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Rich, Ruthless & Greek #1
The Secret That Can't Be Hidden
The powerful Greek billonaire meets his match in this thrilling secret pregnancy story from USA TODAY bestselling author Caitlin Crews.
Their desire cannot be concealed…
And neither can her baby bump!
Kendra Connolly has never forgotten her first, fleeting encounter with billionaire Balthazar Skalas. When they meet again, she gives in to temptation—completely. It’s a decision made in the heat of the moment that has life-changing consequences…
Balthazar didn’t expand his empire by being weak. The need he feels for Kendra is a liability, and the discovery that she’s carrying his heir merely increases her power over him. Can this ruthless Greek be strong enough to let himself love her?
From Harlequin Presents: Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.
Read all the Rich, Ruthless & Greek books:
Book 1: The Secret That Can’t Be Hidden
Book 2: Her Deal with the Greek Devil
read less
Their desire cannot be concealed…
And neither can her baby bump!
Kendra Connolly has never forgotten her first, fleeting encounter with billionaire Balthazar Skalas. When they meet again, she gives in to temptation—completely. It’s a decision made in the heat of the moment that has life-changing consequences…
Balthazar didn’t expand his empire by being weak. The need he feels for Kendra is a liability, and the discovery that she’s carrying his heir merely increases her power over him. Can this ruthless Greek be strong enough to let himself love her?
From Harlequin Presents: Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.
Read all the Rich, Ruthless & Greek books:
Book 1: The Secret That Can’t Be Hidden
Book 2: Her Deal with the Greek Devil
read less
ebook
Published March 1, 2021
About the author
Caitlin Crews
902 books577 followersCaitlin Crews discovered her first romance novel at the age of twelve, in a bargain bin at the local five and dime. It involved swashbuckling pirates, grand adventures, a heroine with rustling skirts and a mind of her own, and a seriously mouthwatering and masterful hero. The book (the title of which remains lost in the mists of time) made a serious impression. Caitlin was immediately smitten with romances and romance heroes, to the detriment of her middle school social life. And so began her life-long love affair with romance novels, many of which she insists on keeping near her at all times, thus creating a fire hazard of love wherever she lives.
Caitlin has made her home in places as far-flung as York, England and Atlanta, Georgia. She was raised near New York City, and fell in love with London on her first visit when she was a teenager. She has backpacked in Zimbabwe, been on safari in Botswana, and visited tiny villages in Namibia. She has, while visiting the place in question, declared her intention to live in Prague, Dublin, Paris, Athens, Nice, the Greek Islands, Rome, Venice, and/or any of the Hawaiian islands. Writing about exotic places seems like the next best thing to actually moving there.
She currently lives in Oregon with her animator/comic book artist husband and their menagerie of ridiculous animals.
Caitlin has made her home in places as far-flung as York, England and Atlanta, Georgia. She was raised near New York City, and fell in love with London on her first visit when she was a teenager. She has backpacked in Zimbabwe, been on safari in Botswana, and visited tiny villages in Namibia. She has, while visiting the place in question, declared her intention to live in Prague, Dublin, Paris, Athens, Nice, the Greek Islands, Rome, Venice, and/or any of the Hawaiian islands. Writing about exotic places seems like the next best thing to actually moving there.
She currently lives in Oregon with her animator/comic book artist husband and their menagerie of ridiculous animals.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
March 3, 2021
3.5 stars.
Revenge and feuding families are the tropes that fuel Caitlin Crews' newest HPlandia offering.
The MC's aren't star crossed lovers, separated by this feud. On the contrary, it's the heroine who becomes the unwitting pawn in the long standing battle between her father and the H.
Balthazar Skalas, the vengeful H, despises the heroine's father because the latter had seduced and dumped his emotionally fragile mother in order to punish her husband (H's dad ) for trouncing him in a business deal.
This was the final nail in the toxic coffin of the H's parents' troubled marriage and he and his younger brother suffered severe emotional and physical consequences, after it happened.
Balthazar is cold, callous and lives for vengeance.
But what's most interesting, in all this kerfuffle, is the relationship between the H and his pawn - the heroine, Kendra.
Three years before the start of the novel, Balthazar had met Kendra at her parents' Connecticut estate. Their *meeting* hadn't lasted for more than an hour, but it was enough for him to do what most vengeful H's do: miscalculate, misjudge and tar her with the same feather as her father.
In the H's eyes, she's worse than the Mata Hari and twice as seductively dangerous.
This is the heroine, Kendra:
That heart-shaped face had haunted him for months now—years, if he was honest—and it was far prettier in person than it had been in his memory.
That infuriated him all the more.
This is the H, Balthazar:
He was just as she remembered. Balthazar Skalas, the devil himself, his deep dark eyes alive with mockery and that cruel twist to his mouth.
The H gets his revenge, in the end, against the heroine's evil dad and selfish, scheming brother. But it's an off page revenge, that's only mentioned in the epilogue. It's not exactly the extreme, painful sort of revenge the H had hoped for, but it's a good enough cause for celebration.
At the start of the story, the heroine is about to meet the H again, after their brief *encounter* 3 years ago. Her brother has stolen $2 million from the H and her cowardly father sends her, as the family's emissary, to try and pacify the devil, with an offer of quiet re-payment, in exchange for him not pressing charges.
They've also hinted that she ought to use her feminine wiles, if all else fails. It's obvious that her douchedaddy and his favourite offspring don't think much of her or care about what happens to her, at the hands of the H.
But, like many unloved kids, who are desperate for familial love and approval, Kendra is willing to do what she can to help them out.
It doesn't take Balthazar long to figure out what's going on - even though he continues to misjudge her.
Nonetheless, it's exactly the opportunity he's been waiting for, for years. He's never forgotten the scene he'd observed, as a scared child, watching on in horror while Kendra's father had laughed in the face of his ( the H's ) tearful, jilted mother.
So this is his chance to demean, use and belittle the heroine, as revenge for what was done to his mom. And, he definitely gloats while relishing the impending humiliation of his pawn.
He doesn't pull his metaphoric punches either, because he hates the way she makes him feel.
He views it as a sign of weakness and for him, that's intolerable. After all, hadn't his father literally beaten it out of him, when he was a child ?
Which is why he chooses to humiliate her, in his office, in the most shocking manner.
He doesn't need the $2m she's been sent to repay. He's wants a more visceral and satisfying sort of repayment.
I didn't honestly think she'd go along with his command, so I expected her to do like other Mary Sue martyrs: cuss him out and run away to recharge her batteries and dream up another option.
Sooooo...you can imagine how I felt, when she actually started to remove her clothes...in his office...
Since this is HPlandia and Balthazar is the sexy devil who's been haunting her daydreams for the last 3 years, it's accurate to say that she isn't exactly scared or reluctant. Perhaps she would've been, had he looked like a troll. But, since this is a romance novel, the rules are different and she's lusted after him, ever since their abridged make out session, 3 years ago in her family's hilltop gazebo.
For his part, Balthazar is like a smug, entitled baby boy, accepting what he thinks is owed to him.
He's waited a long time to get her where he wants her and, you know what some people say...
And...
He's so sexually charged that he forgets to wear a condom for the first time in his life !
This is where the unexpected pregnancy trope kicks in and, as usual, the H doesn't respond like a happy prospective daddy.
He tells the heroine that she must marry him, because his heir needs to be legitimate. But this is not what he'd had in mind for the hated Connolly family.
There's the usual conflict between embattled MC's, followed by a rather sweet, traditional and intimate Greek wedding, because the heroine's willing to do whatever it takes for her unborn child.
And the conflict itself doesn't take too long to be resolved, after the H realizes that he's becoming an updated version of his horrible late father. Balthazar actually capitulates rather easily, when compared to vengeful H's in vintage HPlandia. Underneath all that cruel bluster, lies a a loving husband and father, just waiting to get out !
Their epilogue, set 10 years in the future, was both heartwarming and sexy. They're the parents of 4 kids and are more in love than they were a decade ago. The villains have been suitably vanquished and the MC's are smart enough to realize that...
I haven't enjoyed the last couple of novels by Caitlin Crews. But this one worked for me, because I was entertained by her trademark gift for beautiful, descriptive prose and her superb use of memorable dialogue. I'm one of those readers who appreciates good prose and I don't mind internal monologues, when they serve a specific purpose and are deployed effectively.
And, if there's one thing she's adept at, it's the fact that she never wastes silly or useless dialogue on her MC's.
There's not as much dialogue as in other HP's, but in her case, quality is definitely prefential to quantity. I can't tell you how many times I've grown bored out of my mind, reading other HP novels, that are filled with pointless, forgettable and predictable dialogue. Dialogue for the sake of dialogue is a huge waste, in my opinion.
I'm also eagerly awaiting Constantine's upcoming novel. He's the H's younger brother.
Safety:
I've chosen not to tag my safety bookshelves, for this novel and you'll understand why if you read the following:
Safety depends on whether or not the individual reader views this as a second chance romance.
If you think it's a second chance romance, because the MC's shared an abridged make out session, that lasted less than an hour, years ago, then you'll think it's unsafe because the H wasn't celibate during the 3 years that followed.
I don't think it's a second chance romance because:
📍They never dated, communicated etc. and therefore, what happened during those few minutes, doesn't count.
📍They'd never even been formally introduced and the H believed, afterwards, that she was the enemy, sent by her father to seduce and trap him, so he didn't exactly view her as someone he needed to be faithful to.
📍He didn't even know her identity during their short make out session 3 years ago. He only discovered it afterwards and it made him despise her.
Anyway, after they meet again and consummate their relationship, both MC's are celibate during their short 3 month separation and during the 6 weeks after he leaves her on his private island. It's not stated explicitly but that's the idea I got.
That's what counts as far as I'm concerned.
But then again, I'm not actually a safety reader so I don't know all the various and intricate safety rules that readers who belong to Safety Groups, tend to look for. So, like I said, this is safe depending on whether or not you view this as a second chance romance.
I just provide safety information out of courtesy for my Goodreads friends who want to know about it. Sometimes this gives people the erroneous idea that I'm a stringent safety reader when I'm not. Sometimes, I actually give a lot of leeway for stuff that hardcore safety readers might find offensive.
Revenge and feuding families are the tropes that fuel Caitlin Crews' newest HPlandia offering.
The MC's aren't star crossed lovers, separated by this feud. On the contrary, it's the heroine who becomes the unwitting pawn in the long standing battle between her father and the H.
Balthazar Skalas, the vengeful H, despises the heroine's father because the latter had seduced and dumped his emotionally fragile mother in order to punish her husband (H's dad ) for trouncing him in a business deal.
This was the final nail in the toxic coffin of the H's parents' troubled marriage and he and his younger brother suffered severe emotional and physical consequences, after it happened.
Balthazar is cold, callous and lives for vengeance.
But what's most interesting, in all this kerfuffle, is the relationship between the H and his pawn - the heroine, Kendra.
Three years before the start of the novel, Balthazar had met Kendra at her parents' Connecticut estate. Their *meeting* hadn't lasted for more than an hour, but it was enough for him to do what most vengeful H's do: miscalculate, misjudge and tar her with the same feather as her father.
In the H's eyes, she's worse than the Mata Hari and twice as seductively dangerous.
This is the heroine, Kendra:
That heart-shaped face had haunted him for months now—years, if he was honest—and it was far prettier in person than it had been in his memory.
That infuriated him all the more.
This is the H, Balthazar:
He was just as she remembered. Balthazar Skalas, the devil himself, his deep dark eyes alive with mockery and that cruel twist to his mouth.
The H gets his revenge, in the end, against the heroine's evil dad and selfish, scheming brother. But it's an off page revenge, that's only mentioned in the epilogue. It's not exactly the extreme, painful sort of revenge the H had hoped for, but it's a good enough cause for celebration.
At the start of the story, the heroine is about to meet the H again, after their brief *encounter* 3 years ago. Her brother has stolen $2 million from the H and her cowardly father sends her, as the family's emissary, to try and pacify the devil, with an offer of quiet re-payment, in exchange for him not pressing charges.
They've also hinted that she ought to use her feminine wiles, if all else fails. It's obvious that her douchedaddy and his favourite offspring don't think much of her or care about what happens to her, at the hands of the H.
But, like many unloved kids, who are desperate for familial love and approval, Kendra is willing to do what she can to help them out.
It doesn't take Balthazar long to figure out what's going on - even though he continues to misjudge her.
Nonetheless, it's exactly the opportunity he's been waiting for, for years. He's never forgotten the scene he'd observed, as a scared child, watching on in horror while Kendra's father had laughed in the face of his ( the H's ) tearful, jilted mother.
So this is his chance to demean, use and belittle the heroine, as revenge for what was done to his mom. And, he definitely gloats while relishing the impending humiliation of his pawn.
He doesn't pull his metaphoric punches either, because he hates the way she makes him feel.
He views it as a sign of weakness and for him, that's intolerable. After all, hadn't his father literally beaten it out of him, when he was a child ?
Which is why he chooses to humiliate her, in his office, in the most shocking manner.
He doesn't need the $2m she's been sent to repay. He's wants a more visceral and satisfying sort of repayment.
I didn't honestly think she'd go along with his command, so I expected her to do like other Mary Sue martyrs: cuss him out and run away to recharge her batteries and dream up another option.
Sooooo...you can imagine how I felt, when she actually started to remove her clothes...in his office...
Since this is HPlandia and Balthazar is the sexy devil who's been haunting her daydreams for the last 3 years, it's accurate to say that she isn't exactly scared or reluctant. Perhaps she would've been, had he looked like a troll. But, since this is a romance novel, the rules are different and she's lusted after him, ever since their abridged make out session, 3 years ago in her family's hilltop gazebo.
For his part, Balthazar is like a smug, entitled baby boy, accepting what he thinks is owed to him.
He's waited a long time to get her where he wants her and, you know what some people say...
And...
He's so sexually charged that he forgets to wear a condom for the first time in his life !
This is where the unexpected pregnancy trope kicks in and, as usual, the H doesn't respond like a happy prospective daddy.
He tells the heroine that she must marry him, because his heir needs to be legitimate. But this is not what he'd had in mind for the hated Connolly family.
There's the usual conflict between embattled MC's, followed by a rather sweet, traditional and intimate Greek wedding, because the heroine's willing to do whatever it takes for her unborn child.
And the conflict itself doesn't take too long to be resolved, after the H realizes that he's becoming an updated version of his horrible late father. Balthazar actually capitulates rather easily, when compared to vengeful H's in vintage HPlandia. Underneath all that cruel bluster, lies a a loving husband and father, just waiting to get out !
Their epilogue, set 10 years in the future, was both heartwarming and sexy. They're the parents of 4 kids and are more in love than they were a decade ago. The villains have been suitably vanquished and the MC's are smart enough to realize that...
I haven't enjoyed the last couple of novels by Caitlin Crews. But this one worked for me, because I was entertained by her trademark gift for beautiful, descriptive prose and her superb use of memorable dialogue. I'm one of those readers who appreciates good prose and I don't mind internal monologues, when they serve a specific purpose and are deployed effectively.
And, if there's one thing she's adept at, it's the fact that she never wastes silly or useless dialogue on her MC's.
There's not as much dialogue as in other HP's, but in her case, quality is definitely prefential to quantity. I can't tell you how many times I've grown bored out of my mind, reading other HP novels, that are filled with pointless, forgettable and predictable dialogue. Dialogue for the sake of dialogue is a huge waste, in my opinion.
I'm also eagerly awaiting Constantine's upcoming novel. He's the H's younger brother.
Safety:
I've chosen not to tag my safety bookshelves, for this novel and you'll understand why if you read the following:
Safety depends on whether or not the individual reader views this as a second chance romance.
If you think it's a second chance romance, because the MC's shared an abridged make out session, that lasted less than an hour, years ago, then you'll think it's unsafe because the H wasn't celibate during the 3 years that followed.
I don't think it's a second chance romance because:
📍They never dated, communicated etc. and therefore, what happened during those few minutes, doesn't count.
📍They'd never even been formally introduced and the H believed, afterwards, that she was the enemy, sent by her father to seduce and trap him, so he didn't exactly view her as someone he needed to be faithful to.
📍He didn't even know her identity during their short make out session 3 years ago. He only discovered it afterwards and it made him despise her.
Anyway, after they meet again and consummate their relationship, both MC's are celibate during their short 3 month separation and during the 6 weeks after he leaves her on his private island. It's not stated explicitly but that's the idea I got.
That's what counts as far as I'm concerned.
But then again, I'm not actually a safety reader so I don't know all the various and intricate safety rules that readers who belong to Safety Groups, tend to look for. So, like I said, this is safe depending on whether or not you view this as a second chance romance.
I just provide safety information out of courtesy for my Goodreads friends who want to know about it. Sometimes this gives people the erroneous idea that I'm a stringent safety reader when I'm not. Sometimes, I actually give a lot of leeway for stuff that hardcore safety readers might find offensive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2021
Now this story was DARK.
H/h are both seriously messed up by their families (who are enemies) but they are drawn to each other like moths to very hot flames.
Heroine decides that vulnerability is her power and walks into the hero's humiliating traps over and over again. He is so mean to her, but she keeps coming back for more to his bafflement. It is revealed late in the story why the hero is so messed up and the impact is greater, I think.
CC has really grown as a writer. She has played with these dark themes before, but her stories always got bogged down in psycho-babble and naval gazing. Here, she keeps the narrative moving right along.
I won't go into details since this is a new title and I don't want to spoil. Suffice to say, if you like your heroes cruel, your misunderstood heroine's virginal, and your families messed up - this one is for you.
As always, Ivy has all the details in her comprehensive review.
H/h are both seriously messed up by their families (who are enemies) but they are drawn to each other like moths to very hot flames.
Heroine decides that vulnerability is her power and walks into the hero's humiliating traps over and over again. He is so mean to her, but she keeps coming back for more to his bafflement. It is revealed late in the story why the hero is so messed up and the impact is greater, I think.
CC has really grown as a writer. She has played with these dark themes before, but her stories always got bogged down in psycho-babble and naval gazing. Here, she keeps the narrative moving right along.
I won't go into details since this is a new title and I don't want to spoil. Suffice to say, if you like your heroes cruel, your misunderstood heroine's virginal, and your families messed up - this one is for you.
As always, Ivy has all the details in her comprehensive review.
Read
July 7, 2021I've put off reviewing this as I just don't know what to say about it.
Crews language is evocative and emotional, but I disliked both characters, especially the hero. Even with the boundaries of HP-land their relationship did not jell. Plus the premise of a young girl sacrificing herself for rotten relatives is a miss for me. Give me a cancer riddled grandmother or such and I am in, but a spoiled rotten and cruel brother and a dismissive father doesn't do it for me.
Crews language is evocative and emotional, but I disliked both characters, especially the hero. Even with the boundaries of HP-land their relationship did not jell. Plus the premise of a young girl sacrificing herself for rotten relatives is a miss for me. Give me a cancer riddled grandmother or such and I am in, but a spoiled rotten and cruel brother and a dismissive father doesn't do it for me.
March 16, 2021
H was jerk and there was angst. 😁
May 7, 2021
Well this was one alpha male. Loved it and liked the heroine as well. On to the brothers story.
May 26, 2022
Who says revenge isn't the sweetest when all your plans come to fruition in the form of your enemy's beautiful young daughter.
This is the case in The Secret That Can't Be Hidden by Caitlin Crews.
I have a hit/miss affair with this author's books and this was definitely a huge hit for me.
This hero was cruel,the cruelest I have read in an HP in a very long time when so many of the current crop are nice.I don't like nice heros...to me the cruel ones are the hardest ones to fall and they do put the heroines thru hellish situations and back.
The heroine in this book put the hero thru his paces too and she gave him all with a smile,I loved it.
So here we have a hero that just can't do without sex,hell bent on revenge towards the heroine's family ,and a heroine who wanting to please her family goes to the hero to try and make a bargain with him.
Bargain they did and they wind up having unprotected sex upon his desktop.
Finally fed up with her family,the heroine moves to Provence to live and work.Three months later the hero shows up and asks her if she is pregnant with his child as they had unprotected sex,he even brought his own pregnancy test kits for her to use.She is stunned,never even thought of being pregnant.
Hero being the dominating alpha hole he is tells her she is going to Greece with him in the AM and she better get use to him but first his private doctor will give her a pregnancy and genetic tests first when they land in Athens.
I really liked this book,both MC's were a perfect match.
I liked that the heroine stood her ground with his ways and crass comments.
Lovely epilogue,showed the hero a true family man of 4 children and so in love with his wife.
This romance reminded me of the HP's of bygone days where the males were cruel alphas who got tamed by the love of their heroines.
This is the case in The Secret That Can't Be Hidden by Caitlin Crews.
I have a hit/miss affair with this author's books and this was definitely a huge hit for me.
This hero was cruel,the cruelest I have read in an HP in a very long time when so many of the current crop are nice.I don't like nice heros...to me the cruel ones are the hardest ones to fall and they do put the heroines thru hellish situations and back.
The heroine in this book put the hero thru his paces too and she gave him all with a smile,I loved it.
So here we have a hero that just can't do without sex,hell bent on revenge towards the heroine's family ,and a heroine who wanting to please her family goes to the hero to try and make a bargain with him.
Bargain they did and they wind up having unprotected sex upon his desktop.
Finally fed up with her family,the heroine moves to Provence to live and work.Three months later the hero shows up and asks her if she is pregnant with his child as they had unprotected sex,he even brought his own pregnancy test kits for her to use.She is stunned,never even thought of being pregnant.
Hero being the dominating alpha hole he is tells her she is going to Greece with him in the AM and she better get use to him but first his private doctor will give her a pregnancy and genetic tests first when they land in Athens.
I really liked this book,both MC's were a perfect match.
I liked that the heroine stood her ground with his ways and crass comments.
Lovely epilogue,showed the hero a true family man of 4 children and so in love with his wife.
This romance reminded me of the HP's of bygone days where the males were cruel alphas who got tamed by the love of their heroines.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2021
So what does this vintage HP reader think of the first NEW HP she's read in ages? Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose!
Well, mostly, anyway.
We're still doing "improbable virgins"? Really, Hqn? Lemme tell you--not a snowflake's chance in hell that some rich girl from Greenwich CT who grew up in NYC hi-falutin' ultra-sophisticated social circles is going to be a post-college virgin. Even if CC did put her in an all-girls college (surrounded by lots of colleges with guys, so... doesn't even matter).
And the "exchange sexual favors to save my shitty family" trope--alive and well! Pfffttt. At least she realizes later that was mostly an excuse.
Other vintage tropes that apparently have stood the test of time, in this book anyway: treacherous body syndrome! Revenge plots (however lame and flimsy the "revenge")! One-shot pregnancies!
I actually enjoyed this though. Great heat (and only a few well-placed sex scenes, which I find keeps the sexual tension going). Great tension (sexual and otherwise)--I'm not a fan of writing that relies heavily on short, sharp sentences. Incomplete sentences. To convey tension. But I have to admit that it really worked in this one--the writing style fed the overall mood.
The heroine was very funny too. CC gave her a dry wit that I enjoyed. The scenes between the hero and heroine were taut and quick-paced, and the heroine was able to use humor to deflect his high-handed alpha menace. Speaking of which....
I love a menacing alpha! CC did a pretty good job--this guy had almost vintage-level menace. But...
JFC, all that navel gazing and infodumps (particularly about the heroine's family/past in the first pages). Just stop. Yeah, I get that asshats need some reason for being asshats now, but do we have to go on and on about REASONS? And if we do, how about using writer skills to slowly unveil the deets as part of dialogue and natural plot developments? Do we need the heroines entire crappy past on page one as justification for all that follows? (No, I say, we do not--there are better ways to do it). At least the hero trauma infodump didn't happen until the end. (Infodump bookends!)
And the whole your family wronged my family premise was kind of weak--some comeuppance at least--and the "revenge" makes no sense in light of it really. (Not that it did in vintage HPs either usually--the whole "silken prison with great sex" vengeance never sounds so awful to me. ;-)
My grumbling aside, I was happy to see that so much of what I enjoy about vintage HPs is more or less alive (if diluted) and that authors can still write good menace to go with good heat. Nothing really new here but interesting to see how old tropes, often with underpinnings that haven't aged well or wouldn't fly now, are still in play even in current releases. And not one Greek or Sheik mentioned in the title! 3.5* from me and a nudge to try out some more of Hqn's newer releases maybe.
Well, mostly, anyway.
We're still doing "improbable virgins"? Really, Hqn? Lemme tell you--not a snowflake's chance in hell that some rich girl from Greenwich CT who grew up in NYC hi-falutin' ultra-sophisticated social circles is going to be a post-college virgin. Even if CC did put her in an all-girls college (surrounded by lots of colleges with guys, so... doesn't even matter).
And the "exchange sexual favors to save my shitty family" trope--alive and well! Pfffttt. At least she realizes later that was mostly an excuse.
Other vintage tropes that apparently have stood the test of time, in this book anyway: treacherous body syndrome! Revenge plots (however lame and flimsy the "revenge")! One-shot pregnancies!
I actually enjoyed this though. Great heat (and only a few well-placed sex scenes, which I find keeps the sexual tension going). Great tension (sexual and otherwise)--I'm not a fan of writing that relies heavily on short, sharp sentences. Incomplete sentences. To convey tension. But I have to admit that it really worked in this one--the writing style fed the overall mood.
The heroine was very funny too. CC gave her a dry wit that I enjoyed. The scenes between the hero and heroine were taut and quick-paced, and the heroine was able to use humor to deflect his high-handed alpha menace. Speaking of which....
I love a menacing alpha! CC did a pretty good job--this guy had almost vintage-level menace. But...
JFC, all that navel gazing and infodumps (particularly about the heroine's family/past in the first pages). Just stop. Yeah, I get that asshats need some reason for being asshats now, but do we have to go on and on about REASONS? And if we do, how about using writer skills to slowly unveil the deets as part of dialogue and natural plot developments? Do we need the heroines entire crappy past on page one as justification for all that follows? (No, I say, we do not--there are better ways to do it). At least the hero trauma infodump didn't happen until the end. (Infodump bookends!)
And the whole your family wronged my family premise was kind of weak--some comeuppance at least--and the "revenge" makes no sense in light of it really. (Not that it did in vintage HPs either usually--the whole "silken prison with great sex" vengeance never sounds so awful to me. ;-)
My grumbling aside, I was happy to see that so much of what I enjoy about vintage HPs is more or less alive (if diluted) and that authors can still write good menace to go with good heat. Nothing really new here but interesting to see how old tropes, often with underpinnings that haven't aged well or wouldn't fly now, are still in play even in current releases. And not one Greek or Sheik mentioned in the title! 3.5* from me and a nudge to try out some more of Hqn's newer releases maybe.
January 13, 2022
What an unbelievable jerk
I hated the hero In this book. Maybe the epilogue made me hate him a little less but I never liked him at all. The heroine was okay. I liked her spirit even though she let him get away with his insults and hate. In the end of course they lived happily ever after but make no mistake he was a very controlling monster. The things he did, and said were just vile and he was going to take it one step further after the baby was born to make the child hate the mother like his Father did. I was so angry with him, I might have missed the love. He kept talking about needing sex and it just grossed me out. They were apart for several months and it doesn't say but there is no way he was celibate. He hated her. He kept blaming her for her pregnancy but he was the one who didn't take responsibility. I hated that scene in the penthouse, but I liked that he didn't break her. Her moving away, confused him but he still blamed her for the pregnancy. For trapping him. Then he imprisoned her and flew away. That didn't break her. He left her for six weeks that time and she thrived. I liked that about her. But I can't say I liked the book. I just hated his cruelty. Yes there was that sweet cute epilogue with four kids, ten years later but by then I was exhausted by him. He was just too much. Such humiliation and knowing he was going to do even worse just soured me on this. It was free in KU thank goodness. I would not want to read this again. It was written well and probably could have been scored higher but I just could not. I know controlling men like him and his bad they can hurt. Just not for me. I was actually depressed in the end And I shouldn't have been. The heroine won his love but the battle was just too hard on my heart.
I hated the hero In this book. Maybe the epilogue made me hate him a little less but I never liked him at all. The heroine was okay. I liked her spirit even though she let him get away with his insults and hate. In the end of course they lived happily ever after but make no mistake he was a very controlling monster. The things he did, and said were just vile and he was going to take it one step further after the baby was born to make the child hate the mother like his Father did. I was so angry with him, I might have missed the love. He kept talking about needing sex and it just grossed me out. They were apart for several months and it doesn't say but there is no way he was celibate. He hated her. He kept blaming her for her pregnancy but he was the one who didn't take responsibility. I hated that scene in the penthouse, but I liked that he didn't break her. Her moving away, confused him but he still blamed her for the pregnancy. For trapping him. Then he imprisoned her and flew away. That didn't break her. He left her for six weeks that time and she thrived. I liked that about her. But I can't say I liked the book. I just hated his cruelty. Yes there was that sweet cute epilogue with four kids, ten years later but by then I was exhausted by him. He was just too much. Such humiliation and knowing he was going to do even worse just soured me on this. It was free in KU thank goodness. I would not want to read this again. It was written well and probably could have been scored higher but I just could not. I know controlling men like him and his bad they can hurt. Just not for me. I was actually depressed in the end And I shouldn't have been. The heroine won his love but the battle was just too hard on my heart.
January 10, 2022
Wow. This was pretty darn good and I could barely put it down to catch some sleep. I’ve to say that not having read more recent HP releases i was thrown off my rocker for this one. It was dark and modern and not exactly familiar HP scenery.
Kendra is from a wealthy dysfunctional family but is born to her parents late. Her only sibling, an older brother, is spoiled rotten and yet always spurred on by their father to continue with his wasteful lifestyle. With him stealing millions from a man, finally it is Kendra who has to go and negotiate this time to save their family from a public roasting and fall from grace.
Kendra barely agrees to go meet this man and ruffle his feathers. But tbh this was no easy bargain situation. The H is super alpha, (the kind you may have forgotten of lately in HPlandia) and there isn’t a bone to be placated in his body. He wants payment in deep seated revenge and he doesn’t care if he has to use Kendra in a vile humiliating way and send her packing back to her father and brother.
I was quite shocked by their office scene but what I loved most was that despite his best effort, Balthazar really could not break Kendra. Kendra was high spirited and having being shunned off all her life and reminded that she wasn’t good for anything or worth anyone’s time, Kendra barely rolled her eye at this humiliating turn of events.
Next few days or so, she’s already moved on and trying to pick up on life again. I loved Kendra. She was strong and didn’t give in to tantrums or tears and knew how to work her way with the hateful men around her. Loved their HEA which didn’t come easy and it took some work for both the h and H to see beyond the darkness of their past lives. Highly recommend.
Kendra is from a wealthy dysfunctional family but is born to her parents late. Her only sibling, an older brother, is spoiled rotten and yet always spurred on by their father to continue with his wasteful lifestyle. With him stealing millions from a man, finally it is Kendra who has to go and negotiate this time to save their family from a public roasting and fall from grace.
Kendra barely agrees to go meet this man and ruffle his feathers. But tbh this was no easy bargain situation. The H is super alpha, (the kind you may have forgotten of lately in HPlandia) and there isn’t a bone to be placated in his body. He wants payment in deep seated revenge and he doesn’t care if he has to use Kendra in a vile humiliating way and send her packing back to her father and brother.
I was quite shocked by their office scene but what I loved most was that despite his best effort, Balthazar really could not break Kendra. Kendra was high spirited and having being shunned off all her life and reminded that she wasn’t good for anything or worth anyone’s time, Kendra barely rolled her eye at this humiliating turn of events.
Next few days or so, she’s already moved on and trying to pick up on life again. I loved Kendra. She was strong and didn’t give in to tantrums or tears and knew how to work her way with the hateful men around her. Loved their HEA which didn’t come easy and it took some work for both the h and H to see beyond the darkness of their past lives. Highly recommend.
April 3, 2021
Yikes, even after reading reviews, this one surprised me—very well written and somewhat dark... evil brother, pimping father, revenge fueled hero, unplanned pregnancy, kidnapping, semi forced marriage. All things considered she holds her own fairly well. Nice epilogue.
January 7, 2023
The hero was a very dark and broken person who was bent on revenge against the heroine’s family for something that happened many years ago. The heroine is sweet, kind and innocent. She just wants to belong and to not feel an outcast anymore. Both hero and heroine had horrible parents. An unexpected pregnancy brought them together and from there their love grows. Beautiful couple and super cute epilogue with their 4 kids! Thanks CC for melting my heart! ♥️
April 17, 2022
This has to be a first - a Caitlin Crews that I have not enjoyed! I think CC is one of the most talented writers in the genre, her prose is literary and flows so smoothly that it looks easy. Her dialogue is sparky and intelligent and her characters are always well drawn and her plots are almost operatic in scope and style.
Sadly this story was 90% hostility, angst, cruelty and misunderstandings and the hero was such an unpleasant idiot and so ridiculously blind for 90% of the book, that I could not engage with him. The last two chapters were brilliant - but it was too late. Some indications of a softening and understanding earlier in the book would have helped make him more sympathetic.
I know we have to suspend disbelief in this genre, but there still has to be a sense of it being rooted in reality. Balthazar’s determination to believe the worst of Kendra when the outcome was in fact his fault threw me out of the story. For a man of his experience sexually not to understand what Kendra was experiencing struck me as unreal. His behaviour over the book was just so over the top and melodramatic. Kendra’s ability to stay cool and untouched by his utterly unfair comments also struck me as unreal. She was such a victim/martyr character, I found it hard to sympathise with her in what was a really terrible situation.
I think if the author had dialled back the melodrama, the hostility and aggression a little bit and showed them falling in love - it would have been a great book.
Sadly this story was 90% hostility, angst, cruelty and misunderstandings and the hero was such an unpleasant idiot and so ridiculously blind for 90% of the book, that I could not engage with him. The last two chapters were brilliant - but it was too late. Some indications of a softening and understanding earlier in the book would have helped make him more sympathetic.
I know we have to suspend disbelief in this genre, but there still has to be a sense of it being rooted in reality. Balthazar’s determination to believe the worst of Kendra when the outcome was in fact his fault threw me out of the story. For a man of his experience sexually not to understand what Kendra was experiencing struck me as unreal. His behaviour over the book was just so over the top and melodramatic. Kendra’s ability to stay cool and untouched by his utterly unfair comments also struck me as unreal. She was such a victim/martyr character, I found it hard to sympathise with her in what was a really terrible situation.
I think if the author had dialled back the melodrama, the hostility and aggression a little bit and showed them falling in love - it would have been a great book.
January 11, 2022
(read in french, under the title « Ce secret dévoilé »)
Usually, I'm not fond of stories based on anger. Especially since they tend to easily silde towards toxic relationships. But it doesn't happen here. Balthazar barks a lot but don't bite and never harms Kendra despite how much she irritates him. It's clear right from the start : they may be attracted to each other, but they're enemies. Balthazar has reasons to not trust Kendra, as much as she has to be pissed at him.
So if you like cute and fluffy romances, this one is not for you.
However, it does fabulously work. First because nothing comes out of the blue. Kendra's will to be accepted in her dysfunctional (and openly toxic) family is made understandable. Balthazar's angst too. And Kendra isn't reluctant at all to « offer herself » to him as she craves it. In short, Caitlin Crews managed to avoid all the possible mistakes of this kind of plot to deliver us a story with an explosive atmosphere, but always well-founded. There's one sure thing : it's a delight to see them fight. Kendra isn't impressed (and evolves within the story), and it's in these moments we feel the most the alchemy of the future couple.
On the top of that, a rare thing in these books, we get an epilogue a bit longer than usual.
So, even if it's not the most original story in the world, even if there's no subplots and we don't see much of Greece nor Provence, it's a really enjoyable read. A guilty pleasure, like the tartiflette cheese you finish by sneaking in the kitchen at 3 A.M.
Usually, I'm not fond of stories based on anger. Especially since they tend to easily silde towards toxic relationships. But it doesn't happen here. Balthazar barks a lot but don't bite and never harms Kendra despite how much she irritates him. It's clear right from the start : they may be attracted to each other, but they're enemies. Balthazar has reasons to not trust Kendra, as much as she has to be pissed at him.
So if you like cute and fluffy romances, this one is not for you.
However, it does fabulously work. First because nothing comes out of the blue. Kendra's will to be accepted in her dysfunctional (and openly toxic) family is made understandable. Balthazar's angst too. And Kendra isn't reluctant at all to « offer herself » to him as she craves it. In short, Caitlin Crews managed to avoid all the possible mistakes of this kind of plot to deliver us a story with an explosive atmosphere, but always well-founded. There's one sure thing : it's a delight to see them fight. Kendra isn't impressed (and evolves within the story), and it's in these moments we feel the most the alchemy of the future couple.
On the top of that, a rare thing in these books, we get an epilogue a bit longer than usual.
So, even if it's not the most original story in the world, even if there's no subplots and we don't see much of Greece nor Provence, it's a really enjoyable read. A guilty pleasure, like the tartiflette cheese you finish by sneaking in the kitchen at 3 A.M.
April 16, 2021
Wow! Dark and angsty with a cruel cruel hero. And a naive yet strong heroine. HP magic. My only gripes... a bit too much of internal monologue for my liking, and a somewhat rushed resolution. Though that could entirely be my personal preference! Otherwise, a really good read.
October 25, 2021
4.5 stars
April 4, 2021
The h didn't just befuddle the H with her behaviour but she managed to befuddle me as well. Her 'strength' was to accept every humiliation (from her own family and the H) and come bouncing back. That worked the first time, but on the island. Nah...she just seemed delusional and head in the sand to me. I couldn't understand how we, or more specifically they, got to an hea. Good thing the epilogue spelt the happy out for me, as well her resolution with her family, otherwise I'd have been one confused reader.
April 4, 2021
Kendra Connolly has never forgotten her first, fleeting encounter with billionaire Balthazar Skalas. When they meet again, she gives in to temptation—completely. It’s a decision made in the heat of the moment that has life-changing consequences…
Balthazar didn’t expand his empire by being weak. The need he feels for Kendra is a liability, and the discovery that she’s carrying his heir merely increases her power over him. Can this ruthless Greek be strong enough to let himself love her?
Balthazar didn’t expand his empire by being weak. The need he feels for Kendra is a liability, and the discovery that she’s carrying his heir merely increases her power over him. Can this ruthless Greek be strong enough to let himself love her?
April 6, 2021
Really, really bad (as in cruel) hero. Very bad. Alpha bad. I was preparing for a solid four star but I have never read a better epilogue, it was six stars and I am usually not a fan of epilogues, but this was so satisfying.
August 21, 2022
Quick Summary: Beauty and a Beast
My Review: The Secret That Can't Be Hidden was a true Beauty meets a Beast romance. Kendra and Balthazar were innocence and heat. He was driven by a dark vengeance. She was consumed by a fiery passion. Together, they were explosive. Even as they learned to navigate around their broken families and any related misunderstandings, they chose to love and to build something solid from a place of transparency.
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
#Goodreadsrecommendation
My Review: The Secret That Can't Be Hidden was a true Beauty meets a Beast romance. Kendra and Balthazar were innocence and heat. He was driven by a dark vengeance. She was consumed by a fiery passion. Together, they were explosive. Even as they learned to navigate around their broken families and any related misunderstandings, they chose to love and to build something solid from a place of transparency.
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
#Goodreadsrecommendation
March 16, 2021
the ending is too abrupt, it was sweet though.
November 7, 2021
This one had major potential. Could've been a 5-Star rating for me, but the uneven character depictions and excessive inner monologuing brought the score down.
What I loved: the beginning! It was so unique, it pulled me right in. I felt NYC from that top floor. I felt the tension between the two main characters. Their chemistry was palpable. Unfortunately, the rest of the book couldn't really compete with that opening gambit. However, I did also love the setting in France, I could easily envision the beautiful countryside, the winery and the quaint, homey cottage. Same thing for when the story moved to Greece. The descriptions of the Greek island and surrounding area made it so easy to see in my mind's eye. Caitlin Crews is a master at prose.
Which leads me to what I didn't like...the excessive prose, specifically the inner monologuing. I know that's a Crews' hallmark, but it gets tedious after a while. It borders so much on telling and not showing. It really hindered the character development to have so little discussion and action, but a whole bunch of exposition.
I felt that the h was a little all over the place character-wise. One minute she's this evolving young woman, taking control and asserting herself, the next minute she's caving in to the H's dictatorial control. For a woman that had money and resources at her disposal, albeit through family, she certainly didn't consider any other option but what the H demanded.
The H, on the other hand, was a little more one-dimensional to me. Very hard, unrelenting. Very old-school Harlequin, which isn't a bad thing, per se. It's just that when he finally comes around at the end, it's one heated conversation/fight with the heroine and then it's an endless come-to-Jesus inner dialogue awakening. It doesn't do the characters justice to make it seem that everything is okay just like that, but then two pages later SAY that oh, but it took a long time and work.
Given all that, I would recommend this to anyone interested in a very angsty modern tale that has a flavoring of good old-fashioned Harlequin escapism.
What I loved: the beginning! It was so unique, it pulled me right in. I felt NYC from that top floor. I felt the tension between the two main characters. Their chemistry was palpable. Unfortunately, the rest of the book couldn't really compete with that opening gambit. However, I did also love the setting in France, I could easily envision the beautiful countryside, the winery and the quaint, homey cottage. Same thing for when the story moved to Greece. The descriptions of the Greek island and surrounding area made it so easy to see in my mind's eye. Caitlin Crews is a master at prose.
Which leads me to what I didn't like...the excessive prose, specifically the inner monologuing. I know that's a Crews' hallmark, but it gets tedious after a while. It borders so much on telling and not showing. It really hindered the character development to have so little discussion and action, but a whole bunch of exposition.
I felt that the h was a little all over the place character-wise. One minute she's this evolving young woman, taking control and asserting herself, the next minute she's caving in to the H's dictatorial control. For a woman that had money and resources at her disposal, albeit through family, she certainly didn't consider any other option but what the H demanded.
The H, on the other hand, was a little more one-dimensional to me. Very hard, unrelenting. Very old-school Harlequin, which isn't a bad thing, per se. It's just that when he finally comes around at the end, it's one heated conversation/fight with the heroine and then it's an endless come-to-Jesus inner dialogue awakening. It doesn't do the characters justice to make it seem that everything is okay just like that, but then two pages later SAY that oh, but it took a long time and work.
Given all that, I would recommend this to anyone interested in a very angsty modern tale that has a flavoring of good old-fashioned Harlequin escapism.
Read
March 2, 2021Categories
Contemporary Romance, Romance
Miniseries
Rich, Ruthless & Greek (Book #1)
Contemporary Romance, Romance
Miniseries
Rich, Ruthless & Greek (Book #1)
October 20, 2021
This was nearly a DNF for me but I persevered. I liked the last part a lot more than the first part.
I was revolted by the heroine's toxic relatives pimping her out to cover their crimes. But even more than that, was how disgusted I was with the heroine for agreeing to be a prostitute to save her loathsome relatives. Hated the way she humiliated and demeaned herself in his office. Have a bit of self respect woman! Made me nauseous at how she degraded herself. Wallbanger moment.
But then the story got better. I am sceptical though, that people so damaged from such broken backgrounds could ever know how to have healthy, loving relationships, but this is fiction, so I'll let it pass.
I loved the way she turned his words on him after they were married and made him strip. Woohoo, Go Girl. And the epilogue was lovely.
I was revolted by the heroine's toxic relatives pimping her out to cover their crimes. But even more than that, was how disgusted I was with the heroine for agreeing to be a prostitute to save her loathsome relatives. Hated the way she humiliated and demeaned herself in his office. Have a bit of self respect woman! Made me nauseous at how she degraded herself. Wallbanger moment.
But then the story got better. I am sceptical though, that people so damaged from such broken backgrounds could ever know how to have healthy, loving relationships, but this is fiction, so I'll let it pass.
I loved the way she turned his words on him after they were married and made him strip. Woohoo, Go Girl. And the epilogue was lovely.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2021
2.5 stars
The ending was so weird. The 'love' was so sudden like the author just decided that she didn't want to write another chapter and just wanted it to end. Pretty confused tbh. The H treated the h like a whore. In fact he said it to her himself. Called her names and stuff when in fact she had nothing to do with his mom's tragedy and he knew nothing about the h and being an asshole that he was, started to judge her however he liked. Not a very likeable hero. At least I managed to finish this one.
The ending was so weird. The 'love' was so sudden like the author just decided that she didn't want to write another chapter and just wanted it to end. Pretty confused tbh. The H treated the h like a whore. In fact he said it to her himself. Called her names and stuff when in fact she had nothing to do with his mom's tragedy and he knew nothing about the h and being an asshole that he was, started to judge her however he liked. Not a very likeable hero. At least I managed to finish this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2021
Reviewed at Happily Ever After Romance
The Secret That Can’t Be Hidden begins the Rich, Ruthless & Greek duet with a sizzlingly sensuous tale of ruthless revenge that turns out far differently than Balthazar could have ever predicted.
Balthazar and Kendra’s story began years before, even before that first meeting at her family’s event. No, it really began years earlier when Kendra’s father seduced Balthazar’s (and Constantine’s) mother when they were younger and under the cruel control of a father who showed no emotion nor mercy. That’s when the beginning of the idea of revenge, definitely best served cold, took shape. Balthazar didn’t know when, or yet how, but he knew without a doubt that he’d have his revenge on the Connolly scum. It wasn’t until a chance meeting with Kendra, a smoldering, unforgettable meeting that Balthazar knew exactly how he’d play out his revenge… and personally enjoy it all the more for this woman’s involvement in it. Revenge doesn’t have to be swift, but well planned, all the intricate parts well thought out, and the final execution perfection should have been enough for Balthazar. He is a man trapped in his own revenge plot discovering, perhaps too late, exactly what he’s about to destroy.
Kendra knew that her family had no true use for her, she is mostly invisible to her father, mother, and brother… until, of course, she’s needed for something. She knew the cruelness of her father, the indifference of her mother, the vileness of her brother, and yet, still, she needed a way to be important to them. She never could have imagined what her father and brother would expect of her – not ask but expect her to do in order to keep her brother out of prison for his actions against Balthazar.
One magical night one man changed her without knowing or caring. An unexpected encounter, a smoldering experience, and a rejection… all in under an hour, Kendra’s perception of herself changed. She would do this for her family, there really was no choice, but she would do it on her terms even though those terms of hers were wildly naive.
The Secret That Can’t Be Hidden is dark, intense, sexy, and so emotional – although many of those emotions are self-imposed revenge-based emotions of Balthazar. There is very little to like about Balthazar as we begin this story. His cruelty almost matches that of his father but on a different level and approach. Kendra was certainly naive, yet she had her own defense armor that she often drew around herself.
While I enjoyed Kendra and Balthazar’s story there were times when the internal monologs got in the way of staying in the story. We’ll see the blinders come off of Balthazar but it really is well into the story before I had a hope of a happy resolution for this couple. The epilogue was the gem of this one… ten years in the future we get a good look at where love, real love has taken them and it is a loving, emotional way to end The Secret That Can’t Be Hidden.
Next, we move onto Constantine and Molly in Her Deal with the Greek Devil.
I own a Kindle edition of this story.
The Secret That Can’t Be Hidden begins the Rich, Ruthless & Greek duet with a sizzlingly sensuous tale of ruthless revenge that turns out far differently than Balthazar could have ever predicted.
Balthazar and Kendra’s story began years before, even before that first meeting at her family’s event. No, it really began years earlier when Kendra’s father seduced Balthazar’s (and Constantine’s) mother when they were younger and under the cruel control of a father who showed no emotion nor mercy. That’s when the beginning of the idea of revenge, definitely best served cold, took shape. Balthazar didn’t know when, or yet how, but he knew without a doubt that he’d have his revenge on the Connolly scum. It wasn’t until a chance meeting with Kendra, a smoldering, unforgettable meeting that Balthazar knew exactly how he’d play out his revenge… and personally enjoy it all the more for this woman’s involvement in it. Revenge doesn’t have to be swift, but well planned, all the intricate parts well thought out, and the final execution perfection should have been enough for Balthazar. He is a man trapped in his own revenge plot discovering, perhaps too late, exactly what he’s about to destroy.
Kendra knew that her family had no true use for her, she is mostly invisible to her father, mother, and brother… until, of course, she’s needed for something. She knew the cruelness of her father, the indifference of her mother, the vileness of her brother, and yet, still, she needed a way to be important to them. She never could have imagined what her father and brother would expect of her – not ask but expect her to do in order to keep her brother out of prison for his actions against Balthazar.
One magical night one man changed her without knowing or caring. An unexpected encounter, a smoldering experience, and a rejection… all in under an hour, Kendra’s perception of herself changed. She would do this for her family, there really was no choice, but she would do it on her terms even though those terms of hers were wildly naive.
The Secret That Can’t Be Hidden is dark, intense, sexy, and so emotional – although many of those emotions are self-imposed revenge-based emotions of Balthazar. There is very little to like about Balthazar as we begin this story. His cruelty almost matches that of his father but on a different level and approach. Kendra was certainly naive, yet she had her own defense armor that she often drew around herself.
While I enjoyed Kendra and Balthazar’s story there were times when the internal monologs got in the way of staying in the story. We’ll see the blinders come off of Balthazar but it really is well into the story before I had a hope of a happy resolution for this couple. The epilogue was the gem of this one… ten years in the future we get a good look at where love, real love has taken them and it is a loving, emotional way to end The Secret That Can’t Be Hidden.
Next, we move onto Constantine and Molly in Her Deal with the Greek Devil.
I own a Kindle edition of this story.
March 22, 2024
Kendra & Balthazar (really? Balthazar?)
This one was a strange one. The story moved quickly; it was a page turner and a quick read. A heavy, intense atmosphere & lots of internal thoughts, as has been the case in other books by Crews, I’ve read.
But there were two significant issues I had with it. First, this wasn’t insta-love. It was fantasy love. When the big emotional breaking point/confession happened, I found myself thinking, wait a sec:
1 hr in Connecticut 3 years prior
2 hrs? In his NYC office
1 hr? Arguing in France
12-ish hrs? traveling to Greece, goingy to the doctor, and dropping her off at his island
One evening, six weeks later, trading barbs about marriage
And suddenly, the next day, comes marriage and all the emotional revelations? As far as I can tell, these two hadn’t even spent 24 hrs in each other’s company before tying the knot and, that evening, confessing their love.
But they’d been fantasizing about each other for about 3 1/2 years…so it just felt like they were each, at best, in love with the fantasies of one another that they’d built up in their heads. Not their true selves.
Second, I didn’t really find anything redeeming about the MMC. I just kept thinking, “that’s terrible to do to her, she should leave and not put up with it.” No redeeming internal feelings about her, other than a “wish” she could be “innocent,” which is not love. Neither is suddenly deciding you’re in love because you learn she was a virgin.
And the FMC? Just kept taking it like a doormat. This was a couple I wasn’t happy to see together at the end.
The whole, I’m going to lock this lady away right when she’d be needing blood tests, specialized ultrasounds, etc. as if they can just fly a dude out once on a helicopter, and it would be the same, was a minor quibble.
Also, who sees a stranger, no matter how sexy, and within minutes lets him stuff his hand in her panties without even exchanging names? Yeah, no.
If the details were different, I would have liked it more. But this fell short for me.
This one was a strange one. The story moved quickly; it was a page turner and a quick read. A heavy, intense atmosphere & lots of internal thoughts, as has been the case in other books by Crews, I’ve read.
But there were two significant issues I had with it. First, this wasn’t insta-love. It was fantasy love. When the big emotional breaking point/confession happened, I found myself thinking, wait a sec:
1 hr in Connecticut 3 years prior
2 hrs? In his NYC office
1 hr? Arguing in France
12-ish hrs? traveling to Greece, goingy to the doctor, and dropping her off at his island
One evening, six weeks later, trading barbs about marriage
And suddenly, the next day, comes marriage and all the emotional revelations? As far as I can tell, these two hadn’t even spent 24 hrs in each other’s company before tying the knot and, that evening, confessing their love.
But they’d been fantasizing about each other for about 3 1/2 years…so it just felt like they were each, at best, in love with the fantasies of one another that they’d built up in their heads. Not their true selves.
Second, I didn’t really find anything redeeming about the MMC. I just kept thinking, “that’s terrible to do to her, she should leave and not put up with it.” No redeeming internal feelings about her, other than a “wish” she could be “innocent,” which is not love. Neither is suddenly deciding you’re in love because you learn she was a virgin.
And the FMC? Just kept taking it like a doormat. This was a couple I wasn’t happy to see together at the end.
The whole, I’m going to lock this lady away right when she’d be needing blood tests, specialized ultrasounds, etc. as if they can just fly a dude out once on a helicopter, and it would be the same, was a minor quibble.
Also, who sees a stranger, no matter how sexy, and within minutes lets him stuff his hand in her panties without even exchanging names? Yeah, no.
If the details were different, I would have liked it more. But this fell short for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2022
This book had no editing errors that I could spot and for that it deserved the 1 star I gave it.
The plot was bullshit, the hero a pathetic bastard, and the heroine was so stupid I thought she should have genuinely never been born.
This book was on a shelf for grovelling heroes but where was the grovel? The heroine threw herself at the hero at every opportunity, did everything he wanted, got brutalised and humiliated her first time having sex as a virgin but went back for more. There was no time at all that she did not instantly accept everything the hero was doling out. If anything, she actively welcomed and encouraged it. I would say she's a victim of abused wife syndrome but this heroine enjoyed and accepted the abuse since before she even became a wife. And I have nothing to say about the hero, he's a fucking bastard who's daddy should have killed him. But anyway, lucky him! For getting a doormat wife who accepted everything he did!
Pathetic book all in all, and I wish I'd never read it.
The plot was bullshit, the hero a pathetic bastard, and the heroine was so stupid I thought she should have genuinely never been born.
This book was on a shelf for grovelling heroes but where was the grovel? The heroine threw herself at the hero at every opportunity, did everything he wanted, got brutalised and humiliated her first time having sex as a virgin but went back for more. There was no time at all that she did not instantly accept everything the hero was doling out. If anything, she actively welcomed and encouraged it. I would say she's a victim of abused wife syndrome but this heroine enjoyed and accepted the abuse since before she even became a wife. And I have nothing to say about the hero, he's a fucking bastard who's daddy should have killed him. But anyway, lucky him! For getting a doormat wife who accepted everything he did!
Pathetic book all in all, and I wish I'd never read it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2021
I'm so torn with this one, it has so many aspects I like and dislike almost equally (with dislike column a bit longer). What I liked was that heroine was very sweet and fiery as well when pushed. I liked the connection between hero and heroine (last 2 chapters). What I disliked was that hero slept numerous women between the 3 years of them meeting and reuniting (also it was never stated if he was celibate during 3 months of him waiting to see if she was pregnant). I did not like that hero called heroine a whore quite a bit implied and blatantly to her face and she barely responded. I disliked that heroine would say I am not doing this or that and immediately doing it, I really wanted her to push back better and not let him win every time. The end reveals made me understand hero and be sympathetic to his side, but I was quite repulsed by his plans he had for heroine to get revenge on her father (turn baby against her, possibly cheat on her). Epilogue was really good though. P.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2021
He hated her.....yet couldn’t stop himself wanting her.
She was drawn to him, and couldn’t forget him and her experience making out in a gazebo 3 years before the book starts . So she agreed to use herself as a pawn in a battle between the H and her father and brother. And he decided to use her as a weapon of revenge. Thankfully her detestable dad and brother eventually got what was coming their way.
First time he ever made love to a woman without protection....and he didn’t even realize till long after. At least he realized it, unlike our virginal h, who didn’t even realize she was 3 months late.
Their story finding their way through it all, to the sanctified site of the old chapel ruins, overlooking the Aegean, and beyond that to the H’s eureka moment right through till a decade and 4 children later made for an enjoyable read.
She was drawn to him, and couldn’t forget him and her experience making out in a gazebo 3 years before the book starts . So she agreed to use herself as a pawn in a battle between the H and her father and brother. And he decided to use her as a weapon of revenge. Thankfully her detestable dad and brother eventually got what was coming their way.
First time he ever made love to a woman without protection....and he didn’t even realize till long after. At least he realized it, unlike our virginal h, who didn’t even realize she was 3 months late.
Their story finding their way through it all, to the sanctified site of the old chapel ruins, overlooking the Aegean, and beyond that to the H’s eureka moment right through till a decade and 4 children later made for an enjoyable read.
April 18, 2021
I like a revenge plot and for the most part this delivered! As other reviewers have said, the ending was rushed but still an enjoyable read overall. This could have been four stars had CC toned down exposition or internal monologue. There was a lot of ruminating by the characters.
What I did enjoy was the backstory of revenge and the settings: NYC, Greece and South of France. Balthazar and Kendra were good but I just wished we got more dialogue between the two.
What I did enjoy was the backstory of revenge and the settings: NYC, Greece and South of France. Balthazar and Kendra were good but I just wished we got more dialogue between the two.
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