Five years. That’s how long I've kept the truth from everyone.
One night with my brother’s best friend. My biggest mistake. My dirtiest secret.
And the son I never told him about.
Coming home should have been a fresh start. Instead, I walked straight into Warren Carter’s world again— the boardroom, the hospital halls, the dark looks that make my pulse race.
Now there’s no avoiding him.
Not in the hospital halls. Or after work. Not when every glance sparks something I buried years ago.
He still sees his best friend's sister. I’m terrified he’ll find out who I am now—the mother of the son he knows nothing about.
The closer we get, the heavier the truth becomes, until it’s not only my heart on the line anymore.
Because some secrets don’t stay buried.
And what’s between us could ruin more than just a second chance.
These MCs were frustrating (possible spoilers ahead)
H has a traumatic past, so he’s emotionally constipated. h is…just there. They’ve always had a thing for each other, but never acted on it….until that one night. 😩 H regrets it almost immediately and worries about h’s brother finding out (H’s BFF) and he even tells h to keep quiet about it. He bounces like the house is on fire, and ASAP blocks h on everything. 🙃🙃 this man really don’t want her contacting him again.
I can’t remember if it’s 5 or 7 years later, but whatever….now h has a kid. H hasn’t seen her in all these years BUT it never once crossed his mind that it could be his kid.
Naturally, they start hanging out. After they finally have smex, she decides to tell him about the kid. THIS MAN FLIPS OUT and he’s angry asf. How dare she not tell him. Ummm, I guess he forgot he blocked her.
So they kind of work it out…sort of. He’s still simmering in anger. It doesn’t stop the smex, though. In secret, he gets court papers made up for half custody of his kid. (Yeah 😂 this is totally the way to move with a woman you claim to love. This is even going to be worse than telling a woman “to calm down” 🤦♀️) Let me tell you, it doesn’t go over well when h finds out. At. All. 3rd act breakup plus she gets her own lawyer and files papers for FULL CUSTODY!
Eek. They are both gross.
Anyway, he realizes the error of his ways. He goes to finally talk to his BFF. Yeah, the whole brother’s BFF ended up being nothing. Like…that was literally the whole reason he was scared to be with her. So dumb.
Quote from brother: “You think I give a damn that you slept with my sister? We’re not kids. What I care about is you stringing her along. She doesn’t need your guilt. She needs your spine. Fucking be a man.”
THANK YOU! Finally, somebody with sense.
He barely grovels. His main grovel was to withdraw the court papers. Within a week, they were doing the body tango again.
1 year later, she finally agrees to marry him. She’s also pregnant again.
h is gross for not telling him about the kid. Yes, I get that he blocked her on everything, but she knew how to get ahold of him. She’s also terrible for not telling H about the kid BEFORE she had smex with him. Finally, she should have been more mature and had a reasonable conversation with him when she found out the court papers.
H has every right to be angry but come on. Grow up! Quit blaming everything on your past. Take some accountability and have a mature conversation on how to move forward. Quit with the emotional whiplash.
It’s fair to say that I didn’t like the MCs which is why I rated this 2 stars. Meh
3.5⭐ Five Year Secret is a stand alone book in the one knight Billionaires series by a new to me author, Blakely Stone. It's a ONS, 9 year age gap, secret baby with a best friends sister trope that keeps you turning pages until the HEA. The MMC is a grumpy lawyer with abandonment issues and the FMC is a strong independent woman who fights for her self worth and her son. I seriously couldn't predict how this book would end since this couple wasn't even committed until the last couple chapters.
Janie Harrelson just graduated college and in 2 days time will be moving to Chicago for grad school. Her parents threw her a party and tonight she is seeing her brothers best friend, Warren, in a different light, but that will unfortunately change...
Warren Carter moved in with the Harrelson's his senior year of high school and so this family is his family and he doesn't want to ever risk that relationship. He's a busy family lawyer but after one to many drinks and sitting by a fire with Janie things get heated pretty quickly.
The next morning, he tells her it was a mistake, sneaks out and blocks her number. So, when Janie finds out a couple months later that she is pregnant, he refuses to have anything to do with her, she makes the decision to keep the father a secret.
5 years later she returns home to Florida to direct a program that she conceived and started but didn't expect that Warren would be on the board and they would have to work together.
She follows her gut instinct and lets Warren know that he's a dad but he leaves in a rage and cuts her out of his life again. But he wants to be in his son's life but in what capacity?
I saw Five-Year Secret as a Facebook Ad. She’s his best friend’s sister, and after they hook up, she gets pregnant. She keeps the baby from him for 5 years. She tried to tell him, but he blocked her, and she figured that since he didn’t want kids, he wouldn’t want anything to do with her. What was so frustrating was that when she told him the truth, he got mad that she hadn’t tried hard enough to get hold of him. The story leaned more toward the frustrating side than the angsty one for me. Some unresolved issues on his family side didn’t seem to develop fully, either.
ehhhhh MMC sucks - lies to the reader, himself, MFC, and his best friend
Honestly - this entire book really makes no sense at all. The whole “issue” with their relationship never ends up being an actual issue. The MMC also lacks any sort of accountability and the MFC has way too many moments of not standing up for herself and panting after the MMC
Spoilers ……. . . . . .
The entire issue of “your brother is my best friend” and “if he finds out we slept together it’s horrible and world-ending for everyone”… this point of contention never materializes and falls flat when the MMC finally tells his best friend he slept with his sister and it ends up being a TOTAL nothing-burger….. yet it’s repeatedly used by the MMC as a reason to push the MFC away . This is poor plot writing.
He also blocks her phone number, implies what they did was a mistake, leaves no room for doubt that he wants nothing to do with her —- and then he’s mad that she didn’t chase him down to say that she’s pregnant? After he said he didn’t want kids?? And especiallyyyyy when he admitted privately to himself that he might’ve told her to abort it.
Theeeeen he spends most of the book punishing her for not telling him, despite her not being able to get ahold of him, saying he’ll never trust her again, and then he drafts custody paperwork behind her back and continues to tell her he can’t promise anything to her her or their son long term, he’s still SO mad, but he can def still fuck her, but he wants to see where things will go. Ummm mixed messages??
Like - he lies to himself and the reader and the MFC. It’s a sign of poor characterization and lack of growth development.
The only good thing is that the MFC **FINALLY** put her foot down and stood up to him and held her ground - if only for a couple of pages before the author undid it. Sigh.
I did NOT agree with her or her attorney. She had ways to tell him he was a daddy. She chose to keep that lie then got mad at him for wanting to protect his self so that she couldn't just bounce with his kid. That ruined this book for me
I love the secret baby trope & this one had potential. Great concept but don’t think it was executed all that well.
Potentially the worst fmc ever. I hate how she’s written to consider herself the wronged party & never takes any true accountability. I could go into a ton of other details on why she was the worst but she just wasn’t written well.
There were multiple errors in terms of timeline in the story - small Things like not accounting for the time of day accurately based on a reference a few paragraphs earlier or talking about him delivering spaghetti to the table but then right after saying how someone’s still at the stove making spaghetti. those were frustrating but not enough where it would’ve made me dislike the overall story but unfortunately the fmc was.
Janie is celebrating the night before she leaves for grad school in Chicago. After all the speeches and celebrating is over, she is sitting out back at the fire pit with her older brother's Bff Warren, and they end up sharing a kiss that turns into more. He sneaks out her parents’ house in the wee hours of the morning after telling her it was the best night he ever regretted. Once she leaves home and is studying in Chicago, she learns she is pregnant and when she calls to tell Warren, he ends up blocking her number. She can't tell her family he is her baby's father, so she says it is a random guy, and her family supports her all the way and 5 years later she comes home. Her first day at her new job, she runs into Warren and learns they will be working together on the initiative she is heading up at the hospital. Janie goes through a whole lot of emotions and indecisiveness wondering how and when she should tell Warren they share a son. Warren is very upset when he finds out that she kept this from him all this time but also feels guilty that he blocked her number. He doesn't want to have a relationship with his son that mirrors his relationship he has with his own family and slowly gets to know his son and along the way, falls for Janie all over again. While they reconnect and try to build their own family, what is going to happen when her family and her brother, his BFF find out they share a son.
What a story... I felt for Janie and the single mother life she built for herself and her son. But also felt for Warren for how his wealthy family kicked him out and basically disowned him all those years ago. There are some real emotions in this story that felt real, and I was so invested in this couple and couldn't put the book down.
This was such an emotional read... don't sleep on this one!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Let me start by saying that you will have to pick up this book!! OMG it is probably the most heartfelt/dramatic of this series (and trust me you will want to read all of them!) but so so beautiful. The story of Jaine and Warren starts when they are just teenagers harboring crushes on each other, but afraid to let them bloom as he is her brother's best friend. Until one night when passion takes over, however that night makes them both questions loyalty, so she leaves pregnant. 5 years later she is back in town to work with him, and after all the time and space, the feelings are still there raw and intact that is until he finds out about his son.
This is a story of secrets, of wanting to belong but afraid to claim it, of learning to chose, of accepting love. The characters are so relatable, the story is intelligent, gritty, at times bubbly and then sad, their conversatiosn are intelligent and lead to insights to their secrets to the realness of their lives. The story tests the bonds of loyalty, the idea of legacy, soulmates who find each other. I cannot say enough, just go get the book !.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book is based on secrets. It is very emotional and powerful. It has an unplanned pregnancy to a young woman who is still getting her career started while away from her family. Janie has been harboring feeling for her brothers best friend for years. They finally succumbed to their passion then her ghosts her out of fear. Warren is afraid he will lose his best friend and his family if he admits his feelings for Janie because his parents threw him away. This is a very complicated situation and storyline. Trust becomes an issue between Janie and Warren when they reconnect years later. It is a roller coaster of emotions that they have to navigate. Warren has to decide what is the most important thing in his life and how to obtain it. He has to rebuild trust with the people who are the most important to him. Beckett wants to have his mom and Warren to eat breakfast, watch movies and have family time together. I enjoyed reading this book. I loved how the author tied the other characters from this series together in the epilogue. It brought it full circle.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The whirlwind of emotions I had throughout this book I mean my goodness!
Janie is Warrens best friend Blake’s sister. Their family took Warren in as a teen after some family issues. Janie and Warren end up having a one night stand before she leaves town that leads to Janie keeping a secret for five years. They reconnect when Janie returns home and she finally admits the truth to him that leads to them both being angry, devastated, and hurt by each other’s choices over the last five years. The author had me hanging on by a thread there for a while. I felt myself getting angry right along with them at the chain of events.
“After years of scraping by, I don’t even know how to trust the idea of something working out so perfectly.” I felt this statement to my core.
I absolutely loved getting to read an update on Pope and the family from Nine Week Nanny and how he was tied into this book. Also with Sam and Cole from Ten Day Affair with literal tears with the honor of her mother Evelyn Taylor.
2.5 rounded up. Secrets come out and secrets have turmoil. This book is incredibly frustrating purely because the main parenting has so much drama and resentment towards one another that it makes it actually hard to read at times. Both of them have done wrong and both of them just want what’s best for their son. But as far as their relationship, these two need extreme couples therapy. They truly do not know how to talk to each other as far as their future as a couple it made this book gripping and heartbreaking at a few points. The drama between them keeps the flow going amazing and makes it something you can’t put down. Not the biggest fan at the abrupt ending, but it was a quick read, which gets points..
This is a book in the One-Night Billionaires Series by this author, and can be read as a standalone. It is an off limits, second chance romance between Janie and her brother's best friend Warren, who had a one night stand five years ago. These flawed but likeable souls and the unique plot make for an enjoyable read. Once they reconnect, it is a bumpy ride with drama and steam, sexual tension and chemistry, forgiveness and redemption, family dynamic, twists and turns, plus appealing secondary characters. Seriously entertaining.. An emotional ride.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Life altering secrets, abandonment trauma and ultimately forgiveness and love —Janie and Warren stirred so many feelings in me. Their incredible partnership because of their expertise, experience and dedication was so heartwarming. I cried so hard with this book and loved every second of it. I’m so glad Warren got his own story. Warren was also in Nine Week Nanny, Blakely Stone’s previous book — another great book BTW.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wowsa this book is a must read . Its brothers best friend and older man younger woman taboo with surprise child that will definitely have you engrossed from the beginning until the end. Warren and Janie shared one night together and 5 years later shes back with a child. Warren s family threw him away and now he deals with abandonment issues and trust as well, but can he find his way back to Janie? This book is absolutely fantastic and you will definitely love it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Janie is a strong, independent, loving woman who does things she feels is right. Warren is a broken man who is still dealing with how his family abandoned him when he was 17. He finds it hard to trust that he won't be left again. He does not know the secret that Janie carries. When he does he feels threatened and unworthy. They go through trials and tribulations to get to the other side. I highly recommend this book to all second chance romance readers.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
He has loved Jamie forever but when an intimate encounter leads to two pink lines, she doesn't tell him. When a job brings her back to her hometown and working with Warren. He is also her brother's best friend and when the truth comes out about his child and Jamie being the mother will he lose everything. This heartfelt story had me from the first page as I connected with Warren and Jamie.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
-A heart-wrenching second chance romance filled with secrets, regret, and redemption. I received a free copy and am voluntarily sharing my honest thoughts.
Janie’s five-year lie shatters Warren’s world when he learns he’s a father. Their love story burns with anger, heartbreak, and the slow rebuilding of trust.
This story is motional, raw, and deeply moving and lingers long after the final page.
Five Year Secret by Blakely Stone is part of the One-Night Billionaires series. Jamie and Warren's story is an emotional heartfelt story. Their story pulled me in from the start and I didn't want to stop until the end. Blakely Stone is written another amazing romance that you won't want to miss reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Janie and Warren connected one evening which resulted in a child. However, the cost of not being able to tell him until years later is what drives this story. It was emotionally charged and had me in tears. While the chemistry between them was intense, their tension was explosive. The decisions these two make pull at your heart until the very end.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I wanted to like this book. Janie is the FMC we need! Strong, brave and resolute! Warren is everything she doesn’t deserve! He blames her for everything while insisting that everything is kept a secret! She did keep his secret and he treats her terribly! He barely takes accountability in the end and while it’s redeeming that he sets up the endowment for her; he really puts her through a lot she didn’t deserve.
I just finished the most AWESOME romance book ever. Warren and Janie had me hooked right away and the way this romance book was written is FANTASTIC. I LOVE all of Blakely’s romance books and recommend not only this book but any of her other books. They all exceed 5/5 stars in my honest opinion.
One night. One night the changed lives. One mistake. For 5 years she kept it from him. Of course he's gonna be angry, bitter..... But are their feelings for each other strong enough.
A beautifully written journey of lust, mistakes and ultimately love.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This entertaining and engaging second-chance/secret baby romance has heartfelt emotion, drama, secrets, chemistry, revelations, and the possibility of a HEA. The MCs are defined, and have issues. I liked this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
How Could She Janie has kept the secret of Warren’s son from him for FIVE years! When they’re thrown back together he’s furious and devastated. He’s loved her forever, but this?! Can he ever forgive her?
This is book four in the One-Night Billionaires series. It’s a very good brother’s best friend romance. I enjoyed Warren and Janie’s story. The characters were likable. The story was well written.
Sometimes you need an angsty second chance romance with a secret pregnancy and yk I liked this. It hit all the spots but it got to a point where I was tired of the back and forth. I understood where he was coming from but like…. Why are we not talking to each other?
Some facts are a little stretch. No baby ever played soccer at four years old. Not as a team. They might kick the ball. The boy was awful advanced for a four year old.