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krys72599's review against another edition
5.0
I read quite a few reviews of this book and a lot of people were disappointed. They didn’t like the age discrepancy between our heroine and our hero, they didn’t feel he was a strong enough or central enough character to be the hero...
I liked it. It’s earlier Sandra Brown, but the character development, the influences of their pasts on their presents, the conflict between Alex and Reede... I liked it. I even liked the struggle: can you have a relationship with someone who had a relationship with your mother?
I liked it. It’s earlier Sandra Brown, but the character development, the influences of their pasts on their presents, the conflict between Alex and Reede... I liked it. I even liked the struggle: can you have a relationship with someone who had a relationship with your mother?
nephslagle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
nononanette's review against another edition
1.0
Moving author to NoGos. I was surprised by how poorly written this book was. It was as if she thought of a good plot, plugged some characters into it but didn't feel like working to make them work. the female lead was supposed to be a hot shot attorney but she opens an investigation and announces to 3 men that 1 of them murdered her mother, all based on her cranky grandmother's opinion, no real evidence beyond that the guy who supposedly murdered her probably didn't. I skimmed to the end to confirm that my first guess as to the real murderer was correct.
blood_rose_books's review against another edition
1.0
Sandra Brown is the quenn of contemporary mystery/romance books. In Best Kept Secrets, Brown explores what a daughter will do for a mother that she has never known.
Raised by her grandmother it has been ingrained into Assistant DA Alex Gaither that her mother's murder was never caught and the wrong man was convicted of her murder. Alex is determined to win her dying grandmother's love by heading back to the small Texas town to unearth the true murder. However, some of Alex's most likely suspects are within the most powerful family, who will stop at nothing to protect their business, money, family and the promise of a brand new horse racing track. Alex needs to watch her back, as she has no friends in this town, and some people would like nothing better than for her to go the way of her mother.
I normally like Brown's books, they are usually a nice contemporary mystery novel, usually with some romance thrown in, however, this book is not a favorite of mine. The book started off interesting and got right into the premise and I thought this is going to be interesting how this plays out; however, there were some many elements that did not add up and that I did not enjoy within this book that I would not recommend it.
I think that the story or premise had promise: Girl who is ophaned by a murdered mother and raised by a grandmother who essentially pushed Alex into going into law school to figure out who actually murdered her mother. I think that this had promise and I think exicuted a different way it would have been great.
I did not like Alex as a character; Whiny, selfish, irrational, grasping at straws, she was everything that the other characters within the book, only looking out for herself. Plus she is supposed to be this up and coming star prosecutor but she was not concerned about looking for tangible facts, it was more about interrogating the main male characters and hoping that they would slip up, but then also hanging out with them socially because she was attracted to them. Throughout the whole book it was pointed out more than one time that she did not have a shred of evidence, only her own beliefs based upon conversations that she had had. Alex as a character was just a disaster for me.
I did not like that Alex who is 17 years younger than the men in the story, many of whom considered being her daddy wanted to have a sexual relationship with her. I just kept getting "this is just wrong" feeling any time this occurred. This aspect was not a good focus for the book. I wish that maybe there was someone outside of the group of suspects that was helpful to her and that would have been her romantic interest, not some guy that could have been her "daddy". I don't know about others who have read the book, but i definitely had thoughts that one of the main male characters could have been her father and to have that attraction between them, just felt wrong. I really wish Brown would have taken this in a different direction.
I have liked Brown's books in the past, this was just way off basis as to what she normally has, that I was thrown off. I found the characters and story both lacking. Will this stop me from reading Brown's books? No, it was more of a disappointment than anything else.
Cheers!!!
Raised by her grandmother it has been ingrained into Assistant DA Alex Gaither that her mother's murder was never caught and the wrong man was convicted of her murder. Alex is determined to win her dying grandmother's love by heading back to the small Texas town to unearth the true murder. However, some of Alex's most likely suspects are within the most powerful family, who will stop at nothing to protect their business, money, family and the promise of a brand new horse racing track. Alex needs to watch her back, as she has no friends in this town, and some people would like nothing better than for her to go the way of her mother.
I normally like Brown's books, they are usually a nice contemporary mystery novel, usually with some romance thrown in, however, this book is not a favorite of mine. The book started off interesting and got right into the premise and I thought this is going to be interesting how this plays out; however, there were some many elements that did not add up and that I did not enjoy within this book that I would not recommend it.
I think that the story or premise had promise: Girl who is ophaned by a murdered mother and raised by a grandmother who essentially pushed Alex into going into law school to figure out who actually murdered her mother. I think that this had promise and I think exicuted a different way it would have been great.
I did not like Alex as a character; Whiny, selfish, irrational, grasping at straws, she was everything that the other characters within the book, only looking out for herself. Plus she is supposed to be this up and coming star prosecutor but she was not concerned about looking for tangible facts, it was more about interrogating the main male characters and hoping that they would slip up, but then also hanging out with them socially because she was attracted to them. Throughout the whole book it was pointed out more than one time that she did not have a shred of evidence, only her own beliefs based upon conversations that she had had. Alex as a character was just a disaster for me.
I did not like that Alex who is 17 years younger than the men in the story, many of whom considered being her daddy wanted to have a sexual relationship with her. I just kept getting "this is just wrong" feeling any time this occurred. This aspect was not a good focus for the book. I wish that maybe there was someone outside of the group of suspects that was helpful to her and that would have been her romantic interest, not some guy that could have been her "daddy". I don't know about others who have read the book, but i definitely had thoughts that one of the main male characters could have been her father and to have that attraction between them, just felt wrong. I really wish Brown would have taken this in a different direction.
I have liked Brown's books in the past, this was just way off basis as to what she normally has, that I was thrown off. I found the characters and story both lacking. Will this stop me from reading Brown's books? No, it was more of a disappointment than anything else.
Cheers!!!
alexa_ayana's review against another edition
3.0
badass hero
charming villain
steamy scene
twisted
anti klimaks ending
charming villain
steamy scene
twisted
anti klimaks ending
elifobeth's review against another edition
4.0
What a messy story?! All the clue released one by one and so unpredictable. I don't dare to predict anything. The relationship between heroine and her mother's boyfriend was quite ridiculous but Sandra Brown made this impossible when she released her clues. (Thanks, God!)
I like this hero although he was the same age with heroine's mother.
I like this hero although he was the same age with heroine's mother.
atticusmammy's review against another edition
2.0
The whole relationship with Reede and Alex just creeped me out. It was almost incestuous. Ugh.
infairveronaa's review
3.0
I thought the whole Celina married to anyone other than Reede thing super suspect since it was apparent that they were so in love. Finding out that Alex was conceived before the marriage and hence caused the marriage between this random guy (Al Gaither) made more sense then because I was have convinced Reede was Alex's father before the whole romancing bit between them.
I kinda wish the whole romance portion wasn't a thing but I know it was pertinent to the story for the present to mimic the past so I accept it.
I definitely thought Celina's murderer was Stacey or Sarah Jo since meeting them both in the novel but was heavily leaning towards Stacey up until Angus' confessional.
Sarah Jo being Celina's murderer and trying to kill Alex (twice), not surprising. Sarah Jo being a psychopath who also killed her brother and a horse...surprising.
Junior dying....surprising. Junior dying in hopes of finally one upping Reede, not surprising. Sigh. Poor guy.
Overall, I liked it.
P.S.
That reverend made me feel soooo uncomfortable.
P.P.S.
Am I wrong to call Judge Wallace a pathetic, weak man?
I kinda wish the whole romance portion wasn't a thing but I know it was pertinent to the story for the present to mimic the past so I accept it.
I definitely thought Celina's murderer was Stacey or Sarah Jo since meeting them both in the novel but was heavily leaning towards Stacey up until Angus' confessional.
Sarah Jo being Celina's murderer and trying to kill Alex (twice), not surprising. Sarah Jo being a psychopath who also killed her brother and a horse...surprising.
Junior dying....surprising. Junior dying in hopes of finally one upping Reede, not surprising. Sigh. Poor guy.
Overall, I liked it.
P.S.
That reverend made me feel soooo uncomfortable.
P.P.S.
Am I wrong to call Judge Wallace a pathetic, weak man?
maam_md's review against another edition
3.0
My second Sandra Brown book after Exclusive. There were some slow parts, not as page-turning as Exclusive (yes, I now measure every Sandra Brown book I read with Exclusive, my first book by the author)