Secret

Tales of the Circle #2

by Timothy Warren

Demarco Alford works for Chandelier—a high-profile escort agency providing secret services to government officials, foreign dignitaries, and the elite. One night, while attending an embassy event, Demarco stumbles upon a… SECRET

Jack Keegan works for the Secret Service—a government policing agency providing security to the upper echelon of national and international VIPs. One night, while working an embassy event, Jack meets Demarco and becomes part of the… SECRET

Demarco and Jack soon find themselves entwined in a mystery involving the son of Middle-Eastern royalty. Will Jack’s obligation to protect his country outweigh his fierce attraction to the handsome male escort? Will Demarco get past his inner insecurities and allow his beefy bodyguard access to a heart hardened by experience?... SECRET

This book contains mature content.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Mystery

172 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 29, 2020

About the author

Timothy Warren lives in the Atlanta suburbs with his husband and their pets. When he is not writing, he is writing in his head... which often leads to strange looks from his spouse.

He loves writing about things that make him smile--the chemistry between men, in particular. Sex plays a big part in these relations, but love wins out more so with his enjoyment of telling these stories... as in life.

"I like to write about men being men and falling in love with men. And I love a happy ending."

You can reach out to him here:

https://www.facebook.com/timothy.warr...

Reviews

[Denise H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Escort Demarco finds himself embroiled in foreign affairs of Abir, who wants to defect, or does he?
Handsome Demarco, 37, is a black, high end escort in D.C.'s inner circle.

Jack, is the Secret Service guarding the Embassy, and has met Demarco previously.


This turns into a full fledged mystery, bullets flying, a Secret Service bodyguard, and a mix up of chaos. Jack guards Demarco, with conversations, judgments, attraction, suspense and more mix-ups. We get to see Tyler and Alec from the previous book "True."

Sometimes we see bad guys, chaos, and then sweetness and good folks.

All the while the romance and sexy times with our couple progressing with some bumps.



This story entertains, thrills, and satisfies, with strong characters and an HEA, that surprised me.
ENJOY !

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Also writes as Jack Slate

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[Diane Dannenfeldt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Demarco since we met him in the first book. He is so full of sass!. We first meet him in the first book. He is Alec's best friend. Now he is basically alone as Alec is living in Montana. He is a high-end escort who's clients consists of politicians, royalty, high powered men. He is called to a party and meets the son of a middle-eastern royal. When the kid ends up missing, needless to say, all hell breaks lose. Demarco is attracted to a secret service agent who he has seen on numerous occasions. Demarco and Jack team up to find the kid and along the way run into danger. When Jack is tasked with keeping Demarco safe, Jack knows that he can't become involved with his protectee. But once they are no longer protector/protectee, all bets are off. I loved this two. I'm glad that we didn't see Demarco actually sleeping with any of his clients.

ARC provided by Gay Romance Reviews in exchange for an honest review

[Fay MMBookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8 stars An okay start for these guys. Demarco and Jack are on a mission to help some one thats hiding away from his father and country. A twist and the someone isn't the target for a shooting or maybe he is?. Demarco uses lots of movie references in this. A fast paced drama with a bit of a mystery.

Demarco 38 yrs was alone having a drink missing his friend. He was a escort to mainly a political events often running into sercet service agents.

[Emily Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

In contrast to Alec's laid back romance in True (book 1), Demarco's story took me on one rollercoaster ride. There was drama, intrigue, danger, and passion all mixed up into a story that felt more like a soap opera than a gay romance. In terms of entertainment value, I'd rate this story pretty highly, but I struggled with the believability of everything Demarco and Jack went through. I could barely keep track of how the plot escalated: what seemed like an innocent encounter with a man who wanted to escape his restrictive life turned into Demarco getting shot at and needing 24/7 protection from Jack, and from there he and Jack started sleeping together right away and on and on. I will say that this story definitely kept me on my toes, but I had to throw out all my ideas of what a realistic storyline would be to keep up with what was happening. I wasn't a huge fan of how Jack and Demarco claimed to have this epic connection when they were basically still strangers. On top of that, Jack felt like he had the right to demand Demarco quit his escort work after they'd barely been together. Somehow all of their arguments seemed to end up with Demarco changing his life around, and I wasn't a fan of how Jack didn't compromise. Thinking about the story as a whole, I can't say I didn't enjoy seeing what ridiculous and over-the-top thing would happen next, but I don't think I could put myself through another book like this one. I prefer my romances to be less TV drama and more centered on the character falling in love.

**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.   

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited to read Demarco’s book and it was very good, but didn’t completely work for me. I loved Demarco with his sass and his movie references. There was a fair amount of action, and the plot kept me on my toes and anxiously anticipating what came next. But I never quite warmed up to Jack. I didn’t like that he expected Demarco to change when he wouldn’t even consider the same when Demarco asked. That coupled with the Insta love left this an good book instead of a great one for me. I am looking forward to continuing this series, I really hope the next one is about Mikey the mailman!

[Ed Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in this series and although I liked the first book better, I liked this one as well. Demarco and Jack are great characters and Tyler and Alex are still part of Demarco’s life. There’s plenty of excitement, but not a great deal of angst.

[M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this new author. True and Secret have both been amazing books. I cannot wait to see what else is in store.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Demarco's character! He is sassy, fun and so deserving of his happy ending!

After reading Alex's Journey, I couldn't wait to dive into this book. Demarco being a mature escort with a big heart had me turning the page to see what crazy twist would come next and which movie quotes he would be able to give us. The journey that Demarco takes from his childhood to being able to achieve his dreams is wonderfully worded and left a sweet smile on my face.

Jack Keegan is all you would expect in a service agent wrapped up in a suit; strong, resilient, protector. I liked Jack's character, but I struggled with how he handled his objections to Demarco's job. I understand how dating an escort can be problematic and I did like that Jack discussed it with Demarco; however, to me it came through a little one sided. Demarco had fears and concerns with Jack's safety with his job, but Jack wouldn't even hear of doing anything different or trying to work through it with Demarco.

Generally I liked the dynamic of the couple and watching Jack tackling Demarco's way of speaking with movie quotes. It was perfect to see Demarco get the family he always wanted and have Jack be able to explore things with Demarco he hadn't gotten a chance to do growing up.

I am looking forward to the next book in the Tales of the Circle series.

[Stephanie W · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a nail biting ride!

Secrets, lies, twists, turns, and two men who risk it all to discover the truth.

Demarco works for an elite escort agency who services high profile government clientele. One is bound to be privy to secrets, but not to this degree. Not one that can place so much at risk.

Jack is a secret service agent to higher echelons and unfortunately become entangled in the this torrid secret.

Jack and Demarco must work together despite his attraction to the escort. Demarco has demons of his own to exercise. Trying to navigate a potential happily ever after while managing a roller coaster of danger is not your average happily ever after romance.

Feels like there was something missing frm the overall book but still a worthy read.



**I received this ARC via Gay Romance Reviews for my honest feedback.**

[Antisocial Recluse · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 mixed feelings stars

Entertaining, I liked the touch of suspense but seriously, twice? Took exception to parts of Demarco’s portrayal & stereotypical reactions to his profession. Demarco is a fantastic character though. The various pop-culture references are fun. The relationship with Jack felt very insta-love. Good, just not great for me.

[Dixiecowgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love that defies the odds.  Demarco and Jack have a connection that defies logic but it is compelling, so meaningful and real.  Two men who have struggled and succeeded in life find the love of their lives in the middle of a mess.  A delightful story-line with a missing prince, a crazy with a gun and the politics of DC all combine to bring action and suspense to this story.  I really enjoyed the supporting characters and loved how the MC's work together and learn to trust each other, even in really dangerous situations.   

This is an awesome story and i really enjoyed the characters and how they grow and reach for their dreams.  Just a read it again and enjoy kind of story.  

This is book two of the Tales of the Circle and it can be read as a stand-alone, however i really enjoyed book one so i would recommend checking that one out also. 

I was gifted this book from Gay Romance Reviews and i freely give my honest opinion and review  

[Anna Torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alec has moved to Montana, as encouraged by Demarco as well. Now without his best friend, Demarco cruises their usual hangouts when he’s not working, alone. But he is as busy as he could be with his work. Although he keeps thinking about this one Secret Service Agent whom he has encountered several times over several jobs but they have never really talked to each other.

Jack guards high-profile people most of which are from the government or foreign dignitaries. He has also become familiar with some of the “special guests” who are normally invited to these functions. He has been thinking of one in particular but has never approached him to talk and get to know each other.

On one such affair, they finally got the chance to talk but it was only because there was an incident involving the son of a very important foreign dignitary. Now Demarco is embroiled in a “sort of conspiracy(theory)” involving defection, blackmail, reality tv shows and a cunning/smart(?) young man.

This is a low-angst, misadventures and sexy-opportunities sort of tale between two people who have been secretly attracted to each other for some time.

[Siobhan Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Demarco is put in a precarious situation but still manages it with his usual flair and ends up being protected by his mysterious secret service guy. Jack has to protect Demarco after an incident and they quickly end up enamoured with each other but it isn't a smooth ride. Demarco doesn't seem to be able to escape his lifestyle as an escort and Jack has real issues with it and struggles to cope with what it means. Sass, snark, humour and hot action, this is an inside tale of what you don't see with the elite and what happens when those transgressions come to life. Surprises galore and Demarco and his references, this will make you laugh and guessing at the thinly veiled references to hollywood.

[Monique Hebert · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
Great Read. I enjoyed the unexpected twists and turns. I really liked the inclusion of Alec and Tyler in the story. Jack and Demarco's story is beautiful and Hot too. I could have used more sex scenes. I would also really liked to have read a little further past Christmas maybe New Years. I feel it was a lost opportunity to give us, the reader, more. I won't say more since I don't want to spoil it.

[Patricia Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one hell of a fantastic, amazing, grab-you-by-the-feels, nail biting, action packed, emotionally charged, powerful, intense, intriguing, fascinating, more twists and turns than a roller coaster, dangerous, smoking hot, and totally awesome tale hit the ground running and never looked back. I would DEFINITELY recommend getting this marvelous gem ASAP!

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading the second book in this series. Demarco never has a dull moment and the bodyguard that had caught his eye, Jack Keegan, well he had his eyes on Demarco too. Great action, Demarco's humor adds some relief to the tension, and the sexy bodyguard, Jack gets to worry about his man.

[Rachwithheadinabook · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first of the series, True is quite fluffy, the second book is less so. This book has a fair amount of action and you’re kept guessing and anticipating what will happen all the way through.

DiMarco and his sass are back yay, he is alone and feeling it, when he stumbles upon something he shouldn’t have, he turns to long-term crash Jack for help. Jack is a character that I found harder to warm to, but he’s alright in the end, luckily there is plenty of heat and passion between the pair adding to the story.

Overall this is a good solid political thriller type book, I can’t wait to read more of this series.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book where we really get to meet Demarco. I found this book to be uneven. It didn’t seem as if Jack was willing to compromise with Demarco even though he loves him fiercely.

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Demarco supported Alec in starting his new life in the first book in this series, now we get Demarco's story. It is completely different in tone from the first book. Here we have political machinations, disappearances, handsome Secret Service agents and a gallping thriller/romance. It is obvious that this author can write romance mixed with different genres and so far has grabbed me from the very beginning and held me to a one sitting reading with both books. I look forward to many more from him spanning all sorts of genre mixes.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I slice of D.C. you've probably never seen...even if you've taken a bus tour of Embassy Road.

There is romance between an escort and a secret service agent.
There is crime with international repercussions.
There is help for desperate youths.
There is love and laughter and friendship far away from the beltway.

And there is definitely a HEA!
But be careful of the flying bullets!

[Kassandra Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good read. Second book by the author for me and I’m very glad I read it.

Highly recommend.

I received an arc and this is my honest review.

[AshPenny37 · Rating 3 out of 5]

We met Demarco in the first book in the Tales of the Circle series as Alec's best friend. The start of this book sees him in a contemplative mood, given that he's lost his best friend to his relatively new relationship with Tyler in the mountains of Montana and he's starting to feel his age is catching up with him, professionally speaking...he's not got too long left at the top of his game as a high-end escort. Whilst at a job he becomes embroiled in a man's disappearance, which brings Agent Jack Keegan to his door.

The action in Secret is a bit of a change of pace from True, but is well-written enough, though the plot is a little fantastical. Aside from the odd cameo from Alec and Tyler, side characters are purely incidental until the end of the book and we meet Wilson (he's great!), so it's ALL about Demarco and Jack. I still like Demarco's blend of sass and wisdom that comes from his background and the things he's seen at work. I like Jack's earnest disposition and big heart, too. They both have to work through the dangers associated with the other man's job, however, which causes friction...not in a good way. 

There's a lot to like about Secret, but it's a bit too insta for me to love it and, to me, it doesn't flow quite as well as True. I am happy Demarco and Jack get their HEA, though. 3* 

An ARC was provided by GRR in exchange for an honest review.

[Janet Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The snark in this was off the charts!! I seriously loved it. There was mystery, intrigue and lots of heat and steam!! Demarco who we met in True is Alec’s best friend. He is seriously funny and snarky. He’s also a high-end escort. He meets a young gay man wanting to defect from his country, he just wants to talk to someone. The secret service agent who is guarding the young man comes to Demarco’s home the next day. They have a ton of chemistry and an instant connection. I loved this one better than the first! Sooo good!! I am voluntarily leaving a review from an advanced copy that I was gifted. Thank you so much for letting me read your art. My reviews are solely based on my thoughts and opinions.

[Nudlez · Rating 4 out of 5]

4* I don’t know what rubbed me the wrong way. I didn’t like the strong sex work is bad narrative. To ask a person to stop their career before you even are in a relationship... And I had problems with the storyline

[Amanda D · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun continuation to the series

I absolutely adored Demarco and his snark in the first book of the series, True. So needless to say I was excited to see that it was Demarco’s turn for his HEA. With more depth than was portrayed in the first book, it was beautiful to watch his relationship with Jack progress. This book is an emotional read with a little bit of mystery and a whole lot of snark. This review is an honest and unbiased reflection of my thoughts after reading an advanced readers copy.

[Maria E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twenty years earlier, Demarco had been a homeless youth in Washington, DC. He had been taken in by a rich "pimp" and turned into an expensive, high class male "escort", who is now very sought after by several politicians and big shots with great positions and influence in our country's capital. One evening, Demarco was called to a party at the Qatar Embassy, where the young crown prince took him to his room, but not for sex. Instead, he asked Demarco for advice in defecting from Qatar to the U.S. to get away from his homophobic father, the King of Qatar. Jack Keegan is the secret service agent assigned to guard the young prince, who stands outside the prince's door, and he and Demarco found instant chemistry, but after Demarco left the prince's room that night, neither Jack nor Demarco expected to see each other again. However, to Demarco's great surprise, Jack was at his door the following morning, advising him that the young prince was missing! Demarco and Jack team up together to find the prince, but they find betrayals, murder plots, and danger along the way. Is the young prince in danger? Or is he part of a conspiracy to kill Demarco? Although it's a short book, it kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Although this is the second book of a series, you don't need to have read the first one to enjoy this one. It's a standalone.

[Elaine Gray]

Demarco is a highly sought out male escort who caters to the rich in Washington. He was used by a prince that who is seeking asylum to the Us to escape his controlling father. Jack is a secret serviceman and is protecting Demarco after an attempt on his life. The book is exciting, some intense moments, some angst, romantic, and I enjoyed it.

[Joanne Mccorkell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Demarco is sassy and Jack is stand offish. When Demarco is shot at, Jack uses his job as a way to get close.

It is a short story and as such there needs to be insta love. But personally I felt like the characters were just there
I didnt feel much in the way of a connection between them.

Though there was more of a father son connection with Demarco and Wilson

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Demarco's story.

Demarco is an escort for Chandlier and is highly sought after by the politicos of Washington DC. This tale involves what seems to be saving a prince from his ruthless father because said prince is out of the closet. What Demarco is duped into is a plot for the prince to seek alysium in the US via not political means but by reality TV means. Demarco enlists the help of Secret Service agent Jack Keegan and thus both men are sucked into a devious plot that leaves each more than attracted to each other. Their casual acquaintance over past policital events leads up to eventful incident. Suspicion abounds as each discovers the secrets of each other's lives and how much both have in common. Alex and Ty from Book #1 make appearances and revelations of these two other lives are updated. The homage to songs past and present again appear in this, Book #2, and were accents that lent to the plot. I enjoyed this book as much as the first and I write this ARC review willingly and voluntarily.

[Triciagirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great follow up to True! Demarco gets his guy and Alec and Tyler are back to catch up. Tyler and Demarco are such complicated characters and I love how as the learn about each other they see so many similarities. Action, danger and plenty of sass make this story. Definite must read and I’m excited for the next book from Tales Of The Circle.

I received an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.