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Behind the Lives # 4
Behind the Secrets
Too many secrets...
When Beth receives potentially life-changing news that could ruin her future, she decides to keep it a secret from Dante, the man she hopes to marry.
But Dante has his own problems as his deepest and darkest secret is revealed when someone from his childhood reappears, a secret so disturbing that it could unravel what’s left of his already unstable mind.
Beth’s brother Corey struggles to keep his relationship with Dante’s brother a secret, scared his father will split them apart. But it’s his sister he has the most to fear from, when Beth takes advantage of his boyfriend’s vulnerable condition.
Good cop or bad cop? Saul is eaten away by guilt over what he did to Beth while undercover. No longer willing to keep the assault a secret, he heads down a destructive path that turns him into something far worse than an abuser.
A Special Note for Behind the Lives readers who want to continue reading about the Rata family: BROKEN ENGLISH and GRAFFITI HEAVEN are spin off/prequel series from Behind the Lives.
GRAFFITI HEAVEN (Graffiti Heaven #1) is an Edgy YA story based on Ash and Tiana's lives when they were 15.
BROKEN ENGLISH (Part 1 and 2) from the Broken Lives series is based around Dante Rata and his relationship with his English Teacher. Both parts will be published mid 2016. Broken Lives is for mature readers due to the transgressive/taboo subject matter.
When Beth receives potentially life-changing news that could ruin her future, she decides to keep it a secret from Dante, the man she hopes to marry.
But Dante has his own problems as his deepest and darkest secret is revealed when someone from his childhood reappears, a secret so disturbing that it could unravel what’s left of his already unstable mind.
Beth’s brother Corey struggles to keep his relationship with Dante’s brother a secret, scared his father will split them apart. But it’s his sister he has the most to fear from, when Beth takes advantage of his boyfriend’s vulnerable condition.
Good cop or bad cop? Saul is eaten away by guilt over what he did to Beth while undercover. No longer willing to keep the assault a secret, he heads down a destructive path that turns him into something far worse than an abuser.
A Special Note for Behind the Lives readers who want to continue reading about the Rata family: BROKEN ENGLISH and GRAFFITI HEAVEN are spin off/prequel series from Behind the Lives.
GRAFFITI HEAVEN (Graffiti Heaven #1) is an Edgy YA story based on Ash and Tiana's lives when they were 15.
BROKEN ENGLISH (Part 1 and 2) from the Broken Lives series is based around Dante Rata and his relationship with his English Teacher. Both parts will be published mid 2016. Broken Lives is for mature readers due to the transgressive/taboo subject matter.
- GenresRomance
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 11, 2015
3 people are currently reading
202 people want to read
About the author
Marita A. Hansen
100 books854 followersSOME FACTS ABOUT ME:
I'm a New Zealander from Auckland, with dual citizenship (NZ and Croatia). I've also lived in Kerikeri, Singapore and Papua New Guinea.
CAREER PATH: I started off as a Graphic Designer, then went to Auckland University, where I got a BA degree in Art History and Italian Studies and a post-graduate Honors degree in Art History. I worked in the Art History field, then became a full-time artist, doing commissions. I eventually lost all of my senses and gave it up to be a self-published writer, publishing my first book in 2011. Though, earlier in 2023 I returned to art, shelving being a writer since book pirates made it impossible to earn a living from my work, excessively pirating my books. They basically broke my spirit. However, a very nice reader spurred me on to try again, so I'm attempting to revive my writing career.
BAD HABITS: I'm a major procrastinator, I stay up way too late, and I get distracted far too easily unless it's doing something I love. My mind never stops racing, can't turn ADHD off.
SPORTS: As a teenager my favourite sports were karate, badminton, and running. I also did unarmed combat and played in a touch rugby team (my gym teacher made me do the last one!) As an adult, I've couched soccer and have completed two marathons, numerous half-marathons and one 30K run, though I stick to the gym now, hanging up my running shoes.
STATUS: Married to my high school sweetheart (which he hates me calling him). We have two kids.
Author Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Marita-A-Han...
I'm a New Zealander from Auckland, with dual citizenship (NZ and Croatia). I've also lived in Kerikeri, Singapore and Papua New Guinea.
CAREER PATH: I started off as a Graphic Designer, then went to Auckland University, where I got a BA degree in Art History and Italian Studies and a post-graduate Honors degree in Art History. I worked in the Art History field, then became a full-time artist, doing commissions. I eventually lost all of my senses and gave it up to be a self-published writer, publishing my first book in 2011. Though, earlier in 2023 I returned to art, shelving being a writer since book pirates made it impossible to earn a living from my work, excessively pirating my books. They basically broke my spirit. However, a very nice reader spurred me on to try again, so I'm attempting to revive my writing career.
BAD HABITS: I'm a major procrastinator, I stay up way too late, and I get distracted far too easily unless it's doing something I love. My mind never stops racing, can't turn ADHD off.
SPORTS: As a teenager my favourite sports were karate, badminton, and running. I also did unarmed combat and played in a touch rugby team (my gym teacher made me do the last one!) As an adult, I've couched soccer and have completed two marathons, numerous half-marathons and one 30K run, though I stick to the gym now, hanging up my running shoes.
STATUS: Married to my high school sweetheart (which he hates me calling him). We have two kids.
Author Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Marita-A-Han...
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
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January 25, 2023I didn't realise how sad I made this book. Anyway, I'm now reading the Broken Lives series. I need to re-read all of the spin-offs linked to the Behind the Lives series, so that I can get enough info to write Behind the Bars (Book 5). I don't want to make any mistakes.
Read
August 6, 2015thoughts to come
October 1, 2015
3.5 stars
Probably my least favorite book of the series. I'm not surprised by that since the book is so Beth heavy who I dislike. I also could not connect with the new character L, she/he got a lot of focus and I just wasn't very interested in her.
Sadly my girl Kara got very little page time and Dante was a complete mess. But still a very entertaining book, I enjoyed it. I'm really invested in Kara, Dante, Sledge and Corey so I will keep up with the series if/when they are featured.
By far my favorite character of this book and imo the hero of the story was
Probably my least favorite book of the series. I'm not surprised by that since the book is so Beth heavy who I dislike. I also could not connect with the new character L, she/he got a lot of focus and I just wasn't very interested in her.
Sadly my girl Kara got very little page time and Dante was a complete mess. But still a very entertaining book, I enjoyed it. I'm really invested in Kara, Dante, Sledge and Corey so I will keep up with the series if/when they are featured.
By far my favorite character of this book and imo the hero of the story was
May 14, 2016
Beth no i hated you here, but you didnt deserve it, to be honest i kinda hated evry body in this book,apart from L and Sledge and Mrs Connor,but it made me cry at the end
August 12, 2015
****4,5 Shocking, amazing, dramatic stars****
There is so much I wanna say that I don't know where to start exactly but I'll just go with what I feel......
With each new book, this series blows me away; it gets more intense, shocking, intriguing and amazing as hell. Plus, the writing style is so live, gritty and engaging.
With each book I get more and more invested in the story and its characters.
Let's begin with a short talk about each character.....
Dante>>>>> It's not a secret anymore that Dante is a sex addict and has a sex appeal that would even make a nun loose her garb in a second and we all find him steaming hot and sexy as hell but shockingly, in this book, I saw a new side to him that made me feel protective of him, made my heart ache and cry. He's suffered his whole life, been through a lot. His kind of defense mechanism towards the calamities in his life is the most dangerous one of them all. Blocking everything like that, even if he can't remember, has an extreme double effects on a person on a subconscious level and that has a major contribution to the unstable mental state which Dante has reached over the years.
I was kinda upset that he didn't get his HEA in this book, but then I thought rushing things with Dante never been good. He should take his time to heal and find the right path and person. His last break down really broke my heart, Hope things change for the better for him in the next book.
Beth>>> Just the name makes my blood boils, she annoyed the hell out of me, with every turn of the page I wanted to bitch slap her, and lucky me her POV was too many for my liking. She was a manipulative, double standard, hypocritical bitch!! she pissed me off like no other character in a long time.
I hated her selfishness, her good girl act. She didn't really love Dante, she loved his love for her, loved to possess Someone so exquisite like him, she wanted to control and use him like everybody else around him.
But despite all of that, I still felt bad for what happened to her at the end.
Kara>>> There wasn't much of her in this book but even while am team kara, she really upset me for what she did to Dante, that was really unacceptable even if she didn't do it on purpose. I hope she calms the hell down and control herself a little more because I still think she is the right one for Dante but after both of them goes to a psychiatrist. :D
Saul>>>> Oh Saul, he was such a tormented soul, what happened to him really broke my heart, am so terrified and refuse to accept that dark future for him. Hope some extreme changes happen in his story.
I really love him and want to see him happy, he is such a good willed, kind and protective man who doesn't deserve what happened to him.
Corey&Sledge My favorite couple, Sledge was something else in this book, the changes in him was so surprising but welcomed and refreshing.
I really liked their scenes, they made me laugh and beam a lot but surprisingly and unfortunately I couldn't connect with Corey like the previous books, I connected with Sledge and sympathized with his case more than I've expected. Corey annoyed me; he was whiny and unconsidered sometimes.
Jade>>>> I have always has a soft spot for unrequited love, I'm so sad for him and wish he could move on and find someone who could appreciate his love and love him back.
L>>> Here comes ny favorite character; I absolutely fell in love with him/her, he/she was so sweet and selfless despite all what he/she has been through. He/She is the character who dominates my heart the most in this book. I want to know so much more about him/her. ohhh how I wish he/she finds true love, someone who loves him/her just the way he/she is.
Finally, I really enjoyed this book, loved the way the events turned out, even if some of them was hard but they were realistic.
The story was really gripping, gritty, intense, shocking and unexpected and that's exactly the way I love my read.
I'm so looking forward to the next book, hope it doesn't take long! ;)
There is so much I wanna say that I don't know where to start exactly but I'll just go with what I feel......
With each new book, this series blows me away; it gets more intense, shocking, intriguing and amazing as hell. Plus, the writing style is so live, gritty and engaging.
With each book I get more and more invested in the story and its characters.
Let's begin with a short talk about each character.....
Dante>>>>> It's not a secret anymore that Dante is a sex addict and has a sex appeal that would even make a nun loose her garb in a second and we all find him steaming hot and sexy as hell but shockingly, in this book, I saw a new side to him that made me feel protective of him, made my heart ache and cry. He's suffered his whole life, been through a lot. His kind of defense mechanism towards the calamities in his life is the most dangerous one of them all. Blocking everything like that, even if he can't remember, has an extreme double effects on a person on a subconscious level and that has a major contribution to the unstable mental state which Dante has reached over the years.
I was kinda upset that he didn't get his HEA in this book, but then I thought rushing things with Dante never been good. He should take his time to heal and find the right path and person. His last break down really broke my heart, Hope things change for the better for him in the next book.
Beth>>> Just the name makes my blood boils, she annoyed the hell out of me, with every turn of the page I wanted to bitch slap her, and lucky me her POV was too many for my liking. She was a manipulative, double standard, hypocritical bitch!! she pissed me off like no other character in a long time.
I hated her selfishness, her good girl act. She didn't really love Dante, she loved his love for her, loved to possess Someone so exquisite like him, she wanted to control and use him like everybody else around him.
But despite all of that, I still felt bad for what happened to her at the end.
Kara>>> There wasn't much of her in this book but even while am team kara, she really upset me for what she did to Dante, that was really unacceptable even if she didn't do it on purpose. I hope she calms the hell down and control herself a little more because I still think she is the right one for Dante but after both of them goes to a psychiatrist. :D
Saul>>>> Oh Saul, he was such a tormented soul, what happened to him really broke my heart, am so terrified and refuse to accept that dark future for him. Hope some extreme changes happen in his story.
I really love him and want to see him happy, he is such a good willed, kind and protective man who doesn't deserve what happened to him.
Corey&Sledge My favorite couple, Sledge was something else in this book, the changes in him was so surprising but welcomed and refreshing.
I really liked their scenes, they made me laugh and beam a lot but surprisingly and unfortunately I couldn't connect with Corey like the previous books, I connected with Sledge and sympathized with his case more than I've expected. Corey annoyed me; he was whiny and unconsidered sometimes.
Jade>>>> I have always has a soft spot for unrequited love, I'm so sad for him and wish he could move on and find someone who could appreciate his love and love him back.
L>>> Here comes ny favorite character; I absolutely fell in love with him/her, he/she was so sweet and selfless despite all what he/she has been through. He/She is the character who dominates my heart the most in this book. I want to know so much more about him/her. ohhh how I wish he/she finds true love, someone who loves him/her just the way he/she is.
Finally, I really enjoyed this book, loved the way the events turned out, even if some of them was hard but they were realistic.
The story was really gripping, gritty, intense, shocking and unexpected and that's exactly the way I love my read.
I'm so looking forward to the next book, hope it doesn't take long! ;)
August 11, 2015
I enjoy books with a twist but they have to have some semblance of logic to them & since reading the last one in the series,this latest offering has got to be my worst read of 2015.
It's repetitive all over the pages,just a series of whining & high pitched noise.Maybe I read it sober.It should come with a warning label 'Read only when high'.
It's repetitive all over the pages,just a series of whining & high pitched noise.Maybe I read it sober.It should come with a warning label 'Read only when high'.
October 31, 2015
Most disappointing installment of the series so far. This series has always been wildly over the top but fun. In this one, all the characters were just ultra annoying and the way the dialogue was written made them all sound whiny. I really enjoyed the last two books though, and I'll stick with the series just to see what happens with Corey and Sledge.
August 17, 2015
I'm not sure how I feel after reading this. I know that I did feel intense emotions. I hate................yes I said it..........hate Beth and Kara. Dante would do better walking away from both of them. And while I feel badly about where Beth was left off I can't forgive her for using Sledge's confusion against him for her own religious views. She is an unforgivable character and i'm not even sorry.
I worry about where we left Corey! He and Ant are unfinished and I'm confused that we didn't see any conflict from the "talk" Beth had with Sledge? Months passed and yeah tragedy happened but MONTHS PASSED!
I'll be honest. Corey and Sledge are the only two people i'm reading for anymore. I love those two adorable bastards and have to watch their story unfold! *curls around them both*
I worry about where we left Corey! He and Ant are unfinished and I'm confused that we didn't see any conflict from the "talk" Beth had with Sledge? Months passed and yeah tragedy happened but MONTHS PASSED!
I'll be honest. Corey and Sledge are the only two people i'm reading for anymore. I love those two adorable bastards and have to watch their story unfold! *curls around them both*
Want to read
August 6, 2013I'm fresh from reading Behind The Lens, literally just put it down and all I can say is I'm mad and excited as hell at the same time.
Kara, I'm coming for you bitch!
Kara, I'm coming for you bitch!
December 7, 2015
It's scary how easy Marita Hansen makes it to slip into her dark world set in South auckland, New Zealand! But it's so good! I eagerly devoured this instalment. Boy was I in for a shock - never saw Beth coming! More please!!!
January 31, 2021
Great book!
Also I have to say it, I hate Beth lol. Had from the moment she was mentioned. I even preferred Dante with Kara fully knowing she’s crazy and everything because at least she was mostly upfront and loyal (her insanity and intensity during her “covert mission” with Sledge in the last book funny). Her stuck up personality, hypocrisy and constantly skirting blame made me want to scream. I’m not saying I wanted her to get hit by a car and die, but I’m also not saying I was mad about it.
My heart hurt for Sledge the whole book though :( Thankfully he had Mrs. Connor who is the best person in the world as far as I’m concerned. The way she loves her children, is sweet and caring, took care of Sledge and stuck up for Corey to Beth???? I love her. And I can’t wait to hear her story. So far I’m obsessed with the sneak peek at the end for book 5 of Saul and Leilani’s story❤️
Also I have to say it, I hate Beth lol. Had from the moment she was mentioned. I even preferred Dante with Kara fully knowing she’s crazy and everything because at least she was mostly upfront and loyal (her insanity and intensity during her “covert mission” with Sledge in the last book funny). Her stuck up personality, hypocrisy and constantly skirting blame made me want to scream. I’m not saying I wanted her to get hit by a car and die, but I’m also not saying I was mad about it.
My heart hurt for Sledge the whole book though :( Thankfully he had Mrs. Connor who is the best person in the world as far as I’m concerned. The way she loves her children, is sweet and caring, took care of Sledge and stuck up for Corey to Beth???? I love her. And I can’t wait to hear her story. So far I’m obsessed with the sneak peek at the end for book 5 of Saul and Leilani’s story❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2018
This series has me completely hooked. So much drama. Love it.
December 30, 2015
3.5 stars. Unfortunately, this one is my least favorite of the series so far. Sledge and Corey are still my favorite couple right now. The whole Dante, Kara, Beth, Jade, L storyline & scenes were too over the top to me. Dante was just a mess and I couldn't stand Beth - I just don't understand her thought process and choices. I felt sorry for her in the last book, but she annoyed the crap out of me in this one
I'm not sure how I feel about the addition of L either. I'm interested to read more about Saul in the next book.
I'm not sure how I feel about the addition of L either. I'm interested to read more about Saul in the next book.
August 12, 2015
5 devastating stars.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews