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What She Doesn't Know
Jolie Royale cannot remember what happened twenty years earlier when she witnessed her mother's murder, but when she returns home for her father's funeral, she discovers that she is still in danger, and the only one who can help her is former nemesis Max Devereaux.
383 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 2002
94 people are currently reading
1502 people want to read
About the author
Beverly Barton
298 books706 followersBeverly Marie Inman was born on 23 December 1946 in Tuscumbia, Alabama, USA. Daughter of Doris Marie and Walter D. Inman Jr. A born romantic, she fell in love with The Beauty and the Beast epic at an early age, when her grandfather bought her an illustrated copy of the famous fairy tale. Even before she learned to read and write, her vivid imagination created magical words and fabulous characters inside her mind. Movies fascinated her, and by the time she was seven she was rewriting the movies she saw on television and at the local theater to give them all happy endings. By the age of nine she'd penned her first novel. She wrote short stories, TV scripts, poetry, and novels throughout high school and into college.
After her marriage to Billy Ray Beaver, the "love of her life", and the births of her two children, Beverly continued to be a voracious reader and a devoted moviegoer, but she put her writing aspirations on hold until her children were teenagers. At every age of their lives, from infancy to adulthood, the children had been a true joy to her. She devoted herself to her husband and children and considered herself one of the many selfless "supermoms" who put their family's needs first. She believed she had had it all, just not all at the same time.
In her mid-30s, Beverly returned to her former passion — writing — as a hobby, but before 40, she decided that she wanted to make writing a full-time career. And when she rediscovered an old dream — of becoming a published writer — no one was more supportive of her aspirations than her family. Her children were her greatest cheerleaders and her husband was her biggest supporter. After writing over 40 books and receiving numerous awards and nominations, as well as having books on the USA Today list and consistently on the Waldenbooks bestseller list, her career was indeed a dream come true. Having a fantastic family and fabulous friends, as well as making a living doing the one thing she had loved doing since childhood, she considered herself truly blessed. Beverly died suddenly of heart failure on 21 April 2011.
After her marriage to Billy Ray Beaver, the "love of her life", and the births of her two children, Beverly continued to be a voracious reader and a devoted moviegoer, but she put her writing aspirations on hold until her children were teenagers. At every age of their lives, from infancy to adulthood, the children had been a true joy to her. She devoted herself to her husband and children and considered herself one of the many selfless "supermoms" who put their family's needs first. She believed she had had it all, just not all at the same time.
In her mid-30s, Beverly returned to her former passion — writing — as a hobby, but before 40, she decided that she wanted to make writing a full-time career. And when she rediscovered an old dream — of becoming a published writer — no one was more supportive of her aspirations than her family. Her children were her greatest cheerleaders and her husband was her biggest supporter. After writing over 40 books and receiving numerous awards and nominations, as well as having books on the USA Today list and consistently on the Waldenbooks bestseller list, her career was indeed a dream come true. Having a fantastic family and fabulous friends, as well as making a living doing the one thing she had loved doing since childhood, she considered herself truly blessed. Beverly died suddenly of heart failure on 21 April 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
November 15, 2013
I absolutely loved this book. I started reading just before going to bed….bad mistake….I ended up reading until 5am…..because??? I couldn’t put the book down!! What a roller-coaster ride!!!
A fast paced, tension filled plot set in the small, hot and sultry town of Sumarville, Mississippi, where the blue-blooded Desmonds and Royale families are forced to confront their hidden secrets. Lies, mystery, secret desires , fear, murder, misguided loyalties, greed, lust, sex , sensuality…….. antebellum mansions,
bourbon, fast cars, gorgeous men and women…hell, it’s like a fabulicious southern soap opera!! It has everything for making of a great movie!!!
A quick breakdown…..Jolie Royale, age 14 had survived the massacre at her home, Belle Rose, where her mother, aunt and a worker had been savagely murdered. After being away for the last 20 years, she returns to attend her father’s funeral.
Blonde, sensual, career minded and bent on revenge!!! Her resentment, anger, and her need to find the truth and justice, she joins forces with Max, even though she does not trust him entirely.
The character development is spectacular. I loved the slow build-up in the protagonist’s relationship and the sexually charged and explosive chemistry between the two.
Each breaking down the barriers and assumptions they had built around themselves. Their sensual and erotic moments together …incredibly sexy….
And then…there are all these secondary characters that just get under your skin…. and love stories that are interwoven so skillfully into the plot that just add to the enjoyment of every page you turn.
My favourite - the endearing, lovable, ditzy, caring Aunt Clarice, with her Harley-riding hippie “beau”….had me thinking of the actor Sam Eliott..
I loved the scene where the 60 year old Clarice, fully decked out with her bike helmet arriving back home after a hot date with her biker..
Georgette, Max’s mother and Jolie’s much hated stepmother…I so felt for her….she’s like one of those lovely, fey, needy women, who you just want to take care of. Mallory, Max and Jolie’s half-sister….who is having a hard time facing her father’s death. Her interaction with the family is a total blast. Never mind that at first I thought her to be a bit of a brat and what…..is this with the transient town bad boy!!! But in the end, she did redeem herself!!!!
The rich and vivid imagery, evoke hot and lazy afternoons sipping mint juleps under the magnolia trees,
sparkling dialogue, unexpected twists and turns that keep you guessing who the villain right until the end. , move the story in such a way that it held my interest right to the last page.
And the epilogue…….absolutely AMAZING!!!!! It just made such a beautiful ending to this story.
And I still think it would make a great TV min-series……….The Lives of the Desmonds & the Royales& the Deveraux’s of Belle Rose
A fast paced, tension filled plot set in the small, hot and sultry town of Sumarville, Mississippi, where the blue-blooded Desmonds and Royale families are forced to confront their hidden secrets. Lies, mystery, secret desires , fear, murder, misguided loyalties, greed, lust, sex , sensuality…….. antebellum mansions,
bourbon, fast cars, gorgeous men and women…hell, it’s like a fabulicious southern soap opera!! It has everything for making of a great movie!!!A quick breakdown…..Jolie Royale, age 14 had survived the massacre at her home, Belle Rose, where her mother, aunt and a worker had been savagely murdered. After being away for the last 20 years, she returns to attend her father’s funeral.
Confronted by her stepbrother, Max Devereaux, whose mother married her father just a year after her own mother’s death and the family and friends she had left behind, she’s soon faced with wanting to discover the truth about that horrific massacre those years ago.
Blonde, sensual, career minded and bent on revenge!!! Her resentment, anger, and her need to find the truth and justice, she joins forces with Max, even though she does not trust him entirely.The character development is spectacular. I loved the slow build-up in the protagonist’s relationship and the sexually charged and explosive chemistry between the two.
Each breaking down the barriers and assumptions they had built around themselves. Their sensual and erotic moments together …incredibly sexy….
Chere, Max is some hot and dark and dangerous and gorgeous southern gentleman!!!
And then…there are all these secondary characters that just get under your skin…. and love stories that are interwoven so skillfully into the plot that just add to the enjoyment of every page you turn.
My favourite - the endearing, lovable, ditzy, caring Aunt Clarice, with her Harley-riding hippie “beau”….had me thinking of the actor Sam Eliott..
I loved the scene where the 60 year old Clarice, fully decked out with her bike helmet arriving back home after a hot date with her biker..
It was just one of the many tender moments we get with this duo. And let me not forget that these two have some hot and sizzling sex…. I fell in love with her from the beginning...
Georgette, Max’s mother and Jolie’s much hated stepmother…I so felt for her….she’s like one of those lovely, fey, needy women, who you just want to take care of. Mallory, Max and Jolie’s half-sister….who is having a hard time facing her father’s death. Her interaction with the family is a total blast. Never mind that at first I thought her to be a bit of a brat and what…..is this with the transient town bad boy!!! But in the end, she did redeem herself!!!!
The rich and vivid imagery, evoke hot and lazy afternoons sipping mint juleps under the magnolia trees,
sparkling dialogue, unexpected twists and turns that keep you guessing who the villain right until the end. , move the story in such a way that it held my interest right to the last page.And the epilogue…….absolutely AMAZING!!!!! It just made such a beautiful ending to this story.
If you love romance, suspense, mystery, endearing and quirky characters, then this is the one book for you.
And I still think it would make a great TV min-series……….The Lives of the Desmonds & the Royales& the Deveraux’s of Belle Rose
May 20, 2017
I am no expert in romantic suspense but What She Doesn't Know is - hands down - the best one that I've read so far.
It's got all of my favourite elements: enemies to lovers, dark family secrets, many suspects to keep me guessing whodunnit, a hero to die for and an intelligent heroine. Add the gorgeous scenery of the South and I can't ask for much more.
If I REALLY had to complain about something, that would be the frequent POV change between the characters. Other than that, it was perfect.
June 30, 2017
Ugh. I really enjoyed this one for 90% then the ending just became a silly shit-show. The killer that was revealed was absolutely no secret. All the relationships that mended themselves instantly was just silly & so damn rushed. The Epilogue was just basically bullet points for every single cliched HEA possible. I'm sadly dissapointed bc I was so engaged throughout the majority of the book.
I also hated how youre in the point of view of one character and the next paragraph you're in the point of view of another. There was no dilenation as to the fact the character perspective was changing. This felt like a long drawn out read for a "wham bam ahhh fuck it I'm tired of writing this" ending.
I also hated how youre in the point of view of one character and the next paragraph you're in the point of view of another. There was no dilenation as to the fact the character perspective was changing. This felt like a long drawn out read for a "wham bam ahhh fuck it I'm tired of writing this" ending.
January 21, 2009
Barton is one of my favorite authors to read when I want a light, quick book with a great story. This is one of her older ones that I finally [after years of looking thru used bookstores:] found in the library. The search was worth it!
March 3, 2018
4.5 stars
Ini kayaknya buku Beverly Barton yg gw suka. Tokoh co nya si Max walo awalnya rara gmn gitu krn punya gundik, tp dimaafkan deh. Setelah ada Jollie dia udah gak stray lg. Kasus nya jg bagus, gak ketebak siapa penjahat nya dan apa motif nya. Love it.
Suka pas Max panggil Jollie "chere"
Knp gak kasih 5 bintang ? Soalnya gak suka ttg ayah Jollie yg selingkuh sama ibu Max. Selain itu ok semua. Terjemahan nya bagus. Gak byk sensor. DASTAN memang kereeen. Jadi kangen Dastan 😭
Ini kayaknya buku Beverly Barton yg gw suka. Tokoh co nya si Max walo awalnya rara gmn gitu krn punya gundik, tp dimaafkan deh. Setelah ada Jollie dia udah gak stray lg. Kasus nya jg bagus, gak ketebak siapa penjahat nya dan apa motif nya. Love it.
Suka pas Max panggil Jollie "chere"
Knp gak kasih 5 bintang ? Soalnya gak suka ttg ayah Jollie yg selingkuh sama ibu Max. Selain itu ok semua. Terjemahan nya bagus. Gak byk sensor. DASTAN memang kereeen. Jadi kangen Dastan 😭
July 21, 2017
This was exceptionally good, I could not wait to find the culprit and I was kept guessing until the end.
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January 27, 2014
4.5 *
Forget your usual romantic suspense story where the mystery plays a secondary role.
What She Doesn't Know is full of mystery and revenge. Many characters get tangled in the story, its one with its own secrets. The book kind of reminded me of Agatha Christie.
Forget your usual romantic suspense story where the mystery plays a secondary role.
What She Doesn't Know is full of mystery and revenge. Many characters get tangled in the story, its one with its own secrets. The book kind of reminded me of Agatha Christie.
May 12, 2012
This book booked me a flight to the South today! The "odor" was rich and I met people I liked. The characters' personalities were unique and the family clans were to be remembered. I also enjoyed it because it reminded me my long past habit reading Agatha Christie's books: "now, who can the killer be..." plus romance for all ages included for 20ies, 30ies even 60s.. the sisters' figures Clarice and Yvonne were leading.
August 15, 2025
4 stars
Only my second Beverly Barton and I’m definitely wanting more. This reminded me of Linda Howard’s after the night and even, dare I say it, the great Judith McNaught. It was a little dated but it was well written and structured and the suspense part was very good. The hero may be a little too alpha for the current generation but if you’re a fan of Howard or Karen Robards you should definitely give this a go.
Only my second Beverly Barton and I’m definitely wanting more. This reminded me of Linda Howard’s after the night and even, dare I say it, the great Judith McNaught. It was a little dated but it was well written and structured and the suspense part was very good. The hero may be a little too alpha for the current generation but if you’re a fan of Howard or Karen Robards you should definitely give this a go.
March 19, 2011
Gak kbayang gmn klo jd Jolie,d usia 14thn memergoki bokapnya mnggarap wanita lain,sdg pas mo ngadu sm nyokapnya,smua yg d rmh sdh tewas dbunuh.Aplg smp akhir crita,tdk djelaskn alasan2 knp si bokap smp selingkuh,slain krn dia cnta mati sm selingkuhannya.Klo sj dcritain misalnya nyokapnya Jolie jahat kek,nyinyir ato ap,mgkin msh msuk akal.Tp klo gak ad pnjelasan gini,kesannya si bokap ktmu si jalang ini,jtuh cnta,trus slingkuh tnpa pduli sm anak+istri d rmh.Gak heran slma bc ni buku gw trus sj pngin nnjok si bokap+gundiknya.
Tp gw suka sm couple Jolie+Max.Aplg 'ehem2'nya lmyn bkin gerah.Tetep 5 stars deh.
Tp gw suka sm couple Jolie+Max.Aplg 'ehem2'nya lmyn bkin gerah.Tetep 5 stars deh.
February 10, 2009
Now this is the Bev Barton I love to read! Jolie and Max are in perfect balance: she's very feminine but tough as nails and he is all alpha and suaze. They are perfect and the story moves quickly along with the right amount of surprises and the suspense is great. This book and Murder Game is why I buy Bev Barton because there is always a gem in her works -- finding it is the problem, and missing out on one of her 4 star efforts is unacceptable!
April 7, 2012
This is the first book ive read by this author and I must say that I was very satisfied. Good character development kept me connected to the story and the suspense kept me reading. At first I thought there were too many characters to keep track of but t as thestory progressed the characters evolved and it was easier to maintain the connection to the plot.I think I will try another title by Barton.
July 4, 2011
I liked this one because of the many interesting characters and their love/hate relationships...it's one of those where girl and guy hate each other but you know they'll end up in lust and love after the mystery is solved!
July 30, 2015
Loved this book! It had suspense/mystery, murder, greed, love, sex. Loved all the different characters and their story lines. Ms. Barton is a great story teller; looking forward to reading more by her.
August 2, 2016
A very intriguing story and a good one in its genre. There were a large dose of romance in all age groups along with the suspense. Each and every character had a hidden secret which made it really interesting.
August 26, 2016
Another new author for me. I enjoy it. I will read more.
February 22, 2011
okee bgt menurut gw...
January 15, 2012
It was a really good book, kept you guessing. I would recommend to read very closely about all the characters because it comes back around. But I would definitely recommend this book.
July 30, 2012
Really enjoyed reading the book. Kept me guessing till the end.
August 28, 2012
I enjoyed the story and sub-plots very much but the enormous amount of typos nearly caused me to set this aside and not finish it.
July 23, 2014
Another good book that you think you know who the villian is but are you ever wrong.
September 28, 2012
Excellent read, kept me hooked and guessing till the end!
March 10, 2013
Without a doubt, one of the best books I have EVER read! I had enjoyed it from page 1, which is really rare for me. AWE-SOME!
July 26, 2011
A quick, very entertaining read. I had a hard time putting it down until I finished it.
August 24, 2017
In 'What She Doesn't Know', Jolie barely escaped death twenty years ago when the killer of her mother, aunt and aunt's lover shot her three times and assumed she'd died. The case remains unsolved but Jolie's father's death brings her back home where she becomes determined to find out the truth behind the murders. Meanwhile, the killer will do whatever it takes to make sure some secrets stay hidden..
Although this book was somewhat similar to 'Every Move She Makes' (which was suspenseful and entertaining) by the same author, it failed to measure up to it. I found it hard to connect to or care about any of the characters as they weren't fleshed out or distinctive or even remotely interesting. The author merely described them without actually delving into their personality. It didn't help that pretty much all of them were unlikeable and spent their time either having sex / wanting to have sex or sitting around doing nothing productive.
From the start it was obvious that Jolie and Max would be paired off but their gradually budding 'romance' was written heavy-handedly. Consequently, their relationship came across as forced and incredibly fake. From disliking each other to suddenly longing to rip each other's clothes off to wanting to spend the rest of their lives together.. none of those transitions were done right. The pacing was rushed. To make things worse, the author repeatedly stated that they're stepsiblings. That just made every sex / 'romantic' scene sordid and unreadable.
The mystery was so dull because Jolie and Max barely did any investigating except for attempting to dig up ancient police reports. I couldn't even say it was predictable because I found myself almost dozing off every time I read any chapter hence keeping track of which characters were secretly seeing each other or which character liked which other character was challenging. In the end the villain conveniently explained everything even though no one even suspected him / her. The confession scene was illogical on every level.
Overall, 'What She Doesn't Know' was long-winded, repetitive and forgettable. Both the romance and mystery were awful, the characters didn't even qualify as one-dimensional and some characters suddenly changed their minds so that they could all have a happy ending. Yawn.
Although this book was somewhat similar to 'Every Move She Makes' (which was suspenseful and entertaining) by the same author, it failed to measure up to it. I found it hard to connect to or care about any of the characters as they weren't fleshed out or distinctive or even remotely interesting. The author merely described them without actually delving into their personality. It didn't help that pretty much all of them were unlikeable and spent their time either having sex / wanting to have sex or sitting around doing nothing productive.
From the start it was obvious that Jolie and Max would be paired off but their gradually budding 'romance' was written heavy-handedly. Consequently, their relationship came across as forced and incredibly fake. From disliking each other to suddenly longing to rip each other's clothes off to wanting to spend the rest of their lives together.. none of those transitions were done right. The pacing was rushed. To make things worse, the author repeatedly stated that they're stepsiblings. That just made every sex / 'romantic' scene sordid and unreadable.
The mystery was so dull because Jolie and Max barely did any investigating except for attempting to dig up ancient police reports. I couldn't even say it was predictable because I found myself almost dozing off every time I read any chapter hence keeping track of which characters were secretly seeing each other or which character liked which other character was challenging. In the end the villain conveniently explained everything even though no one even suspected him / her. The confession scene was illogical on every level.
Overall, 'What She Doesn't Know' was long-winded, repetitive and forgettable. Both the romance and mystery were awful, the characters didn't even qualify as one-dimensional and some characters suddenly changed their minds so that they could all have a happy ending. Yawn.
August 21, 2025
Umm I was holding back my opinion until I meet georgette. I don't like her same as fmc Jolie and our asshole mmc is her son and very devoted even though parents are cheating bitches. But the author is apologist it seems. Also I find it very uncomfortable how everyone is finding Jolie as the problem cause she can't accept her father's cheating while everyone else can. I don't give a single f about circumstances rn. So I think this book will piss me off so much. Let's see if I continue or not cause I'm already hate reading.
...i though georgette hated Jolie. Don't gaslight me. She was giving evil stepmother in previous chapter.
So Max is okay cause his mother started the affair after his father died but it's not the case for Jolie so why can't he be a lil understanding there? I don't why everyone is acting like her anger is not justified?
Unfinished at 64% cause they can't start the relationship without comparing it to their parents affair which is a no no for me.
...i though georgette hated Jolie. Don't gaslight me. She was giving evil stepmother in previous chapter.
So Max is okay cause his mother started the affair after his father died but it's not the case for Jolie so why can't he be a lil understanding there? I don't why everyone is acting like her anger is not justified?
Unfinished at 64% cause they can't start the relationship without comparing it to their parents affair which is a no no for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2021
Awalnya aku ga demen MAX dan keluarganya.
Pertengahan buku, pendapat aku berubah. Max ini bisa diandalkan. Mallory ini remaja puber yg lagi pengen memberontak, harus lebih ditegasin lagi.
Georgette ini bikin geregetan, tak bisa apa-apa.
Parry? Benalu.
Jolie masih oke, keras kepala dan ga mudah takluk. Meskipun dipepet terus oleh Max, ga gampang say Yes!
Semuanya salah Louis. Dari awal Louis ini seandainya bisa menghormati pernikahannya, semuanya ga bakalan terjadi.
Louis inilah yang membawa pembunuh istri dan adik iparnya masuk rumah. Minimal Louis masih berakal sehat ketika mewariskan Belle Rose ke Jolie.
Pertengahan buku, pendapat aku berubah. Max ini bisa diandalkan. Mallory ini remaja puber yg lagi pengen memberontak, harus lebih ditegasin lagi.
Georgette ini bikin geregetan, tak bisa apa-apa.
Parry? Benalu.
Jolie masih oke, keras kepala dan ga mudah takluk. Meskipun dipepet terus oleh Max, ga gampang say Yes!
Semuanya salah Louis. Dari awal Louis ini seandainya bisa menghormati pernikahannya, semuanya ga bakalan terjadi.
Louis inilah yang membawa pembunuh istri dan adik iparnya masuk rumah. Minimal Louis masih berakal sehat ketika mewariskan Belle Rose ke Jolie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2025
I stayed up until 5am reading this absolutely fever dream and do I regret it? Kind of! It’s like Flowers in the Attic but instead of actual incest it’s only pedantic incest. There’s racism that is NOT dealt with well, a lot of dubious consent (more than dubious), and like, so many fucking murders. Honestly, in the right hands it would make an excellent parody. That was not the intent though.
Tbh the one thing I can get over is how do you explain to people that your half siblings are together? Like what does that ancestry dot com look like
Tbh the one thing I can get over is how do you explain to people that your half siblings are together? Like what does that ancestry dot com look like
September 6, 2019
Good book by Beverly Barton
I've read several of Beverly Barton's books now, not all, but I have enjoyed them. I really liked this one however and gave it 5 stars, it kept my interest and I didn't stop reading it. It tells of the bigotry of the South and is intertwined within the murder mystery with hot, sexy love scenes. Very entertaining!
I've read several of Beverly Barton's books now, not all, but I have enjoyed them. I really liked this one however and gave it 5 stars, it kept my interest and I didn't stop reading it. It tells of the bigotry of the South and is intertwined within the murder mystery with hot, sexy love scenes. Very entertaining!
May 28, 2023
Fantastic book.
Wow, I loved this book and devoured it in a day. I was so on edge through out. What a story, I was so shocked at who the killer was. Loved the crazy chemistry between Max and Jolie. So happy they got a very happy ever after after everything they went through. I highly recommend this book.
Wow, I loved this book and devoured it in a day. I was so on edge through out. What a story, I was so shocked at who the killer was. Loved the crazy chemistry between Max and Jolie. So happy they got a very happy ever after after everything they went through. I highly recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews