Two Sides of a Secret
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4.1 • 74 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
Her family history has more thorns than roses...
Lauren Steele has always been grateful for her adoptive family’s love and support. So much so that she takes over the family floral business when her parents retire, despite her dreams of working on political campaigns. Instead of crafting clever speeches, she spends her days writing out romantic messages on behalf of her clients—a bittersweet reminder that she’s never been on the receiving end of one of these orders. She’s accepted her simple life, until the sexiest man she’s ever met walks into her shop looking for a job.
Ben Specter fixes problems for a living, and he’s been hired to investigate Lauren. His client is a wealthy, powerfully connected man running for governor, and Ben’s research unearthed a massive skeleton in the man's closet—a secret older sister that his mother never mentioned. Getting closer to Lauren is strictly business, but the more time Ben spends with her, the more the lines between work and pleasure blur.
But when his deception is revealed, will Lauren be able to trust Ben and believe that what they shared was real?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
With the thoughtful second Secret Lies romance (after A Kiss from the Past), Cain continues to probe into the spectrum of adoptee experiences. Lauren Steele, who is Black, is so grateful for the love and support of her white adoptive family that she takes over her parents' floral business instead of following her passion and going into politics. When Ben Specter, who is white and Jewish, enters her shop claiming to be looking for work, Lauren happily hires him. But Ben is actually part of a crisis management company hired to investigate Lauren by a wealthy California politician who thinks that she may be his long-lost sister. Lauren and Ben bond quickly, and despite having a painful experience mixing business and pleasure in the past, Ben struggles to see Lauren as just part of a job. But will their budding relationship survive Ben coming clean about why he sought Lauren out? The prose itself is lackluster and occasionally repetitious, but Cain's compassionate approach to examining Lauren's relationship to her Black identity and to her family sets this apart. Despite the central deception, the couple are refreshingly good at communicating with each other, making it easy to root for their sweet romance. Series fans will not be disappointed.
