Review: The Lover’s Secret (No Exceptions #1) by J. C. Reed

The Lover’s Secret (No Exceptions #1)

When a sexy encounter comes like a dream and leaves like a nightmare…

Brooke Stewart thinks she’s finally safe. After witnessing the crime of a killer, she can move on from her past. But after one night at the Trio Hotel and meeting the sexy stranger with the green eyes that can steal one’s soul, her life is changed forever. Passions run deep. The game is supposed to be for one night with no strings attached.

What she doesn’t know is that the sexy stranger has an agenda of his own. Brooke Stewart has something he desperately wants, something he can't admit to the woman he tries to get to surrender. A secret so deep it would upend her life if she found out too soon. He’s almost reached his goal, and then she gets a letter she was not meant to read. Suddenly, secrets get a completely new meaning.

Is the past really ever the past?

3 out of 5 stars

I thought this was a good read and I was intrigued. I was pulled in by the characters “first meeting” but once I figured out what was going on I felt like I was missing something. I was interested in Brooke and Jett's relationship and wanted to know more but I don't feel like I learned a lot. There were all these little things that were taking place and I was really curious about them and had a lot of questions. Brooke has some serious trust issues and seems to be keeping a lot from Jett. She questions herself and her thoughts on Jett a lot. I thought Jett was interesting but I don’t feel like I learned much about him.

I haven’t read the previous series (and was told I didn’t need to for this spin-off) and there was a lot of recapping in this book to catch me up on Brooke and Jett’s relationships but I kept thinking I needed to go back and read the Surrender Trilogy to get a better feel for them.

There wasn't a lot of development and it was a bit slow in the middle but I was still really curious about them and what was going to happen. The end really picked up and had me on the edge of my seat – it’s what pushed me over the edge and made this a 3 star review for me. I finally felt Brooke's anxiety and felt invested. I want to know what Jett is up to. It does end on a cliffhanger. I was invested enough and am curious enough that I will continue on to book two, The Lover's Game.

Complimentary copy received for honest review.