Cherished Secrets

by C.B. Clark

Twelve years ago, sixteen-year old Carrie Ann Hetherington, pregnant with the child of a murder suspect, fled the small town of Cooper's Ridge for the anonymity of Seattle. Now, faced with a family dilemma, she must risk her carefully reinvented life and return to her childhood home. Eighteen-year-old Declan McAllister's prom date is found beaten and strangled to death, and he becomes the prime suspect accused of the grisly crime. Now this successful Dallas businessman returns to Cooper's Ridge to find the true murderer and finally lift the cloak of suspicion he's faced all these years. In his quest to prove his innocence, he must join forces with the woman who shattered his heart to find a devious killer who will stop at nothing to protect a shocking truth. Caught up in a menacing web of secrets, deception and danger, Carrie Ann and Declan struggle to overcome past betrayals and present danger. Can they tear down the barriers they've erected around their hearts and rediscover true love?

362 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 26, 2016

About the author

Award-winning author, C.B. Clark has written nine romantic suspense novels published by The Wild Rose Press. C.B. has always loved reading, especially romances, but it wasn’t until she lost her voice for a year that she considered writing her own romantic suspense stories. She grew up in Canada’s Northwest Territories and Yukon. Graduating with a degree in Anthropology and Archaeology, she has worked as an archaeologist and an educator. She enjoys hiking, canoeing, and snowshoeing with her husband and dog near her home in the wilderness of central British Columbia.

Reviews

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm starting to wonder if all small towns are hotbeds of crime and coverups? You never read about this stuff happening in a city!!

Twelve years ago, Carrie Ann Hetherington left Cooper's Ridge and never looked back. Now she's returned to collect her mother's belongings and runs straight into the man who made her leave all those years ago. Declan McAllister was skewered in the court of public opinion when his prom date died and Carrie Ann left suddenly. Now he's back in town to try and clear his name, and the one person who can help him do that is Carrie Ann. Threats and lies are still alive and well in Cooper's Ridge, but when "accidents" start happening to both Carrie Ann and Declan, they know they're closer to the truth. Can the two of them figure out exactly who wants them silenced even after all these years?

Oooh, this is a good one ya'll! The feel right away is dark and dangerous, and Ms. Clark immediately sucks you into Carrie Ann and Declan's story as they try to find out what really happened to the young woman who was brutally murdered 12 years ago. The tension was high in the town and between the former lovers, though I will say that my disappointment was high that Ms. Clark completely left out any sex scenes! The build up was great, the rough kisses and lingering stares built up to explosive sex…aaaaaannnnnd fade to black. Sigh.

Even so, the mystery was well written and intriguing, and I couldn't stop flipping furiously to find out what would happen next. I'm only bummed that this is a one-off instead of a series!

Bottom Line: No OW/OM or sharing; maybe condom use (the sex scenes were only implied, dammit!); no BDSM/kink; implied sexual assault; murder (past)/violence (past and present). - See more at: http://www.theromancereviews.com/view...

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[Stanalei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cherished Secrets Indeed!
Cherished Secrets is a murder mystery of the highest caliber. The descriptions of the small town and secondary characters felt spot on. The mystery of the murderer kept me guessing until right at the end. Ms. Clark does an awesome job of threading in red-herrings with a hot second-chance romance that kept me turning page after page.
If you’re looking for page-turner murder mystery, be sure to pick up Cherished Secrets, but be prepared to lose a bit of sleep.

[J.J. Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished C.B. Clark’s Cherished Secrets, and this woman can write. She makes you feel like you’ve been dropped into the middle of a Pacific Northwest forest — you will get lost in the world she has created in this small, gossipy, sometimes violent, town. Almost from the first page, every interaction between the characters seems laced with multiple meanings and secrets buried in the most innocent of exchanges. She credibly sets up a number of suspects who could be threatening the main characters, Carrie Anne and Declan, at the same time we’re left wondering when Carrie Ann’s own secrets will come racing out of the past to threaten the fragile relationship she re-establishes with Declan. Lots of clues, lots of twists, turns and false leads will leave you guessing until the last minute. Even if romance isn’t your thing — read this book for the joy of reading an author who can transport you to another world.

[Darla Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the books you had to continue reading no matter what else you had going on. You had to find out what happened next. The entire book keeps.you on the edge of your seat. Great book and highly recommend!