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Dark series #2

Dark Secrets

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There’s a reason Faith works at Lam, a known mafia bar, despite the fact that she doesn’t have a drop of hospitality kindness or any apparent respect for men who could easily take her life. There is also a reason Danny is the new bartender there. And that reason has nothing to do with the decades-long bartending experience he lied about on his resume. So when passions emerge and become too much to deny anymore, they each scramble to try to protect their secrets- Faith, the deal she made with the devil to get and keep a job she obviously had no interest in and why; Danny, the real reason he was at Lam. But, as with all secrets, the truth will always find its way to the light… * For possible triggers, please visit the author's website.

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 3, 2016

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627 people want to read

About the author

Jessica Gadziala

162 books5,392 followers
Jessica Gadziala is a USA Today bestselling author who lives in rural New Jersey with her parrots, dogs, and an ever-growing collection of houseplants. A lifelong dreamer, she’s been writing stories since childhood and published her first book in 2015. When not at her desk, she’s usually feeding backyard birds, rewatching crime dramas, period pieces, and 90s supernatural TV shows, or adding to her towering stacks of unread books.



You can find her on
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Newsletter: subscribepage.io/K4GPfj
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xx

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
Profile Image for ➦Paulette & Her Sexy Alphas .
1,176 reviews347 followers
April 4, 2020
Title: ➳ ❤ Dark Secrets
Series ➳ Dark series 2#
Author: ➳ Jessica Gadziala
Published December 3rd 2016
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐


ღ It’s been while since I got hooked on one Jessica Gadziala’s series, but Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down.
It’s really hard to put down one of Jessica Gadziala books & not read it from cover to cover! Well that least it is for me

We always knew she was Tough as nails, only thing is we truly didn’t know her reason why, until now!
Faith Costa was 18 years old when she walked into the into Lam, a well-known mob front for the D'Onofrio crime family, & became their bartender.

Anyone who knew the D'Onofrio crime family wonder what the they were thinking when they hire her, since she has no patience for people let alone drunks, no one knows what lies beneath the surface until now ! We know that crime families keep their secrets but lord

Lam’s got a new bartender Danny,

When sex on stick men comes strolling in for the part-time bartending job, Faith immediately notices he is more than what he seems. He is cool under pressure, knows how to defend himself, & kick ass better than she can. Danny is also wildly sexy, & Faith can’t help but feel the pull - both to fall into bed with him, & maybe bare her soul. Until all their secrets come to light

💕My heart went out to Faith when I heard her story, but what I love the most about this book is how Faith turn into bass alpha female , & I just love how Danny just know how to handle Faith & her walls come crumbing down

💕The epilogue to this was amazing & I can’t wait to move down this list in Navesink Bank Universe

📚 Hope you enjoy this read & also always keep in mind this is just my opinion+ Also I wouldn’t never discourage anyone from reading this book,


Happy Reading --- Enjoy ……. Paulette Review

Profile Image for Sabrina.
4,314 reviews2,398 followers
December 3, 2016
I hope Jessica Gadziala doesn't have any plans for the next few years because the list of characters I'm going to need her to write about just tippled. Dark Secrets was my first time meeting any of these characters and they were absolutely amazing. Even just the secondary ones that we got the smallest glimpse of have me more curious than I thought possible. I love that this author can make me crazy with curiosity from just the tiniest hint of something.



Faith has been a bartender at Lam for the past ten years and has a reputation for being fast with her fists. But her toughness comes in handy when working at a bar owned by the D'Onofio's, a mob family no one wants to mess with. Other than her that is, she's one of the only people that can get away with not bowing down to Vin D'Onofio, but she'll never tell why that is.

Danny is hired as Lam's newest bartender but he's there for more than just slinging drinks. Just like Faith, he has his own secrets that he's not willing to share. What he will share, though, is how much he wants Fatih and that he'll do anything to have the tough-as-nails bartender all for himself.



I can't get over how much I liked this couple, especially Faith. This author has the very unique ability to write tough, yet vulnerable, heroines and Faith was the epitome of that. She could handle herself in any situation but we still got to see her accept help when needed and I loved that about her character. Her true strength wasn't her Krav Maga skills, it was her ability to accept her weaknesses and push past them.

And of course I loved Danny and all his sexiness. I adored how he didn't let Faith run from him when she wanted to hide from her attraction. I fell for him the very moment he made his entrance and my love for him never stopped.

Bottom line, you need to read this book if you like strong heroines and sexy as all get out heroes. I can't believe I haven't met these characters already but I plan on going to read Dark Mysteries asap to catch up on everyone's lives.

ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Alex ♈.
1,568 reviews1,408 followers
December 18, 2018
2.5 stars

The book didn't make any sense to me till about 60%, then it did a little.
Maybe I missed previous books in other series connected to this one, but I read a lot by this author...
There is always a chance I'm just not very intelligent to get into the story 😂

I liked the heroine and couldn't stand the hero. She was a badass and he was a wimp. IMO of course.

I hate hate hate when they write apparently alpha male protagonist who wants to "break" the strong heroine and to make her beg for his c*ck.

Ugh! I hate this line!!! I can only speak for myself, but any man - I don't discriminate and I really mean ANY man - will die from dehydration while waiting for ME to beg for his c*ck.
Yep, I'm not ashamed to admit, that I'm beg-for-my-p*ssy woman and never ever beg-for-someone's-c*ck girl.
Call me frigid, I don't care 😉

Back to the story. Any man who has a problem with a strong independent woman and wants her to submit is a wimp, at least in my world.
Ok, he tried, but she didn't quite give in. But since she ended with him, it's kinda killed her badassness a bit, of course IMO.

Plot? 🤔
Chemistry? 😴

As I said, you can always shift this review & rating onto my lack of intelligence 😉

Will it stop me from reading more by this author? Nope, I'm JG's junkie.

I hope the next book in this series won't have a carnal need for begging...
Profile Image for Michelle.
1,633 reviews173 followers
December 3, 2016
*ARC provided by the author for an honest review*

Faith is just so bad ass luv her.



Faith is a strong sassy woman. She doesn't let anyone away with a thing. She would stick it up to anyone man or woman who did anything to her. This made me just luv her a lot. Faith hasn't had the easiest of live's but working for a big time mob boss like Vin D'Onofio definitely makes things easy. Even with her working for these top men she doesn't let them treat her like a princess. Faith is the one telling Vin how things go an people do wonder why she gets away with it but it's there lil secret. Faith doesn't have much outside of her job she works a lot. Lams isn't her only job she work in the gym and women's shelter helping women with self defence classes.



One thing about Lams they don't seem to keep bartenders. So when Danny the new guy shows up she just knows he's not goin to last. Danny is crazy sexy very nice on the eye and this makes it a lil harder for Faith. She doesn't date mite have the odd one night stand but even then it was a long time. So Danny being close could be a problem for her. There is something not quite right about Danny. You can tell that he as secrets just like Faith. Ye he is very attractive and really good at his job. He also finds Faith sexy but she doesn't want a thing to do with him.



I really enjoyed this story I luvd the tension between Danny and Faith. This author really knows how to make her females just as strong the males some might be even stronger. I think Faith is one of them. It was great to read how Danny wore Faith down with his sweetheart and baby. Lil touches here and there he really knew how to get to her it was hot.



I was really happy I read Dark Mysteries first. (It can be read as a standalone) Getting to see the other characters in that book was great. There isn't a character in this book that I don't want more of but it's like that with al the books I 've read from this author. I just can't get enough of them on can't wait for more. I d highly recommend this book. It had everything in it from strong male and female characters and a strong storyline which kept me hooked al the way through just brilliant.

Profile Image for Dianne.
6,815 reviews634 followers
December 9, 2016
Tough as nails heroine who hasn’t met her match yet? Check! Hot new guy who borders on over-self-assuredness, driving said heroine crazy? Check! Secrets, secrets and more secrets? Check, again! Being able to tear myself away from this read for the normal necessities of life? IMPOSSIBLE! You guessed it, Jessica Gadziala has taken control of my life again with DARK SECRETS and re-entering reality was painful, trust me!

Faith is a no nonsense, never back down, take no prisoners kind of girl. She has to be as a bartender in a well-known mafia bar where she has the mob boss/owner under her thumb with their own dark secrets. The day she was told she had a new bartender coming in, her razor-sharp senses smelled a rat, but Danny had the creds, the talent and the charm to make customers happy, and really you do not want to offend the clientele at Lam. BUT, Faith’s well-honed instincts are sounding the warning bells. Was it because Danny was getting under her skin? Can you say total denial without chuckling?

Danny is alpha and as much as his attitude disturbs Faith, there is something about him, but she is determined to let him know she is the top dog, even in the sexual attraction arena. Too bad her hormones were not in agreement.

Meanwhile, Danny is hiding the darkest of dark secrets and to be outed could mean his death. What he discovers is that things are not always as they seem and even mob bosses have a heart behind their underworld skin. What will happen if Faith discovers who he is? Their attraction is hot, seering hot, and their chemistry requires a Combustible warning as two people explore and satisfy their needs while attempting to cover their pasts. Can love be found under all of the games people play?

Jessica Gadziala knows what a real heroine is and is never shy about giving them a tough exterior while maintaining a gooey inside. Nothing like a good heroine to bring the big, bad alpha to his knees, tackled by love! Intense, wickedly hot and brilliantly plotted, Jessica Gadziala once again, brings her best to the table with completely engrossing reading.

I received an ARC edition from Jessica Gadziala in exchange for my honest review.

Publication Date: December 3, 2016
Publisher: Jessica Gadziala
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Print Length: 234 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com



Profile Image for Dusti Hanrahan.
298 reviews96 followers
December 6, 2016
This was a fantastic book. I loved the snarky, bad ass dynamic between Faith and Daniel!
Full review to come.

Received ARC from author in exchange for honest review :)
Profile Image for Christen.
275 reviews1 follower
December 7, 2016


I love how I can always count on the fact that when I read a Jessica Gadziala book #1 I will love it, #2 the characters are strong & dynamic, and #3 the story will rock!

Faith + Daniel = smart + sexy = one steamy & awesome book!!



Faith is kickass, strong heroine who suffers no fools and pulls no punches. Though it would not be unusual to catch her punching out some fool!



The romance was steamy and delicious! I have become a Jessica Gadziala junky, cannot wait for my next fix!!!


Profile Image for JudyCa.
1,185 reviews
December 7, 2016
I really liked this. Daniel was not the perfect H, it was clearly visible and I think that's why I liked him so much. I also found this with Xavier in book 1. I like this group of characters and look forward to the next story!
Profile Image for Cindy.
2,349 reviews172 followers
November 29, 2016
I dont know whether to say nanner nanner I know the secret or holy crap Jessica genuinely surprised me with it. Along with that, the list of characters needing books just keep getting longer and longer.

Faith was a bad ass bartender we'd met quite a few books back. Knew she was tough as nails and took no crap from no man. We finally get to find out her story and what's really underneath all those hard edges. A woman like that would need one heck of a man to rock her world and boy did she get that in spades. And that's all I'm saying on that subject....

The backdrop of this story is in a bar called the Lam which is owned by the D'Onofio's who are a mob family. And here is where 3 more names went on my want list of characters I want books for. Hopefully the 3 D'Onofio brothers are in the long queue that this author has for future books..

It was great having the team from Dark Mysteries back together. Xander and Z and crazy Cory and Enzo and Espen (soo ready for their story – its going to be hotttttt..)

Reading a Jessica Gadziala book is like going home and visiting old friends – while reading you feel a special bond with all the characters and you never want to leave their world..
Profile Image for Debbie.
2,698 reviews50 followers
October 29, 2021
RE-READ 10-29-21: I had forgotten a lot about this book, so it was like reading it for the first time.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Jessica Gadziala's books are ones that I automatically preorder whenever they are available. So I already had this book purchased when I was kindly gifted an ARC in exchange for an honest review. It never crossed my mind to cancel my order because whether I'm gifted an ARC or whether I make a verified purchase on Amazon, my review will be honest and from the heart.

Faith works at Lam, the bar that's owned by the D'Onofrio mafia family. She has a number of secrets, the biggest of which is why Vin allows her to work there. When it becomes clear that the hot new bartender Danny has secrets, Faith gets Xander to check him out. She and Danny have instant smoking chemistry and it doesn't take long before fighting the attraction is just too hard. But when she learns what Danny's secret is, Faith realizes them being together is a mistake.

Faith is a great female leading character. She's beautiful and strong and can easily take care of herself. Danny is hot. He makes it clear that his interest in Faith is personal and that the two of them together is going to happen no matter how hard she fights. Great epilogue at the end.

It was good seeing some of the characters from the first book, as well as characters from other books from some of JG's different series. I like how all these characters can cross over from one book/series to the next and we get little updates into their lives. It helps to get to know the characters better and feel more involved in their stories. I can't wait to see what's up next from this author.
Profile Image for Em.
1,667 reviews15 followers
October 4, 2017
DISCLAIMER TO MY FELLOW GOODREADER
This review is my personal opinion and may contain: spoilers, quotes, rants and swearing.

At age 18, Faith Costa walked into Lam, a well known mob front for the D'Onofrio crime family, and became their bartender. For the last decade she has been slinging drinks for money at night and teaching Krav Maga for woman's self defense classes during the day. There are only a few who know her entire story. Some are gifted pieces. Faith keeps herself guarded. It is how she survives. Her walls are not to be infiltrated. No one has stood a chance. Until him.

"Sometimes you just clicked with people. There was no accounting for it. You talked to them for five minutes and you knew they were going to be a part of your life for a long time in the future."

Daniel "Danny" Fabar desperately needs a notch in the win column. He has a shot at being the new bartender at Lam. Danny was not prepared for his fate to be decided by a knock out who can hold her own against any threat. He was a man with a plan. This plan did not include her.

"I know it's fucking whack. Especially this soon. But she's something special, man. Never met a woman like her before. She's a fucking battle axe wrapped in velvet."

You sneaky woman... when the truth was revealed about who Daniel is (had my suspicions) and how he was connected back into the fold I was fucking floored. Jessica, make a note to self. Emily needs a character map. My brain is overwhelmed by your world.

Cliffhanger - no (book #2 of series)
POV - Faith & Daniel
Profile Image for Eleanor.
1,192 reviews30 followers
May 16, 2017
5 Bad Ass Stars

One Bad Ass strong Female who can fight for herself and doesn't need any man to help her - Check!

On Bad Ass male as hot as a summers day, who wants to fight for said Female - Check!

We've been waiting on Faith's story for awhile now and boy was it worth the wait. We find out Faith's back story and how she ends up working bar at Lam's. We also find out some of Daniels Secrets too. Jessica's books are a most for me and every single book she brings out is just as good as the next. I'd highly recommend checking this Dark Mysteries series out if you haven't already.
Profile Image for  Joyce .
1,014 reviews29 followers
December 20, 2016
Excellent read

Daniel is a undercover FBI agent working as a bartender in a mob bar when he meets Faith. Faith is his boss to start but learns he is under cover. Will she out him to the Mob Boss she is blackmailing or will they have a HEA? You'll have to read to find out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for CC.
1,781 reviews238 followers
December 31, 2019
I liked Faith and Danny. But they were in denial too long. It was a great story though.
Profile Image for Colleen.
951 reviews44 followers
December 5, 2016
Faith deserves a read, you will NOT be disappointed.

Title: Dark Secrets
Author: Jessica Gadziala
Series: (Navesink Bank Universe)
Genre: Romantic Suspense/Contemporary Romance

Plot Summary:

Faith has been working at Lam, the local mob bar for almost a decade. How she managed to do that since she has no patience for people let alone drunks, no one knows. Except her and the D’Onofrio crime family, and no one there is telling anyone.

When Danny comes strolling in for the part-time bartending job, Faith immediately notices he is more than what he seems. He is cool under pressure, knows how to defend himself, and kick ass better than she can. He is also wildly attractive, and Faith can’t help but feel the pull - both to fall into bed with him, and maybe bare her soul.

But Danny isn’t just there for the bartending job, and really, neither is Faith. Both have other interests wrapped up in Lam and the D’Onofrio family, and secrets will out eventually.

Character Descriptions/Development: 5 stars

Faith was totally the most badass to date of the Navesink Bank heroines. She arguably didn’t have the worst past, and yet she is a great shot, carries a badass gun, teaches self-defense, and is insanely well versed in Krav Maga. She has her tight circle of friends, but doesn’t really live - she works, eats, sleeps, and repeats.

Fact of the matter was - she had long ago stopped hoping for a happily ever after. That wasn’t meant for girls like her - the ones who were battered and bruised and battle-weary, the ones who had walls fifteen feet high and five feet thick around them, the ones who could never see the silving lining.


And yet within days of meeting Danny she wants to drop her ‘mask’ for him. She lets him in, takes the chance. Proving she is just banged up, not broken.

Danny, Danny, Danny… or Daniel. I was hot for Daniel right of the mark since he was so cool. There was nothing overly arrogant or cocky or pushy about him. The greatest thing about him was just that he realized how special Faith was and never tried to change her.

Storyline/Conflict: 5 stars

So I have a thing about internal and external conflict - I like both. I pretty much NEED both. What I rocked my world in this book was that they were almost one in the same here. The internal conflict was Faith’s overall distrusting attitude being contrary to falling for Daniel… and then of course the fact that Daniel isn’t what he seems plays into her emotional distrust, as well as brings the external conflict into play Even Daniel’s appearance makes issues in Faith’s past bubble up to the surface, mainly her relationships with the D’Onofrio family.

Writing Style:5 stars

Excellent. There was suspense, action, kickass humor. This book more than most by this author really had me laughing.


Heat: 4 stars


One of the hottest scenes yet by this author… Faith is kickass take charge in day-to-day life, but she likes giving up control in bed… if her partner is strong enough to take that control from her to begin with. It takes a bit to build up to the physical relationship between Daniel and Faith (almost 50% until sex) but the first scene, their foreplay is about 75% sparring and 24% sex, and it was EFFING HAWT.

That being said, there wasn’t a ton of descriptive sex in this book like others prior.

Favorite Quote:


“You lied to me”.
“Jesus Christ, so the fuck what?” he asked on a hiss, making her jerk back surprised.
“And by that, I’m pretty sure you meant ‘yeah, that was a dick move and I’m sorry’.”



Also, the last few paragraphs of the epilogue had me completely crying with laughter .
Profile Image for Bette Hansen.
5,073 reviews40 followers
December 4, 2016
Excellent read!! Faith is a tough as nails woman working in a mafia owned bar. She rules the place and no one dares cross her. Until the new bartender Danny comes along. These two have serious chemistry between them but Faith feels like there is something about Danny that isn't quite right. He seems to know just how to handle her though and before she knows it her walls are coming down around him. This could be something great or the worst thing she's ever done.

Definitely a book I recommend.
Profile Image for Brianda.
433 reviews8 followers
September 18, 2017
Yeah, this one just didnt do it for me, maybe because since Reign I'd been waiting for Daniel's story and my expectations were really high, I wanted something epic for him, and not what was delivered...
And dont get me started on Faith. Speaking of damaged AND annoying!
Pass...

Spoilers/Ranting ahead...






(Spoilers! an undercover agent who lets a bunch of criminals go free because they "mean something" to the h, even tough those same criminals are partially at fault for her father's death and her mother's rape?... I know this is fiction, but it's OFF THE CHARTS UNBELIEVABLE)
Profile Image for Alicia.
326 reviews9 followers
December 4, 2016
Finnnalllllyyyy Faith's story!!!

I've been waiting for her book since we met her in Dark Mysteries! Her and Daniel were perfect for each other! And like every time I read a JG book I'm left wanting all the other supporting characters books too!!!! I'm torn between needing Enzo's or Anthony's or Corey's or K's book ASAP....oh I just want them all!!! I can't wait for more! Perfect blend of love, steam and mystery!!
Profile Image for Jill Oates.
965 reviews1 follower
December 5, 2016
What can I say that others haven't already said - this is a great book and a must read.

As usual I loved the interlacing of this story with the characters from Dark Mysteries plus the other little snippets. Also loved the epilogue - probably my favourite thing in books, I always want to know what happens next month, next year, next decade!

Profile Image for Sara.
90 reviews1 follower
December 6, 2016
Another amazing book!

One thing I love about Jessica's books is that they always keep me guessing with all the twists! The book had me guessing from the start about who Danny was & when I finally put it all together my mind was spinning. I loved Faith & I'm so happy to finally have her story. I new she was a strong woman & now I know why she is that way. I loved getting a look into their future at the end & as always I'm ready for another of her books...maybe Ant?? :)
Profile Image for Stormie.
1,019 reviews46 followers
July 23, 2017
This was a good one. Faith was a hardass/badass. I mean, no one messed with her. But she still had a soft side and she was honest, which I really liked about her. Daniel was really sexy, a total badass, and just a cool guy. There were so many characters introduced in this, I definitely look forward to reading their stories too. This was just an overall good story. As always from this author, both the plot and characters are great.
969 reviews9 followers
December 7, 2016
As always I enjoyed this book. Faith's past was heart breaking but I was glad she became a strong kickass woman as a result. I think it is important for all women to have self defense training. I loved the new guy Max. I just keep adding more and more characters I hope to get books for. Corey/ Gabe plus K, Gio, Salvatore, and Anthony.
Profile Image for Elaine Lucky.
1,128 reviews120 followers
June 8, 2025
Faith & Daniels's story. Faith works at mob bar "Lam" owned by Vin D'Onofrino and sons Anthony, Giovanni, & Salvatore. She blackmailed Vin for the job & has been there for years hiding out from her tragic past. Her last name in Costa but nothing else mentioning later Costa books that are further down the line in this series. Daniel comes to work at Lam and he's a little too good to be true. Faith has her doubts and never lets anyone in but he's slowly tearing down her walls. He has an ulterior motive for being there and all hell breaks loose testing both of them on secrets and betrayals. An intricate story chock full of other characters from the series: Xander, K, Ellie, Gabe, & Corey along with earlier incidents in Navesink Bank involving Henchmen, V, & Hailstorm. Looking forward to the next in the series. Gadziala is a great author!
Profile Image for Autumn.
57 reviews
December 5, 2016
If you like a strong female character, this is your book

It's no secret that any book of Jessica Gadziala's I love, I was so happy to go back and revisit my favorite characters from the dark series. Faith was a favorite of mine in Dark Mysteries, I loved her no nonsense attitude and how she helped Ellie. I kept wondering about her story and relationship with Vin, it always amused me, so I was finally happy to read her book. Not to forget about Daniel as well, you meet his character in the Henchmen series. I never would have guessed his and Faith's story would merge together and it was perfect. It was refreshing to see a female character that can completely handle her own. A great story line that leads you wanting to hear more about your favorite dark characters, such as K..... who I'm pretty sure is a fan favorite ;)
392 reviews5 followers
December 4, 2016
Gorgeous story with two characters who played roles in previous books by the amazing Jessica Gadziala - ones who you might not have thought too carefully about, but who come together with explosive chemistry. Faith is the head bartender at Lam, a mob-run bar, and frankly, she's getting a bit sick of her bartenders getting fired by the head of the Mafia for one reason or another. She is surprised when her boss tells her that he has hired another bartender to try out, and Danny is not only amazing behind the bar, but ticks all her boxes - tall, dark, handsome, charismatic and more than able to handle himself in a dodgy situation. Great chemistry and fantastic plotline - loved it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews

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