Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies

by Trice Hickman

What would you do if the secret you were keeping could set you free, yet ultimately devastate the ones you love?.........After six years of marriage, Victoria and Ted are the ultimate power couple. She's a beautiful, business savvy sister who owns one of Atlanta's most sought after event planning companies. He's a powerful, blue-eyed CEO who knows how to take care of business in and out of the boardroom. But their seemingly happy life begins to unravel in the blink of an eye when long held desires and decades old secrets come back to haunt them. Victoria's road to deceit begins when Parker Brightwood re-enters her life. She thought she'd gotten over the brazenly handsome surgeon who once stole her heart, but an unusual set of circumstances ushers the ebony prince back on the scene, and this time he's determined to win her back at any cost. Ted's undoing begins with his mother's sudden death, and a mysterious secret that leads to unexpected places. When the truth is finally revealed, it's a realization so shocking, it threatens the life and marriage he holds so dear. As Victoria and Ted journey down a road filled with uncertainty, they're forced to take a hard, honest look at themselves and confront their hidden fears. Can they repair the damage before it's too late, or will they follow a path headed toward destruction?

Genres: Romance

279 pages, Paperback

Published June 23, 2009

About the author

Prior to writing, Trice Hickman's diverse professional career included work in both corporate and non-profit organizations. Currently, she is putting the finishing touches on her second novel, and a third book is already underway. She resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband. "

Reviews

[OOSA · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Truth Shall Set You Free

Six years have passed. Victoria and Ted Thornton are living their happily ever after. Victoria owns one of Atlanta 's most sought after event planning and catering companies, Divine Occasions. Ted's telecom company, ViaTech, is thriving. They've added to the mix Alexandria , their precious and precocious five-year-old daughter. Life is good until...a blast from the past is now very much in the present.

At one time Victoria was in love with Parker Brightwood. Now with the sudden reappearance of him in her life, feelings that she thought she long ago buried seem to be resurfacing. Further complicating things, a tragedy in Ted's life is wedging a gap between the couple. With both keeping secrets and telling lies, is their marriage strong enough to survive?

Trice Hickman returns with her love triangle of Parker-Victoria-Ted in her sophomore release, "Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies." Some of us may never know the intricacies or the innermost feelings of someone in an interracial relationship. Fortunately, for those, Hickman is available as she captures readers with a front row seat. She again delivers with an entertaining as well as thought provoking story. I look forward to more from Hickman.


Reviewed by: Toni

[ToniReads_1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific story told. The title "Telling lies and keeping secrets " did this story justice. Kudos to Trice Hickman for telling the story so well. This was a great sequel to the love triangle between Victoria, Parker, and Ted.
Along with an interacial love triangle were other twists and turns. Did we actually think Parker would just walk away? Will Victoria give up on her marriage to Ted to go back to Parker who cheated on her which pushed her to Ted from the beginning? Then why is Victoria creeping with Parker? Only to find out that Ted has secrets that Victoria is not aware of. Ted finds out he isn't who he thought he was. Can the two forgive each other for keeping secrets from one another and can they get passed it.

[Roslyn Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very entertaining and intriguing story. The characters were so well developed and driving me crazy going back and forth, and I loved it. So many moments I would gasp! I was blown away when one of the characters found out who he was and to learn all the secrets after the death of a loved one. It can be so devastating. Overall, the author gave such a well thought out story. I want a movie because it definitely reads like one.

[Danni's UnBound Bookclub · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good but could have been great. I will say I was a bit annoyed and confused about Ted's secret. I think it got drawn out and could have been done a lot better. I also feel like the ending was too focused on having a follow up and not actually having a conclusion.

[Shonte Bryson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really my genre.

[Kimberly Knox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a Page Turner!!!

[blondy Oludiran · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars, realistic fiction

[Felicee Murchison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book for the most part. There were highs and lows for me. Overall, I'd recommend it.

[Sharon Dorival · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the twist

Beautifully written 👏. Clean romance. Very sedating read. Keeping secrets is hard work indeed. It can wreck havoc on anyone.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a sequel to Unexpected Interruptions. Ted and Victoria are married and now have a daughter named Alexandria. They are worried about the race issue and are putting her in a school called Jack and Jill. Who happens to have a child there?

"When she finally reached the main office and opened the door, she froze in her tracks. She wanted to believe that she was imagining things, or that she was witnessing a mirage, the result of sleep-deprivation. But as much as she wanted to dismiss it, she knew what she saw in front of her was real. Even though his back was turned to her, she knew it was him. The broad, muscular shoulders, and alluring scent of citrus and spice could only belong to one man. It was Parker Brightwood, and he was shaking hands with Katie Palmer, the Director of Admissions. What the hell is he doing here?" P.35

You will have to read Unexpected Interruptions to find out about Victoria and Parker's previous relationship. This just makes her life more complicated when he shows back up after all these years. To make things worse, her best friend Tyler started dating his cousin Samantha.

On top of all that, Ted's mom isn't so well, then he finds out a secret that nobody else but his mom knows. He isn't sure what to do with the secret. He is getting all stressed out.

You will have to read this book to see what the secrets and lies are and who had the secrets and lies. You will be surprised. It all isn't what you might think from just looking at the cover of the book.

Race plays a big part in this book, and Trice Hickman did a great job with this story making the characters come to life. My favorite character is Victoria. In the first book Unexpected
Interruptions she began as a single woman and she just was a great woman that I know I would be friends with. She continued to be my favorite character in this book. Although I didn't necessarily agree with some of the things that she did, in the end I was happy with the outcome. The end almost made me cry. I really like her friend Tyler too. He was such a good friend to Victoria and really gave her great advice.

[Debbie J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keeping Secrets and Telling Lies is a sequel which begins a few years after its predecessor ended. Having already read the first book isn’t required; however, a little background on the three key characters helps because they have significant histories with each other.

Victoria and Ted are happily married and raising a young daughter. Meanwhile Victoria’s ex-lover Parker has resurfaced and threatens to wreck her seemingly perfect world.

Author Trice Hickman offers yet another rich, soapy tale full of twisty-turny melodrama. She also continues to display a rare talent for penning bizarre similes and metaphors, such as:

"...the vein in his forehead was waving like a flag in the wind."

Um, what?

A major plot point is the big secret Ted is keeping from Victoria. Not to brag but I easily guessed someone in Ted’s family had been passing for White. The surprise is that the person is closer in his lineage than one might expect.

Hickman wraps the story up tidily and she again avoids insulting the reader’s common sense. I’m looking forward to the next novel in the continuing romantic saga.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies by Trice Hickman
About a black woman who marries a white male. That's only the start of their problems. It's not them that have the problem but others in their lives just don't accept it. They are both highly successful people in the business world and they have a 5 yo daughter who goes to school. When Victoria goes to sign her up she sees an old boyfriend who had cheated on her. He's there with his son to register him for the same school. She sees him at the wedding of her friend because he's
there with his cousin Samatha. Ted's mother is very ill and not expected to live but a few days so he hightails it to Boston to be with her and the siblings. What is learned will not only shatter his life but the whole family.
He was also handed an envelope at the funeral that he didn't open til later.
He didn't tell his wife everything either.
She didn't tell her husband everything either.

[L.M. David · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, this book takes off with a warm, loving interlude between a white male and his black wife. From there, it tumbles down stairs like a slinky. First, Victoria can't stop obsessing over a brother who cheated on her, the man she moved on from to marry her current husband. It was irritating after a while the way she sent on and on about him. Ted, Victoria's husband, has issues too. He's too mellow, quiet and in love with his wife who, again, dreams of getting back with the idiot who cheated on her. Thankfully, Tyler, Victoria's best bud in male form, has common sense because Victoria talked the talk but when it came time to owe up, she failed miserably. Can't say I enjoyed this book but also can't say I didn't like it. There were adorable characters here, too bad Victoria wasn't one of them. Overall, I liked Trice Hickman's style of writing and look forward to reading more from this writer.

[Paula Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was anxiously awaiting KEEPING SECRETS, TELLING LIES since I enjoyed Unexpected Interruptions so much. I was just a little disappointed because this book lacked the chemistry that was in the previous book. Also, if you did not read the previous book, there was a lot that you missed concerning the love triangle between the three. Also, Victoria’s character lacked the confidence she exuded before, she came off as nervous and flighty, therefore, I did not warm up to her and I didn’t agree with the decisions she made. I figured out Ted’s secret very early in the book, which took the suspense from that subplot.

[Whit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of twists and turns in this one!!!!

I loved the irony! Victoria dumped TWO men who cheated on her and yet she has the nerve to consider cheating on her husband with one of the creeps who betrayed her? WAIT, WHAT ???
Good thing Victoria had loyal friends, with common sense, to talk her off the cliffs she kept climbing up on.

However, the biggest problem I had with this book - Ted's mother's secret was too long and too drawn out. By the time it was revealed, I had figured it out and really didn't care any more.
Nevertheless, the Ted vs. Parker conflict, at the end of the story, was awesome!

[Genevieve Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

V is nerve wrecking

Victoria needs medication in the first book she was Parker but constantly thought of Ted. she marries Ted but for 6 years thinks of Parker constantly. the cheating and stupid lies where Too much. However I loved of and Ali. I want to continue this series but the author constantly going back and forth in time is exhausting and I do t think I can handle reading it with grandpa John and Ali but we will see.

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

I truly struggled through 5 chapters. Just couldn't continue. Planning to try another book by this author.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was kind of a long read. but it was ok

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book.

[Debra Odom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second time reading this book. This is a book about the lack of trust which could d have destroyed Ted's and Victoria's marriage.