Uncovering the Silveri Secret

by Melanie Milburne

Caught between fury....
Heiress Bella Haverton is furious that her father left everything to Edoardo Silveri - her family home, her financial guardianship and, most grating of all, the right to decide who and when she marries! Bella is determined to shake off the intolerable shackles.

And passion!
Her plan to confront Edoardo spins wildly out of control when she learns that the troubled boy her father adopted is now a commanding, enigmatic man-with lethal sex appeal! With her head warring against her traitorous body, it's time for Bella to uncover the secrets behind the man who controls her destiny...

Genres: Harlequin, Harlequin Presents, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary Romance

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

I grew up on a small farm on the outskirts of Sydney and as a keen horse rider, often competed in local gymkhanas and even broke in a few horses from time to time. As I was surrounded by animals, I decided at an early age to become a nurse, however I couldn’t stand the sight of blood and so opted for a career in teaching. It’s a bit ironic that I married a surgeon.

I read my first Mills & Boon novel when I was 17 and that encouraged me to continue reading romance novels; the lure of the tall dark handsome hero, who in reality I fell in love with and knew I was going to marry on our second date! After marrying a year later, we moved to Scotland with our six week old baby so my husband could work and study for his MD in surgery. After the birth of our second son we came back to Australia to settle in Tasmania.

I went back to University and up-graded my teaching diploma to a degree and then went on to do a Masters but still I felt as if something was missing. I sat down one day and began writing and everything clicked into place - I had finally found ‘my brilliant career’! I used to write from instinct rather than a specific plan, but now, so many books later I find a loose plan doesn't go astray. An idea will pop into my head, sometimes it will be just a simple phrase or a what if question and I'm away.

Writing is a skill that can be learned and the best way to learn it is to read and to write. So many people feel they have a novel in them and very probably they are right-the only trick is to get it out. My advice to ‘would be’ writers is to write, write, and write even more. Carry a notebook at all times and jot down ideas. And like any other activity the more you do, the more it feels comfortable.

I hope you enjoy my stories and look forward to hearing from you.

Reviews

[StMargarets · Rating 2 out of 5]

Opposites attract - enemies to lovers - children growing up in the same household. This describes the H/h and the dynamics they have to overcome to find true love. The heroine is a poor little rich girl. The hero is an abused child who was fostered by the h's father after the h's mother ran out on him. Since the heroine was a reminder of her perfidious mother, the hero got the father's attention - and half of his money and the family house after his death.

The hero is the heroine's financial guardian until she is 25. She is not happy about this. Nor is she happy that the hero has her childhood home.

And then there is that pesky attraction that affects them both - and that they act upon when a snowstorm leaves them cut off in the manor house.

The heroine decides to end her engagement and enjoy her fling with the hero, but her evil mother sells their story to the press and the hero kicks her out. After the housekeeper yells at the hero, he hunts her down and HEA.

That's really all the action in this story. There are pages of depressing backstory and lots of harsh words slung around. Both the H/h seemed so lonely and unloved - good thing they found each other. Not an uplifting read.

[Chi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The start of the book was so wonderfully sexy, and the two MCs were so sizzling that I almost melted into a puddle (or a close approximation anyways). But then, after they succumbed to their attraction, the book sadly fizzled out for me.

For one, the mother never got her comeuppance, the awful leech.

For another, Mrs Baker the housekeeper was almost a deux ex machina - a foil for whom the H could offload his woes onto.

Finally, all the angst just pretty much melted away, which was a huge shame, given the promise in the early chapters.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just one big tease, filled with lots of good foreplay from beginning to end. Oh my goodness was there foreplay that was enough to whet the appetite and having me panting for more. It was explosive. I don't think I've had read with so much foreplay that was so well written that it flowed so well and seemed natural. It felt very real and genuine. Even though it was a lot, it wasn't too much because it felt a part of the story and that it couldn't go any other way. It fit well with their chemistry and attraction that seemed very natural as well and built up over the years. This wasn't lust at first sight. This was attraction simmering beneath the surface for years upon years until it finally exploded into the pages.

I loved that they had a history and backstory that had all this build up to it not just with their attraction but their emotions as well, which just added to the intensity. And it was a very hot and intense book with so much going on I couldn't help but be glued to the pages.

It gutted me. It made me raw. It left me breathless at times. It ticked up my temperature a few times or a lot. I hurt along with the characters over some of the issues they were facing. There was slot of deep, raw wounds that they had to face and heal. The angst was good. I felt so much when reading this.

Loved all the back and forth that they did throughout. It felt like a tension filled dance that they were performing and I enjoyed watching. It was fun. It was entertaining. It was emotional. It was everything. My eyes weren't going anywhere because I was so invested in Edoardo and Bella. It was just so, so good.

The lovemaking/foreplay scenes were so hot. So sexy that I needed a cold shower. And this continued through the entire book with a very nice flow. It wasn't choppy or unrealistic. It was them as a couple. This was who they were with their want and need for one another and not just in a physical way. It was emotional. All that holding back emotions for years upon years it was bound to break loose as did their need for one another. Their connection was very much felt during their cast and mouse game but also when they came together in every way possible.

Only complaint was the ending was a little rushed but otherwise I absolutely loved this book and can see myself reading this book again in the future. It was everything I could have asked for a romance.

[Desere · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply adored this one from number one Mills and Boon author Melanie Milburne.

Passionate yet a fun read combined with a emotional punch and a happy ending that will take your breath away.

The character of Bella was really well written, she comes off as a spoilt heiress and in some ways she lives up to that reputation but at the same time you I could tell she is hiding something and let me tell you when I got behind her façade and found the real Bella I wad delighted.

Edoardo was the perfect character, strong, domineering, and simply put sex on legs. I loved how he and Bella dance around each other each with their own hidden motives and at the same time each fighting the battle to resist each other. Seriously the heat between the two was so hot I thought the pages were going to spontaneously combust any moment.

The secondary characters fit into the story line perfectly.The backdrop setting was simply put the perfect mix to add to the mystery and secrets of the untold truths of a family torn.

I also particularly loved the somewhat playful dialogue as Bella and Edoardo take turns in having a go at each other,I laughed so hard at some lines that I practically fell out of my chair,really loved that Melanie!

The book is a really romantic and delightful read. Think secrets, mystery, forbidden passion combined with life happens situations and sure I'll take that moments. Melanie Milburne as proven yet again that she not only captivates her readers hearts using her exquisite characters but she lets them climbs inside our souls where they live forever.

Excellent work Melanie,I recommend this one to all lovers of reading and romance with a twist!

5/5 star review

[TashNz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so lucky to read this beautiful story while I was on holiday in Australia, I had my feet up with a gorgeous view of the Coomera River and Mt Tamborine. Interestingly the sun was shining, it was a beautiful day and when I looked up again the dark clouds had suddenly appeared over the top of the Mountain. Rain, thunder and lightening were heading my way, and fast! Why do I mention this? Because it all happened in perfect timing with discovering the Silveri Secrets... you'll understand when you read it. I was thrilled with the story and I purposefully chose it as one of my holiday stories because I adore Melanie Melburne. I wasnt disappointed.

Bella is portrayed to everyone as a spoilt bratty girl but that's so far from the opposite of her true character that it's delightlful when Edoardo starts to discover the real Bella and questions himself. Edoardo is a darker character, he is the thunder to Bella's sunshine. The onion metaphor is perfect to describe the characters in Uncovering the Silveri Secret... as each layer is peeled away we find what is buried beneath and it's worth the wait!

I rode out the storm I was watching and the storm in the book, and was left completely satisfied. The storm for real was over as quickly as it began and the storm brewing between Bella and Edoardo I rode to the crescendo... does it end in rainbows? Well we all know it does but it's the path that we follow to reach the rainbows that's the real treat.

In my opinion Melanie Milburne is a star :)

[DarkAthena59 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une histoire classique entre une riche héritière et un homme au passé martyrisé mais qui a su faire son chemin grâce au père de l'héroïne. Des relations conflictuelles pour mieux combattre la passion. Ça se lit facilement mais ce n'est pas inoubliable.

[Xai Xai · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite enjoyable. Arabella aka Bella had wit, spunk and temper she was indeed a strong heroine yet vulnerable and kind hearted. Eduardo was cold, rough-edged and tormented by his childhood trauma. The couple grew up together like at step siblings except Eduardo wasn't adopted. Sparks always flew between them so much so they loved to passionately hate to passionately love....great read. Great groveling too.

[Caro · Rating 1 out of 5]

Realmente, me metí a Goodreads esperando que más personas compartieran la indignación al leer esta novelita. Por eso había que escribir uno, para desahogarme.
Es mi primer título de esta autora, la cual, por cierto, escribe bien. Hace un héroe torturado por los avatares de su vida, por su infancia, y lo hace muy creíble (dentro de las posibilidades de Harlequin, obviamente). En cuanto a la protagonista...

Ella es egoísta, estúpida, con muy poca profundidad (no hablo de la física, de esa tiene un agujero enorme...). De esas protas que no te hacen sentir identificada y la autora trata de "emparchar" sus actitudes con excusas muy endebles y que al fin y al cabo sólo logran hacer que esa tipa te caiga cada vez peor. Para dar una idea: ella está de fiesta mientras su padre muere en los brazos de Edoardo, el héroe, y tras un testamento redactado con anterioridad, él es quien queda dueño de la mansión familiar y con la tutela de Bella, la protagonista.

Ella, de fiesta en fiesta, un día aparece en la mansión y surge la pasión entre los dos aunque en realidad él es muy grosero y Bella se defiende a trompicones. Curiosamente, aunque ha tenido ya ¡seis! amantes (al parecer, uno por año desde que se inició a los diecisiete), ninguno ha sabido darle placer (?). Acá va mi primer grito en el Cielo: ella lo comenta como quien habla del clima, que en realidad no contaba la primera experiencia porque había sido en una fiesta, un revolcón rápido con un desconocido que luego se fue de ese lugar con otra mujer. Aplausos, bien ahí, Melanie, te faltó la pastilla de popper en el vaso para que tu heroína no se lea tan z*rra. Luego de contarle que no había alcanzado nunca la meta de los orgasmos, por así decirlo, nos hace un show de virgen ruborizada que se siente muy virginal con él aunque ya se cogi* a un número importante de hombres que seguramente no la tenían tan grande ni sabían usarla tan sabiamente con el frío Edoardo.

Frases como "no me hice la cera", en alusión a su coñ* peludo, me dieron ganas de gritar. Hay gente que no tiene vello ensortijado (?) por todos lados y no lo dice. A estas alturas ya sé que Bella no se depila y que tuvo más camas que la Cicciolina... Sólo le faltó ir al baño con la puerta abierta, qué poco decoro :P.

Podría agregar que mientras ella se calienta como loca con Edu, tiene un futuro marido que la está esperando, como para agregarle más morbo al asunto. Un novio que es pastor y célibe, que no tuvo sexo con ella por principios (que a ella le faltan muchísimo) y del que la escritora se deshace con tanta facilidad como Bella de sus bragas xDD. Hay escenas que vienen a reforzar la idea de chiquita idiota que merece todo por ser linda y rica, como cuando se va a la nieve y queda atascada y el héroe va a buscarla. Y otra donde él le cuenta las penurias de su infancia, todo para que ella vaya corriendo a su madre y le cuente aunque no tenga una relación cercana con ella.

Diez páginas hacia el final, el héroe se enamoró tras un par de polvos bien hechos por esta zorrit* y descubre que la ama, aunque no nos supo decir ni demostrar con exactitud por qué. Si es por la cara bonita y un cuerpo de modelo, que alguien le advierta que virando a los cuarenta sólo queda el carácter. Y yo le diría que cuide bien su poll*-hacedora-de-orgasmos porque el día que tenga un lapsus y no le funcione, ahí Bella correrá con su inestabilidad a los brazos de algún otro estúpido que la soporte.

[Nas Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

UNCOVERING THE SILVERI SECRET by USA Today Bestselling Author Melanie Milburne is a January 2013 release from Harlequin Presents.

Bella Haverton is upset that her father left her childhood home to his protégé Edoardo Silveri. Not only her home, but her guardianship till she was twenty five and her right to choose whom she wants to marry.
She comes all prepared to fight but the desire she had always felt for Edoardo is just simmering beneath the surface. Would she let her Edoardo take advantage of the fact and forestall her upcoming engagement to another man? After all he had turned out to be too sexy with dangerous sex appeal.

Edoardo had kept his heart untouched by not committing to a relationship or by not opening up about his childhood to anyone. Would he open up to Bella? Could he risk his heart once again?

UNCOVERING THE SILVERI SECRET is as much a story about recovering from past grief and guilt as it is about the unquenchable desire between Bella and Edoardo. It truly is a romance packed with sizzle and sexual tension adding to the page turning quality of the book.

Melanie Milburne’s master story-telling makes the characters come alive on the pages and the reader is personally involved in their happiness and craves the resolution as deeply as they do. Highly recommended for all lovers of sizzling sensuality and romance.

[Dalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is well-written with loads of sexual tension and repressed emotions.
Bella's dead father has made Eduardo her guardian till she is 25 y old. They fight their chemistry and fight themselves all the way. They are at opposite sides, like light and darkness . Bella wants to love and to be loved, to get past her childhood insecurities. Eduardo wants nothing to do with love, he keeps himself emotionally detached after all the abuse and disappointment of his miserable childhood. But Bella keeps getting under his skin and uncovering his secrets.

[Tia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found most of this novel devastatingly boring. The end wasn't too bad. When we first start off reading the heroine seems very selfish and immature. The ending was sudden but great, which is the only reason I gave the novel two stars.

[Monica · Rating 2 out of 5]

6 días para leer este Harlequin *horror*
No es malo, más bien me pareció aburrido.

[Geovanna Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Estos libros me suelen gustar por ser ligueros aunque a veces las lecturas me terminan haciendo enojar por los protagonistas, y en este caso más o menos fue así.
Desde el inicio sentí poca empatía por la protagonista, me pareció tonta, ridícula y sin amor propio, por lo que supe que terminar esta historia sería un fastidio, pero entre más avanzaba las cosas iban mejorando en todos los sentidos, y aunque la protagonista seguía siendo todo lo que dije la autora lo fue manejando mejor llevándonos a un punto donde quería que ella y Edoardo el protagonista (Que curioso que ella llamada Bellla y el Edoardo, les suena un poco? :v), tuvieran algo, y al menos en lo personal el desarrollo de su relación fue agradable.
Como todo harlequin se sabe que ritmo maneja para tener en las últimas páginas problemas que al final nos dará un cierre feliz, y en ese punto tampoco me quejo.

En general es un libro entretenido hasta cierto punto para pasar el rato, claro que si se debe tener mucha paciencia en los primeros capítulos para poder llegar a la parte donde las cosas mejoran.

[Mattie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like it. The heroine was ok by the end of book, but for the majority of book (and her life) she was spoiled and insufferable. She was so mean to hero about his past and that he was born poor, she threw that in his face at every turn.
It was terrible that she didn't spend time with her father before he died, she knew he had cancer and yet wasn't even there in his final hours. She was extremely selfish.

Hero wasn't that great, but he was right about heroine. I totally understood his being annoyed by how she spent her money and how she went from relationship to relationship. Also near the beginning of book (just hours after making decision he would sleep with heroine) he went out for half the night and never once explained where he went, so I can only assume he went and slept with another woman. Np.

[*CJ* · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Uncovering the Silveri Secret" is the story of Bella and Edoardo.

Spoiled rich brat heroine who is always in love, protective guardian hero who she looks down upon because he controls her finances, loads of banter and tantrums, sex and an abrupt ending.
Thoroughly disliked the heroine.

Unsafe
1.5/5

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was OK.

It felt a little rushed towards the end and it didn't make much sense his big gesture. IDK wasn't in love with this one

[Νίνα Δοδούδη · Rating 2 out of 5]

Βαθιά κρυμμένα μυστικά - Melanie Milburne, Χρυσά, 1633

[Nancy Crocker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bella has returned to the only home she has known, the home she grew up in until the age of sixteen and sent to a boarding school. Her late father has left the home to Edoardo, a man he took in as a teenager and raise. He is like the son he never had. He has also left Edoardo in charge of Bella's trust fund until she is 25, which will be another year.

Bella wants to convince Edoardo to allow her to marry a man she believes she is in love with. But Edoardo is not willing to do it. He believes she is to naive and will be taken advantage of. And she is not old enough to know who she can trust. So he refuses. But there is more to this, that being her financial guardian. Edoardo is also attracted to Bella and has been for years. But he will never offer her marriage or love, because of his past.

This is much more that a love story. The Heroine has some growing up to do, and letting go of past hurts. And standing up to her Mother who is nothing but a sponge sucking what funds she could get from her daughter.

It is also a chance for the Hero Edoardo to overcome childhood abuse. And learn to love.

[Sara HarlequinJunkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Uncovering The Silveri Secret, Melanie Milburne has written a super sexy and passionate book that will draw you in and keep you spellbound from the very beginning all the way to the satisfying end!

Following the death of her father, Bella Haverton is dismayed to discover that her families fortune has been left in the hands of Edoardo Silveri. Bella hasn’t been home since the death of her father and when she returns she finds Edoardo occupying the home Read More

[Dar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was over and I didn't want it to be! That's how much I liked this story, the build up to Bella and Eduardo getting together was the sole focus of this story, one other character interacted twice, and two phone calls from another, but other than the dog, it was all these two in the story. That was refreshing and by the end of the story, you are completely turned around from your first impressions, but they are still both very likable people!

[MJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The heroine, Bella, is incredibly spoiled, too trusting and dumb. I completely understand why her father left Edoardo as her financial guardian. The sexual tension between them was electric but I did find myself irritated with Bella sometimes. Overall, it was a perfectly fine book but nothing special.

[Tali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one. The two characters, Bella and Edoardo, were both likable and engaging and the chemistry between them was hot. Read this in one go and fairly sped through it. Definitely one I'd recommend. 4 stars.

[Tanya Mayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read. Dealing with child. abuse and how you can grow from it and one day find love.

[Harlequin Books]

Category: Passion

[Chris Mead · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars A super sexy, passionate read! Full review can be found at harlequinjunkie.com

[ѕєяєηιтι · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melanie Milburne - Hesaplaşma Zamanı

Melanie okumayı seviyorum bu da diğer çok beğendiğim kitapları kadar olamsada iyiydi.

[L H · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Subtle Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please read my review on the link below:

https://ascoopofmydelights.wordpress....

Happy Reading Lovelies :-)

[Linda Klages · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read - would read more from this author.

[Tawnya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt a few more chapters could have made a better ending. Left wondering.....