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Fantasies Inc. #2
Secret Fantasy
Secret Fantasy by Carly Phillips released on May 25, 2001 is available now for purchase.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
25 people are currently reading
606 people want to read
About the author
Carly Phillips
406 books9,784 followersNY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller, Carly Phillips is the queen of Alpha Heroes, at least according to The Harlequin Junkie Reviewer.. Carly married her college sweetheart and lives in Purchase, NY along with her crazy dogs who are featured on her Facebook and Instagram pages. The author of over 75 romance novels, she has raised two incredible daughters and is now an empty nester. Carly’s book, The Bachelor, was chosen by Kelly Ripa as her first romance club pick. Carly loves social media and interacting with her readers. Want to keep up with Carly? Sign up for her newsletter and receive TWO FREE books at www.carlyphillips.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 21, 2011
This is a perfect example of why we should be able to rate with half stars. This book is a solid 2.5 stars. It was predictable and uninteresting. But at the same time there wasn't anything wrong with it. A couple of hours happily spent reading a story. I liked it. It is just that it is utterly forgettable.
Senator's daughter jilts her corrupt groom at the altar. Her twin gets her a vacation at a 'fantasy' resort. A discredited newspaper reporter with a history of using women turns out to be her fantasy man. He just needs to put the needs of a woman before his own.
Now if you've read more than two romance novels you can basically see the outline of what will happen in your head. Now use your cookie cutter characters to follow along the cookie cutter plot. That's exactly what happens.
Senator's daughter jilts her corrupt groom at the altar. Her twin gets her a vacation at a 'fantasy' resort. A discredited newspaper reporter with a history of using women turns out to be her fantasy man. He just needs to put the needs of a woman before his own.
Now if you've read more than two romance novels you can basically see the outline of what will happen in your head. Now use your cookie cutter characters to follow along the cookie cutter plot. That's exactly what happens.
April 8, 2009
"Secret Fantasy" is a reprint of Carly Phillips 2001 Harlequin Temptation release. I'd forgotten just how much 'hotter' today's Blaze and Temptation releases are in comparison. I would rate this between PG & NC-17. The tension is high throughout, but there's no real consummation until about 3/5ths of the way through the book, lots of heavy petting and a couple of '3rd base' scenes though.
Juliette is a Senator's daughter who has recently been dubbed 'Chicago's Runaway Bride' since she left her high-profile father's protege at the alter just minutes before the wedding service was to begin. The press has gone crazy since she hasn't explained her reasons and when her twin sister surprises her with a vacation, she jumps at the opportunity for some peace. Imagine her surprise when she discovers the vacation is to the 'Secret Fantasy' complex! Even though this wasn't what Juliette had in mind, the sexy hunk she caught sight of on arrival just might change her mind.
Doug has 'wheeled and dealed' (I know that's not proper English but it just doesn't work any other way!) his way to the information on where the Runaway Bride will be. He's a reporter on a mission and he's prepared to do whatever necessary to get his story and clear his name. It's not like he WANTS to hurt Juliette. But Doug hadn't counted on her impact in person. And the more time they spend together, the fuzzier Doug's intentions become. But how will he ever be able to explain things to Juliette?
A quick read with a well-tried plot that's only saved by Phillips dialogue and ability to keep the sexual tension high. Not a keeper for me, but it's still an hour well spent.
Juliette is a Senator's daughter who has recently been dubbed 'Chicago's Runaway Bride' since she left her high-profile father's protege at the alter just minutes before the wedding service was to begin. The press has gone crazy since she hasn't explained her reasons and when her twin sister surprises her with a vacation, she jumps at the opportunity for some peace. Imagine her surprise when she discovers the vacation is to the 'Secret Fantasy' complex! Even though this wasn't what Juliette had in mind, the sexy hunk she caught sight of on arrival just might change her mind.
Doug has 'wheeled and dealed' (I know that's not proper English but it just doesn't work any other way!) his way to the information on where the Runaway Bride will be. He's a reporter on a mission and he's prepared to do whatever necessary to get his story and clear his name. It's not like he WANTS to hurt Juliette. But Doug hadn't counted on her impact in person. And the more time they spend together, the fuzzier Doug's intentions become. But how will he ever be able to explain things to Juliette?
A quick read with a well-tried plot that's only saved by Phillips dialogue and ability to keep the sexual tension high. Not a keeper for me, but it's still an hour well spent.
August 2, 2013
Juliette Stanton is ten minutes away from vowing to love, honor and cherish a scheming mobster-connected liar. For the rest of her life.
And so with the media watching her every move, the high-profile senator's daughter flees her own wedding. Dubbed "Chicago's Runaway Bride," Juliette needs somewhere to hide out, and heal her broken heart. So she heads to a "fantasy island" and pays big bucks for anonymity and the chance to meet an honest man who'll love her for who she really is. Total fantasy, right? Day one, she falls for tall, dark-haired, ocean-blue-eyed Doug Houston. He's everything she's ever wanted. Except he's not exactly who he says he is, either.... What started as a way to get info he needed, ended in a way to get her
back that he needed even more. 5 stars!
And so with the media watching her every move, the high-profile senator's daughter flees her own wedding. Dubbed "Chicago's Runaway Bride," Juliette needs somewhere to hide out, and heal her broken heart. So she heads to a "fantasy island" and pays big bucks for anonymity and the chance to meet an honest man who'll love her for who she really is. Total fantasy, right? Day one, she falls for tall, dark-haired, ocean-blue-eyed Doug Houston. He's everything she's ever wanted. Except he's not exactly who he says he is, either.... What started as a way to get info he needed, ended in a way to get her
back that he needed even more. 5 stars!
May 19, 2024
Reviewed for THC Reviews
Secret Fantasy is the second book in the multi-author continuity series, Fantasies, Inc. All of the stories take place in a Fantasy Island style paradise, where visitors can live out their romantic fantasies after being carefully paired with their perfect mate by the island’s owner, Merilee. Juliette is the daughter of a U. S. Senator who just left her fiance at the altar after discovering that he’s involved with organized crime, and now the media has dubbed her the Runaway Bride. To get her away from the glare of the spotlight, her twin sister books a vacation for her at Fantasies, Inc., where she meets Doug. He seems like the perfect guy who’s all about putting her needs above his own, but she doesn’t know that he came to the island, looking for her. Doug is the journalist who broke the story about her fiance to the newspapers, but then embarrassingly had to retract it due to lack of solid evidence. Now he’s followed Juliette to the island, hoping to gain her trust and get the information out of her that will prove his story was correct all along. However, once he meets her, he has an increasingly difficult time following through on his purpose. Instead, he finds himself falling for her and wanting a real relationship, while considering not writing a new story at all. But before he can come clean in hopes that she’ll forgive him, Juliette finds out the truth in the worst possible way, which could end everything.
Juliette adores her father, one of the truly good guy politicians who has really made a difference during his career. He’s announced his retirement and hand-picked his successor, Juliette’s fiance, Stuart. However, right before their wedding, the story breaks about Stuart’s possible involvement in organized crime, but the article was later retracted. On their wedding day, though, Juliette sees him talking to a mob boss. She immediately calls the whole thing off, but knows if the press gets wind of the real reason she left Stuart at the altar, her father’s entire legacy would instantly be tainted. Instead she allows them to think she’s merely fickle and has to weather through being given the moniker, Chicago’s Runaway Bride. To escape the media glare, her twin books the trip for her, although Juliette doesn’t realize until she arrives exactly what kind of vacation it is. Not being the adventurer her sister is, Juliette isn’t too sure about a fantasy vacation at first, but after spotting a hot guy in the hotel lobby, she decides to embrace it. Of course, she gets paired with said hot guy and is having the time of her life. Doug is everything Stuart wasn’t, giving generously of himself and fulfilling every fantasy she didn’t know she had. She comes to trust and fall for him in a few short days, but when the truth about why he really came to the island comes out, it could break her heart all over again. Juliette is a very likable heroine who is sweet and more on the reserved side, which I could very much relate to. Worried about her dad’s reputation, she’s trying to figure out the best course of action, while falling head-over-heels for Doug. I like that she embraces her time with him, wanting everything he’s willing to give and being generous in return.
Doug had a rough childhood and was adopted at an older age by a couple who were the perfect parents for him. He followed in his adoptive father’s footsteps to become a journalist and broke the story about Stuart but had to retract it later. Worried about what the stress of his career woes might do to his dad who just had a heart attack, Doug is determined to find the evidence he needs to back up his original story. He spent two years in a relationship with a socialite who gave him access to important people, and now that it’s over, he admits that he was basically using her for story fodder, something he feels guilty about. He manages to track Juliette to the island and requests that Merilee pair him with her, hoping that she’ll have the information he needs. To get in, he tells Merilee that his fantasy is to prove to himself that he can put a woman first, something that isn't entirely untrue, even if he is falling back on old habits. Once he meets Juliette, though, he finds someone who is his dream woman. She’s sweet, sexy, and vulnerable, and the more he gets to know her, the more he wants to give to her, rather than take. He knows it won’t be easy, but he’s determined to tell her the truth, hoping that if he’s honest she’ll forgive him, except someone else beats him to it, leaving their budding romance in jeopardy. Doug might not have had altruistic reasons for following Juliette to the island, but he found someone in her who made it easy for him to be vulnerable and who made him want to be a better person. He became that person for her, and IMHO always did put her needs before his own, even if he wasn’t being entirely honest at first. He grew a lot as a character throughout the story, and even after things went south between them, I still felt he continued to put Juliette first, avoiding implicating her or her father in his story.
As a pretty big fan of the old television show, Fantasy Island, I’ve thus far been enjoying this book mini-series, which is somewhat similar. I love the idea of going to a tropical paradise to live out a romantic fantasy, so this has been a big selling point for me. Overall, Secret Fantasy was an enjoyable entry into the series. I liked both Juliette and Doug. I thought they were good characters who complemented each other well. Their romance is admittedly an insta-love one, which isn’t usually a favorite trope for me, but the author created a strong emotional bond between them right from the moment they met and gradually grew that connection over the days they spent together on the island. The love scenes are sensual and very expressive of the burgeoning feeling between out main characters. That being the case, the book was on track to receive keeper status from me until the ending, which I thought could have been a bit stronger. That Juliette discovered the truth before Doug could tell her was pretty predictable, but I think the most disappointing thing is that Stuart didn’t really get much of a comeuppance with what little does happen to him occurring off canvas. I admit that I’m not sure how else the author could have written it and still protected Juliette and her father from the fallout of Stuart’s criminal dealings, but I felt like he more or less got to bow out gracefully, which I thought was better than he deserved. Otherwise, I had a good time reading this book. It was my first by the rather prolific Carly Phillips, but it won’t be my last. I found that I very much liked her storytelling style and look forward to exploring her back list as well as continuing the Fantasies, Inc. mini-series.
Secret Fantasy is the second book in the multi-author continuity series, Fantasies, Inc. All of the stories take place in a Fantasy Island style paradise, where visitors can live out their romantic fantasies after being carefully paired with their perfect mate by the island’s owner, Merilee. Juliette is the daughter of a U. S. Senator who just left her fiance at the altar after discovering that he’s involved with organized crime, and now the media has dubbed her the Runaway Bride. To get her away from the glare of the spotlight, her twin sister books a vacation for her at Fantasies, Inc., where she meets Doug. He seems like the perfect guy who’s all about putting her needs above his own, but she doesn’t know that he came to the island, looking for her. Doug is the journalist who broke the story about her fiance to the newspapers, but then embarrassingly had to retract it due to lack of solid evidence. Now he’s followed Juliette to the island, hoping to gain her trust and get the information out of her that will prove his story was correct all along. However, once he meets her, he has an increasingly difficult time following through on his purpose. Instead, he finds himself falling for her and wanting a real relationship, while considering not writing a new story at all. But before he can come clean in hopes that she’ll forgive him, Juliette finds out the truth in the worst possible way, which could end everything.
Juliette adores her father, one of the truly good guy politicians who has really made a difference during his career. He’s announced his retirement and hand-picked his successor, Juliette’s fiance, Stuart. However, right before their wedding, the story breaks about Stuart’s possible involvement in organized crime, but the article was later retracted. On their wedding day, though, Juliette sees him talking to a mob boss. She immediately calls the whole thing off, but knows if the press gets wind of the real reason she left Stuart at the altar, her father’s entire legacy would instantly be tainted. Instead she allows them to think she’s merely fickle and has to weather through being given the moniker, Chicago’s Runaway Bride. To escape the media glare, her twin books the trip for her, although Juliette doesn’t realize until she arrives exactly what kind of vacation it is. Not being the adventurer her sister is, Juliette isn’t too sure about a fantasy vacation at first, but after spotting a hot guy in the hotel lobby, she decides to embrace it. Of course, she gets paired with said hot guy and is having the time of her life. Doug is everything Stuart wasn’t, giving generously of himself and fulfilling every fantasy she didn’t know she had. She comes to trust and fall for him in a few short days, but when the truth about why he really came to the island comes out, it could break her heart all over again. Juliette is a very likable heroine who is sweet and more on the reserved side, which I could very much relate to. Worried about her dad’s reputation, she’s trying to figure out the best course of action, while falling head-over-heels for Doug. I like that she embraces her time with him, wanting everything he’s willing to give and being generous in return.
Doug had a rough childhood and was adopted at an older age by a couple who were the perfect parents for him. He followed in his adoptive father’s footsteps to become a journalist and broke the story about Stuart but had to retract it later. Worried about what the stress of his career woes might do to his dad who just had a heart attack, Doug is determined to find the evidence he needs to back up his original story. He spent two years in a relationship with a socialite who gave him access to important people, and now that it’s over, he admits that he was basically using her for story fodder, something he feels guilty about. He manages to track Juliette to the island and requests that Merilee pair him with her, hoping that she’ll have the information he needs. To get in, he tells Merilee that his fantasy is to prove to himself that he can put a woman first, something that isn't entirely untrue, even if he is falling back on old habits. Once he meets Juliette, though, he finds someone who is his dream woman. She’s sweet, sexy, and vulnerable, and the more he gets to know her, the more he wants to give to her, rather than take. He knows it won’t be easy, but he’s determined to tell her the truth, hoping that if he’s honest she’ll forgive him, except someone else beats him to it, leaving their budding romance in jeopardy. Doug might not have had altruistic reasons for following Juliette to the island, but he found someone in her who made it easy for him to be vulnerable and who made him want to be a better person. He became that person for her, and IMHO always did put her needs before his own, even if he wasn’t being entirely honest at first. He grew a lot as a character throughout the story, and even after things went south between them, I still felt he continued to put Juliette first, avoiding implicating her or her father in his story.
As a pretty big fan of the old television show, Fantasy Island, I’ve thus far been enjoying this book mini-series, which is somewhat similar. I love the idea of going to a tropical paradise to live out a romantic fantasy, so this has been a big selling point for me. Overall, Secret Fantasy was an enjoyable entry into the series. I liked both Juliette and Doug. I thought they were good characters who complemented each other well. Their romance is admittedly an insta-love one, which isn’t usually a favorite trope for me, but the author created a strong emotional bond between them right from the moment they met and gradually grew that connection over the days they spent together on the island. The love scenes are sensual and very expressive of the burgeoning feeling between out main characters. That being the case, the book was on track to receive keeper status from me until the ending, which I thought could have been a bit stronger. That Juliette discovered the truth before Doug could tell her was pretty predictable, but I think the most disappointing thing is that Stuart didn’t really get much of a comeuppance with what little does happen to him occurring off canvas. I admit that I’m not sure how else the author could have written it and still protected Juliette and her father from the fallout of Stuart’s criminal dealings, but I felt like he more or less got to bow out gracefully, which I thought was better than he deserved. Otherwise, I had a good time reading this book. It was my first by the rather prolific Carly Phillips, but it won’t be my last. I found that I very much liked her storytelling style and look forward to exploring her back list as well as continuing the Fantasies, Inc. mini-series.
February 2, 2017
Another fun-yet-forgettable romance. There were a few too many psychology-driven scenes that didn't feel natural, and a bit too much was made out of each character's head space, but otherwise it was as expected.
January 27, 2017
This is short sweet story about love, respect, family, loyalty and fantasy. The storyline is an easy read and moves along nicely to a satisfactory conclusion.
February 4, 2018
First published as a HT #836.
July 28, 2019
Lengvas romaniukstis ;)
January 15, 2022
I was very impressed with pace and plot. It was upbeat, and a little Soapy. I love the author’s writing style. It was definitely something to delve into, to get your mind off of everyday life.
March 7, 2022
This was a very good book Carly Phillips never disappoints.
April 3, 2024
Carly Phillips is a great author. I have a hard time not reading her books and once I start I can't stop till the end.
April 19, 2024
Great for what it is. A quick light read that engages but isn't too heavy. Has enough plot, etc to keep engaged. Reminds me a little if some of those reality shows like Love Island were a book.
August 27, 2024
Susiskaitė lengvai ir greitai. Tarsi skaitytum kažkieno svajone, o visa santykių drama buvo tik knygos gale, to dėka kol pasieki visą drama gali sau mėgautis piešiamais salos vaizdais.
January 7, 2025
Very fast read. Decent plot, enjoyable story telling.
March 7, 2013
Sometimes curling up on the couch with a great fluffy romance is just what a girl needs.
I love reading a novel by Carly Phillips, they always have the best HEA's.
This one is about trust. Juliette may of been in her wedding dress the day of her wedding but when she overhears her bride-groom talking business with the mob guy. She calls off the wedding when it's clear he lied and is just marrying her for her fathers connection.
Doug's name is washed out after he was forced to retract his recent story about Juliette's finances mob connections. He finds out that the run away bride is at a secret fantasy resort and heads her way. He doesn't want to hurt her but he needs to clear his name.
What they didn't expect was to find love. Doug makes the choice of using her story and loosing her or fining a new plan. Plus he still has to let her know who he really is, and pray she forgives him.
I love reading a novel by Carly Phillips, they always have the best HEA's.
This one is about trust. Juliette may of been in her wedding dress the day of her wedding but when she overhears her bride-groom talking business with the mob guy. She calls off the wedding when it's clear he lied and is just marrying her for her fathers connection.
Doug's name is washed out after he was forced to retract his recent story about Juliette's finances mob connections. He finds out that the run away bride is at a secret fantasy resort and heads her way. He doesn't want to hurt her but he needs to clear his name.
What they didn't expect was to find love. Doug makes the choice of using her story and loosing her or fining a new plan. Plus he still has to let her know who he really is, and pray she forgives him.
April 1, 2012
Fantasi seperti apa yang diharapkan seorang wanita yang pernah kabur dari pernikahannya yang belum lama berlalu? Dan apa yang membuat sang pengantin kabur dari pernikahan tersebut? Dua pertanyaan itu membuatku tertarik untuk membaca buku ini.
Baru di awal cerita aku sudah merasa janggal dengan percakapan Juliette dan adiknya yang terasa kurang mengalir. Keberadaan Douglas yang sengaja mendekati Juliette untuk mengorek informasi tentang mantan tunangannya bagiku terasa janggal. Rasa tertarik di antaranya keduanya cenderung dipaksakan dan berjalan terlalu cepat serta tidak banyak chemistry alami yang mampu membuatku setidaknya lebih menyukai buku ini.
Kelebihan buku ini hanya satu, kover versi Indonesia yang bagus, warna merah rambut sang wanita kontras dengan dominasi warna oranye lembut+cokelat muda sebagai latar.
Baru di awal cerita aku sudah merasa janggal dengan percakapan Juliette dan adiknya yang terasa kurang mengalir. Keberadaan Douglas yang sengaja mendekati Juliette untuk mengorek informasi tentang mantan tunangannya bagiku terasa janggal. Rasa tertarik di antaranya keduanya cenderung dipaksakan dan berjalan terlalu cepat serta tidak banyak chemistry alami yang mampu membuatku setidaknya lebih menyukai buku ini.
Kelebihan buku ini hanya satu, kover versi Indonesia yang bagus, warna merah rambut sang wanita kontras dengan dominasi warna oranye lembut+cokelat muda sebagai latar.
April 16, 2012
2,5 deh.
Sebenarnya ogah baca Carly Phillips lagi setelah Cross My Heart. Tapi berhubung sinopsisnya bikin penasaran, jadilah akhirnya nyomot buku ini.
Tapi ternyataaaaa...cuma begitu aja. Agak boring coz scene-nya d pulau it saja and menjurus k arah 'itu' terus. Chemistry 2 tokoh utama juga gak ada. Datar deh pokoknya. Jurus skip-nya terpaksa dikeluarin.
Kalo dipikir-pikir, malah bagusan Cross My Heart daripada buku ini.
Sebenarnya ogah baca Carly Phillips lagi setelah Cross My Heart. Tapi berhubung sinopsisnya bikin penasaran, jadilah akhirnya nyomot buku ini.
Tapi ternyataaaaa...cuma begitu aja. Agak boring coz scene-nya d pulau it saja and menjurus k arah 'itu' terus. Chemistry 2 tokoh utama juga gak ada. Datar deh pokoknya. Jurus skip-nya terpaksa dikeluarin.
Kalo dipikir-pikir, malah bagusan Cross My Heart daripada buku ini.
December 6, 2009
This was a reprint of an earlier book by this author, but not as disappointing as that might sound. Although written as a Harlequin Temptation with everything that implies, it wasn't just a bit of sexy fluff. The characters were interesting and the situations unique.
January 23, 2012
Quick & mindless...& at the beach—perfect for a cold, gray week-end—& none of the characters irritated me. Not that they weren't cliches, but they fit into a light, fluffy read so no major complaints.
March 26, 2012
Buku ini tak sebagus cover-nya, terlalu tipis jadi ga bermakna, emosinya ga berasa. Mungkin memang gw-nya yg d ga cocok baca buku yg terlalu klise n ga ada intrik or gregetnya seperti buku ini, serasa sia" belinya, mending baca komik aja d :(
August 16, 2012
Very sappy but fun. I like the premise of the book, but I think there could have been more to the story. It was an ok book to read over the weekend, but not something I would come back for more. I expected more of Carly Phillips since I've enjoyed so many of her other books.
Want to read
April 1, 2009Secret Fantasy by Carly Phillips (2009)
August 10, 2009
Secret Fantasy
Carly Phillips
Contemporary Fiction
232 pages
copyright: 2001
isbn: 0-373-77351-0
Carly Phillips
Contemporary Fiction
232 pages
copyright: 2001
isbn: 0-373-77351-0
September 13, 2009
A great romanace. With hints that there may be more “fantasy island” to come… I cannot wait!
June 18, 2010
Secret Fantasy by Carly Phillips (2009)
January 1, 2011
This was a romance novel left over from when I used to read these. It was fun to read and very easy. Nothing to write home about, but if you like romance then Phillips usually is a great bet.
Read
January 7, 2011I'm not really sure why I am reading this! I can't even rate it!
March 25, 2011
I like it..
February 2, 2012
It's ok. Not bad not good. It's ok.
April 2, 2012
This was a sweet story :-)I really enjoyed it and it got me all happy and bubbly at times :-)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews