Scan barcode
A review by nicolem_young
Tempting Secrets by Michelle Windsor
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Book/Story:⭐️⭐️.5
Book Cover: ⭐️⭐️
Trigger Warning(s): Infidelity (kind of)
Death Of Parent (briefly mentioned)
PTSD (briefly mentioned)
Military Combat (mentioned)
Domestic Abuse (briefly mentioned)
POV: First Person (Third Person?)
Series/Standalone: Interconnected Series
First In Series: Yes
Trope(s):
Male Escort
Surprise Pregnancy
Instalust
Double Life
Workplace Romance
Spice: ️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Romance
Burn: Fast
Safe or Dark: Safe
Release Date: September 11, 2018
Maybe I’ve been living under a rock, but this is the first romance book I’ve read where one of the characters is a male escort, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wouldn’t call it my new favorite trope or anything, but I did like it.
This book did have my least favorite trope in it, surprise pregnancy, but I did my best not to hold that against the story.
Plot:
The plot was very predictable, so there weren’t really any “Oh my God” moments while reading. I always felt like I sort of knew what was going to happen. It didn’t take away any enjoyment from the story, though.
This was a fast-paced read that gets right into the action from the very first page. We follow Trey and Charlotte’s relationship from the moment they meet. We get a glimpse into how everything between them develops. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
We see how their initial connection starts, learn about all of Trey’s secrets and the inevitable fallout that occurs once they are revealed, and the possibility of the couple moving forward together after.
It was a wild ride, to say the least. It was entertaining, albeit at times over the top and hard to believe.
Writing Style:
Michelle Windsor's writing was very simple and easy to follow. Not overly descriptive and flowery but not lacking either. It did get very repetitive at times, so that was upsetting.
Example: “I think he’s going to kiss me. I blink up at him and hope he’s going to kiss me.”
The constant reminder of how “tiny” and “petite” Charlie was also got old fast. It was so cringy and didn’t need to be mentioned every fifteen or so pages. I swear her size was mentioned as much as possible. Trey just loved Charlie’s “small frame.”.
The point of view often confused me. Sometimes the story is being told in first person before abruptly changing to third person and vice versa. I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but it was somewhat jarring.
Even though I was entertained by the book and the flow of the writing, there were some lines that were so bad they made me laugh/cringe:
“Then kiss me again, kiss me like you’ve been in the desert for a month and I’m a glass of water.” - That’s not it, fam. 😂
“She’s like a little pixie but with the heart of a minx.” - WHAT!? 😂
“I grab a clean towel off a shelf in my closet and walk naked back through the living room to the bathroom, my dick bobbing against my stomach the whole time.” - The picture I painted in my head regarding this was comical. 😂
“I do maintain some composure and manage to keep my hands from reaching out and to run over his bumpy abdomen.” - What an odd way to describe a six-pack. Does he have boils or something? 😂
“His lips follow the direction of the material, stopping when he reaches one of my swollen peaks.” - Charlie was talking about her boobs. 😂
“My lips have become so swollen that they aren’t even covered by the fabric anymore.” - Charlie isn’t talking about the lips on her face. 😂
I forgot to grab the quote, but at one time Charlie was giving Trey a handy and mentioned how big his banana is, and he tells her something like, “It’s not big; it’s just because your hands are so small.” Or some icky thing along those lines.
Characters:
Charlotte “Charlie” Harvey: Charlie was just an alright character for me. She wasn’t my favorite main character in a book. I didn’t particularly like her or not like her. She was just sort of there for me. Nothing about her personality stood out. She did seem to slut-shame Gabby at times, and I didn’t care for that.
She was a bit of a pushover. She finds out that Trey lied to her not only about his name but also about the circumstances under which they met. She’s steaming mad (rightfully so) yet turns around and forgives him like it’s nothing. He’s like, “Yeah, sorry about that,” and she’s just like, “You’re hot, and I want to jump your bones, so I forgive you. LOL”. Come on Charlie, grow a backbone!
Sidenote: This woman bites her bottom lip A LOT. I'm surprised there's any skin left on it.
Trey Riley/Maddox Stone: I liked Trey. I thought his character was more complex than we are initially led to believe. He did what he had to in order to survive, and that’s understandable. Did he make mistakes? Sure. But don’t we all? I think he eventually just found himself between a rock and a hard place. He could have been a bit more sympathetic towards Trick and his struggle with PTSD. Since both Trey & Trick were in the Army, PTSD is something that Trey should be more understanding about.
Sidenote: Can someone get this man a glass of water? Because it seems like he is constantly dehydrated.
Gabrielle “Gabby” Reed (Charlie’s best friend): I did not care for Gabby at all. I felt like she was very childish and immature for her age. I know she gets her own story later on in the series, so maybe all that will change.
Patrick “Trick” Connors (Trey’s best friend): I didn’t mind Trick. He was rather stereotypical in his representation of a man, in the sense that he just wanted to sleep around with women and have a good time. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. He just seemed very flat. We didn’t get a good look at him as a person/man. However, this is not his story, and he is a side character, so that’s fine.
Karen Perry (Trey’s client turned friend): I LOVED Karen. She is the eighty-something-year-old woman we all strive to be. She was blunt while still being classy. She calls it like she sees it, and that is amazing. Hats off to Karen.
Spice:
The spice was spicing. There was just enough in there to not damage the overall plot of the story. The smut was generous but not overbearing. I was actually surprised since going into this I thought it was a purely smut-based book. I don’t mind that at all if I know that’s what I’m getting myself into; I was just pleasantly surprised with this one. That’s all.
The chemistry between Trey and Charlie was instantaneous and off the charts. It was so hot and fun. Very well done. It was definitely an instalust situation, which I don’t mind since it’s more believable for me than the instalove trope.
Other Thoughts:
I just want to mention that Charlie and Gabby giggle way too often for two grown women in their twenties. They giggle at almost everything they talk about. They also stick their tongues out in a teasing fashion at each other multiple times. Come on, they aren’t seven years old.
Gabby calls her dad “daddy.” Something about an adult female referring to her father as “daddy” just gives me the serious ick.
Trey and Charlie always getting it on and making out at work was so disturbing. Since it’s highly unprofessional. If they got caught, they would both get fired without question. Also, they work in the ER at a hospital, so doing it in the rooms is so unhygienic. Especially on a hospital bed.
They also get it on in the family bathroom at a zoo! I’m no prude, but that’s disgusting. I can’t imagine that the bathroom was very clean. They are both adults; can’t they keep their hands off each other for five minutes!?
Can we please get one female character in a book that actually knows about and likes sports just because they do? Charlie being a New England Patriots fan just because “Tom Brady is hot” nearly killed me. Women who enjoy sports already aren’t taken seriously enough without the author adding to the overall stereotype. Come on, Michelle Windsor, don’t make your fellow females look bad!
After asking Charlie about being a Patriots fan, Trey tells her that he’s a Philadelphia Eagles fan. He then proceeds to tell her that their Sundays spent together will be interesting since they will be fighting about their respective teams.
1) The NFL is split into two conferences, the AFC and the NFC. The New England Patriots are in the AFC, and the Philadelphia Eagles are in the NFC.
2) Outside of the yearly Super Bowl, AFC and NFC teams only play each other in the regular season once every four years, with the occasional preseason game sprinkled in. The last time the Patriots played the Eagles was on September 10, 2023, and the time before that was in 2019. So, outside of a Super Bowl matchup, there is no reason for Trey and Charlie’s Sundays to get “scrappy.”.
I’m a Dallas Cowboys fan, and my husband is a Philadelphia Eagles fan. Those teams are not only in the same conference but are in the same division. So, our Sundays can get very interesting, to say the least. Especially since teams in the same division play each other twice during the regular season.
I’m sorry; I know it’s such a stupid detail, but I’m just very passionate about sports.
Overall, this is an alright start to this new series. I might check out the other books but am not 100% sure yet. I guess we will just have to see where this reading year takes me.
TLDR: A DECENT START TO A NEW SERIES! JUST DON’T EXPECT A WHOLE LOT GOING INTO IT!
As always, please remember that reading is subjective, and that’s what makes it so great. 😊
Book Cover: ⭐️⭐️
Trigger Warning(s): Infidelity (kind of)
Death Of Parent (briefly mentioned)
PTSD (briefly mentioned)
Military Combat (mentioned)
Domestic Abuse (briefly mentioned)
POV: First Person (Third Person?)
Series/Standalone: Interconnected Series
First In Series: Yes
Trope(s):
Male Escort
Surprise Pregnancy
Instalust
Double Life
Workplace Romance
Spice: ️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Romance
Burn: Fast
Safe or Dark: Safe
Release Date: September 11, 2018
Maybe I’ve been living under a rock, but this is the first romance book I’ve read where one of the characters is a male escort, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wouldn’t call it my new favorite trope or anything, but I did like it.
This book did have my least favorite trope in it, surprise pregnancy, but I did my best not to hold that against the story.
Plot:
The plot was very predictable, so there weren’t really any “Oh my God” moments while reading. I always felt like I sort of knew what was going to happen. It didn’t take away any enjoyment from the story, though.
This was a fast-paced read that gets right into the action from the very first page. We follow Trey and Charlotte’s relationship from the moment they meet. We get a glimpse into how everything between them develops. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
We see how their initial connection starts, learn about all of Trey’s secrets and the inevitable fallout that occurs once they are revealed, and the possibility of the couple moving forward together after.
It was a wild ride, to say the least. It was entertaining, albeit at times over the top and hard to believe.
Writing Style:
Michelle Windsor's writing was very simple and easy to follow. Not overly descriptive and flowery but not lacking either. It did get very repetitive at times, so that was upsetting.
Example: “I think he’s going to kiss me. I blink up at him and hope he’s going to kiss me.”
The constant reminder of how “tiny” and “petite” Charlie was also got old fast. It was so cringy and didn’t need to be mentioned every fifteen or so pages. I swear her size was mentioned as much as possible. Trey just loved Charlie’s “small frame.”.
The point of view often confused me. Sometimes the story is being told in first person before abruptly changing to third person and vice versa. I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but it was somewhat jarring.
Even though I was entertained by the book and the flow of the writing, there were some lines that were so bad they made me laugh/cringe:
“Then kiss me again, kiss me like you’ve been in the desert for a month and I’m a glass of water.” - That’s not it, fam. 😂
“She’s like a little pixie but with the heart of a minx.” - WHAT!? 😂
“I grab a clean towel off a shelf in my closet and walk naked back through the living room to the bathroom, my dick bobbing against my stomach the whole time.” - The picture I painted in my head regarding this was comical. 😂
“I do maintain some composure and manage to keep my hands from reaching out and to run over his bumpy abdomen.” - What an odd way to describe a six-pack. Does he have boils or something? 😂
“His lips follow the direction of the material, stopping when he reaches one of my swollen peaks.” - Charlie was talking about her boobs. 😂
“My lips have become so swollen that they aren’t even covered by the fabric anymore.” - Charlie isn’t talking about the lips on her face. 😂
I forgot to grab the quote, but at one time Charlie was giving Trey a handy and mentioned how big his banana is, and he tells her something like, “It’s not big; it’s just because your hands are so small.” Or some icky thing along those lines.
Characters:
Charlotte “Charlie” Harvey: Charlie was just an alright character for me. She wasn’t my favorite main character in a book. I didn’t particularly like her or not like her. She was just sort of there for me. Nothing about her personality stood out. She did seem to slut-shame Gabby at times, and I didn’t care for that.
She was a bit of a pushover. She finds out that Trey lied to her not only about his name but also about the circumstances under which they met. She’s steaming mad (rightfully so) yet turns around and forgives him like it’s nothing. He’s like, “Yeah, sorry about that,” and she’s just like, “You’re hot, and I want to jump your bones, so I forgive you. LOL”. Come on Charlie, grow a backbone!
Sidenote: This woman bites her bottom lip A LOT. I'm surprised there's any skin left on it.
Trey Riley/Maddox Stone: I liked Trey. I thought his character was more complex than we are initially led to believe. He did what he had to in order to survive, and that’s understandable. Did he make mistakes? Sure. But don’t we all? I think he eventually just found himself between a rock and a hard place. He could have been a bit more sympathetic towards Trick and his struggle with PTSD. Since both Trey & Trick were in the Army, PTSD is something that Trey should be more understanding about.
Sidenote: Can someone get this man a glass of water? Because it seems like he is constantly dehydrated.
Gabrielle “Gabby” Reed (Charlie’s best friend): I did not care for Gabby at all. I felt like she was very childish and immature for her age. I know she gets her own story later on in the series, so maybe all that will change.
Patrick “Trick” Connors (Trey’s best friend): I didn’t mind Trick. He was rather stereotypical in his representation of a man, in the sense that he just wanted to sleep around with women and have a good time. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. He just seemed very flat. We didn’t get a good look at him as a person/man. However, this is not his story, and he is a side character, so that’s fine.
Karen Perry (Trey’s client turned friend): I LOVED Karen. She is the eighty-something-year-old woman we all strive to be. She was blunt while still being classy. She calls it like she sees it, and that is amazing. Hats off to Karen.
Spice:
The spice was spicing. There was just enough in there to not damage the overall plot of the story. The smut was generous but not overbearing. I was actually surprised since going into this I thought it was a purely smut-based book. I don’t mind that at all if I know that’s what I’m getting myself into; I was just pleasantly surprised with this one. That’s all.
The chemistry between Trey and Charlie was instantaneous and off the charts. It was so hot and fun. Very well done. It was definitely an instalust situation, which I don’t mind since it’s more believable for me than the instalove trope.
Other Thoughts:
I just want to mention that Charlie and Gabby giggle way too often for two grown women in their twenties. They giggle at almost everything they talk about. They also stick their tongues out in a teasing fashion at each other multiple times. Come on, they aren’t seven years old.
Gabby calls her dad “daddy.” Something about an adult female referring to her father as “daddy” just gives me the serious ick.
Trey and Charlie always getting it on and making out at work was so disturbing. Since it’s highly unprofessional. If they got caught, they would both get fired without question. Also, they work in the ER at a hospital, so doing it in the rooms is so unhygienic. Especially on a hospital bed.
They also get it on in the family bathroom at a zoo! I’m no prude, but that’s disgusting. I can’t imagine that the bathroom was very clean. They are both adults; can’t they keep their hands off each other for five minutes!?
Can we please get one female character in a book that actually knows about and likes sports just because they do? Charlie being a New England Patriots fan just because “Tom Brady is hot” nearly killed me. Women who enjoy sports already aren’t taken seriously enough without the author adding to the overall stereotype. Come on, Michelle Windsor, don’t make your fellow females look bad!
After asking Charlie about being a Patriots fan, Trey tells her that he’s a Philadelphia Eagles fan. He then proceeds to tell her that their Sundays spent together will be interesting since they will be fighting about their respective teams.
1) The NFL is split into two conferences, the AFC and the NFC. The New England Patriots are in the AFC, and the Philadelphia Eagles are in the NFC.
2) Outside of the yearly Super Bowl, AFC and NFC teams only play each other in the regular season once every four years, with the occasional preseason game sprinkled in. The last time the Patriots played the Eagles was on September 10, 2023, and the time before that was in 2019. So, outside of a Super Bowl matchup, there is no reason for Trey and Charlie’s Sundays to get “scrappy.”.
I’m a Dallas Cowboys fan, and my husband is a Philadelphia Eagles fan. Those teams are not only in the same conference but are in the same division. So, our Sundays can get very interesting, to say the least. Especially since teams in the same division play each other twice during the regular season.
I’m sorry; I know it’s such a stupid detail, but I’m just very passionate about sports.
Overall, this is an alright start to this new series. I might check out the other books but am not 100% sure yet. I guess we will just have to see where this reading year takes me.
TLDR: A DECENT START TO A NEW SERIES! JUST DON’T EXPECT A WHOLE LOT GOING INTO IT!
As always, please remember that reading is subjective, and that’s what makes it so great. 😊
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Death of parent