Night Secrets

by Kat Martin

Their passion was a force of nature, as wild and powerful as the sea

They came from opposite Brianne, a young woman trapped in a life from which she longs to escape; and Captain Marcus Delaine, the Earl of Hawksmoor, a man whose heart and soul cannot be touched by anyone. When Brianne briefly stows away on his ship, their lives are filled with beauty and passion...But when tragedy strikes, Brianne and Marcus are torn from each other, and the love between them is buried beneath the agony of betrayal. Traveling to England, Brianne is determined to touch the heart of the vengeful, embittered man Marcus has become...even if it means losing him forever.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Pirates, Regency, Adult, Historical Fiction

342 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Kathleen Kelly Martin (aka Kathy Lawrence, Kasey Mars)

Kathleen Kelly was born on 14 July 1947 in the Central Valley of California, USA. She obtained a degree in Anthropology and also studied History at the University of California in Santa Barbara. She was a real estate broker, when she met her future husband, Larry Jay Martin. A short time after the two became acquainted, Larry asked her to read an unpublished manuscript of an historical western he'd written. Kat fell in love with both the book and the author! Then, after doing some editing for him, she thought she'd try her own hand at writing. She moved on to become a full time writer.

Published since 1988, she signed her books with her married name, Kat Martin, but she also used two pseudonyms: Kathy Lawrence for a book in collaboration with her husband Larry Jay Martin, and Kasey Mars for her first contemporary romances. The New York Times bestselling writer, among her many awards, has won the prestigious RT Book Review Magazine Career Achievement Award. To date, Kat has over eleven million copies of her books in print. She has been published in seventeen foreign countries, including England, South Africa, Spain, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Bulgaria, China, and Korea.

Currently residing with her husband, a Western-writer and photographer, in Missoula, Montana, USA. But when they are not writing, they also enjoy skiing and traveling, particularly to Europe.

"I've always loved books. I was an avid reader, with any number of my own stories rolling around in my head. Writing them down seemed a logical step."

"I love anything old," Kat says. "I love to travel and especially like to visit the places where my books are set. My husband and I often stay in out-of-the-way inns and houses built in times past. It's fun and it gives a wonderful sense of a by-gone era."

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

TW sexual assault and abuse

This was so good! The heroine wants to travel and explore the world, so she stows away on Marcus's ship. Marcus is furious when he finds her, but the two soon find themselves not being able to stay away from each other. With older historical romances, the heroine finds herself in dangerous situations that the hero has to save her from. Marcus, though, has only ever loved the sea and knows that is his life and no woman can have a permanent place in it. During a brutal storm, though, Marcus loses the use of his legs. Marcus changes greatly because that means he can no longer be a captain, which was his life. I loved Brianne's determination to help Marcus and get through to him when he was closing everyone out. The romance was actually very emotional and sweet and I loved how much Marcus and Brianne ended up caring for each other. Brianne and Marcus went through an emotional and adventurous story and I loved it!

[Missy · Rating 3 out of 5]

1/17/25 - The Kindle ebook is on sale for 99 cents. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H0V04OE?...


Review from 3/18/21

2.75-2.85

I needed a book with angst and this book delivered...although I wanted more angst! The heroine is in love with the sea captain hero who is in love with the sea and would never settle down. True, it did get a little annoying how many times he had to remind the heroine (and we readers) of that. It was heartbreaking both times he chose to leave her, especially the second time. There was a plot twist where the villain is concerned that I didn't see coming.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read: 3/10/21
While reading this I kept thinking of the song "Brandy". Ironically, I later found out the song was the author's inspiration. It's a great song but sad. Our hero loves the sea more than the heroine. Brandy is strong and no pushover but she loves the hero even knowing he won't stay.

I thought it was a good read, but prepare to cry.

[Izzah ꒰Duchess of Cabria ಇ ⭑✧ ᴏɴ ᴘᴀᴛʀᴇᴏɴ ✧ ⋆꒱ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong emotions, simple story

What happens when the competition for the love of your life is the most fickle, most enchanting temptress to ever capture men's hearts?

What happens when you fall in love with a man whose heart is in the clutches of the most capricious mistress ever to exist?

What happens when a young girl falls in love with a sailor in love with the sea?
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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[Lucy Qhuay · Rating 1 out of 5]

Definitely the worst Kat Martin book I've read so far.

Marcus and Brandy's relationship was all kinds of wrong.

First of all, I didn't like how he thought of her as a child, which I sort of thought it too due to her childishness, yet entertained sexual thoughts about her almost from the get go.

The fact he kept using the words 'sweet' and 'little' to describe her just strengthened this feeling.

Also, what can I say about a man who has sex with a young, naive woman that is virtually alone and defenseless in this rotten world, knowing that he's going to ditch her?

Let's not even talk about the fact he knew her virginity was what could get her a decent life, with home, husband and children and he was robbing her of that.

Seriously not worth my time.

[Tori - Novel Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This is my first Kat Martin and I absolutely loved it!! It started off with a bang and continued with so much action!! I loved the female and male character so much and I didn't realize that this had a disability rep in it. The romance WAS SO EPIC!!!!

TW: abuse

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm disappointed to say that this is my least favorite Kat Martin book so far. I usually find her writing to be fun and passionate, and I felt that this story, and these characters, had all the makings for another wonderful book... they just didn't quite hit the mark.

Brandy Winters has known nothing in her life but working in her father's tavern, handling sailors who come in for a drink and listening to their stories. For almost as long as she can remember she's been drawn to Marcus Delaine, captain of the Seahawk. When the opportunity arises, she stows away on his ship as it makes a month-long round-trip journey, determined to see something of the world other than her abusive father's tavern.

Honestly, the fact that Brandy suffered from a series of heartbreaks, caused by Marcus, and that he was too dumb to realize her affection isn't the issue. The issue is that these two characters are terrible for each other. Or rather, Marcus is terrible for Brandy. Were it not for the HEA ending, this reads like an almost textbook abusive relationship. He hurts her over and over again, and she takes him back over and over again. He tries to push her away, all while also manipulating her to stay. He says horrible things to her, while also trying to seduce her. After he leaves, she works hard to pull herself back together. She finds someone who thinks she is "the most decent woman" he's ever met. He wants to give her everything she wants in life, is more than happy to ignore her ignominious past, and asks only that they be friends (though, of course, if love grew from that friendship, all the better). She sees how much more stable and happy her life would be with this man, she reiterates that he is loyal, thinks the world of her, and she both loves him (in a non-fiery/passionate way) and adores his family. And then she throws it all away because of sex. I was so disappointed in her. Yes, the book gives Marcus a 180° change, but by that point it's so out of the blue and unsubstantiated that it's hard to take seriously.

And, to top it off, the sex scenes were subpar. Dashed off quickly and with lack of detail, though too much poetic (and unrealistic) language was used to describe the act. Basing your life off your carnal activities is always a terrible idea. Basing your life off carnal activities that don't even seem to have much variety is downright stupid.

All that being said, Kat Martin remains one of my favorite romance novelists, and one book I didn't enjoy as much is not going to stand in the way of me enjoying her other books.

[🐝 Shaz 🐝 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. tissues needed.

[CB]

Not interested - plot
@annika if you see this I think you would like it. Seems angsty! 🤣

[Justine B. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Brianne was adorable but even her sunny disposition wasn't enough to redeem the romance. The first half was mediocre. The second half was plain bad. I hated the direction the story took. Marcus was despicable and disgusting. He didn't deserve one bit of Brianne's attention. She was way too good for him. She was as selfless as he was selfish. He never considered her feelings and saw her only as an object for him to use. 64% in the book he is thinking things like "He would be using her again". Also, I hated the miraculous recovery. The way everything was written made it seem like paraplegics can't have romance or intimate relationships. I would have liked their romance had developed while he was a paraplegic and not just after he regained control of his legs and erectile function. It was very insensitive to people with paraplegia. . In the end, I felt like Brianne made the wrong choice. Richard would have treated her so much better.

[romancebookjunkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book for the most incredible stepback I’ve ever seen (big call I know) and stayed because I loved the story. Who doesn’t love a story set on a ship and sailing the seas?

Our heroine works at her father’s tavern but craves more for her life. Craving adventure she decides to stow away on board a ship, but not just any ship, the ship belongs to our hero who she has been in love with since she was a little girl. When she is discovered the captain is livid and seeks to protect her from his crew by having her stay in his quarters.... although this puts her all too temptingly close to him.

I would classify this book as old school romance because it was published in 1999, however there was no dubious consent at all. The heroine knew what she wanted and went after it, she wouldn’t let anyone tell her what to do or feel or think. She stood toe to toe with the Captain at every turn and the results were 🔥🔥🔥. It takes the captain forever to come to terms with how he felt about the heroine but the heroine never really gives up on him. Overall I really enjoyed this book!

[Shellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 -4.5 stars, great story, ending was a little quick. This book is based on the song ‘Brandy’ and yes the story follows what you would expect with the theme of the song except with a happy ending. I really enjoyed it, Kat Martin is great!

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

While reading this, I did think of the song "Brandy" which I really like. It wasn't until the author's note at the end that explains the story was inspired by the song.
I do like this writer but this wasn't one of my fave's by her.
It was a bit long & slow moving for me. Also, I'm not a big fan of stories where there's a HUGE misunderstanding by the protagonists & it takes forever until they're reunited & things are cleared up.
But there was a slow build-up of sexual tension, some suspense & mystery in the story. As well as likable supporting characters.

[Athanasia ♥︎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well that was... something...i guess

This book had an intriguing narrative. The relationship, however, left MUCH to be desired. There was an undertone of pedophilia and rape culture. For instance, when at some point Brandy was almost raped by a fellow crewmate, Marcus' internal thoughts were DISGUSTING as he considered that

"[t]he fact was, seeing her with Sharpe had destroyed the last of his illusions. In truth, he had clung to the fantasy that she was a child to keep his lust for her at bay." ...

RIGHT...BECAUSE ALMOST BEING RAPED DOES THAT TO A DUDE...DAFUQ?"

On the other hand, Brandy was amazing... her ups and downs in class and her confidnece make her so lovable and engaging to be at her point of you. I just did not want her to be with HIM.As such when I read a review saying, "I wanted Brandy to get with any other man other than Marcus," and I get it.

The disability journey was wonderful to read and, as far as the emotional aspect of it was concerned, was very interesting... But Marcus was also a dick throughout and after it, so... Great plot...but an awful MMC.

I HATE YOU MARCUS I HOPE YOUR DICK STOPS WORKING AGAIN!!!


Tags:
Historical Romance⚔️🏰🐲
Virgin FMC 🌮💦👅
Captain MMC 🫡👨‍✈⚓
Scarred/Disabled MMC👀👀👀
Erectile dysfunction 🍆😩💦
Grumpy/sunshine🙄🤭🥰
Learning intimacy💁👌😍
Bad boy bad girl energy👩‍❤️‍👨👥💀
Miscommunication😵‍💫⚠️
Angst😐😑😬
HEA🔔👰🏼🌠

[nanoreadsxo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m horrified that this book is at the bottom of my kindle unread list for months. This book is everything that I want. Yearning, frustration, love & tension. At times i’m frustrated at the mcs but I realized this was all the intentions, angstttt and I love it. Giving me all the emotions. 4.5🌟 rounded up to 5🌟

[Erycca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think my favorite part of this book was the afterword from the author. She was inspired by the song "Brandy" and I enjoyed that she wrote a book from that inspiration. Aside from that, the book wasn't highly sensual, nor did it have any major plot twists that really caught my attention. It was a decent romance, easy reading but not mind-blowing.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending was good but I was rooting for every male character except Marcus for most of this book.

[Ynis Ainu · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was bad. The author seems to have a poor understanding of period facts and details: for example the mansion of an Earl, originating from the 15th century with 50 bedrooms and 10 drawing rooms, located in Cornwall - seriously? Or an Earl having not the least interest or sense of duty to marry and produce an heir, claiming his younger half-brother should produce one - who isn't even wed nor seems to be on the lookout for a wife himself.
Generally, the integration of several plot points feels rather forced, whereas very obvious solutions to the problems or issues of the protas are just ignored for the sake of getting to the plot points the author wants. Both FMC and MMC have tendencies towards TSTL and cavemannish behaviour respectively. The plot makes several larger jumps which I personally felt jarring in the way they were done.
But the worst was the clichéd treatment of the MMC's injury or rather disability and the ableistic treatment of the issue, including the clichéd miraculous recovery. But lo and behold, even then the FMC and MMC don't get together because the MMC continues to be totally dense about things, and it needs another forced plot point to make him see reason, realise his feelings, and finally get the girl - or let the girl have him.
There's a lot more wrong with this book, the characterisations and treatment of the protas and their actions, but I'll keep it to what bothered me most:
Half through the story the MMC is injured aboard his ship and ends up paralysed - although with his bodily functions intact. He instantly turns into a picture book caveman who also completely lost any of his previous character traits, like for exampel he seems to have lost any sense of responsibility and caring he had in abundance before - and of course the injury/disability is shown as the end of his life.
The injury brings the FMC back to his side and she sacrifices herself and her happiness for his sake and to make him better, and even though both rekindle their love and desire for each other, no attempt is made to do more than kiss, and of course nothing more is possible, too. Then a young doctor with different ideas appears who is convinced the MMC would be able to walk again, and of course this happens. Once MMC is back on his legs his life resumes, he can have sex again, and everything is nearly as before, including his blatant disregard of the FMC.
It really bothers me when a character with a disability or similar is depicted in this way, as having no worth, no options, no means of leading a good and successful life, no chance of finding a loving partner or having sex, but instead showing so clearly that the only way to happiness, fulfilment and a relationship is through an able body. Even considering the time the book was written this was already an outdated notion and shows poor research, and it's rather surprising that the author has got the description of the MMC's recovery down in such plausible-sounding detail (I'm no pro so I can't say for sure), but gets the other part so wrong, which makes it feel like a deliberate choice.

[Maverickgirl31 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book 20+ years ago and loved it. Recently did a re-read and man it's still good. Brandy grew up as a tavern "wench" in the colonies who loved hearing sailors talk about the places they traveled. She's also secretly in love with a sea captain who treats her like a "lady." When she gets the opportunity to stow aboard his ship, she finds her destiny awaiting her.

I've always loved transformation stories like Pygmalion, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast and this story really combines all those elements into a very passionate tale. There's no doubt that through 85% of the story, Brandy and Marcus have a very uneven relationship...physically, socially, financially, and perhaps even romantically. That said, Marcus is always aware of this inequality and there's a an agreed consent throughout the book that she accepts that she can only be a beloved mistress to him due to his lifestyle and station in life. He doesn't ever lead her on to expect more and I respect that...frankly it probably even more realistic/relatable. It makes his ultimate acceptance that he can't live without her all the more moving in the end.

But I also like that Brandy doesn't accept those limitations, not because she hopes to be with Marcus, but because she truly wants to expand her world. She learns to stand up for herself from Marcus and it impacts other parts of her life. Many times authors just magically make the heroine know things about society or life or suddenly forget where they came from. It's the opposite here. Brandy's upbringing makes her the perfect partner for Marcus. She's familiar with sailor life and she's not afraid of hard work. She'd couldn't have helped in Marcus's recovery if she was.

Last but not least, this story has a solid suspense angle to it. Someone is menacing Marcus' boats and perhaps even his family. The denouement and motive won't blow anyone's mind away but it was nice to see it weaved so well into the love story. The two leads aren't detecting but the mystery serves as a bit of spice and at time helps move the plot along.

If it's not clear yet, I love this story and highly recommend it for a weekend read that makes you cheer and cry.

[Tim Covell · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the author notes, the book was inspired by the Looking Glass song Brandy, which tells you almost everything about the set up and complications. There's a slightly creepy element, in that the hero is something like a dozen years older than the heroine, who is just 19, and she's long had a crush on him while he still thinks of her as the little girl at the tavern.

Brandy is a strong character, stowing away on a ship to take a break from her life, but also naïve at times, leading to a few rescue scenes. Unlike the song, there is a happy ending, and it involves Brandy rescuing Marcus. There's a suspense subplot that starts subtle and strong, and takes over towards the end of the book, though getting sillier in the process.

A good read overall, and I appreciated the period details of life aboard cargo ships at the time. It wasn't pleasant (and isn't much better now), but the realism added some grit to the story.

[Will A. Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

You will love the adventure and excitement of this book. The characters are well devolved and brave, willing to seek and fight for what they need. The book is a page turner and will keep you involved. The flow of the is easy and carry you on to the next events that continue to come between the characters. The love making is off the charts. You will get a glance at royalty life style and be introduced to physical therapy as a medical profession. You will find this book as exciting and as well written. You will not be disappointed by selecting this book.

[Monika · Rating 5 out of 5]

The angst! The emotions! The settings! Marcus! I love Marcus. His first love is the sea, but then Brianne (Brandy) stowed away on his ship and changed his life. He was possessive and protective of Brandy, but yet it took him FOREVER to figure out that he loved her more than the sea. Brandy is such a strong heroine! She was emotionally and physically strong when Marcus needed her after his accident. The caretaking scenes are perfection! I loved everything about Night Secrets! I need to see if Rex gets a book!

[Christine Jalili · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book.

I loved this book and was hooked from page one. I loved how Brianne always loved Marcus. She’s grown now and he falls for her but he’s always loved the ocean more than anything. I cried when he finally realizes she’s everything to him, can he get her to give him another chance? There’s more drama towards the end but thankfully they get their happy ever after. I highly recommend this book.

[Copper78 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. Marcus and Brandi had good chemistry and Brandi is one of the most loving, loyal, supportive heroines I've seen in this genre. I've seen other reviews that thought Marcus was horrible in the second half but I really didn't think so. He was understandably Depressed and angry but he did appreciate her even when he wasn't showing it well outwardly. He came through when it mattered. The injury twist took me by surprise but I was glad they had a happy ending.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh didn’t love this one. Think the issue was the chemistry between hero and heroine wasn’t strong enough for me. Just wanted Brandy to suddenly shout “I can do better” hall ass to London and find herself a better man.

[Lostintime · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book but the H is on my top ten of no go book boyfriends.

He takes her virginity and leaves her. He has an accident becoming wheelchair bound and impotent, she nurses him back to her and he leaves her.

He grovels a bit and she takes him back.

[Cheese · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was overall good I enjoy how it starts and how it ends and I love the romance and how it improves during the story some parts have their flaws but overall I think it's a good romance if you want to start getting into romance

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book through and through! Excellent writing and great story. The romance was written so well I didn’t feel like I needed the erotica that I usually read. There was a part of the book where I was damn near crying 😭 there was a few twists I didn’t see coming.

[Arlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it....

[Peyyyreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this historical pirate romance! TW: sexual assault, emotional and physical abuse, cheating