Secrets

Secrets #1

by Dakota Haywood

My name is Kitten Daniels. I’ve lived my whole life on the move, up until three years ago. Mom made a promise that I’d graduate here. I allowed myself to make friends, get a boyfriend, even join a sports team.
But if something is too good to be true then it probably is. Promises are broken. Lies are spewed. Now I’m being uprooted from the only place that has ever felt like home. I guess being kidnapped by my neighbors was just the cherry on top of the pie.
Callum, the obnoxious flirt
Wyatt, the lazy genius
Logan, the kidnapper
Trey, the aloof stoic man
And Kade, the forgetful leader.
A group of criminal misfits. Everyone’s lied to me, I can’t even trust my own family. So why do I find myself trusting them when it could cost me everything?

453 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 15, 2020

About the author

Dakota Haywood is a 20 year old author and nursing student who aspires to be someone she can be proud of. Born and raised in a small town in West Virginia, she is heavily affected by her environment which is filled with nothing but love and support.
Dakota is currently working on her series titled Secrets, which will consist of five or more books. This series began from a dream and now completing it is her dream. So stay tuned to read more of Dakota Haywood’s books!

Reviews

[Dakota Haywood]

Personally, I think this book was pretty great. Then again, I wrote it! I hope y'all like it though! There will definitely be more to come!

[Des ❀ (Book Boys Do It Better) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️’s- It was okay.

where to begin? overall, this was a pretty decent book. there were a few things that were hard to get through, and at times I did more skimming than actual reading. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the authors first book, but it was still better than some authors 3rd or 4th, especially in the RH genre.

at times the writing seemed a bit immature (mostly at the beginning) and it was a little hard to get into. i also would’ve liked more character development for the boys, and would’ve preferred more showing vs telling what was going on, but it still was able to suck me in until the end. in all honesty, i almost stopped reading it a few times, but i’m really glad i stuck it out.

one of my biggest problems with this book was all the things the H’s did that Kitten put up with. most of them seemed to really not give a single crap (since kitten hates the F word) about her as a person, and seemed to only be interested in the idea of her and what she could do for them. i’m hoping to see more development of their friendship in the next book, or at least have her stop being a doormat and don’t let them see her until they can grovel a little bit.

my rating probably would’ve been higher if more questions were answered in this book. i understand it’s an ongoing series, but it still seemed to be a little too dragged out for me. we started with questions, collected more as the story went on, and at the end only one or two questions were answered. (who she really was, and her confrontation with her parents)

I rounded up to three stars, because while some aspects were predicable, i really did not see certain elements of the ending coming, and that is honestly pretty rare with how many similar books are out now.

all in all, i will definitely be looking out for the next book, and will keep an eye out for anything else this author writes.

as always, please keep in mind that these are my opinions and that you should absolutely read this yourself to form your own. it’s definitely worth giving a try!

[Goddess Of All · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm actually a little afraid to say how bad this book was because I'm pretty sure that it was written by someone with special needs. I am not saying this as a cruel joke. It truly reads as a book somebody with special needs would write. I miss the days of proofreading and publishers so things like this could not make its way to an audience. I also miss the days when an author did research on subjects they were ignorant of before including it in their books. This book had more grammatical errors in every page than most books have in their entirety. The story itself was completely lacking in any logic. There was so much wrong with this book, I finished it purely so I could joke with a friend who "recommended it" about all of the inconsistencies in writing and logic. Pure insanity. I don't want to be offensive to a person trying to actualize their dreams, but some people are definitely not cut out to be authors. Dakota Haywood is one of them.

[TAM · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to stop at 22%. None of the characters had any likability. We have barely met the boys but I don’t feel connected to the main character in any way. I thought she was kind of close to her sister but Cass treats Kitten horrible. And what kind of name is Kitten. Sorry. Just wasn’t for me.

[Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dang

This is the first book I have read from this author, and I am so liking it. It is a really slow burn reverse harem but I love the storyline and each of the characters have such different quirky personalities.

Kitten has secrets that some will be revealed and some yet to be. This book also ends in a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one because right now I have so many unanswered questions. This is another reason why I liked this book because I could not figure it out like most reads.

I’m so glad the next book is coming out soon. Hurry up please!

[boba fett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down!!!

[Susan Toussaint · Rating 5 out of 5]

💘

OMMFG I'M IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK!! That ending was absolutely fantastic, heartbreaking, crazy, & unexpected!! Cannot wait for the next 📚so please hurry!!

[LeiT · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a book...

I kinda struggled at the beginning to understand what was actually happening but once I got into the story it was a hit. I’m very interested to see what happens in the next book and how the relationships progress.

This is a really interesting and different RH story and just what I needed. 👌🏻

[Maxine × Paper and Ink × · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five star book! And what an ending!

All I have to say after reading Secrets is..
You evil evil woman!!!!
I am eagerly awaiting book 2... book one was fantastic and it has shot right up to the top of my top ten favourite books this year!!.
Well done on a wonderful book 😁

[Kristi Jung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed

This book is incredibly detailed: toppings on pizza, dust on furniture, birds chirping etc. Luckily, its not too overwhelming. Although it does make the book slower, so I found myself skimming.

This book is 100% shown. It takes place over a couple weeks, all notable things shown with smooth transitions and a clear plot (or well, mystery). Everything is carefully planned out and the whole book led to a build up to the end; I don’t think there are any missing or unfinished plots and characters.

Much of the characters pasts and personalities are not clear, and I expect them to be by next book. We get a large chunk of info (piece of the puzzle) but the rest is left unanswered for the next book.

Cliffhanger. RH (5 guys).

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dammmmm

Damm woman you know how to wright a dam good book. I’ve been in a bit of a reader’s rut and honestly this isn’t a book I would normally pick but I thought why not let’s give it a go and holy shit you did not disappoint you had my brain working the whole time trying to figure it all out , the characters are all different and amazing and crap that ending I just sat there staring saying no no no .. can not wait for the next book please don’t leave me hanging to long but don’t rush the amazingness lol

[Jess Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly one of my top 5!
I’ve recently been struggling to find a decent book to read when I stumbled along this one. All I’ve got to say is WOW. At first it was a little frustrating with all the secrets and suspicion, but also addicting. The characters are interesting and gripping to say the least. I won’t say I loved them all 100% of the time, some moments were frustrating and gave me very mixed opinions about certain characters. However, Kitten and the guys have something going for them and I cannot wait for book two!!

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a bit of a rollercoaster ride but not in a great way. At the start it was great, in the middle it was meh and at the end (last 1/2 chapters) it was good again, albeit sad. However, this book didn’t evoke any strong feelings even at the end. It was overall just meh. I was going to rate it 3 stars but the ending bumped it up to 4. I would recommend it - I reckon I just have a tendency to get bored quickly.

[Angel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope. Didn't like it.
I don't mind details but there is such a thing as too many details!
And I only made it, maybe, 30% and I still don't know the plot, it is boring as hell, and I am already sick of the fmc.
And that sister. God. Someone shut her up. Please!
I get it. They are in some kind of witsec. It is a wee bit obvious.
But by 30% we should at least know WHY!
I am so bored of this book. I am over it.
Dnf.

[Lily Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

YASSS!!!

This is a must read. Dakota Haywood did such a good job making all the characters lovable. And the story. Omg so many hot guys. I love how strong Kitten is. I cant wait for the next book

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

This was a great first book from this new author. I lived the story and the characters. It is slow burn and ends on a cliffhanger but so totally worth it. I am really looking forward to book 2

[Lillian Petrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good boom

I really enjoyed the book, I was impressed by how the author wrote the ending. One thing that the author could have done differently was probily not add the whole Lynch heir thing to kittens baxkround

[Kendall Copeland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing!!! The heroine was like a real person, not some fake, self-sacrificing, stunningly gorgeous boyfriends-break-up-with-their-girlfriends-before-they-even-meet-her MC that we unfortunately tend to find in RH books. I can't wait for the next one, and hope it comes out soon!

[AGirl ThisWorld · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was great, but, is the a second one?
If so I can't find it.

[Bracken Sturgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked this

I have so many questions! That was a craaazy cliffhanger and I hope the next book will give some answers to what is going on!

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woah serious cliffhanger alert! I really liked this one I want more please 😊. Very slow burn hopefully they get more touchy freely in the next one I'm really intrigued by all the guys.

[Mabel · Rating 1 out of 5]

From unlikeable characters to writing that constantly contradicts itself, there is very little to like about this book. I thought of making a list of all the inconsistencies but it would honestly be too long, and this book left me so tired already I don’t want to spend more time on it than I must. Still, here are a couple of particularly insane, nonsensical bits that stuck with me:

- The book makes huge deals of things that end up being so inconsequential it’s frustrating because the set-up ends up being nothing but a waste of time. One example that comes to mind is Kitten’s entire issue with swimming – mainly, the fact that she can’t. She goes on and on about how she envies Cass’ skill in water, going so far as to wax poetic on how water, to her, is “something looking for death and destruction.” In any competent book this would have led to something, anything related to a previous, meaningful experience Kitten may have had with water, but because it is this book, it just happens that Kitten has never taken swimming lessons. A few chapters later she’s practicing by herself, with no problem. No trauma, no point to the entire thing.

- The same thing happens with her family’s paranoia. These are people that live by insane, secret rules that have them move in the middle of the night and completely cut out contact with anyone they leave behind. It’s bad enough that when someone comments on Kitten’s very obvious scar the mother cries and yells about having been found, ordering Kitten to stop contact with the new neighbors. Kitten refuses, and… that’s it. All the years upon years of paranoia go out of the window, since the mother never again so much as asks where her daughter is going, or brings up the neighbors or their fight. When Kitten flat out says “I’m going over to some friends’ house” the mother doesn’t even ask just what friends she's going to visit or where they live. Another wasted, pointless set-up.

- Cass is insane enough that Kitten admits she’s probably a sociopath, but still feels the need to keep her in the loop, even craving “sister time” despite the fact Cass actively tried to kill her during the pool scene.

- Kitten herself is such a nonsensical character it’s impossible to like her. She is constantly assuming things without any basis whatsoever – as in, just looking at a cashier has her deciding the guy would be an excellent boyfriend who would never hurt her. It’s such a ridiculous scene that I honestly hoped the dude would end up being gay.

- More to the point, her entire character and motivations make zero sense. The first chapter makes it clear she craves normalcy, which makes sense given her demented family dynamic, yet we see nothing indicating she has ever taken the slightest step to achieve said normalcy. She is 18 but has no plans for the future, no dreams of college or even just moving out or getting a job – you know, actual proactive steps toward a stable life. Between her family and later the guys, she just allows things to happen to her, not even complaining when Callum flat out tells her “You’re wearing [these clothes you hate] whether you like it or not.” It makes it impossible to like or even root for her, since she is as unlikeable as she is unbelievable as a character, let alone a main one.

I could go on about the harem but, frankly, I am tired already. They weren’t horrible, and their biggest sin, to me, was the aforementioned Callum line. Beyond the garbage writing that affects everything and everyone in this universe, their basic character traits were fine and even somewhat endearing – by which I mean Kade’s forgetfulness – though I would be glad if I never again have to read about Wyatt doing anything ‘lazily’ ever again.

So, in summary: This was a poorly written book that I can’t, in good conscience, recommend to anyone looking for anything close to a fun or even satisfying experience. The author seems to be a newbie so there’s wide room for growth but it will be years before I so much as consider giving another of her works a try. This was one draining enough.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

I loved this book so much that I read it in a day. I am greatly looking forward to reading the next book. The author did such an amazing job and I can't wait to see more on this author.