows closer and figure out a way to break the news to Isabelle that he was hired to guard her.
Overall, I liked the story but the Hero wasn't as Alpha as I'm used to from this author. I didn't really like that even after he met and was instantly attracted to her, he still planned to keep her at arms length and get back to his life at the end of 5 weeks. I personally would have loved this more if he put her first sooner. No other woman/man drama.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2013
I picked up this read when I couldn't decide on anything else, so I went back to the beginning of my short list and choose this one. I had it marked TBR since August 2012 and even already had it loaded on my kindle. I kinda feel bad it sat there waiting for so long, even though I have close to 2000 others in that same situation, but this is the exact kind of story that I love.
Izzy is mostly making a point. Her father and her have been together her entire life, due to her mother dying at birth. He's beyond overbearing, to the point she was venting about a normal day to day situation at work and her rich daddy ended up taking care of the problem for her. That was the last straw for Izzy, so she moved to Coconut Bay to get some separation from her father and figure out what her next move is. That's how she meets Adam.
Adam has been hired by Izzy's father to protect her and talk her into moving back home, of course without her knowledge of that. But once Adam meets Izzy he realizes his first impression of her being a spoiled rich girl were completely wrong and he's going to have a hard time getting her back home to her father and an even harder time of not falling for her.
Adam and Izzy fight for an inkling of time their attraction for one another but once they give into it they realize one time just won't be enough and that they may both be falling for the other. Of course they both have huge secrets. Secrets that could destroy them, but that all becomes inconsequential when Izzy gets on the radar of a serial rapist.
I loved Adam and Izzy. They both had huge trust issues, but had their reasons. And the secrets didn't help matters a lot with their relationship but together as a couple I loved them. I loved how protective Adam was of Izzy and how trusting in Adam Izzy was. Of course I love, as demented as it sounds, being in the killer's head. We didn't get a whole lot of that, and I totally thought it was someone else instead of who it was but what we did get, gives you a sliver of why they are doing what they are doing and who they are choosing.
The ending went a little faster than what I would have wanted especially with how long it took to get to who the killer was. And with all of Adam's secrets coming out I thought would be a little more explosive but still a really good read.
I need to look further back into my shelves more often and see what else I'm missing out on. :)
Izzy is mostly making a point. Her father and her have been together her entire life, due to her mother dying at birth. He's beyond overbearing, to the point she was venting about a normal day to day situation at work and her rich daddy ended up taking care of the problem for her. That was the last straw for Izzy, so she moved to Coconut Bay to get some separation from her father and figure out what her next move is. That's how she meets Adam.
Adam has been hired by Izzy's father to protect her and talk her into moving back home, of course without her knowledge of that. But once Adam meets Izzy he realizes his first impression of her being a spoiled rich girl were completely wrong and he's going to have a hard time getting her back home to her father and an even harder time of not falling for her.
Adam and Izzy fight for an inkling of time their attraction for one another but once they give into it they realize one time just won't be enough and that they may both be falling for the other. Of course they both have huge secrets. Secrets that could destroy them, but that all becomes inconsequential when Izzy gets on the radar of a serial rapist.
I loved Adam and Izzy. They both had huge trust issues, but had their reasons. And the secrets didn't help matters a lot with their relationship but together as a couple I loved them. I loved how protective Adam was of Izzy and how trusting in Adam Izzy was. Of course I love, as demented as it sounds, being in the killer's head. We didn't get a whole lot of that, and I totally thought it was someone else instead of who it was but what we did get, gives you a sliver of why they are doing what they are doing and who they are choosing.
The ending went a little faster than what I would have wanted especially with how long it took to get to who the killer was. And with all of Adam's secrets coming out I thought would be a little more explosive but still a really good read.
I need to look further back into my shelves more often and see what else I'm missing out on. :)
March 8, 2011
Full review available on The Romanceaholic.
Ahh there’s not much more that I like in a contemporary romance than a hidden agenda that initially brings the hero and heroine together. It always ends up biting them in the behind, which is so deliciously angsty that I simply can’t resist.
Overall, however, while I enjoyed this read, I wasn’t blown away by it. The drama of the Big Reveal almost seemed a bit extraneous after all of the excitement caused by the stalker, and Izzy and Adam’s relationship problems almost seemed to detract from the story. Still, it was an enjoyable, easy read, and one I’d recommend for a quick summer read.
3.5/5 Stars
Ahh there’s not much more that I like in a contemporary romance than a hidden agenda that initially brings the hero and heroine together. It always ends up biting them in the behind, which is so deliciously angsty that I simply can’t resist.
Overall, however, while I enjoyed this read, I wasn’t blown away by it. The drama of the Big Reveal almost seemed a bit extraneous after all of the excitement caused by the stalker, and Izzy and Adam’s relationship problems almost seemed to detract from the story. Still, it was an enjoyable, easy read, and one I’d recommend for a quick summer read.
3.5/5 Stars
not-finished
November 30, 2025DNF around 15%
Everything in the blurb sounded so good but I was bored. This story just did not hold my attention. Its more than likely a me problem and I might try to pick this up later. But I had difficult time being interested in either character.
Everything in the blurb sounded so good but I was bored. This story just did not hold my attention. Its more than likely a me problem and I might try to pick this up later. But I had difficult time being interested in either character.
February 14, 2011
Isabelle “Izzy” Ballantine has moved to Coconut Bay, Florida so she can live her own life. She is tired of her very wealthy father interfering in every aspect of her life. Bartending is not her dream job, but for now she is happy, and independent – or so she thinks.
Unknown to Izzy, her father has hired ex-marine Adam Marcellus to not only keep an eye on Izzy’s safety, but to also convince her to move back to her hometown of Savannah, Georgia. If Adam is successful, Izzy’s father has agreed to give Adam a big security contract. Adam and his brother have been working so hard to get their security company off the ground. This could just be the break they need. Adam has to start putting the pressure on Izzy, since he only has five weeks to make this happen. When he starts working at her bar, and starts spending time with her, all thoughts of the deal with her dad go out the window. He is very attracted to her and the guilt of lying lays heavy on his shoulders.
Izzy has never felt this way about a man. She starts to really enjoy the time spent with him, but outside conflict starts to make her life difficult. There is a sexual predator on the loose in their small town. Izzy is getting prank phone calls, and soon too many things happen to make it a coincidence. Izzy is the next target, and Adam will do anything to keep her safe.
Dangerous Secrets is the first book I have read by Katie Reus. I enjoy romantic suspense books and in this one we get a very creepy sexual predator. One where his confidence rises with each girl he captures. When Izzy screws up his plans one night, she becomes his next target, and he starts to become more violent. We get his point of view throughout the book, making him a man that is very scary and repulsive.
Adam is one of those southern gentlemen. Always opening the door, always putting Izzy first. He is a man of few words, but his actions speak very loud. He has that low rumble of a laugh, and is very intense in the bedroom. The sex scenes in this book are very hot and plentiful. Hello to sex in the ocean! Adam keeps the secret of being Izzy’s guardian for a long time. I felt like the way it played out is very predictable which took away a bit from the ending.
I liked Izzy in that she comes from a very wealthy background, and although likes to be independent, once in awhile Adam or even herself catches her falling back into the spoiled,wealthy life she used to live in. It made her seem more real and not so perfect. I didn’t love a move she makes at the end resulting in a big conflict, again I felt it to be predictable. But I think the ending resolution with the villain eventually plays out well.
Overall though, this is a sexy suspense book and I will definitely be checking out the next in the series.
Rating: C+
Unknown to Izzy, her father has hired ex-marine Adam Marcellus to not only keep an eye on Izzy’s safety, but to also convince her to move back to her hometown of Savannah, Georgia. If Adam is successful, Izzy’s father has agreed to give Adam a big security contract. Adam and his brother have been working so hard to get their security company off the ground. This could just be the break they need. Adam has to start putting the pressure on Izzy, since he only has five weeks to make this happen. When he starts working at her bar, and starts spending time with her, all thoughts of the deal with her dad go out the window. He is very attracted to her and the guilt of lying lays heavy on his shoulders.
Izzy has never felt this way about a man. She starts to really enjoy the time spent with him, but outside conflict starts to make her life difficult. There is a sexual predator on the loose in their small town. Izzy is getting prank phone calls, and soon too many things happen to make it a coincidence. Izzy is the next target, and Adam will do anything to keep her safe.
Dangerous Secrets is the first book I have read by Katie Reus. I enjoy romantic suspense books and in this one we get a very creepy sexual predator. One where his confidence rises with each girl he captures. When Izzy screws up his plans one night, she becomes his next target, and he starts to become more violent. We get his point of view throughout the book, making him a man that is very scary and repulsive.
Adam is one of those southern gentlemen. Always opening the door, always putting Izzy first. He is a man of few words, but his actions speak very loud. He has that low rumble of a laugh, and is very intense in the bedroom. The sex scenes in this book are very hot and plentiful. Hello to sex in the ocean! Adam keeps the secret of being Izzy’s guardian for a long time. I felt like the way it played out is very predictable which took away a bit from the ending.
I liked Izzy in that she comes from a very wealthy background, and although likes to be independent, once in awhile Adam or even herself catches her falling back into the spoiled,wealthy life she used to live in. It made her seem more real and not so perfect. I didn’t love a move she makes at the end resulting in a big conflict, again I felt it to be predictable. But I think the ending resolution with the villain eventually plays out well.
Overall though, this is a sexy suspense book and I will definitely be checking out the next in the series.
Rating: C+
January 22, 2011
This book was provided to me by netgalley and my first read by this author.
After fleeing Savannah to escape her rich controlling father, Izzy gets a job as a bartender in a small coastal town of Florida. Shortly after Izzy is hired, tall, sexy Adam is hired for backup help at the same bar. Unbeknownst to Izzy, Adam was really hired by her powerful father to not only keep a watchful eye on her, but also try and convince her to come back to Savannah. Adam and his younger brother own a security company together and if Adam delivers Izzy safely home, he is guaranteed a multi million dollar contract with her father. The last thing Adam expects is to fall far exotic beautiful Izzy.
One night after closing up the bar together, Izzy and Adam witness an altercation in the parking lot of their bar. After interferring with an almost abduction, the two of them are thrown into a string of abductions, disappearances, and assaults, all on beautiful brunette girls.
After being directly contacted by the abducter himself, Izzy realizes that she's in danger of becomming his next victim. Adam is only too happy to volunteer to stay with her to keep a protective stand for her. What the two of them don't expect is to give into the intense sexual tension that is so obvious between the two of them.
When Adam realizes that he's fallen for Izzy, he struggles to tell her the truth about his true identity, knowing that she will shut him out.
This story was pretty good for the most part. I enjoyed the relationship very much between the H/H and was immediately able to identify with them. The author also wrote some pretty steamy scenes in here that I gobbled up! The suspense of the story was just okay for me, it seemed very predictable even from the beginning for me, and because of that it didn't keep me on the edge of my seat. I will give this a solid three and a half stars for pretty good plot, and sexy romance!
After fleeing Savannah to escape her rich controlling father, Izzy gets a job as a bartender in a small coastal town of Florida. Shortly after Izzy is hired, tall, sexy Adam is hired for backup help at the same bar. Unbeknownst to Izzy, Adam was really hired by her powerful father to not only keep a watchful eye on her, but also try and convince her to come back to Savannah. Adam and his younger brother own a security company together and if Adam delivers Izzy safely home, he is guaranteed a multi million dollar contract with her father. The last thing Adam expects is to fall far exotic beautiful Izzy.
One night after closing up the bar together, Izzy and Adam witness an altercation in the parking lot of their bar. After interferring with an almost abduction, the two of them are thrown into a string of abductions, disappearances, and assaults, all on beautiful brunette girls.
After being directly contacted by the abducter himself, Izzy realizes that she's in danger of becomming his next victim. Adam is only too happy to volunteer to stay with her to keep a protective stand for her. What the two of them don't expect is to give into the intense sexual tension that is so obvious between the two of them.
When Adam realizes that he's fallen for Izzy, he struggles to tell her the truth about his true identity, knowing that she will shut him out.
This story was pretty good for the most part. I enjoyed the relationship very much between the H/H and was immediately able to identify with them. The author also wrote some pretty steamy scenes in here that I gobbled up! The suspense of the story was just okay for me, it seemed very predictable even from the beginning for me, and because of that it didn't keep me on the edge of my seat. I will give this a solid three and a half stars for pretty good plot, and sexy romance!
June 3, 2013
I loved this book! Izzy moved to a small town to get away from her over protective, over bearing father. She enjoyed working with Adam. She found out Adam would be moving in two short weeks, and made the decision to make the best of the two weeks.
Adam worked for a security company. He was hired by Izzy’s dad to keep an eye on her, and try to convince her to move back home to Savannah. When he took the job he pictured her to be just another wealthy snob. He was so wrong. The more time he spent with Izzy, the more he was falling for her. When Izzy’s life was endanger, he vowed he would protect her.
This was a fast paced action, romance, suspense thriller. The villain of the story was creepy, and he was escalating. Time was running out before he took his next victim. Will the detectives or Adam stop him before he gets to Izzy’s?
Sample from chapter 5
Panic like she’d never imagined settled deep in her bones. He was gaining on her fast. If she couldn’t get back to her place before – no she couldn’t think like that. Her tires squealed as she made a sharp right turn. She sped up even more as she pulled onto the four lane road that led from downtown to her apartment. The driver was a mere three minutes, but suddenly seemed like an eternity stretched out before her. Keeping an eye on the rearview mirror while trying to watch the road in front of her, she once again made an attempt for her purse. This time she snatched it up. As she righted herself, she looked in the rearview mirror again only to see a deserted stretch of road behind her. “what the he..” Another jolt jarred her entire body as struggled for control of the wheel. She glanced over her left shoulder. The guy had hit her again and had now moved up next to her. Unsure what to do, she gripped the wheel
Adam worked for a security company. He was hired by Izzy’s dad to keep an eye on her, and try to convince her to move back home to Savannah. When he took the job he pictured her to be just another wealthy snob. He was so wrong. The more time he spent with Izzy, the more he was falling for her. When Izzy’s life was endanger, he vowed he would protect her.
This was a fast paced action, romance, suspense thriller. The villain of the story was creepy, and he was escalating. Time was running out before he took his next victim. Will the detectives or Adam stop him before he gets to Izzy’s?
Sample from chapter 5
Panic like she’d never imagined settled deep in her bones. He was gaining on her fast. If she couldn’t get back to her place before – no she couldn’t think like that. Her tires squealed as she made a sharp right turn. She sped up even more as she pulled onto the four lane road that led from downtown to her apartment. The driver was a mere three minutes, but suddenly seemed like an eternity stretched out before her. Keeping an eye on the rearview mirror while trying to watch the road in front of her, she once again made an attempt for her purse. This time she snatched it up. As she righted herself, she looked in the rearview mirror again only to see a deserted stretch of road behind her. “what the he..” Another jolt jarred her entire body as struggled for control of the wheel. She glanced over her left shoulder. The guy had hit her again and had now moved up next to her. Unsure what to do, she gripped the wheel
January 13, 2018
This was okay. I liked the first 40 percent, but then lost interest. I got really bored with the time we spent with the police figuring out the mystery and the time we spent with the baddie. The ending was a little lacking too.
February 10, 2011
Another great read by Katie Reus. Her writing is so smooth and she always delivers a great read. Keep 'em coming, Katie!
July 24, 2018
Another absolutely great story by this talented author, filled with lots of suspense, edge of your seat moments and of course romance.
The story centers around Isabelle/Izzy Ballantine and Adam Marcellus.
Izzy is working in a bar far from home , much to her father’s dismay. He’s very rich and wants her to move back home. She wants to spread her wings , and get away from his overprotectiveness. There she meets a new hire, Adam. Little does she know that he’s been hired to protect her and convince her to return home. If he does that , he gets a contract with Izzy’s father.
But lies of omission usually come back to haunt you, and what you think you wanted , really is not want you want at the end.
But the road to happiness will be a tough one. Trust is tested, forgiveness might not come , danger is around the corner, but hope endures.
As always, the author gives us an engaging plot and characters that are complex and imperfect. I specially appreciate the fact that the female character is a strong woman.
The narrator , Gabra Zackman does an excellent job with the voices.
The story centers around Isabelle/Izzy Ballantine and Adam Marcellus.
Izzy is working in a bar far from home , much to her father’s dismay. He’s very rich and wants her to move back home. She wants to spread her wings , and get away from his overprotectiveness. There she meets a new hire, Adam. Little does she know that he’s been hired to protect her and convince her to return home. If he does that , he gets a contract with Izzy’s father.
But lies of omission usually come back to haunt you, and what you think you wanted , really is not want you want at the end.
But the road to happiness will be a tough one. Trust is tested, forgiveness might not come , danger is around the corner, but hope endures.
As always, the author gives us an engaging plot and characters that are complex and imperfect. I specially appreciate the fact that the female character is a strong woman.
The narrator , Gabra Zackman does an excellent job with the voices.
September 1, 2025
Alls well that ends well
Izzy and Adam. An heiress working at a bar and a security expert hired by her dad to watch over her in secret. Add in chemistry and then an unexpected dangerous situation and we have a fast paced and entertaining story. Adam is conflicted from the first over his feelings and the secret, but the attraction wins out and sure enough secrets don’t remain secret. The groveling and getting back to their HEA was funny and fitting for their personalities. It was a quick and short story with the expected drama, danger and love.
Izzy and Adam. An heiress working at a bar and a security expert hired by her dad to watch over her in secret. Add in chemistry and then an unexpected dangerous situation and we have a fast paced and entertaining story. Adam is conflicted from the first over his feelings and the secret, but the attraction wins out and sure enough secrets don’t remain secret. The groveling and getting back to their HEA was funny and fitting for their personalities. It was a quick and short story with the expected drama, danger and love.
October 11, 2020
Quick, easy read with two likeable main MC's. I listened to this on Audible and had no issues with the narration. Izzy and Adam were cute together and the story line brought in a bit of suspense. You just KNEW that Adam's behavior was going to bite him in the a** but you just had to wait for it to happen.
Nice story arc with a good HEA.
Nice story arc with a good HEA.
November 29, 2017
likeable characters, decent action, quick read.
July 22, 2019
3.5 STARS
Short, sexy and to the point. In a story this quick its inevitable that it has a high level of unbelievability but other than that it’s a good one.
Short, sexy and to the point. In a story this quick its inevitable that it has a high level of unbelievability but other than that it’s a good one.
October 6, 2020
I listened to this book in audiobook format.
romantic-suspense
December 28, 202220
April 24, 2015
3.5 ish stars ? I will just give highlights.
He couldn’t believe they’d just had sex. No, made love. What they’d just shared was more than sex. And since when had he started thinking of sex in those terms?
“What exactly do you want from me?”
“I think that much should be obvious.” His voice was dry.
She nudged him with her elbow. “I’m serious. I know we just started…this.” She spread out her hands in a helpless gesture. “Whatever this is. I guess I want to know what you want from me.”
“Everything.” His answer was automatic.
“You want…everything?” What did that even mean?
“I want to see your face when I wake up every morning and that scares the hell out of me, Izzy. I don’t know where this is headed, but I know I’ve never felt about anyone what I feel for you and I want to give this a chance to go somewhere.” His deep voice and words enveloped her.
She searched for the right words. “I’ve never felt like this about anyone either, but…do you need an answer right this instant?”
Something flared in his eyes. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but for a brief moment, he had this vulnerable, puppy dog look in his green eyes. Then it was gone so fast she wasn’t sure if maybe she imagined it. “No.”
“You came for me” was all she could manage. Her throat was so tight it hurt. His arms tightened further. Enveloping her in warmth.
“Baby, of course I did.” He leaned back and wiped a few stray hairs out of her face. “Are you…okay? Did he hurt you?” His eyes were tormented, his face a mask of concern.
“He didn’t touch me.” But he could have. Her skin crawled at the thought of that sharp blade cutting into her. She could still see it. The jagged length gleaming as it swung toward her. She fought off a shiver but it was no use.
Adam cursed under his breath and tucked her face into his shoulder, his hands stroking over the length of her spine. Protective and soothing all at the same time. She tried to get closer to him, wanting to take all his strength. “You’re okay, Izzy. I’m never letting you go again.”
“Fine. I guess.”
“When you say fine do you really mean it or is this something you’re going to hold against me when we’re old and gray?”
“I love you, Izzy. You have to know that.”
A wide grin spread across her face, and before he could guess what she planned she sat up, pushed against his chest and straddled him. “I love you too.” She grabbed him by the wrists and held them above his head as she leaned forward and kissed him.
“Damn it, Izzy, I’d give up my left nut for you.” The words were coarse and not what he’d meant to say. An unexpected laugh burst from her, and his chest tightened. He’d missed that sound. She reached out and placed a gentle hand on his chest.
“That’s not exactly the poetry I dreamed of, but it’ll do.”
He couldn’t believe they’d just had sex. No, made love. What they’d just shared was more than sex. And since when had he started thinking of sex in those terms?
“What exactly do you want from me?”
“I think that much should be obvious.” His voice was dry.
She nudged him with her elbow. “I’m serious. I know we just started…this.” She spread out her hands in a helpless gesture. “Whatever this is. I guess I want to know what you want from me.”
“Everything.” His answer was automatic.
“You want…everything?” What did that even mean?
“I want to see your face when I wake up every morning and that scares the hell out of me, Izzy. I don’t know where this is headed, but I know I’ve never felt about anyone what I feel for you and I want to give this a chance to go somewhere.” His deep voice and words enveloped her.
She searched for the right words. “I’ve never felt like this about anyone either, but…do you need an answer right this instant?”
Something flared in his eyes. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but for a brief moment, he had this vulnerable, puppy dog look in his green eyes. Then it was gone so fast she wasn’t sure if maybe she imagined it. “No.”
“You came for me” was all she could manage. Her throat was so tight it hurt. His arms tightened further. Enveloping her in warmth.
“Baby, of course I did.” He leaned back and wiped a few stray hairs out of her face. “Are you…okay? Did he hurt you?” His eyes were tormented, his face a mask of concern.
“He didn’t touch me.” But he could have. Her skin crawled at the thought of that sharp blade cutting into her. She could still see it. The jagged length gleaming as it swung toward her. She fought off a shiver but it was no use.
Adam cursed under his breath and tucked her face into his shoulder, his hands stroking over the length of her spine. Protective and soothing all at the same time. She tried to get closer to him, wanting to take all his strength. “You’re okay, Izzy. I’m never letting you go again.”
“Fine. I guess.”
“When you say fine do you really mean it or is this something you’re going to hold against me when we’re old and gray?”
“I love you, Izzy. You have to know that.”
A wide grin spread across her face, and before he could guess what she planned she sat up, pushed against his chest and straddled him. “I love you too.” She grabbed him by the wrists and held them above his head as she leaned forward and kissed him.
“Damn it, Izzy, I’d give up my left nut for you.” The words were coarse and not what he’d meant to say. An unexpected laugh burst from her, and his chest tightened. He’d missed that sound. She reached out and placed a gentle hand on his chest.
“That’s not exactly the poetry I dreamed of, but it’ll do.”
February 23, 2011
Isabelle Ballantine has been fighting for independence since she was old enough to walk. Now that she's finally out from under her father's shadow, she won't let anyone stand in her way. It's tough living on her own, working in a bar and keeping her true identity a secret, but things start to look up when a sexy new stranger walks into her life. After working side by side for weeks, Izzy can't figure out why he won't make a move. To cinch the deal of a lifetime, Adam Marcellus agrees to help Izzy's eccentric father convince his daughter to move home. He'd assumed Izzy would be another spoiled rich princess, but he's surprised to discover his feelings for her are stronger than anything he's ever experienced. When a deranged stalker targets her, Adam finds himself fighting not only an unknown threat, but an unexpected attraction to the one woman he can't have.
After searching through netgalley I read the blurb for Dangerous Secrets and was instantly drawn to it. After downloading it however I started having second thoughts. Was this really going to be the book for me? It sounded too much like a contemporary romance than a romantic suspense and so I left it sitting on my Ereader before giving myself a mental shake and finally read it.
Dangerous Secrets is a mix between a contemporary romance and a romantic suspense with a little less suspense (if that makes sense!). It really blew me away with the storyline and the chemistry between Izzy and Adam. I really liked Izzy she comes across as a sweet, warm, kind hero who’s sick of her rich father sticking his nose into her problems when she shares them with him. Izzy wants to be able to confide in her father but every time she does he turns round and interferes with her problems, which is driving Izzy round the bend so she finally decides to move away and take a job where her father can’t intervene. Her father retaliates by making Adam and his brother try to convince Izzy to move back home and for their hard work Izzy’s father will give them the security job they want. However, nothing goes to plan when Adam ends up falling for Izzy, there’s a murderer on the loose and his sights end up set on Izzy and finally Izzy finds out what her father and Adam planned. Dangerous Secrets has everything you could want in a romance book, wrapped in a nice little package with some awesome writing.
Overall Dangerous Secrets is a brilliant story and I would highly recommend it!
After searching through netgalley I read the blurb for Dangerous Secrets and was instantly drawn to it. After downloading it however I started having second thoughts. Was this really going to be the book for me? It sounded too much like a contemporary romance than a romantic suspense and so I left it sitting on my Ereader before giving myself a mental shake and finally read it.
Dangerous Secrets is a mix between a contemporary romance and a romantic suspense with a little less suspense (if that makes sense!). It really blew me away with the storyline and the chemistry between Izzy and Adam. I really liked Izzy she comes across as a sweet, warm, kind hero who’s sick of her rich father sticking his nose into her problems when she shares them with him. Izzy wants to be able to confide in her father but every time she does he turns round and interferes with her problems, which is driving Izzy round the bend so she finally decides to move away and take a job where her father can’t intervene. Her father retaliates by making Adam and his brother try to convince Izzy to move back home and for their hard work Izzy’s father will give them the security job they want. However, nothing goes to plan when Adam ends up falling for Izzy, there’s a murderer on the loose and his sights end up set on Izzy and finally Izzy finds out what her father and Adam planned. Dangerous Secrets has everything you could want in a romance book, wrapped in a nice little package with some awesome writing.
Overall Dangerous Secrets is a brilliant story and I would highly recommend it!
March 9, 2011
One of the toughest things about the romantic suspense genre is getting the balance right between the amount of suspense and the amount of romance. I really enjoy this genre of books, but if the balance is off between these two elements, the book will inevitably fall flat for me, and this is the case with ‘Dangerous Secrets’.
Isabelle has grown up in a privileged household, always wondering if people are friendly to her because of who she is or what she is—a Ballantine. Her father has always been extremely protective of her, but as Isabelle gets older she resents her father’s over protectiveness and decides she wants the one thing money can’t buy—her independence. Leaving Savannah behind, Isabelle heads for Coconut Bay, where she tends bar at a local restaurant determined to make it on her own. But distance can’t stop Edward Ballantine from protecting his daughter. Taking matters into his own hands, Ballantine offers Adam Marcellus a deal he can’t refuse—a multimillion dollar contract with his security firm—if Adam can protect and convince Isabelle to come home. But what Adam doesn’t realize is he could lose more than just the contract he could lose the one woman he’s falling for—Isabelle.
There are no bells and whistles with ‘Dangerous Secrets’ by Katie Reus, so it was just an OK read for me. Even though this was the first book of Reus I’ve read, I feel like the story has just been done to death. The outcome was completely predictable from the very beginning, and I would have liked more suspense scenes to keep me more engaged in the story and the characters. I always like when the villain is tied to the characters in someway (a supposed friend, co-worker or someone from the past) so the reader has the ability to try and guess who the villain is. ‘Dangerous Secrets’ lacks this guessing element and Reus ends up telling the reader who it is near the end of the story, as the villain has no connection to anyone.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy read that lands somewhere in the middle of romance and romantic suspense then give ‘Dangerous Secrets’ a try, but if you’re looking for a challenge I wouldn’t recommend this one.
Isabelle has grown up in a privileged household, always wondering if people are friendly to her because of who she is or what she is—a Ballantine. Her father has always been extremely protective of her, but as Isabelle gets older she resents her father’s over protectiveness and decides she wants the one thing money can’t buy—her independence. Leaving Savannah behind, Isabelle heads for Coconut Bay, where she tends bar at a local restaurant determined to make it on her own. But distance can’t stop Edward Ballantine from protecting his daughter. Taking matters into his own hands, Ballantine offers Adam Marcellus a deal he can’t refuse—a multimillion dollar contract with his security firm—if Adam can protect and convince Isabelle to come home. But what Adam doesn’t realize is he could lose more than just the contract he could lose the one woman he’s falling for—Isabelle.
There are no bells and whistles with ‘Dangerous Secrets’ by Katie Reus, so it was just an OK read for me. Even though this was the first book of Reus I’ve read, I feel like the story has just been done to death. The outcome was completely predictable from the very beginning, and I would have liked more suspense scenes to keep me more engaged in the story and the characters. I always like when the villain is tied to the characters in someway (a supposed friend, co-worker or someone from the past) so the reader has the ability to try and guess who the villain is. ‘Dangerous Secrets’ lacks this guessing element and Reus ends up telling the reader who it is near the end of the story, as the villain has no connection to anyone.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy read that lands somewhere in the middle of romance and romantic suspense then give ‘Dangerous Secrets’ a try, but if you’re looking for a challenge I wouldn’t recommend this one.
April 25, 2011
Neither Isabelle (Izzy) Ballantine nor Adam Marcellus seem to have the ability to trust. Traumatic experiences in both their development years left them with wounds that never quite healed—wounds received from being innocently trustful.
Izzy, a college-educated, rich girl that “kicked over the traces” because of an overprotective father, makes her own way by tending bar in Mad Dog’s Bar and Grille. Adam, who survived the means streets of New Orleans, eight years in the Marines, and a few years in the security business, is now on a clandestine mission that tests his control to the limit as he deals with Izzy. Her spunk, work ethic, and even her forgetting and acting like a ‘princess’ at times makes him love her, fear for her, and grieve because he knows he will lose her.
A terrifying deranged antagonist makes Dangerous Secret bloodcurdling at times. His cruelty is unspeakable. When Izzy, with Adam hot on her heels, foils one of the perp’s best-laid plans, all his rage is focused on Izzy.
The other characters in the story function to highlight Izzy and Adam’s situation. These characters are not well developed but they do help build suspense, horror, and at times a sense of normalcy into Izzy and Adam’s world—a world that seems to be out of control quite often.
While trust issues with a ‘the poor boy’ and ‘rich girl’ or vice versa plot is not unusual, Katie Reus gives it a special twist that makes it exciting Her love scenes are breathtaking. The crime scenes horrify. Katie Reus grabs the reader’s attention and imagination as she propels the story along at top speed making it feel like things will surely spin totally out of control if the reader doesn’t keep reading until the last ‘i’ is dotted and the last ‘t’ is crossed.
Dangerous Secrets takes the reader on a roller coaster ride going from horror to ecstasy.
originally posted at http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...
Izzy, a college-educated, rich girl that “kicked over the traces” because of an overprotective father, makes her own way by tending bar in Mad Dog’s Bar and Grille. Adam, who survived the means streets of New Orleans, eight years in the Marines, and a few years in the security business, is now on a clandestine mission that tests his control to the limit as he deals with Izzy. Her spunk, work ethic, and even her forgetting and acting like a ‘princess’ at times makes him love her, fear for her, and grieve because he knows he will lose her.
A terrifying deranged antagonist makes Dangerous Secret bloodcurdling at times. His cruelty is unspeakable. When Izzy, with Adam hot on her heels, foils one of the perp’s best-laid plans, all his rage is focused on Izzy.
The other characters in the story function to highlight Izzy and Adam’s situation. These characters are not well developed but they do help build suspense, horror, and at times a sense of normalcy into Izzy and Adam’s world—a world that seems to be out of control quite often.
While trust issues with a ‘the poor boy’ and ‘rich girl’ or vice versa plot is not unusual, Katie Reus gives it a special twist that makes it exciting Her love scenes are breathtaking. The crime scenes horrify. Katie Reus grabs the reader’s attention and imagination as she propels the story along at top speed making it feel like things will surely spin totally out of control if the reader doesn’t keep reading until the last ‘i’ is dotted and the last ‘t’ is crossed.
Dangerous Secrets takes the reader on a roller coaster ride going from horror to ecstasy.
originally posted at http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...
August 4, 2011
Let's see... overbearing father, independent daughter, sexy stranger... oh yeah, this has the makings for a hot romance!
Reading this book was a refreshing treat for me. The elements that Katie Reus weaves into her plot were everything I crave in a good book. Suspense, danger, drama, conflict, secrets, a hot, protective man, a fierce, independent woman, and enough sparks to burn it all down!
Izzy was a great heroine. She's a strong woman with a good heart and enough brains to stand on her own. She doesn't back down from anyone, whether it's her father or a criminal. She knows what she wants and she goes after it and that includes the hot new man in her life. You know, grab the bull and all that.
Adam is a sexy, independent security contractor and the last thing he needs to do is babysit. But meeting Izzy suddenly makes the job much more bearable. And difficult. The attraction is almost instant and the urge to keep her safe is an instinct he can't ignore. But keeping her safe is harder than he expected, because now he has to protect her from a criminal and from his secret. Adam has alpha written all over him but he keeps his chest thumping to a minimum. Izzy is a strong enough woman to balance his character. He knows he doesn't need to shelter her, but as any good alpha knows, there's no substitute for a good ass-kicking when defending their woman. God, I loved this man!
The story was written well enough that it could have stood on it's own without the romance, which is always a good sign when I'm reading my books. The suspense was enough to keep me on the edge of my seat, the danger kept me turning the pages and the characters made me fall in love with them.
You can read my full review here: http://secretsofabooklover.blogspot.c...
Reading this book was a refreshing treat for me. The elements that Katie Reus weaves into her plot were everything I crave in a good book. Suspense, danger, drama, conflict, secrets, a hot, protective man, a fierce, independent woman, and enough sparks to burn it all down!
Izzy was a great heroine. She's a strong woman with a good heart and enough brains to stand on her own. She doesn't back down from anyone, whether it's her father or a criminal. She knows what she wants and she goes after it and that includes the hot new man in her life. You know, grab the bull and all that.
Adam is a sexy, independent security contractor and the last thing he needs to do is babysit. But meeting Izzy suddenly makes the job much more bearable. And difficult. The attraction is almost instant and the urge to keep her safe is an instinct he can't ignore. But keeping her safe is harder than he expected, because now he has to protect her from a criminal and from his secret. Adam has alpha written all over him but he keeps his chest thumping to a minimum. Izzy is a strong enough woman to balance his character. He knows he doesn't need to shelter her, but as any good alpha knows, there's no substitute for a good ass-kicking when defending their woman. God, I loved this man!
The story was written well enough that it could have stood on it's own without the romance, which is always a good sign when I'm reading my books. The suspense was enough to keep me on the edge of my seat, the danger kept me turning the pages and the characters made me fall in love with them.
You can read my full review here: http://secretsofabooklover.blogspot.c...
January 23, 2011
Dangerous Secrets by Katie Reus
Carina, 2011
153 pages
Romantic Suspense
4/5 stars
Source: Received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have really been enjoying Carina's romantic novellas and I think this was my favorite so far. I don't read too much suspense, usually preferring a nice cozy, but I enjoyed this a lot.
The story kicks off right away with Izzy, a bartender escaping from her rich overprotective father, and Adam, secretly hired by Izzy's father to protect her and convince her to move back home, feeling tremendous sparks between them. Adam is trying to fight his attraction for her but when she proves more than willing, their romance starts. They fall for each other very quickly, spurred by a criminal terrorizing the area.
That criminal provides the suspense as he has been kidnapping women and molesting/abusing them until Izzy interferes between him and a prospective victim. Then he sets his sights on killing Izzy while Adam and Izzy have every intention of staying alive and together. The criminal is absolutely despicable, especially once you know his "reasoning" behind the choice of his victims. While the focus is on the romantic leads, I felt that one police officer was given some personality that helped him stand out.
I was worried about Adam concealing his identity from Izzy because that lie always explodes in one's face as it did here. I think she should have made him grovel more but I also felt his pain and I knew that he was an upstanding guy.
Overall: Strong mix of romance and suspense but nothing surprising.
Cover: Not a big fan-I'm not sure what's so off-putting to me but I would not have chosen this book based on the cover.
Carina, 2011
153 pages
Romantic Suspense
4/5 stars
Source: Received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have really been enjoying Carina's romantic novellas and I think this was my favorite so far. I don't read too much suspense, usually preferring a nice cozy, but I enjoyed this a lot.
The story kicks off right away with Izzy, a bartender escaping from her rich overprotective father, and Adam, secretly hired by Izzy's father to protect her and convince her to move back home, feeling tremendous sparks between them. Adam is trying to fight his attraction for her but when she proves more than willing, their romance starts. They fall for each other very quickly, spurred by a criminal terrorizing the area.
That criminal provides the suspense as he has been kidnapping women and molesting/abusing them until Izzy interferes between him and a prospective victim. Then he sets his sights on killing Izzy while Adam and Izzy have every intention of staying alive and together. The criminal is absolutely despicable, especially once you know his "reasoning" behind the choice of his victims. While the focus is on the romantic leads, I felt that one police officer was given some personality that helped him stand out.
I was worried about Adam concealing his identity from Izzy because that lie always explodes in one's face as it did here. I think she should have made him grovel more but I also felt his pain and I knew that he was an upstanding guy.
Overall: Strong mix of romance and suspense but nothing surprising.
Cover: Not a big fan-I'm not sure what's so off-putting to me but I would not have chosen this book based on the cover.
October 2, 2012
This was is another good romantic suspense book by Katie Reus. After reading six books by Katie one thing I have noticed is how diverse Katie is in her stories. Many times when you read several books by the same author you tend to find the same plot ideas, but Katie does a great job of writing very different stories. In this story we find Adam, who was hired by Izzy’s father to watch out for her without her knowing. He was also supposed to get her to move back home. In return, Adam’s security company was going to land a lucrative contract from Izzy’s father. What started out as a job turned into much more. Throw in a serial rapist in the area that is now after Izzy and you have a lot going on in the story.
One of the things that kept me from putting down the book wasn’t the serial rapist that was on the loose and after Izzy, but Adam and Izzy’s relationship. I kept wondering when he was going to come clean about who he really was. Izzy kept telling herself to trust him and it frustrated me that Adam was lying to her, even if he didn’t want to. I admired Izzy’s strength as a woman who wanted to be independent from her father and also how much she cared for her friends. Adam was the typical protective alpha male in the book, but he had to fight with himself so much to figure out the right way to be with Izzy, including when to tell her the truth and how to protect her. This was a great story from start to finish. If you are looking for an emotional romantic suspense story, I highly recommend this one.
One of the things that kept me from putting down the book wasn’t the serial rapist that was on the loose and after Izzy, but Adam and Izzy’s relationship. I kept wondering when he was going to come clean about who he really was. Izzy kept telling herself to trust him and it frustrated me that Adam was lying to her, even if he didn’t want to. I admired Izzy’s strength as a woman who wanted to be independent from her father and also how much she cared for her friends. Adam was the typical protective alpha male in the book, but he had to fight with himself so much to figure out the right way to be with Izzy, including when to tell her the truth and how to protect her. This was a great story from start to finish. If you are looking for an emotional romantic suspense story, I highly recommend this one.
March 12, 2011
Dangerous Secrets by Katie Reus, is the first book I have read of Ms. Reus. I found it to be enjoyable, suspenseful and quite erotic also. However...
While I very much enjoyed the chemistry between Izzy (Isabelle Ballentine) and Adam Marcellus; as it rang very true...I found myself at times having trouble staying with story line.
The main story line is how Adam, an Ex-Marine turned Security Specialist is in Coconut Bay to protect Izzy. This is without Izzy's knowledge and done under the auspices of her father, a wealthy man from Savannah, Georgia. Adam is supposed to convince Izzy to return to Savannah. Will she or won't she. The secondary story line involves a very creepy sexual predator and some of the best scenes involve Izzy.
What then is my problem with Dangerous Secrets? For me, it was that the transitions between the scenes with Izzy/Adam to the scenes where the Villain is involved tend to be very abrupt and draw me out of the story line, forcing me to go back up and reread and see why I didn't see that the transitions was coming. I think something as simple as *** between the scenes would have helped me tremendously.
That aside, I found Dangerous Secrets to be well worth reading. I'm looking forward to reading more by Katie Reus. I wouldn't mind some more Suspense Romances. They are new to me, but well worth reading.
This would be a 4 1/2 if I could do so.
Disclaimer: I received this book free for the purpose of reviewing.
While I very much enjoyed the chemistry between Izzy (Isabelle Ballentine) and Adam Marcellus; as it rang very true...I found myself at times having trouble staying with story line.
The main story line is how Adam, an Ex-Marine turned Security Specialist is in Coconut Bay to protect Izzy. This is without Izzy's knowledge and done under the auspices of her father, a wealthy man from Savannah, Georgia. Adam is supposed to convince Izzy to return to Savannah. Will she or won't she. The secondary story line involves a very creepy sexual predator and some of the best scenes involve Izzy.
What then is my problem with Dangerous Secrets? For me, it was that the transitions between the scenes with Izzy/Adam to the scenes where the Villain is involved tend to be very abrupt and draw me out of the story line, forcing me to go back up and reread and see why I didn't see that the transitions was coming. I think something as simple as *** between the scenes would have helped me tremendously.
That aside, I found Dangerous Secrets to be well worth reading. I'm looking forward to reading more by Katie Reus. I wouldn't mind some more Suspense Romances. They are new to me, but well worth reading.
This would be a 4 1/2 if I could do so.
Disclaimer: I received this book free for the purpose of reviewing.
August 14, 2016
Plot and characterisation straight from the shelves of the DIY write-by-numbers superstore, but I enjoyed Dangerous Secrets more than the publisher's blurb led me to expect.
Billionaire's daughter flees her over-protective father to work in a bar in small-town Florida. Father sends an ex-USMC, ex-special ops bodyguard to make sure his daughter doesn't get into trouble. Right on schedule, she does get into trouble when a serial rapist starts prowling the town, and right on schedule she finds herself drawn to the brawny coworker who always seems to be around when she needs him. Plot holes abound, especially those concerning the psychotic stalker, but the story moves along at a cracking pace, the dialogue is sharp and natural, and despite the lack of character development, we learn enough about the romantic protagonists to empathise and feel involved.
As with so many books in this genre, after devoting dozens of pages to explaining why a marriage between two mis-matched lovers would never work, the author shoves all the cons aside and hitches the two in blissful matrimony. A slightly more convincing happy ending would have been welcome, but Dangerous Secrets is still a fun, exciting read.
Billionaire's daughter flees her over-protective father to work in a bar in small-town Florida. Father sends an ex-USMC, ex-special ops bodyguard to make sure his daughter doesn't get into trouble. Right on schedule, she does get into trouble when a serial rapist starts prowling the town, and right on schedule she finds herself drawn to the brawny coworker who always seems to be around when she needs him. Plot holes abound, especially those concerning the psychotic stalker, but the story moves along at a cracking pace, the dialogue is sharp and natural, and despite the lack of character development, we learn enough about the romantic protagonists to empathise and feel involved.
As with so many books in this genre, after devoting dozens of pages to explaining why a marriage between two mis-matched lovers would never work, the author shoves all the cons aside and hitches the two in blissful matrimony. A slightly more convincing happy ending would have been welcome, but Dangerous Secrets is still a fun, exciting read.
April 5, 2011
Published at: Over a Cuppa Tea
Date published: 26th Jan 2011
Review link: http://cleffairy.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/dangerous-secrets/
I'm not really a fan of thriller and suspense, but I was rather intrigued when I spotted this book available for request in Netgalley. So I requested it and as I flipped through the book, I found that thrillers and not so bad after all, especially when romance is involved in it.
Dangerous Secrets is a fast-paced book and gets my adrenaline all pumped up. This book is a perfect read during stormy weather, and I highly recommend this book to those who love fast-paced books with strong storyline and plot.
Thumbs up for Dangerous Secrets, and I give this book a 4 stars out of 5 stars. I thought the cover did not do enough justice to the book.
Date published: 26th Jan 2011
Review link: http://cleffairy.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/dangerous-secrets/
I'm not really a fan of thriller and suspense, but I was rather intrigued when I spotted this book available for request in Netgalley. So I requested it and as I flipped through the book, I found that thrillers and not so bad after all, especially when romance is involved in it.
Dangerous Secrets is a fast-paced book and gets my adrenaline all pumped up. This book is a perfect read during stormy weather, and I highly recommend this book to those who love fast-paced books with strong storyline and plot.
Thumbs up for Dangerous Secrets, and I give this book a 4 stars out of 5 stars. I thought the cover did not do enough justice to the book.
October 8, 2024
DANGEROUS SECRETS is similar to many of Katie Reus's books in that it's a quick and easy read with some good suspense and an insta-lust/love romance. While I enjoyed reading this, it doesn't really stand out from other books. The pace is quick so I had no problem getting through it but I did find myself skimming some of the later sex scenes because I just wasn't as invested in the story.
I did like Izzy's character because she's smart, feisty, and knows what she wants. I also appreciated that Izzy wasn't a naïve and innocent heroine like you often see with the sheltered and rich trope. Instead Izzy knows what life is all about, she's just never had the chance to be treated like a regular person rather than her wealthy father's daughter. Adam is your expected tough, protective, and dominant hero who falls for Izzy's compassion and sweet personality. They had good chemistry but again it all just felt average.
Content Warning: POV from serial rapist
I did like Izzy's character because she's smart, feisty, and knows what she wants. I also appreciated that Izzy wasn't a naïve and innocent heroine like you often see with the sheltered and rich trope. Instead Izzy knows what life is all about, she's just never had the chance to be treated like a regular person rather than her wealthy father's daughter. Adam is your expected tough, protective, and dominant hero who falls for Izzy's compassion and sweet personality. They had good chemistry but again it all just felt average.
Content Warning: POV from serial rapist
January 29, 2015
I think this is my favourite by this author that I've read so far. I would have given it 4 stars, but the ending just sucked all the joy out of the book. The heroine, Izzy, who was a great female lead with intelligence, and strength in character, all of a sudden becomes a vindictive immature shrew. I understand why the author thinks she needed to get her panties in a bunch, but it just didn't seem rational to me because it was so over the top.
But anyways, it's a fun read with good suspense and pacing of plot. Not once did I feel like I should 'roll my eyes'. I liked the POV from both MCs, but wondered if it wouldn't have been more intriguing and a stronger story if it had only be Izzy's POV.
But anyways, it's a fun read with good suspense and pacing of plot. Not once did I feel like I should 'roll my eyes'. I liked the POV from both MCs, but wondered if it wouldn't have been more intriguing and a stronger story if it had only be Izzy's POV.
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