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Fiction. Literature. Mystery. Romance. After a painful divorce, Maisey Lazarow returns to Fairham, the small island off the North Carolina coast where she grew up. She goes there to heal-and to help her brother, Keith, a deeply troubled man who's asked her to come home. But she refuses to stay in the family house. The last person she wants to see is her wealthy, controlling mother. Instead, she finds herself living next door to someone else she'd prefer to avoid-Rafe Romero, the wild, reckless boy to whom she lost her virginity at sixteen. He's back on the island, and to her surprise, he's raising a young daughter alone. Then something even more disturbing happens. She discovers a box of photographs that evoke distant memories of a little girl, a child Keith remembers, too. Maisey believes the girl must've been their sister, but their mother claims there was no sister. Maisey's convinced that child existed. So where is she now?… (more)
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The romance between Maisey and Rafe was lovely. I enjoyed their interactions so much and the chemistry between them was off the charts. Rafe was pretty amazing because he still had some of the bad boy in him from when he was younger -he could be flirty and confident but at the same time he also matured so much and became this truly good man. How adorable was it for him to be a single dad? Him and Laney were a perfect fit for Maisey in her current situation, like it was meant to be. They complemented each other beautifully.
I highly recommend this book, I guarantee you will not be disappointed!
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
ARC received from the author in exchange for an honest review.
ARC received from the author in exchange for an honest review.
If you read the back of this book, you will think it is a mystery with perhaps a bit of romance thrown in. You would be wrong! This is a romance (if you consider a romance to consist of jumping into bed within 5 minutes of meeting a guy and repeating that quite
The characters are pretty stock. The romance is mostly just sex. The writing is grammatically correct. The mystery is a snooze. The setting sounds like a lovely place to vacation. If you want a beach book to while away a few hours, the book is okay.
2 stars out of 5 (for good grammar)
Maisey knows that her family is no one's definition of normal. Her mother can only be classified as cold. Her mother, Josephine Coldiron Lazarow, has been married multiple times and she feels as if she has the right to control her children's lives even though they are both in the thirties. Maisey's mother didn't approve of her ex-husband and doesn't approve of her current romantic interest, Rafe Romero. Now that Maisey is attracted to someone and trying to move on, her ex-husband decides to come back into her life and wants to start again. Maisey is also trying to uncover who the little girl is in pictures that have been hidden away for decades. The more she uncovers the more questions are raised. Does she have an older sister? What happened to her? Why won't anyone discuss her? And the bigger question, is she in love with Rafe?
I found The Secret Sister to be a quick and enjoyable read. I enjoyed most of the characters, especially Maisey, Rafe, and Rafe's daughter Laney. I enjoyed reading about Maisey's quest to uncover the truth about her sister against impossible odds, including her mother's decision to kick her out of a family-owned bungalow and firing her from a family-owned business (told you she was cold). Maisey's brother Keith has mental health issues and is a drug-addict. Needless to say, his erratic behavior adds a lot to the turmoil and drama of the story. The Secret Sister offers romance, tons of family drama, intrigue due to a family secret, and a lot more. If you've enjoyed reading anything by Ms. Novak in the past, then you'll want to read The Secret Sister. If you haven't read anything by Ms. Novak, then The Secret Sister is a good place to start.
After surviving a hellish childhood in Fairham, Maisey Lazarow never expected to return to the small island. As her life takes a cruel turn, she finds herself back there to give herself time to heal as well as support her brother Keith in his efforts to straighten out his life. The last person she expects or wants to see is Rafe Romero. The boy, well a man now, who long ago broke her heart. As she gets to know him again, she soon realizes he is not that boy any more. When Rafe discovers a box of photographs of who he thought was Maisey as a child, memories begin to trickle back and send Maisey and Keith on a journey that will change their lives forever.
Put this one on the MUST read list! I highly recommend it.
Book starts out with Maisey and her brother Keith has summoned her to come back home to help with their mother.
She arrives and will be staying at her father's bungalows, the contractor is refurbishing them after the last big storm. Nobody gets along with their
Raef is the one to find the box while doing carpentry work and brings it to Massey and she does recall the taller child but she's not sure who it is. Mysteries and secrets from many as she tries to patch things with her mother, help clean the bungalow and work at the family floral shop.
Liked the romance, sex, helping blind child, talk of flowers, braiding hair from the book she wrote and to find out about the girl in the photo and blackmail money...
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
The Secret Sister is the first in a series from Brenda Novak that focuses of the children of the indomitable matriarch Josephine Lazerow, a wealthy, beauty and status-obsessed woman who has withheld love and approval from her children all their lives. Maisey has hardly spoken to her during her ten years away and remembers well how harshly she treated Keith. Maisey wonders how much of Keith’s troubles come from her mother’s failure to be a loving, warm mother.
Unwilling to live at the family estate, Maisey decided to live in one of the Smuggler’s Cove rental bungalows her father built long ago. They have been damaged by a hurricane and a local contractor, Rafael Romero, is living in a bungalow, too, and repairing the others. There’s a strong mutual attraction that she resists because her failed marriage has caused her not only to lose faith in men, but in herself. She is unable to resist Rafe’s daughter, Laney, though. Her bright spirit and loving acceptance of Maisey draw her out and bring the two together despite her doubts.
Meanwhile, when Rafe finds old photos in one of the bungalows, long-forgotten secrets are brought to light. Secrets her mother and her brother want left alone. Leaving things alone is not Maisey’s strong suit.
3paws
I liked the character development and sense of place in the novel. Maisey, her brother and her mother are all flawed people. Rafe is a bit of the perfect romantic hero, tailor-made for this heartbroken woman who has lost a daughter, but at least he has his inept high school encounter with Maisey to balance against his romance novel hero checklist. There is a mystery about what happened when Maisey was a child, but the investigation is not very suspenseful. There is never a real sense of jeopardy to justify this as a suspense novel. It’s a romance and as a romance it succeeds better than most. As suspense, though, it falls flat.
The mystery/romance combination of this story really worked for me. I love mysteries, and I love romance, so when they work in tandem I'm contented. This method of storytelling also gives more space to the plot rather than the bedroom scenes. That's a plus for me because I prefer wholesome romance where heavy sexual content is non-existent. As was the case with The Secret Sister, my attention was drawn more to the mystery of the unidentified girl than it was to Rafe and Maisey's relationship drama, although I was interested in knowing if their feelings for each other would overcome any obstacles that threatened to keep them apart. In the end, I had to suspend disbelief just a bit to come to terms with the rapid progression of their love, but isn't that what enjoying fiction is all about sometimes? In conclusion, The Secret Sister was a tantalizing mystery that pulled a fast one on me, along with a romance made up of two unlikely, but very likeable adults, and secondary characters that consisted of all the traits that make for an interesting and absorbing read. I look forward to finding out more about the Lazarow family in Fairham Island book 2, The Secrets She Kept. Highly recommended.