Series: Beautiful Bastard #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 14th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
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?
Christina Lauren is one of my FAVORITE authors ever – I will read anything and everything they write! They write such incredible books with compelling characters that it’s hard not to fall in love with every word. When I heard they were writing a new Beautiful Bastard book, I HAD to get my hands on it. I freaking adore this series, and I couldn’t wait to read about Max’s brother Niall. I LOVE Max, and now we get to know not one but TWO sexy British men in this series!
If you’re a fan of the series, you should know that Beautiful Secret has a much different feel than the other books, though I loved it in its own way. There’s a wicked hot chemistry between the hero and heroine, but the romance between them is fumbling and slow. Nonetheless, Beautiful Secret is another winner from this fantastic author duo – it’s a sexy, sweet, adorably awkward book that fans of the series shouldn’t miss.
Ruby Miller has had a crush on Niall Stella since she first saw him at her job in London. It was so adorable how much she liked Niall – she’s an outgoing girl, but would always act shy and awkward anytime she’s around him. It made her so down-to-earth and relatable. Niall is a lot more reserved than Ruby. He’s recently divorced, but his marriage has a more lasting effect on him, making him cautious of starting a new relationship. Having been in only one relationship in his life, he’s clueless about women, and he’s clueless about Ruby’s crush on him. He nearly doesn’t know she exists, until they’re placed together on a work assignment and Niall can’t help but notice this gorgeous, passionate girl who fires him up unlike any other.
Like I said before, the romance between Niall and Ruby in this book is slow, but it doesn’t make it any less amazing. I loved the way Ruby and Niall got to slowly explore each other, in and out of bed. Ruby is sweet, loving, and patient as she coaxes Niall out of his closed-off demeanor. She’s got so much enthusiasm and fire in her that I loved this girl instantly. Niall, though, I took a while to warm up to, unlike the other Beautiful Bastard men. Niall is very unlike the other heroes of the Beautiful Bastard series – he’s different than a lot of heroes I’ve read before, actually, and it was a breath of fresh air to read about him. Because of his previous relationship, he’s withdrawn into himself – he’s not confident about himself or about women. He fumbles with Ruby, he’s a bit formal with her, but as they spend more time together, they grow more comfortable with each other. Ruby awakens in him a sexuality that he never thought he was capable of, and it’s highly sensual seeing Niall discover his desire for Ruby, and seeing him act on it. I fell in love with him gradually alongside Ruby, with this man who had so much heart but never had anyone to give it to.
What I love about Christina Lauren’s writing is that they write such real, believable characters that you don’t want to let go of. I found myself glued to the pages of Beautiful Secret, not that that’s surprising. I was surprised by the awkwardness between the characters, though the awkwardness was written in the most endearing way. This is a book about discovering yourself, to opening your heart up to another person, despite the risks, so of course there should be some fumbling during this journey. Everything about this book is painstakingly real and honest – it just took a while for me to warm up to it. I may not have loved Beautiful Secret as much as the previous two books in the series, but it’s definitely a book worth reading. I absolutely adored reading about Niall and Ruby!
Reading Order: Beautiful Bastard series
#1 ~ Beautiful Bastard: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Beautiful Bitch: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Beautiful Stranger: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Beautiful Bombshell: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Beautiful Player: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.5 ~ Beautiful Beginning: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.6 ~ Beautiful Beloved: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Beautiful Secret: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4.5 ~ Beautiful Boss: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Beautiful: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Oct. 4, 2016)
GIVEAWAY
One paperback of Beautiful Secret by Christina Lauren
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