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Secrets and Shadows
Retired Army Staff Sergeant Lee Winters is trying hard to adjust to civilian life. She was released from duty after a bomb in Ramadi injured her and killed her troops, the only people she ever considered her family. Living day-to-day with the knowledge that she was the only one left alive, she hits rock bottom, and an old army buddy persuades her into taking a bodyguard job.
Jolene West is injured in an attack meant to get her famous sister’s attention. She resents her sister Tory’s life and plans to move away once she’s healed. In the meantime, Tory has hired a bodyguard to protect Jolene from further attacks, which is just one more thing she resents. What she hadn’t planned on was an undeniable attraction to the woman protecting her body.
Both women will try to fight their growing attraction for each other until one of them gives in or dies.
Jolene West is injured in an attack meant to get her famous sister’s attention. She resents her sister Tory’s life and plans to move away once she’s healed. In the meantime, Tory has hired a bodyguard to protect Jolene from further attacks, which is just one more thing she resents. What she hadn’t planned on was an undeniable attraction to the woman protecting her body.
Both women will try to fight their growing attraction for each other until one of them gives in or dies.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 18, 2013
13 people are currently reading
203 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
June 27, 2017
Enjoyable read! a nice relaxing love story,good chemistry between the leads and good storytelling..recommended
August 14, 2017
3 STARS.
I considered giving it 4 stars but Toby's decisions were such a turnoff I had to give it the rating I did.
A quick read. Lee was a great character. She is ex- military who returned home from the war, too injured to continue both physically and mentally with PTSD. Some reviewers didn't like Jolene. I can understand but she didn't bother me as much as her twin, Toby. Jo was just starting to separate herself her rock star twin. She had been living under Toby's shadow since they were young. Toby's stalker throws a wrench into her plans. But as a consequence, she meets Lee who was hired as her bodyguard.
I considered giving it 4 stars but Toby's decisions were such a turnoff I had to give it the rating I did.
A quick read. Lee was a great character. She is ex- military who returned home from the war, too injured to continue both physically and mentally with PTSD. Some reviewers didn't like Jolene. I can understand but she didn't bother me as much as her twin, Toby. Jo was just starting to separate herself her rock star twin. She had been living under Toby's shadow since they were young. Toby's stalker throws a wrench into her plans. But as a consequence, she meets Lee who was hired as her bodyguard.
June 29, 2024
A good yarn that kept me entertained whilst I waited for a builder who never turned up! Recommended. Stands up for 2nd read.
March 13, 2021
Eh. It wasn't that believable as far as the love story...
December 4, 2015
I liked this story but I think it was too predictable even in the land of romance which is kind of predictable by default.
October 25, 2020
Before anything else, I just want to say that I really believe this book had a lot of potential but the execution was just lacking and I felt like there was something weird about the flow of the story. The book, for me, focused too much on the drama that it kind of lost its way.
The book starts with the main character, Lee Winters, a retired Army Staff Sergeant, trying to end her life. Before she could jump off the building, she gets a call from one of her oldest friends who served with her during the war with a job proposal that would have her become Jolene West’s bodyguard.
I had a bit of a hard time writing a review for this book because there were just so many things going through my head that I didn’t know how to start so I’m just going to write what I thought about certain plot points that really disappointed me.
The 4 plot points I want to talk about are:
* The “romance” between Lee and Jo
* The sisters’ issues
* The stalker problem
* Lee’s PTSD
Honestly, I would’ve been ok with this book if the romance was done right but unfortunately, I feel that none of those plot points really hit the mark.
The “romance” between Lee and Jo
I usually like the whole bodyguard, protector-protectee dynamic which was one of the reasons I picked this book up but the chemistry just wasn’t there and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Jo didn’t want a bodyguard so she was all snippy when Lee was introduced to her which was kind of cute at first but then as the story progressed I started to really dislike Jo and the romance just wasn’t developed properly.
One moment Jo didn't want Lee to be there then after a couple of chapters she suddenly wants Lee to see her as more than just a job. It doesn't make sense because I wasn’t shown how they got to that point. I was only TOLD that they spent time together and started developing feelings.
I feel like there weren’t enough interaction between the characters to make the romance believable. I’m not against instalove/instalust but it just didn’t work here. I honestly didn’t understand why they liked each other and when and how the romance blossomed. The frustrating thing is, I feel like rearranging certain events in the book would’ve at least made the romance a bit believable.
The push and pull was also very frustrating. Jo wanted Lee to see her as more than a job but Lee was afraid to be with her because of her PTSD. They only started talking about the real issue a couple of pages before the book ended. The PTSD needs its own point because that was just…wow.
The sisters’ issues
This was another frustrating plot point of the story which made me dislike Jo almost immediately.
So, Jo and Tori are twins and Tori is part of this crazy famous band. Their relationship is very strained due to events that happened during their parents’ passing. Jo also feels unappreciated and that all of her life she’s just walking behind Tori’s shadow, that no one will ever love her for her.
Jo acts as the band’s manager AND Tori’s body double. When Tori is overbooked, Jo disguises herself as Tori and attends events as her which caused her getting injured because of the whole stalker issue. I could talk about this whole “pretend to be Tori” thing but this review is already running long.
At one point I thought the Tori was actually the good misunderstood sister. The book proved me wrong. They're just both very selfish people.
My problem is just when I thought they were getting through to each other and in the process of repairing their relationship something triggers Jo and instead of talking about it they’re back to zero. I feel like Tori really does care for her sister but Jo keeps on seeing it as Tori trying to control her.
The stalker problem
The big reveal was kind of anti-climactic but that wasn’t nearly as problematic as how the characters in the book approached the entire stalker situation. The decisions made by the characters in the book just didn’t make any sense.
There’s this crazy stalker that’s written an obsessive amount of letter to Tori. The stalker already caused Jo harm but they never called the police because they didn’t want any hubbub to get out about the band. Tori also wanted to continue her tour and book signing even though she knew she’s putting herself and other people in danger.
Don’t even get me started with Jo. I was really frustrated with her. Lee and her sister just wanted to keep her safe and she thinks that being forced to stay at her sister's home with her bodyguards and Lee is restricting her. Did I mention that she was already injured because the stalker crashed her car while she was pretending to be Tori? She can’t even walk properly and she complains about being forced to stay put.
The kicker was when Jo met up with her friend and was whining about how her sister is ruining her life and wouldn’t let her out, and her friend was like, "that's not fair you should do what you want to do!" I don’t understand because at this point she couldn’t even walk without assistance. She had a concussion and broke her ribs and ankle. To top it all off, she’s already been targeted by the stalker. Just…WHY??? Why would you encourage your friend to go out? Wouldn’t you want her safe with her sister and her bodyguards instead?
I don’t understand why Jo’s being so difficult about it. Tori and Lee are just trying to keep her safe and it’s not like she could just walk away…on her own without falling over.
Jo is probably the type of person who would be walking around during the epidemic without wearing a mask.
Basically, both sisters are just plain selfish. They know their lives are in danger but they just didn’t want to deal with this threat.
Lee’s PTSD
One of the reasons why Lee didn’t want to start a relationship with Tori was because of her PTSD. She’s afraid of potentially causing physical harm to Jo due to her outbursts. The issue I had was that the PTSD issue felt like it was brushed aside and brought up when the situation calls for it. It was like an afterthought. It felt like it was just a plot device preventing the characters to be together which was really frustrating.
Instead of Jo helping Lee through her ailment, I feel like the author went with the “love fixes everything” resolution…If you can even call it that. Lee even talked about her PTSD during the last couple of pages in the book and even then there was still this weird push and pull that made me want to pull my hair out.
There was also this part of the book that really ruffled my feathers, I’m going to put a spoiler tag just in case you might want to read this book and see for yourself….
I really wanted to like this book. I felt like the book had potential. I'm a big fan of the whole bodyguard dynamic which was one of the reasons I picked this up but it just didn’t do it for me.
The book starts with the main character, Lee Winters, a retired Army Staff Sergeant, trying to end her life. Before she could jump off the building, she gets a call from one of her oldest friends who served with her during the war with a job proposal that would have her become Jolene West’s bodyguard.
I had a bit of a hard time writing a review for this book because there were just so many things going through my head that I didn’t know how to start so I’m just going to write what I thought about certain plot points that really disappointed me.
The 4 plot points I want to talk about are:
* The “romance” between Lee and Jo
* The sisters’ issues
* The stalker problem
* Lee’s PTSD
Honestly, I would’ve been ok with this book if the romance was done right but unfortunately, I feel that none of those plot points really hit the mark.
The “romance” between Lee and Jo
I usually like the whole bodyguard, protector-protectee dynamic which was one of the reasons I picked this book up but the chemistry just wasn’t there and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Jo didn’t want a bodyguard so she was all snippy when Lee was introduced to her which was kind of cute at first but then as the story progressed I started to really dislike Jo and the romance just wasn’t developed properly.
One moment Jo didn't want Lee to be there then after a couple of chapters she suddenly wants Lee to see her as more than just a job. It doesn't make sense because I wasn’t shown how they got to that point. I was only TOLD that they spent time together and started developing feelings.
I feel like there weren’t enough interaction between the characters to make the romance believable. I’m not against instalove/instalust but it just didn’t work here. I honestly didn’t understand why they liked each other and when and how the romance blossomed. The frustrating thing is, I feel like rearranging certain events in the book would’ve at least made the romance a bit believable.
The push and pull was also very frustrating. Jo wanted Lee to see her as more than a job but Lee was afraid to be with her because of her PTSD. They only started talking about the real issue a couple of pages before the book ended. The PTSD needs its own point because that was just…wow.
The sisters’ issues
This was another frustrating plot point of the story which made me dislike Jo almost immediately.
So, Jo and Tori are twins and Tori is part of this crazy famous band. Their relationship is very strained due to events that happened during their parents’ passing. Jo also feels unappreciated and that all of her life she’s just walking behind Tori’s shadow, that no one will ever love her for her.
Jo acts as the band’s manager AND Tori’s body double. When Tori is overbooked, Jo disguises herself as Tori and attends events as her which caused her getting injured because of the whole stalker issue. I could talk about this whole “pretend to be Tori” thing but this review is already running long.
At one point I thought the Tori was actually the good misunderstood sister. The book proved me wrong. They're just both very selfish people.
My problem is just when I thought they were getting through to each other and in the process of repairing their relationship something triggers Jo and instead of talking about it they’re back to zero. I feel like Tori really does care for her sister but Jo keeps on seeing it as Tori trying to control her.
The stalker problem
The big reveal was kind of anti-climactic but that wasn’t nearly as problematic as how the characters in the book approached the entire stalker situation. The decisions made by the characters in the book just didn’t make any sense.
There’s this crazy stalker that’s written an obsessive amount of letter to Tori. The stalker already caused Jo harm but they never called the police because they didn’t want any hubbub to get out about the band. Tori also wanted to continue her tour and book signing even though she knew she’s putting herself and other people in danger.
Don’t even get me started with Jo. I was really frustrated with her. Lee and her sister just wanted to keep her safe and she thinks that being forced to stay at her sister's home with her bodyguards and Lee is restricting her. Did I mention that she was already injured because the stalker crashed her car while she was pretending to be Tori? She can’t even walk properly and she complains about being forced to stay put.
The kicker was when Jo met up with her friend and was whining about how her sister is ruining her life and wouldn’t let her out, and her friend was like, "that's not fair you should do what you want to do!" I don’t understand because at this point she couldn’t even walk without assistance. She had a concussion and broke her ribs and ankle. To top it all off, she’s already been targeted by the stalker. Just…WHY??? Why would you encourage your friend to go out? Wouldn’t you want her safe with her sister and her bodyguards instead?
I don’t understand why Jo’s being so difficult about it. Tori and Lee are just trying to keep her safe and it’s not like she could just walk away…on her own without falling over.
Jo is probably the type of person who would be walking around during the epidemic without wearing a mask.
Basically, both sisters are just plain selfish. They know their lives are in danger but they just didn’t want to deal with this threat.
Lee’s PTSD
One of the reasons why Lee didn’t want to start a relationship with Tori was because of her PTSD. She’s afraid of potentially causing physical harm to Jo due to her outbursts. The issue I had was that the PTSD issue felt like it was brushed aside and brought up when the situation calls for it. It was like an afterthought. It felt like it was just a plot device preventing the characters to be together which was really frustrating.
Instead of Jo helping Lee through her ailment, I feel like the author went with the “love fixes everything” resolution…If you can even call it that. Lee even talked about her PTSD during the last couple of pages in the book and even then there was still this weird push and pull that made me want to pull my hair out.
There was also this part of the book that really ruffled my feathers, I’m going to put a spoiler tag just in case you might want to read this book and see for yourself….
I really wanted to like this book. I felt like the book had potential. I'm a big fan of the whole bodyguard dynamic which was one of the reasons I picked this up but it just didn’t do it for me.
January 13, 2020
I rather enjoy reading bodyguard stories, I think it's the whole "knight in shining armor" rescuing the girl in distress. And usually it's the big, strong butch saving the day, which I love! These types of stories will never grow old for me. The saviour in this story, Lee, honorably discharged soldier suffering from PTSD, stepped up and stepped in to keep Jo safe from harm from a deranged psycho trying to kill her twin, famous sister, Tory. Lee was physically a dream but mentally and emotionally she was a wreck. She did her job well just so long as she kept Jo at arms length and her emotions at bay.
The story was good, however, I found the build-up to the bad guy finally making his grave move was lacking. As for the build-up towards Lee and Jo coming together was great but the final "climax" was less than for me. All in all, entertaining read. I will also be adding another butch to my list ;)
The story was good, however, I found the build-up to the bad guy finally making his grave move was lacking. As for the build-up towards Lee and Jo coming together was great but the final "climax" was less than for me. All in all, entertaining read. I will also be adding another butch to my list ;)
June 19, 2013
The character of Jolene really pulled me out of this book. I found it impossible to see what Lee saw in the woman - most of her actions were either immature, stupid, careless or rude. Unfortunately, this seems to be the case in most bodyguard/client romances - it would be good to read one where the tension doesn't come from the client's stupidity.
The action was nice, but the romance was unbelievable to me. After most of her actions in the book, I wouldn't touch Jo with a ten-foot pole, let alone date her.
August 29, 2015
Good description of PTSD -- one of the few books where the obstacle to them being together was actually legitimate and made sense. Too bad it was one of those stories where the main characters could be straight without changing anything other than the pronouns. A quick easy read
July 14, 2022
Not a bad book, but not a very good one, either. I wasn't sold into the romance and, to be honest, I didn't like Jo. Lee and Jo spend really little time together, and most of that time they are at cross purposes.
Jo's issues with her sister took a lot of space and make me dislike both sisters. And the whole stalker thing felt underplayed and underdeveloped.
A lot of potential that, sadly, went to waste :/
Jo's issues with her sister took a lot of space and make me dislike both sisters. And the whole stalker thing felt underplayed and underdeveloped.
A lot of potential that, sadly, went to waste :/
September 1, 2020
I love a good broken soul healed by love story but there was way too much military adoration. To me, it was distracting and forced far too many eye-rolls.
April 11, 2020
Would've given it 4 stars but 65% into the book I started disliking the actions of Jolene (Jo). It felt like she went out of her way to make Lee jealous it was almost unforgivable, sure they weren't dating but they had moments before kissed and Jo was begging for a dance.
I sometimes couldn't understand Lee's reasons for being fascinated with Jo other than her beauty, because while her personality wasn't plain it wasn't a walk in the park either, Jo made irrational decisions and acted childish. Though I didn't like her sister Torrie I felt like I could relate and understand her more.
The good
Lee's character suffers from PTSD from being in the army and her trauma feels very well researched.
The blending of both genres (romance and mystery) was done stupendously.
There were a ton of action scenes (great)
Where it went bad
Still around chapter 14 the story started to frustrate me. Lee and Jo's relationship became the main focus and I just wasn't into them as a couple anymore due to how Jo treated Lee. (sometimes trying to push her buttons which would sometimes trigger her PTSD) And the reveal of the villain felt unearned and formulaic. The guy is revealed to also have PTSD and be a narcissist who explains his entire backstory to Lee because things wouldn't make sense if they weren't explained. His motivation also felt very cliche. The stalker wanted revenge so he made it his life's mission to stalk Torrie because of his relation to somebody he knows and dislikes.
I sometimes couldn't understand Lee's reasons for being fascinated with Jo other than her beauty, because while her personality wasn't plain it wasn't a walk in the park either, Jo made irrational decisions and acted childish. Though I didn't like her sister Torrie I felt like I could relate and understand her more.
The good
Lee's character suffers from PTSD from being in the army and her trauma feels very well researched.
The blending of both genres (romance and mystery) was done stupendously.
There were a ton of action scenes (great)
Where it went bad
Still around chapter 14 the story started to frustrate me. Lee and Jo's relationship became the main focus and I just wasn't into them as a couple anymore due to how Jo treated Lee. (sometimes trying to push her buttons which would sometimes trigger her PTSD) And the reveal of the villain felt unearned and formulaic. The guy is revealed to also have PTSD and be a narcissist who explains his entire backstory to Lee because things wouldn't make sense if they weren't explained. His motivation also felt very cliche. The stalker wanted revenge so he made it his life's mission to stalk Torrie because of his relation to somebody he knows and dislikes.
November 26, 2013
How does a nearly internally defeated ex-soldier on the brink of self-annihilation take on a demanding job guarding a prickly twin? Personal feelings with a highly volatile sexual component creep in and make it damn hard to function when functioning is needed since it underscores her job definition. Additionally, the prickly twin is bowled over with rapidly escalating passionate feelings after wishing her bodyguard would simply evaporate. Ain’t life grand!
Lee Winters is a US Army staff sergeant whose injuries forced her retirement and kept her from being the first female elite ranger. She is a phantom of her former self and potentially on the edge of losing the battle to live. Life intervenes and with it comes an unexpected wrinkle in the form of a heated and growing passion for the person Lee is supposed to protect as a bodyguard. Lee is torn in multiple directions, but she will protect Jo with her life, especially from her dark side.
Jolene West is the identical twin of the lead singer for the internationally famous group called ‘Total Femme’. There is a really ugly pesky stalker whose actions are escalating super rapidly over his total preoccupation with Jolene’s twin sister, lead singer Tory. The dynamics linking twins is very tricky where their near-psychic connection can turn the tide of their affections completely topsy-turvy. Jo is not pleased with having a personal bodyguard assigned to her because of the pesky stalker situation, but she does shift from prickly to sexually titillated to even more intense emotions. I loved riding the ups and downs of this relationship that was forced to develop within a pressure cooker.
This story and the internal relationship between Lee and Jo was quite fascinating and enjoyable as it bounced back and forth, up and down, and in and out of danger. The stalker person was one scary dude with hidden secrets that surprised the adorable sergeant and me. I have a soft spot for military folks active or retired. Unless these women and men give you the willies, this story is a worthwhile read.
NOTE: This book was provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Lee Winters is a US Army staff sergeant whose injuries forced her retirement and kept her from being the first female elite ranger. She is a phantom of her former self and potentially on the edge of losing the battle to live. Life intervenes and with it comes an unexpected wrinkle in the form of a heated and growing passion for the person Lee is supposed to protect as a bodyguard. Lee is torn in multiple directions, but she will protect Jo with her life, especially from her dark side.
Jolene West is the identical twin of the lead singer for the internationally famous group called ‘Total Femme’. There is a really ugly pesky stalker whose actions are escalating super rapidly over his total preoccupation with Jolene’s twin sister, lead singer Tory. The dynamics linking twins is very tricky where their near-psychic connection can turn the tide of their affections completely topsy-turvy. Jo is not pleased with having a personal bodyguard assigned to her because of the pesky stalker situation, but she does shift from prickly to sexually titillated to even more intense emotions. I loved riding the ups and downs of this relationship that was forced to develop within a pressure cooker.
This story and the internal relationship between Lee and Jo was quite fascinating and enjoyable as it bounced back and forth, up and down, and in and out of danger. The stalker person was one scary dude with hidden secrets that surprised the adorable sergeant and me. I have a soft spot for military folks active or retired. Unless these women and men give you the willies, this story is a worthwhile read.
NOTE: This book was provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
February 11, 2015
A little suspense, a little drama, and a sweet love story.
July 10, 2017
3.5
So, I usually stay away from books that have to do with psychological trauma of any kind. I like my fluff (and stuff) to distract me. I surprised myself by actually reading this.
With that being said, I'll jump right in.
The romance was... ok. Come on... tall, dark and handsome is every woman's fantasy. I don't know if it's encoded into our DNA or what, but it's true. At least I know it could be my kryptonite if I bumped into the right one. Needless to say, it was lust at first sight. Nothing new.
The villain, was truly a villain. Perhaps I've been watching way too many DC productions (superheros), but it's true. I don't make light of his instability though, and he honestly was a great villain. I didn't expect so much information on obsession and someone unhinged. I was impressed because not a lot of books have such detail. You have a hero, you have a villain, and that's about it.
I liked the realistic information it provided alongside the story. The action was nice, and it was a nice read. Wish the romance felt deeper, or more real. Just felt like something was missing in regards to their romantic "connection".
Sorry for ranting, and for any typos.
So, I usually stay away from books that have to do with psychological trauma of any kind. I like my fluff (and stuff) to distract me. I surprised myself by actually reading this.
With that being said, I'll jump right in.
The romance was... ok. Come on... tall, dark and handsome is every woman's fantasy. I don't know if it's encoded into our DNA or what, but it's true. At least I know it could be my kryptonite if I bumped into the right one. Needless to say, it was lust at first sight. Nothing new.
The villain, was truly a villain. Perhaps I've been watching way too many DC productions (superheros), but it's true. I don't make light of his instability though, and he honestly was a great villain. I didn't expect so much information on obsession and someone unhinged. I was impressed because not a lot of books have such detail. You have a hero, you have a villain, and that's about it.
I liked the realistic information it provided alongside the story. The action was nice, and it was a nice read. Wish the romance felt deeper, or more real. Just felt like something was missing in regards to their romantic "connection".
Sorry for ranting, and for any typos.
Read
July 15, 2019I listened to the first hour of this but it didn't grab me, and the other reviews said that it was not unlike a het romance.
I honestly wouldn't have started listening to this if I had read the description ahead of time -- bodyguard romances aren't my thing -- but I thought this was a f/f vampire romance I had wanted to read. Given the title and the cover, you can see why I thought that, right?
The narrator was decent and I had high hopes until the "secret" that Jo (Jolene) had was not that of a vampiric nature, but that she was a lesbian.
I was done at that point -- not because it was a bad story, but because it's not a trope I like, and I didn't really connect with the characters, and because it had no genre (sf/fantasy/historical) elements to it.
Note: I don't rate books that I stop reading because it's a mismatch between reader and author, as I don't feel it's fair to the book.
I honestly wouldn't have started listening to this if I had read the description ahead of time -- bodyguard romances aren't my thing -- but I thought this was a f/f vampire romance I had wanted to read. Given the title and the cover, you can see why I thought that, right?
The narrator was decent and I had high hopes until the "secret" that Jo (Jolene) had was not that of a vampiric nature, but that she was a lesbian.
I was done at that point -- not because it was a bad story, but because it's not a trope I like, and I didn't really connect with the characters, and because it had no genre (sf/fantasy/historical) elements to it.
Note: I don't rate books that I stop reading because it's a mismatch between reader and author, as I don't feel it's fair to the book.
September 26, 2024
It's a very slow burning book, with lot's of angst. If you can read it up to the end, it's rewarding.
I quite like bodyguards stories and here is a good reason to hire a bodyguard. I took away a star from the rating, b/c of two reasons. Lee's PTSD was painted in the first chapters, that it causes her sever problems, leading in with her suicidal start n the story, but also some aggressiveness in the backstory. I was awaiting something similar heavy during the story. It made me think that she's not going to be a good bodyguard.
The other reason was the reasoning why the police shall not be involved or how long did it take the threat seriously. It was - at least for me - beyond logic. I guess the story needed some time for the feelings to grow.
Bug plus for the way the villain was shown and the reasoning behind their action.
I quite like bodyguards stories and here is a good reason to hire a bodyguard. I took away a star from the rating, b/c of two reasons. Lee's PTSD was painted in the first chapters, that it causes her sever problems, leading in with her suicidal start n the story, but also some aggressiveness in the backstory. I was awaiting something similar heavy during the story. It made me think that she's not going to be a good bodyguard.
The other reason was the reasoning why the police shall not be involved or how long did it take the threat seriously. It was - at least for me - beyond logic. I guess the story needed some time for the feelings to grow.
Bug plus for the way the villain was shown and the reasoning behind their action.
June 22, 2019
Secrets & Shadows is a good suspense novel that doesn't cross the line into being overly dramatic. I enjoyed the character Lee Winters. She comes with serious baggage, but still manages to be a good bodyguard. Jolene's reticence toward having a "shadow" is understandable and believable, but her sister, Tory, who actually hired Lee, doesn't want to listen to Lee's advice on keeping Jo safe. To me, that doesn't make sense, and Tory is obviously an idiot. The action in the book is well-paced, and the bad guy isn't super obvious (only a little obvious). I would read more by this author.
The narrator did a good job of differentiating character tones.
The narrator did a good job of differentiating character tones.
November 10, 2020
Good read, interesting storyline, nice characters. Loved the twin factor and happy that Lee and Jo found each other when they both needed it most. I'm also glad the goth Gary and Tory are re-approaching what they had lost or better said, walked away from. PTSD is serious and dealing with it is a big challenge all in its self and why its so important to find someone that can help with everything that comes with that. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, one just has to be open to see it.
April 1, 2021
First book I have ready by this author and I wasn't able to put it down. the characters are alive and she addresses battle fatigue and all it's downsides well. Does love always put broken soldiers back together, fortunately it does for many of us... but it is still only one day at a time.
February 2, 2019
It was a good book. Very captivating. And slow-burn.. T_T
July 15, 2020
Definitely a guilty pleasure read but I thought it was a sweet story and I enjoyed the read.
May 6, 2021
Did ring true.
April 24, 2021
Very good. I enjoyed the writing and narration.
March 10, 2017
Ex army soldier (Lee) suffering from PTSD becomes a bodyguard and falls in love but doesn't think she is worthy. The sister (Jo) of a celebrity just wants to be seen as an individual and loved. Then throw in a stupid stalker storyline that they didn't need because it made the characters seem clueless in the way they handled it and why. I liked the way Jo was able to really see how hurt and broken Lee is and still fall in love and not think she had to fix her or even could. Also said and done it was ok.
June 16, 2016
idk it was a typical bodyguard romance with more sensitivity about PTSD. but it was so typical that the pronouns could be flipped and have one paragraph say cock instead of clit and BOOM we got us a hetero romance. Not to say I wouldn't read this author again, I just had the puppy head tilt going throughout the story.
September 3, 2015
I couldn't finish this book. I tried to, but stopped in the middle. I couldn't push myself to get interested in the story or the characters. I'll try to finish it someday, but there are a lot of other "better" books out there.
November 29, 2015
2013 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
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