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Secret #2
The Art of Endings
The post-script to 'Secret' . . .
The last time Trey Denison was a “boyfriend” he was seventeen years old, and then a family tragedy forced him to grow up fast and take charge of raising his sister, Tessa. So for the past sixteen years, he had no time, and no inclination for a serious relationship. But that was before Shayla. Trey helped her face demons from her past so that they might have a future. But now he must face his own . . .
Darren Parsons loves his life. He has a rewarding career and just about any woman who sparks his interest. The problem is, the spark – and his interest – in women have both been diminishing over time and he’s beginning to yearn for more. Unfortunately, ‘more’ comes in the form of Paige Freeman, his dead best friend’s former fiancée. And that’s a line Darren has promised himself never to cross . . .
The last time Trey Denison was a “boyfriend” he was seventeen years old, and then a family tragedy forced him to grow up fast and take charge of raising his sister, Tessa. So for the past sixteen years, he had no time, and no inclination for a serious relationship. But that was before Shayla. Trey helped her face demons from her past so that they might have a future. But now he must face his own . . .
Darren Parsons loves his life. He has a rewarding career and just about any woman who sparks his interest. The problem is, the spark – and his interest – in women have both been diminishing over time and he’s beginning to yearn for more. Unfortunately, ‘more’ comes in the form of Paige Freeman, his dead best friend’s former fiancée. And that’s a line Darren has promised himself never to cross . . .
278 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2013
80 people are currently reading
146 people want to read
About the author
Nia Forrester
67 books957 followersI live in Philadelphia, PA where by day I work on public policy reform, and by night I read authors who move me, and write woman-centered fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
July 5, 2013
I've read all of Nia Forrester's books, and she has yet to disappoint. Lately, it seems that most books are pretty short, and the stories aren't as fully developed as they could be. This author is one of the exceptions to that 220-page rule, giving us story lines and characters that are well-drawn and fully developed. She allows us to get to know these people and what they are going through. I think is why we hate for the stories to end, we feel like we know these people, and hate to let them go.
This book centers on two couples, and each story is told from the male's perspective. Amazingly, the author pulls the storytelling off well, and the character's thoughts, feelings and emotions are very authentic. I wanted to shake Darren so many times, it was crazy! He knew what the deal with Paige, but kept trying to sabotage things. Just like a man, lol!
I just love the way the stories played out. So many times, I thought Trey was gonna mess make a huge misstep, but I like the way that Dondria's character was used to bring clarity to his situation. And the whole Alicia thing? Nerve wracking, drawn out and beautifully handled.
Keep up the excellent work, Ms. Forrester. And please know that I'm sitting here anxiously awaiting your next book. Hurry!
This book centers on two couples, and each story is told from the male's perspective. Amazingly, the author pulls the storytelling off well, and the character's thoughts, feelings and emotions are very authentic. I wanted to shake Darren so many times, it was crazy! He knew what the deal with Paige, but kept trying to sabotage things. Just like a man, lol!
I just love the way the stories played out. So many times, I thought Trey was gonna mess make a huge misstep, but I like the way that Dondria's character was used to bring clarity to his situation. And the whole Alicia thing? Nerve wracking, drawn out and beautifully handled.
Keep up the excellent work, Ms. Forrester. And please know that I'm sitting here anxiously awaiting your next book. Hurry!
November 4, 2021
Coming to terms...
Book two of the Secrets series was not what I expected. I was thinking it would be the continuation of Trey and Shayla's journey. It was...but only from Trey's POV, and the addition of Darren's relationship struggles with Paige also from just his POV. This is probably the first time I read a story from this unique male perspective. And the main take away after getting into the complex male mind was that without owning up to past trauma, issues and baggage, you will never be able to successfully move forward in a healthy relationship! Another job well done by Nia Forrester!
Book two of the Secrets series was not what I expected. I was thinking it would be the continuation of Trey and Shayla's journey. It was...but only from Trey's POV, and the addition of Darren's relationship struggles with Paige also from just his POV. This is probably the first time I read a story from this unique male perspective. And the main take away after getting into the complex male mind was that without owning up to past trauma, issues and baggage, you will never be able to successfully move forward in a healthy relationship! Another job well done by Nia Forrester!
November 4, 2016
I was one of many that eagerly anticipated this sequel and I was not disappointed. After reading a few reviews, I wanted to add one as well, because I got something different from The Art of Endings. Quite often, I end up wanting a sequel so bad that once I read it, I am highly disappointed because it did not live up to the high from the first read. When I started reading The Art of Endings, I didn't know what to expect. A few pages in, I realized that this was not a Trey and Shayla story, it was about Trey coming to terms with monogamy along with his love for Shayla and Trey's best friend Darren discovering he has a heart and it belongs to someone from his past.
"Secret" had a few loose ends that left me biting my nails anticipating what would happen next. For one, I made it quite clear that I did not want Trey to end up fathering that woman's baby. I mean, I made that abundantly clear. So I bought The Art of Endings just to find out if he was the father or not. I also wanted to see more of Shayla's freedom journey, as she was finally rid of her "secret" - a rape that traumatized her well into her relationship with Trey. Yet once I got into The Art of Endings, there were new focal points to explore and I enjoyed not staying stuck in the past (although there were a few story lines that reflected past actions, but they were all new to the reader).
Reading a few reviews, I can understand why a few readers felt the Secret story lines were lacking. Then I remember why I like Nia Forrester's novels. She writes about reality, not drama. When Trey approached the baby dilemma in "Secret," Shayla responded as a woman that was crushed but also knew that this child was conceived before she met Trey. There was no need for drive by cuss outs or constant reminders for the remaining trimesters. Shayla, being who Shayla is, was also a runner and not a confronter. Shayla handled the baby ordeal in a way that suited her and I got that. So did Trey. In fact, Trey impressed me with the handling of the whole situation in comparison to how he dealt with it in Secret.
Shayla was also a supporting role in this novel. Perhaps that is why many readers are a little put off because she took a back seat in this one. I wish there was a little more of Shayla, but quite frankly, I think her character was where she needed to be. Well not necessarily, because she did not need to be with the professor either... We forget that Shayla was released from the woman she used to be when she finally told Trey what Justin had done. That was her moment to truly heal, but like some assault victims, they will always have their moments where the past haunts them. Shayla demonstrated it on occasion, but she was no longer the same girl that moved into Trey and Tessa's basement. She was free of Justin, so that story was not what defined her any more. Her close encounters were another thing. I don't think Shayla would seek out Justin and if Justin had the guts to go to her, then I would imagine Shayla would have handled it the best way she could. I held my breath once it was said they would be in close proximity of each other because I wanted Shayla to keep moving forward and I think that the hardest part of her past was closed in Secret, with the help of Trey. There was no need to reopen it back up, but Nia Forrester demonstrated the reality that the scars will always be there.
Trey was also maturing and we watched him go from selfish, charming player to a man that loves a woman. That's a big step for anyone that does not do relationships and what we witnessed with Trey reflected his growth. I loved his struggle as a possible father, as a mate, as a friend, professionally and even as a brother. Trey grew up in The Art of Endings, so who Trey was in Secret is no more.
Part of that growth rubbed off on Darren, a minor character in Secret that had a big role in The Art of Endings. Trey was not pleased by some of Darren's behavior and Darren recognized that. Their shift was subtle, but again, another thing that made me see The Art of Endings as its own separate novel and not a duplicate of Secret. Darren walked into the novel as a class-A jerk, but Nia Forrester took us through Darren's thought process and experiences, helping us to see him differently by the end. Just as I was about to yell to Paige, "Girl, he doesn't deserve you!" Nia turned it around and I ended up wanting them together.
The stages of Paige and Darren's relationship was hard to read and it did make me look at Paige skeptically for a while. I mean what woman puts up with a grown man's blatant disrespect like she did. Then as I recognized Darren's struggle, I became cognizant of Paige's awareness of it as well. And it became another reminder of that Nia Forrester realism many of us love and don't even realize it.
And Tessa. She was in the background, too. Trey needed her to help him be the man we saw at the end. A man that was finally free of his own secrets and a man that was finally ready to love.
I would have given it a full five stars, but I was a little upset with a few scenes. Paige was drawn to Darren in ways many of us are drawn to things we know can't be good for us, but we want it anyway. It hurt to see her constantly playing with fire and subsequently getting burned. I did not care for Shayla's relationship with the professor, nor did I like the direction Trey and his coworker went in. They all made sense and worked for the story, but they made me upset with the character's actions.
When it all came to an end and the paternity was revealed, I felt closure with these characters. I will miss them, but I am content with where Nia Forrester took us.
"Secret" had a few loose ends that left me biting my nails anticipating what would happen next. For one, I made it quite clear that I did not want Trey to end up fathering that woman's baby. I mean, I made that abundantly clear. So I bought The Art of Endings just to find out if he was the father or not. I also wanted to see more of Shayla's freedom journey, as she was finally rid of her "secret" - a rape that traumatized her well into her relationship with Trey. Yet once I got into The Art of Endings, there were new focal points to explore and I enjoyed not staying stuck in the past (although there were a few story lines that reflected past actions, but they were all new to the reader).
Reading a few reviews, I can understand why a few readers felt the Secret story lines were lacking. Then I remember why I like Nia Forrester's novels. She writes about reality, not drama. When Trey approached the baby dilemma in "Secret," Shayla responded as a woman that was crushed but also knew that this child was conceived before she met Trey. There was no need for drive by cuss outs or constant reminders for the remaining trimesters. Shayla, being who Shayla is, was also a runner and not a confronter. Shayla handled the baby ordeal in a way that suited her and I got that. So did Trey. In fact, Trey impressed me with the handling of the whole situation in comparison to how he dealt with it in Secret.
Shayla was also a supporting role in this novel. Perhaps that is why many readers are a little put off because she took a back seat in this one. I wish there was a little more of Shayla, but quite frankly, I think her character was where she needed to be. Well not necessarily, because she did not need to be with the professor either... We forget that Shayla was released from the woman she used to be when she finally told Trey what Justin had done. That was her moment to truly heal, but like some assault victims, they will always have their moments where the past haunts them. Shayla demonstrated it on occasion, but she was no longer the same girl that moved into Trey and Tessa's basement. She was free of Justin, so that story was not what defined her any more. Her close encounters were another thing. I don't think Shayla would seek out Justin and if Justin had the guts to go to her, then I would imagine Shayla would have handled it the best way she could. I held my breath once it was said they would be in close proximity of each other because I wanted Shayla to keep moving forward and I think that the hardest part of her past was closed in Secret, with the help of Trey. There was no need to reopen it back up, but Nia Forrester demonstrated the reality that the scars will always be there.
Trey was also maturing and we watched him go from selfish, charming player to a man that loves a woman. That's a big step for anyone that does not do relationships and what we witnessed with Trey reflected his growth. I loved his struggle as a possible father, as a mate, as a friend, professionally and even as a brother. Trey grew up in The Art of Endings, so who Trey was in Secret is no more.
Part of that growth rubbed off on Darren, a minor character in Secret that had a big role in The Art of Endings. Trey was not pleased by some of Darren's behavior and Darren recognized that. Their shift was subtle, but again, another thing that made me see The Art of Endings as its own separate novel and not a duplicate of Secret. Darren walked into the novel as a class-A jerk, but Nia Forrester took us through Darren's thought process and experiences, helping us to see him differently by the end. Just as I was about to yell to Paige, "Girl, he doesn't deserve you!" Nia turned it around and I ended up wanting them together.
The stages of Paige and Darren's relationship was hard to read and it did make me look at Paige skeptically for a while. I mean what woman puts up with a grown man's blatant disrespect like she did. Then as I recognized Darren's struggle, I became cognizant of Paige's awareness of it as well. And it became another reminder of that Nia Forrester realism many of us love and don't even realize it.
And Tessa. She was in the background, too. Trey needed her to help him be the man we saw at the end. A man that was finally free of his own secrets and a man that was finally ready to love.
I would have given it a full five stars, but I was a little upset with a few scenes. Paige was drawn to Darren in ways many of us are drawn to things we know can't be good for us, but we want it anyway. It hurt to see her constantly playing with fire and subsequently getting burned. I did not care for Shayla's relationship with the professor, nor did I like the direction Trey and his coworker went in. They all made sense and worked for the story, but they made me upset with the character's actions.
When it all came to an end and the paternity was revealed, I felt closure with these characters. I will miss them, but I am content with where Nia Forrester took us.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2025
Both of these men got on my last nerves! Trey with Shayla again and now Darren who just REPEATEDLY kept fumbling Paige!
During the flash back scenes I NEEDED Paige to get a clue and leave this man TF alone, but she kept being drawn to him. I was definitely confused doing audio when it came to the flashback scenes not knowing what time period it was. Thankfully they mentioned they were on their College campus which gave me a clue…
I did admire Shayla’s growth in this book. That was definitely needed for her. She been through a-lot.
During the flash back scenes I NEEDED Paige to get a clue and leave this man TF alone, but she kept being drawn to him. I was definitely confused doing audio when it came to the flashback scenes not knowing what time period it was. Thankfully they mentioned they were on their College campus which gave me a clue…
I did admire Shayla’s growth in this book. That was definitely needed for her. She been through a-lot.
November 3, 2024
I’ve never hated MCs so much in my life. Darren dragged Paige through the mud and never groveled. Stand up sis. And as to Trey, go to hell. In short: if a man thinks he is not good enough for you, believe him.
March 2, 2019
The follow-up to Secrets and a must read IF you enjoyed the first book of the series.
Definitely worth the cost.👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥
Definitely worth the cost.👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥
December 3, 2018
I just finished reading a book by one of my favorite authors about characters that I liked in the first book but did not care for in this one and I think the reason why is because the author was distracted. I could tell when I read the book because I found the characters doing things that were hurtful but not really connecting to their reasons why. Daren and Trey were characters I really liked in the first book Secret I could not imagine Shay and Paige choosing them in The Art if Endings. I had the feeling this book was pieced together meaning the author decided what she wanted to put in the book and added where she felt it was appropriate. My author was absent in this book but hey this is fiction and romance, maybe in the next book we will get a clearer view of what’s going on and why, hopefully Darren and Trey will redeem themselves. This is a good book but, it’s not my favorite by this author , I will read anything this author writes, so I look forward to her next book.
April 13, 2020
I absolutes LOVE Nia F. !!! Like seriously I’ve never read a novel from her that I wasn’t completely obsessed with. Her characters are always so well developed you almost start to feel like you know them personally. I was pretty much tired of Darren and Trey’s asses. Neither of them deserved at one point the good women they were blessed with. Trey’s character overall to me was sooo hypocritical loll typical guy. Flipped out because Shayla kept a secret something very small in my opinion but I can count numerous times throughout the story where he himself withheld information or did shady stuff he never even revealed to her. Darren seriously gave me a headache 🤕 I’ve never seen someone self sabotage themselves as much as he does. At one point I really just wanted Piper to be done 🙅🏽♀️ lol I’m a sucker for happy endings though so I’m glad everything worked out❤️
July 3, 2013
This is probably the first book of Nia's that I didn't love. I hate to write this but I was really bored with the storyline. I kept waiting for something to happen but it just never came. I was expecting more from Darren and Paige. With their background it just seemed like they'd have some hot and heavy love affair instead of all the games. Trey and Shayla let me down a bit also. The whole baby situation, with the build up I really thought it would happen the opposite way it did. I also thought Paige should have run into Justin and face her fears. Secret was such a high and I really fell in love with these characters but this one fell a bit short. The writing was still well done, and ill continue to support Nia's work.....they all can't be 5 star reads.
July 3, 2013
This was not as good as Nia's other books. And it ended so abruptly....
August 26, 2025
Baby, let me tell you Paige did not have the right circle of friends, family, or support. Love should never hurt like this. But she gave Darron way too many chances.
I understood that he grew up without a parentr’s love and carried childhood traumas into his adult life. He was an amazing big brother, and if he had given Paige even a fraction of the love and protection he gave his younger brother, I would’ve rooted for him from the start. But the roller coaster he put her through? From couch to present no, no, no. I was ready to fight him myself!
But when you believe someone is your soulmate, you’ll do almost anything for that love. But I also believe you should never love anyone more than you love yourself and you teach people how to treat you.
I also loved the update on Trey & Shayla seeing their growth was beautiful. And now, I can’t wait for Tess’s book to drop on Audible. I read it years ago, but I’m ready to relive her story.
SIDENOTE (aka “Don’t come for my stars!”):
Just a quick heads-up my ratings are based on whether I’d reread the book or add it to my personal collection, not the quality of the story itself. So here’s how I roll:
5 🤩 = I’m obsessed with everything the storyline, the author, and the narrators! I read it yearly and own ALL the copies: physical, digital, and Audible. I can basically recite this book. It lives in my private library.
4 🌟 = Loved the story, the author, and the narrator (if it’s audio). I’d happily reread it when I need a solid comfort read.
3 ✨ = Enjoyed the story, the author, and definitely the narrators. A great addition to my yearly reading challenge likely to revisit if it’s part of a series I need to refresh.
I understood that he grew up without a parentr’s love and carried childhood traumas into his adult life. He was an amazing big brother, and if he had given Paige even a fraction of the love and protection he gave his younger brother, I would’ve rooted for him from the start. But the roller coaster he put her through? From couch to present no, no, no. I was ready to fight him myself!
But when you believe someone is your soulmate, you’ll do almost anything for that love. But I also believe you should never love anyone more than you love yourself and you teach people how to treat you.
I also loved the update on Trey & Shayla seeing their growth was beautiful. And now, I can’t wait for Tess’s book to drop on Audible. I read it years ago, but I’m ready to relive her story.
SIDENOTE (aka “Don’t come for my stars!”):
Just a quick heads-up my ratings are based on whether I’d reread the book or add it to my personal collection, not the quality of the story itself. So here’s how I roll:
5 🤩 = I’m obsessed with everything the storyline, the author, and the narrators! I read it yearly and own ALL the copies: physical, digital, and Audible. I can basically recite this book. It lives in my private library.
4 🌟 = Loved the story, the author, and the narrator (if it’s audio). I’d happily reread it when I need a solid comfort read.
3 ✨ = Enjoyed the story, the author, and definitely the narrators. A great addition to my yearly reading challenge likely to revisit if it’s part of a series I need to refresh.
December 1, 2018
This book finally resurfaced!
I read Secret about 6 months ago. When I had finished that book I found out that there was a book 2 and book 3. When I tried to buy book 2 it yielded no results anywhere. I could not get it on Amazon or from any other booksellers. So I was so happy when I was browsing miss Forresters Amazon page yesterday, to see that book 2 was back in the collection. I immediately bought it on Kindle and just finished it. Which means that now I have read the whole series (I could not want so I ready book 3 before this one).
Anyway, I loved the series. Though book 1 and book 3 can be read as stand alone, TAoE ties them together. The only thing is that I dont really get why Trey was so wary of commitment.
I read Secret about 6 months ago. When I had finished that book I found out that there was a book 2 and book 3. When I tried to buy book 2 it yielded no results anywhere. I could not get it on Amazon or from any other booksellers. So I was so happy when I was browsing miss Forresters Amazon page yesterday, to see that book 2 was back in the collection. I immediately bought it on Kindle and just finished it. Which means that now I have read the whole series (I could not want so I ready book 3 before this one).
Anyway, I loved the series. Though book 1 and book 3 can be read as stand alone, TAoE ties them together. The only thing is that I dont really get why Trey was so wary of commitment.
May 21, 2017
Loved It
This book touched on so many issues that arise in learning to truly love after so much loss. Be it the loss of one's parents at such a young age or the loss of parental love due to one or both parents withholding it for their own selfish reasons, it makes letting go of the negative, realizing that one deserves love, and recognizing one is perfectly capable of loving others freely that much more difficult to see. Thanks for wonderfully illustrating these concepts because they are personal to me and I needed this reminder that it's OK to love freely.
This book touched on so many issues that arise in learning to truly love after so much loss. Be it the loss of one's parents at such a young age or the loss of parental love due to one or both parents withholding it for their own selfish reasons, it makes letting go of the negative, realizing that one deserves love, and recognizing one is perfectly capable of loving others freely that much more difficult to see. Thanks for wonderfully illustrating these concepts because they are personal to me and I needed this reminder that it's OK to love freely.
February 24, 2022
Ahhh!
I simply love me a Nia Forrestor book. Both characters were such good people with in resolved past. I appreciate their love a willingness to work through the hardships.
*I read this book years ago when it was first released and a few times after. Didn’t realize that I never left a review. I’m making it a mission to go back and review my favorite authors books. I encourage you all to do the same!
I simply love me a Nia Forrestor book. Both characters were such good people with in resolved past. I appreciate their love a willingness to work through the hardships.
*I read this book years ago when it was first released and a few times after. Didn’t realize that I never left a review. I’m making it a mission to go back and review my favorite authors books. I encourage you all to do the same!
December 9, 2018
Loved it
Trey got take down by a damsel in distress. I also love how Darren and his girl found their way back to each other,I knew something happened between them when they Were in college. I was glad that the baby wasn't his because he waa stressing about it to much. I loved the ending that was so cute.
Trey got take down by a damsel in distress. I also love how Darren and his girl found their way back to each other,I knew something happened between them when they Were in college. I was glad that the baby wasn't his because he waa stressing about it to much. I loved the ending that was so cute.
April 5, 2023
The crew is back again
The second installment from Nia Forrester was excellent. She did a great job picking up right up from part . The characters are so well- developed that I felt like I knew them. There was a lot of instances where I didn't know if it would go left and sometimes it did! I'm about to dif in the next book while I drink my coffee before I start my day.
The second installment from Nia Forrester was excellent. She did a great job picking up right up from part . The characters are so well- developed that I felt like I knew them. There was a lot of instances where I didn't know if it would go left and sometimes it did! I'm about to dif in the next book while I drink my coffee before I start my day.
December 8, 2018
Wheh!
Alicia’s pregnancy was like the longest ever😩 I love Trey and Shay together. I am wary of Dondria. Darren and Paige are interesting. They’ve wasted so many years. I wanted to wring his neck after the dinner party. Love can be so necessarily complicated.
Alicia’s pregnancy was like the longest ever😩 I love Trey and Shay together. I am wary of Dondria. Darren and Paige are interesting. They’ve wasted so many years. I wanted to wring his neck after the dinner party. Love can be so necessarily complicated.
January 9, 2019
Artful and entertaining
Book two was artful and quite entertaining. I loved seeing both couples grow in love. Family devotion was The primary theme in this story. Well written and nicely told.
Book two was artful and quite entertaining. I loved seeing both couples grow in love. Family devotion was The primary theme in this story. Well written and nicely told.
March 8, 2019
The Art of Endings
More secrets.....Darren & Paige? The back story made it clear how things really were! Loved more of Trey and Shayla. Keep it coming! Good read, good writing and just enough drama without tossing my Kindle. ☺
More secrets.....Darren & Paige? The back story made it clear how things really were! Loved more of Trey and Shayla. Keep it coming! Good read, good writing and just enough drama without tossing my Kindle. ☺
May 31, 2022
Art of Love
This title doesn't fit the story, in my opinion. Enjoyed the dramas though. The thing with Darren and Paige was a bit weird but fun to read. Trey and Shayla had so much going on they had me worried for a moment. Their growth together is a beautiful thing.
This title doesn't fit the story, in my opinion. Enjoyed the dramas though. The thing with Darren and Paige was a bit weird but fun to read. Trey and Shayla had so much going on they had me worried for a moment. Their growth together is a beautiful thing.
October 10, 2025
Still a whole lot of nothing, but I feel like it was a little bit better than the first book, and then to bring in a different couple really kind of just threw it off, and then it ends on a cliffhanger again.
November 28, 2025
I did not enjoy this one as much as the first one. Darren and Trey got on my last nerves. This book only gives their point of view, which leads to me with so many questions. I really needed to know what the heck Paige was thinking. I listened to this on audible and the narration was done well.
April 16, 2019
Nia Forrester is an excellent author. If you are looking for a book that is not predictable, choose this one. Enjoyed it.
July 3, 2019
Awwwww
I wanted to see the wedding!!! Can't to see how married love is treating shayla i just wished trey was described better
I wanted to see the wedding!!! Can't to see how married love is treating shayla i just wished trey was described better
February 26, 2020
Never a dull moment
Trey and Shayla’s love story had me, but to add Darren and Paige to the mix just warmed my heart. I need to know what happens next.
Trey and Shayla’s love story had me, but to add Darren and Paige to the mix just warmed my heart. I need to know what happens next.
December 4, 2020
Good
I’m glad Darren or Damon? Finally got his crap together! The story was cleverly crafted to you turning the pages, keeping me wondering if they would make it.
I’m glad Darren or Damon? Finally got his crap together! The story was cleverly crafted to you turning the pages, keeping me wondering if they would make it.
November 28, 2025
Good book,but a little wordy. The men drove crazy, but I guess they are like this
August 5, 2019
1-2 🙌🏾
I was holding my breath hoping the baby wasn’t his, two good news in one day 👏🏾 Darren shock me by proposing so fast, the guy knew what he want. They ladies were amazing 😉
I was holding my breath hoping the baby wasn’t his, two good news in one day 👏🏾 Darren shock me by proposing so fast, the guy knew what he want. They ladies were amazing 😉
June 11, 2014
Real World....Real Talk....Real Life....Real Problems....Real Love!
Trey and Shayla...Darren and Paige, two couples with a myriad of multi layered issues. In book one "Secrets" we meet Shayla and Trey which primarily focuses on a tenant landlord situation at first (Trey is the landlord and Shayla is the tenant). And from there we watch a tentative and budding friendship take place and eventually the two become lovers. Not withstanding your usual complications which always have secrets and towards the end of the book, we are left with believing a HEA.
And then book two "The Art of Endings" we were are back with Trey and Shayla but now the little glimpse that we caught of Darren and Paige comes roaring in with gusto. What can I say about this story? It was so hard hitting and gritty that you forget that it is a story of about true love. We read about the confusion between the couples, there are secrets that are coming to the surface, we see true fear of not being good enough, we see fear of being left/forsaken, we see true brokenness. What you read in this story is true life and it feels as if you are right there going through all of the emotions with your friends. You are consoling, your angry, your laughing, your cussing folks out and again just like in real life.
There were answers to questions that left us wondering and guessing, there were revelations that made you say "Aha." Everything that transpired in this amazing story, I never felt lost, I knew what was going on and at times it seem like there was a lot going on it still all made sense. The main women characters (Shayla and Paige) where just like you and I, they weren't people that we as women couldn't relate to. They were two women stripped down to the barest bones where you got a chance to see their hearts, to experience they ups and downs with them and their joy and pain.
The two main men characters (Trey and Darren) were real, complex, loving, crazy and broken. You were angry with them, happy for them, broken for them and began to understand how they were shaped into becoming the men we have come to read about and root hard for them to finally be happy.
I know that whenever I read a story written by author Nia Forrester, I better be ready for something to hit real close to home and have thing revealed in my own heart. She tells stories that are true for many of us and we may not have the names of the main characters but some how our own life stories are intertwined within her books.
There are still so many things I can still write about this story but you will need to read it for yourselves. What I will leave you with is this, We get more insight into Alicia (Trey's former sex partner who is now pregnant and the question of paternity will be answered. Also we get to see more of Tessa, she is Trey's and get to know a little more about her. Then their is Darren's little brother Devon the college student and budding artist who loves his big brother to know end)
Well that is all I will write with my review and until next time Ciao Bellas!
Trey and Shayla...Darren and Paige, two couples with a myriad of multi layered issues. In book one "Secrets" we meet Shayla and Trey which primarily focuses on a tenant landlord situation at first (Trey is the landlord and Shayla is the tenant). And from there we watch a tentative and budding friendship take place and eventually the two become lovers. Not withstanding your usual complications which always have secrets and towards the end of the book, we are left with believing a HEA.
And then book two "The Art of Endings" we were are back with Trey and Shayla but now the little glimpse that we caught of Darren and Paige comes roaring in with gusto. What can I say about this story? It was so hard hitting and gritty that you forget that it is a story of about true love. We read about the confusion between the couples, there are secrets that are coming to the surface, we see true fear of not being good enough, we see fear of being left/forsaken, we see true brokenness. What you read in this story is true life and it feels as if you are right there going through all of the emotions with your friends. You are consoling, your angry, your laughing, your cussing folks out and again just like in real life.
There were answers to questions that left us wondering and guessing, there were revelations that made you say "Aha." Everything that transpired in this amazing story, I never felt lost, I knew what was going on and at times it seem like there was a lot going on it still all made sense. The main women characters (Shayla and Paige) where just like you and I, they weren't people that we as women couldn't relate to. They were two women stripped down to the barest bones where you got a chance to see their hearts, to experience they ups and downs with them and their joy and pain.
The two main men characters (Trey and Darren) were real, complex, loving, crazy and broken. You were angry with them, happy for them, broken for them and began to understand how they were shaped into becoming the men we have come to read about and root hard for them to finally be happy.
I know that whenever I read a story written by author Nia Forrester, I better be ready for something to hit real close to home and have thing revealed in my own heart. She tells stories that are true for many of us and we may not have the names of the main characters but some how our own life stories are intertwined within her books.
There are still so many things I can still write about this story but you will need to read it for yourselves. What I will leave you with is this, We get more insight into Alicia (Trey's former sex partner who is now pregnant and the question of paternity will be answered. Also we get to see more of Tessa, she is Trey's and get to know a little more about her. Then their is Darren's little brother Devon the college student and budding artist who loves his big brother to know end)
Well that is all I will write with my review and until next time Ciao Bellas!
July 11, 2013
As much as Secret was Shayla’s story, The Art of Endings is Trey and Darren’s stories and how they reconcile their pasts with the women who will be their futures. With Secret ending the way it did a reader might expect The Art of Endings to pick up there, but Nia surprised me yet again with her refusal to be boxed into a formulaic storyline to be populated by predictable characters.
Trey takes center stage in his and Shayla’s romance this go round, and he has a doozy of a situation to work through. A former hook-up who happens to be the daughter of someone who could make or break his career is holding the paternity of an unborn child over his head, while he’s simultaneously dealing with Tessa leaving the fold, and Shayla coming into her own career-wise. Not to mention, the looming specter of Shayla’s ex Justin Ford’s life possibly converging with theirs.
Darren finds himself soul-searching as he witnesses his best friend finding the kind of love that has always eluded him. In Paige Freeman he sees an opportunity lost, and a love that is forbidden, because she is the fiancé of his best friend who died in the military in the Middle East. He has set this woman on a pedestal and feels, as he always has concerning her, that he’s just not good enough. In college he’d been unable to reconcile their dissimilar backgrounds, so when his friend Clint came along who possessed the pedigree of a man he thought that a woman like Paige deserved, he stepped aside.
The Art of Endings is a well-crafted story, delving into history coming back to bite two men who were both womanizers for various and sundry reasons who finally realize the “more” they want out of life can be found with the women who are right under their proverbial noses. There, of course, are other themes, but I’m not going any deeper. You’ll have to read the book yourself to find the others.
My favorite and least-liked character was Darren. He’s my favorite because he was so flawed, complicated, and more likely to eff up. And he was my least-liked because he did some trifling things as a result of his inability to reconcile his feelings for Paige early on. I wanted to send him off to a therapist several times in the book--or beat his ass, one of the two. However, I feel like he was thoroughly redeemed, despite everything he put Paige through. In fact, I believe I also liked Darren so much because he reminds me of a guy one of my best college friends fell for back in the day. They are married now and have a beautiful family, but she endured much of what Paige did before they finally got there. This goes to show that sometimes, it takes a very special woman/man to love that person that many see as totally unlovable.
I had to read The Art of Endings the moment it was released because I wanted to find out what happened with Shayla and Trey, but also to get a three-dimensional view of the lives of the secondary characters I’d grown to love almost as much as the primary characters.
Trey takes center stage in his and Shayla’s romance this go round, and he has a doozy of a situation to work through. A former hook-up who happens to be the daughter of someone who could make or break his career is holding the paternity of an unborn child over his head, while he’s simultaneously dealing with Tessa leaving the fold, and Shayla coming into her own career-wise. Not to mention, the looming specter of Shayla’s ex Justin Ford’s life possibly converging with theirs.
Darren finds himself soul-searching as he witnesses his best friend finding the kind of love that has always eluded him. In Paige Freeman he sees an opportunity lost, and a love that is forbidden, because she is the fiancé of his best friend who died in the military in the Middle East. He has set this woman on a pedestal and feels, as he always has concerning her, that he’s just not good enough. In college he’d been unable to reconcile their dissimilar backgrounds, so when his friend Clint came along who possessed the pedigree of a man he thought that a woman like Paige deserved, he stepped aside.
The Art of Endings is a well-crafted story, delving into history coming back to bite two men who were both womanizers for various and sundry reasons who finally realize the “more” they want out of life can be found with the women who are right under their proverbial noses. There, of course, are other themes, but I’m not going any deeper. You’ll have to read the book yourself to find the others.
My favorite and least-liked character was Darren. He’s my favorite because he was so flawed, complicated, and more likely to eff up. And he was my least-liked because he did some trifling things as a result of his inability to reconcile his feelings for Paige early on. I wanted to send him off to a therapist several times in the book--or beat his ass, one of the two. However, I feel like he was thoroughly redeemed, despite everything he put Paige through. In fact, I believe I also liked Darren so much because he reminds me of a guy one of my best college friends fell for back in the day. They are married now and have a beautiful family, but she endured much of what Paige did before they finally got there. This goes to show that sometimes, it takes a very special woman/man to love that person that many see as totally unlovable.
I had to read The Art of Endings the moment it was released because I wanted to find out what happened with Shayla and Trey, but also to get a three-dimensional view of the lives of the secondary characters I’d grown to love almost as much as the primary characters.
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