Shh... It's a Secret [Baby]

Small Town Romances #1

by Annie J. Rose

I’m back in my hometown after an injury in the NFL.
Simone was my high school sweetheart, but we grew apart.
I show up to her boutique’s grand opening just to be supportive.

She’s got a little girl on her hip.
A little girl with my green eyes.
Her secret’s out after four long years.

It’s hard not giving in to the fury.
I have to get along with my ex and work out visits.
We have a picnic, the three of us, so I can meet my daughter.
Sparks fly with me and Simone like old times.
Later, we can’t keep our hands off each other.

Maybe you can go home again.
If I can forgive her for keeping the baby a secret,
Maybe I can make her fall for me again.
Just like old times.


Shh... It’s a Secret! (Baby) is a full-length standalone second chance, secret baby romance full of secrets, steam, and naughty small-town gossip. Enjoy these satisfying romances set in the charm of small town South Carolina where the HEA’s are as sweet as the tea.

Genres: Sports, Second Chance, Romance

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 26, 2021

About the author

Annie J. Rose is an Amazon top 30 best seller contemporary romance author who loves to bring all of your fantasies to life. She writes steamy romance with a happily ever after.

Born and raised in New Zealand, she often spends most of her time writing stories by her balcony. Pharmacist by day, smut-writer by night.

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Reviews

[Amanda Fabian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet read

No real conflict. Not bad steam. More of a sweet story with a HEA. Boy meets girl. Boy leaves for college and unknowingly knocks up GF. GF dumps him and gets jealous over a picture of a girl kissing him, on the cheek, and decides bc of that not to tell him. He goes to NFL and comes home hurt. 3yr old is his. He is mad for like a day....like I said no real conflict.

[BB · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skimming is super necessary.

Ok. So Simone and David are high school sweethearts. Simone stays home for college, David goes out of state. She dumps him when that turns out not to be all sunshine and roses. She realizes she's pregnant, decides not to tell him. Years pass. He gets hurt, comes home and scene.

Simone is over here maybe 22? with 4 year old, her own apartment, finished college, starting her own business- and already has enough money to BUY not rent a building.

It's amazing how it wasn't necessary to explain how that was possible or the issues David had with his parents but you get full fucking paragraphs about tiniest details of insignificant things.

Like he orders pizza and when it's delivered, it's an entire paragraph about how he got up from the chair. How he walked to the door. Opened the door. He got the pizza. How he then got a slice of pizza. And then he got a soda. He doesn't usually drink soda. He sat in the chair and ate the pizza.

Holy shit. Or getting undressed. Again a paragraph about taking off clothes, walking to the hamper, opening the hamper. Putting stuff in, and then closing the hamper.

Bruh. Come on.

Or Or. Simone and David start fooling around, and putting on a condom becomes a 4 sentence event. David pulls out a condom. He opens the condom. He starts putting the condom on. When "the condom is fully covering his cock"(real quote btw) he shoves it inside her.

YOU WANT TO SKIM NOW DONT YOU

There are entire pages that could(and should) have been reduced to a sentence.

And then the inexplicable side character have issues with the main character as the pseudo conflict? Simone's friends don't like David. For. Reasons? David's parents are mad at Simone for keeping their grandkid from them(which...they knew the kid existed and never said anything to David. Even if they thought their son was a deadbeat, they still chose to do nothing with that knowledge. Also what kind of shit ass parents think their son dumped his girlfriend when she got pregnant say NOTHING to him about it? Feign shock when they realize he didn't know)

It ends with David realizing they'll work if they put the effort in. And then an epilogue of them moving in (days later)and Simone pregnant. Which was not surprising considering the condom thing only happened the first time they had sex, after that they just went to town.

Apparently there's a whole series? And it's her judgy friends? Who I'm forced to start describing as assholes- because again, they saw the fallout from the secret baby crap and somehow still think 'oh damn that's for sure the way to go'

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was kinda boring. It just seem to go on and on. It need something. Also, I wasn’t feeling the writing style. It felt like a older person wrote the book. Just how the main characters talked. They acted old when they were still in their twenties. They acted like they were in their fifty’s. I just couldn’t get into this book at all.

David was gone for 6 years.
Simone broke up with him his sophomore year in college. She found out she was pregnant a couple of weeks after the breakup. She decided not to tell him because she thought he moved on with his life after seeing a picture of him online.

I get she didn’t tell David. I mean it was messed up of her. She should’ve just told him. But she didn’t m. What I didn’t like was... David’s parents lived literally right across the street from her parents house. David’s parents Had to see David’s little girl grow up. They seen this little girl playing in the front lawn and all around town. And Simone just kept it from them. That’s where I couldn’t wrap my head around. How could she do that.
But also too, I can’t believe David’s parents never said anything to him. It was just so unbelievable. Then when David came back. I was expecting a little more anger from him. Simone was dragging her feet on telling him. And he found out by accident.

The rekindling of their relationship was so fast.

Their first time having sex after so many years was unbelievable. It was so out of the blue. I wasn’t feeling it. They only talked through their mediator. And here and there during his supervised visits with his daughter.
Nothing really personal.

So, she went looking for him after a high school game he was coaching. No words were exchanged. Just kissing and touching. The topper for me. Was her putting the condom on with her mouth. And the full on sex they had behind a tree. With people all around on high school grounds.
No, sorry... this didn’t work out.

Overall... I was expecting something different. I just wasn’t feeling this book.

[Becky Claxon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is always so exciting when we are young and in love. It seems like nothing can go wrong. Until it does. This is how David and Simone’s love story started. The two were so in love. David has always loved football and dreamed of playing in the NFL. I know David had the best intentions of keeping in touch with Simone, but football became his life. The two broke up, and then Simone finds out she is pregnant. I really think she wanted to tell David about the baby, but not knowing the whole story she thought David had moved on and she decided not to tell him. Four years later he is physically hurt, no longer part of the NFL and trying to figure out his life at home where he started. I must say that his parents were weird and had a different kind of relationship with him. I was glad to see Simone’s dream come true. You need to read the book to see what happens when David finds out he has a daughter. I enjoyed the book and encourage you to read it. I was given a copy and voluntarily wrote a review.

[☆☆Hannah☆☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I liked this book. Simone and David were high school sweethearts. Then in college they broke up. Due to a misunderstanding Simone made some stupid choices. Which I really disliked and made me not care for her at times. David of course finds out and wants to make things work. Luckily in the end it all works out and they get their second chance at happiness.

[Dawn Pressel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Goodreads needs to allow 0 stars

I have this bundle but refuse to read any further

This time line confused me…they broke up 6 years ago but the child is 3. Do the math she wasn’t pregnant for 3 years people.

What is the deal with his parents? They are so cold at his return!! And then to say he broke up with the girl because she was pregnant? What type of parents are these people?

He’s supposed to be a famous quarterback but she hasn’t heard about his injury or why he’s back in town 🤣 my gosh this must be a town that has zero news for the outside world

Then the book goes on and on...it just will not end BANG happy ending

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best Laid Plans Do Often Go Astray

Most humans like to control things—where we go, with whom we go, how long we stay. But generally, we don’t talk about “controlling” people or events—the word “controlling” seems too manipulative, so we substitute a word of physical manipulation for a word of intent, like the word “plan”—I plan to go to college, I plan to visit London, I plan to have a salad for lunch. “Plan” provides for change, for a deviation of ideas or intentions. Plan allows the individual to have exit ramp if intended plans are altered by the individual or by circumstances.

So, when young David Julian first played pee wee level football, and steadily began, at each level, to show promise through the development of skills and an understanding of the nuances of the game, saying that he “planned” to play major league football when he grew up showed intent, but still a suggested a pathway that might be altered. But, by the time he was a junior in high school, he was being scouted and recruited by a variety of colleges and universities, and the concept of “planning” gained a more substantive and less fanciful quality. And, David was smart. He had a goal—he wanted to quarterback a professional team, so he smartly chose a Texas university with an established football program and a record of producing professional quality players. His chosen university also had a senior quarterback who was about to graduate to the pros, but lacking great recruitment class of quarterbacks waiting to step up to that position. So, the path forward for the freshman bench-warming quarterback to a graduating senior quarterback promised a plan of the quick advancement of a sophomore to first-string quarterback. And, barring injury, for the rest of his collegiate career David Julian’s plan unfolded without impediments.

But, his plans were not those of a lone individual, at least not at first. When high school quarterback David put the finishing touches on his march to the majors, he had another heart that beat with his—sweet, beautiful Simone Talley was a part of his plans. When they began dating in high school, their lives in Rockingham, South Carolina easily intertwined. Living across the street from each other since before either could remember, it was natural that when they were of the age to begin to notice each other as the opposite sex, not just across the street neighbors, it seemed that they were meant to be together. And Simone supported David’s dream of football, just as he supported her dream of owning a boutique where she could display her own designs. They would be a team.

So, when David received the offer that was perfect for his dreams, it was understood that Simone would be following her dream in South Carolina, beginning at the local community college, then at one of the state universities where she would finish her pathway in textile design. They would both be on the same parallel pathway, only in different states.

But a long-distance romance, no matter how committed the lovers, is challenging. And, after the adjustments of the freshman and even sophomore years and the long days apart, fewer and shorter trips home, rushed phone conversations and eventually, unanswered and unreturned phone calls, Simone fearfully tried to carry on as if all was normal between the high school sweethearts, especially when neither really knew all that was occurring in the tension filled other’s world. So, as the expectations and tensions of the now first-string quarterback increased, so also did the expectations and tensions in the world of Simone, who six weeks after David’s last trip home has been difficult to connect with by phone or messages. And she really needs to talk to him, needs him to return her calls because when a man is told he is to become a father, it needs to be voice to voice, not a recorded message on a phone or a text. She needs to speak to him before the town--his parents--notice that her sweet baby girl shares very familiar hazel eyes and a dimpled chin.

Annie Rose brings two individuals together who think that they have found the love of a lifetime, only to have the unknown complications of separated lives to tackle their dreams for the future. Filled with tension and passion, Rose weaves a powerful and moving love story. This is a novel that not only entertains, but also provokes the reader's contemplation of the road blocks and threats which can impede an individual’s growth and the growth of relationships on the pathway to love. Rose offers the reader the sweetness of young love that is complicated by choices of life, distance and broken dreams.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review ARC, and bought a copy on Amazon.

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

6 yrs ago David left Simone to go play college football in Texas while Simone stayed in town and went to community college. His life goal was to be a NFL quarterback. Simone stayed in South Carolina. She tried to make the long distance relationship work but when he stopped trying she made the hard decision to break up with him. Six weeks later Simone finds out she is pregnant. David becomes the quarterback superstar his first year in the pros until an illegal tackle near the end of a championship game. His football playing days are over. Unsure what to do with his future David moves back home. Simone never left. She is opening a small boutique while raising her three year old daughter Eve, the daughter she never told David about.

The bulk of the story is what happens with both of them in the same town. Simone chickens out a few times when she has a chance to tell David about Eve. When David sees Eve for the first time it is like looking into a mirror. He knows who she is. Simone's reasoning for not telling David is that she saw a picture on social media of him looking happy with a girl. She figured he had moved on and she did not want to feel his rejection nor did she want this for her daughter. I am glad she addresses this later agreeing she shouldn't have jumped to conclusions.

Overall David steps up immediately. He is smart that he doesn't antagonize Simone. As angry as he is he keeps things amicable with her as they try to work through this new norm. I know Simone still loves David and he her but when she finally gets time alone, she caves to his affections. I have never been in this situation but I feel like Simone's actions were a little out if character. She has been in protective mama bear mode and all of a sudden she jumps David.

The rekindling of their love affair has a lot of lead up but then they become a pair. It just seems a like fast for her change in attitude and the fact that David harbors no anger regarding her actions and decisions is a little unrealistic in my mind. David is a likeable character once he's home after the accident. He adapts to his new life with all the changes quickly. Simone on the other hand was young when she made decisions that affected a lot of lives: not just hers, David's and Eve's but also her parents and his.

The story is more about feelings than that of action. Except for the reason I mentioned (which is my own opinion), Shh...It's a Secret! (Baby) is an enjoyable read. It held me attention, even if I was yelling at Simone to tell David already. The feelings the characters had are legitimate as is their actions and reactions.

[Angie Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annie J. Rose has written a 5-star book. This is the story of Simone and David. Simone and David had been a couple up until he went off to college for football. Once in college, he started to miss Simone's calls and not return them. She thought that he was pulling away from her, so she broke up with him. She finds out she is pregnant and was going to tell David but she found a picture of him with a girl sitting on his lap kissing him. She thinks he has moved on so she decides not to tell him about the baby. Now four years later, he is back in town, his football career is over because of an injury. Simone is not happy with him being back in town. She knows that she is going to have to tell him about their daughter since Eva looks just like him but she doesn't know-how. Simone has worked hard and she is about ready to open her boutique. On opening day, David goes to the opening and he sees Simone with Eva in her arms. He looks at Eva and knows that she is his. He wants to know why Simone didn't tell him. She tells him that that is not the time to talk and that she would be by his place and answer all his questions. When David gets the answers from Simone, he is not happy to know that she thought that he would not want to know about his child. He tells her that he wants to get to know his daughter. Simone and David start spending time together so that Eva and get to know him, and their feelings start to get stronger for each other.
Will Simone and David be able to work things out and start fresh as he wants them to?
This was a wonderful book and I would recommend it to anyone.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lynn Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

David left home 6 years ago for college and hopefully an NFL career but he left behind his longtime girlfriend, Simone, who was attending the local college. They spoke frequently and saw each other during breaks but ended up breaking up 2 years later. Shortly after their breakup she discovered she was pregnant but decided not to tell him after she saw a picture of him with another girl. After 1 fantastic year in the pros David had a horrible injury that ended his career and he returned to his hometown. He took a job as a high school coach and is then shocked to see Simone with a 3 year old that looks a lot like him. Will David be able to forgive Simone for not telling him about his baby? Will David and Simone be able to find happiness again?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story about 2 young people who both thought they were doing what was best but ended up hurting each other. David left for a football career and became busy and ended up breaking up with Simone because it became too hard. Simone was hurt and misunderstood the picture that she saw so she kept her baby a secret. The author did a great job explaining both of their feelings so you could understand why the acted as they did. However, it remained to be seen what would happen when the secret was revealed. The epilogue was a fantastic ending for their story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jinx · Rating 2 out of 5]

Second Chance Romance.

-----------------

Main Characters: Simone Talley, mother, daughter, aspiring designer; David Julian, high school star quarterback, father, son and retired NFL star.

Story Overview: Simone and David were high school sweethearts then they went to college and it all changed... the distance was too much and they went their separate ways. David went on to sign for the NFL while Simone stayed behind in their home town.

Years later, after sustaining a career ending injury David returns back home; but returning home isn't all that he hoped it would be. He's still struggling with his injuries and tries to get his head around losing his dreams.

Simone's dreams changed since high school; she's now got her own dreams that she's making a reality opening her own boutique and looking after her pride and joy.

When David sees Simone at the opening of her boutique the shock of seeing a little girl in her arms with his features brings about a rollercoaster of emotions. He has a daughter that he didn't know about for years.

Can they make it work? Can they find their HEA? Or is there too much hurt from both and their families?

--------------------

Concluding Thoughts: This story didn't quite grab my interest. The story fell short on delivery imo. A sweet second chance love story with a secret baby.

[Anita Fuhrmann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the premise for the book and it was initially very romantic and sweet but the h, Simonne, and her maturity that never evolved beyond a high school level pretty much left me feeling dissatisfied with it. Also, this was a small town and nobody beyond a few close friends or relatives ever put it together just who had fathered her child? Come on. common sense alone would have told everyone that since she had been in a relationship with David since high school and was supposedly not seeing anyone else even after they both started college, that the baby was his. Especially since the two families had lived across the street from each other the whole time and one can assume were pretty close and not just passing acquaintances. That part of the story-line called on us as readers to suspend reality just a bit too far. I liked how they got their HEA but felt that it was too easily obtained and that there was no real effort put into working on a mature relationship. They basically took up where they left off and assumed everything would then work itself out. It was so-so and not of the same caliber that one has come to expect in a book by Ms. Rose.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Terry Sasada · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this author before, and I know I enjoyed the book, but this book really kept my attention. David never planned on going back home to a small town. Although he was the hometown hero being in the NFL, a serious injury had taken it all away from him. Now he’s home, and he needs to figure out his life. What he hadn’t planned on was the love of his life while in high school had kept a secret from him after graduating. They had tried to maintain their relationship through college, but it didn’t work out. Now there’s a three year-old involved, David and his parents are beyond upset. Now Simone needs to come clean. The story keeps your attention throughout the book. And three year old, Eve, is about the cutest and most adorable little girl. David and Simone are trying to make it work but there’s a lot involved, including Simone‘s good friends that stayed by here through everything and David’s parents who watched that little girl from afar, knowing she was their grandchild. That being said, I wish the book was a little longer, and went into more explanation about the relationship with David’s parents. That part of the story left you hanging. Other than that really good story, a great happily ever after.

[Raecharmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

David and Simone are high school sweet hearts. When he leaves to go to college it breaks her heart but she knows that they can make it. However when he stops calling and texting her it gets harder to believe that. Its not long before their relationship falls apart and ends. When she finds out that she's pregnant she decides not to tell him because she thinks that he has moved on. Now a couple years later he is back home for good and she knows she needs to tells him about their daughter. David is trying to figure out his next step now that professional ball is out. When he sees Simone all the feelings come back and he knows that he wants to try and get her back. However he never counted on her keeping a big secret from him. Can they move forward from her keeping his daughter from him? Can they be the family they always wanted to be?

This is an amazing story that will captivate you from beginning to end. This is a well written and very entertaining story. I would recommend this book to any book lover.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kelly DeMarco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secret baby, second chance at love
Shhh….It’s A Secret! (Baby) by Annie J. Rose is so much more than a secret baby and second chance romance. Like many young love couples, dealing with long distance relationships becomes more than they thought. David and Simone are not exception. Through the character’s self-reflections it becomes clear that their love didn’t end, the communication and nurturing their love failed and created circumstances where they grew apart.
The plot is very engaging as Simone and David work through the introduction of David into’s little Eve’s life as well as the resurfacing of their feelings, attraction and desire to get back what they lost.
Overall, this second chance and secret baby romance is sweet, steamy and emotionally packed. This HEA is second chance worthy and David nails the sweet, swoony hero.
I read an ARC of this book and voluntarily share my review.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. The author really brought the characters out in a well written storyline that was easy to follow and to really get into. There weren’t any situations where I felt I had to skip paragraphs or pages because I was bored. The exact opposite was what happened. I devoured the book and I wanted more.

The story of Simone and David, high school sweethearts who once David went away to college, after two years, drifted apart, but once Simone broke things off, she found she was pregnant. But seeing a picture of him with another woman, she decided not to tell him about the baby. Four years later, after an accident destroys his football career, he is home again. Then there is a whole mess to clear up, but thankfully there is a HEA and lots of chemistry that never faded. A great read all up.

I was given an advanced copy of this book to read and review with my honest and fair opinion.

[M Reads Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple straight-forward story of 2nd chances.

High school sweethearts break up when life at different colleges intervene. He's headed to the NFL and she is surprised with a baby. She decides not to tell him.

Unfortunately there is little conflict or drama that lasts for more than a few pages. Even the main drama of the MCs isn't really significant. I mean the rate at which it's resolved is staggeringly quick. Also they dont really discuss anything. There is no depth to their conversation. They are angry or in lust.

There are also a CPL plot lines left undiscussed or resolved, just mentioned, but it could have given extra dimension and some drama to explore it (her friends, his parents). Also the child in this story, though cute, is attributed with thought processes way beyond her years. It was very improbable. I guess I wanted more variance from heartbreak to HEA and there wasn't.

[Tesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

David an ex NFL player comes back to town and decides to go to the boutique opening of his ex girlfriend, Simone. Unfortunately she had a 6 year old child on her hip with David's green eyes and he can't help but guess she was his.
This was steamy, dramatic and tense as for the most part. David trying to get the truth out of Simone and then deciding what to do. I really liked the characters and how they approached things. They really did have feelings for each other that never really went away but had so much to sort out before they could begin a relationship with any great substance.
I enjoyed the steamy scenes asks them getting to know each other again while getting to know his daughter.
A fantastic book really!!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Debbie Caswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

At heart this is a sweet second chance romance there is no major conflict no outright drama everything just flows A perfect bit of escapism reading

Simone Talley and David Julian where high school sweethearts who had their lives planned out together He was going hoping for a career in football picked a university that would give him the best chance to be the NFL player he wanted to be she was going to community college and was then going to design clothes and sell them from her own boutique Everything was going well until distance and miscommunication tore them apart and Simone broke up with him Now after been injured and ending his career he has returned to their small town and he can't believe it when he sees Simone with a young daughter that has his green eyes. Now he has to convince her that they are meant to be no matter how angry he feels about her not telling him.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Touching story of high school sweethearts and how life didn’t go exactly as they planned it to. Your heart wants to break for Simone but then she keeps going along and achieves her dreams. She has a strong group of best friends and her parents to help her. When David’s life goes awry, he finds himself in a place and situation that he didn’t think he be. Once he finds his reason to improve, he is all in and goes for what he wants.

.Written from both Simone and David’s point of views, you are taken on a journey of heartbreak, drama, laughter, and love. I enjoyed how there was just enough of the story set six years earlier that you understood how they grew apart and that the main focus was on the present. There is great chemistry between the main characters and a very sweet and romantic ending.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily giving an honest review

[Steph Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn't the greatest read

Thus book is about David and Simone. High school sweethearts that make a promise to be together forever. Things don't end up as they thought when David goes away to pursue his football dream and Simone ends up pregnant and doesn't tell him.

When he comes back 4 years later to to injury he finds out about his daughter. Everything from that point is just unrealistic. His parents lived right across the street and never thought to mention it because they thought he knew. Like seriously that's not a talk you would have with your child?
I feel once Simone and David start mending things they have no regard for David's parents who want so badly to be a part of their grandchilds life which I found to be cruel. This book needed more character build up. I would've liked more bonding with David and his daughter.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great second chance romance. They were high school sweethearts, but then life happened. This is a well-written romance with interesting and relatable characters that you will fall in love with.

David had dreamed of playing for the NFL since he was a little boy. He had given up everything for that dream, including given up the woman he loved. Then in one split second, his dream was shattered. Now he finds out that his ex-girlfriend has been keeping a secret from him that will change his life forever.

Simone had dreamed of owning her own boutique her whole life. Now her dream was coming true, even after all the set backs she has had. But now there is one thing that might ruin her dreams and her life. Her ex-boyfriend has moved back to town. What will he do when he finds out her secret?

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author thru Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my review. David and Simone were a couple when they were young. He had a dream to play in the NFL and was headed to college in Texas. Things changed and it seemed that he did not want a long distance relationship any longer. She broke things off but then learned she was pregnant. She chose not to tell him about it. He sustains a career ending injury and returns home. Imagine his surprise when he sees a little girl that looks like him. Simone has some explaining to do. These two have a happy future in store for their family. I enjoyed their love story

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ellen Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this story although I wasn't too sure I liked Simon at first when she didn't tell David about the baby but she grew on me but I definately didn't like his parents even after finding out why they behaved the way they did. I felt so sorry for David & his injury but even though there was a huge secret Simon was keeping from him I really hoped he would forgive her & become a happy family as it was obvious that they still loved each other & were meant to be together. David's injury being that bad ending his football career early felt like the end of his life but going back home was just the re- start of it.
I couldn't help but smile at the end.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Shh... It's a Secret (Baby) by Annie J. Rose because it was a second chance story about David and Simone. They had been high school sweethearts. David was going to college to play football and Simone had stayed behind to attend college. But she ended up pregnant and didn't tell David at all. She kept this secret even when he had come to stay. It was an intense and steamy story and I wondered if David and Simone would get and stay together when David would eventually find out that he was a father. I received an ARC of this story in exchange for an honest opinion. I loved it and would highly recommend it. I also loved the cover of this book. This is how I pictured David and wow, he is super hot!!!

[Joyce Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Love Story Was Delightful - 4 Stars ****

This was an interesting read, where at a couple of points, I did not totally understand the character's rationale for their actions. However, in life too, I do not always understand different people's actions, so, the story was still original and realistic. The over-arching love story was delightful. The camaraderie between friends was wonderful to read about. It would certainly seem that life does not always turn out as we envision it when we are young. Here again, this is a reality of life. The two main characters do achieve their happily ever after in the end ... sigh ...

I voluntarily received an advance review copy of this novel via Booksprout and I am leaving an honest and unbiased review. I have no affiliation to this author.

[Zoe Jones-Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

David and Simone were high school sweethearts with plenty of dreams. When life took them in different directions, it was the beginning of the end for their relationship. Now David has come home. He is injured and his career is shot to pieces. Where does he go from here? His one regret was breaking up with Simone and he is hoping to reignite their relationship. Simone never expected to see David again. Now he’s back in town, its only a matter of time before he finds out her biggest kept secret, she had his daughter! With such an explosive secret, they must find a way past it if they have any hope of rekindling their romance and achieving the rest of their long held dreams? This is an enjoyable, gripping, heart warming story of forgiveness, acceptance and second chances.

[Susan Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book brings us David, SImone, and Eve.. David and Simone were high school sweethearts, who had so many plans when David went to school in Texas. They would do ok with a long term relationship. That is, until David seemed to drift away from Simone. Turns up she finds out she's pregnant, but doesn't tell him as she knows that David has dreams to be in the NFL so she decided to stay quiet. Unfortunately for David, he has a career ending injury and return homes, and to his surprise, he sees Eve, who looks just like him. He is furious, but once he and Simone spend time together, and gets to know and love Eve, thinks begin to look up. However, his parents are furious with Simone. I do recommend this book.

[Infinity Navarro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a hard read for me to finish. Definitely a short read. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed. I probably wouldn't re-read this. I loved the story but the way it was written wasn't really pulling me into continue or connect to it.

If you enjoyed reading this book, you should read My Second Chance Secret Baby, Boss’s Secret Baby: A Second Chance Romance, and Condemned to Love.

[Jurae · Rating 4 out of 5]

David and Simone knew they would be together forever but when their long distance relationship proved to be too difficult Simone ended it. Later she discovered she was pregnant and after seeing photos of David and another girl online she decided not to tell him. Now he's back and it is only a matter of time before he discovers the secret she has been keeping from him.

This was a good book. I thought that all of the characters were relatable and the story was relevant. I loved the raw emotion that was portrayed. I enjoyed reading this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.