The Season of Secrets

Secrets #1

by Q.B. Tyler

“The boss is unashamedly into you."

At least, that’s what my friend says.

It doesn’t matter that Wes Beckham owns the company I work for or that he’s twenty years older than me or that there’s a strict “no fraternization policy” in place.

She is convinced he wants me and that the office holiday party is the perfect place to let him know I’m interested.

Because while he’s technically my older, very off- limits boss, he’s also gorgeous and charming and despite his grumpy nature, he seems to have a soft spot for me.

So, I go for it. I take a risk for once and choose to be spontaneous and have one wild night with my boss.

But one night turns into a full weekend and by the end, it’s very obvious that he has zero intentions of letting me go.

He wants me and I want him but how long can we keep our relationship a secret?

*This book can be read as a stand-alone or as a prequel to The Worst Kept Secret

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Workplace Romance, Holiday, Workplace, Novella, Contemporary Romance

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 27, 2023

About the author

Amazon Top 15 Bestselling author and lover of forbidden romances, tacos, coffee, and wine, Q.B. Tyler gives readers sometimes angsty, sometimes emotional but always deliciously steamy romances featuring sassy heroines and the heroes that worship them. She's best known for writing forbidden (and sometimes taboo) romances, so if that's your thing, you've come to the right place. When she's not writing, you can usually find her on Instagram (definitely procrastinating), shopping or at brunch.


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Reviews

[babygyalreadit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wes is my new favorite QB daddy. Alert the MF press bitch!!

This is not a drill. Wes will have you down so bad bad bad.

I knew the moment I met Wes in TWKS that he was going to have me in shambles and this book did NOT disappoint. Everything I could want in a Christmas novella was here. The spice, the banter, the chemistry please if I could crawl into his skin and live there I would.

There is just something about rich man who would move heaven and earth to take care of their girl that’s gonna do it for me EVERYTIME.

What you can expect:

Novella
Age gap
Daddy kink
Mile High club
Boss/assistant
Billionaire romance

Girl he licked this INSIDE of her vagina then spit it her mouth bc she said she wanted to taste herself. I just about passed out.

[logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

are you kidding me!!!! okay wes is a new fav for sure, this man is so in love and it’s soo sweet and yet he is dirty af just like a Q.B. man should be hehe. wes has had it bad for his assistant since the minute she walked into her interview, and raegan has spent the last few months day dreaming about her hot boss but knowing he’s off limits. or is he……. 👀😇

this was fast paced and so fun, it has the feel of a novella but even better bc it’s a little longer. wes is what all my dreams are made of, he wasn’t afraid to show raegan that he was indeed veryyyy down bad. raegan was his perfect match, sweet and sassy and equally willing to show her feelings. GOOD HEAVENS THEY WERE HOT. this was just such a good time!!!

[kendall · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars
oh!

———————————————————————————

listen. i just need something brainless after reading 800 pages of fantasy so complex my head started hurting LEAVE ME ALONE😾😾

[Rachel Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much! QB is the queen of Daddies and age gap! Daddy Wes is 🥵🥵🥵🥵 I only wished this was longer. It made me want to read the Worst Kept Secret again. The spice in this is phenomenal like with every QB Tyler book. Wes and Raegan were perfect together and I am so glad we got their story.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one! This is a boss/employee romance where the hero has been in love with the heroine since the moment he hired her. The night of the holiday party, things finally heat up between them and they can't deny their attraction. I really believed their chemistry and the spice was SO GOOD. This was so fun to read after seeing them as side characters in The Worst Kept Secret!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

REREAD BUT AUDIO: oh my god these two narrators were perfect! Getting to hear some of the nastyyyyyy things Wes says out loud was honestly a gift in and of itself. This man is DOWN SOOOOO BAD for Reagan. And body does he love to eat 🐱
——
This book was so hot & I FREAKING KNEW I WAS GOING TO LOVE WES! He may be my favorite man…idk just something about him *chefs kiss* This entire series is gonna be up there for me, I just know it.

We love a daddy kink, and a daddy that likes to spend all his cash to spoil his girl;) and add some Christmas vibes sprinkled in…boom an amazing novella!!

The airplane scene & dressing room scene were P E R F E C T I O N. 💦💦

ALSO, HE IS PIERCED!!!!! I repeat daddy is pierced AND TATTED! And wears glasses. It’s the trifecta.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
Workplace romance
Boss x employee
Age gap
Forbidden
He falls first

[Kursed Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a position of power, as the owner of Beckham Securities, Wes Beckham is unable to make a move on, Raegan Graham despite his intense attraction from the first time he laid eyes on her.

At the annual holiday party, neither can fight the attraction any longer and all that pent up lust is unleashed.

Forbidden romance is at the top of my trope tree and this one did not disappoint. Not only do we have forbidden, we’ve got age gap, rich AF, and secret romance with minimal angst and no third act breakup. 🙌🏻

I don’t normally care about reading seasonal books, but I’ve read several this year. The Season of Secrets definitely tops my holiday reads list!! So good!!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Darkness: 🤍
Heat: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Range of Emotions: 🤫🤭🥵🫠😍
Ending: 💗 {HEA}
POV: 👫🏻 {Dual}

🗂 Genre: Contemporary Romance

✨ Tropes: Age Gap (20), Forbidden, Holiday, Jealous/Possessive, Rich AF, Secret Relationship, Workplace

💋 Kinks: 🍑, Daddy, Finger Licking Good, Pierced 🐓, Snowballing, Spit, Squirting,

⚠️ Warning: This steamy read will leave your panties wet and reaching for BOB.

🚩 Safety Squad: n/a

📣 Type: The Season of Secrets is a standalone.

🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

UPDATE: I reread this on audio and it was even better somehow???? oh that’s because jason clarke narrates wes and he is simply perfect. i listened to this during a difficult time in my life which made me revisiting these character feel so comforting to me. it allowed me to fully immerse myself in their lives and worry less about mine for a little. 🥲 still a solid 5 ⭐️ read for me!


i don’t know how QB does it every. single. damn. time!!!! she just gives us the best fictional men ever and they somehow continuously get better! season of secrets is by far one of the hottest books i read this year and i could probably read about wes and raegan FOREVER. this man was so damn fucking HOT AND PERFECT..acts of service is his main love language and this man bows to the alter of raegan ready to service her every needs. he’s so fucking hot that even the way he took his glasses off made me hot and bothered!!!!

let’s also discuss my favorite things in romance books…breeding and daddy kink!!! and this book HAD IT IN SPADES OMFG!! IT WAS PERFECTION.

[amarachireads · Rating 4 out of 5]

90% smut and 10% plot but it was cute lol. Definitely liked this more than the third book in the series cause there was no cheating. Wes the boss was down bad omg like sir she just stepped in your office and you’re already adjusting your pants lol. The fmc was cute and also instantly into the mmc. I really liked that the mmc literally did everything for the fmc and defended her no matter what. He spoiled her and I’m glad she accepted it with no issues. There’s an age gap which im never into but the fmc is 21 and the mmc is 40(?). Anyway theres lots of smut, some daddy kinks which was cringy but overall quick and cute.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is so hot and surprisingly good! I love the characters. The author shows why the beginning of the relationships is the best! 🤷🏻‍♀️
It’s worth reading!

[hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

this had the potential to be perfect. all my fav tropes in one. age gap, forbidden relationship, daddy kink, boy & girl obsessed, jealousy, low angst, no miscommunications, they were mature and talked about their feelings, and it was swoony af. wes is the literal definition of the perfect husband. he’s spoils her, is tatted up, a billionaire, will do anything to make her happy, cherishes the grounds she walks on, has a dirty mouth but is also extremely tender and sweet, and always tells her how beautiful she is. did i mention he also wears glasses??? 😩 and has a piercing….👀

however, it was wayyyy too smutty and there was not enough plot so i found myself bored as hell and i skimmed most of the book.

q.b. always delivers in creating the best characters. i always love her female characters. i fall in love with them just as much as her male characters. and of course, q.b. is the queen of creating the ultimate hot older daddy. so she definitely delivered in that department which was no surprise there 😌

still waiting for one of her books to give me the same feelings as what was meant to be & unconditional did 😞

[Anastasia ⋆｡☽˚｡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tropes:
💖Age Gap
💖Billionaire
💖Boss/Employee
💖Forbidden

“𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐑𝐚𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭… 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐱 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩.”

I read this book in one sitting and loved it. Tyler left me wanting more, not only of the MCs but of Marissa, Lucas, and Chris, three major supporting characters in the book.

Wesley Beckham falls first and hard for Raegan Graham and is deliciously possessive and bossy, and the way he’s obsessed with her is sexy without bordering on deranged (which can be enjoyable to read, too). He’s a bossy billionaire lover who’s considerate and thoughtful and worships his girl. I love that he puts her pleasure before his, which is super hot in a bedroom partner, and he spoils her rotten. After reading The Season Of Secrets, you will be eager to find a man like Wesley Beckham.

Raegan Graham is a likable FMC who’s sweet, a good friend, and super cute when she gets territorial and jealous over her man, Wes Beckham. You’ll fall in love with her, find her relatable, and probably have a friend in your life just like her. I love how bold she is, willing to go after what she wants, and stands her ground with others.

Thank you so much Q.B. Tyler and Good Girls PR for sending me this arc!

More detailed review here: https://bookswithnatasa.home.blog/202...

[Izzah ꒰Duchess of Cabria ಇ ⭑✧ ᴏɴ ᴘᴀᴛʀᴇᴏɴ ✧ ⋆꒱ · Rating 2 out of 5]

No tension, taboo underused
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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[Kristie (read_between.the_wines) · Rating 5 out of 5]

and I am officially obsessed with this book. cute. fluffy. smutty. forbidden. everything I've always wanted.

[Michae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goddamn I loved the absolute shit out of this I ate it up🫠 I was in love with Wes & Raegan as side characters in TWKS so I loved getting to see how their romance started. Wes is just hot as hell & Raegan matched his energy so well! The spice delivered as always & the little bits of Christmas was just the perfect amount in here. Also boss/employee will just always hit

[Kate V · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 - 3 stars!

The Season of Secrets was a forbidden romance that lacked angst which I think this story desperately needed. It was a little kinky and plenty smutty but I didn't really care for the heroine and the hero was too soft. But I chalk that up to the fact that I love dark romance. Overall, an OK read.

[Jen ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raegan (21/22) has been Wesley's (41) assistant for six months, and he's been obsessed with her for just as long. The attraction was mutual, but I think he's the one who fell first and harder. Anyway, at one of their company events, they eventually gave in, and since then, they can't keep their hands off each other.

This is pure smut, and I loooved every minute of it. It was so good and freaking hot. Idc that this was pure fuckfest. 😂 I had a great time reading it, and this was really short.

I loved how Wes was so down bad for Rae and how hot these two could be. I loved the fact that she gives as good as she gets, and she's way beyond mature for her age.

Anyway, this was a hot and quick read. 
 

Note: Not a fan of daddy kink, but for some reason that didn't give me the ick here.

[Salma · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

[The_bookish_cave_of_wonders · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really struggled with this book. I'm not going to lie. The premise of the story was good, but the execution was poor. There is absolutely no character depth, substance, or plot in this story. It's essentially sex scene after sex scene, with maybe a page of bland chitter chatter between the two main characters between each sex scene.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore spicy novels, the raunchier the better, but I also like a plot line and some substance and connection to the characters I am reading about. This essentially felt like I was reading a cheesy porn film. The sex scenes were pretty abysmal. There was no connection to the actual characters, and it just felt like smut for the sake of smut. In addition to this, there were elements such as the spitting in her mouth scene that I felt were shoved in there for shock factor. If this was the case, it worked, I actually vommed a little in my mouth. I have a fairly extensive range of sexual interests and am not easily shocked, grossed out or given the ick, but this book managed to do it on multiple ocassions to the point it actually made it a struggle for me to finish it reading it.

It largely felt like we were just throwing out one kink after the next to try and amp up the shock value and 'spice' rather than because it actually related to the story or the characters.

I don't have a problem with age gap tropes, I actually quite enjoy them. But this one just rubbed me the wrong way. With the FMC being described in an exceptionally juvenile demeanour, 'giggling' and being innocent to her sexual ways blah blah, and then the introduction of the daddy kink, this just screamed all kinds of wrong to me. There's the daddy trope, and then there's describing your character who is meant to be in their early 20s as if they are essentially a child or early teen. This just did not sit well with me and really turned me off to the entire book.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me at all, and I wouldn't really recommend anyone waste a couple of hours of time that they won't get back.

[megan ◡̈ · Rating 3 out of 5]

so this was insane lmao 😭😂

i think that if youre just wanting a smutty mindless read this would be great for you, however i was hoping for a bit more of a story between these two. i dont typically skip around on a series even if it is interconnected but i did start with Our Little Secret and i think because of that one i was expecting just a bit more of a plot??!!?

was it bad? no
was it great? also no
but it was entertaining

[Bria Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes yes oh my yes 🫠🌶

I read this book in one sitting and ready to hop into the worst kept secret - this was finger licking good 😍

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish this was longer, but I loved it anyway!!

[Erica Fullerton · Rating 5 out of 5]

QB Tyler always writes fantastic books, and this one didn’t disappoint!

Tons of 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ I mean TONS.

I loved Wes and Raegan’s story. I was excited to read their story after meeting them in The Worst Kept Secret, and man I had no idea Wes was going to be SO good. This was the perfect prequel. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ easy 5 stars!

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahhh this was so much fun! After reading The Worst Kept Secret a month ago when it came out, I was really hoping we’d get a story for Raegan and Wes one of these days and was so excited when this surprise release was announced!

Raegan starts working for Wes as his assistant and things heat up at a holiday work party and it goes from there! He’s been into her since the moment she was hired and they have to keep things a secret later on. I just had a fun time with this one after already seeing Raegan and Wes happily together in TWKS. Fast paced, a little longer than a novella, so fun! This is a workplace, billionaire, age gap romance and it delivers on all the fun and steam that QB always brings!

[rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Omggg so good! The spice was soo good!! And Wes???! Top tier.

I loved Wes & Raegan together. The mutual pining, and the reassurance! Love to see it.

I haven’t read the worst kept secret yet but now I’m runningggg to!!

[Samreen · Rating 1 out of 5]

he he hehehehehe CRINGE.

[The Love Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved me some Wes and Reagan! Age gap, boss/assistant, HOT. I loved these two in TWKS, so I highly recommend reading this one, then heading over to Theo (Reagan’s dad) and Avery’s (Reagan’s bff) book!

[Ahappyhermit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in one sitting last night
- office romance/ age gap (tons of convos on consent)
- SPICY. SO SO SPICY
- short book (just over 200pgs)
- no third act break up
- all cozy sweet vibes
- I laughed outloud a few times
- silver fox
- this book achieves everything it sets out to do
- there is a daddy smink but like not overwhelming

[Wobilba · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a hot little boss/assistant read. Very little plot, lots of smut and a dash of daddy kink. Just what the doctor ordered…..loved it!

[Shelby Slaboda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Q.B. Tyler NEVER misses and I mean never. I swear I fall in love with each new book she writes even more than the last 🫶🏻

Reagan and Wes had their little debut in The Worst Kept Secret (which I also highly recommend reading.) I am so glad she gave them their own book to go into more detail with allllll of the kinks you could imagine. The spice was to die for 🥵🌶️ and the relationship development between the characters wasn’t rushed, yet she covered a good amount of time throughout their relationship.

Reagan was so relatable and went after what she wanted (once she realized she wanted it.) 😉
Wes fell first, fast, and hard for Reagan since the moment he met her, but their job titles forbid anything progressing. Once he couldn’t contain himself any longer, he gave Reagan what she didn’t even know she wanted yet. He was smart, rich, hot, pierced, and mean to everyone but his woman (we love that in a man!)🤪

Thank you to Q.B. Tyler and Good Girls PR for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!