Brutal Secret

Brutal Billionaires #2

by Laurelin Paige

It was supposed to be one night. Now he's obsessed. When my one-night-stand turns into an all-time-fail, I vow not to tell anyone about the much older hottie who walked out on me mid-deed. (On my twenty-first birthday, no less.) Too bad I bump into my almost lover at my mother’s wedding a few months later. That's when I discover he’s none other than Reid Sebastian—my new step cousin and the billionaire son of my step-dad’s rival. Which means he’s my rival, too, obviously. While I thought he was cruel before, he's become obsessed with torturing me. And because we're family, he's always around. Now we're playing a brutal game that neither of us can possibly win. But I have a secret—the more we play the more I want him. Even if it means we both lose everything. Brutal Secret is a complete standalone forbidden, age-gap, forced proximity romance set in an intriguing world of billionaires, power, and scandal. While it is recommended to read Brutal Billionaire first for best reading experience, it isn’t necessary to thoroughly enjoy the story.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Forced Proximity, Enemies To Lovers, Billionaire Romance, Forbidden Romance

438 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2023

About the author

Laurelin Paige is the NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling Author of the international sensation, The Fixed Trilogy. She's also written other popular books in the Fixed Universe as well as the Dirty Universe and has cowritten with both Kayti McGee and Sierra Simone.
Are you looking for a romantic comedy or something hot and angsty? Here's Laurelin's list of books broken down by trope and reading order.
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Reviews

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

I need to know now, Emmalina, if any of this is going to be a problem or if you’re going to stop teasing me and let me peel you out of this skirt so I can drive these curves with my tongue.”

Well then! This was nothing what I expected and everything I didn't know I needed.

Confession time, I am not a big fan of virgin heroines. And stop looking at me like that, ok, I'm just not. Mainly because most of the time they're naive, sheltered, pushovers and I am not here for it. But it took all of one chapter to make a liar out of me because I absolutely loved the h3ll out of Lina. This girl is sass personified. She goes to the bar with her friend determined to finally punch her v-card and get it over it. When a sexy bartender catches her eye, opportunity awaits. But when they get to his hotel and halfway close to the deed, he realizes she's a virgin and sends her packing. Only to learn the next time that he sees her that she's his new step-cousin. Plot twist!

Reid Sebastian is the definition of a manwhore. Commitment issues? He's got them. But when the man lays his eyes on Lina again, he's obsession personified. He wants her desperately but is also determined to stay away from her considering their family feud with his father and Lina's new step father. Reid's reputation also precedes him. But forced proximity is also working against him and when he's forced to be near Lina, there's only so much fight a man can have.

This was a different vibe then I'm used to from Laurelin. It was more lighthearted, sexy and sassy. Lina is quirkiness personified and I loved how she gave as good as she got with Reid. I also love that there's none of the typical third act breakup and no unnecessary drama. I'm seriously obsessed with this series and can't get enough. If you're looking for a fun and sexy read with an obsessed hero and a quirky, sassy, curvy heroine, look no further!



ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

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[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m sorry. I tried. I really did. I love Laurelin Paige but this book is horrendous. Lina is the most annoying fmc I think I have ever read. She’s 21 and acts like she’s 15. I truly cannot understand why authors write their female characters as complete disasters of human beings. Why is it in vogue to have no filter, be completely unable to string two sentences together, and otherwise generally behave like a toddler?? And of course she’s a virgin. Why not? Just make the book as stereotypically annoying as possible. I skimmed 50% then asked myself why I was torturing myself with this Meghan Quinn like garbage and gave up. So disappointing from an author I genuinely love.

[Wobilba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forbidden age gap romance? YES sign me up!!!
And definitely signed up I did. This was so much different from anything I have read from this author and I loved every minute of it. Emmalina and Reid have my whole heart, not even kidding and Lina definitely is my favourite heroine from Ms Paige.

[elle · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 68%

i have no idea what to say about this steaming pile of shit. i haven’t read a book with such intensely unlikable main characters in a very long time (if ever).

the MMC- emotionally stunted f!ckboy. is this a new type of character? no. you know what WAS new? how MEAN he was to the FMC. he was cruel, condescending, and cold. he planned to have sex with the FMC’s aunt and even told the FMC what he intended to do. he kissed another woman in front of the FMC. he was truly just an all around asshole. at 68% in, i couldn’t tell you a single kind thing he did for the FMC (other than make her a sandwich).

and speaking of the FMC- bumbling dummies are not cute. there’s no reason that someone has to be a naive fool just because they’re a virgin, but alas- this author did not get the memo. it’s hard to put into words how dumb this FMC is. she talked to herself out loud despite getting caught saying embarrassing things MULTIPLE TIMES. she let the MMC treat her like dirt and never held him accountable. the problem was that she was just so DESPERATELY, INESCAPABLY h!rny that she was fine with allowing the MMC to be horrible to her as long as she got an orgasm out of it. it would have been one thing if she did that just to use the MMC for sex (i support women’s wrongs 🫡), but she actually did it because SHE IMMEDIATELY FELT A “SOUL DEEP” CONNECTION WITH THE MMC 🤢 the FMC gave several lengthy speeches about how she could have sex without getting feelings involved and then did the exact opposite of what she assured the MMC she was capable of doing.

the final straw for me was the FMC having sex with the MMC after he got jealous watching her dance with another man (this is also when the MMC kissed another woman in front of the FMC). in a jealous rage, he locked the FMC in his office and repeatedly berated her for dancing with another man… after KISSING SOMEONE ELSE. i told myself that if the FMC had sex with him that i was going to stop putting myself though the misery of this book, and surprise, surprise- she did. definitely not sorry to DNF this one 👋🏼

[MELISSA *Mel Reader* · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!
(ARC provided by author)

Emmalina Quinn lives in Brooklyn, New York. She’s single and ready to have some excitement in her life. While out celebrating her twenty first birthday she meets an older, sexy stranger. She’s hoping for an unforgettable evening, but suddenly her hot one night stand takes a detour as she finds herself alone. She assumes she’ll never see her mystery man again, but is stunned to run into him at her mother’s wedding a few months later. After a whirlwind romance her mother marries into the extremely wealthy, powerful Sebastian family that are practically American royalty. When she realizes the man she hasn’t been able to quit thinking about is her step cousin and the son of her new stepfather’s rival things turn complicated. Reid Sebastian is now completely off limits, but the problem is lately he’s everywhere she turns. Thoughts of his touch are all coming, and trying to avoid their undeniable attraction isn’t working. Will they be able to resist their intense connection, or will they risk it all for love?

Brutal Secret (Brutal Billionaires #2) by Laurelin Paige is a standalone, billionaire, age gap, forced proximity, forbidden romance full of family rivals, angst, secrets, scandal, amazing chemistry and beautiful love. I really enjoyed this book and these characters, and can’t get enough of the Sebastian’s and this world. I can’t wait for more and am looking forward to Alex’s book! <333



***NOW AVAILABLE***
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGW8DXS5?...

[Inessa_Akin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tropes:

~ Age gap

~ forbidden romance

~ forced proximity

~ billionaire

~ Curvy FMC

~ no third act breakup

~ dual pov


First off! Thank you Valentine pr for an early copy of this!!

I absolutely ate this up in one sitting, it was so interesting and had me flipping pages, unable to do anything until I finished it, The forbidden aspect of it had me hooked, the tension and heat had me GRINNING, I absolutely loved it.

they meet at a bar and instantly have a connection, she’s all rambling nerves, to his smirks and confidence, they end up going back to his hotel room, but the night doesn’t end up being what both of them expected (or much less wanted)

Months go by and she thinks she’s truly never going to see the man who made her birthday night crappy, but there he stands—at her mothers wedding, as none other then her new step cousin, a man she shouldn’t still want, much less be with.

Tension unfolds as time passes, no matter how hard the two try and keep reminding themselves they can’t be together, they always end up locking eyes, ending up at the same places, and unable to stay away.

I loved the tension, and the obsession he has with her! Loved it.

What I hated was the girl that kissed him 64% into the book…not into that kinda stuff, it’s not cheating since he didn’t “kiss her back” but he let her kiss him, and even though the fmc and him weren’t actually together, that moment did make this go from a 5 star to a 4😭 I truly hate OWD in any capacity

Now If that kinda stuff doesn’t bother you, this will be an EASY 5 star read for you!

I loved the age gap and forbidden aspect, and If you do to, definitely go and read this when it comes out!!

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

*audiobook

The moment I knew this wasn't going to be rated more than 1 star:

"Don’t ever call yourself fat again, Lina. You're perfect."

*rolls my eyes so hard they get stuck*

Also, these 2 have negative 10 chemistry.

[Chay Charita Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s always a first time for everything, right?

I have fallen for every single male character that Laurelin Paige, one of my favorite authors, has written, but this is the first time an author has made me fall for a female character. Really, ever!

Without a doubt, I love Emmalina, Lina Quinn!!
She’s realistically quirky, honest, empathetic, funny, honest to a fault, and absolutely adorable! I couldn’t help it and as the story progresses neither can Reid Sebastian.

Reid is a self proclaimed love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of guy. No commitments. That is until he can’t help himself with Lina.

I giggled, outright laughed out loud and thoroughly enjoyed reading and relating to Lina and her personable personality as I have someone so very much like her in my life.

I absolutely loved their story and it is undoubtedly one of my favorites of 2023!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as angsty as the last standalone, but I still absolutely enjoyed every minute of this audiobook and this twisted family.

The couple was my favorite part. I loved that they just couldn’t stay away from each other even when they knew they should. They had fun together, and I loved most of all how the story concluded. I don’t want to give spoilers so I will leave it at that.

If you love he falls first, forbidden, billionaire heroes, you will enjoy this one. And audiobook lovers, it was a great listen!

[glavreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was really fun. it's forbidden, age gap, she marries into his family but now they're on opposite ends of the family feud.

i loved reid's progression from thinking he should stay away to then treating her how he wanted to the whole time and giving in.

-1ish stars because she was a naive, annoying fmc. it worked in this story but not my favorite to read.

[Shyralf · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars! Age gap, this book was perfection! A definite chefs kiss 😘

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was not what I was expecting! I loved Reid and Lina and their story.

So full disclosure, I thought that when I started reading this book that it would be like all of the other books in this troupe but I will admit that I was sorely mistaken. In what started out as a chance encounter that later turned into an enemy to lovers wrapped in a forbidden and secret relationship made what sounds like a jumble of story lines turn into an amazing read. Seriously, I was skeptical with all of that going on.

So let's talk about the characters - this is where i should also mention that this is also an age gap read as well since Reid is 12 years older than Lina in this story. The age issue was a thing at the beginning of their story when we the pair first started since Lina was a virgin - Opps another thing that I failed to mention when listing the laundry list of troupes that were covered above. Back to these characters - Reid, night club owner, pawn to his father, heir of the Sebastian empire and alpha playboy meets Lina at his club to then start what was supposed to be a one night stand that turned into more over time.

Lina - like mentioned before is looking to rid herself of her V card meets Reid and agrees to the one night but things happen that you dear reader will find out about to then meet him at her mother's wedding where she learns that he is her step cousin - did I fail to mention the family angle when listing troupes?? - Sorry/Not sorry there were a lot to keep track of. Anyway, after trying and failing many times to forget and avoid Reid the inevitable occurs. Now this is where I will not ruin the story and tell you that you need to read it to find out all that ensues with this pair.

Now that the backstory has been slightly revealed, I want to tell you that these two characters and their roller coaster of a story was well written considering all of the different troupes that were part of their story. The way that events took place had me hooked to the story to see what would happen next. I also need to mention that the pair had chemistry that was off the charts and the push/pull of their was at times palpable. I liked the brief mention/catch up with characters from previous books/stories. I also liked the set up for future books in the series and I look forward to what is to come in this series. Also, where this book is part of a series, it is important to mention that this can be read as a standalone book and not be lost with events from the previous book of the series.

Overall, this was a great read that I recommend to others.

[Carol (bookish_notes) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I already suspected I was going to like this book because I loved Brutal Billionaire, and I was right. I just really, really enjoyed it. It’s messy and it’s drama. I wouldn’t really classify this as dark romance, but this is something I think dark romance readers would enjoy. There’s a certain…taboo-but-not-really quality to this book because Reid and Lina become step-cousins and there’s a bit of an age gap (Lina is 21 and Reid is 33) that they keep joking about in this book.

We first met Reid and Lina in Brutal Billionaire, but I don’t think it’s necessary to read that book before reading this one. I think the first book does a worse job introducing all the Sebastians and their relationship with one another, and this book gives a much better understanding of who’s who. So, this is the rare instance I say you can read out of order and it'll be fine.

Content notes ableism, possible fatphobia, possible acephobia, blackmail, mentions of suicide, mentions of a father who died before the book started, and mentions of rape. Additional content notes from the author include: sexism, classism, side character assault off-page, and parental abuse (verbal/emotional).

This book starts with Lina’s 21st birthday and she’s hanging out at a bar with her best friend, Denny. She is determined to lose her virginity, and while there’s a hot guy who catches her attention, she chickens out from talking to him and all but runs out of the bar before they even get a chance to talk. But the guy follows her outside since she’s only gone through the employees-only exit. The guy is Reid Sebastian, and he insists that they don't know exchange last names.

So, Lina is VERY awkward and says whatever pops into her head. You’re either going to find this hilarious or annoying. I started the first few chapters of this book when it was coming out chapter by chapter on Kindle Vella and I admit I found Lina annoying to read by text. But I later got this book on audiobook and found Lina’s ramblings more endearing than annoying. So, YMMV.

One thing leads to another and Lina winds up at Reid’s place, but the moment doesn't turn quite into a sexy one night stand like she hoped it would. Oh no. Reid knows that women would definitely sleep with him for his money and family name. So when he finds out Lina’s a virgin, he freaks the fuck out. He basically runs away because he’s scared what it’ll mean to be her first. You would think he’d throw her out? Since that’s his condo??? But he’s the one who straight up panics and RUNS. It’s funny, but sad at the same time.

I think it’s interesting to see Lina and Reid's forbidden love (such that it is) grow and see how they get their HEA. On the whole, I really like Lina and Reid and all the messiness it took for them to get together. Lina is a ball of awkwardness in uncomfortable situations and I totally get her on that and relate to that so much.

There’s a lot of frank talk about virginity in this book and I think it’s sometimes hit or miss. Lina is 21 and feels like society shouldn’t put so much emphasis on what age someone should lose their virginity. And I agree with that. But then you have Reid who seems endlessly baffled and questions Lina (a bit rudely might I add) how she could possibly still be a virgin and I just feel like he’s just very judgey on this front.

This book also weirdly tries to be inclusive in that Lina's best friend, Denny, is ace, BUT some of the talk about sex and virginity in this book come across as acephobic to me? Moments like that do get a raised eyebrow from me because they kind of rub me the wrong way when I read stuff like that. I feel like the author has a lot of moments like this throughout her books where it’s like she TRIES to be inclusive but then JUST misses the mark.

This book also tries to include "jokes" about Lina and Reid’s age gap a LOT. They have a 12 year age difference and even though the age gap isn’t really all that sketchy, the offhand “jokes” about it and how they talk about it feeling like he’s grooming her (which he ISN’T) are just so unnecessary. There’s also comments throughout the book about how Lina sometimes feels insecure with her weight because she’s a curvy girl, but but then we get Reid who seemingly has to have a whole scene talking about how he’s totally fine with her being fat, like he feels like he should reassure her he thinks she’s hot? It comes across as a bit weird where it feels like he HAS to have that scene in the book to reassure readers that he thinks Lina’s hot? It could be just me. But I write out all these points to say, this is why I would rather rec these books to dark romance readers than regular contemporary romance readers.

The plot of this really ramps up when we see Lina’s mom marrying into the Sebastian family (by way of Holt, Steele, and Adly’s father, who is Reid’s uncle). This subplot was introduced in Brutal Billionaire and we saw how Holt took the news about his father remarrying. So, it’s nice to see Lina’s POV on her mother marrying into a family so different from what she’s used to. They did not grow up among millionaires and billionaires (and if we're keeping count, I still think the heroes in this series are millionaires which makes the series name and the book titles confusing).

I liked the moments Lina had with her mom in this book. Her mom was a mess when her husband died and Lina felt like she had to give up a lot for her childhood (teen years through college) to suddenly being the adult in the family while still attending school and having to look after her mom AND while also grieving her father. Now that dynamic is changing between them again and her mom is ready to be the adult in the family and it’s interesting to see their relationship go back to mother and daughter and we see how much Lina’s mom actually cares for her.

The subplot with Lina’s aunt hitting on Reid and them appearing like they’re dating is not the best. I get that the aunt is closer in age to Reid but I could have done without all that drama. The aunt sometimes has her moments but I still don’t like her that much.

What we don’t have much of in this series is good parental figures. It’s a mess in the Sebastian family household. So we have the patriarch at the top, the grandfather to all our main characters in this series. Grandpa Irving is 96 and I highly doubt he’s surviving the series because there’s certainly going to be drama with his sons over their inheritance. We don’t see two of the sons and their families at all (Arthur and August). I guess there won't be much problems there. And we kind of saw one of the sons in the Man in Charge duet as Scott’s father (Henry) and I wonder if they'll come up at all. But the MAIN sons who will definitely have bad blood to untangle between them are Reynard (Hunter, Alex, and Reid’s father) and Samuel (Holt, Steele, and Adly’s father and Lina’s now stepfather). There’s the mystery about Samuel’s first wife and Hunter’s whole…deal and how Reynard is involved. It’s going to be interesting and extremely soap opera messy as this series progresses. And I’ll be here for every second of it.

I think the text version of this book mentions who the next stories will be? I know Alex, Reid’s older brother, has his book coming up next and I just KNOW Hunter (who is the oldest brother) is going to happen at some point. But will we get Adly’s book? I hope so, I like her.

The audiobook narration was pleasant? I don’t think I’ve listened to Vanessa Edwin or Jason Clarke before. I was kind of surprised the author is changing up the narrators for each book instead of keeping the same two narrators throughout the series. It does mean that characters you’re used to sounding a certain way in previous books will suddenly sound quite different in the new one. Holt in particular sounds the most different to me coming from a re-read of Brutal Billionaire to this book. It’s not the worst thing, but it’s an odd author choice for sure.

Fun mentions in this book are how much Lina loves V.E. Schwab books (most notably, Vicious) and the anime Spy x Family and how he gets Reid to watch the show with her. I think that was cute and it's fun when I actually recognize the pop culture references (which doesn't happen very often).

Overall, I enjoyed this book and all its messiness, and I liked seeing how Lina and Reid wind up together despite their family ties to one another. It was also nice this book didn’t have a third act breakup. I look forward to reading Alex’s book next!

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew the Sebastian family dynamics would result in such a sweet, spicy romcom? There's nothing I love more than watching a dirty talking player fall hard and Reid delivers big time. All the sneaking around that ensues gives his and Lina's crackalicious story a madcap edge which I just adored -almost as much as I adore Grandpa Irving, the most unlikely yenta ever. The tension is just addictive. It's snarky, snappy and more than a little outrageous, and absolutely delivers the spice.

[Jessica Alcazar · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎧AUDIO🎧 & 📚EBOOK📚 REVIEW

I had the pleasure to not only read this story, but also experience it via audiobook and I just finished mid day yesterday with both but I've had a day, so tomorrow I will write all the thing #promise

But I won't leave you hanging with nothing, so ...
1. I didn't see Lina coming
2. I did not expect Reid
and 3. I most definitely did not see this story coming!

Do with that information what you will until tomorrow :)

[kgagnon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved and completely devoured this book! This beautiful romance seduced me from page one, and held me captive with its raw and honest emotions, and I could not put it down! I laughed out loud, I cried, I swooned, and I begged for more! Lina and Reid have a passionate encounter, not knowing who the other was. When Reid suddenly walks away, Lina is embarrassed and hurt. Now months later, they discover that they are now connected, when her mother marries his uncle. Unfortunately, the feud between his father and his uncle is fierce enough to make them completely off-limits for each other. Except their fiery attraction and explosive chemistry makes it impossible for them to stay away from each other. But when brutal secrets are revealed, will they be strong enough to fight for each other, or will they lose everything, including their hearts? I fell so hard for Lina and Reid, two beautifully flawed characters who are so perfect together, as they make each other stronger. Lina is now one of my very favorite heroines! She is awkward, hilarious, and spirited, always standing up for herself. I laughed out loud so many times at her inner musings and ramblings. Reid is so deliciously dirty, and so swoony when he just smiled and enjoyed Lina's quirks. She was a breath of fresh air for him after not being able to trust anyone. I love getting to know the Sebastian family more, and how all the cousins fit together.
Vanessa Edwin, and Jason Clarke are absolutely perfect as Lina and Reid. Edwin's portrayal of Lina with all her awkward quirks and enthusiasm was fantastic. Clarke's deep voice is not only incredibly sexy, but his intonation and emotions are flawless, making me understand, and fall even harder for Reid. I love both of their voice changes, and their performances, as they brought these wonderful characters and passionate story to life.
This is a beautifully written love story with deep heartfelt emotion, honest characters, and hot, sizzling love scenes. I absolutely loved every moment and wanted to listen to it all over again immediately! This is a top listen for me and I can't recommend this book highly enough!

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new spicy / sweet rom com from Laurelin Paige. It doesn’t get much better than that. The Sebastian’s have an interesting family dynamic and I love grandpa so much! This may be my favorite if the Sebastian’s.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reid Sebastian is an arrogant butt hole, but whelp, he’s so very sexy. He can pour champagne over me and lick it off anytime he likes. Maple syrup…hmmm not sure about that one. I don’t like to be sticky.

I’m not really sure if I like the Sebastian family very much. They are very controlling and demanding. Reynard (Reid’s dad) is quite repulsive. Uncle Samuel and Reynard’s feud causes so much friction between the cousins that it hurt my heart. I wanted them all to stick a great big finger up at them both and declare themselves better than the old folks and be a big happy family.

Lina Quinn becomes a step-Sebastian but has a little old crush on Reid. I mean, apart from the arrogance and dickishness, what’s not to like?

Their story is hot. Little bit of drama. Then it all works out well in the end. Grandpa Irving is the saviour. Shame he didn’t make Reynard be a better person.

[Michelle Carroll · Rating 2 out of 5]

O. M. G. Got the Audible version of this and all i can say is, this female character is ANNOYING AF! Not the narrator, the character. She never shuts the heck up!!!
I understand she's supposed to be young and a virgin, but somehow that translated into ANNOYING. Couldn't even finish.

[Amber | aambuurreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where do I start?
L. Paige, to me, is the QUEEN of the alphaholes. So, of course, that’s what I expected from Reid. But he was so vastly different from all her other MMCs! And I didn’t hate it!
The Sebastian’s, as were know, are powerful and can be very intimidating and Reid was all of that, but he ended up molding into this soft man who fell head over heels for Lina.
And of course he was exceptionally filthy with his words. We all love a dirty talker.
I loved that there was no unnecessary drama or breakup between them. Once they decided to give it a try, despite their forbidden relationship, they were all in, ready to give up anything to be with one another. It was surprisingly sweet. I loved every second!

[Fiona Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so IN LOVE with Brutal Secret!! Lina is my spirit animal!! Reid is your typical hot AF Sebastian Alphahole, but we love him all the more for it!
This one had a lot more humor than what we are used to from the fabulous Laurelin Paige but you still get the same spice and angst.
I love all the Sebastian Men books but this one has become my favorite, but I'm really looking forward to the next one.
If you haven't read any of these books yet, I recommend starting with the Man in Charge duet before moving on to The Brutal Billionaires.

[Brooklyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sebastian family is made up with men that will make your heart race and your panties wet!🥵🥵 Reid and Lina’s story just adds more spice to the mix! I adore Lina and her rambling! Laughed out loud too many times! Reid can make me a drink any time of the day! Another great read in this series! Just go read it!

[Cydney · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book…is clearly written for Gen Z on TikTok. Which is a fine demographic to target, but a complete shock for those of us who have been reading Laurelin Paige since 2013 like I have, and are finding the writing and direction are not growing and evolving with us. Instead, the FMCs work overtime to repeal feminism and do a nudge-nudge moment in EVERY book that they believe in women’s rights but are thirsty for men’s wrongs more, and the MMCs become terrifying as they argue about the rules about consent and make decisions for the FMCs.

I reviewed the first standalone novel in this duet similarly—that Paige is super keen on writing misogynistic white men who struggle every day with women in the areas of consent and autonomy, and bird-brained white women who are mouthy and some random queer best friend role. She ventured out of GayBFF territory and wrote an ace character but he is not named as such and is framed in a way that shows the male character ~cannot understand~ human beings who are not secksual, because he assumes that he is gay first as if there’s no other reason not to want to sleep with your best friend and roommate.

Reid (dangerously close to Reeve—those who know, know) and Lina are in an age gap relationship but they are the only two people on earth who seem to care about it. Lina even goes so far to ask Reid if he’s a groomer grooming her as if he’s going to slap his knee and say, “You got me!” Lina is also mid-sized and began constantly word vomiting her body image issues without any efforts to build upon that in a way that shows growth in the end. Instead, all we got was an, “Nooooo don’t say ur fat ur so beautiful xD” moment packed between Lina randomly deciding, 50% into the book, to be loudly insecure about her body.

Usually in Paige novels you can tell who is being set up for the next novel(s) and I couldn’t tell with this one, because absolutely zero of the other characters got much character development outside of the Logan Roy-esq grandfather, Lina’s mother, and very suddenly, within the last 20% of the novel, Reid’s father. Oh, there was the step-sister Adly (whose name I repeatedly read as “Adfly” throughout), but she just a placeholder for Girlboss Solidarity and sage advice because that group of friends we’re supposed to believe Lina is so close to actually don’t talk to her much on page in a way that makes them seem like anything other than set dressing.

Speaking of sassy quirks, and to go back to my original point of how this is geared toward a newer audience for Paige, there’s a lot of African American Vernacular English like “tea” and “no shade” and “Zaddy” (a true on-page jumpscare) used a handful of times in this book—which, contrary to popular belief, is not simply ~internet slang~ because it has rules and frameworks it should exist in and doesn’t fit well outside of those rules and frameworks. Which is why it was so jarring to in this novel, which features absolutely zero discernible Black characters in the New York City night scene and corporate space, unless you want to make the assumption that only Black men are named Jamal, and that Jamal exists only to challenge the MMCs masculinity because he’s framed as a weak threat to his acquisition of Lina.

I just…this wasn’t for me. I’ve noticed that the last few novels I’ve read from Paige have not been it in such a way it feels drastically different from her older works. I can only imagine what it’s like to be a romance writer right now because the genre has shifted so drastically over the last 5 years or so, but I hope she writes something that gives that original feeling soon. Paige had a great opportunity to write an appropriate age gap romance with a virgin FMC who actually is okay with casual secks and a MMC who doesn’t act like a caveman, and dynamic side characters who elevate the story and fill in plot holes.

In the meantime, mouthy female characters who talk a lot and are immature and cringe and quirky™️ are as exhausting to read as super mean, intentionally cruel, emotionally unintelligent, physically manipulative alpha males™️ if they’re going to be the same book to book.

1 ⭐️’s
4 🌶️’s (but even the spice is hella cringe because the FMC is so cringe and her and the MMC and her have conversations throughout spicy scenes that are cringe and often unrealistic)

[jo &#x1f3f9; · Rating 1 out of 5]

1⭐️

Tropes: age gap, forbidden, curvy fmc, and billionaire.

I truly thought I was going to eat this up, but it was all just so silly. First of all the fmc was insufferable. She was written as the quirky can never shut up girl and it didn’t work for me. She literally over spilled and it was annoying AF. The MMC was so mean to her half the time for no good reason. & I hated how she kept calling him her “cousin” babes YALL ARENT RELATED AND ITS GROSS PLS STOP.

I think this had potential it just fell flat for me. The spice was the most redeemable thing about this.

(was sent this book from PR VALENTINE)

[Jen ♥]

Note:

- Playboy x Virgin
- Age gap (12)
- Forbidden romance (Step-cousins)
- On one review, OW kissed him but he didn't kiss her back. (Why put this scene though? And why did he let her kiss him in the first place??)

NFM.

[AdaChioma Vanessa Young-Aghagbon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brutal Secret has this basic feel which is so unlike its predecessors. Lina is underwhelming, painfully young female virgin (trope overload). Her low self esteem and verbal vomit is tiring. I'll try reading again but I'm halfway way to a DNF.

[Laura Reads Too Much · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brutal Secret is Reid and Lina's story and it had me glued straight off.

Reid is a Sebastian and the owner of the nightclub Spice, he's no interest whatsoever in a relationship so when he meets Lina and she's up for a one-night stand, it' seems to be the perfect match, until he realises there's more to it for her and puts a stop to it.
Embarrassing right?!
Cue coming face-to-face at her mum's wedding and realising yous will be related through marriage 🤦🏻‍♀️

They're complete opposites, Lina has absolutely no filter whatsoever, her ramblings were both hilarious and adorable and she's easy-going.
Then we have Reid who works all hours, is very stern and and is determined to keep himself closed off.

I really enjoyed it, there's a whole family dilemma rift part to it, it's filled with attraction, want, and consequences for going going against your kin, and it's both spicy and sweet!

Definitely recommend and I'm looking forward to getting the rest of the stories.

Top notch Laurelin :)







*I voluntarily received an arc and this is my honest review. 4.5stars

[Jodi - JodiReadsnListens · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Audio Review**
Obsessed with Reid Sebastian! Brutal Secret by Laurelin Paige was a witty, steamy, and forbidden billionaire romance that did dirty and delicious things to my heart. Reid and Lina’s age gap / virgin romance had me hooked from start to finish. I couldn’t get enough of Reid’s enticing dirty talk, and Lina’s fiercely sassy determination!

Vanessa Edwin and Jason Clarke perform this audiobook in dual narration. Every time these two pair up they are simply stunning! Vanessa was spot on capturing Lina’s vulnerable spirited charm in an upbeat and heartfelt performance. Jason’s deep growly tone complimented Reid’s smug, dominant, and alluring persona perfectly. Both narrators presented just the right amount of humor and heat between Lina and Reid that had me laughing and blushing at the same time.

Overall I LOVED this book! If you are a fan of an age gap billionaire romance with a hot hunky reluctant night club owner, an outspoken rambling curvy virgin heroine, Sebastian billionaires, marrying into the family, a one-night stand gone wrong, a dirty-talking MC, Brooklyn brownstone housewarming parties, truth or strip, champagne steam, slow burn spice, a pet kitty, secrets, forbidden love, and a HEA that will do brutally good things to your heart, then you will love Lina and Reid’s romance. I always look forward to more from Laurelin Paige.

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved every aspect of this book. But my favorite part was Lina. She was so entertaining and i loved her personality. I loved her random conversations with Reid and how carefree she was. and reid 😫. He was so hot. I loved how much he cared for Lina and the fact that he gave up his club for her with no second thought!??? This man had his priorities straight with Lina

It kinda pissed me off in the beginning when he refused to get with her because she was a virgin. But it all came together in the end. I wouldn’t say this was a huge forbidden romance because they don’t get together until 60% in and basically everyone knows by 78% in. I loved this book so much

[Kylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes:
~ Forbidden romance
~ Age gap romance

Emmalina meets a man at a bar and they go back to hook up, however, she ends up blurting out that she is a virgin and her date for the evening ends up ditching her because he says he doesn't want feelings to get involved.

These two don't expect to find themselves crossing paths again months later when they become FAMILY. Claire's mom ends up marrying Reid's uncle who is also his father's rival.

Now that these two have ran back into each other, they can't stop thinking about one another. They're completely off limits now that their families have become one, but that only makes the tension blow hotter.