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Hidden
A page-turning new story from the bestselling author of No Way Out, perfect for fans of Nora Roberts and Danielle Steel! Meet a brother and sister who are drawn into a treacherous mystery through an antique with a dark past, as they race against time to help a single mother and take down a ruthless couple bent on taking control of their family’s legacy…
At first glance, few would guess that Luna and Cullen Bodman are siblings. Cullen is efficient and serious while his younger sister Luna is a free spirit. When the two launch their furniture restoration shop/café—an offshoot of the family’s longtime antique business—in an up-and-coming arts center, little do they know their unique talents may be their only defense against a dangerous betrayal.
When Luna gets a strange sense about a piece Cullen just acquired, the two find themselves uniting to solve a mystery that has far-reaching consequences—never knowing there are some who’ll stop at nothing to claim what they believe is theirs. No matter what, Luna and Cullen know they can rely on each other—and this time, their lives may depend on it…
At first glance, few would guess that Luna and Cullen Bodman are siblings. Cullen is efficient and serious while his younger sister Luna is a free spirit. When the two launch their furniture restoration shop/café—an offshoot of the family’s longtime antique business—in an up-and-coming arts center, little do they know their unique talents may be their only defense against a dangerous betrayal.
When Luna gets a strange sense about a piece Cullen just acquired, the two find themselves uniting to solve a mystery that has far-reaching consequences—never knowing there are some who’ll stop at nothing to claim what they believe is theirs. No matter what, Luna and Cullen know they can rely on each other—and this time, their lives may depend on it…
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published August 24, 2021
About the author
Fern Michaels
281 books6,799 followersFern Michaels isn’t a person. I’m not sure she’s an entity either since an entity is something with separate existence. Fern Michaels® is what I DO. Me, Mary Ruth Kuczkir. Growing up in Hastings, Pennsylvania, I was called Ruth. I became Mary when I entered the business world where first names were the order of the day. To this day, family and friends call me Dink, a name my father gave me when I was born because according to him I was ‘a dinky little thing’ weighing in at four and a half pounds. However, I answer to Fern since people are more comfortable with a name they can pronounce.
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 584 reviews
September 3, 2021
I’m honestly at a loss here, because I’ve read Fern Michaels books before and they were not like this. This is terrible. I can’t even write a synopsis because even after finishing it, I’m still not sure who the protagonists actually were. For a romantic suspense being marketed to fans of Nora Roberts and Danielle Steele, there’s no suspense because nobody is actually ever in peril as two incompetent caricatures of villains look for a missing will (and the one henchman they hire just disappears halfway through the story). There’s barely a hint of romance. But there is a spectacular amount of waffle. Every character even mentioned gets an entire backstory, even if they never appear in the story. For example, Marshall Gaines’ ex-wife. Did we really need to know about her being a dental hygienist? There was a whole page about it! We really didn’t need two chapters on the construction and opening of an arts centre, when nothing actually happened there until several weeks later, and pages and pages from the viewpoint of Ellie, owner of the centre, who had nothing to do with the plot and wasn’t present at the conclusion. Huge swathes of this just needed cutting, for being boring and utterly unrelated to the actual plot.
The timeline is all over the place, and don’t even get me started on the constant point of view switches, sometimes in the middle of a paragraph! This is well proof-read with minimal typos, but it doesn’t feel like an editor has ever even looked at it, and I certainly expect better from a publisher like Kensington and an author with a backlist like Michaels. It honestly reads like a first draft, and one written in simplistic words.
I’m going to share a sample. “Instead, he unbuckled his seat belt, turned her head toward him, brushed her hair from her face, and landed a kiss on her lips. He didn’t miss the mark this time. That would have easily scored a 10.0 in the Olympics.” See what I mean? It reads like bad fanfiction (and I love fanfic, but the lack of editorial oversight does mean the bad stuff absolutely reeks). Why is HE turning HER head? And this ends a chapter - and is the sum total of the romantic action in the book! No major publishing house should be putting out tripe like this. I’m shocked and thoroughly disappointed. One star.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via NetGalley.
The timeline is all over the place, and don’t even get me started on the constant point of view switches, sometimes in the middle of a paragraph! This is well proof-read with minimal typos, but it doesn’t feel like an editor has ever even looked at it, and I certainly expect better from a publisher like Kensington and an author with a backlist like Michaels. It honestly reads like a first draft, and one written in simplistic words.
I’m going to share a sample. “Instead, he unbuckled his seat belt, turned her head toward him, brushed her hair from her face, and landed a kiss on her lips. He didn’t miss the mark this time. That would have easily scored a 10.0 in the Olympics.” See what I mean? It reads like bad fanfiction (and I love fanfic, but the lack of editorial oversight does mean the bad stuff absolutely reeks). Why is HE turning HER head? And this ends a chapter - and is the sum total of the romantic action in the book! No major publishing house should be putting out tripe like this. I’m shocked and thoroughly disappointed. One star.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via NetGalley.
June 11, 2021
Oh my goodness.
I hate to say it but… I will.
This book was boring.
I kept waiting for something amazing to happen… But every single chapter was just a very, very slow progression to a very unexciting conclusion.
Her character descriptions were good, it was a pretty easy read… It was just an unbelievably boring book.
I hate to say it but… I will.
This book was boring.
I kept waiting for something amazing to happen… But every single chapter was just a very, very slow progression to a very unexciting conclusion.
Her character descriptions were good, it was a pretty easy read… It was just an unbelievably boring book.
January 14, 2022
If you enjoy books with a very loose plot, characters that are grown adults but act like middle schoolers, and randomly long winded descriptions of side characters with no relevance this book is for you! But it most certainly is not for me. The description advertised high stakes and drama and gave only 300 pages of boredom.
August 26, 2021
Hidden by Fern Michaels is the first A Lost and Found Novel. Cullen and Luna Bodman are opening a restoration shop and café in the new Stillwell Art Center built by Ellie Stillwell. Cullen gets a new table in, and Luna has a feeling about it. Rowena and Arthur Millstone are sure their father wrote a new will before his death, but they have not been able to find it. They want to locate it and destroy it before it comes to light. Luna has worked with U.S. Marshall Christopher Gaines in the past. They are attracted to each other, but neither has made a move. I liked the sound of Hidden with the mystery and the hint of paranormal. In reality, Hidden seemed more like a romance novel with a little “mystery” thrown in (if you can call it that). The paranormal element is talked about, but there is little evidence of it. The author described things in detail (do I really need to know each detail about what a person is wearing including their perfume). We are given in depth background details on Cullen, Luna, and Ellie plus other characters. There is repetition of information. There is one bit that seemed like it was copied from one chapter to the next. Rowena and Arthur are caricatures of bad, rich people. The romance between Christopher Gaines and Luna was awkward and reminded me of a teenager romance (now that I think about it, the whole book is reminiscent of a young adult novel). Luna bumbles and babbles whenever she is around Gaines. Her knees go weak (I am not kidding) and Luna’s face turns red. There are uncomfortable phone calls, texts, and in-person encounters between the pair (made me wonder if we had time traveled back to high school). The “mystery” is no mystery. It was laid out from the beginning. It is obvious how the story will play out from the start. The first half of the book is telling us about the characters, the new art center, and what the bad guys want and how much money they spend. I know we need to be introduced to the characters, but it seemed like it just kept going on and on. There is some action near the end of the book and then it wraps up with a tidy ending. If Hidden had been done differently, it could have been an interesting story. As you can tell, I was disappointed. While Hidden was not for me, I suggest you obtain a sample to see if the book suits you. We each have different reading tastes. The best thing I can say about Hidden is that I finished it (I desperately wanted to DNF it, but I never do that).
September 16, 2021
While listening to this audiobook, the story seemed to have two very different plots going on and was very confusing how they fit together. Then at about the halfway mark, it becomes clear how they come together and you just say wow! In true Fern Michaels fashion, there is a dog front and center in the story, although his role wanes as the story progresses. I enjoyed this, so rating 7 out of 10.
April 22, 2022
I had great expectations from this book. But unfortunately, the prose let me down as nothing much happened. The characters were good, but the long winding passages made them do nothing in most of the book. Overall, quite slow and boring. Not for me.
December 3, 2021
This is the first book I have read by her. I enjoyed her writing style but the place was to slow, then to fast at the end. I like a book that keeps me on the edge of my seat {so to speak} all the way through. I really liked the plot and wanted to know how it ended so I rushed through just to find the climax and end of the book was very short and sweet so to speak.
September 1, 2021
I was given the opportunity to read this complimentary book in exchange for my honest opinion. I was excited to start reading it! However, after 3 chapters I KNEW I was going to have to force myself to even finish this book. It’s full of so many filler descriptive words that are unnecessary. It was extremely hard to even visualize Luna being an actual person I can relate to. The entirety of the book seemed like the Author was just throwing descriptive words around to make a book. This is my first Fern Michael’s book and my last. I certainly hope his other 1 million books he has out are more interesting and less ‘dead reading space’, however I will not be the one purchasing any more to read. I really do not recommend this book. The first part of the book I didn’t even fully understand what I was reading! The author kept making references to people in real time that I have ZERO idea whom they actually are and throwing random dates about buildings and even mentioning other actual authors. Horrible experience honestly. I couldn’t get into the story line.
July 15, 2021
It has been a very long time since I have read a Fern Michaels book, if I'm being honest, it might even be categorized into decades. This book sounded interesting in the fact that it had a supernatural or psychic spin to the story so I decided to go ahead an request the ARC.
The thing that comes to mind when I read this book was that it was EXTREMELY superficial. It really reminded me of books that I read when I was much younger from authors who tended to write in a somewhat different style than the authors now. Danielle Steele and Mary Higgens Clark come to mind. There is just something about the verbiage that is....hmmm....simpler? I'm not sure how to define it other than to say the flow of the dialogue did not seem to be natural. It seemed very forced. Kind of how someone sounds when they talk without using contractions. Stilted and formal. Those are the two words that keep coming up in my head.
Anyway, there really wasn't much to this story. We are introduced to two siblings - a brother and sister. Apparently the sister has psychic abilities - she mentions psychometry - but these abilities are barely touched upon. She likes a U.S. Marshall that she met during a missing child case, but that relationship is explained in a way that I can only describe as juvenile. She likes him, her knees get wobbly, she gets tongue tied...get the picture? Their relationship - if you can call it that - entails some awkward phone conversations, several kisses on the cheek and then FINALLY a real kiss at the end of the book.
There are the requisite bad guys (and girl). They are portrayed as caricatures of actual bad people and then there is another woman with a young child who somehow finds herself in the middle of things. Was the book awful? No. It wasn't. But, it wasn't great. It just was.
It was a very easy read that did not create any feelings of investment - I mean I liked Cullen and Luna...they were very nice. The problem is that it really didn't bring forth any feelings whatsoever. The plot was obvious from the very beginning and it played out in EXACTLY the way that it had telegraphed from the beginning. But, with that being said, it was pleasant.
Will I continue with this series? No, probably not.
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.
The thing that comes to mind when I read this book was that it was EXTREMELY superficial. It really reminded me of books that I read when I was much younger from authors who tended to write in a somewhat different style than the authors now. Danielle Steele and Mary Higgens Clark come to mind. There is just something about the verbiage that is....hmmm....simpler? I'm not sure how to define it other than to say the flow of the dialogue did not seem to be natural. It seemed very forced. Kind of how someone sounds when they talk without using contractions. Stilted and formal. Those are the two words that keep coming up in my head.
Anyway, there really wasn't much to this story. We are introduced to two siblings - a brother and sister. Apparently the sister has psychic abilities - she mentions psychometry - but these abilities are barely touched upon. She likes a U.S. Marshall that she met during a missing child case, but that relationship is explained in a way that I can only describe as juvenile. She likes him, her knees get wobbly, she gets tongue tied...get the picture? Their relationship - if you can call it that - entails some awkward phone conversations, several kisses on the cheek and then FINALLY a real kiss at the end of the book.
There are the requisite bad guys (and girl). They are portrayed as caricatures of actual bad people and then there is another woman with a young child who somehow finds herself in the middle of things. Was the book awful? No. It wasn't. But, it wasn't great. It just was.
It was a very easy read that did not create any feelings of investment - I mean I liked Cullen and Luna...they were very nice. The problem is that it really didn't bring forth any feelings whatsoever. The plot was obvious from the very beginning and it played out in EXACTLY the way that it had telegraphed from the beginning. But, with that being said, it was pleasant.
Will I continue with this series? No, probably not.
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.
August 21, 2021
What a cute, quirky story…
Enjoyable characters…
Light, fast read….
Reading Hidden you will encounter romance, mystery, humor and suspense.
If you are in the mood for a old fashioned type mystery story….you need to read Hidden.
I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.
*Bookstagram @shortbookthyme
Enjoyable characters…
Light, fast read….
Reading Hidden you will encounter romance, mystery, humor and suspense.
If you are in the mood for a old fashioned type mystery story….you need to read Hidden.
I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.
*Bookstagram @shortbookthyme
April 19, 2021
Loved the cast of characters! Such a lovely start to a new series. It had a lull setting the background for the Millstone characters. And of course it was all tied together at the end.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 2, 2021
Book was provided by Influenster for my honest review.
Dang I will never get those hours back. There are so many things I didn't like about this book, but let me start by telling you not to trust the blurb on the back of the book. It lies to you! It promises a brother/sister psychic mystery solving duo, which sounds great! Sounds like it promises "The Mentalist", and " Psych" and "Sherlock Holmes". No no, my friends, the blurb is a blatant lie. In my opinion, there was never a mystery and the brother/sister team doesn't solve anything. What I got was a lot of pointless side stories with only a couple of important plot points that happened to eventually stumble together into a rather obvious resolution. The ending left no questions to be answered in the supposed second installment, not that I will be reading it anyways. I guess if you are looking for a slice of life low budget sitcom vibe you might like this.
The writing. THE WRITING. It's bad. I don't mind third person, I don't mind dual/triple perspectives - but there are ways to do that well. Ms Michaels seemed to change the character voices sentence to sentence with little to no transition. This left me with a jarring feeling of momentarily not knowing who was doing the narration.
The characters were unrealistic and annoying, and I didn't connect with anyone. The character interactions were downright cringe-inducing. Things that were supposed to be funny were just not and it was CONSTANT. Another observation was that some of the actions characters took did not make any sense. Why would someone buy an atlas at a bookstore to get to a remote area? Why would that person buy the atlas only to later use the GPS on her phone? The world may never know.
The characters may have been cringey, but it was made worse by the fact that there were a lot of side characters who served literally no purpose. Ellie could have been cut entirely. She served no purpose. But we did get to waste time learning her whole life story. Minute details were wasted on the most pointless things so much that I don't think the real story started until almost two thirds through the book.
This could have been a mediocre 100 page novella. It is very clear that this book was pumped out to be released and sold as quickly as possible.
Would not recommend.
Dang I will never get those hours back. There are so many things I didn't like about this book, but let me start by telling you not to trust the blurb on the back of the book. It lies to you! It promises a brother/sister psychic mystery solving duo, which sounds great! Sounds like it promises "The Mentalist", and " Psych" and "Sherlock Holmes". No no, my friends, the blurb is a blatant lie. In my opinion, there was never a mystery and the brother/sister team doesn't solve anything. What I got was a lot of pointless side stories with only a couple of important plot points that happened to eventually stumble together into a rather obvious resolution. The ending left no questions to be answered in the supposed second installment, not that I will be reading it anyways. I guess if you are looking for a slice of life low budget sitcom vibe you might like this.
The writing. THE WRITING. It's bad. I don't mind third person, I don't mind dual/triple perspectives - but there are ways to do that well. Ms Michaels seemed to change the character voices sentence to sentence with little to no transition. This left me with a jarring feeling of momentarily not knowing who was doing the narration.
The characters were unrealistic and annoying, and I didn't connect with anyone. The character interactions were downright cringe-inducing. Things that were supposed to be funny were just not and it was CONSTANT. Another observation was that some of the actions characters took did not make any sense. Why would someone buy an atlas at a bookstore to get to a remote area? Why would that person buy the atlas only to later use the GPS on her phone? The world may never know.
The characters may have been cringey, but it was made worse by the fact that there were a lot of side characters who served literally no purpose. Ellie could have been cut entirely. She served no purpose. But we did get to waste time learning her whole life story. Minute details were wasted on the most pointless things so much that I don't think the real story started until almost two thirds through the book.
This could have been a mediocre 100 page novella. It is very clear that this book was pumped out to be released and sold as quickly as possible.
Would not recommend.
August 20, 2021
HIDDEN(Lost and Found Series # 1) By Fern Michaels
Romance fiction
320 pages
In Fern Michaels newest series we meet a brother and a sister, Cullen and Luna Bodman. Cullen is an antique restoration dealer and Luna has alot of gifts but her main gig is a coffee shop. These two sometimes work together seeing as how their shops are in the same big market-place. These two have a great relationship and find themselves embroiled in the same mystery together by the purchase by Cullen of a desk that needs restoration. Can these siblings figure out this mystery before it's too late??
I am a huge fan of Fern Michaels books and I loved this new one as well!!! In my opinion this book is the adorable first in a great series that will charm readers. Which is what Ms Michaels is famous for with her books. The brother and sister in this series are too adorable and so likable. I will definitely impatiently await the next book in this series. I highly recommend this book.
Romance fiction
320 pages
In Fern Michaels newest series we meet a brother and a sister, Cullen and Luna Bodman. Cullen is an antique restoration dealer and Luna has alot of gifts but her main gig is a coffee shop. These two sometimes work together seeing as how their shops are in the same big market-place. These two have a great relationship and find themselves embroiled in the same mystery together by the purchase by Cullen of a desk that needs restoration. Can these siblings figure out this mystery before it's too late??
I am a huge fan of Fern Michaels books and I loved this new one as well!!! In my opinion this book is the adorable first in a great series that will charm readers. Which is what Ms Michaels is famous for with her books. The brother and sister in this series are too adorable and so likable. I will definitely impatiently await the next book in this series. I highly recommend this book.
August 12, 2021
I received this book in a Goodreads Giveaway (thank you). Honestly, I feel like I just read a Trixie Beldin mystery, which was great when I was 12, but I expect a little more out if books now. I have never read a Fern Michaels book, but I figured she was a prolific author for a reason and it would be good. Literally the only reason I kept reading was because I wanted to know what would happen with Luna and Gaines. In a nutshell, I found the main concept ok and the character development was good, but it all played out like a YA mystery. The dialogue was largely unrealistic, the conclusions people jumped to were huge and kind of ridiculous, and the end wrapped up like a tidy little gift.
Probably won’t read any more in this series.
Probably won’t read any more in this series.
June 27, 2021
This book is just so excruciatingly boring. Absolutely nothing ever happens. Michaels is adept at character development, so she kept me hanging on for about 180 pages as she developed characters, thinking a plot would develop or waiting for the action to kick in. But it never does. There is simply no action, no forward plot in this book. You definitely get the sense she is trying to establish these characters for a future series, but unless she finds more exciting plot lines, the series will be as big a flop as this novel.
August 25, 2021
I got this book complimentary from Influenster in exchange for my honest review. I have to say that this genre really isn’t my cup of tea, but it is a decent book. Not a big fan on the writing or the way the story is told. However, the plot and idea of the story is a great one that I think people may love. It was an easy read and a very quick one so I think this will be good for those who like to read through books quickly. I am interested in reading Fern Michaels other books in hopes I will like them more than this one.
July 19, 2021
Oh my goodness.
I hate to say it but… I will.
This book was boring.
I kept waiting for something amazing to happen… But every single chapter was just a very, very slow progression to a very unexciting conclusion.
Her character descriptions were good, it was a pretty easy read… It was just an unbelievably boring book.
I hate to say it but… I will.
This book was boring.
I kept waiting for something amazing to happen… But every single chapter was just a very, very slow progression to a very unexciting conclusion.
Her character descriptions were good, it was a pretty easy read… It was just an unbelievably boring book.
June 9, 2021
So-so..lacking the strong female like in the Sisterhood series.
September 30, 2021
This book was pretty good. I wish I bought a hard cover copy of this book. The paperback is a little small too read and a tad chunky. Overall good book though.
August 13, 2021
It's hard to give a starred review, as "OK" for me means "so-so" which is "middling" and therefore 3 stars in my mind. I'll try to explain why some parts were worthy of no stars, others much higher rating.
First off, thank you to the publisher for the copy from the Goodreads Giveaway.
Now, the novel.
The blurbs are misleading. I know this is the first of a future series so did expect a bit of character development. But... there really wasn't a "...treacherous mystery through an antique with a dark past..." or as the paper enclosed with my copy read, "... a dangerous hunt begins with secret information tucked in mysterious antiques...with a missing woman and her life hanging in the balance..." The premise of siblings investigating mysteries related to items in their antique business sounds interesting, like something I'd enjoy. But, that's not what's here.
Too much of this first novel is backstory, and unnecessary to the plot. I'm not talking about a few pages per character, I'm talking chapters, near to 1/3 of the 308 pages. Their childhood, educational history, where they were born, which parent they look like, and where that parent was born... why one married at 27 (his "biological clock was ticking" What? At 27?), and why he bought the house he did. We read about Luna's make-up routine, and every color of ever cosmetic she puts on. Chapter 3 bores the reader with details of not only the life story of the woman who funded the arts center, but the building of the center itself, with detailed descriptions of the architecture, including the attached dog park. Yes, a dog park. The details includes a passage about a real-life art center that began life as a torpedo factory in 1918, and goes on for several paragraphs. Completely unnecessary and a waste of a read. Skip it. This art center is confusing. One on hand Ellie (the rich woman who built it) only charges the artists in residence a percentage of their monthly receipts as rent. But, then the grand opening "proceeds" go to charities. So, the artists made no money that weekend, even when one jewelry maker had $5,000 in orders, and sales of another few thousand?
I also don't "get" what kind of art center this is. There is a glassblower, a pottery thrower, and a man who makes sculptures from beer cans (I feel a poem coming on, the rhyme was not mine). A maker of birdhouses and one who makes wind chimes. More of a crafts market, with a wine cellar. Then, our siblings, Luna and Cullen. They own a furniture restoration business and the hippy dippy Namaste Cafe. Which Luna oversees, along with her Border Collie. And, no, he's not a service dog, he just hangs around food service. Maybe the health laws are different in North Carolina. I don't see a furniture restoration business fitting in at an arts center. It's a messy, loud business. Besides, if Cullen got his first stock from his parents antique shop, shame on him. You don't refinish antiques like its described he's doing.
Oh, the name dropping. Mostly designers, some current television shows thrown in. Okay, we get the "evil money-grubbing" Millstones are rich. We don't need to read how Rowena, the wife, is "...spinning her stack of David Yurman Cable Spira bracelets." I don't even know what that means, and didn't bother to look it up. Her husband sits in, not a leather chair, but a "...Eichholtz Highbury Estate tobacco-colored leather chair..." STOP! And I don't care if Cullen wonders if he should dress like someone from HGTV or the Property Brothers! Novels don't age well when mention current things like this.
Finally, it gets into the story of the missing will. Oh, we knew long before there was a missing will, we just have to wade through all this mess before getting to the so-called "dangerous hunt" to save a single mother. Not quite the story I read, but actually, I enjoyed it from here on. I was thinking, "Hurry up! The Millstones will get to it first!" It was a bit like a comedy of errors though, especially when the two unrelated thieves surprise each other and scream! A bit slap-stick, with Luna holding them for the police by threatening to spray them with a fire extinguisher. Such a state-of-the-art facility with not much of a security team.
This is not my first Fern Michaels novel, and I believe that since she's such a big name things were overlooked or let go, sloppy editing or none at all. For instance, it states that the U.S. Marshal is "thirty-nine... two years older than Cullen." Yet, early on Cullen is said to be "... now, at thirty-five." Little things like that really bother me! Also, Ellie will be furious that after spending millions on this upscale arts center, the door locks are not up to code. The outer doors lock from the outside, with no way to unlock them from the inside. Even one of the thieves notes that this is not code, in fact, it's dangerous and illegal. But, the author needed a way to force the thieves to be locked inside with no way out.
I'll read the next in the series to see if it gets to the meat of a mystery quicker. More backstory of any new characters, I quit though.
First off, thank you to the publisher for the copy from the Goodreads Giveaway.
Now, the novel.
The blurbs are misleading. I know this is the first of a future series so did expect a bit of character development. But... there really wasn't a "...treacherous mystery through an antique with a dark past..." or as the paper enclosed with my copy read, "... a dangerous hunt begins with secret information tucked in mysterious antiques...with a missing woman and her life hanging in the balance..." The premise of siblings investigating mysteries related to items in their antique business sounds interesting, like something I'd enjoy. But, that's not what's here.
Too much of this first novel is backstory, and unnecessary to the plot. I'm not talking about a few pages per character, I'm talking chapters, near to 1/3 of the 308 pages. Their childhood, educational history, where they were born, which parent they look like, and where that parent was born... why one married at 27 (his "biological clock was ticking" What? At 27?), and why he bought the house he did. We read about Luna's make-up routine, and every color of ever cosmetic she puts on. Chapter 3 bores the reader with details of not only the life story of the woman who funded the arts center, but the building of the center itself, with detailed descriptions of the architecture, including the attached dog park. Yes, a dog park. The details includes a passage about a real-life art center that began life as a torpedo factory in 1918, and goes on for several paragraphs. Completely unnecessary and a waste of a read. Skip it. This art center is confusing. One on hand Ellie (the rich woman who built it) only charges the artists in residence a percentage of their monthly receipts as rent. But, then the grand opening "proceeds" go to charities. So, the artists made no money that weekend, even when one jewelry maker had $5,000 in orders, and sales of another few thousand?
I also don't "get" what kind of art center this is. There is a glassblower, a pottery thrower, and a man who makes sculptures from beer cans (I feel a poem coming on, the rhyme was not mine). A maker of birdhouses and one who makes wind chimes. More of a crafts market, with a wine cellar. Then, our siblings, Luna and Cullen. They own a furniture restoration business and the hippy dippy Namaste Cafe. Which Luna oversees, along with her Border Collie. And, no, he's not a service dog, he just hangs around food service. Maybe the health laws are different in North Carolina. I don't see a furniture restoration business fitting in at an arts center. It's a messy, loud business. Besides, if Cullen got his first stock from his parents antique shop, shame on him. You don't refinish antiques like its described he's doing.
Oh, the name dropping. Mostly designers, some current television shows thrown in. Okay, we get the "evil money-grubbing" Millstones are rich. We don't need to read how Rowena, the wife, is "...spinning her stack of David Yurman Cable Spira bracelets." I don't even know what that means, and didn't bother to look it up. Her husband sits in, not a leather chair, but a "...Eichholtz Highbury Estate tobacco-colored leather chair..." STOP! And I don't care if Cullen wonders if he should dress like someone from HGTV or the Property Brothers! Novels don't age well when mention current things like this.
Finally, it gets into the story of the missing will. Oh, we knew long before there was a missing will, we just have to wade through all this mess before getting to the so-called "dangerous hunt" to save a single mother. Not quite the story I read, but actually, I enjoyed it from here on. I was thinking, "Hurry up! The Millstones will get to it first!" It was a bit like a comedy of errors though, especially when the two unrelated thieves surprise each other and scream! A bit slap-stick, with Luna holding them for the police by threatening to spray them with a fire extinguisher. Such a state-of-the-art facility with not much of a security team.
This is not my first Fern Michaels novel, and I believe that since she's such a big name things were overlooked or let go, sloppy editing or none at all. For instance, it states that the U.S. Marshal is "thirty-nine... two years older than Cullen." Yet, early on Cullen is said to be "... now, at thirty-five." Little things like that really bother me! Also, Ellie will be furious that after spending millions on this upscale arts center, the door locks are not up to code. The outer doors lock from the outside, with no way to unlock them from the inside. Even one of the thieves notes that this is not code, in fact, it's dangerous and illegal. But, the author needed a way to force the thieves to be locked inside with no way out.
I'll read the next in the series to see if it gets to the meat of a mystery quicker. More backstory of any new characters, I quit though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2022
Fern Michaels breaks almost every storytelling convention known to humankind and still spins a decent yarn.
Here are just a few examples:
Multiple points of view in a single scene: During any one chapter, the reader may enter the minds of three different characters. This becomes jarring to the point where the reader is left confused as to who is actually driving the narrative.
Info dumps: Instead of weaving a character’s backstory into the narrative, Michaels often introduces characters with a ton of boring backstory. The reader is left not really knowing if the character in question is thinking this stuff, where they are, or what they are even doing while the info dump is occurring.
Show don’t tell: I’ve been taught throughout my writing career that it’s always better to show don’t tell when describing a character’s personality traits. But Michaels doesn’t do this. We’re told he’s a great guy, she’s a great gal, and a little boy, unimportant to the story, has an even temperament and a sweet disposition. Really? Who cares?
For characters who are in their 30’s, I found the dialogue, banter, and interactions between said characters childish and immature at times; with characters smiling, chuckling, and guffawing at jokes I didn’t find funny at all. And Luna, a thirty-something woman, gets wobbly-kneed due to her attraction to Marshal Gaines. Really? Come on.
Is Fern Michaels a great writer? No. Is she a good storyteller? With at least 156 novels under her belt, I would say yes. Having said that, I definitely will not be reading the next book in this series. I read to be entertained. But I also read to learn about the craft. Hidden is more of a study in what not to do as a writer than what to do.
To be sure, Hidden is an easy, light, and mildly entertaining read. You’ll find very little substance here. The writing style, content, and vocabulary would probably appeal to teens more than adults.
Here are just a few examples:
Multiple points of view in a single scene: During any one chapter, the reader may enter the minds of three different characters. This becomes jarring to the point where the reader is left confused as to who is actually driving the narrative.
Info dumps: Instead of weaving a character’s backstory into the narrative, Michaels often introduces characters with a ton of boring backstory. The reader is left not really knowing if the character in question is thinking this stuff, where they are, or what they are even doing while the info dump is occurring.
Show don’t tell: I’ve been taught throughout my writing career that it’s always better to show don’t tell when describing a character’s personality traits. But Michaels doesn’t do this. We’re told he’s a great guy, she’s a great gal, and a little boy, unimportant to the story, has an even temperament and a sweet disposition. Really? Who cares?
For characters who are in their 30’s, I found the dialogue, banter, and interactions between said characters childish and immature at times; with characters smiling, chuckling, and guffawing at jokes I didn’t find funny at all. And Luna, a thirty-something woman, gets wobbly-kneed due to her attraction to Marshal Gaines. Really? Come on.
Is Fern Michaels a great writer? No. Is she a good storyteller? With at least 156 novels under her belt, I would say yes. Having said that, I definitely will not be reading the next book in this series. I read to be entertained. But I also read to learn about the craft. Hidden is more of a study in what not to do as a writer than what to do.
To be sure, Hidden is an easy, light, and mildly entertaining read. You’ll find very little substance here. The writing style, content, and vocabulary would probably appeal to teens more than adults.
September 16, 2021
Meet a brother and sister who are drawn into a treacherous mystery through an antique with a dark past, as they race against time to help a single mother take down a ruthless couple bent on taking control of their family’s legacy.
I received this book complimentary from Influenster in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Thoughts:
- I'm so sorry. I *really* did not like this book. Honestly, nothing even happened in this story. The synopsis paints a creepy mystery but there was nothing mysterious at all about this because you knew what was happening the entire time. There was no action, conflict, or elements of surprise. This book just introduced you to a cast of characters and that's pretty much it.
- The dialogue in this one made me cringe and want to skip passages. Nothing about it was realistic or humorous, even though they'd 'burst out laughing'. Entire paragraphs were dedicated to information that had nothing to do with the plot and everything was written like a newspaper article, there was no real storytelling drawing me in, just odd recaps.
- I also thought the way the author depicted women was uncomfortable. They were generally very shallow (and in the case of Luna, consistently being demeaned to 'kooky' and 'quirky' and nothing else). I also hate when people refer to women strictly as females, which this author did. The only reason I was able to finish this one was because it was such a fast read (and I always guilt myself into finishing books). I would not recommend this one.
I received this book complimentary from Influenster in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Thoughts:
- I'm so sorry. I *really* did not like this book. Honestly, nothing even happened in this story. The synopsis paints a creepy mystery but there was nothing mysterious at all about this because you knew what was happening the entire time. There was no action, conflict, or elements of surprise. This book just introduced you to a cast of characters and that's pretty much it.
- The dialogue in this one made me cringe and want to skip passages. Nothing about it was realistic or humorous, even though they'd 'burst out laughing'. Entire paragraphs were dedicated to information that had nothing to do with the plot and everything was written like a newspaper article, there was no real storytelling drawing me in, just odd recaps.
- I also thought the way the author depicted women was uncomfortable. They were generally very shallow (and in the case of Luna, consistently being demeaned to 'kooky' and 'quirky' and nothing else). I also hate when people refer to women strictly as females, which this author did. The only reason I was able to finish this one was because it was such a fast read (and I always guilt myself into finishing books). I would not recommend this one.
July 29, 2021
Ever finish a book and wonder if the person who wrote the synopsis and taglines actually read the book?
I used to read Fern Michaels books – hand me downs from a neighbour – when I was younger and I used to think they were fabulous. I fear it was misleading marketing and extreme nostalgia that elevated the promise of this novel.
I was tantalized with the following:
“dangerous mystery” “defense in a matter of life and death” “riveting new thriller” “their lives may depend on it” “dangerous information” “thrilling new suspense” ….hhhhmmmm….it’s NOT what I got. I read every single sentence in this book.
YOU read and be the judge.
The first thing you’ll notice is that there are quite a few characters, with lots of development and a TON of backstory. This makes sense for the first novel of a series, but when it’s not backed up with action that supports the tag lines, it’s really disappointing.
Despite there being many characters, I couldn’t connect with any of them. I saw potential for a romance between two and it may develop over the next few books.
This is a light, fluffy story with a predictable ending and very little in terms of danger or thrills. I think I’ll pass on the remainder of the series.
Publishes August 24, 2021.
I was gifted this advance copy by Fern Michaels, Kensington Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
I used to read Fern Michaels books – hand me downs from a neighbour – when I was younger and I used to think they were fabulous. I fear it was misleading marketing and extreme nostalgia that elevated the promise of this novel.
I was tantalized with the following:
“dangerous mystery” “defense in a matter of life and death” “riveting new thriller” “their lives may depend on it” “dangerous information” “thrilling new suspense” ….hhhhmmmm….it’s NOT what I got. I read every single sentence in this book.
YOU read and be the judge.
The first thing you’ll notice is that there are quite a few characters, with lots of development and a TON of backstory. This makes sense for the first novel of a series, but when it’s not backed up with action that supports the tag lines, it’s really disappointing.
Despite there being many characters, I couldn’t connect with any of them. I saw potential for a romance between two and it may develop over the next few books.
This is a light, fluffy story with a predictable ending and very little in terms of danger or thrills. I think I’ll pass on the remainder of the series.
Publishes August 24, 2021.
I was gifted this advance copy by Fern Michaels, Kensington Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
September 8, 2021
I received this book through Influenster in exchange for my honest review. Hidden is a book that is easy to read. It is a love story and mystery rolled into one. One side of the book you follow a woman where you get to meet her brother, dog, and love interest. And on the other you meet a greedy man and his wife looking for something important. As the story progresses you realize that these two very different lives and people are connected by luck (or not so much luck). One thing I think could be improved is the character depth. You only get to know some of these characters at surface level and they do not grow or change throughout the story. I would have liked to learn more about some of them. Also there was not much suspense. I think the synopsis on the book was more exciting than the book itself. It was kind of boring and nothing of excitement or intrigued popped up. When I got halfway through the book I still could not describe what the story is about. Maybe her other books are better than this one. I will probably read a couple more of her books because I found this to be smooth and easy to read. They are perfect for work since I can easily put it down and pick right back up. Hopefully some of the other books are more exciting so that I actually have a hard time putting it down.
September 16, 2021
This is a 3.5 star review.
I received this book via an Influenster campaign for review.
I was intrigued by the tiny size of the book first of all and thought it should be a quick read. It definitely starts slow and doesn't really have anything too compelling but the plot becomes quite readable later on and the pace picks up. The editing was nicely done as I didn't find any mistakes but the writing is unfortunately a prime example of what my 10th grade honors English teacher would list as "tell versus show." Anything that the reader would have picked up on through good description and storytelling is kind of shoved in our faces by lines like "and they had good chemistry together." The Luna character especially was written so juvenilely. The dialogue was so cringey at points and there just wasn't enough mystery or suspense with the author literally writing down everything was that happening. I didn't dislike the story but every loose end was tied up way too neatly and all the situations and behaviors of the characters were too contrived and convenient. It reads like at a clever middle schooler's level but nothing beyond that. Anyways, a quick read, but I wasn't challenged nor did I learn anything.
I received this book via an Influenster campaign for review.
I was intrigued by the tiny size of the book first of all and thought it should be a quick read. It definitely starts slow and doesn't really have anything too compelling but the plot becomes quite readable later on and the pace picks up. The editing was nicely done as I didn't find any mistakes but the writing is unfortunately a prime example of what my 10th grade honors English teacher would list as "tell versus show." Anything that the reader would have picked up on through good description and storytelling is kind of shoved in our faces by lines like "and they had good chemistry together." The Luna character especially was written so juvenilely. The dialogue was so cringey at points and there just wasn't enough mystery or suspense with the author literally writing down everything was that happening. I didn't dislike the story but every loose end was tied up way too neatly and all the situations and behaviors of the characters were too contrived and convenient. It reads like at a clever middle schooler's level but nothing beyond that. Anyways, a quick read, but I wasn't challenged nor did I learn anything.
August 31, 2021
Full disclosure: I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
While superficial, this book was still pretty fun. The character development and dialogue don’t have much depth and a lot of the characters are kind of cliches— this is literally built into Rowena’s internal dialogue in the book. I feel like the author was really trying to beat it into our minds that Luna is ~*qUiRkY*~ and it didn’t feel genuine. She felt more like a middle schooler than a grown female character. Also, there were some time hops toward the beginning of the story that weren’t really clear to me, and there are a lot of pop culture references that I think will date this book pretty quickly and may be confusing.
Based on the synopsis, I was expecting it to be more suspenseful than it ended up being. However, it was a quick and fun read. The story was tied up neatly at the end and the language is simple. If you’re looking for a beach read or something that isn’t too involved, this might be a good one for you!
While superficial, this book was still pretty fun. The character development and dialogue don’t have much depth and a lot of the characters are kind of cliches— this is literally built into Rowena’s internal dialogue in the book. I feel like the author was really trying to beat it into our minds that Luna is ~*qUiRkY*~ and it didn’t feel genuine. She felt more like a middle schooler than a grown female character. Also, there were some time hops toward the beginning of the story that weren’t really clear to me, and there are a lot of pop culture references that I think will date this book pretty quickly and may be confusing.
Based on the synopsis, I was expecting it to be more suspenseful than it ended up being. However, it was a quick and fun read. The story was tied up neatly at the end and the language is simple. If you’re looking for a beach read or something that isn’t too involved, this might be a good one for you!
June 18, 2021
I usually enjoy most of Fern Michael’s books and this one is no exception. It’s supposed to be part of a series so it’s off to a good start. The plot isn’t all that deep, but I enjoyed the fumbling of the villains. I either snickered or chortled when I read the parts concerning Arthur and Rowena, especially Rowena’s thoughts and comments. I was immediately into Marshall Gaines, um yes please. I liked Chi-Chi and Ellie. I loved Wiley. I was actually a little slow to warm to the 2 main characters: Cullen and Luna. I think the secondary characters were more interesting, in my opinion. It’s an entertaining read and I can assure you, the ending is very good. Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for the early read.
September 7, 2021
I received this book complimentary in exchange for my honest review: I’m familiar with Fern Michaels, mostly for her ‘beach reads’ with passionate flamboyant covers, but I was intrigued to start this novel as it was a thriller mystery and I do enjoy that genre. Immediately I was locked in when some of the characters live in North Carolina and Michaels mentions specific places that I am familiar with. However that’s where my interest stopped. I enjoy deep character development and I felt this was extremely lacking throughout the novel. I would still characterize this as a beach read, just with more intrigue and mystery. A fluffier version of a thriller for those not interested in that genre usually.
May 4, 2021
Great first book in the Lost and Found Series! We meet the siblings Luna Bodman, who just has that sense, and her brother Cullan, who restores furniture, both are in business at the new a local arts center.
Somebody’s trash is another person treasure, one is an old table that Cullan buys to restore,\ and attracts the attention of Luna. What happens next is a tale of riches, corruption, race against the clock, and also of friendship, trust, and the good in people.
Lovely story, easy to read, looking forward to reading more of Luna, Cullan and their friends.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an early read.
Somebody’s trash is another person treasure, one is an old table that Cullan buys to restore,\ and attracts the attention of Luna. What happens next is a tale of riches, corruption, race against the clock, and also of friendship, trust, and the good in people.
Lovely story, easy to read, looking forward to reading more of Luna, Cullan and their friends.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an early read.
September 10, 2021
I am a huge fan of beach reads/chick lit and I also enjoy true crime podcasts but I really wasn’t a fan of this novel! I didn’t feel like the characters were very dynamic nor was there any hook to continue reading the story. I finished the book as it was short enough that it didn’t take much time to get through and I also received this book #complementary to read/provide an honest review. If you’re looking for something mindlessly simple to flip through, this is the book to read. If you’re looking for something with interesting characters and several twists and unexpected action, this is definitely not the one for you.
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