on April 14, 2015
Pages: 400
Format: ARC
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AN UPTIGHT BRITISH EXECUTIVE. AN ADVENTUROUS AMERICAN NEWBIE. A SEXY INTERNATIONAL SCANDAL IN THE MAKING.
New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author Christina Lauren’s Beautiful and Wild Seasons series hook up in Beautiful Secret for an erotic intercontinental romp that celebrates the best of both worlds!
When Ruby Miller’s boss announces he’s sending her on an extended business trip to New York City, she’s shocked. As one of the best and brightest young engineers in London, she knows she’s professionally up to the task. The part that’s throwing her is where she’ll be spending a month up close and personal working alongside—and staying in a hotel with—Niall Stella, her firm’s top urban planning executive and The Hottest Man Alive. Despite her ongoing crush, Ruby is certain Niall barely knows she’s alive…until their flirty overnight flight makes him sit up and take notice.
Not one for letting loose and breaking rules, recently divorced Niall would describe himself as hopeless when it comes to women. But even he knows outgoing California-girl Ruby is a breath of fresh air. Once she makes it her mission to help the sexy Brit loosen his tie, there’s no turning back. Thousands of miles from London, it’s easy for the lovers to play pretend. But when the trip is over, will the relationship they’ve built up fall down?
Happy Release Day to Christina Lauren and their new book in the Beautiful Bastard series – BEAUTIFUL SECRET!
I absolutely love the Beautiful Bastard series – so much fun and so engaging that I always find myself reading with a smile 🙂
We first meet Niall in Beautiful Beautiful Beloved. He is known to me as the Baby Whisperer and I couldn’t wait to get his story.
Ruby is an intern at an engineering company – she is smart, beautiful and hoping to go to grad school at Oxford. Oh and one thing I forgot to mention is that she is insanely obsessed with Niall Stella.
Niall and Ruby are going to NYC to work on an urban planning project and though Niall is completely unaware of Ruby at first, this trip will put them in each other’s paths as they embark on a journey together.
So what makes this story unique in comparison to the others is that Niall was married and is now divorced. Not afraid of commitment but finding love with the wrong one, his high school sweetheart who over the years together had grown cold, indifferent until eventually they grew apart.
The interactions between Niall and Ruby ranged the gamut of emotions – hilariously funny, awkward, hesitant and eventually freeing.
You see…Ruby was breath of fresh air. Her role in Niall’s life was to teach him that what he was doing all along with his previous wife was RIGHT and not wrong like his ex made him to feel. That all he needed was the right person in his life to become undone. Niall, who was normally in so much control, needed Ruby in his life; the person who complimented him – his true other half.
Sexy, fun, witty, intense and of course well written, I simply LOVE this series. Seeing prior couples again feels like visiting family and I know with each installment of this series, Christina Lauren deliver EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.
A silence fell over the table as everyone turned to watch Ruby leave the bar and head upstairs to bed. She had been utterly charming throughout dinner, and the group had groaned in unison when she’d excused herself because of our early morning. I, too, had been quite sad to see her go.
“Well, well.”
I looked up to see my brother’s smug expression.
“Now that we’re alone,” Will began, “I think we can all agree to drop any pretense that we’re not ruined for civilized conversation, yes?” Each of them nodded in agreement and beside me, his glass now refilled, Will raised his tumbler to take a small swallow of scotch. “I also think we can all agree Bennett will be an important consultant on this case.”
Max snickered.
“The conference?” I asked, confused.
“It’s an all-too-common predicament,” Bennett added dryly. “Knockout intern. Boss in denial. I’ll draft up a step-by-step plan of containment.”
I blinked, swallowing thickly as I realized what they meant. “She’s not my intern. I have absolutely no say in her career.” I shook my head, frustrated because it was exactly the wrong thing to say. “I’m not . . . that is to say, she’s not interested. Nor I.”
All four men laughed.
“Niall,” Will said, leaning his elbows on his knees. “She nearly dropped her drink in your lap when George asked if she was interested in anyone.”
“Was going to say the same thing,” Bennett said.
“And something tells me she’d be first to volunteer to clean it up,” Will added.
“Well, maybe that’s because she’s interested in someone who works with us at R-C.”
“Yeah. You.” Max lifted his glass and finished the last of the amber liquid.
“Sincerely,” I said, fighting a smile. “She’s a fantastic girl, but she’s certainly not a romantic option for me.”
Tilting his head, Bennett asked, “What color are her eyes?”
Green, I didn’t say. I shook my head as if I didn’t know.
“What was she wearing?” Will asked.
A blue dress that hit just above her knee, I didn’t say. A delicate gold chain around her neck and a ring on her right ring finger that I had to resist asking her about until George bulldozed in and asked about a boyfriend.
I rolled my eyes, and my brother laughed again, this time pointing his drink at me. “Blokes don’t notice these things unless they’re interested.”
“Or George,” Will added, and George reached over to grab the back of his neck and try to pull him in for a kiss.
“Well, it’s apparent I needn’t think on this any further,”
I said. “You’ve all decided for me.”
“It’s what we do,” Will said, adjusting the skewed collar of his shirt as he settled back into his chair. “It’s a sickness, we know.”
“I thought we’d lost that muscle, honestly,” George said.
“It’s a relief to know we still have it in us. The ladies will be so proud.” Max rapped his knuckles on the table as he made to stand. “Alas, I’d best be off. New routine: Sara gets the baby to sleep; I do the midnight bottle feeding.”
“Finally taking a bottle from you then? Guess you smell like a woman, too,” I said to Max, reminding him of the little dig he’d thrown my way on my last visit.
Max laughed and patted me on the back, and we all stood, a silent agreement in place that we were ready to call it a night. I watched my brother gather his things and say his goodbyes, feeling the same mix of pride and longing for what he was headed home to: a wife, a daughter. A proper home.
“Kiss the girls for me,” I requested as he made his way out of the bar. He waved a hand, retreating, and then disappeared from view.
♥READ THE SERIES♥
Book 1 – Beautiful Bastard
Book 1.5 – Beautiful Bitch
Book 2 – Beautiful Stranger
Book 2.5 – Beautiful Bombshell
Book 3 – Beautiful Player
Book 3.5 – Beautiful Beginning
Book 3.6 – Beautiful Beloved
Book 4 – Beautiful Secret