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Secrete bine păstrate
Alexandra Gaither, o tânără procuroare frumoasă și isteață, are în sfârșit puterea de a obține ce și-a dorit dintoteauna - dreptate. Înarmată cu noi dovezi care ar putea duce la o arestare, Alex se întoarce în orășelul texan unde, cu douăzeci și cinci de ani în urmă, mama ei murise într-un mod extrem de controversat. Acolo îi înfruntă pe cei trei bărbați influenți care erau foarte apropiați de mama ei: fostul iubit Reede Lambert, cel mai bun prieten al acestuia, Junior, și omul care este un părinte pentru amândoi. Fiecare este fermecător, fiecare e suspect și fiecare are secrete de ascuns. Dar niciunul nu o poate opri pe Alex din căutarea adevărului. Și totuși, spre propria surprindere, Alex se simte extrem de atrasă de Reede - întocmai ca mama ei.
Pe măsură ce Alex scoate la iveală intrigi vechi de decenii, cineva capabil de minciuni abile și fapte nemiloase decide că trebuie oprită. Acum, având la dispoziție doar o lună ca să rezolve cazul sau să renunțe la el pentru totdeauna, Alex trebuie să prindă un criminal, să rămână în viață...și să găsească o cale să nu se îndrăgostească iremediabil de cel care pare cea mai potrivită alegere.
Pe măsură ce Alex scoate la iveală intrigi vechi de decenii, cineva capabil de minciuni abile și fapte nemiloase decide că trebuie oprită. Acum, având la dispoziție doar o lună ca să rezolve cazul sau să renunțe la el pentru totdeauna, Alex trebuie să prindă un criminal, să rămână în viață...și să găsească o cale să nu se îndrăgostească iremediabil de cel care pare cea mai potrivită alegere.
480 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1989
2371 people are currently reading
5745 people want to read
About the author
Sandra Brown
333 books19.2k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE(2013), & LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011).
Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.
In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.
Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE(2013), & LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011).
Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.
In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.
Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 725 reviews
August 21, 2020
DNF @ 40%
Quitting a book from the author I’ve crowned the queen of romantic suspense? Never would have seen this coming. And yet, here I am. Set to return my library copy ahead of schedule.
I will say, this book is proof positive that Sandra Brown has grown exponentially as both a writer and a storyteller. Granted, Best Kept Secrets was published back in 1989. A little tidbit I wasn’t exactly privy to when downloading the book from my library at 2am amidst a bout of pregnancy insomnia. To my credit, Brown’s publisher has been rebranding many of her older titles for rerelease. And this is one that probably should have remained hidden away in the vault.
What struck me first about this novel was the absurdity of the quasi-investigation. Alexandra returns to her mother’s remote Texas hometown set to solve her murder that happened twenty-five years earlier. Yet, Alex is far from a detective; she’s an attorney. And a new one at that. She shows up alone, in a good ole boy town, and expects to make headway. To think she was going to outsmart three prominent and overtly sexist men in the community, and get them to reveal their * best kept secrets*, was nothing short of naive.
More bothersome than the flimsy case, the romantic storyline. Readers familiar with Brown’s work know she has a knack for ratcheting up the tension and selling the chemistry between her love interests. No holds barred. And while this book proved no different, the connection between Alex and Reede is gross. Plain and simple. Alex portrays the meddling lawyer, while Reede takes on the role of overbearing town sheriff. Further complicating their feisty dynamic, Reede once belonged to her mother, making him a prime suspect. And you'd think off-limits for Alex—as far as a love interest goes—but nope. Maybe I could have overlooked Reede and Alex's eighteen-year age gap, but there was no unseeing the replay of his first encounter with her mother. Ick.
Needless to say, this is one Sandra Brown I cannot recommend.
Quitting a book from the author I’ve crowned the queen of romantic suspense? Never would have seen this coming. And yet, here I am. Set to return my library copy ahead of schedule.
I will say, this book is proof positive that Sandra Brown has grown exponentially as both a writer and a storyteller. Granted, Best Kept Secrets was published back in 1989. A little tidbit I wasn’t exactly privy to when downloading the book from my library at 2am amidst a bout of pregnancy insomnia. To my credit, Brown’s publisher has been rebranding many of her older titles for rerelease. And this is one that probably should have remained hidden away in the vault.
What struck me first about this novel was the absurdity of the quasi-investigation. Alexandra returns to her mother’s remote Texas hometown set to solve her murder that happened twenty-five years earlier. Yet, Alex is far from a detective; she’s an attorney. And a new one at that. She shows up alone, in a good ole boy town, and expects to make headway. To think she was going to outsmart three prominent and overtly sexist men in the community, and get them to reveal their * best kept secrets*, was nothing short of naive.
More bothersome than the flimsy case, the romantic storyline. Readers familiar with Brown’s work know she has a knack for ratcheting up the tension and selling the chemistry between her love interests. No holds barred. And while this book proved no different, the connection between Alex and Reede is gross. Plain and simple. Alex portrays the meddling lawyer, while Reede takes on the role of overbearing town sheriff. Further complicating their feisty dynamic, Reede once belonged to her mother, making him a prime suspect. And you'd think off-limits for Alex—as far as a love interest goes—but nope. Maybe I could have overlooked Reede and Alex's eighteen-year age gap, but there was no unseeing the replay of his first encounter with her mother. Ick.
She knew her attraction was unethical and reckless, from a professional standpoint, and compromising, from a personal one. He’d belonged to her mother first.
Needless to say, this is one Sandra Brown I cannot recommend.
November 20, 2020
This was a massive disappointment.
I’m a huge fan of Sandra Brown’s work but this book is, by all means, my least favorite.
To be honest, I can’t believe she wrote this. Although, she did write it in the 1980s.
The Best Kept Secrets is about Alexandra Gaither, a lawyer who comes to her birth town to uncover the truth about her mother’s murder when she was a baby.
Celina, Alex's mother, was stabbed to death in a barn stable and a man, Gooney Bud, who had a learning disability was blamed for it. Alex is sure this is not the case since the doctor who treated the man said he never showed any aggressive behavior and in his professional opinion, he had no doubt he was innocent.
Meet the suspects:
Angus, the patriarch.
Junior, his son, the charmer.
Reede, the town’s Sheriff and Celina's ex-boyfriend.
Alex wants justice and she has been given a month to prove it.
I found many things wrong with this book. Let me share a few of my thoughts:
First, the men and the treatment of women:
Angus has sex with his unwilling wife while thinking about his mistress.
"That she responded to him out of a sense of obligation rather than passion didn't stop him from wanting her; it might even have enhanced his desire. Angus enjoyed a challenge."
"She winced slightly when he entered her. He pretended not to see her grimace. He tried not to sweat or make a sound or do anything that she would consider nasty and unpleasant. He saved all his raunchiness for the widow lady he supported in the neighboring county."
Junior has sex with his ex-wife in a rough manner and feels elated that he has power over her and that he is hurting her, so basically rape.
"Her dismay, her debasement made him feel powerful. His release came from subjugating her, not from the sex itself."
The hero of the story, Reed, throws disgusting comments at the heroine all the time. Also, he's having sex with the town’s madam while he shows interest in the heroine. Lastly, he was Celina's boyfriend but he has no problem having sex with Alex despite having known her as a baby.
"You thought I was hot enough last night," he sneered.
"Or did you stay a technical virgin this long by going down on all your dates?"
I’m shaking my head. How can anyone think he was romantic?
Second, the heroine:
Alex is immediately taken by the Sheriff despite his nasty attitude towards her. He’s rude, arrogant, dismissive, and aggressive with her. Yet, she has stars in her eyes from the moment she meets him. Furthermore, Alex is self-serving, immature, and a push-over.
I won't ever understand the premise that because he mistreats you, he must love you. Alex kept on coming back to Reede and pretty much has to beg him to tell her he loves her. Give me a break!
Third, the mystery surrounding Celina’s death:
The killer was a no-brainer. It was spelled in big letters if you ask me.
I have no idea how I was able to finish this book. So many times I wanted to DNF it.
I’m glad I’m done with this backwoods place and all these cruel men.
Cliffhanger: No
1/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
I’m a huge fan of Sandra Brown’s work but this book is, by all means, my least favorite.
To be honest, I can’t believe she wrote this. Although, she did write it in the 1980s.
The Best Kept Secrets is about Alexandra Gaither, a lawyer who comes to her birth town to uncover the truth about her mother’s murder when she was a baby.
Celina, Alex's mother, was stabbed to death in a barn stable and a man, Gooney Bud, who had a learning disability was blamed for it. Alex is sure this is not the case since the doctor who treated the man said he never showed any aggressive behavior and in his professional opinion, he had no doubt he was innocent.
Meet the suspects:
Angus, the patriarch.
Junior, his son, the charmer.
Reede, the town’s Sheriff and Celina's ex-boyfriend.
Alex wants justice and she has been given a month to prove it.
I found many things wrong with this book. Let me share a few of my thoughts:
First, the men and the treatment of women:
Angus has sex with his unwilling wife while thinking about his mistress.
"That she responded to him out of a sense of obligation rather than passion didn't stop him from wanting her; it might even have enhanced his desire. Angus enjoyed a challenge."
"She winced slightly when he entered her. He pretended not to see her grimace. He tried not to sweat or make a sound or do anything that she would consider nasty and unpleasant. He saved all his raunchiness for the widow lady he supported in the neighboring county."
Junior has sex with his ex-wife in a rough manner and feels elated that he has power over her and that he is hurting her, so basically rape.
"Her dismay, her debasement made him feel powerful. His release came from subjugating her, not from the sex itself."
The hero of the story, Reed, throws disgusting comments at the heroine all the time. Also, he's having sex with the town’s madam while he shows interest in the heroine. Lastly, he was Celina's boyfriend but he has no problem having sex with Alex despite having known her as a baby.
"You thought I was hot enough last night," he sneered.
"Or did you stay a technical virgin this long by going down on all your dates?"
I’m shaking my head. How can anyone think he was romantic?
Second, the heroine:
Alex is immediately taken by the Sheriff despite his nasty attitude towards her. He’s rude, arrogant, dismissive, and aggressive with her. Yet, she has stars in her eyes from the moment she meets him. Furthermore, Alex is self-serving, immature, and a push-over.
I won't ever understand the premise that because he mistreats you, he must love you. Alex kept on coming back to Reede and pretty much has to beg him to tell her he loves her. Give me a break!
Third, the mystery surrounding Celina’s death:
The killer was a no-brainer. It was spelled in big letters if you ask me.
I have no idea how I was able to finish this book. So many times I wanted to DNF it.
I’m glad I’m done with this backwoods place and all these cruel men.
Cliffhanger: No
1/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2014
Twenty-five years before, her mother had died a scandalous death. Alex believed one of three powerful men had murdered her. Each was charming; each was a suspect. And each tried to shield her from his sins and secrets. But only one of them could ignite a desire as passionate as her need for the truth...
"You're in a surly mood this morning. Rough night?"
"Yeah. I got laid, but it wasn't very good."
This guy is a bit of a pig, an alpha male, but, who cares? Not me. I am comfortable enough with myself to distinguish truth from fiction. The books was written 25 years ago. Things were different then.
She craved to feel his hard lips on hers again, the rough, powerful mastery of his tongue inside her mouth ...
This is the usual SB suspense. We are left guessing until the end. I had two suspects pegged and it was one of them but until she told us, I really did not know.
He'd never wanted to touch a woman so badly in his life.
His erection bulged, pushing painfully against his fly.
Sure, he was a bit of sexist ass. She could hold her own though. Yeah, the age difference was a bit too much and he had known her mother before she was born. Just go with it. I just love to see a guy like this brought to his knees by a good woman - there's a country song in there somewhere.
"Christ," he groaned, "Oh, Christ."
Was waiting FOREVER for any sex scene but so worth it. SB can build up the sexual tension like no-one I know.
But what disturbed her most was that she'd seen into the man behind the good ole boy demeanour
August 21, 2010
There was so much wrong with this book, that I hardly know where to start. The only reason that I continued reading it was I wanted to know who the killer was, I had 2 potential people in mind, and the killer wasn't revealed until almost the end of the book.
Now on to what was so wrong. Some of it is due to the age of the book, written in the late 1980's, so there were things that probably were all the rage then, but don't translate to modern days, one of those being the whole Yuppie, hard working, ball busting career woman. This is the way Alex was supposed to come out as, but there were too many times that she was so wishy washy that it was hard to like her.
Then there were the 3 men, all of them in love with Selena, Alex's dead mother. So it was more than slightly disturbing during the book when all of them at some time or another put the move on Alex. The boys, Reid and Junior were 18 years older, Angus much more so as he was Junior's father. For some reason when Alex did hook up with one of these men it seemed slightly incestuous. I also find it hard to believe that while she was investigating all of the men, not knowing which one killed her mother, she became friends with them, and found something to admire in them. I found it also interesting that all of these men were man whores, made no bones about it and even bragged about it and threw it in Alex's face, so again why would she want to hook up with one of them.
This book was like a train wreck for me, but I couldn't stop listening to it, I just had to know how bad it really was.
Now on to what was so wrong. Some of it is due to the age of the book, written in the late 1980's, so there were things that probably were all the rage then, but don't translate to modern days, one of those being the whole Yuppie, hard working, ball busting career woman. This is the way Alex was supposed to come out as, but there were too many times that she was so wishy washy that it was hard to like her.
Then there were the 3 men, all of them in love with Selena, Alex's dead mother. So it was more than slightly disturbing during the book when all of them at some time or another put the move on Alex. The boys, Reid and Junior were 18 years older, Angus much more so as he was Junior's father. For some reason when Alex did hook up with one of these men it seemed slightly incestuous. I also find it hard to believe that while she was investigating all of the men, not knowing which one killed her mother, she became friends with them, and found something to admire in them. I found it also interesting that all of these men were man whores, made no bones about it and even bragged about it and threw it in Alex's face, so again why would she want to hook up with one of them.
This book was like a train wreck for me, but I couldn't stop listening to it, I just had to know how bad it really was.
July 20, 2018
Reseña completa: http://masromance.blogspot.com/2018/0...
En referencia a la capacidad de engancharme a la historia, le daría 4 ☼.
Pero me ha faltado conocer un poco más a los protagonistas y algunos cabos, aunque no sueltos, me ha faltado matizarlos, así que se queda en 3 o 3.5. Pero le dejo las 4 porque creo que es una lectura muy recomendable.
Eso sí, es una muy buena novela de suspense... ten engancha desde la página uno
Muy completa a nivel de secundarios y la ambientación, genial. Me he pasado unos días en un pueblo lejano del Texas profundo...
No diré nombre del protagonista porque la historia se repite y hay dos maromos luchando por la protagonista. Es algo a lo que me ha costado acostumbrarme, sobre todo al principio, me ha costado esa gran diferencia de edad.
Aquí lo dejo
- Que el romance no me ha gustado eso sí, pasión a raudales aunque no abundan las escenas hot, pero la tensión se puede cortar
- que él no me ha gustado, típico gallito americano vaquero un poco machista... aunque algunas frases las acierta de pleno pero le falta toda la ternura
- que ella tampoco me ha gustado, no he terminado de conocerla del todo
Pero es una lectura MUY recomendable si buscáis un buen suspense americanizado
Lo cierto es que me ha enganchado muchísimo y hay que tener también en cuenta que no es una novela de las de ahora, y eso se nota, sobre todo en cierto tema
En referencia a la capacidad de engancharme a la historia, le daría 4 ☼.
Pero me ha faltado conocer un poco más a los protagonistas y algunos cabos, aunque no sueltos, me ha faltado matizarlos, así que se queda en 3 o 3.5. Pero le dejo las 4 porque creo que es una lectura muy recomendable.
Eso sí, es una muy buena novela de suspense... ten engancha desde la página uno
Muy completa a nivel de secundarios y la ambientación, genial. Me he pasado unos días en un pueblo lejano del Texas profundo...
No diré nombre del protagonista porque la historia se repite y hay dos maromos luchando por la protagonista. Es algo a lo que me ha costado acostumbrarme, sobre todo al principio, me ha costado esa gran diferencia de edad.
Aquí lo dejo
- Que el romance no me ha gustado eso sí, pasión a raudales aunque no abundan las escenas hot, pero la tensión se puede cortar
- que él no me ha gustado, típico gallito americano vaquero un poco machista... aunque algunas frases las acierta de pleno pero le falta toda la ternura
- que ella tampoco me ha gustado, no he terminado de conocerla del todo
Pero es una lectura MUY recomendable si buscáis un buen suspense americanizado
Lo cierto es que me ha enganchado muchísimo y hay que tener también en cuenta que no es una novela de las de ahora, y eso se nota, sobre todo en cierto tema
July 13, 2017
Sandra Brown does it again!! Yay!! For once I immediately guessed "who done it" as soon as the character was introduced. I was inwardly high fiving myself. Lol. You gotta love the fashion, mentality and technology of the 80's!! (Insert sigh) MEMORIES!!!!
December 31, 2016
- Written in tbe 80's, allowed for that but still struggled with it a bit.
- Didn't really like Reid very much
- Didn't feel connection between H/h.
- Bit creepy that he grew up with and was childhood sweethearts with her mother. Ok he never slept with her mother but it still felt wrong!
- Reid saw her mother through pregnancy (mother was only 18) and knew Alex as a baby which adds even more creepy feelings.
- He never took her side and constantly threw things in her face, things that she never should have been told.
- For a strong woman she broke down far too often and quite often I felt like slapping her in the face and ask her where her backbone had disappeared to!
- He continued to sleep with and took his sexual frustration out with other women and then threw that up in her face....real classy!
- Their first time together wasn't great for her and he showed her no consideration at all.
- Pegged the killer almost straight from the start.
- It's a Sandra Brown, of course it was well written and despite so many flaws was still gripping.
- Didn't really like Reid very much
- Didn't feel connection between H/h.
- Bit creepy that he grew up with and was childhood sweethearts with her mother. Ok he never slept with her mother but it still felt wrong!
- Reid saw her mother through pregnancy (mother was only 18) and knew Alex as a baby which adds even more creepy feelings.
- He never took her side and constantly threw things in her face, things that she never should have been told.
- For a strong woman she broke down far too often and quite often I felt like slapping her in the face and ask her where her backbone had disappeared to!
- He continued to sleep with and took his sexual frustration out with other women and then threw that up in her face....real classy!
- Their first time together wasn't great for her and he showed her no consideration at all.
- Pegged the killer almost straight from the start.
- It's a Sandra Brown, of course it was well written and despite so many flaws was still gripping.
November 18, 2010
This book is twisted in more than one way:
1.)The protagonist, Alex, gets involved in sexual relationship with a man who 18 years older, dated her mother, and was almost her step father. It gave the story an incestuous vibe.
2.)If you pay attention to the "who was where" of the book you can solve it right away.
3.)I know this book was written in the 80's but the "ball busting career woman vs. house wife theme was ridiculous.
1.)The protagonist, Alex, gets involved in sexual relationship with a man who 18 years older, dated her mother, and was almost her step father. It gave the story an incestuous vibe.
2.)If you pay attention to the "who was where" of the book you can solve it right away.
3.)I know this book was written in the 80's but the "ball busting career woman vs. house wife theme was ridiculous.
September 8, 2011
Sandra Brown is the quenn of contemporary mystery/romance books. In Best Kept Secrets, Brown explores what a daughter will do for a mother that she has never known.
Raised by her grandmother it has been ingrained into Assistant DA Alex Gaither that her mother's murder was never caught and the wrong man was convicted of her murder. Alex is determined to win her dying grandmother's love by heading back to the small Texas town to unearth the true murder. However, some of Alex's most likely suspects are within the most powerful family, who will stop at nothing to protect their business, money, family and the promise of a brand new horse racing track. Alex needs to watch her back, as she has no friends in this town, and some people would like nothing better than for her to go the way of her mother.
I normally like Brown's books, they are usually a nice contemporary mystery novel, usually with some romance thrown in, however, this book is not a favorite of mine. The book started off interesting and got right into the premise and I thought this is going to be interesting how this plays out; however, there were some many elements that did not add up and that I did not enjoy within this book that I would not recommend it.
I think that the story or premise had promise: Girl who is ophaned by a murdered mother and raised by a grandmother who essentially pushed Alex into going into law school to figure out who actually murdered her mother. I think that this had promise and I think exicuted a different way it would have been great.
I did not like Alex as a character; Whiny, selfish, irrational, grasping at straws, she was everything that the other characters within the book, only looking out for herself. Plus she is supposed to be this up and coming star prosecutor but she was not concerned about looking for tangible facts, it was more about interrogating the main male characters and hoping that they would slip up, but then also hanging out with them socially because she was attracted to them. Throughout the whole book it was pointed out more than one time that she did not have a shred of evidence, only her own beliefs based upon conversations that she had had. Alex as a character was just a disaster for me.
I did not like that Alex who is 17 years younger than the men in the story, many of whom considered being her daddy wanted to have a sexual relationship with her. I just kept getting "this is just wrong" feeling any time this occurred. This aspect was not a good focus for the book. I wish that maybe there was someone outside of the group of suspects that was helpful to her and that would have been her romantic interest, not some guy that could have been her "daddy". I don't know about others who have read the book, but i definitely had thoughts that one of the main male characters could have been her father and to have that attraction between them, just felt wrong. I really wish Brown would have taken this in a different direction.
I have liked Brown's books in the past, this was just way off basis as to what she normally has, that I was thrown off. I found the characters and story both lacking. Will this stop me from reading Brown's books? No, it was more of a disappointment than anything else.
Cheers!!!
Raised by her grandmother it has been ingrained into Assistant DA Alex Gaither that her mother's murder was never caught and the wrong man was convicted of her murder. Alex is determined to win her dying grandmother's love by heading back to the small Texas town to unearth the true murder. However, some of Alex's most likely suspects are within the most powerful family, who will stop at nothing to protect their business, money, family and the promise of a brand new horse racing track. Alex needs to watch her back, as she has no friends in this town, and some people would like nothing better than for her to go the way of her mother.
I normally like Brown's books, they are usually a nice contemporary mystery novel, usually with some romance thrown in, however, this book is not a favorite of mine. The book started off interesting and got right into the premise and I thought this is going to be interesting how this plays out; however, there were some many elements that did not add up and that I did not enjoy within this book that I would not recommend it.
I think that the story or premise had promise: Girl who is ophaned by a murdered mother and raised by a grandmother who essentially pushed Alex into going into law school to figure out who actually murdered her mother. I think that this had promise and I think exicuted a different way it would have been great.
I did not like Alex as a character; Whiny, selfish, irrational, grasping at straws, she was everything that the other characters within the book, only looking out for herself. Plus she is supposed to be this up and coming star prosecutor but she was not concerned about looking for tangible facts, it was more about interrogating the main male characters and hoping that they would slip up, but then also hanging out with them socially because she was attracted to them. Throughout the whole book it was pointed out more than one time that she did not have a shred of evidence, only her own beliefs based upon conversations that she had had. Alex as a character was just a disaster for me.
I did not like that Alex who is 17 years younger than the men in the story, many of whom considered being her daddy wanted to have a sexual relationship with her. I just kept getting "this is just wrong" feeling any time this occurred. This aspect was not a good focus for the book. I wish that maybe there was someone outside of the group of suspects that was helpful to her and that would have been her romantic interest, not some guy that could have been her "daddy". I don't know about others who have read the book, but i definitely had thoughts that one of the main male characters could have been her father and to have that attraction between them, just felt wrong. I really wish Brown would have taken this in a different direction.
I have liked Brown's books in the past, this was just way off basis as to what she normally has, that I was thrown off. I found the characters and story both lacking. Will this stop me from reading Brown's books? No, it was more of a disappointment than anything else.
Cheers!!!
September 2, 2016
Ick. The age difference between the main characters didn't bother me at all. The ick comes from the fact that the hero was her mother's high school sweetheart. The 2 possible romantic leads for the heroine were both in love with her mother while she was pregnant with the heroine. The main hero even flash backed to making out with the mother. The other one would mention in one sentence how he had wanted to be her stepfather and then in another how he wanted her as a lover.
I knew who the real killer was about half-way through the book.
Yuk.
I knew who the real killer was about half-way through the book.
Yuk.
August 27, 2024
Me ha enganchado muchísimo. Me ha tenido en vilo todo el tiempo. Aunque el suspense es mucho mejor que el romance.
Aviso muchos spoilers
Al principio no entendía nada, no entendía como el prota habiendo querido tanto a la madre hacia todo lo posible por entorpecer la investigación.
Luego se ven defectos de la madre pero es normal se quedó embarazada con 17 años es normal que quisiera abortar. La verdad no entendí porque todo el mundo decía que jugaba con los hombres solo era una cría.
Hay escenas que hoy en día serian consideradas inapropiadas como el comportamiento de Angus con su esposa en la cama y como trata Junior a Stacy aunque no entiendo cómo está se lo permite todo por estar enamorada. Se deja usar como un trapo.
No entiendo a ese juez tan Cobarde.
La protagonista me gustaba su actitud de no perder la calma casi nunca y tenía un buen par.
El protagonista es típico machista pero ha llegado a gustarme.
También el hecho de que ninguno de lo dos pretendientes se acostara con la madre me da tranquilidad. Porque era todo como muy turbio muy incestuoso que los dos enamorados de la madre se enamoran de la hija.
Me ha sorprendido que la protagonista fuera virgen aunque no lo explica porque, con esa abuela se entiende un poco.
La primera vez entre los protas tarda en llegar pero solo disfruta el pero el tampoco sabía que era virgen pero me hubiera gustado que hubiera sido más considerado.
Hay mucha tensión sexual y tardan mucho en irse a la cama lo que ha añadido interés.
Debo decir que el asesino me lo he olido estaba entre dudando entre dos y no me equivoqué.
Aunque Junior me parecía un egoísta me ha dado pena su final.
El final me ha parecido poco romántico esperaba más ternura por parte de el con ella.
Y a todo esto todos sabían que el que fue acusado injustamente era inocente y dejaron que cargará con el crimen incluido el prota muy turbio todo.
Y bueno pese a sus fallos me ha encantado no he podido parar de leerlo y por eso le doy un 5.
Aviso muchos spoilers
Al principio no entendía nada, no entendía como el prota habiendo querido tanto a la madre hacia todo lo posible por entorpecer la investigación.
Luego se ven defectos de la madre pero es normal se quedó embarazada con 17 años es normal que quisiera abortar. La verdad no entendí porque todo el mundo decía que jugaba con los hombres solo era una cría.
Hay escenas que hoy en día serian consideradas inapropiadas como el comportamiento de Angus con su esposa en la cama y como trata Junior a Stacy aunque no entiendo cómo está se lo permite todo por estar enamorada. Se deja usar como un trapo.
No entiendo a ese juez tan Cobarde.
La protagonista me gustaba su actitud de no perder la calma casi nunca y tenía un buen par.
El protagonista es típico machista pero ha llegado a gustarme.
También el hecho de que ninguno de lo dos pretendientes se acostara con la madre me da tranquilidad. Porque era todo como muy turbio muy incestuoso que los dos enamorados de la madre se enamoran de la hija.
Me ha sorprendido que la protagonista fuera virgen aunque no lo explica porque, con esa abuela se entiende un poco.
La primera vez entre los protas tarda en llegar pero solo disfruta el pero el tampoco sabía que era virgen pero me hubiera gustado que hubiera sido más considerado.
Hay mucha tensión sexual y tardan mucho en irse a la cama lo que ha añadido interés.
Debo decir que el asesino me lo he olido estaba entre dudando entre dos y no me equivoqué.
Aunque Junior me parecía un egoísta me ha dado pena su final.
El final me ha parecido poco romántico esperaba más ternura por parte de el con ella.
Y a todo esto todos sabían que el que fue acusado injustamente era inocente y dejaron que cargará con el crimen incluido el prota muy turbio todo.
Y bueno pese a sus fallos me ha encantado no he podido parar de leerlo y por eso le doy un 5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2019
Realmente una historia interesante, pero que de alguna manera no terminó de atraparme, creo que por los protagonistas, no logré conectar con ellos, no se sentía la química, y hasta cierto punto un poco de mal gusto.
August 9, 2016
From the blurb:
Alexandra Gaither was a savvy, beautiful attorney who finally had the power to get what she wanted -- justice…
Note to myself:
Alexandra is also the most overrated, phoniest, self-serving attorney I have read.
Twenty-five years before, her mother had died a scandalous death. Alex believed one of three powerful men had murdered her. Each was charming; each was a suspect. And each tried to shield her from his sins and secrets. But only one of them could ignite a desire as passionate as her need for the truth.
Note to myself:
This book is ~25 years old, loaded with sexisim.
The romance is operated in forbidden territory making me uneasy, eyes-roll, shake my head,...
Despite the novel contains many elements I dislike, Brown delivers an absolute page-turner.
Alexandra Gaither was a savvy, beautiful attorney who finally had the power to get what she wanted -- justice…
Note to myself:
Alexandra is also the most overrated, phoniest, self-serving attorney I have read.
Twenty-five years before, her mother had died a scandalous death. Alex believed one of three powerful men had murdered her. Each was charming; each was a suspect. And each tried to shield her from his sins and secrets. But only one of them could ignite a desire as passionate as her need for the truth.
Note to myself:
This book is ~25 years old, loaded with sexisim.
The romance is operated in forbidden territory making me uneasy, eyes-roll, shake my head,...
Despite the novel contains many elements I dislike, Brown delivers an absolute page-turner.
Read
August 10, 2017It deserves either one star or five. It was so awesomely bad. I tried three times this week to describe the plot to other lawyers. Each attempt was met with horror.
So. Alex goes to law school to become a prosecutor to investigate her mother's murder. She begins the investigation in THE MOST DRAMATIC 10 PAGES OF MY LIFE. In a world without common sense, a Texas Bar, any kind of code of conduct or healthy relationships Alex pisses off everyone in a small town while accusing three men of the murder and humping one of the three. To make this shit show even more perfect there are infinite underlying daddy issues bc all of these dudes were in love with her mom/could be her dad.
At several points I thought we'd hit our low. Each time I was wrong. The abortion convo turned make-out sesh made me gag. I LOLed a few times (the book isn't technically funny, but neither is GOT and I giggle at that train wreck too). I was angry enough to shed actual tears twice.
I tip my hat to this bastion of badness. Goddamn that was fun.
So. Alex goes to law school to become a prosecutor to investigate her mother's murder. She begins the investigation in THE MOST DRAMATIC 10 PAGES OF MY LIFE. In a world without common sense, a Texas Bar, any kind of code of conduct or healthy relationships Alex pisses off everyone in a small town while accusing three men of the murder and humping one of the three. To make this shit show even more perfect there are infinite underlying daddy issues bc all of these dudes were in love with her mom/could be her dad.
At several points I thought we'd hit our low. Each time I was wrong. The abortion convo turned make-out sesh made me gag. I LOLed a few times (the book isn't technically funny, but neither is GOT and I giggle at that train wreck too). I was angry enough to shed actual tears twice.
I tip my hat to this bastion of badness. Goddamn that was fun.
May 24, 2014
I read this one via audio and at first I was not connecting with the story at all, then I decided that it was the narrator that I was not connecting with - not the story line. Another good book by Sandra Brown, this story was about a young lady by the name of Alex Gather who goes back to her mother's home town to solve the crime that resulted in her mother being murdered. Alex needs the truth for herself and little does she know there are a lot of obstacles and no one in this small town want her there.
March 3, 2019
Honestly, I should have probably given this book 2 stars. It’s a bit creepy that the main character falls in love with her mother childhood sweetheart. That made for an uncomfortable read. However, Sandra Brown is an amazing writing and I read it cover to cover. Wasn’t a fan of the main love interest but I liked the secondary killers who the main baddie
March 17, 2022
Novela de suspense romántico que publicó Sandra Brown en 1989. La segunda de este estilo, después de
Odio en el paraíso
(1988).
Alexandra, fiscal jovencita, quiere investigar la muerte de su madre, ocurrida hace años. Topará con el sheriff Reede Lambert, quien estuvo enamorado de la madre y, a lo que se ve, ahora le toca colarse por la hija.
Tiene ya todos los elementos de una de Brown: noir sureño de ambiente asfixiante y emociones exageradas, intrigas retorcidas, falsos culpables, giros inesperados de la trama, una protagonista elegante e inteligente que no deja de ser una señora incluso cuando se revuelca por las sábanas, y un héroe más áspero que el papel de lija (aunque con cierto encanto sureño).
La recuerdo con cariño porque es una de las primeras que leí de Brown, allá por los años noventa. Si a ti te parece detestable, también lo entiendo, porque tiene cosas que... ya le vale.
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog, donde lo resumí así: «el suspense, excelente, la parte romántica, no tanto».
Alexandra, fiscal jovencita, quiere investigar la muerte de su madre, ocurrida hace años. Topará con el sheriff Reede Lambert, quien estuvo enamorado de la madre y, a lo que se ve, ahora le toca colarse por la hija.
Tiene ya todos los elementos de una de Brown: noir sureño de ambiente asfixiante y emociones exageradas, intrigas retorcidas, falsos culpables, giros inesperados de la trama, una protagonista elegante e inteligente que no deja de ser una señora incluso cuando se revuelca por las sábanas, y un héroe más áspero que el papel de lija (aunque con cierto encanto sureño).
La recuerdo con cariño porque es una de las primeras que leí de Brown, allá por los años noventa. Si a ti te parece detestable, también lo entiendo, porque tiene cosas que... ya le vale.
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog, donde lo resumí así: «el suspense, excelente, la parte romántica, no tanto».
July 18, 2013
I picked this out to listen to on a car trip with my family. It was a bit cheesy and we had to keep fast forwarding through the romantic parts because our kids were in the car and while they had movies to watch sometimes they were listening. Quite a few sex scenes. I wouldn't recommend it and don't plan on reading Sandra Brown again.
June 7, 2015
***4.5 Stars****
Thanks Jas, for introducing me to Sandra Brown's world.
Thanks Jas, for introducing me to Sandra Brown's world.
February 12, 2012
Baca ulang and tetep terasa seruuuuuu.... And herannya lagi, sekali baca suspense-nya SB, rasanya jadi kecanduan, trus pengin maraton baca buku2 suspensenya yg lain.
Mmmm...perbedaan usia yg lumayan (ato sangat?) jauh antara Alex and Reede, lagi2 mengingatkanku akan Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara-nya Gone With The Wind. Seingatku, si Rhett malah lebih tua sedikit dari ibunya Scarlett (kalo gak salah yaaaaaa).
Gak masalah ah kalo hero-nya jauh lebih tua, asal mereka sangat sangat charming seperti Reede Lambert atau Rhett Butler.
*review gak penting*
Mmmm...perbedaan usia yg lumayan (ato sangat?) jauh antara Alex and Reede, lagi2 mengingatkanku akan Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara-nya Gone With The Wind. Seingatku, si Rhett malah lebih tua sedikit dari ibunya Scarlett (kalo gak salah yaaaaaa).
Gak masalah ah kalo hero-nya jauh lebih tua, asal mereka sangat sangat charming seperti Reede Lambert atau Rhett Butler.
*review gak penting*
March 30, 2015
Two-haiku review:
She's prosecutor
Re-opening old murder
Of her own mother
Never could happen
Offensive stereotypes
Can't recommend it
She's prosecutor
Re-opening old murder
Of her own mother
Never could happen
Offensive stereotypes
Can't recommend it
November 11, 2016
buku paling lambat dari Sandra Brown sejauh ini huhh
Tapi untuk cerita tetep lumayan
Tapi untuk cerita tetep lumayan
December 10, 2018
La reseña en el blog http://alacamaconunlibro.blogspot.com...
Read
October 20, 2020Well hello, new cover and reprint! We love a good mystery thriller. Especially this time of year. Originally publishing in 1989, Grand Central and Hachette Publishing are giving us a fab new cover and keeping the ever timeless magic created by Sandra Brown. Keep in mind, things have changed since the eighties, but what remains is Brown's timeless storytelling.
~Tanja
~Tanja
May 22, 2018
I got this book from my oldest brothers wife. It wasn't too bad of a book. It is a older book of Sandra Browns. The only part I didn't like about it is that some of the parts in it were a bit descriptive. It is made for the 18 and over crowd for sure.
March 3, 2019
3.5 stars
March 24, 2025
Alexandra Gaither es una chica de 25 años que trabaja como miembro de la fiscalía en el estado de Texas. Decide ir a la ciudad de Purcell a reabrir el caso del asesinato de su madre. Tiene en mente tres posibles sospechosos: Angus Minton, el hombre más rico del condado. Está Junior Minton, hijo de éste último y Reede Lambert, que ejerce como Sheriff de la ciudad.
Junior y Reede junto a la madre de Alex eran inseparables. Ambos hombres la amaban y querían ser el dueño de su corazón. Tras la muerte de Celina, la madre de Alex, la relación de estos amigos se enfrió creyendo que uno y otro tuvo que ver con la muerte de la joven.
Alex al llegar al pueblo y reabrir el caso se encuentra con todos los ciudadanos en su contra, porque reabrir el caso sería una oposición para abrir un hipódromo que ayudaría con la economía del lugar.
El libro tiene un buen ritmo y no discuto lo bien que escribe la autora. Pero hubo muchas cosas que no me gustaron de esta historia. Como por ejemplo, que los personajes masculinos enamorados de Celina, al aparecer Alex, también se enamoran de ella.
No me gustó tampoco la terquedad de Alex en descubrir el asesino de su madre, sin importar que gente inocente muriera durante la investigación.
Y lo peor, la relación romántica de Alex con unos de los enamorados de su madre. Incluyendo la forma tosca, ruda, machista y falta de delicadeza cómo le hablaba y trataba.
Lo único que salvo la historia fue el misterio que la rodea y la desconfianza que se crea de todos los personajes que hace creer que todos son asesinos.
Junior y Reede junto a la madre de Alex eran inseparables. Ambos hombres la amaban y querían ser el dueño de su corazón. Tras la muerte de Celina, la madre de Alex, la relación de estos amigos se enfrió creyendo que uno y otro tuvo que ver con la muerte de la joven.
Alex al llegar al pueblo y reabrir el caso se encuentra con todos los ciudadanos en su contra, porque reabrir el caso sería una oposición para abrir un hipódromo que ayudaría con la economía del lugar.
El libro tiene un buen ritmo y no discuto lo bien que escribe la autora. Pero hubo muchas cosas que no me gustaron de esta historia. Como por ejemplo, que los personajes masculinos enamorados de Celina, al aparecer Alex, también se enamoran de ella.
No me gustó tampoco la terquedad de Alex en descubrir el asesino de su madre, sin importar que gente inocente muriera durante la investigación.
Y lo peor, la relación romántica de Alex con unos de los enamorados de su madre. Incluyendo la forma tosca, ruda, machista y falta de delicadeza cómo le hablaba y trataba.
Lo único que salvo la historia fue el misterio que la rodea y la desconfianza que se crea de todos los personajes que hace creer que todos son asesinos.
December 26, 2014
It was not my favorite Sandra Brown, mostly because it was so unrealistic. I pretty much had a good idea of who the killer was all along and it was irritating that our smart lawyer prosecutor never even considered this person. And why, (except that this is a romance) does this smart lawyer prosecutor let these men, all of whom are suspects in her mind, put their hands on her? She lets them steer her around by her elbow or the small of her back, she kisses them etc. What professional would allow that? I guess, an unprofessional professional who has to be set up for the romance which we all expect from a Sandra Brown.
The story line is basically this: a woman is murdered leaving a two month old baby. The baby is raised by her grandmother who thinks her sainted daughter's death is the baby's fault. The baby grows up to be the smart unprofessional lawyer prosecutor. She goes back to the small town where she was born determined to find the person who killed her mother. She zeroes in on 3 men: the most important and richest man in town, his charming son, and the sheriff. You know who is going to be the love interest at the first meeting. But why does Sandra Brown have her male love interests say such cruel things to the woman that they are not supposed to be having a relationship with? Is that supposed to be part of the tug and pull, the chemistry, the illicit but don't worry everything will work out typical Sandra Brown romance? That particular aspect, the cruel talk, always jars me and makes me wonder why the woman puts up with it and loves the guy anyway.
I'm not really complaining, I like Sandra Brown and I will keep reading her, but I think she has written better books.
The story line is basically this: a woman is murdered leaving a two month old baby. The baby is raised by her grandmother who thinks her sainted daughter's death is the baby's fault. The baby grows up to be the smart unprofessional lawyer prosecutor. She goes back to the small town where she was born determined to find the person who killed her mother. She zeroes in on 3 men: the most important and richest man in town, his charming son, and the sheriff. You know who is going to be the love interest at the first meeting. But why does Sandra Brown have her male love interests say such cruel things to the woman that they are not supposed to be having a relationship with? Is that supposed to be part of the tug and pull, the chemistry, the illicit but don't worry everything will work out typical Sandra Brown romance? That particular aspect, the cruel talk, always jars me and makes me wonder why the woman puts up with it and loves the guy anyway.
I'm not really complaining, I like Sandra Brown and I will keep reading her, but I think she has written better books.
October 28, 2020
Review: 🏃🏻♀️🏃🏻♀️🏃🏻♀️.5/5
Y’all know what the worst about reading Sandra Brown? It’s that you have to make sure you start early, because you’ll want to finish it in one setting.. every single time. 😂🤷🏻♀️
I love her y’all. I do. She truly gives me the suspense and the romance my little heart needs to balance my emotions out.
Best Kept Secrets was first published in 1989. I was worried it would feel dated, or certain conversations would happen that may have been casual in ‘89, but not in 2020. (There was a bitchin’ hangover, which sent me back to MTV and Saved By The Bell 😂🙃) It honestly just took me back in time, in a good way. It also helped me realize how well of an author Brown has evolved, and how the times have clearly changed. No iPhones, no text messages, no FaceTime, ah the good ole face to face confrontation days!
Alex is a great MC. She’s got grit, tenacity, and she is stopping at nothing to figure out who killed her mama. The romance of the story, while steamy and fun, was a bit.. confusing? Her crush is her mom’s high school sweetheart. It was very unexpected, but you do you Alex. Get that love, solve that case, be that boss woman. I did gasp a few times (and maybe clutched my pearls) at some of the plot not pertaining to the romance, so it was a definite win of a thriller!
Overall, I enjoyed it! Is it my favorite Sandra B. book? Nah. Did I still enjoy it and can’t see what else she has in her catalog? Yes! Am I happy I can check ANOTHER book off my back catalog for Sandra Brown? Absolutely! Thank you so much Grand Central for this gifted copy! I
Y’all know what the worst about reading Sandra Brown? It’s that you have to make sure you start early, because you’ll want to finish it in one setting.. every single time. 😂🤷🏻♀️
I love her y’all. I do. She truly gives me the suspense and the romance my little heart needs to balance my emotions out.
Best Kept Secrets was first published in 1989. I was worried it would feel dated, or certain conversations would happen that may have been casual in ‘89, but not in 2020. (There was a bitchin’ hangover, which sent me back to MTV and Saved By The Bell 😂🙃) It honestly just took me back in time, in a good way. It also helped me realize how well of an author Brown has evolved, and how the times have clearly changed. No iPhones, no text messages, no FaceTime, ah the good ole face to face confrontation days!
Alex is a great MC. She’s got grit, tenacity, and she is stopping at nothing to figure out who killed her mama. The romance of the story, while steamy and fun, was a bit.. confusing? Her crush is her mom’s high school sweetheart. It was very unexpected, but you do you Alex. Get that love, solve that case, be that boss woman. I did gasp a few times (and maybe clutched my pearls) at some of the plot not pertaining to the romance, so it was a definite win of a thriller!
Overall, I enjoyed it! Is it my favorite Sandra B. book? Nah. Did I still enjoy it and can’t see what else she has in her catalog? Yes! Am I happy I can check ANOTHER book off my back catalog for Sandra Brown? Absolutely! Thank you so much Grand Central for this gifted copy! I
August 29, 2021
Hot, hot, hot. Twists, turns and a slow burn between H and h. On my first read SB had me guessing till the very end, who done the deed. And, as in ‚Slow heat in heaven’, in my annual re-reads, although I know what happens, I’m still impressed how Sandra lays all these lines and clues that trap you in an intriguing web of deception.
And there is Reede’s, my most favourite romance H. The age difference between him and Alex never bothered me and from the first page on it’s clear that Alex is much more her very own woman than being just Celinas daughter, that there‘s no question to whom Reede the adult man is truly attracted to. With Junior of course it’s another story, he’s a whimp really. And then there’s the character of Stacey, so tragic and sad, it kind of breaks my heart every time.
In the top three of my most favourite ever books
Sonderpunkte in diesem Fall für die hervorragende Übersetzung ins Deutsche. Es ist das einzige Buch von SB, bei dem es der Übersetzerin gelungen ist, Tempo, Spannung und Chemie der Dialoge des Originals in die deutsche Fassung zu übertragen. Leider hat Frau Mrkatowatschki nur dieses eine Buch von SB übersetzt. Alle anderen Bücher von SB finde ich auf deutsch im Vergleich zum englischen Original kaum aushaltbar, weil derart wortgetreu und damit schrecklich hölzern.
And there is Reede’s, my most favourite romance H. The age difference between him and Alex never bothered me and from the first page on it’s clear that Alex is much more her very own woman than being just Celinas daughter, that there‘s no question to whom Reede the adult man is truly attracted to. With Junior of course it’s another story, he’s a whimp really. And then there’s the character of Stacey, so tragic and sad, it kind of breaks my heart every time.
In the top three of my most favourite ever books
Sonderpunkte in diesem Fall für die hervorragende Übersetzung ins Deutsche. Es ist das einzige Buch von SB, bei dem es der Übersetzerin gelungen ist, Tempo, Spannung und Chemie der Dialoge des Originals in die deutsche Fassung zu übertragen. Leider hat Frau Mrkatowatschki nur dieses eine Buch von SB übersetzt. Alle anderen Bücher von SB finde ich auf deutsch im Vergleich zum englischen Original kaum aushaltbar, weil derart wortgetreu und damit schrecklich hölzern.
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