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Brilliant Secrets
The art world has never been more sexy or dangerous.
Art is my world. Love is not.
I protect the world’s most precious pieces of art by any means necessary. For me, nothing matters more.
Until I see her, the woman an antiquated agreement has me bound to wed; a picture perfect beauty with haunted violet eyes, hiding behind a curtain of long auburn hair.
Like that, my world is changed forever.
I never meant to kiss her. Never meant to push her against the wall and take her sweet lips with mine. But knowing that she belongs to me makes my need for her all-consuming. With the taste of her lingering on my lips, I’ll do anything to make sure the agreement is fulfilled.
Anything except tell her the truth. I just pray the secret I keep doesn't get her killed.
Brilliant Secrets: The standalone, erotic, romantic, suspense story of Alek Black and Rylan Archer.
Art is my world. Love is not.
I protect the world’s most precious pieces of art by any means necessary. For me, nothing matters more.
Until I see her, the woman an antiquated agreement has me bound to wed; a picture perfect beauty with haunted violet eyes, hiding behind a curtain of long auburn hair.
Like that, my world is changed forever.
I never meant to kiss her. Never meant to push her against the wall and take her sweet lips with mine. But knowing that she belongs to me makes my need for her all-consuming. With the taste of her lingering on my lips, I’ll do anything to make sure the agreement is fulfilled.
Anything except tell her the truth. I just pray the secret I keep doesn't get her killed.
Brilliant Secrets: The standalone, erotic, romantic, suspense story of Alek Black and Rylan Archer.
341 pages, ebook
105 people want to read
About the author
Dawna Raver
10 books327 followersSmart ass by nature, writer by accident.
Dawna Raver didn't always want to be a writer, but now the voices in her head won't shut the f**k up and the stories keep coming.
The Indulging Series, under D.L. Raver, was her first new adult erotic romance series, and is proud that Zolt Hamil from this series was voted in top ten list of Fictional Boyfriends' top Fictional Boyfriends
When she's not spending time in her fantasy world, Dawna loves NFL football, reading, and pretending she's a top chef in the kitchen---even though experiments often lead to ordering out.
Oh, and fawning over her dogs and husband, sometimes in that order. voices in her head keep sending her stories, ranging from new adult, romantic fantasy and contemporary romance.
When she's not spending time in her fantasy world, Dawna loves football, reading, and pretending she's a top chef in the kitchen. Oh, and fawning over her dogs and husband, sometimes in that order.
Dawna Raver didn't always want to be a writer, but now the voices in her head won't shut the f**k up and the stories keep coming.
The Indulging Series, under D.L. Raver, was her first new adult erotic romance series, and is proud that Zolt Hamil from this series was voted in top ten list of Fictional Boyfriends' top Fictional Boyfriends
When she's not spending time in her fantasy world, Dawna loves NFL football, reading, and pretending she's a top chef in the kitchen---even though experiments often lead to ordering out.
Oh, and fawning over her dogs and husband, sometimes in that order. voices in her head keep sending her stories, ranging from new adult, romantic fantasy and contemporary romance.
When she's not spending time in her fantasy world, Dawna loves football, reading, and pretending she's a top chef in the kitchen. Oh, and fawning over her dogs and husband, sometimes in that order.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 27, 2016
Quick review for a not-so-quick read ,The cover is amazing, the book sounded amazing! And I honestly can say there isn't really anything WRONG with the book, it just....didn't do it for me like I'd hoped. Alek is womanizer real douchebag , Rylan was just a normal girl and one day she met Alek he is the son of her father’s friend and his sister is married to her father so he is her Uncle !!!!! After her mother died all of a sudden her life is just thrown for a wild ride as she learns that she has power, she has money, her mother left her share of the company to Rylan and Alek was there to protect her from her own father and his evil wife in case they find out that at age of 21 Rylan was going to own her father’s company! The plot is really interesting and just when you think you know what's going on the story take another turn but I didn’t feel connected to the caracters i had to take many breaks during this book out of frustration ...... :/
an ARC kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley
Rylan
Alek
an ARC kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley
Rylan
Alek
November 21, 2015
When is the last time two wealthy, attractive and contemporary adults meet for the first time, knowing that a decision made before one of them was even born sealed them as betrothed to marry? Alek is wealthy, powerful and a business owner in his own right, as well as the heir apparent to his father’s mega-business interests. Rylan is young, beautiful and his step-niece, a seemingly quiet and shy woman, as delicate as she is attractive.
Rylan’s life has been one heartache after another recently and like Cinderella, has a wicked stepmother who despises her. She is taken aback by the handsome man before her as he oozes sexuality and alpha male vibes. Alek knows a secret that could end Rylan’s pain, but he has vowed to never reveal it. Is his attraction to her more than sexual tension? No woman has brought out his protective nature as she has and time will prove he will need to do more than protect her, when she becomes the object of vandalism and threats. Their on again, off again relationship, combined with his reputation as a lady’s man makes keeping Rylan safe almost impossible. The danger mounts, the clock is ticking and their feelings for each other only entangle them deeper in a web of deceit and skewed machinations as the clock winds down and lives that will be eternally changed are in the balance.
Dawna Raver’s Brilliant Secrets is a brilliant suspense-filled tale as she twists dark secrets, jealousy, mental instability and greed into a tale that makes each revelation a startling discovery. Dark, sinister and certainly not an easy to solve mystery, this alone will keep one turning pages.
On the romantic end, for two intelligent individuals, their emotional bond seemed unstable at best, until far into this tale. Rylan is a force to be reckoned with as she reveals each of her many facets as a person, but she seemed far too easily distracted by a handsome face, far too easily trusting all the wrong people and far too ready to be intimate with another while not trusting the one man who actually cares. Alek knows he is a hot commodity, finding someone he actually seems to care about is far too unreal to him and he often reverts back to his playboy façade when his heart is threatened, but that, too can be explained as each page is turned.
Dawna Raver’s characters are so well-developed, it was easy to form strong opinions about them, questioning their moves and wondering how things will be resolved before those dreaded words, “The End,” which I can definitely say, I did not see coming! That is great suspense!
I received this copy from Dawna Raver in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: November 2, 2015
Publisher: Dawna Raver
Genre: NA Romantic Suspense
Print Length: 301 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Rylan’s life has been one heartache after another recently and like Cinderella, has a wicked stepmother who despises her. She is taken aback by the handsome man before her as he oozes sexuality and alpha male vibes. Alek knows a secret that could end Rylan’s pain, but he has vowed to never reveal it. Is his attraction to her more than sexual tension? No woman has brought out his protective nature as she has and time will prove he will need to do more than protect her, when she becomes the object of vandalism and threats. Their on again, off again relationship, combined with his reputation as a lady’s man makes keeping Rylan safe almost impossible. The danger mounts, the clock is ticking and their feelings for each other only entangle them deeper in a web of deceit and skewed machinations as the clock winds down and lives that will be eternally changed are in the balance.
Dawna Raver’s Brilliant Secrets is a brilliant suspense-filled tale as she twists dark secrets, jealousy, mental instability and greed into a tale that makes each revelation a startling discovery. Dark, sinister and certainly not an easy to solve mystery, this alone will keep one turning pages.
On the romantic end, for two intelligent individuals, their emotional bond seemed unstable at best, until far into this tale. Rylan is a force to be reckoned with as she reveals each of her many facets as a person, but she seemed far too easily distracted by a handsome face, far too easily trusting all the wrong people and far too ready to be intimate with another while not trusting the one man who actually cares. Alek knows he is a hot commodity, finding someone he actually seems to care about is far too unreal to him and he often reverts back to his playboy façade when his heart is threatened, but that, too can be explained as each page is turned.
Dawna Raver’s characters are so well-developed, it was easy to form strong opinions about them, questioning their moves and wondering how things will be resolved before those dreaded words, “The End,” which I can definitely say, I did not see coming! That is great suspense!
I received this copy from Dawna Raver in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: November 2, 2015
Publisher: Dawna Raver
Genre: NA Romantic Suspense
Print Length: 301 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
October 19, 2015
If you're reading this book then be ready to be surprised, happily so. From the very beginning until the end I couldn't guess where the story was going. It kept be on my toes and quite intrigued. There are quite a few twists and turns that will keep readers engaged. Story line is good, characters are amazing and there is a lot of drama, romance as well as some mystery and many secrets.
After Rylan's mother died and her father married Helena everything has changed. He father is no longer the loving person he was and she is no longer the happy girl she was once. All looks bleak and she is waiting to get out of her parents' house as soon as possible. Then she meets Aleksandr. He is Helena's half brother and his bad-boy reputation precedes him. She never thought that she will be attracted to someone like him and what's more surprising is that he seems to find her attractive too. She knows his type hence it's quite unbelievable for her still she is willing to give him a chance. Aleksandr on the other hand might not deserve that chance because there is so much he is keeping from her. These secrets will tear them apart...
P.S. I'd like to thank the author for complimentary copy of this book. It was a delightful read!
After Rylan's mother died and her father married Helena everything has changed. He father is no longer the loving person he was and she is no longer the happy girl she was once. All looks bleak and she is waiting to get out of her parents' house as soon as possible. Then she meets Aleksandr. He is Helena's half brother and his bad-boy reputation precedes him. She never thought that she will be attracted to someone like him and what's more surprising is that he seems to find her attractive too. She knows his type hence it's quite unbelievable for her still she is willing to give him a chance. Aleksandr on the other hand might not deserve that chance because there is so much he is keeping from her. These secrets will tear them apart...
P.S. I'd like to thank the author for complimentary copy of this book. It was a delightful read!
November 17, 2015
Review to follow.
Updated
Brilliant Secrets is my first read by Dawna Raver. It took me a little while to get in to this book, as I kept feeling as if I was missing something. I quickly realized that Ms. Raver utilizes a minimalist approach, designed to keep the reader in the dark and guessing. Once I adjusted to the writing style, I found myself unable to put the book down, as I needed to know what happens next.
Alek Azarov Black and Rylan Archer are interesting characters with an intriguing story-line, one that mixes the elements of romance with action/thriller.
The Azarovs are one messed up family. It is obvious that Alek and his father, Joseph, fear Helena, his half-sister. Helena is now step-mother to Rylan, having married her father soon after her mother's untimely demise. Immediately, the reader is made aware of Helena's disdain for her step-daughter. Oh, and did I mention that Alek and Rylan have been promised to one another? Talk about a cluster ****, right Alek?
My first impression of Alek is that he is a bit of an a*hole, which he freely admits. Personally, I do not find that level of ego-driven, sexual self-confidence attractive. I did, however, enjoy his one-sided conversations with the reader. His comments are amusing. As the story develops, and we get to glimpse more of who Alek is (or wants to be), he sort of grows on the reader.
Rylan is a lot more capable than she seems at first glance. She is certainly having a rough few months, and things continue to go from bad to worse. But she has Alek, much to her constant surprise and disbelief, which causes her to (too often) question their relationship, his feelings, and her own desires. Oh yea - it doesn't help that Alek is keeping a secret from her; even if that secret is not his to tell and is for her own protection.
Though I enjoyed the suspense and the mystery, the fast-paced movement, the secondary characters (who are pretty awesome!), and watching the plot unfold, too much of Alek and Rylan's relationship was unrealistic, which made it difficult to fully connect with them.
Overall, an enjoyable read.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Updated
Brilliant Secrets is my first read by Dawna Raver. It took me a little while to get in to this book, as I kept feeling as if I was missing something. I quickly realized that Ms. Raver utilizes a minimalist approach, designed to keep the reader in the dark and guessing. Once I adjusted to the writing style, I found myself unable to put the book down, as I needed to know what happens next.
Alek Azarov Black and Rylan Archer are interesting characters with an intriguing story-line, one that mixes the elements of romance with action/thriller.
The Azarovs are one messed up family. It is obvious that Alek and his father, Joseph, fear Helena, his half-sister. Helena is now step-mother to Rylan, having married her father soon after her mother's untimely demise. Immediately, the reader is made aware of Helena's disdain for her step-daughter. Oh, and did I mention that Alek and Rylan have been promised to one another? Talk about a cluster ****, right Alek?
My first impression of Alek is that he is a bit of an a*hole, which he freely admits. Personally, I do not find that level of ego-driven, sexual self-confidence attractive. I did, however, enjoy his one-sided conversations with the reader. His comments are amusing. As the story develops, and we get to glimpse more of who Alek is (or wants to be), he sort of grows on the reader.
Rylan is a lot more capable than she seems at first glance. She is certainly having a rough few months, and things continue to go from bad to worse. But she has Alek, much to her constant surprise and disbelief, which causes her to (too often) question their relationship, his feelings, and her own desires. Oh yea - it doesn't help that Alek is keeping a secret from her; even if that secret is not his to tell and is for her own protection.
Though I enjoyed the suspense and the mystery, the fast-paced movement, the secondary characters (who are pretty awesome!), and watching the plot unfold, too much of Alek and Rylan's relationship was unrealistic, which made it difficult to fully connect with them.
Overall, an enjoyable read.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 21, 2015
Insta-love but really insta-good…
Aleksandr Azarov Black. The name sounds foreign, mysterious and sexy which matches the man perfectly. When Rylan Archer’s life was falling apart he was suddenly there to save her. What he also did though was provide turmoil and angst, drama like she’d never experienced. Unknown to Rylan, Alek had secrets and they were going to tear her world apart…
This is a romantic suspense story that kept me on the edge of my seat. There are games a foot in the wealthy world of high stakes art and security. I have to admit some of the elements of the plot pushed the realm of realistic for me but, that aside, the story was told well and entertained from start to finish. Alek, from the first, seemed a bit of a man-whore (okay a lot) but things changed quickly when he realized who Rylan was to him and his life.
“In the course of five minutes with the arrival of an auburn-haired beauty, my life had just taken a sharp turn, sending me down a road with not map…”
Rylan was young and, despite her upbringing, did not come across as spoiled or immature. She had a defender but she still needed strength to withstand each stunning blow, including those unexpected evil jabs.
And there was evil in this book…
“The woman was evil incarnate, and I was pretty sure she kept a gang of flying monkeys in the basement…”
While I’m not a fan of insta-love, I truly fell into insta-like with this story and the characters in it. The first read by this author but definitely not my last!
November 4, 2015
Brilliant Secrets is the first book I've read by Dawna Raver, and I'm so glad I did! I freakin LOVED this story!
Aleksandr Black find lost works of art. He has his own security company, and he's a bit of a manwhore. When his father lets him know that he arranged his marriage, Aleksandr is a bit irritated about that. The day he meets his arranged bride, Rylan Archer, he feels an instant connection and decides he must make her his. Rylan's life is currently a nightmare. Her mother is dead, and her father marries a witch shortly after. The day she meets Aleksandr, she can't resist the bad boy after she feels a spark. The problem is that her new stepmother is Alek's half brother, and hates her with a passion. Can Alek keep Rylan safe while keeping secrets from her?
O.M.G! I'm still all kinds of jacked up hours after I read this book. The character development is fantastic with awesome secondaries that I hope get their own story. A well written, original, and an off the charts intense storyline flows perfectly. Dawna Raver does a amazing job with the twists and turns throughout the whole story, keeping me on my toes cover to cover. It's highly addicting, and kept my heart racing beginning to end. The tangible chemistry between Alek and Rylan, led to HOT panty melting sexy scenes. Brilliant Secrets is fast paced, exciting, had well placed humor, major suspense, and a beautiful love. I'm very excited about this talented author, and can't wait to read more from her!
Aleksandr Black find lost works of art. He has his own security company, and he's a bit of a manwhore. When his father lets him know that he arranged his marriage, Aleksandr is a bit irritated about that. The day he meets his arranged bride, Rylan Archer, he feels an instant connection and decides he must make her his. Rylan's life is currently a nightmare. Her mother is dead, and her father marries a witch shortly after. The day she meets Aleksandr, she can't resist the bad boy after she feels a spark. The problem is that her new stepmother is Alek's half brother, and hates her with a passion. Can Alek keep Rylan safe while keeping secrets from her?
O.M.G! I'm still all kinds of jacked up hours after I read this book. The character development is fantastic with awesome secondaries that I hope get their own story. A well written, original, and an off the charts intense storyline flows perfectly. Dawna Raver does a amazing job with the twists and turns throughout the whole story, keeping me on my toes cover to cover. It's highly addicting, and kept my heart racing beginning to end. The tangible chemistry between Alek and Rylan, led to HOT panty melting sexy scenes. Brilliant Secrets is fast paced, exciting, had well placed humor, major suspense, and a beautiful love. I'm very excited about this talented author, and can't wait to read more from her!
October 19, 2015
I am so glad I got to read this book because I would've missed out on one fantastic story. This book was written in such a way that I really have never had before. This one had everything I love in a book and more. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would.
Alek and Rylan were promised to each other long ago even before they knew each other. Alek was a major love em and leave em kind of guy. He could have anyone he wanted and he has had many many women over the years but just one look at Rylan and his heart was taken and he only wanted her but would she feel the same? Could she ever believe that Alek only wanted her and not all the other woman he had at his beck and call? Oh and understand when she realizes he is keeping secrets from her . In the beginning I liked him but loved him in the end. Dawna Raver's characters take over the story and it was like I was right there with all of them.
You are really missing out if you don't grab a copy of this one. The storyline is great and the characters fit in so well and they tell the story and I was along for the ride. I wonder how often Dawna Raver argued with these particular characters and who won lol. Grab a copy!! You will not regret it!!
Alek and Rylan were promised to each other long ago even before they knew each other. Alek was a major love em and leave em kind of guy. He could have anyone he wanted and he has had many many women over the years but just one look at Rylan and his heart was taken and he only wanted her but would she feel the same? Could she ever believe that Alek only wanted her and not all the other woman he had at his beck and call? Oh and understand when she realizes he is keeping secrets from her . In the beginning I liked him but loved him in the end. Dawna Raver's characters take over the story and it was like I was right there with all of them.
You are really missing out if you don't grab a copy of this one. The storyline is great and the characters fit in so well and they tell the story and I was along for the ride. I wonder how often Dawna Raver argued with these particular characters and who won lol. Grab a copy!! You will not regret it!!
December 2, 2015
Recieved as a ARC
This is the first time i have read anything by this author and wont be the last either.
I feel lucky that i was chosen to receive this as a ARC in return for my honest opinion.
We start off by meeting security company owner Alexsander Black who to put it nicely is a male slag. His dad decides to do a arranged marriage for him and as you can imagine this doesn't go down particularly well with Alexsander.
The girl that Alexsander's father has chosen for him to marry is Rylan Archer. Rylan hasn't had it easily of late her mum died and shortly after her mums death her dad re married the mother of all wicked step mothers Helena. Helena is truly the step mother from hell. The way the author describes her you the reader do end up feeling the hatred Rylan has for Helena.
As soon as Alexsander sets his eyes on Rylan he decides that he wants her and despite not wanting to feel it either Rylan feels the attraction as well. There is a catch though Alexsander is Helena's half brother. But Alexsander is keeping so many secrets.
If you want a book that will take you on twists and turns as well as keeping you on your toes this is the book for you
This is the first time i have read anything by this author and wont be the last either.
I feel lucky that i was chosen to receive this as a ARC in return for my honest opinion.
We start off by meeting security company owner Alexsander Black who to put it nicely is a male slag. His dad decides to do a arranged marriage for him and as you can imagine this doesn't go down particularly well with Alexsander.
The girl that Alexsander's father has chosen for him to marry is Rylan Archer. Rylan hasn't had it easily of late her mum died and shortly after her mums death her dad re married the mother of all wicked step mothers Helena. Helena is truly the step mother from hell. The way the author describes her you the reader do end up feeling the hatred Rylan has for Helena.
As soon as Alexsander sets his eyes on Rylan he decides that he wants her and despite not wanting to feel it either Rylan feels the attraction as well. There is a catch though Alexsander is Helena's half brother. But Alexsander is keeping so many secrets.
If you want a book that will take you on twists and turns as well as keeping you on your toes this is the book for you
October 29, 2015
Review
4 Works of Art
Love, passion, intrigue, deception, murder, secrets and much more. Brilliant Secrets is just that, brilliant. An unsolved art heist that happened years ago brings Rylan and Aleksandre together.
This book is exciting and very fast paced, maybe a little too fast, because I kept having to go back to see if I missed reading something. I later came to realize that this was the style of writing. Key events were left out of some characters thoughts to keep us in the dark, secrets. This is the reason I rated the book 4 out of 5 stars. The plot was fascinating. The characters were interesting and I want Sawyer as my best friend. I can see a spin off book involving Sawyer and bad ass Killian. Those two added much needed comic relief to an intense story full of drama.
If you like romantic mysteries I highly recommend this book.
ARC Provided by Sassy Savvy Fabulous. Honest review done by Mollien for Alpha Book Club without influence from publisher or author.
4 Works of Art
Love, passion, intrigue, deception, murder, secrets and much more. Brilliant Secrets is just that, brilliant. An unsolved art heist that happened years ago brings Rylan and Aleksandre together.
This book is exciting and very fast paced, maybe a little too fast, because I kept having to go back to see if I missed reading something. I later came to realize that this was the style of writing. Key events were left out of some characters thoughts to keep us in the dark, secrets. This is the reason I rated the book 4 out of 5 stars. The plot was fascinating. The characters were interesting and I want Sawyer as my best friend. I can see a spin off book involving Sawyer and bad ass Killian. Those two added much needed comic relief to an intense story full of drama.
If you like romantic mysteries I highly recommend this book.
ARC Provided by Sassy Savvy Fabulous. Honest review done by Mollien for Alpha Book Club without influence from publisher or author.
February 16, 2016
Quite an exciting story. A bit of a stretch at times, but what suspense story isn't?
I understand the work has undergone a new edit since I got my copy, so I won't comment on the challenges I encountered.
I had my usual issues with first person - not much to do with the story, more my personal preference, although to me this highlighted one of the reasons I'm not a fan: I found the two character's "voices" to be very similar. If I stopped in the middle of a chapter for any reason, when I came back, it was hard to tell whose POV I was in until an external clue was given.
Other than that, it was exciting and quite well constructed - although I was a bit confused as to what, exactly, the villain's goals really were.
I understand the work has undergone a new edit since I got my copy, so I won't comment on the challenges I encountered.
I had my usual issues with first person - not much to do with the story, more my personal preference, although to me this highlighted one of the reasons I'm not a fan: I found the two character's "voices" to be very similar. If I stopped in the middle of a chapter for any reason, when I came back, it was hard to tell whose POV I was in until an external clue was given.
Other than that, it was exciting and quite well constructed - although I was a bit confused as to what, exactly, the villain's goals really were.
November 4, 2015
I received a ARC in exchange for a honest review.
4* read.
This is a new author to me and I didn't know what to expect from this book so was pleasantly surprised after reading it. A lot of twists and turns that will have you guessing and keep you interested. When you think you know what's happening BAM another twist that keeps you gripped. This is Alek and Rylan's story. Before they even know each other they were promised to each other in a arranged marriage, so when they meet they try to get to know each other. Alek feels a instant connection but will he and Rylan work out or will the arrangement go to hell?
4* read.
This is a new author to me and I didn't know what to expect from this book so was pleasantly surprised after reading it. A lot of twists and turns that will have you guessing and keep you interested. When you think you know what's happening BAM another twist that keeps you gripped. This is Alek and Rylan's story. Before they even know each other they were promised to each other in a arranged marriage, so when they meet they try to get to know each other. Alek feels a instant connection but will he and Rylan work out or will the arrangement go to hell?
September 9, 2017
I can honestly say this was one of the best contemporary romances I've read in quite some time. It's a perfect blend of mystery, suspense, and sexy romance. This book is steamy, and wow, Aleksander is my new book boyfriend! He's such a great love interest!!!
The mystery and suspense in this book was so well crafted, I couldn't figure out what was going to happen. It was intricately plotted and I absolutely loved how this book flowed.
This is one of those books that I have to highly recommend because it would be a shame to miss it. I would give it ten stars if I could!
The mystery and suspense in this book was so well crafted, I couldn't figure out what was going to happen. It was intricately plotted and I absolutely loved how this book flowed.
This is one of those books that I have to highly recommend because it would be a shame to miss it. I would give it ten stars if I could!
November 4, 2015
I received this for an honest review.. I have to say that this book absolutely kept me on my toes and turning the pages!!! This is one of those books that once you think you got it your are hit with some fantastic twists and turns that keep you guessing!!
Dawna is one of my favorite authors and with this book that is no different just a wonderful great read!!
<3
I just fell in love with Aleksandr and Rylan's story.. This book has a explosive hot factor that will have you saying WOW!!!
Dawna is one of my favorite authors and with this book that is no different just a wonderful great read!!
<3
I just fell in love with Aleksandr and Rylan's story.. This book has a explosive hot factor that will have you saying WOW!!!
February 25, 2016
Dawna Raver wins me over as usual with her compelling story lines and characters that instantly make you fall right in love with them. More review to come!!!
November 26, 2015
Loved it! Romance and suspense at its best.
February 28, 2016
Brilliant Secrets Dawna Raver
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: Romance, Erotica
Well, I had great hopes for this, it sounded a real fun read, a hot and sexy love story with some exciting suspense moments. And it did deliver all that but...didn't work as well for me like I'd hoped. I’m not really sure why, its got all the things I love but they just didn’t add up to a story I really connected with. Even though this is only a couple of days later I had to actually go back to the book to remind myself which read it was and what it was about. That’s not something that happens for me with great reads, soon as I read synopsis I’m back there with the characters, whereas I recall this as being a fun read, enjoyable for a one off but in the end a forgettable one :-(
So Alek is womanizer, a real manwhore and well known for it , and he meets Rylan, who’s just a sweet and normal (rich) girl. She’s had her life turned upside down after her mothers death when her father very quickly marries Helena, a real b itch character – and I so love those. She was great, lived up to her rep. Helena though is Alek’s half sister, making him a relative of Rylan...
The day they’re all meeting up, Alek and his dad, Helena, Rylan and her dad, Alek gets a shock, his dad tells him he’s to marry Helena, he and her grandfather arranged that before the two were born!! He also tells Alek a huge secret that’s taunted before us all the way through, until its finally revealed. Its a huge one and means Rylan is in danger. Alek’s smitten with her from first glance...his rep though, worries Rylan. Still , she’s takes the chance for some out and out torrid sex. Of course it never stops there does it, pesky emotions get in the way.
Rylan also learns that on her 21st birthday, very soon, she takes control of the company that her dad and Helena currently are running. I guess I was a bit gobsmacked there at how a 21 year old with no real experience did so well, I know she’d prepared soon as she knew, and had excellent advisers but its a huge sea change for her. The plot heats up as the dangers start appearing and Alek and Rylan are trying to keep their relationship going but its hard when they’re apart so much.
So there’s plenty of heat here, which fits the story very well, a fun plot and lots of dangers but somehow though it should have made for a great read for me it was one that didn’t crack the magic five star. Still a good read at 3.5 stars, just not one that’s stayed with me and that I’d reread.
Stars:Three and a half, some torrid and heated sex scenes but overall the story didn’t make the Great league for me
ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers.
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: Romance, Erotica
Well, I had great hopes for this, it sounded a real fun read, a hot and sexy love story with some exciting suspense moments. And it did deliver all that but...didn't work as well for me like I'd hoped. I’m not really sure why, its got all the things I love but they just didn’t add up to a story I really connected with. Even though this is only a couple of days later I had to actually go back to the book to remind myself which read it was and what it was about. That’s not something that happens for me with great reads, soon as I read synopsis I’m back there with the characters, whereas I recall this as being a fun read, enjoyable for a one off but in the end a forgettable one :-(
So Alek is womanizer, a real manwhore and well known for it , and he meets Rylan, who’s just a sweet and normal (rich) girl. She’s had her life turned upside down after her mothers death when her father very quickly marries Helena, a real b itch character – and I so love those. She was great, lived up to her rep. Helena though is Alek’s half sister, making him a relative of Rylan...
The day they’re all meeting up, Alek and his dad, Helena, Rylan and her dad, Alek gets a shock, his dad tells him he’s to marry Helena, he and her grandfather arranged that before the two were born!! He also tells Alek a huge secret that’s taunted before us all the way through, until its finally revealed. Its a huge one and means Rylan is in danger. Alek’s smitten with her from first glance...his rep though, worries Rylan. Still , she’s takes the chance for some out and out torrid sex. Of course it never stops there does it, pesky emotions get in the way.
Rylan also learns that on her 21st birthday, very soon, she takes control of the company that her dad and Helena currently are running. I guess I was a bit gobsmacked there at how a 21 year old with no real experience did so well, I know she’d prepared soon as she knew, and had excellent advisers but its a huge sea change for her. The plot heats up as the dangers start appearing and Alek and Rylan are trying to keep their relationship going but its hard when they’re apart so much.
So there’s plenty of heat here, which fits the story very well, a fun plot and lots of dangers but somehow though it should have made for a great read for me it was one that didn’t crack the magic five star. Still a good read at 3.5 stars, just not one that’s stayed with me and that I’d reread.
Stars:Three and a half, some torrid and heated sex scenes but overall the story didn’t make the Great league for me
ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers.
March 10, 2016
I'd give Brilliant Secrets 3 stars, it was okay. I'm sorry to say that for the most part this story just didn't work for me. I had a really hard time getting into this book, and I never really made a connection to either the hero or heroine. I found the heroine kind of flaky and wish-washy, since she's only twenty-one maybe we can write this off as her being immature. Meanwhile the hero starts out as a complete man-whore, who just uses women for his own purposes then drops them. Yet we are supposed to believe that just one look at the heroine and he's a completely different man. Ummm... sorry I just can't buy it.
Spoilers ahead:
It didn't take long to figure out who BAS's mystery client was, and it seemed that keeping the secret was a really bad idea from the very beginning. By doing so, the client put her own daughter right in the line of fire of the woman who had tried her best to kill her. Not a smart move it seems. Especially since those actions not only nearly cost her daughter her relationship with the man she loved, they almost got her killed as well.
The pluses to the story was that there was lots of hot sex going on between the H/h that was lots of fun. And I really liked the secondary characters, the H/h's friends, Sawyer and Killian.
I received a copy from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
Spoilers ahead:
It didn't take long to figure out who BAS's mystery client was, and it seemed that keeping the secret was a really bad idea from the very beginning. By doing so, the client put her own daughter right in the line of fire of the woman who had tried her best to kill her. Not a smart move it seems. Especially since those actions not only nearly cost her daughter her relationship with the man she loved, they almost got her killed as well.
The pluses to the story was that there was lots of hot sex going on between the H/h that was lots of fun. And I really liked the secondary characters, the H/h's friends, Sawyer and Killian.
I received a copy from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
July 19, 2016
I did not finish this book for several reasons.
* The POV often felt like the character was speaking to the reader, which is not something I am used to reading. This alone was a major turn off.
* I didn't feel the connection between Alek and Rylan. He is a womanizer who slept with 5 or so women in the last week. Yet he meets Rylan over dinner, has a small make out session in her room and suddenly can't get enough of her. To the point where after leaving the country to return home, he calls her a few weeks later saying he can't stand to be without her and needs to see her and touch her. It just seemed completely out of left field for me. Perhaps if we were given more insight into the communication during that time it would feel natural, but this felt very forced.
* The arranged marriage is mentioned once and then not brought up again for many chapters. It almost felt like it wasn't part of the plot the way it was so briefly mentioned. I expected more of a reaction from Alek especially, or maybe a clue into his internal thinking about the arranged marriage after the make out session with Rylan.
Overall the story fell very short for me and I stopped reading about a third of the way through. It's disappointing because I think the potential with the plot was there.
** ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review **
* The POV often felt like the character was speaking to the reader, which is not something I am used to reading. This alone was a major turn off.
* I didn't feel the connection between Alek and Rylan. He is a womanizer who slept with 5 or so women in the last week. Yet he meets Rylan over dinner, has a small make out session in her room and suddenly can't get enough of her. To the point where after leaving the country to return home, he calls her a few weeks later saying he can't stand to be without her and needs to see her and touch her. It just seemed completely out of left field for me. Perhaps if we were given more insight into the communication during that time it would feel natural, but this felt very forced.
* The arranged marriage is mentioned once and then not brought up again for many chapters. It almost felt like it wasn't part of the plot the way it was so briefly mentioned. I expected more of a reaction from Alek especially, or maybe a clue into his internal thinking about the arranged marriage after the make out session with Rylan.
Overall the story fell very short for me and I stopped reading about a third of the way through. It's disappointing because I think the potential with the plot was there.
** ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review **
November 4, 2015
I really don't like to write a negative review. Had I not received an ARC, I would not have reviewed this book because of that.
First, the positive. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the art heist and how the characters were involved with it and each other. I was determined to finish the book to find out what happened.
However, at no point did I feel like the main characters' relationship, or really any interactions, were remotely realistic. In fact, I had to take several breaks in reading this book out of frustration.
As with all books, some people will love this one and I hope that's the case. It just wasn't for me.
First, the positive. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the art heist and how the characters were involved with it and each other. I was determined to finish the book to find out what happened.
However, at no point did I feel like the main characters' relationship, or really any interactions, were remotely realistic. In fact, I had to take several breaks in reading this book out of frustration.
As with all books, some people will love this one and I hope that's the case. It just wasn't for me.
January 15, 2017
This was the first time reading Dawna Raver and to say that I was blown away would be a complete understatement.
While reading Brilliant Secrets I found myself sucked into the lives of Alek and Rylan and feeling all of the torment and happiness they both go through. Secrets can hurt and they can also kill if the wrong people get their hands on them.
Brilliant Secrets has so many twists and turns I was glued to every page till the very end.
Dawna Raver takes the reader on such an emotional rollercoaster you can't help but to be affected with the traumatic events that happen throughout the story!!
Brilliant Secrets was indeed Truly Brilliant.
While reading Brilliant Secrets I found myself sucked into the lives of Alek and Rylan and feeling all of the torment and happiness they both go through. Secrets can hurt and they can also kill if the wrong people get their hands on them.
Brilliant Secrets has so many twists and turns I was glued to every page till the very end.
Dawna Raver takes the reader on such an emotional rollercoaster you can't help but to be affected with the traumatic events that happen throughout the story!!
Brilliant Secrets was indeed Truly Brilliant.
November 23, 2015
I received a free copy for an honest review. I must admit this is the first book I have read by Dawna Rava. She has been on my long TBR list for a while after hearing great things about her Colour Wielders series. What an amazing book. There are so many twist and turns you cannot predict where the story is going. These are the kind of stories I love. It will be hard to not fall in love with Aleksandr and Rylan’s story.I highly recommend this book if you are looking for mystery, romance and HEAT.
I am a new fan of Dawna Rava.
I am a new fan of Dawna Rava.
March 18, 2016
However far fetched Brilliant Secrets seemed, I still enjoyed this romantic suspense novel. It was able to keep my attention with the absolute unknown of what would happen next. I did find the main characters "romance" a little forced, but still an enjoyable read that I would recommend to readers of this genre.
July 12, 2016
I enjoyed the storyline and characters created for this book and I loved the angst and edge of your seat moments. The author leaves you guessing until the very end.
But I struggled with the connection between Alek and Rylan. It happened to quickly without much interaction and the fact that Rylan kept lusting after others left me not really liking her or believing her feelings towards Alek.
But I struggled with the connection between Alek and Rylan. It happened to quickly without much interaction and the fact that Rylan kept lusting after others left me not really liking her or believing her feelings towards Alek.
November 3, 2016
Great story!!
This book had my attention from the get go! With wonderful characters, great story line, hot sexy scenes, & suspense. This is a must read! I have read a few of her other books & they are just as great.
I was given an ARC in return for review.
This book had my attention from the get go! With wonderful characters, great story line, hot sexy scenes, & suspense. This is a must read! I have read a few of her other books & they are just as great.
I was given an ARC in return for review.
December 21, 2015
**Reviewed for Nerdy, Dirty & Flirty**
November 21, 2015
**Received ARC for honest review **
This novel was full of mystery and suspense from beginning to end. Wonderfully written. Loved Alek and Rylan's repartee.
This novel was full of mystery and suspense from beginning to end. Wonderfully written. Loved Alek and Rylan's repartee.
Want to Read
February 24, 2016
***ARC kindly provided via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review***
June 5, 2016
An enjoyable read from Dawna Raver! It has suspense and drama and romance and murder and twists and turns! Good storyline and characters! Recommend!
Read
October 28, 2015Couldn't finish
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