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Burning Little Secrets
Recommended for readers 18 years and up!
**A secret steamy standalone romance**
Julia
When my best friend Eve invited me to visit her and my dad back home in North Carolina, I hesitated. My wedding with Robbie was only a week away, and our rocky relationship was already on edge. Even though it was a bad time to go back, I couldn’t resist the chance to visit my best friend—both to sort out my own feelings and escape from Robbie’s increasingly controlling behavior.
Never could I have imagined how this quick trip and an innocent night of freedom could have spiraled out of control. Meeting Nathan wasn’t supposed to happen, and I definitely wasn’t supposed to kiss him. But he was so kind and sexy, and it was so nice to feel wanted for once. But, as soon as I came to my senses and ran from our kiss, I bumped into the one person I never expected. My trip away is now a harbor of secrets, created by those close to me, and my new found taste for freedom.
Nathan
When I saw Julia watching me at the bar, I felt something I hadn’t felt in years. When I kissed her, I knew she was meant to be mine. But this Robbie guy she was with, he seemed to have some pull over her, something I couldn’t understand. I hated how he treated her, and I knew she deserved better.
So, when she offered me the time she had left, I decided to take it, showing her the side of freedom she only dreamed of. Our connection, our chemistry—it was undeniable. I wanted her to leave Robbie; I wanted her to be with me. But, when it came down to it, what I really wanted was for her to be happy. But could I keep her close while keeping my demons at bay? The things I’ve done, the person I once was, and all my little secrets. I’ll fight to keep her home, to make her mine, even if it takes a little naughty convincing.
**A secret steamy standalone romance**
Julia
When my best friend Eve invited me to visit her and my dad back home in North Carolina, I hesitated. My wedding with Robbie was only a week away, and our rocky relationship was already on edge. Even though it was a bad time to go back, I couldn’t resist the chance to visit my best friend—both to sort out my own feelings and escape from Robbie’s increasingly controlling behavior.
Never could I have imagined how this quick trip and an innocent night of freedom could have spiraled out of control. Meeting Nathan wasn’t supposed to happen, and I definitely wasn’t supposed to kiss him. But he was so kind and sexy, and it was so nice to feel wanted for once. But, as soon as I came to my senses and ran from our kiss, I bumped into the one person I never expected. My trip away is now a harbor of secrets, created by those close to me, and my new found taste for freedom.
Nathan
When I saw Julia watching me at the bar, I felt something I hadn’t felt in years. When I kissed her, I knew she was meant to be mine. But this Robbie guy she was with, he seemed to have some pull over her, something I couldn’t understand. I hated how he treated her, and I knew she deserved better.
So, when she offered me the time she had left, I decided to take it, showing her the side of freedom she only dreamed of. Our connection, our chemistry—it was undeniable. I wanted her to leave Robbie; I wanted her to be with me. But, when it came down to it, what I really wanted was for her to be happy. But could I keep her close while keeping my demons at bay? The things I’ve done, the person I once was, and all my little secrets. I’ll fight to keep her home, to make her mine, even if it takes a little naughty convincing.
229 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2021
173 people are currently reading
2448 people want to read
About the author
Vivian Mae
7 books305 followersVivian Mae is a Latina indie author who writes contemporary romance with spice, angst, and emotionally complicated love stories with happily ever afters. She enjoys creating steamy stories on the complicated and angsty side, because the more emotional the better the payout, right?
She lives in Arizona with her husband/best friend/apple of her eye. They are living their own second chance/friends to lovers romance trope.
When she isn’t writing, you can find her laughing alongside her husband, binging trashy T.V., sneaking chocolates, reading her favorite naughty novels, rewatching her favorite horror films, scrolling through Netflix for waaaay too long, and dreaming about pizza and wine.
You can find Vivian on the following platforms:
Instagram - @vivianmaewrites
TikTok - @vivianmaewrites , @vivianmaeauthor (backup)
Pinterest - Vivian Mae Writes
Facebook - Vivian Mae
Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/vivia...
Verve - https://ververomance.com/app/vivianma...
Website: https://www.vivianmae.com
Newsletter sign up: https://www.vivianmae.com/newsletter
She lives in Arizona with her husband/best friend/apple of her eye. They are living their own second chance/friends to lovers romance trope.
When she isn’t writing, you can find her laughing alongside her husband, binging trashy T.V., sneaking chocolates, reading her favorite naughty novels, rewatching her favorite horror films, scrolling through Netflix for waaaay too long, and dreaming about pizza and wine.
You can find Vivian on the following platforms:
Instagram - @vivianmaewrites
TikTok - @vivianmaewrites , @vivianmaeauthor (backup)
Pinterest - Vivian Mae Writes
Facebook - Vivian Mae
Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/vivia...
Verve - https://ververomance.com/app/vivianma...
Website: https://www.vivianmae.com
Newsletter sign up: https://www.vivianmae.com/newsletter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
July 24, 2021
DNF at 20%.
This is my lucky day, isn't it?
This is my lucky day, isn't it?
March 21, 2021
Burning Little Secrets by Vivian Mae is a contemporary, steamy standalone forbidden romance.
Told in dual POV we begin with Julia’s perspective in New York City. Julia lives with her boyfriend Robbie in a Penthouse apartment provided by his inherited wealth. Julia it seems, is unhappy with her current living situation as well her boyfriend. A large part of the novel focuses on the unhealthy relationship between Julia and her boyfriend Robbie who controls her, is jealous and overall a bad boyfriend.
When Julia’s best friend from back home, Eve calls inviting her to fly back for the week, Julia begrudgingly agrees but realizes she does need some time away from Robbie and his controlling behavior. Julia goes back home to spend time with her best friend Eve who is more like a sister to her as they’ve grown up with each other their entire lives and her father whom she loves. She also meets the hero of the novel, Nathan.
Nathan and Julia meet at a bar. From this point on, I was a bit taken aback at first but then also confused at times by the behavior of Julia. Nathan and Julia as you can see are set up to have this steamy, passionate, love at first sight, can’t keep their hands off each other or their minds off each other kinds of romance but that all fell flat to me. I am sorry to say that because I don’t want to pick apart a book or anything, but I actually felt no connection between Nathan and Julia at all. I felt their romance was too rushed. I wasn’t feeling what they were supposedly feeling for each other. Aside from the physical attributes, I didn’t understand why Nathan liked Julia so much and vise vera.
I would have liked to have seen more information of how Robbie was a bad boyfriend before Julia started liking Nathan in order for me to believe that she would feel such an instaspark with a guy she just met when she has a boyfriend. I didn’t feel the emotion in the book and that’s my main concern. I did feel very angry on behalf of Julia by how she was treated by her loved ones in this book.
That said, there were climactic scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. There were big dramatic scenes I loved and twists that kept me turning away.
What I liked was the writing. As a debut author, Vivian Mae’s writing is excellent. Her writing is superior. As far as the plot goes, I just felt it missed key pieces that would have drawn me to the characters more. Still, I’m sure a lot of people will like this. Perhaps it just wasn’t for me. I felt the relationship between Julia and Nathan was fast, but I wouldn’t mind fast if I felt the connection between the characters because I’m sure I’ve loved books in which the characters fell in love quickly.
I received an ARC and am providing my honest review.
Told in dual POV we begin with Julia’s perspective in New York City. Julia lives with her boyfriend Robbie in a Penthouse apartment provided by his inherited wealth. Julia it seems, is unhappy with her current living situation as well her boyfriend. A large part of the novel focuses on the unhealthy relationship between Julia and her boyfriend Robbie who controls her, is jealous and overall a bad boyfriend.
When Julia’s best friend from back home, Eve calls inviting her to fly back for the week, Julia begrudgingly agrees but realizes she does need some time away from Robbie and his controlling behavior. Julia goes back home to spend time with her best friend Eve who is more like a sister to her as they’ve grown up with each other their entire lives and her father whom she loves. She also meets the hero of the novel, Nathan.
Nathan and Julia meet at a bar. From this point on, I was a bit taken aback at first but then also confused at times by the behavior of Julia. Nathan and Julia as you can see are set up to have this steamy, passionate, love at first sight, can’t keep their hands off each other or their minds off each other kinds of romance but that all fell flat to me. I am sorry to say that because I don’t want to pick apart a book or anything, but I actually felt no connection between Nathan and Julia at all. I felt their romance was too rushed. I wasn’t feeling what they were supposedly feeling for each other. Aside from the physical attributes, I didn’t understand why Nathan liked Julia so much and vise vera.
I would have liked to have seen more information of how Robbie was a bad boyfriend before Julia started liking Nathan in order for me to believe that she would feel such an instaspark with a guy she just met when she has a boyfriend. I didn’t feel the emotion in the book and that’s my main concern. I did feel very angry on behalf of Julia by how she was treated by her loved ones in this book.
That said, there were climactic scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. There were big dramatic scenes I loved and twists that kept me turning away.
What I liked was the writing. As a debut author, Vivian Mae’s writing is excellent. Her writing is superior. As far as the plot goes, I just felt it missed key pieces that would have drawn me to the characters more. Still, I’m sure a lot of people will like this. Perhaps it just wasn’t for me. I felt the relationship between Julia and Nathan was fast, but I wouldn’t mind fast if I felt the connection between the characters because I’m sure I’ve loved books in which the characters fell in love quickly.
I received an ARC and am providing my honest review.
March 31, 2021
A Burning Debut That Needs to be Read!
4 stars!
I knew this could burn me, but maybe a part of me wanted that. To play with fire.
What another amazing debut! Burning Little Secrets is a passion filled story. I read this book in just one sitting and could not put it down. I got quickly sucked into the drama that surrounded this whole story. Now, warning to certain readers, this does have a level of cheating. I don’t mind cheating, and especially with the situation Julia was in with her emotionally abusive relationship, I felt it was warranted. And it added that level of forbiddenness that every reader loves.
Julia and Nathan each have their own level of a painful history, so I loved seeing them connect. Robbie is someone that you want to throw a chair at, Nathan is a precious firefighter that deserves all the love, and Julia is a driven journalist stuck in a bad relationship. I struggled with Julia and liking her. You understand her situation, and how she’s too afraid to move forward when you’re not only comfortable, but also in an abusive relationship. But she would get into these situations and it really grated at me. But I LOVE it when as a reader you don’t always favor the FMC like normal, cause it shows that the author is able to create that diverse character and a really well written one at that.
Lets just say that Julia and Nathan were on fire… pun not intended… maybe… They were so cute together with their secret moments, and even hotter together in them. I loved the immediate protectiveness Nathan felt for Julia, and Julia never really experienced that. With their relationship being a secret, being forbidden, it’s of course not perfect. But I loved see them go through their struggles and coming out in the end.
The only thing I really didn’t like were some of the inner monologue and how certain things were described. It felt weird to me, but it did not put me off at all. Also, I was able to picture pretty early on how the story was going to fold out, especially with Nathan being a firefighter and Robbie being who he was. But it still had me stressing. My heart was racing, and I wasn’t sure if one theory was going to play out or not, so I was WORRIED. Overall though, I really enjoyed BLS and I can’t wait for more from this new author!
4 stars!
I knew this could burn me, but maybe a part of me wanted that. To play with fire.
What another amazing debut! Burning Little Secrets is a passion filled story. I read this book in just one sitting and could not put it down. I got quickly sucked into the drama that surrounded this whole story. Now, warning to certain readers, this does have a level of cheating. I don’t mind cheating, and especially with the situation Julia was in with her emotionally abusive relationship, I felt it was warranted. And it added that level of forbiddenness that every reader loves.
Julia and Nathan each have their own level of a painful history, so I loved seeing them connect. Robbie is someone that you want to throw a chair at, Nathan is a precious firefighter that deserves all the love, and Julia is a driven journalist stuck in a bad relationship. I struggled with Julia and liking her. You understand her situation, and how she’s too afraid to move forward when you’re not only comfortable, but also in an abusive relationship. But she would get into these situations and it really grated at me. But I LOVE it when as a reader you don’t always favor the FMC like normal, cause it shows that the author is able to create that diverse character and a really well written one at that.
Lets just say that Julia and Nathan were on fire… pun not intended… maybe… They were so cute together with their secret moments, and even hotter together in them. I loved the immediate protectiveness Nathan felt for Julia, and Julia never really experienced that. With their relationship being a secret, being forbidden, it’s of course not perfect. But I loved see them go through their struggles and coming out in the end.
The only thing I really didn’t like were some of the inner monologue and how certain things were described. It felt weird to me, but it did not put me off at all. Also, I was able to picture pretty early on how the story was going to fold out, especially with Nathan being a firefighter and Robbie being who he was. But it still had me stressing. My heart was racing, and I wasn’t sure if one theory was going to play out or not, so I was WORRIED. Overall though, I really enjoyed BLS and I can’t wait for more from this new author!
January 18, 2023
It felt rushed, characters had no development. The writting was not that great. No chemistry between the main characters; it was too intsa-love for my tatse. It was honestly kind of a mess and very dramatic. I basically skimmed the second half.
March 20, 2021
Okay but like... which steamy scene was my favourite???? The sexting??? THE MOVIE THEATRE??? I can't decide.
Vivian Mae's debut romance was filled with passion, secrets, and DRAMA. I was here for it. I was yelling at Julia, begging her to leave her not-so-nice fiancé in favour of Nathan, everyone's hero. But as we all know, it's ever so much fun when characters don't listen to us.
The plot kept me engrossed, flipping pages to see what was going to happen next, and the ending was everything I could have asked for. Thank you so much for my ARC Vivian, you did not disappoint!
Vivian Mae's debut romance was filled with passion, secrets, and DRAMA. I was here for it. I was yelling at Julia, begging her to leave her not-so-nice fiancé in favour of Nathan, everyone's hero. But as we all know, it's ever so much fun when characters don't listen to us.
The plot kept me engrossed, flipping pages to see what was going to happen next, and the ending was everything I could have asked for. Thank you so much for my ARC Vivian, you did not disappoint!
dnf
May 20, 2021Dnf @ 34% might have just not been my mood—might pick it up later...in a couple months
June 24, 2021
Dnf @30%
April 11, 2021
This is my first read from this author, and it won’t be my last. I read this book in one sitting, I couldn’t put it down. I can’t believe this is her debut book as it’s amazing and so heart warming.
Julia is stuck in an emotionally abusive relationship with her fiancé Robbie that she is about to marry. During a trip back home to see her best friend Eve and her Dad, before she gets married, she meets Nathan. He is the sweetest thing ever and has been through so much in his life it breaks my heart. There is secrets in this book you don’t see coming at it will put you through an emotional rollercoaster.
I can’t wait to read more from the author!
Julia is stuck in an emotionally abusive relationship with her fiancé Robbie that she is about to marry. During a trip back home to see her best friend Eve and her Dad, before she gets married, she meets Nathan. He is the sweetest thing ever and has been through so much in his life it breaks my heart. There is secrets in this book you don’t see coming at it will put you through an emotional rollercoaster.
I can’t wait to read more from the author!
April 21, 2023
It was okayish.
The MMC was the only good part of the book. 🫶🏼
The FMC was someone I couldn’t connect with, I couldn’t just get her and was really annoyed by her tbh. Just meh.
The story/plot were just average.
Spice was good I’d say 3/5 🌶
The MMC was the only good part of the book. 🫶🏼
The FMC was someone I couldn’t connect with, I couldn’t just get her and was really annoyed by her tbh. Just meh.
The story/plot were just average.
Spice was good I’d say 3/5 🌶
October 9, 2021
⭐️ 4.5/5
This was my first read by the lovely Vivian and I really liked it. I understood Julia’s hesitations and this made her very relatable to me. She’s a woman who needs to find a way to break free but can’t seem to do that, because of her controlling husband. That is until she meets the totally swoon-worthy firefighter Nathan. I loved that Vivian at first made him seem like the perfect guy, but then we discover that Nathan has his own demons. And that made him a realistic character. I love characters like Nathan who have this softness within them. I would have liked this book to be longer so we could’ve had more Nathan. He’s totally worth it with the sweetness and spice he brings to the story. This forbidden love story was worth the read. It was a story with unexpected twists and I fell in love with some of the characters.
This was my first read by the lovely Vivian and I really liked it. I understood Julia’s hesitations and this made her very relatable to me. She’s a woman who needs to find a way to break free but can’t seem to do that, because of her controlling husband. That is until she meets the totally swoon-worthy firefighter Nathan. I loved that Vivian at first made him seem like the perfect guy, but then we discover that Nathan has his own demons. And that made him a realistic character. I love characters like Nathan who have this softness within them. I would have liked this book to be longer so we could’ve had more Nathan. He’s totally worth it with the sweetness and spice he brings to the story. This forbidden love story was worth the read. It was a story with unexpected twists and I fell in love with some of the characters.
March 22, 2021
A huge thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
This book focused on Julia who’s in an emotionally abusive relationship with Robbie and is due to get married but her best friend, Eve, gets her a ticket to go back home and spend quality time with her and her dad just before the wedding. Upon arriving, they go for a girl’s night out and Julia ends up meeting the very attractive and sexy Nathan and their exciting, steamy love story starts there!
I really enjoyed this book and it’s so fast paced and easy to get sucked into! The plot had so much drama going on for everyone that I was so curious to see how it all worked in the end so I ended up finishing in just a few hours 🙈
I loved the dual POV between Julia and Nathan because they’re such interesting characters with sad backgrounds and you could clearly see from the get go just how perfect they are for each other! Their romance started out so strong and so intense that I was rooting for them all throughout despite having all the odds against them!! I enjoyed all the cutesy scenes they had with the getting to know each other and holding hands 🥺 My absolute fave part of this book has to be the smut! 🥵 I have to say that the sexting and the movie theater scenes were on a whole other level that I was swooning so hard 🤤 Also, I love love Winston! I have such a soft spot for pets in books 🙈
I loved Julia and Eve’s friendship as well despite the rocky relationship they had for a bit there but the end just proved how true their love is for each other!
Towards the end, I thought we were gonna be left with a cliffhanger that would leave my heart yearning for me but Vivian did an amazing job wrapping up the story in such a way that I felt so satisfied and happy with where their stories left off. Though a part of me wishes Robbie got to suffer just a little bit more from all his all the bad he did to not just Julia but to everyone else he fucked over.
Overall, this was such a promising debut novel that I’m excited for what else Vivian Mae has in store for the future!!
This book focused on Julia who’s in an emotionally abusive relationship with Robbie and is due to get married but her best friend, Eve, gets her a ticket to go back home and spend quality time with her and her dad just before the wedding. Upon arriving, they go for a girl’s night out and Julia ends up meeting the very attractive and sexy Nathan and their exciting, steamy love story starts there!
I really enjoyed this book and it’s so fast paced and easy to get sucked into! The plot had so much drama going on for everyone that I was so curious to see how it all worked in the end so I ended up finishing in just a few hours 🙈
I loved the dual POV between Julia and Nathan because they’re such interesting characters with sad backgrounds and you could clearly see from the get go just how perfect they are for each other! Their romance started out so strong and so intense that I was rooting for them all throughout despite having all the odds against them!! I enjoyed all the cutesy scenes they had with the getting to know each other and holding hands 🥺 My absolute fave part of this book has to be the smut! 🥵 I have to say that the sexting and the movie theater scenes were on a whole other level that I was swooning so hard 🤤 Also, I love love Winston! I have such a soft spot for pets in books 🙈
I loved Julia and Eve’s friendship as well despite the rocky relationship they had for a bit there but the end just proved how true their love is for each other!
Towards the end, I thought we were gonna be left with a cliffhanger that would leave my heart yearning for me but Vivian did an amazing job wrapping up the story in such a way that I felt so satisfied and happy with where their stories left off. Though a part of me wishes Robbie got to suffer just a little bit more from all his all the bad he did to not just Julia but to everyone else he fucked over.
Overall, this was such a promising debut novel that I’m excited for what else Vivian Mae has in store for the future!!
March 20, 2021
“𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖,” 𝑰 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅, 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒍𝒚.
“𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆.” 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒍𝒚...
This book has been a tricky one for sure. I've really really hated everyone here except for Nathan. Oh my goodness, the amount of snob Robbie showed made me wanna drop ketchup on his Barney shoes every hour!
To be honest, I thought this would end on a cliffhanger but somehow @VivianMae turned it into a standalone and that too without compromising the story or the chemistry.
Julia is in a complicated and controlling relationship which is soon turning into marriage. When she gets a chance to visit her hometown, she grabs it. Enter Nathan, a guy with his own past and no future love.
The spark and connection between Julia and Nathan could be seen from the start and how they somehow gave in yet resisted was the focus of the story. The baseline plot is different which was refreshing and made me curious on what will happen next.
What Eve did made go "wtfff" because oh my god! What the actual fuck! Robbie definitely did not deserve Julia. Nathan is my sweetheart, the total package of who knows love and knows losing it too. Julia, she's so confusing and I don't know...naive or extra smart? But whatever she is, she literally made me soooo mad, ugh.
The story is really good and has moments of love, frustration, uncertainty, chemistry and shows the turn of various relationships.
The sweet, cute and the innocent moments made me root for them! The holding hands and running, ughshsh the best part always.
Julia's dad is definitely on my shit list. What he said in Chapter 19 struck me in the wrong way and the way he did a complete 180° afterwards, wow.
So yeah, the author created majority characters hate worthy but still wrote this great debut novel.✷
“𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆.” 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒍𝒚...
This book has been a tricky one for sure. I've really really hated everyone here except for Nathan. Oh my goodness, the amount of snob Robbie showed made me wanna drop ketchup on his Barney shoes every hour!
To be honest, I thought this would end on a cliffhanger but somehow @VivianMae turned it into a standalone and that too without compromising the story or the chemistry.
Julia is in a complicated and controlling relationship which is soon turning into marriage. When she gets a chance to visit her hometown, she grabs it. Enter Nathan, a guy with his own past and no future love.
The spark and connection between Julia and Nathan could be seen from the start and how they somehow gave in yet resisted was the focus of the story. The baseline plot is different which was refreshing and made me curious on what will happen next.
What Eve did made go "wtfff" because oh my god! What the actual fuck! Robbie definitely did not deserve Julia. Nathan is my sweetheart, the total package of who knows love and knows losing it too. Julia, she's so confusing and I don't know...naive or extra smart? But whatever she is, she literally made me soooo mad, ugh.
The story is really good and has moments of love, frustration, uncertainty, chemistry and shows the turn of various relationships.
The sweet, cute and the innocent moments made me root for them! The holding hands and running, ughshsh the best part always.
Julia's dad is definitely on my shit list. What he said in Chapter 19 struck me in the wrong way and the way he did a complete 180° afterwards, wow.
So yeah, the author created majority characters hate worthy but still wrote this great debut novel.✷
March 22, 2021
This is one of those books you pick up and won’t be able to put down until you’re finished! Vivian Mae’s debut novel Burning Little Secrets is a steamy romance novel written from dual POV’s. For most of the book I had some inner turmoil with Julia because on one regard I wanted to shake the shit out of her to get her common sense back into gear but on the other hand found her completely relatable.
Nathan - fell in love with that man from the start.
“Do you believe it’s possible to meet the right person at the wrong time?”.
Woah. Some may argue that the wrong time simply means it’s not the right person.
But I’ve always believed if the person is right, then time just isn’t right - yet.
This is a great story with unforgettable characters, steamy sex scenes and a tug of war romance that will have you on the edge of your seat questioning if instant connections can really last.
I’ve been waiting for the release of this book for some time and was lucky enough to get an advance release copy! This is a story you won’t want to miss- go preorder now!
Nathan’s waiting ;)
Nathan - fell in love with that man from the start.
“Do you believe it’s possible to meet the right person at the wrong time?”.
Woah. Some may argue that the wrong time simply means it’s not the right person.
But I’ve always believed if the person is right, then time just isn’t right - yet.
This is a great story with unforgettable characters, steamy sex scenes and a tug of war romance that will have you on the edge of your seat questioning if instant connections can really last.
I’ve been waiting for the release of this book for some time and was lucky enough to get an advance release copy! This is a story you won’t want to miss- go preorder now!
Nathan’s waiting ;)
June 24, 2021
An amazing steamy and heart warming romance.
Julia lived blinded by her dream career to the point that the toxic flaws of her future husband didn’t matter, until she returned home for her final visit before her wedding.
Meeting Nathan was her eye opener but not right away. She has to choose between love and dreams, or maybe love was her dream she just had to find the right person.
I loved how the relationship evolved in this book. I can’t even count how many times I slammed this book and shouted “For god’s sake woman!!” Julia was driving me crazy sometimes to the point that I though : Nah, this won’t have a happy ending. But Nathan saved it.😍
He is a perfect book boyfriend, sweet, caring and ready to fight the world for his woman.
I really enjoyed reading this book and I can’t wait for more stories from Vivian 🥰
Julia lived blinded by her dream career to the point that the toxic flaws of her future husband didn’t matter, until she returned home for her final visit before her wedding.
Meeting Nathan was her eye opener but not right away. She has to choose between love and dreams, or maybe love was her dream she just had to find the right person.
I loved how the relationship evolved in this book. I can’t even count how many times I slammed this book and shouted “For god’s sake woman!!” Julia was driving me crazy sometimes to the point that I though : Nah, this won’t have a happy ending. But Nathan saved it.😍
He is a perfect book boyfriend, sweet, caring and ready to fight the world for his woman.
I really enjoyed reading this book and I can’t wait for more stories from Vivian 🥰
May 3, 2021
Smut, drama, a strong female lead and a possessive male protagonist? Count me in every single time. I really really liked this book. So glad Julia got out of that toxic relationship. I hated Robbie. And Nathan is just the perfect guy. Even with all of his flaws, he’s perfect.
I had times when I wanted to kill Julia for being a stubborn bitch and not breaking up with that shithead... but I also loved the story all together.
It was sweet and cute, but serious and steamy at the same time.
I had times when I wanted to kill Julia for being a stubborn bitch and not breaking up with that shithead... but I also loved the story all together.
It was sweet and cute, but serious and steamy at the same time.
April 7, 2021
Amazing Debut Novel from Vivian Mae. So many amazing steamy scenes! Can Nathan be real please? Total Swoon. I fell in love with Julia & Nathan. This book is a must read!
December 26, 2021
A book full of passion & learning how you truly deserve to be loved.
This was a debut novel by Vivian Mae, I finished it in one sitting.
I enjoyed it.
Julia is engaged to Robbie, who’s a controlling douchbag. He thinks he owns her because he has money and buys most of the stuff they/she owns.
Julia ends up getting a call from her longtime best friend Eve one day saying she bought her a nonrefundable ticket for her to go visit for the week before her wedding.
Once she’s back home visiting, she ends up running into Nathan at a bar. They hit it off….
Eventually she realizes she shouldnt be hitting on him and she shouldn’t have kissed him.
She starts to leave and ends up bumping into Robbie who’s surprising her with a visit.
Even though she left to have a break from him.
This was a good book, i’m so grateful my bookbestie got it for me for christmas. I finished it in one sitting. I cannot wait for more books from this author!
This was a debut novel by Vivian Mae, I finished it in one sitting.
I enjoyed it.
Julia is engaged to Robbie, who’s a controlling douchbag. He thinks he owns her because he has money and buys most of the stuff they/she owns.
Julia ends up getting a call from her longtime best friend Eve one day saying she bought her a nonrefundable ticket for her to go visit for the week before her wedding.
Once she’s back home visiting, she ends up running into Nathan at a bar. They hit it off….
Eventually she realizes she shouldnt be hitting on him and she shouldn’t have kissed him.
She starts to leave and ends up bumping into Robbie who’s surprising her with a visit.
Even though she left to have a break from him.
This was a good book, i’m so grateful my bookbestie got it for me for christmas. I finished it in one sitting. I cannot wait for more books from this author!
December 26, 2021
Burning Little Secrets is a steamy, contemporary and heartwarming romance written from a dual POV.
This was a great debut. Mae's writing and pacing is easy to follow and makes you get lost in Julia's and Nathan's love journey. The tension, the sexiness and the character development kept me going. I liked seeing how Julia came to the conclusion that she deserves more in life. I loved the realization that material things are not indicators of a good life. Material things can be replaced in life but the love, laughter, warmth and wellbeing of important people in your life can't.
Also, a firefighter.... The perfect man to fall in love with. It's never as it seems to be though.
I would recommend this story for someone looking for a steamy romance where you just want the story to guide you until the end.
This was a great debut. Mae's writing and pacing is easy to follow and makes you get lost in Julia's and Nathan's love journey. The tension, the sexiness and the character development kept me going. I liked seeing how Julia came to the conclusion that she deserves more in life. I loved the realization that material things are not indicators of a good life. Material things can be replaced in life but the love, laughter, warmth and wellbeing of important people in your life can't.
Also, a firefighter.... The perfect man to fall in love with. It's never as it seems to be though.
I would recommend this story for someone looking for a steamy romance where you just want the story to guide you until the end.
August 2, 2023
I read this in one sitting...couldn't put it down! Well written, great character development & the spice is delicious 😋
April 6, 2021
This book hit home in so many ways and stories like this make you feel like you’re not the only one that have gone through hell and came out alive!
Now, a fair warning: If you read this book, which I do recommend 100%. You have to do it with an open mind and with a willingness to put yourself in the heroine’s shoes, because if you don’t, you will probably take it in another way. If you haven’t been in an abusive and controlling relationship or haven’t been close to a person who has, it will be a little difficult to understand her actions.
That being said, Julia and Nathan story was tough to read but it was so easy for me to understand them and root for them.
First, I need to say Vivian’s writing is wonderful and powerful. Her storytelling is compelling and extremely engaging. The only reason I paused this book was because life was happening around me and I had to pay attention, otherwise, I would’ve read this on one sit. I loved how the plot kept me wondering and discovering in each page, and I absolutely loved how both Julia and Nathan developed.
I loved Julia. I wanted to transport myself inside the book and talk to her, be her friend and tell her I understood her. I get it, when you’re with an abusive partner, you don’t realize the severity of the matter until you’re too deep in the relationship, which tricks you to believe the commitment to that person is more important than your well being. I got angry many times for how she was treated and rooted for her and her happiness from start to finish.
I enjoyed seeing her with Nathan. I loved how he always tried to show her how she deserved to be treated, that things could be different. His backstory was so heartbreaking, he really deserved all the love in the world. He was patient, kind and extremely understanding. The most beautiful thing about Nathan is that guys like him —imperfect but with so much love to give— do exist. And they are deserving of all the Julias of the world!
This book was intense, sexy and heartbreakingly beautiful!
Big thanks to the author for gifting me this ARC!
Now, a fair warning: If you read this book, which I do recommend 100%. You have to do it with an open mind and with a willingness to put yourself in the heroine’s shoes, because if you don’t, you will probably take it in another way. If you haven’t been in an abusive and controlling relationship or haven’t been close to a person who has, it will be a little difficult to understand her actions.
That being said, Julia and Nathan story was tough to read but it was so easy for me to understand them and root for them.
First, I need to say Vivian’s writing is wonderful and powerful. Her storytelling is compelling and extremely engaging. The only reason I paused this book was because life was happening around me and I had to pay attention, otherwise, I would’ve read this on one sit. I loved how the plot kept me wondering and discovering in each page, and I absolutely loved how both Julia and Nathan developed.
I loved Julia. I wanted to transport myself inside the book and talk to her, be her friend and tell her I understood her. I get it, when you’re with an abusive partner, you don’t realize the severity of the matter until you’re too deep in the relationship, which tricks you to believe the commitment to that person is more important than your well being. I got angry many times for how she was treated and rooted for her and her happiness from start to finish.
I enjoyed seeing her with Nathan. I loved how he always tried to show her how she deserved to be treated, that things could be different. His backstory was so heartbreaking, he really deserved all the love in the world. He was patient, kind and extremely understanding. The most beautiful thing about Nathan is that guys like him —imperfect but with so much love to give— do exist. And they are deserving of all the Julias of the world!
This book was intense, sexy and heartbreakingly beautiful!
Big thanks to the author for gifting me this ARC!
April 8, 2021
Burning Little Secrets, debut novel by Vivian Mae is a steamy secret romance. Julia is set to marry her long-term boyfriend turned fiance in a week and when her best friend invites her to visit her hometown, Julia hesitantly accepts. Seeking one night of freedom Julia and her best friend go to a club and things get out of hand quickly. Julia meets Nathan and is instantly attracted to him, they kiss, and as a result, she experiences the freedom she so craves. Nathan, a widower, is attracted to a woman, Julia for the first time in years. This one night of freedom results in a secret romance that could effectively ruin both Julia and Nathan, but their attraction burns so bright; what's the harm in keeping a burning little secret with a time limit?
I loved these characters. They were real and flawed, but their reason for being this way makes you feel for them. Julia is in an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship. Her fiance has had a part in almost everything in her life, from her career to her residence, and even the friends she has in New York. Due to this Julia desires the freedom she doesn’t currently have. Nathan was the embodiment of that desire. He was the sweet, charming, and swoon-worthy hero everyone dreams about. Definitely book boyfriend material! The nature of their relationship is a secret, but you cannot help but root for them. I loved Julia and Nathan and their relationship. Their relationship was full of drama, intense chemistry, and lots of steamy scenes.
This debut is very beautifully written and is quite descriptive. The storyline focuses on the affair Julia had, but it also shows how you can be with someone who might be perfect on paper, but in reality is anything but. I loved the dramatic twists and turns in this book. I could not put this book down. Vivian Mae had me hooked and engaged throughout this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Burning Little Secrets and can’t wait to see what else Vivian Mae writes!
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved these characters. They were real and flawed, but their reason for being this way makes you feel for them. Julia is in an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship. Her fiance has had a part in almost everything in her life, from her career to her residence, and even the friends she has in New York. Due to this Julia desires the freedom she doesn’t currently have. Nathan was the embodiment of that desire. He was the sweet, charming, and swoon-worthy hero everyone dreams about. Definitely book boyfriend material! The nature of their relationship is a secret, but you cannot help but root for them. I loved Julia and Nathan and their relationship. Their relationship was full of drama, intense chemistry, and lots of steamy scenes.
This debut is very beautifully written and is quite descriptive. The storyline focuses on the affair Julia had, but it also shows how you can be with someone who might be perfect on paper, but in reality is anything but. I loved the dramatic twists and turns in this book. I could not put this book down. Vivian Mae had me hooked and engaged throughout this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Burning Little Secrets and can’t wait to see what else Vivian Mae writes!
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 17, 2021
2.5/5⭐️ 3/5🔥
No character development, instant lust/love which I absolutely love in a romance however this was just flat, it’s a short story so it’s less than 230 pages but took me FOREVER TO READ.
Julia is unhappily engaged who goes out on her emotionally abusive fiancée Robbie who wants some space and goes back home for a week. She then meets Nathan and they have this instant connection.. I didn’t feel it, it felt a little forced
Also, Julia really pissed me off. Everyone knew she needed better. She even knew and she just stayed because of the emotional toll of failure so she wanted Robbie’s connections?! IDK, I almost DNF’d it but the writing the author did was great for a debut author, I liked the “idea” of the characters and storyline but I didn’t connect with it. It was too fast paced and when the plot or characters made its point it went flat.
As for the steamy and spicy scenes, ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. Again the authors writing is great. I really adored the writing and honestly her writing made me continue reading on
No character development, instant lust/love which I absolutely love in a romance however this was just flat, it’s a short story so it’s less than 230 pages but took me FOREVER TO READ.
Julia is unhappily engaged who goes out on her emotionally abusive fiancée Robbie who wants some space and goes back home for a week. She then meets Nathan and they have this instant connection.. I didn’t feel it, it felt a little forced
Also, Julia really pissed me off. Everyone knew she needed better. She even knew and she just stayed because of the emotional toll of failure so she wanted Robbie’s connections?! IDK, I almost DNF’d it but the writing the author did was great for a debut author, I liked the “idea” of the characters and storyline but I didn’t connect with it. It was too fast paced and when the plot or characters made its point it went flat.
As for the steamy and spicy scenes, ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. Again the authors writing is great. I really adored the writing and honestly her writing made me continue reading on
April 7, 2021
Content warning: There is some domestic abuse that could be triggering for some readers.
I received a free ARC copy in return for my honest review! Thank you so much!
Oh! This one is hot and steamy and oh, so dirty!
Now I’ll admit besides all the steam, I was a little torn about the storyline. When our two main characters meet, there’s an instant connection. However, Julia is engaged. It was a bit hard for me to accept. Though I was able to go with it as Julia’s fiance is a major douche. There was definitely a case of domestic abuse in their relationship. So given the circumstances, I was able to see why Julia was afraid of the idea of leaving him.
I’ll admit though, there was nothing truly surprising with this one except the steamy scenes. I did not expect those to get so hot! This flows so well! I read it in a day, I just didn’t want to stop. I was captivated by our two main characters.
I think this is a great quickie! Definitely pun intended… And a dirty one at that! I highly recommend picking this one up if you’re into steamy romances. This was truly a great debut novel for Vivian Mae. I’ll be looking out for more of her books!
I received a free ARC copy in return for my honest review! Thank you so much!
Oh! This one is hot and steamy and oh, so dirty!
Now I’ll admit besides all the steam, I was a little torn about the storyline. When our two main characters meet, there’s an instant connection. However, Julia is engaged. It was a bit hard for me to accept. Though I was able to go with it as Julia’s fiance is a major douche. There was definitely a case of domestic abuse in their relationship. So given the circumstances, I was able to see why Julia was afraid of the idea of leaving him.
I’ll admit though, there was nothing truly surprising with this one except the steamy scenes. I did not expect those to get so hot! This flows so well! I read it in a day, I just didn’t want to stop. I was captivated by our two main characters.
I think this is a great quickie! Definitely pun intended… And a dirty one at that! I highly recommend picking this one up if you’re into steamy romances. This was truly a great debut novel for Vivian Mae. I’ll be looking out for more of her books!
May 4, 2021
Amazing debut Novel❤️
First of all where can I get me a Nathan 😍, I knew when I started reading this I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. It made me mad, hot and sad all the feelings 😜. Nathan and Julia a story about a second chance at love. There was a tragedy in Nathan’s life and he lost his first love, but when he sees Julia he feels the connection. Julia on the other hand she is engaged to her college boyfriend, but she feels trapped in that relationship. Her fiancé is controlling and emotionally abusive. Nathan and Julia meet at a bar in her hometown and they are drawn to each other. But she is reluctant to leave her fiancé and the life she lives with him. Plus she doesn’t want to cheat, even if she did share a hot steaming kiss when she met Nathan. I mean who could resist him. She has her reasons but once she realizes that the love Nathan has for her is worth more there’s no hesitation. They have an amazing chemistry! You won’t be disappointed 😉.
First of all where can I get me a Nathan 😍, I knew when I started reading this I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. It made me mad, hot and sad all the feelings 😜. Nathan and Julia a story about a second chance at love. There was a tragedy in Nathan’s life and he lost his first love, but when he sees Julia he feels the connection. Julia on the other hand she is engaged to her college boyfriend, but she feels trapped in that relationship. Her fiancé is controlling and emotionally abusive. Nathan and Julia meet at a bar in her hometown and they are drawn to each other. But she is reluctant to leave her fiancé and the life she lives with him. Plus she doesn’t want to cheat, even if she did share a hot steaming kiss when she met Nathan. I mean who could resist him. She has her reasons but once she realizes that the love Nathan has for her is worth more there’s no hesitation. They have an amazing chemistry! You won’t be disappointed 😉.
April 29, 2021
Holy hotness 🔥🔥🔥 Burning Little Secret is a must read. Told from Julia and Nathan’s points of view you really get to know these characters. Julia is about to get married to Robbie but goes home to visit her best friend Eve and her dad. Robbie is a major a-hole and not the ones you like to read about. He is verbally abusive at times and acts like Julia owes him. We don’t get the full background but it’s obvious Julia isn’t happy. But she feels likes she’s “stuck” because he helped her get her job and out of her crappy apartment.
While home Julia meets Nathan. They instantly have a connection and it’s like nothing either have felt. This is one of those instances where cheating isn’t wrong. Ok it’s still wrong but you encourage it because it’s not Robbie. Nathan knew from the start what he wanted and he wasn’t afraid to say it.
It’s really hard not to root for Nathan and want to help push Julia towards him.
Burning Little Secrets is a must read. You’ll be hooked from the first word to the last. The characters are relatable, with some funny, some heartfelt, and some hold your breath moments. This is one of those stories where you don’t want it to end.
While home Julia meets Nathan. They instantly have a connection and it’s like nothing either have felt. This is one of those instances where cheating isn’t wrong. Ok it’s still wrong but you encourage it because it’s not Robbie. Nathan knew from the start what he wanted and he wasn’t afraid to say it.
It’s really hard not to root for Nathan and want to help push Julia towards him.
Burning Little Secrets is a must read. You’ll be hooked from the first word to the last. The characters are relatable, with some funny, some heartfelt, and some hold your breath moments. This is one of those stories where you don’t want it to end.
May 1, 2021
The writing is magnificent. I would love to see this author write a longer story because I throughly enjoyed the writing style. Nathan and Julia are 🔥 (movie theater scene 😍). They invoke all of the emotions that a great romance novel should have. I was a little confused by Julia pushing Nathan away a few time. Was it the asshole fiancé issue? Maybe. (I hated Robbie so much!!) But one minute she was in it to win it then the next she was running for the hills. The attraction all happened so fast I felt like it needed a slower pace before things got intense. Nathan seemed complex I would have enjoyed to dive into a little more of his backstory. Overall a great, steamy (quick) contemporary romance with some wonderful writing.
May 15, 2021
This is Mae's debut novel and once I started it I couldn’t put it down.
Julia is stuck in an emotionally abusive relationship with her fiancé Robbie, who I instantly hated. During a trip back home to see her best friend and her dad, she meets Nathan the firefighter. The chemistry between Julia and Nathan is sizzling, the sex scenes are hot as hell, and the secondary characters were really well written.
This book does have cheating in it, which I'm not typically a fan of, but Mae did a great job with that side of things, too.
All in all, I'd say Mae easily earnt herself 5 stars for this one.
Julia is stuck in an emotionally abusive relationship with her fiancé Robbie, who I instantly hated. During a trip back home to see her best friend and her dad, she meets Nathan the firefighter. The chemistry between Julia and Nathan is sizzling, the sex scenes are hot as hell, and the secondary characters were really well written.
This book does have cheating in it, which I'm not typically a fan of, but Mae did a great job with that side of things, too.
All in all, I'd say Mae easily earnt herself 5 stars for this one.
April 7, 2021
This debut from author Vivian Mae was a sexy, relatable and quick read that I couldn’t put down. It’s the story of Julia, a New Yorker set to wed her controlling fiancé Robbie, who decides to head back home to North Carolina the week before her wedding. She goes out with her best friend, Eve, when she meets Nathan and then the story unfolds.
I appreciated how flawed the characters were, while still endearing to root for them. Nathan was the perfect swoon-worthy main character. I loved Julia’s relationship with her dad and her friendship with Eve was relatable. I also enjoyed the references throughout (go Duke!) and now I want to jam out to the Backstreet Boys. This was also a very steamy read and I think my only criticism would be the instant-love aspect of the novel but I understand it was necessary for the plot so it didn’t really bother me. This also had a few twists and turns that I enjoyed and the overall arc was great. I can’t wait to read her next book!
*Thank you to the author for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.
I appreciated how flawed the characters were, while still endearing to root for them. Nathan was the perfect swoon-worthy main character. I loved Julia’s relationship with her dad and her friendship with Eve was relatable. I also enjoyed the references throughout (go Duke!) and now I want to jam out to the Backstreet Boys. This was also a very steamy read and I think my only criticism would be the instant-love aspect of the novel but I understand it was necessary for the plot so it didn’t really bother me. This also had a few twists and turns that I enjoyed and the overall arc was great. I can’t wait to read her next book!
*Thank you to the author for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.
April 7, 2021
Huge thank you to author Vivian Mae for sending me an ARC of her debut book. Wow! The maelstrom of tension and sexiness was beyond palpable. Nathan is the perfect character to fall in love with. The pacing and story development was exceptional and Mae kept the readers going with the characters development and dialogue. I almost find it difficult to believe this is her first book. Absolute blast to read—highly suggest!
March 23, 2021
This is a great debut novel by the author with the storyline that keeps you engaged throughout the read because you are eager to know what happens next.
Nathan wow! I really liked him and he was such a sweatheart. Vivian definitely wrote a swoony hero.
I had complicated feeling when it comes to Julia but she managed to worm her way into my good grace in the end. She's ambitious and finds herself on a crossroad.
And I have to talk about Willie because I adored that guy and he won my heart.
Nathan wow! I really liked him and he was such a sweatheart. Vivian definitely wrote a swoony hero.
I had complicated feeling when it comes to Julia but she managed to worm her way into my good grace in the end. She's ambitious and finds herself on a crossroad.
And I have to talk about Willie because I adored that guy and he won my heart.
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