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Secrets #1
Keeping Secrets in Seattle
Seattle hairstylist Violet Murphy always knew the day would come when her best friend Gabe Parker would want to settle down. She’d secretly wished it would be with her, but now that he’s chosen someone else—the prim, perfect Alicia—he wants Vi to be his best man.
Healing her broken heart isn’t easy, but when Violet meets Landon Harlow, a man who isn’t fazed by her funky style and less-than-delicate attitude, she takes a step in the right direction. Until Gabe’s fiancé’s gorgeous façade begins to crack, and Violet’s disturbing past comes back to haunt her, that is. Vi now finds herself armed with a series of lies that would break Gabe’s heart—and his engagement—if he knew their truth, and a secret from their childhood that could change everything.
With the wedding looming, her relationships unraveling, and the bachelor party of the century to plan, Violet must choose between a fresh start with Landon, or confronting her painful past and risking it all for a chance at a future with Gabe.
Healing her broken heart isn’t easy, but when Violet meets Landon Harlow, a man who isn’t fazed by her funky style and less-than-delicate attitude, she takes a step in the right direction. Until Gabe’s fiancé’s gorgeous façade begins to crack, and Violet’s disturbing past comes back to haunt her, that is. Vi now finds herself armed with a series of lies that would break Gabe’s heart—and his engagement—if he knew their truth, and a secret from their childhood that could change everything.
With the wedding looming, her relationships unraveling, and the bachelor party of the century to plan, Violet must choose between a fresh start with Landon, or confronting her painful past and risking it all for a chance at a future with Gabe.
261 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 16, 2013
16 people are currently reading
764 people want to read
About the author
Brooke Moss
20 books342 followers"I write because if I don't...my head will explode, and ruin the drapes." ♥
Brooke writes complex, character-driven stories about kismet, reunited lovers, first love, and the kind of romance that we should all have the chance at finding. She prefers her stories laced with some humor just for fun, and enough drama to keep her readers flipping the pages, and begging for more.
When Brooke isn't spinning tales, she spends her time drawing/cartooning, reading, watching movies then comparing them to books, wrangling five kids, mugging on one hubby she lovingly refers to as her "nerd", and attempting to conquer the Mount Everest of laundry that is the bane of her existence.
Brooke is also an avid Autism Awareness advocate, and a passionate foster/adoptive mother, who loves to share her experiences with anyone who will listen.
Find Brooke elsewhere on the web at www.brookemoss.com
Brooke writes complex, character-driven stories about kismet, reunited lovers, first love, and the kind of romance that we should all have the chance at finding. She prefers her stories laced with some humor just for fun, and enough drama to keep her readers flipping the pages, and begging for more.
When Brooke isn't spinning tales, she spends her time drawing/cartooning, reading, watching movies then comparing them to books, wrangling five kids, mugging on one hubby she lovingly refers to as her "nerd", and attempting to conquer the Mount Everest of laundry that is the bane of her existence.
Brooke is also an avid Autism Awareness advocate, and a passionate foster/adoptive mother, who loves to share her experiences with anyone who will listen.
Find Brooke elsewhere on the web at www.brookemoss.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
February 8, 2013
I give it 3/5 stars for being well-written, not too cheesy, and not too fluffy. However, this is a real three, not a three point five, because I had serious issues with the structure of this story. I can't make sense of what exactly this book is about, because it's really two books morphed into one.
The first one is a cute romance about a girl who's in love with his best friend, but he's oblivious and also getting married to another girl who's all wrong for him. The second one is a slightly darker romance, about a girl who was raped and was/is ashamed to tell her boyfriend, so instead, he thinks she cheated on him, and they break up and are both miserable.
It just doesn't make any sense to combine them. How can he be happy and in love with his fiancée and be miserable and in love with his best friend at the same time? What did he see in the fiancée in the first place, because she seems to be an unredeemable jerk? Which, by the way, it's possible to make someone calculating and money-hungry without making them entirely one-dimensional and cliché, and it would have made for a better story. And what about the roommates--Violet's roommates know that she's in love with Gabe, so presumably they know that the two of them dated in high school...but they don't know why they broke up? Or they only know the fake reason? How does that work?
The side characters should have been developed more. Landon, Violet's boyfriend, was--I don't even know. He wasn't even a foil for Gabe, he was just a placeholder. I thought he would turn out shady because it was weird how he seemed to fall in love with Violet so quickly--and based on what?--but it turned out he was pretty genuine. I guess it's refreshing, but he doesn't really play a role in the story. He just enters stage right and exits stage left when it's time for the main couple to get together.
So that's the first story, now time for the second:
You mean to tell me that for nine years, Violet's watched her best-friend-that-she's-in-love-with continue to be friends with her rapist, and not said anything? And then she finds out that the rapist is going to be a groomsman in the best friend's wedding, and she doesn't immediately flip out? And she keeps trying to tell Gabe what happened, and he keeps putting her off...I don't understand how she doesn't snap. Why does she put up with this?
I appreciate the fact that Gabe gets angry when Violet finally tells him the truth. I get that rape victims are shamed and often blamed by society and it doesn't encourage them to tell their stories, but for years, he thought that he was the victim of the story, and it turns out that he's actually the asshole who dumped his girlfriend after she got raped. Oops.
What I really don't appreciate is how a week later, when everything is dealt with (well, kinda--they kick the rapist out of the house and later he goes on to rape someone else, but I'm not well-versed in law and maybe there was some kind of statute of limitations thing going on, only it would have been nice if that were made explicit), she's like, Okay, now we can be together, right? And he says, No, I can't be with you because I need time to get over the fact that you were raped. What the actual what. This guy needs a punch in the face.
There were certain scenes that I liked. As I mentioned above, I liked the scene where Violet and Gabe talk right after he finds out the truth. I really liked the scene where Violet confronts her mother about having covered everything up, and her mother explains her own story. I also liked the bachelor party scene. But the book as a whole...I'm not sure what it was trying to do.
This review may be extra-critical and ranty because I had a few shots of whiskey earlier. There are good things about the book, too, though. I stand by my three-star rating, which is a good rating.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
The first one is a cute romance about a girl who's in love with his best friend, but he's oblivious and also getting married to another girl who's all wrong for him. The second one is a slightly darker romance, about a girl who was raped and was/is ashamed to tell her boyfriend, so instead, he thinks she cheated on him, and they break up and are both miserable.
It just doesn't make any sense to combine them. How can he be happy and in love with his fiancée and be miserable and in love with his best friend at the same time? What did he see in the fiancée in the first place, because she seems to be an unredeemable jerk? Which, by the way, it's possible to make someone calculating and money-hungry without making them entirely one-dimensional and cliché, and it would have made for a better story. And what about the roommates--Violet's roommates know that she's in love with Gabe, so presumably they know that the two of them dated in high school...but they don't know why they broke up? Or they only know the fake reason? How does that work?
The side characters should have been developed more. Landon, Violet's boyfriend, was--I don't even know. He wasn't even a foil for Gabe, he was just a placeholder. I thought he would turn out shady because it was weird how he seemed to fall in love with Violet so quickly--and based on what?--but it turned out he was pretty genuine. I guess it's refreshing, but he doesn't really play a role in the story. He just enters stage right and exits stage left when it's time for the main couple to get together.
So that's the first story, now time for the second:
You mean to tell me that for nine years, Violet's watched her best-friend-that-she's-in-love-with continue to be friends with her rapist, and not said anything? And then she finds out that the rapist is going to be a groomsman in the best friend's wedding, and she doesn't immediately flip out? And she keeps trying to tell Gabe what happened, and he keeps putting her off...I don't understand how she doesn't snap. Why does she put up with this?
I appreciate the fact that Gabe gets angry when Violet finally tells him the truth. I get that rape victims are shamed and often blamed by society and it doesn't encourage them to tell their stories, but for years, he thought that he was the victim of the story, and it turns out that he's actually the asshole who dumped his girlfriend after she got raped. Oops.
What I really don't appreciate is how a week later, when everything is dealt with (well, kinda--they kick the rapist out of the house and later he goes on to rape someone else, but I'm not well-versed in law and maybe there was some kind of statute of limitations thing going on, only it would have been nice if that were made explicit), she's like, Okay, now we can be together, right? And he says, No, I can't be with you because I need time to get over the fact that you were raped. What the actual what. This guy needs a punch in the face.
There were certain scenes that I liked. As I mentioned above, I liked the scene where Violet and Gabe talk right after he finds out the truth. I really liked the scene where Violet confronts her mother about having covered everything up, and her mother explains her own story. I also liked the bachelor party scene. But the book as a whole...I'm not sure what it was trying to do.
This review may be extra-critical and ranty because I had a few shots of whiskey earlier. There are good things about the book, too, though. I stand by my three-star rating, which is a good rating.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2013
**3.25 stars**
"Keeping Secrets in Seattle" was a surprisingly good clean romance. It is about a girl, Violet, who is in love with her childhood best friend, Gabe. Gabe, of course, is engaged to marry another woman. Think "My Best Friend's Wedding"... sort of. Violet tries to get over Gabe by dating a hot, tattooed, sweet guy but can't let go of her attachment to Gabe.
The positives of this book were that the writing was really on point and the pacing was great. The book totally held my attention and didn't let it go. I was honestly expecting crappily written fluff and was regretting requesting it from Net Galley. I was pleasantly surprised that the book was very very readable. I also was digging Violet's fashion sense and her funny lesbian housemates.
The negatives? This story has been DONE. A girl in love with her best friend? Nothing new to see here. I knew what was going to happen in the end the entire time. There were no real surprises. And the fiance was like a caricature. The bridesmaids were like Disney evil step-sisters. Pretty one-dimensional.
My main gripe was that I was totally frustrated with Violet for most of the book. She is, for some stupid reason that makes very little sense, keeping a BIG SECRET from Gabe. One that may change anything. Why she doesn't just blurt it out, I had no clue. I was going crazy with the dancing around that the two of them were doing. It got to be more than a bit tiresome in the end.
Overall I enjoyed reading this book, despite the flaws. It is a more angsty read than I was expecting and I dug it, in spite of myself.
**Book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
"Keeping Secrets in Seattle" was a surprisingly good clean romance. It is about a girl, Violet, who is in love with her childhood best friend, Gabe. Gabe, of course, is engaged to marry another woman. Think "My Best Friend's Wedding"... sort of. Violet tries to get over Gabe by dating a hot, tattooed, sweet guy but can't let go of her attachment to Gabe.
The positives of this book were that the writing was really on point and the pacing was great. The book totally held my attention and didn't let it go. I was honestly expecting crappily written fluff and was regretting requesting it from Net Galley. I was pleasantly surprised that the book was very very readable. I also was digging Violet's fashion sense and her funny lesbian housemates.
The negatives? This story has been DONE. A girl in love with her best friend? Nothing new to see here. I knew what was going to happen in the end the entire time. There were no real surprises. And the fiance was like a caricature. The bridesmaids were like Disney evil step-sisters. Pretty one-dimensional.
My main gripe was that I was totally frustrated with Violet for most of the book. She is, for some stupid reason that makes very little sense, keeping a BIG SECRET from Gabe. One that may change anything. Why she doesn't just blurt it out, I had no clue. I was going crazy with the dancing around that the two of them were doing. It got to be more than a bit tiresome in the end.
Overall I enjoyed reading this book, despite the flaws. It is a more angsty read than I was expecting and I dug it, in spite of myself.
**Book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
March 15, 2013
Loved it!
March 27, 2013
When a book can capture my attention within the first chapter, I mean suck me in...I know it's going to be a good book. Such was the case for me with Keeping Secrets in Seattle. Now, I had a few friends that enjoyed this one, but I guess I wasn't prepared for the level of awesome that this book delivered. From the characters, the storyline, and the writing, this book was a hit for me.
I absolutely adored Violet. When you first meet her, she's quirky and a bit self conscious. However, she isn't a push over. There are reasons why Violet is the way she is and while some of it is heartbreaking to learn about, you like her even more because she made it through. Violet also has a great sense of humor. She made me laugh constantly.
Now for the love interests. I'll start with Landon. I LOVED Landon. He seems to be the perfect match for Violet. He's tattooed, adventurous, and overall a great guy. Violet truly does fall for him in a way, but there is someone holding her back from completely giving her heart to him. Gabe.
Ok, I'll be honest and say that within the first chapter I was NOT a Gabe fan. Gabe is Violet's best friend and the guy she thought she would marry someday. Well, on the night Violet goes to tell him she's in love with him, he announces his engagement to his girlfriend. Needless to say, Violet is shocked and heartbroken. See, Gabe had told her he was breaking up with his girlfriend, but that obviously didn't happen. So, my first impressions of Gabe weren't all that great. I felt like he toyed with her feelings a bit. However, as I got to know him more, I saw that that really wasn't the case. In the end, I loved Gabe. The epilogue is told from his POV and it made me tear up.
The supporting characters also made the story so great. I loved Violet's roommates, Kim and Betsy. They were such great friends to Violet. I also loved Gabe's family. They were the type of family that Violet wanted to be part of and she was for the most part. I love it when a supporting cast of characters enhances the likability of the story.
Overall, I loved Keeping Secrets in Seattle. As I said before, I was hooked from the beginning. I was biting my nails and texting my rants about Gabe to my friends. While there are some truly great comedic moments, there are some serious issues addressed. This book was the whole package for me and I can't recommend it enough!
Quotes:
~This was my life. A leopard print couch, a David Beckham look-alike, two lesbians, and a Felix the Cat clock. -Loc 2279
~"Real love takes work and effort and time. Real love is willing to wait while you sort your shit out, and is still there once you get your head in straight."
I put my cup down and stared at my mom. I was getting love advice from Fourth Marriage Barbie now? What next?
I absolutely adored Violet. When you first meet her, she's quirky and a bit self conscious. However, she isn't a push over. There are reasons why Violet is the way she is and while some of it is heartbreaking to learn about, you like her even more because she made it through. Violet also has a great sense of humor. She made me laugh constantly.
Now for the love interests. I'll start with Landon. I LOVED Landon. He seems to be the perfect match for Violet. He's tattooed, adventurous, and overall a great guy. Violet truly does fall for him in a way, but there is someone holding her back from completely giving her heart to him. Gabe.
Ok, I'll be honest and say that within the first chapter I was NOT a Gabe fan. Gabe is Violet's best friend and the guy she thought she would marry someday. Well, on the night Violet goes to tell him she's in love with him, he announces his engagement to his girlfriend. Needless to say, Violet is shocked and heartbroken. See, Gabe had told her he was breaking up with his girlfriend, but that obviously didn't happen. So, my first impressions of Gabe weren't all that great. I felt like he toyed with her feelings a bit. However, as I got to know him more, I saw that that really wasn't the case. In the end, I loved Gabe. The epilogue is told from his POV and it made me tear up.
The supporting characters also made the story so great. I loved Violet's roommates, Kim and Betsy. They were such great friends to Violet. I also loved Gabe's family. They were the type of family that Violet wanted to be part of and she was for the most part. I love it when a supporting cast of characters enhances the likability of the story.
Overall, I loved Keeping Secrets in Seattle. As I said before, I was hooked from the beginning. I was biting my nails and texting my rants about Gabe to my friends. While there are some truly great comedic moments, there are some serious issues addressed. This book was the whole package for me and I can't recommend it enough!
Quotes:
~This was my life. A leopard print couch, a David Beckham look-alike, two lesbians, and a Felix the Cat clock. -Loc 2279
~"Real love takes work and effort and time. Real love is willing to wait while you sort your shit out, and is still there once you get your head in straight."
I put my cup down and stared at my mom. I was getting love advice from Fourth Marriage Barbie now? What next?
February 10, 2013
This was one of the most frustrating books I've read in quite a while. The premise sounded right up my alley - I love friends to lovers stories, and the description made it sound like there was a little more to the story than usual. Violet has been in love with Gabe since they were six. They tried dating in their teens, but it "didn't work out" so now they're best friends. Just as Violet is about to get the nerve to admit her feelings for him, Gabe shocks her by proposing to his girlfriend. Violet is shell-shocked and despairing, but manages to meet *the perfect guy* Landon, and hopes he'll be the guy to take her mind off Gabe - even as she prepares to be his best woman in the wedding.
The problem was, I could never really get behind Violet's feelings for Gabe. He seemed kind of like a selfish jerk. There were plenty of hints that he knew she had feelings for him, but he kept asking more and more from her - be friendly with his bitchy fiancee and her shallow friends, be okay with him never having time for her anymore, be the freaking "best woman" at his wedding... His cluelessness knew no bounds and I didn't really like him.
Landon was literally the perfect man. A gorgeous carpenter who rides a motorcycle and has tattoos - and falls completely in love with you in a few weeks? Violet can kiss my ass. Seriously. I came to have very little sympathy for her and her moony face pining over Gabe.
The secret indicated in the title, is so drawn out and takes so long to be revealed and was telegraphed so early that it really lost all impact. There were so many times when Violet could have told Gabe her secret -- and I get why it was so hard for her to reveal it, I really do -- but it made so much of the book feel like meaningless fluff. We know what it is, and Vi knows what it is, but as readers we have to suffer through her not telling Gabe, and it was really suffering. I thought drawing it out cheapened the story tension. I skimmed along wondering when would she tell him already. And the secret itself makes Gabe seem even more like a jerk.
This just didn't come together for me and I had to force myself to get through it. The ending is sweet, but the journey was tedious.
The problem was, I could never really get behind Violet's feelings for Gabe. He seemed kind of like a selfish jerk. There were plenty of hints that he knew she had feelings for him, but he kept asking more and more from her - be friendly with his bitchy fiancee and her shallow friends, be okay with him never having time for her anymore, be the freaking "best woman" at his wedding... His cluelessness knew no bounds and I didn't really like him.
Landon was literally the perfect man. A gorgeous carpenter who rides a motorcycle and has tattoos - and falls completely in love with you in a few weeks? Violet can kiss my ass. Seriously. I came to have very little sympathy for her and her moony face pining over Gabe.
The secret indicated in the title, is so drawn out and takes so long to be revealed and was telegraphed so early that it really lost all impact. There were so many times when Violet could have told Gabe her secret -- and I get why it was so hard for her to reveal it, I really do -- but it made so much of the book feel like meaningless fluff. We know what it is, and Vi knows what it is, but as readers we have to suffer through her not telling Gabe, and it was really suffering. I thought drawing it out cheapened the story tension. I skimmed along wondering when would she tell him already. And the secret itself makes Gabe seem even more like a jerk.
This just didn't come together for me and I had to force myself to get through it. The ending is sweet, but the journey was tedious.
February 24, 2013
One of my favorites of 2013!
I've been trying to do my own little reblurb for KEEPING SECRETS IN SEATTLE but the official one is just too well done for me to need to write my own summary.
It is a very rare thing for me, as a reader, to experience the full on 'reads-like-a-movie' thing with a book. But from page one, Violet and Gabe's world came alive for me. They're such opposites that at first I was baffled by the massive crush she had on him. Yet, as the story progressed it was easy to see that it wasn't a crush at all, but a love born in youth that had matured into something painfully stunted by a crushingly heart-wrenching secret. Just when Vi is ready to work it out, to reveal how she has felt for all these years Gabe goes and proposes to his model-slash-waitress girlfriend, Alycia. To add insult to injury, he asks her to be his 'best-man', which requires a lot of trying to tolerate his seemingly flawless fiance.
From here readers are sure to start seeing KEEPING SECRETS IN SEATTLE as a bit of a romantic comedy, which in a way it is. Moss is one of my favorite authors because she is a master at weaving a heart-wrenching story of love with well executed comedic moments to lighten it when needed. There are some real LOL moments and a couple of seriously tear-inducing ones, dragging us along as Vi tries to make sense of some really difficult obstacles. Making nice with Alycia. Attempting a relationship with a guy who seems perfect for her, but isn't whom her heart wants. Keeping the terrible secret that ruined her chance with Gabe years ago. Discovering that Alycia has been keeping secrets of her own... and just what to do about them. This is one of those romances that sends you on an emotional roller coaster of laughs and tears, and even the occasional fist shaking.
As has become my personal favorite aspect of Moss' writing, she once again knocks-it-out-of-the-park as far as setting. If you love a story where the location becomes the third character you will be packing your bags for Seattle before you're halfway through. It's so true to the spirit of the city and the people who live there, it made me homesick. If, like me, you're a native of the Pacific Northwest you simply MUST read Moss' books. KEEPING SECRETS IN SEATTLE is her best so far and has movie potential I'd love to see happening on screen.
If you enjoy a romance that's complicated by deep dark secrets without being a total mope-fest, where big romantic gestures have you going 'awwww', and the collective characters are just a little too over-the-top to be real and yet relatable enough to be endearing you will love this book!
Note: Review copy received via publisher.
I've been trying to do my own little reblurb for KEEPING SECRETS IN SEATTLE but the official one is just too well done for me to need to write my own summary.
It is a very rare thing for me, as a reader, to experience the full on 'reads-like-a-movie' thing with a book. But from page one, Violet and Gabe's world came alive for me. They're such opposites that at first I was baffled by the massive crush she had on him. Yet, as the story progressed it was easy to see that it wasn't a crush at all, but a love born in youth that had matured into something painfully stunted by a crushingly heart-wrenching secret. Just when Vi is ready to work it out, to reveal how she has felt for all these years Gabe goes and proposes to his model-slash-waitress girlfriend, Alycia. To add insult to injury, he asks her to be his 'best-man', which requires a lot of trying to tolerate his seemingly flawless fiance.
From here readers are sure to start seeing KEEPING SECRETS IN SEATTLE as a bit of a romantic comedy, which in a way it is. Moss is one of my favorite authors because she is a master at weaving a heart-wrenching story of love with well executed comedic moments to lighten it when needed. There are some real LOL moments and a couple of seriously tear-inducing ones, dragging us along as Vi tries to make sense of some really difficult obstacles. Making nice with Alycia. Attempting a relationship with a guy who seems perfect for her, but isn't whom her heart wants. Keeping the terrible secret that ruined her chance with Gabe years ago. Discovering that Alycia has been keeping secrets of her own... and just what to do about them. This is one of those romances that sends you on an emotional roller coaster of laughs and tears, and even the occasional fist shaking.
As has become my personal favorite aspect of Moss' writing, she once again knocks-it-out-of-the-park as far as setting. If you love a story where the location becomes the third character you will be packing your bags for Seattle before you're halfway through. It's so true to the spirit of the city and the people who live there, it made me homesick. If, like me, you're a native of the Pacific Northwest you simply MUST read Moss' books. KEEPING SECRETS IN SEATTLE is her best so far and has movie potential I'd love to see happening on screen.
If you enjoy a romance that's complicated by deep dark secrets without being a total mope-fest, where big romantic gestures have you going 'awwww', and the collective characters are just a little too over-the-top to be real and yet relatable enough to be endearing you will love this book!
Note: Review copy received via publisher.
February 11, 2013
This was a bit darker than I thought it was going to be. But it turned out to be a pretty compelling read. When I first started reading, I had My Best Friends Wedding expectations from this book. But it was nothing like that. It turned out even better. This book had me in tears in quite a few places for different reasons, but in the end, I was happy with the book.
I couldn't imagine pining for my childhood best friend for a majority of my life. Even worse, I couldn't imagine watching that best friend date and eventually propose to another woman. There were times I had hoped that Violet would find a better life with the hunk Landon after times where Gabe was terribly insensitive to Vi and her feelings. Violet's life seemed to revolve around everything Gabe and his parade of girlfriends. About half way through the book I was hoping she would start to live for herself, rather than Gabe.
One of my favorite characters in this book wasn't Violet or Gabe, it was be Landon. He was the perfect literary boyfriend. Despite riding a motorcycle and having tattoos, he was a perfect gentleman and a very loving person. He showed how much he cared not only with his words but with his actions. While dating him, Violet couldn't keep her mind off of Gabe. Such a travesty, this guy deserved her total and uninterrupted attention.
The darkness of this book had my feelings split down the middle. One, it was a horrific thing to go through. Two, I have a hard time imagining it would take this long for these two to talk about "That Night". But really, in the end, I enjoyed the writing and the story. It seems like certain things were meant to be, no matter how hard people fight against it.
This book doesn't end abruptly. Thank goodness for that! There are times that a good romance novel ends so abruptly I want to know how things turn out. Do they last? Do they break up five minutes after the book ends? This doesn't leave the reader with any doubt. I'm a sucker for a good romance novel. Even more for happy endings. I'm excited to see what else Brooke Moss has in store. Great things, I imagine.
*ARC provided by the publisher for honest review*
I couldn't imagine pining for my childhood best friend for a majority of my life. Even worse, I couldn't imagine watching that best friend date and eventually propose to another woman. There were times I had hoped that Violet would find a better life with the hunk Landon after times where Gabe was terribly insensitive to Vi and her feelings. Violet's life seemed to revolve around everything Gabe and his parade of girlfriends. About half way through the book I was hoping she would start to live for herself, rather than Gabe.
One of my favorite characters in this book wasn't Violet or Gabe, it was be Landon. He was the perfect literary boyfriend. Despite riding a motorcycle and having tattoos, he was a perfect gentleman and a very loving person. He showed how much he cared not only with his words but with his actions. While dating him, Violet couldn't keep her mind off of Gabe. Such a travesty, this guy deserved her total and uninterrupted attention.
The darkness of this book had my feelings split down the middle. One, it was a horrific thing to go through. Two, I have a hard time imagining it would take this long for these two to talk about "That Night". But really, in the end, I enjoyed the writing and the story. It seems like certain things were meant to be, no matter how hard people fight against it.
This book doesn't end abruptly. Thank goodness for that! There are times that a good romance novel ends so abruptly I want to know how things turn out. Do they last? Do they break up five minutes after the book ends? This doesn't leave the reader with any doubt. I'm a sucker for a good romance novel. Even more for happy endings. I'm excited to see what else Brooke Moss has in store. Great things, I imagine.
*ARC provided by the publisher for honest review*
March 4, 2013
I finished this book last week and meant to write a review earlier but I somehow managed not to post it.
I give this one a 3.5 to 4 stars!
Brooke Moss lets us escape from the real world into the world of Violet Murphy. Violet is a funky fabulous hairdresser in Seattle with some interesting friends. She's been in love with her best friend (Gabe Parker) ever since she was a little girl. They tried the whole dating thing years ago but it just didn't work out for various reasons. One of those haunting reasons happens to be why she's the person she is today.
When she finds out Gabe is getting married Violet is absolutely devastated. The rawness of emotions from Violet's character is felt with full force. Ms. Moss did an excellent job of letting the reader feel the turmoil, the passion, and the courage of this woman. There is humor. There are tears. There is an undeniably strong pull of intense desire between Violet and Gabe and I found myself cheering for them until I met Landon.
I really, REALLY liked Landon. I hope the author does a book just for him.
***ARC courtesy of Entangled Publishing via Netgalley for an honest review***
I give this one a 3.5 to 4 stars!
Brooke Moss lets us escape from the real world into the world of Violet Murphy. Violet is a funky fabulous hairdresser in Seattle with some interesting friends. She's been in love with her best friend (Gabe Parker) ever since she was a little girl. They tried the whole dating thing years ago but it just didn't work out for various reasons. One of those haunting reasons happens to be why she's the person she is today.
When she finds out Gabe is getting married Violet is absolutely devastated. The rawness of emotions from Violet's character is felt with full force. Ms. Moss did an excellent job of letting the reader feel the turmoil, the passion, and the courage of this woman. There is humor. There are tears. There is an undeniably strong pull of intense desire between Violet and Gabe and I found myself cheering for them until I met Landon.
I really, REALLY liked Landon. I hope the author does a book just for him.
***ARC courtesy of Entangled Publishing via Netgalley for an honest review***
March 1, 2013
So glad I got to read Brooke Moss' Keeping Secrets in Seattle. And what a treat this story was!
I am a huge fan of Friends to Lovers stories. This one did not disappoint. Violet and Gabe have known each other since childhood. Somewhere in-between they fell in love (adorable) but something happened to pull them apart.
In later years they still kept in-touch, met up and managed to stay friends. Even though the flame was still burning. Too bad Gabe was about to get married.
This story was oh-my-gosh romantic, made me laugh, tear up and sigh. I could feel Gabe and Violet's conflict, desperation and love. One thing I really enjoyed is how Brooke Moss started each chapter with an entry of Violet's diary while she was still in high school. Eventually we got to find out what really happened to break Vi and Gabe up. Wow.
This is a a wonderful romantic story. I didn't want to stop reading this, until I'd peeled the layers and met the real Violet and Gabe.
Could we have Landon's story please Ms. Moss?
One of my favourite quotes:
He leaned away from me enough to gaze down into my eyes. "My place is with you. I don't care where that is. If you're there, it's my home, Vi."
Ah. Absolutely Perfect.
I am a huge fan of Friends to Lovers stories. This one did not disappoint. Violet and Gabe have known each other since childhood. Somewhere in-between they fell in love (adorable) but something happened to pull them apart.
In later years they still kept in-touch, met up and managed to stay friends. Even though the flame was still burning. Too bad Gabe was about to get married.
This story was oh-my-gosh romantic, made me laugh, tear up and sigh. I could feel Gabe and Violet's conflict, desperation and love. One thing I really enjoyed is how Brooke Moss started each chapter with an entry of Violet's diary while she was still in high school. Eventually we got to find out what really happened to break Vi and Gabe up. Wow.
This is a a wonderful romantic story. I didn't want to stop reading this, until I'd peeled the layers and met the real Violet and Gabe.
Could we have Landon's story please Ms. Moss?
One of my favourite quotes:
He leaned away from me enough to gaze down into my eyes. "My place is with you. I don't care where that is. If you're there, it's my home, Vi."
Ah. Absolutely Perfect.
February 17, 2013
Wowsers! Rape. It tears people up. Even the strong ones. Vi, I love you!! Read this book. It is a beautiful story throughout. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance reading copy!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2013
Originally posted at http://smexybooks.com/2013/03/20574.html
Favorite Quote: “This. Was. War.”
Violet Murphy has loved her best friend, Gabe Parker, since kindergarten but one terrible night changed all that and led them to remain friends only. Violet knew the day would come when Gabe would marry but her heart breaks when he proposes to his perfect girlfriend, Alicia, and he asks Violet to be his best man.
When Violet meets Landon Harlow, her heart begins to mend as he shows Violet she is perfect just the way she is. But when Violet learns that all is not right with Alicia, she finds herself at a loss on what to do. Does she risk losing Gabe’s friendship by telling him everything or let him marry Alicia and risk getting his heart broken? As Violet struggles to come up with a viable solution, her own terrible secret begins to unravel and suddenly she finds herself being buried under all the lies.
With Gabe’s wedding approaching and Landon demanding more commitment from her, Violet has to decide whether to leave her past behind and start a new life with Landon or face the past and risk it all for a chance at happiness with Gabe.
Brooke Moss has become one of my go to author’s when it comes to romantic contemporaries. She has a definite gift for combining love, heartbreak, and humor to create a story well worth reading again and again. Keeping Secrets In Seattle is a romantic and heartfelt story about love, forgiveness, and second chances. Filled with plenty of humor, snark, and eccentric characters, we get a ringside seat as we see and feel Violet’s heartbreaking struggle as she watches her best friend and the love of her life prepare to marry someone else. Extremely character driven, it’s very easy to submerge yourself into the lives of these characters and the stories they have to share. Fast pacing and a smoothly written story makes for a quick yet poignant read. There is a dark side to the the story that was unexpected but it is handled well.
Violet, our heroine, is a delightfully quirky person who deals with life’s many obstacles with dry wit, intelligence, snark, and a lot of patience. It requires a lot of humor to accept being the love of your life’s best man at his wedding and to play nicely with his fiancee, whom you can’t stand.
Gabe, our hero, was harder to connect with. While I enjoyed Gabe’s character, this is 100% Violet’s story. I have to say I honestly felt more of a connection with Landon then I did Gabe. We see everything through Violet’s POV so every time Gabe inadvertently hurts her…it hurts us. Landon, on the other hand, treats Violet like a princess. He is attentive, doesn’t take her for granted, and you can feel he truly loves her. At times I wanted Landon to steal Violet’s heart away from Gabe but I knew it wouldn’t happen. Her love for Gabe is ingrained in her soul. Every breath he took, she exhaled. She gave Gabe her heart along time ago. At times Gabe annoyed me because I KNEW he loved Violet but was scared of that love. So he chose to marry someone else but also tries to keep Violet by his side in the “best friend” role. I felt he was clueless with his careless handling of Violet but there were times I felt he knew what he was doing and was still punishing Violet for what happened in the past.
Violet’s pain is a palpable presence throughout the entire book. Her life was perfect when her and Gabe dated in high school; until one night’s tragic events ruins it all. Violet has never fully recovered from that night nor the betrayals that occurred afterwards. Each chapter starts with a entry from Violet’s childhood journal. Through these bittersweet entries, we learn the extent of Violet’s love for Gabe and exactly what led to Gabe and Violet’s break up in high school and why the pain from it settled so deep in Violet.
Gabe and Violet’s second chance at love progresses slowly throughout the story. It’s not an overly emotional tear jerking journey and it felt more real for that reason. Everyday life doesn’t normally have a tragedy occurring every 10 minutes. They do hit plenty of bumps in the road and there are past issues that need to be resolved because only then can they both be free to love one another again. The only part I didn’t like was Gabe had a habit of burying his head in the sand and not seeing what was in front of him. Or perhaps, it was his fear of what he saw that had him keeping Violet at arms length. I loved that Violet was strong enough to make him listen…and strong enough to walk when he won’t.
“I would rather be alone forever then beg the man I love to be with me.”
The supporting characters are all well developed personalities with a vibrancy that flatters our protagonists and the story. Violet’s room mates had me in tears as they tease, cajole, snark and cry, right along with Vi. They had Vi’s back through it all-even when they dispensed advice that they knew Vi didn’t want but needed to hear. Violet’s relationship with her mother is tremulous and Ms. Moss does a fabulous job of allowing them to work towards forgiveness at their own pace.
The ending is tense and heartbreaking yet gratifying as everything and everyone finds their place and settles in beautifully. It isn’t an easy ending but it’s a well won ending for Vi and Gabe. I love the tiny epilogue added that is told from Gabe’s POV. It wraps everything up nicely and left me with a huge smile.
“She is my best friend.”
Overall Rating: B
Favorite Quote: “This. Was. War.”
Violet Murphy has loved her best friend, Gabe Parker, since kindergarten but one terrible night changed all that and led them to remain friends only. Violet knew the day would come when Gabe would marry but her heart breaks when he proposes to his perfect girlfriend, Alicia, and he asks Violet to be his best man.
When Violet meets Landon Harlow, her heart begins to mend as he shows Violet she is perfect just the way she is. But when Violet learns that all is not right with Alicia, she finds herself at a loss on what to do. Does she risk losing Gabe’s friendship by telling him everything or let him marry Alicia and risk getting his heart broken? As Violet struggles to come up with a viable solution, her own terrible secret begins to unravel and suddenly she finds herself being buried under all the lies.
With Gabe’s wedding approaching and Landon demanding more commitment from her, Violet has to decide whether to leave her past behind and start a new life with Landon or face the past and risk it all for a chance at happiness with Gabe.
Brooke Moss has become one of my go to author’s when it comes to romantic contemporaries. She has a definite gift for combining love, heartbreak, and humor to create a story well worth reading again and again. Keeping Secrets In Seattle is a romantic and heartfelt story about love, forgiveness, and second chances. Filled with plenty of humor, snark, and eccentric characters, we get a ringside seat as we see and feel Violet’s heartbreaking struggle as she watches her best friend and the love of her life prepare to marry someone else. Extremely character driven, it’s very easy to submerge yourself into the lives of these characters and the stories they have to share. Fast pacing and a smoothly written story makes for a quick yet poignant read. There is a dark side to the the story that was unexpected but it is handled well.
Violet, our heroine, is a delightfully quirky person who deals with life’s many obstacles with dry wit, intelligence, snark, and a lot of patience. It requires a lot of humor to accept being the love of your life’s best man at his wedding and to play nicely with his fiancee, whom you can’t stand.
Gabe, our hero, was harder to connect with. While I enjoyed Gabe’s character, this is 100% Violet’s story. I have to say I honestly felt more of a connection with Landon then I did Gabe. We see everything through Violet’s POV so every time Gabe inadvertently hurts her…it hurts us. Landon, on the other hand, treats Violet like a princess. He is attentive, doesn’t take her for granted, and you can feel he truly loves her. At times I wanted Landon to steal Violet’s heart away from Gabe but I knew it wouldn’t happen. Her love for Gabe is ingrained in her soul. Every breath he took, she exhaled. She gave Gabe her heart along time ago. At times Gabe annoyed me because I KNEW he loved Violet but was scared of that love. So he chose to marry someone else but also tries to keep Violet by his side in the “best friend” role. I felt he was clueless with his careless handling of Violet but there were times I felt he knew what he was doing and was still punishing Violet for what happened in the past.
Violet’s pain is a palpable presence throughout the entire book. Her life was perfect when her and Gabe dated in high school; until one night’s tragic events ruins it all. Violet has never fully recovered from that night nor the betrayals that occurred afterwards. Each chapter starts with a entry from Violet’s childhood journal. Through these bittersweet entries, we learn the extent of Violet’s love for Gabe and exactly what led to Gabe and Violet’s break up in high school and why the pain from it settled so deep in Violet.
Gabe and Violet’s second chance at love progresses slowly throughout the story. It’s not an overly emotional tear jerking journey and it felt more real for that reason. Everyday life doesn’t normally have a tragedy occurring every 10 minutes. They do hit plenty of bumps in the road and there are past issues that need to be resolved because only then can they both be free to love one another again. The only part I didn’t like was Gabe had a habit of burying his head in the sand and not seeing what was in front of him. Or perhaps, it was his fear of what he saw that had him keeping Violet at arms length. I loved that Violet was strong enough to make him listen…and strong enough to walk when he won’t.
“I would rather be alone forever then beg the man I love to be with me.”
The supporting characters are all well developed personalities with a vibrancy that flatters our protagonists and the story. Violet’s room mates had me in tears as they tease, cajole, snark and cry, right along with Vi. They had Vi’s back through it all-even when they dispensed advice that they knew Vi didn’t want but needed to hear. Violet’s relationship with her mother is tremulous and Ms. Moss does a fabulous job of allowing them to work towards forgiveness at their own pace.
The ending is tense and heartbreaking yet gratifying as everything and everyone finds their place and settles in beautifully. It isn’t an easy ending but it’s a well won ending for Vi and Gabe. I love the tiny epilogue added that is told from Gabe’s POV. It wraps everything up nicely and left me with a huge smile.
“She is my best friend.”
Overall Rating: B
February 17, 2013
Violet Murphy is the type of girl I would liked to have been in my early twenties. You know, just a couple of years ago. ;) Who am I kidding? Violet Murphy is the type of girl I would still like to be. She is comfortable in her own skin, size twelve (gasp) skin no less. She is spunky with a few tattoos and a vintage style. She lives with two of her best friends, who just happen to be a lesbian couple. She works for a drag queen, frequents the local coffee house and has been in love with her best friend, Gabe, since the age of six.
On the day Violet has decided to proclaim her eternal love to Gabe, he professes his intent to marry another. Okay, so maybe there are some aspects of Violet's life I don't envy.
Determined to move on and keep her relationship with Gabe in tact, Violet opens herself up to the possibility of another man. Landon is great. I mean great. He's a younger, slightly grungier or rustic version of David Beckham with the sweetest heart you could ever find. He's inked up, rides a motorcycle and his idea of the perfect V-day is a trip to a secluded mountain cabin where he cooks dinner under the stars. Uh, yum much?
Gabe on the other hand starts off as kind of a Douchey-McDoucheykins. Really. The crap he pulls and lets his fiance pull was an instant turn off. I wanted to throttle the dude and that is the only thing I struggled with while reading Keeping Secrets in Seattle. You see, Gabe is marrying a psycho-lying-bitch and he takes a back seat to her pulling some pretty horrendous stunts. Of course, he doesn't see that about her. Yet, Violet still sees him as Mr. Perfect. Even when she has a real Mr. Perfect lapping at her feet like a loyal (yet sexy) puppy dog.
Plus Gabe hardly even has a part in this book. We never really get to know him as he has very little involvement with Vi, he mostly tries to avoid her. I very much dislike being told to love a book boy. I need to see it and feel it. I didn't with Gabe. I did feel it for Landon. Guess who's team I picked to be on? I can see that Violet loves Gabe but I can't for the life of me get behind it myself.
I did enjoy the internal battle Violet had, do you tell your best friend all his fiance's dirty little secrets at the risk of losing his friendship forever? Do you tell him the deep dark secret that effects both your pasts, at the risk of opening yourself to some pretty serious pain and heartache? Do you take a shot with a wonderful new man even if part of your heart can never be his? Do you risk it all even if you may lose it all?
I can't say I always agreed with the decisions she made. I so didn't, but I could empathize with where her heart was through out all those decisions. Violet is an easy girl to love and Keeping Secrets in Seattle is an easy book like. Like, not love. Unfortunately, because it is a really good story. It just has some faults.
This last bit could be considered a spoiler...so if you are like me and don't enjoy spoilers : Quit Reading Now.
A personal plea to Brooke Moss ~ Would you please consider writing a second book revolving around the boy who did not get picked? Pretty please with whip cream, cherries, rainbow sprinkles and chocolate sauce on top? I would really really REALLY love it!
On the day Violet has decided to proclaim her eternal love to Gabe, he professes his intent to marry another. Okay, so maybe there are some aspects of Violet's life I don't envy.
Determined to move on and keep her relationship with Gabe in tact, Violet opens herself up to the possibility of another man. Landon is great. I mean great. He's a younger, slightly grungier or rustic version of David Beckham with the sweetest heart you could ever find. He's inked up, rides a motorcycle and his idea of the perfect V-day is a trip to a secluded mountain cabin where he cooks dinner under the stars. Uh, yum much?
Gabe on the other hand starts off as kind of a Douchey-McDoucheykins. Really. The crap he pulls and lets his fiance pull was an instant turn off. I wanted to throttle the dude and that is the only thing I struggled with while reading Keeping Secrets in Seattle. You see, Gabe is marrying a psycho-lying-bitch and he takes a back seat to her pulling some pretty horrendous stunts. Of course, he doesn't see that about her. Yet, Violet still sees him as Mr. Perfect. Even when she has a real Mr. Perfect lapping at her feet like a loyal (yet sexy) puppy dog.
Plus Gabe hardly even has a part in this book. We never really get to know him as he has very little involvement with Vi, he mostly tries to avoid her. I very much dislike being told to love a book boy. I need to see it and feel it. I didn't with Gabe. I did feel it for Landon. Guess who's team I picked to be on? I can see that Violet loves Gabe but I can't for the life of me get behind it myself.
I did enjoy the internal battle Violet had, do you tell your best friend all his fiance's dirty little secrets at the risk of losing his friendship forever? Do you tell him the deep dark secret that effects both your pasts, at the risk of opening yourself to some pretty serious pain and heartache? Do you take a shot with a wonderful new man even if part of your heart can never be his? Do you risk it all even if you may lose it all?
I can't say I always agreed with the decisions she made. I so didn't, but I could empathize with where her heart was through out all those decisions. Violet is an easy girl to love and Keeping Secrets in Seattle is an easy book like. Like, not love. Unfortunately, because it is a really good story. It just has some faults.
This last bit could be considered a spoiler...so if you are like me and don't enjoy spoilers : Quit Reading Now.
A personal plea to Brooke Moss ~ Would you please consider writing a second book revolving around the boy who did not get picked? Pretty please with whip cream, cherries, rainbow sprinkles and chocolate sauce on top? I would really really REALLY love it!
June 30, 2014
This book reminds me of a date movie that your date/boyfriend/husband would take you to see. It's a love story that can preoccupy your time for several hours. It has a familiar plot of 2 best friends who are more than that and try to finally get everything out in the open so as to get the opportunity to finally be together. In the midst of this, are quirky and supportive roommates, another possible love interest, a fiancee who is not who she really is, and a secret that has been kept for over a decade. So like the hypothetical movie version of this book, the actual book itself is a good read to keep you preoccupied for a couple of hours.
I'm very mixed about this book. There are both good and not so good things that I liked about it. I really enjoyed that Vi (Violet) isn't the prototypical slim and fashionable strong female character. She likes wearing vintage clothing from thrift stores. She wears pink highlights in her hair. Her figure is well rounded and not a stick figure. I think it's good that she feels comfortable in her own skin, but, like the rest of us females, there are times where she can get insecure about it. She's witty, but she's also impulsive and don't think things through. There are times where I like her, but she also has her moments where I don't like the decisions she makes.
Her roommates are another thing I liked about the book. Kim and Betsy are great supportive friends who don't care what others think about them. They are very comfortable in their own skin. They're also not afraid to let you know of their opinions. They're the kind of people that you know that would always have your back when you need them.
I would've liked for the book to have painted more clearer picture of what Vi really sees in Gabe to make her so in love with him. It just seemed that she would list characteristics about Gabe that she loves and how she feels whenever she's around him. Perhaps, what I was looking for was a certain charisma that came off him. I didn't really get a whole picture of HIM, as opposed to what Vi was telling us about him. He kinda came off as pretentious (just like Betty and Kim said early in the book) and a little into himself. I also didn't like the mix signals he would give off to Vi. The touching, the hugging, the cupping of her face. For goodness sakes, no wonder the girl couldn't move on!
I tend to be very picky regarding the writing style, the narration, and dialogue in a book. This book was well written, but I felt there wasn't a natural flow. I felt at times the narration was halting and slowed the story down. However, there were moments where Vi's natural charm and humor came through in her narration of the story. That brought some life into the narration.
Overall, this is a nice love story to read for when you have some hours to yourself. There are some good characters that you will like. Violet really carried the book and she's a standout. If you are a sucker for happy endings, then this book will definitely feed your appetite for it.
I'm very mixed about this book. There are both good and not so good things that I liked about it. I really enjoyed that Vi (Violet) isn't the prototypical slim and fashionable strong female character. She likes wearing vintage clothing from thrift stores. She wears pink highlights in her hair. Her figure is well rounded and not a stick figure. I think it's good that she feels comfortable in her own skin, but, like the rest of us females, there are times where she can get insecure about it. She's witty, but she's also impulsive and don't think things through. There are times where I like her, but she also has her moments where I don't like the decisions she makes.
Her roommates are another thing I liked about the book. Kim and Betsy are great supportive friends who don't care what others think about them. They are very comfortable in their own skin. They're also not afraid to let you know of their opinions. They're the kind of people that you know that would always have your back when you need them.
I would've liked for the book to have painted more clearer picture of what Vi really sees in Gabe to make her so in love with him. It just seemed that she would list characteristics about Gabe that she loves and how she feels whenever she's around him. Perhaps, what I was looking for was a certain charisma that came off him. I didn't really get a whole picture of HIM, as opposed to what Vi was telling us about him. He kinda came off as pretentious (just like Betty and Kim said early in the book) and a little into himself. I also didn't like the mix signals he would give off to Vi. The touching, the hugging, the cupping of her face. For goodness sakes, no wonder the girl couldn't move on!
I tend to be very picky regarding the writing style, the narration, and dialogue in a book. This book was well written, but I felt there wasn't a natural flow. I felt at times the narration was halting and slowed the story down. However, there were moments where Vi's natural charm and humor came through in her narration of the story. That brought some life into the narration.
Overall, this is a nice love story to read for when you have some hours to yourself. There are some good characters that you will like. Violet really carried the book and she's a standout. If you are a sucker for happy endings, then this book will definitely feed your appetite for it.
May 30, 2013
By: Brooke Moss
Published By: Entangled Publishing
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Book Blog For: GMTA
Review:
"Keeping Secrets in Seattle" by Brooke Moss was a wonderful romantic story. This author did good at making the reader feel all of the conflict that was involved along with the desperation and then love. I enjoyed the diary that started every chapter and some of the laughter was good and well needed. We find this story is of Violet who is about to confess her love to her best friend, Gabe only to find out he is now engaged to another girl and she has even agreed to be Gabe's best man. Will she be able to move on after she meets a new guy (Landon) that has entered her life and tell her that he loves her? From "Violets tattoos, hair color and vintage clothing is a secret that she has kept to herself for ten years. "What was it that these two ...Violet and Gabe could not talk about what had happened 'That Night?' Now, to get all of this you must pick up "Keeping Secrets in Seattle" to find out what happened. I liked the way the story was told from Violet's point of view which gave the reader the emotional ride that she went through from the past to the present. The characters were all very deeply well developed giving the reader not only a very interesting but a entertaining read that was a good story about the childhood sweethearts that fall in love.
I loved these two quotes from the read:
"Real love takes work and effort and time. Real love is willing to wait while you sort your shit out, and is still there once you get your head in straight."
and
"I put my cup down and stared at my mom. I was getting love advice from Fourth Marriage Barbie now? What's next?"
"Keeping Secrets in Seattle" was truly a wonderful well written novel that was funny, sweet but also a emotional read. Would I recommend this novel? YES!
Published By: Entangled Publishing
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Book Blog For: GMTA
Review:
"Keeping Secrets in Seattle" by Brooke Moss was a wonderful romantic story. This author did good at making the reader feel all of the conflict that was involved along with the desperation and then love. I enjoyed the diary that started every chapter and some of the laughter was good and well needed. We find this story is of Violet who is about to confess her love to her best friend, Gabe only to find out he is now engaged to another girl and she has even agreed to be Gabe's best man. Will she be able to move on after she meets a new guy (Landon) that has entered her life and tell her that he loves her? From "Violets tattoos, hair color and vintage clothing is a secret that she has kept to herself for ten years. "What was it that these two ...Violet and Gabe could not talk about what had happened 'That Night?' Now, to get all of this you must pick up "Keeping Secrets in Seattle" to find out what happened. I liked the way the story was told from Violet's point of view which gave the reader the emotional ride that she went through from the past to the present. The characters were all very deeply well developed giving the reader not only a very interesting but a entertaining read that was a good story about the childhood sweethearts that fall in love.
I loved these two quotes from the read:
"Real love takes work and effort and time. Real love is willing to wait while you sort your shit out, and is still there once you get your head in straight."
and
"I put my cup down and stared at my mom. I was getting love advice from Fourth Marriage Barbie now? What's next?"
"Keeping Secrets in Seattle" was truly a wonderful well written novel that was funny, sweet but also a emotional read. Would I recommend this novel? YES!
February 15, 2013
This book tell the story of Violet who is about to confess her love to her best friend, Gabe only to be informed that he is engaged to another girl. To make thing worse, the wedding is scheduled to be held on her birthday and that Gabe wanted her to be his best man. Being someone who has love Gabe for so long, she does not want to disappoint him and hence, agreed to be his best man and the organizer of his bachelor party. At the time where she is at the lowest point, she met Landon at a costume party and the beginning of her relationship with him. But back in her mind, she still is holding onto her love for Gabe.
From the start of Violet’s relationship with Landon, it is what I could term it as a rebound love as deep down she still unable to forgo her love for Gabe. Some would say it is the best remedy to let go of a relationship. But to me, it may backfire. I also like the way the author’s ended the story with an epilogue with Gabe’s as the first party. It gives the reader a good insight of Gabe’s thought is at the end of the book.
From the start of Violet’s relationship with Landon, it is what I could term it as a rebound love as deep down she still unable to forgo her love for Gabe. Some would say it is the best remedy to let go of a relationship. But to me, it may backfire. I also like the way the author’s ended the story with an epilogue with Gabe’s as the first party. It gives the reader a good insight of Gabe’s thought is at the end of the book.
March 17, 2013
A very nicely written love story about best friends forver but secretly in love with each other. These kind of stories always wind up making me cry a bunch (super affected mich lol). My eyes are so badly swollen and red right now. It's very emotional, mature and inexpicably annoying to the point where you want to strangle the characters just to make them speed things up. Too many times I was tempted to read the ending because the first half of the story constituted with me not knowing who she'll end up with. Yep. There's some mind of a love triangle/quadrangle (sort of) here.
Even if I cried tons of times, I super enjoyed readng about Violet and Gabe's story. Napiring, and the issues tackled was disconcerting but at the same time awakening. Thanks Brooke Moss for the wonderful story,m)4
Even if I cried tons of times, I super enjoyed readng about Violet and Gabe's story. Napiring, and the issues tackled was disconcerting but at the same time awakening. Thanks Brooke Moss for the wonderful story,m)4
November 11, 2018
Keeping Secrets in Seattle - PG
Violence: yes. No details.
Language: fewer than 90
Sex: fade to black, but yes.
I like the subtle don't judge message and am intrigues by the friends to lovers slant. The villain is despicable. New author for me. I'll read more.
Violence: yes. No details.
Language: fewer than 90
Sex: fade to black, but yes.
I like the subtle don't judge message and am intrigues by the friends to lovers slant. The villain is despicable. New author for me. I'll read more.
March 2, 2013
My Rant: Loved it. I completely loved this book. This was quite the page-turner and I was addicted as soon as I started to read it. Now you all know that I like my steamy scenes with my romance but now I can say I can read interesting books without them. There were not any steamy scenes in this book but that does not take away from this story at all. I have so much to say but I am not sure where to begin. I guess I will start with Violet. Wholeheartedly you have no chose but to love Violet. She witty, spunky, and smart and the best pick for Gabe. But she was so broken.
I didn’t envy her one bit. How do you stand around watching the man you love, love someone else when you know that you are meant to be with him. ( sobs). Violet had Gabe but lost that part of the relationship by no fault of her own. But due to a secret she has had to live with for years. The author captured the emotions flawlessly; you feel the anger, the loss, the betrayal and most of all the broken heart that has been ripped to shreds over and over again. (Sobbing more ).
“I love Gabe. I was supposed to be the woman sitting next to him as he stood there beaming and raising his glass”.
(Now I am crying)
At this point I want to shake Gabe until he comes to his senses. WTF is wrong with you dude, everyone around you knows how violet feels about you except you can’t see that.
This can’t be. This can’t be….
Gabe took his seat and leaned over to kiss his new fiancée on the cheek.
Viloet: “”I sniffled, thankfully the chorus of “Oh Come All Ye Faithful” covered the sound of my meltdown.
Gabe was sexy, smart, caring and successful. Everything that most women would want in a man. He was a good friend to Violet. It was so easy to drool over him. What was not easy was seeing him be just as green as the grass on the ground. Gabe loved Violet just as much as Violet loved him but he could not let go of Violet’s past mistake and her distance from him during their teenage years but he remained to be a true friend to her. Gabe struggled with his love for Violet and the love he had for Alicia. You can feel the push and pull of emotions. Gabe needed Violet like we need air to breath but he chose to marry Alicia. The whole time I am practically screaming to the top of my lungs because I am so frustrated with Gabe. I got angry but I could not loathe him. He’s just to dam irresistible.
From the beginning I knew I hated Alicia. There was no way I was connecting with her on any leave. You all know how you just can’t stand a character and just want to snap your fingers and they vanish from the book completely or get was coming to them. Alicia was a complete snob. I felt no compassion for her at all. How dare you, you skinny little twit. Lol. But what is a good book without a gold digging villain right. Cameron the other villain to this story just made my stomach wretch. I can’t go into many details about how much I hate him because I do not want to give the book away. But I was glad to see that Cameron got exactly what was coming to him. I mean Gabe was the right one to serve it up to Cameron. LOL, and he served it up on a platter. Now that Cameron was taken care of there were still issues that Violet and Gabe had to work out. Finally Violets secret is out but her and Gabe are still struggling to get things together.
Gabe: “ I can’t do this right now”
Violet: “You know everything now. There are no more secrets. Why are you pushing me away?”
See what I mean. You just want to shake Gabe until his mind patches itself together. How frustrating. To love someone that loves you back and you cannot be with them because they have trouble dealing and they ask for time to sort things out. The feeling hurts like hell.
As soon as you think there is no hope to this love story and you give up looking for a happy ending, you are not disappointed. The author gives you an amazing ending with a love letter that warms the heart on so many levels. (I am Sobbing again ).
Gabe: “ But I can fight for you from now on. Because you’re the only woman who has ever really, truly mattered.
How can you not get all misty eyed after that. (wiping eyes with Kleenex)
My Recommendation:
I rated this book 4 out of 5 purple rant hearts. I completely adored this story and would recommend it to anyone that loves a good contemporary romance.
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the author, editor, publisher, or Promo Host. This is my honest opinion about this book and I did not receive any monetary compensation for writing this review nor was I obligated to write a positive one.
I didn’t envy her one bit. How do you stand around watching the man you love, love someone else when you know that you are meant to be with him. ( sobs). Violet had Gabe but lost that part of the relationship by no fault of her own. But due to a secret she has had to live with for years. The author captured the emotions flawlessly; you feel the anger, the loss, the betrayal and most of all the broken heart that has been ripped to shreds over and over again. (Sobbing more ).
“I love Gabe. I was supposed to be the woman sitting next to him as he stood there beaming and raising his glass”.
(Now I am crying)
At this point I want to shake Gabe until he comes to his senses. WTF is wrong with you dude, everyone around you knows how violet feels about you except you can’t see that.
This can’t be. This can’t be….
Gabe took his seat and leaned over to kiss his new fiancée on the cheek.
Viloet: “”I sniffled, thankfully the chorus of “Oh Come All Ye Faithful” covered the sound of my meltdown.
Gabe was sexy, smart, caring and successful. Everything that most women would want in a man. He was a good friend to Violet. It was so easy to drool over him. What was not easy was seeing him be just as green as the grass on the ground. Gabe loved Violet just as much as Violet loved him but he could not let go of Violet’s past mistake and her distance from him during their teenage years but he remained to be a true friend to her. Gabe struggled with his love for Violet and the love he had for Alicia. You can feel the push and pull of emotions. Gabe needed Violet like we need air to breath but he chose to marry Alicia. The whole time I am practically screaming to the top of my lungs because I am so frustrated with Gabe. I got angry but I could not loathe him. He’s just to dam irresistible.
From the beginning I knew I hated Alicia. There was no way I was connecting with her on any leave. You all know how you just can’t stand a character and just want to snap your fingers and they vanish from the book completely or get was coming to them. Alicia was a complete snob. I felt no compassion for her at all. How dare you, you skinny little twit. Lol. But what is a good book without a gold digging villain right. Cameron the other villain to this story just made my stomach wretch. I can’t go into many details about how much I hate him because I do not want to give the book away. But I was glad to see that Cameron got exactly what was coming to him. I mean Gabe was the right one to serve it up to Cameron. LOL, and he served it up on a platter. Now that Cameron was taken care of there were still issues that Violet and Gabe had to work out. Finally Violets secret is out but her and Gabe are still struggling to get things together.
Gabe: “ I can’t do this right now”
Violet: “You know everything now. There are no more secrets. Why are you pushing me away?”
See what I mean. You just want to shake Gabe until his mind patches itself together. How frustrating. To love someone that loves you back and you cannot be with them because they have trouble dealing and they ask for time to sort things out. The feeling hurts like hell.
As soon as you think there is no hope to this love story and you give up looking for a happy ending, you are not disappointed. The author gives you an amazing ending with a love letter that warms the heart on so many levels. (I am Sobbing again ).
Gabe: “ But I can fight for you from now on. Because you’re the only woman who has ever really, truly mattered.
How can you not get all misty eyed after that. (wiping eyes with Kleenex)
My Recommendation:
I rated this book 4 out of 5 purple rant hearts. I completely adored this story and would recommend it to anyone that loves a good contemporary romance.
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the author, editor, publisher, or Promo Host. This is my honest opinion about this book and I did not receive any monetary compensation for writing this review nor was I obligated to write a positive one.
March 9, 2013
NetGalley free read
I thought this was a really sweet story. Violet 'Vi' has been in love with her best friend Gabe since they met when they were in kindergarten. When they were sixteen, they tried dating, but something happend that cabe between them. Ten years later Violet is ready to tell Gabe she's always been in love with him when he announces at his family's Christmas Dinner that he's engaged to mean girl Alicia. Alicia doesn't like Vi because of her relationship with Gabe and his family. She's one way in front of Gabe and his family and another in front of her.
After a period of time wallowing in her own misery, Vi decides that its time to move on and while out with her friends and roommates Kim and Betsy (who are a couple), she meets Landon. Landon is a lot like Vi. He has his own style and lots of tattoos. He's a sweet guy who immediately falls for Vi and she wants to fall for him. Every time she thinks she's getting close to Landon, Gabe calls or texts her. They even have a few moments where there seems to be more between them, but Gabe inevitably is too busy to listen or someone, namely his fiance Alicia, interrupts.
Vi decides to tell Gabe what happened when they were sixteen when they broke up. He seems to think she slept with his other bet friend, Cameron, while he was upstairs at a house party. What he doesn't know is that his friend assaulted Vi. Her mother told her to not say anything and she didn't. She's been carrying it around for ten years and thinks that if Gabe knew it would keep him from marrying Alicia and be with her.
As Vi tries to be part of the wedding and serve in the capacity as the best man Gabe asked her to be, she finds out more from Alicia's friends that she's not who she says she is.
When Vi tries to tell Gabe about Cameron and Vi, he's doesn't want to hear it. He's more angry that Vi looked into Alicia then what she found out. That's when Vi decides she will marry Landon. But once in Vegas, she can't go through with the quickie wedding and they break up. But before she left for Vegas, she send Gabe her journals she's been keeping since she was raped. Upon her return, Gabe confronts her and can't believe that everyone he thought he could trust had lied to him, from Alicia and Cameron, to Vi herself. She can't believe he lumps her in with the others and is furious.
When Gabe asks for time to think out his life and his feelings, Vi decides its time for her to give up and move away so she won't risk running into him. But before she can do that, Gabe sends her an email telling her how much he loves her, has always loved her and will always love her. That even though she's moving, he will never give up on her. Vi decides to stay and fight for her life with Gabe.
This was a cute story. I liked Betsy and Kim, they were a funny. Alicia was awful and Landon was almost too sweet. I hate to say it, but we want our guys a little less wimpy.
Vi's mother gave her daughter terrible advice when she'd been assaulted and should have tried to talk things through before nine years had passed. I love that they were an unconventional couple. Gabe was of mixed race raised by successful and loving parents. Vi was a Caucasian, raised by a beauty queen mother, with an absentee father and several step-fathers through her life. Vi work ventage clothing and had tattoos up her arms and back and she was a full figured girl, where Gabe was very fit.
I liked how the author had journal entries form when Vi was attacked at the beginning of each chapter. That told some of the backstory without having an entire chapter dedicated to it and instead, parceled it out so you could grow to understand what had happened to Vi. Not the best book, but I like what it stood for. Love can concur all.
I thought this was a really sweet story. Violet 'Vi' has been in love with her best friend Gabe since they met when they were in kindergarten. When they were sixteen, they tried dating, but something happend that cabe between them. Ten years later Violet is ready to tell Gabe she's always been in love with him when he announces at his family's Christmas Dinner that he's engaged to mean girl Alicia. Alicia doesn't like Vi because of her relationship with Gabe and his family. She's one way in front of Gabe and his family and another in front of her.
After a period of time wallowing in her own misery, Vi decides that its time to move on and while out with her friends and roommates Kim and Betsy (who are a couple), she meets Landon. Landon is a lot like Vi. He has his own style and lots of tattoos. He's a sweet guy who immediately falls for Vi and she wants to fall for him. Every time she thinks she's getting close to Landon, Gabe calls or texts her. They even have a few moments where there seems to be more between them, but Gabe inevitably is too busy to listen or someone, namely his fiance Alicia, interrupts.
Vi decides to tell Gabe what happened when they were sixteen when they broke up. He seems to think she slept with his other bet friend, Cameron, while he was upstairs at a house party. What he doesn't know is that his friend assaulted Vi. Her mother told her to not say anything and she didn't. She's been carrying it around for ten years and thinks that if Gabe knew it would keep him from marrying Alicia and be with her.
As Vi tries to be part of the wedding and serve in the capacity as the best man Gabe asked her to be, she finds out more from Alicia's friends that she's not who she says she is.
When Vi tries to tell Gabe about Cameron and Vi, he's doesn't want to hear it. He's more angry that Vi looked into Alicia then what she found out. That's when Vi decides she will marry Landon. But once in Vegas, she can't go through with the quickie wedding and they break up. But before she left for Vegas, she send Gabe her journals she's been keeping since she was raped. Upon her return, Gabe confronts her and can't believe that everyone he thought he could trust had lied to him, from Alicia and Cameron, to Vi herself. She can't believe he lumps her in with the others and is furious.
When Gabe asks for time to think out his life and his feelings, Vi decides its time for her to give up and move away so she won't risk running into him. But before she can do that, Gabe sends her an email telling her how much he loves her, has always loved her and will always love her. That even though she's moving, he will never give up on her. Vi decides to stay and fight for her life with Gabe.
This was a cute story. I liked Betsy and Kim, they were a funny. Alicia was awful and Landon was almost too sweet. I hate to say it, but we want our guys a little less wimpy.
Vi's mother gave her daughter terrible advice when she'd been assaulted and should have tried to talk things through before nine years had passed. I love that they were an unconventional couple. Gabe was of mixed race raised by successful and loving parents. Vi was a Caucasian, raised by a beauty queen mother, with an absentee father and several step-fathers through her life. Vi work ventage clothing and had tattoos up her arms and back and she was a full figured girl, where Gabe was very fit.
I liked how the author had journal entries form when Vi was attacked at the beginning of each chapter. That told some of the backstory without having an entire chapter dedicated to it and instead, parceled it out so you could grow to understand what had happened to Vi. Not the best book, but I like what it stood for. Love can concur all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2013
Find This and Other Reviews At Craves The Angst.
Keeping Secrets In Seattle is a Contemporary Romance written by Brooke Moss. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review by Entangled Publishing, LLC through NetGalley.
5 Amazing Angsty Stars!
Unexpected, Beautiful and Touching ! A Perfect Afternoon Read…
The Review:
I never expected to enjoy Keeping Secrets In Seattle as much as I did. I literally stayed huddled in my reading chair from the first sentence, until I hit the last page! Brooke Moss has stolen my heart with this book. She does a perfect job of pairing fun, interesting characters with dramatic, realistic story telling. She definitely has a new fan!
Violet Murphy has been in love with Gabe Parker since she was six years old. She became a part of his life, a part of his family and even he knew from the moment he saw her in the playground at school that he would love her forever. Deciding the time was right, they decided to date when they turned sixteen but on the first night of their official dating relationship, something goes horribly wrong and it fractured their relationship forever. Violet has a secret… Gabe is confused and angry…
After a bit of time and trusting each other a little less, they are determined to still maintain their best friend status, both trying to get past that night and move on. There’s only one problem. Violet still loves him to the bottom of her heart. Continuing to be best friends, Violet sits back and watches him year after year, float through relationships, always there to pick up the pieces while secretly wanting his arms around her.
Thinking the timing might be right to try once more and after a little prodding from her roommates, she decides to confess her feelings to Gabe. But instead he announces he’s engaged and getting married. Things start to crumble, Violet’s heart is broken and she decides she needs to get on with her life. She meets the incredibly sexy, lovable Landon at a dance bar one night and sparks immediately fly. But her love for Gabe just refuses to let her move on.
I loved this sorted quartet. Gabe is engaged to the detestable Alicia but he’s still in love with Violet. Violet decided to move on with Landon but she’s still in love with Gabe. There are a lot of feelings involved with these characters. You can feel the anxiety and tension flowing off the pages. There were moments when I was sure Violet should end her torture over Gabe and just move on with Landon but at the same time, I was as confused as she was because Gabe was so right for her.
Who does she choose? You’ll just have to read the book and find out!
I have to mention the roommates, Betsy and Kim, who couldn’t be better friends to Violet. Their spunky friendship was a pleasure to witness and their never wavering belief in good things for Violet made them the perfect foundation she needed during this whole story line.
The Wrap Up:
I was enamored with this book from start to finish. I loved the story. It was tragic, emotional, beautiful and best of all, it was romantic! Both Gabe and Landon were amazing guys and it was nerve-racking watching Violet agonize over them but it was also entertaining and sweet. Once her secret is unveiled, you understand a lot of why she is the way she is and why she made the decisions she made. The characters were fun and interesting and I found myself rooting for everyone to get the ending they deserved. Everything about this book was amazing! It’s a definite re-read!
Keeping Secrets In Seattle is a Contemporary Romance written by Brooke Moss. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review by Entangled Publishing, LLC through NetGalley.
5 Amazing Angsty Stars!
Unexpected, Beautiful and Touching ! A Perfect Afternoon Read…
The Review:
I never expected to enjoy Keeping Secrets In Seattle as much as I did. I literally stayed huddled in my reading chair from the first sentence, until I hit the last page! Brooke Moss has stolen my heart with this book. She does a perfect job of pairing fun, interesting characters with dramatic, realistic story telling. She definitely has a new fan!
Violet Murphy has been in love with Gabe Parker since she was six years old. She became a part of his life, a part of his family and even he knew from the moment he saw her in the playground at school that he would love her forever. Deciding the time was right, they decided to date when they turned sixteen but on the first night of their official dating relationship, something goes horribly wrong and it fractured their relationship forever. Violet has a secret… Gabe is confused and angry…
After a bit of time and trusting each other a little less, they are determined to still maintain their best friend status, both trying to get past that night and move on. There’s only one problem. Violet still loves him to the bottom of her heart. Continuing to be best friends, Violet sits back and watches him year after year, float through relationships, always there to pick up the pieces while secretly wanting his arms around her.
Thinking the timing might be right to try once more and after a little prodding from her roommates, she decides to confess her feelings to Gabe. But instead he announces he’s engaged and getting married. Things start to crumble, Violet’s heart is broken and she decides she needs to get on with her life. She meets the incredibly sexy, lovable Landon at a dance bar one night and sparks immediately fly. But her love for Gabe just refuses to let her move on.
I loved this sorted quartet. Gabe is engaged to the detestable Alicia but he’s still in love with Violet. Violet decided to move on with Landon but she’s still in love with Gabe. There are a lot of feelings involved with these characters. You can feel the anxiety and tension flowing off the pages. There were moments when I was sure Violet should end her torture over Gabe and just move on with Landon but at the same time, I was as confused as she was because Gabe was so right for her.
Who does she choose? You’ll just have to read the book and find out!
I have to mention the roommates, Betsy and Kim, who couldn’t be better friends to Violet. Their spunky friendship was a pleasure to witness and their never wavering belief in good things for Violet made them the perfect foundation she needed during this whole story line.
The Wrap Up:
I was enamored with this book from start to finish. I loved the story. It was tragic, emotional, beautiful and best of all, it was romantic! Both Gabe and Landon were amazing guys and it was nerve-racking watching Violet agonize over them but it was also entertaining and sweet. Once her secret is unveiled, you understand a lot of why she is the way she is and why she made the decisions she made. The characters were fun and interesting and I found myself rooting for everyone to get the ending they deserved. Everything about this book was amazing! It’s a definite re-read!
April 6, 2013
I love the feeling that washes over you when you finish a really good book. I went into Keeping Secrets in Seattle with the expectation of a run of the mill chick lit book. Filled with laughs, romance and quirky sidekick characters. Yes, don't worry it had all of that but it also had a much deeper storyline than I ever expected.
“I was not only going to witness Gabe getting married, but now I would have a front and center view while doing so. How intoxicated would I have to be to stand there without having any comprehension of what I was witnessing? Could one actually request a lobotomy?”
I really loved Violet. She is so much fun and exactly the type of character that you just fall in love with instantly and hold out hope that everything works out okay for her. And Gabe is great... even though you just want to grab him by the shoulders and give him a hard shake. Alicia, Gabe?! Really?
“You need to understand that love isn’t all romance and flowers and great sex, Violet.” I raised my eyebrows, but she didn’t stop. “Real love takes work and effort and time. Real love is willing to wait while you sort your shit out, and is still there once you get your head on straight.”
As mentioned before the side characters are fun and you end up loving them just as much. Violet's roommates Betsy and Kim are hilarious. And Landon... *sigh* I felt so bad for him really. Of course I love Violet and Gabe and of course I know they are destined to be together but poor Landon. Although there is no mention anywhere of there being any other books in this series I wish that Landon could get his own story. That would make me very happy.
“I couldn’t help but laugh when Landon’s round eyes met mine again. This was my life. A leopard print couch, a David Beckham look-alike, two lesbians, and a Felix the Cat clock. Sure, it wasn’t the JumboTron at Safeco Field, but it was by far the most romantic thing I’d ever experienced.”
As far as the serious storyline goes, I don't want to give away too much so I won't be going into specifics but it really is a heavy but very important subject matter. Moss seamlessly fits the back story into the present and as it unfolds you see exactly how it has effected both Violet and Gabe over the years. This is Violet's biggest secret and the one that changed everything.
So, all in all I strongly suggest Keeping Secrets in Seattle. It was a really quick and easy read and I managed it all in one sitting. To be honest I was pretty engrossed in the story so there wasn't much of chance of me putting it down.
“I never stopped, you know.” His voice was quiet.
My pulse stuttered. “Never stopped what?”
He gripped the glass tightly. “Never stopped loving you.”
Christine
Rainy Day Reads
“I was not only going to witness Gabe getting married, but now I would have a front and center view while doing so. How intoxicated would I have to be to stand there without having any comprehension of what I was witnessing? Could one actually request a lobotomy?”
I really loved Violet. She is so much fun and exactly the type of character that you just fall in love with instantly and hold out hope that everything works out okay for her. And Gabe is great... even though you just want to grab him by the shoulders and give him a hard shake. Alicia, Gabe?! Really?
“You need to understand that love isn’t all romance and flowers and great sex, Violet.” I raised my eyebrows, but she didn’t stop. “Real love takes work and effort and time. Real love is willing to wait while you sort your shit out, and is still there once you get your head on straight.”
As mentioned before the side characters are fun and you end up loving them just as much. Violet's roommates Betsy and Kim are hilarious. And Landon... *sigh* I felt so bad for him really. Of course I love Violet and Gabe and of course I know they are destined to be together but poor Landon. Although there is no mention anywhere of there being any other books in this series I wish that Landon could get his own story. That would make me very happy.
“I couldn’t help but laugh when Landon’s round eyes met mine again. This was my life. A leopard print couch, a David Beckham look-alike, two lesbians, and a Felix the Cat clock. Sure, it wasn’t the JumboTron at Safeco Field, but it was by far the most romantic thing I’d ever experienced.”
As far as the serious storyline goes, I don't want to give away too much so I won't be going into specifics but it really is a heavy but very important subject matter. Moss seamlessly fits the back story into the present and as it unfolds you see exactly how it has effected both Violet and Gabe over the years. This is Violet's biggest secret and the one that changed everything.
So, all in all I strongly suggest Keeping Secrets in Seattle. It was a really quick and easy read and I managed it all in one sitting. To be honest I was pretty engrossed in the story so there wasn't much of chance of me putting it down.
“I never stopped, you know.” His voice was quiet.
My pulse stuttered. “Never stopped what?”
He gripped the glass tightly. “Never stopped loving you.”
Christine
Rainy Day Reads
February 27, 2013
Violet has been in love with Gabe ever since she can remember. They tried their hand at dating but it failed horribly. After a while they went back to being best friends and have been ever since. She has had to watch as Gabe dated woman after woman and now that he let her know that he was single again, she is determined to let him know that she never stopped loving him. However, on the day she sets out to do this Gabe announces his engagement to Alicia. As you can imagine, she is heartbroken, but decides to move on with her life now that she is certain that Gabe is over her.
This is a a sweet, but heart wrenching story of true love and second chances. The author, Brooke Moss, did a wonderful job of bringing Gabe's and Violet's friendship to the page while giving us glimpses into that truly tore them apart when they tried their hand at dating. Little by little we get to know each of these characters, main and secondary both, letting the reader connect to them on a deeper level.
I enjoyed the easy manner in which Gabe and Violet related to each other. Their affection for each other was easily palpable and later on their chemistry was just as undeniable. Their bond goes deeper than that of friends and it is that bond that is threatened when Gabe gets engaged with Alicia. Through the years Violet and Gabe had stayed close - confiding in each other and spending time together. But as soon as his engagement is announced Gabe drifts away from her and this not only hurts Violet but also raises her suspicions about Alicia.
Hidden beneath all of Violet's tattoos, hair color and vintage clothing is a secret that she has kept to herself for ten years. It's the very secret that could bring them closer and forever tear them apart. Although Violet has managed to stash it away and move on with her life, it keeps haunting her until she decides to let it out.
Flowing through emotional moments and humorous dialog, Brooke Moss' writing was engaging and heartfelt. From the journal entries flashbacks through to the confrontation between Gabe and Violet all through the epilogue, every event the author set in place added to my enjoyment of the story. I laughed out loud at Violet's antics, cried along with Violet's heartbreak and sighed with each tender moment written.
Keeping Secrets in Seattle is a friends to lovers story that will tug at your heart strings with an overflowing range of emotions, humor and great characters. This is he first book I've read by this author, but her characterization and her ability to make me relate and connect to Gabe and Violet impressed me, so I will certainly be looking for more from her.
I received this title from Entangled Publishing through NetGalley in exchange of my honest opinion.
This is a a sweet, but heart wrenching story of true love and second chances. The author, Brooke Moss, did a wonderful job of bringing Gabe's and Violet's friendship to the page while giving us glimpses into that truly tore them apart when they tried their hand at dating. Little by little we get to know each of these characters, main and secondary both, letting the reader connect to them on a deeper level.
I enjoyed the easy manner in which Gabe and Violet related to each other. Their affection for each other was easily palpable and later on their chemistry was just as undeniable. Their bond goes deeper than that of friends and it is that bond that is threatened when Gabe gets engaged with Alicia. Through the years Violet and Gabe had stayed close - confiding in each other and spending time together. But as soon as his engagement is announced Gabe drifts away from her and this not only hurts Violet but also raises her suspicions about Alicia.
Hidden beneath all of Violet's tattoos, hair color and vintage clothing is a secret that she has kept to herself for ten years. It's the very secret that could bring them closer and forever tear them apart. Although Violet has managed to stash it away and move on with her life, it keeps haunting her until she decides to let it out.
Flowing through emotional moments and humorous dialog, Brooke Moss' writing was engaging and heartfelt. From the journal entries flashbacks through to the confrontation between Gabe and Violet all through the epilogue, every event the author set in place added to my enjoyment of the story. I laughed out loud at Violet's antics, cried along with Violet's heartbreak and sighed with each tender moment written.
Keeping Secrets in Seattle is a friends to lovers story that will tug at your heart strings with an overflowing range of emotions, humor and great characters. This is he first book I've read by this author, but her characterization and her ability to make me relate and connect to Gabe and Violet impressed me, so I will certainly be looking for more from her.
I received this title from Entangled Publishing through NetGalley in exchange of my honest opinion.
April 9, 2013
*I was gifted a copy of this book from Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review*
POSSIBLE SPOILERS - CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF.
Here’s the thing – I’m not a big fan of love triangles. What?! How is that possible?!! Well, I’ll get that eventually, but that’s one of the main reasons why I didn’t really enjoy this novel. I know what you’re probably thinking: Hey dumbass, if you don’t like love triangles, why even read a book that has one?! Fair question – and here’s the answer: there is always an exception. For every 30-some love triangles that I dislike, there is usually one that grabs me and sucks me in; one that makes me think for a minute that maybe I could like love triangles. Sadly, this wasn’t one of the exceptions.
The story of Vi and Gabe had potential, but I felt it lacked execution. I absolutely adore best friend romances, but this one just didn’t do it for me and I can tell you with almost 100 percent certainty as to why; the third wheels – Alicia and Landon. The quickest way to turn me off from a hero and/or heroine is to have them date someone while they are clearly in love with someone else. I don’t like that – IMO, I find that horribly selfish and rude. Unfortunately, this was the case for Gabe and Violet. It made me dislike both of them, and once you dislike both of the main characters, everything else pretty much goes down the drain as well. The only character I actually liked was Landon, which leads me to one other reason why I don't enjoy love triangles. I always end up rooting for the guy that is the clear underdog. And let's just be honest...how often does the underdog every really get the girl? Not often (at least not in the triangles that I've read).
This book wasn’t poorly written by any means, and the quality of writing is actually what kept me from giving it 1 star; the story line just wasn’t for me. If you dig love triangles, you’ll probably have the exact opposite opinion of this novel as me, but that’s the beauty of reading – no two people read the same book. I skimmed a lot once I hit about 60% and didn’t really bother to read much of the end after I knew exactly what I didn’t want to happen was going to happen. I wish I would have been able to say that Keeping Secrets in Seattle was an exception to my dislike of love triangles – but my reviews are based on honesty, and I’m not going to start sugarcoating my opinion now. So, in the name of honesty, I have to say that I just wasn’t a fan of this novel.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS - CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF.
Here’s the thing – I’m not a big fan of love triangles. What?! How is that possible?!! Well, I’ll get that eventually, but that’s one of the main reasons why I didn’t really enjoy this novel. I know what you’re probably thinking: Hey dumbass, if you don’t like love triangles, why even read a book that has one?! Fair question – and here’s the answer: there is always an exception. For every 30-some love triangles that I dislike, there is usually one that grabs me and sucks me in; one that makes me think for a minute that maybe I could like love triangles. Sadly, this wasn’t one of the exceptions.
The story of Vi and Gabe had potential, but I felt it lacked execution. I absolutely adore best friend romances, but this one just didn’t do it for me and I can tell you with almost 100 percent certainty as to why; the third wheels – Alicia and Landon. The quickest way to turn me off from a hero and/or heroine is to have them date someone while they are clearly in love with someone else. I don’t like that – IMO, I find that horribly selfish and rude. Unfortunately, this was the case for Gabe and Violet. It made me dislike both of them, and once you dislike both of the main characters, everything else pretty much goes down the drain as well. The only character I actually liked was Landon, which leads me to one other reason why I don't enjoy love triangles. I always end up rooting for the guy that is the clear underdog. And let's just be honest...how often does the underdog every really get the girl? Not often (at least not in the triangles that I've read).
This book wasn’t poorly written by any means, and the quality of writing is actually what kept me from giving it 1 star; the story line just wasn’t for me. If you dig love triangles, you’ll probably have the exact opposite opinion of this novel as me, but that’s the beauty of reading – no two people read the same book. I skimmed a lot once I hit about 60% and didn’t really bother to read much of the end after I knew exactly what I didn’t want to happen was going to happen. I wish I would have been able to say that Keeping Secrets in Seattle was an exception to my dislike of love triangles – but my reviews are based on honesty, and I’m not going to start sugarcoating my opinion now. So, in the name of honesty, I have to say that I just wasn’t a fan of this novel.
March 8, 2013
Reviewed @ Enticed by Books
Keeping Secrets in Seattle has such a bittersweet romance and for the first time ever I picked the wrong guy, but Violet ended up with the perfect man, so I'm happy for her. Told from Violet point of view, it is a story about friendship and how far are you willing to go to make your best friend happy even if it's hurting you.
Violet has always been in love with Gabe; he has been her neighbor and best friend since kindergarten, and they did date once in high school, but things went wrong and Violet never got to chance to profess her love. Fast forward to the present, she still has strong feelings towards Gabe even though he is getting married and has asked Violet to be his best man. Talk about awkward situation. I liked Violet instantly, she is a very free spirited person, wears vintage clothes and isn't afraid of her voluptuous body. She owns it up like it's nobody's business and I love her for that. I didn't connect with Violet in the beginning because she was so hung up on Gabe to take any other guy seriously. I just wanted her to move on with her life and date other people like a very charming and outdoorsy man, Landon.
Landon was the perfect boyfriend for Violet, he did all the right things, took her to dinner, send her flowers, left her cute & romantic texts, and more importantly, he never rushed things and took their relationship one step at a time. How could she not fall for him? I get why Violet was so confused with her feelings, she likes Landon but she has always loved Gabe; she had a tough decision to make and I think she made the right choice. There were some things I hated in the book namely Violet's mother. She was horrible and I can believe she was so ignorant and heartless. I hated her and her story didn't made me sympathize with her at all.
Overall, I really liked Keeping Secrets in Seattle. My favorite parts were reading Violet's journal and I love how they are on the cover because they were the key elements of this story. I would highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy best friend romance, even if they end that way or not, and to the fans of My Best Friend's Wedding. The story reminded me of that movie a little, but Keeping Secrets in Seattle turned out to be more personal and touching. Don't miss this out!.
A Copy was provided by Entangled Publishing for an honest review. (Thanks You.)
Keeping Secrets in Seattle has such a bittersweet romance and for the first time ever I picked the wrong guy, but Violet ended up with the perfect man, so I'm happy for her. Told from Violet point of view, it is a story about friendship and how far are you willing to go to make your best friend happy even if it's hurting you.
Violet has always been in love with Gabe; he has been her neighbor and best friend since kindergarten, and they did date once in high school, but things went wrong and Violet never got to chance to profess her love. Fast forward to the present, she still has strong feelings towards Gabe even though he is getting married and has asked Violet to be his best man. Talk about awkward situation. I liked Violet instantly, she is a very free spirited person, wears vintage clothes and isn't afraid of her voluptuous body. She owns it up like it's nobody's business and I love her for that. I didn't connect with Violet in the beginning because she was so hung up on Gabe to take any other guy seriously. I just wanted her to move on with her life and date other people like a very charming and outdoorsy man, Landon.
Landon was the perfect boyfriend for Violet, he did all the right things, took her to dinner, send her flowers, left her cute & romantic texts, and more importantly, he never rushed things and took their relationship one step at a time. How could she not fall for him? I get why Violet was so confused with her feelings, she likes Landon but she has always loved Gabe; she had a tough decision to make and I think she made the right choice. There were some things I hated in the book namely Violet's mother. She was horrible and I can believe she was so ignorant and heartless. I hated her and her story didn't made me sympathize with her at all.
Overall, I really liked Keeping Secrets in Seattle. My favorite parts were reading Violet's journal and I love how they are on the cover because they were the key elements of this story. I would highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy best friend romance, even if they end that way or not, and to the fans of My Best Friend's Wedding. The story reminded me of that movie a little, but Keeping Secrets in Seattle turned out to be more personal and touching. Don't miss this out!.
A Copy was provided by Entangled Publishing for an honest review. (Thanks You.)
February 25, 2013
Review found at The Life & Times Blog.
Violet and Gabe have been best friends since they were six years old. As they got older, Violet’s feelings for Gabe started to grow. Unfortunately for Violet, they are not together. One day Violet decides to make her intentions known to Gabe; however Gabe has other things planned for that evening. Like announcing to his family that he is engaged to Alicia, the woman he has been seeing for the past four months.
Heartbroken and inconsolable, her friends/roommates Betsy and Kim convince her that she needs to move on with her life and forget about Gabe. Enter Landon Harlow. A gorgeous guy with a killer smile who just happens to be her type.
Landon turns out to be a great guy and Vi is practically swept off her feet. But as they begin a relationship, Vi needs to figure out if Landon can really help her get over her childhood crush for good or if she should risk it all and tell Gabe her true feelings.
What I liked:
Each chapter begins with a part of Vi’s past journals from when she was in high school. That added more to the story and helped to understand Violet’s character better as well as the big secret she was keeping.
I loved Violet. She is a feisty and strong character. She is stronger than she believes she is. And her fashion style is as cool and funky as her personality.
Even though Violet is in a relationship with Landon and not with Gabe, I sort of felt like she was leading Landon on. She isn’t being completely honest and is still harboring feelings for Gabe. And at times her and Gabe’s relationship was a little inappropriate for them being just friends.
Final thoughts:
Before I began reading this book, I was expecting a light-hearted read with a similar plot/ story-line as the movie “Made of Honor” with Patrick Dempsey and Michelle Monaghan. Instead what I got was something with more depth and a lot more entertainment than I was expecting. Keeping Secrets in Seattle is a cute, funny, and a bit of an emotional read. There was a moment or two when I cried a little. I liked it more than I thought I would.
** I received this book from Entangled Publishing in exchange for nothing, but my honest review. Thank you!**
Violet and Gabe have been best friends since they were six years old. As they got older, Violet’s feelings for Gabe started to grow. Unfortunately for Violet, they are not together. One day Violet decides to make her intentions known to Gabe; however Gabe has other things planned for that evening. Like announcing to his family that he is engaged to Alicia, the woman he has been seeing for the past four months.
Heartbroken and inconsolable, her friends/roommates Betsy and Kim convince her that she needs to move on with her life and forget about Gabe. Enter Landon Harlow. A gorgeous guy with a killer smile who just happens to be her type.
Landon turns out to be a great guy and Vi is practically swept off her feet. But as they begin a relationship, Vi needs to figure out if Landon can really help her get over her childhood crush for good or if she should risk it all and tell Gabe her true feelings.
What I liked:
Each chapter begins with a part of Vi’s past journals from when she was in high school. That added more to the story and helped to understand Violet’s character better as well as the big secret she was keeping.
I loved Violet. She is a feisty and strong character. She is stronger than she believes she is. And her fashion style is as cool and funky as her personality.
Even though Violet is in a relationship with Landon and not with Gabe, I sort of felt like she was leading Landon on. She isn’t being completely honest and is still harboring feelings for Gabe. And at times her and Gabe’s relationship was a little inappropriate for them being just friends.
Final thoughts:
Before I began reading this book, I was expecting a light-hearted read with a similar plot/ story-line as the movie “Made of Honor” with Patrick Dempsey and Michelle Monaghan. Instead what I got was something with more depth and a lot more entertainment than I was expecting. Keeping Secrets in Seattle is a cute, funny, and a bit of an emotional read. There was a moment or two when I cried a little. I liked it more than I thought I would.
** I received this book from Entangled Publishing in exchange for nothing, but my honest review. Thank you!**
March 1, 2013
check out this review and opthers at www.twinsietalk.blogspot.com, www.facebook.com/twinseitalk or @ twinsietalk
I received this ARC Book from the author for a truthful review.
I don't know where to start. I loved this book to the point I was unable to put it down. I went to bed late after reading over half in one night AND getting up extra early to finish it the next day. While reading this book I was soooo conflicted for Vi. I know she loves Gabe but but but he loves a total mega, fake, phoney beeotch Alicia. Vi has loved him since she has known Gabe which is since Kindergarten. You get the feeling Gabe has some "feelings" for Vi but he isn't ready to admit them???? Anyway Vi finally meets an amazing guy (on paper) and Landon does a great job being her distraction. I was really torn...do I want Vi to move the heck on with Landon because he adores her and would be an amazing husband or does she risk everything to try and be with Gabe....seriously I think I was developing an ulcer.....I really didn't know what I wanted to happen at the end. I mean Gabe is GABE but Landon is LANDON........I know I am rambling and you people are like "So what the hell buy the book or not?" Trust me...BUY THE BOOK. I can't really talk about the story because if I do I will totally give away all the amazing excitement/stress/tension/ etc of the story.
My favorite scene was Gabe's bachelor party. I loved how well Vi knows this man. My least favorite scene was when Gabe announces his engagement. I thought it was pretty douchey of him to not share this news with his "best friend". I have to mention any scene with Vi's roommates are hilarious. They definitely show Vi what true friends are and support her like a real life friend would. Do they agree with her choices? Not all the time BUT they are there when she needs them no matter what. That is the definition of a good friend. Now Cameron...Cameron....Cameron.....Cameron.....lets just say I believe you will understand my reluctance to speak about him but YEAH GABE!!! Wanna know what the hell I am talking about? Read the book!!!
Ok so I know alot of people hate epilogues but I love them. To me they can complete a story and let you in on the HEA. This was a great epilogue and we even get a peek at what has happened to everyone....Cameron, Gabe, Vi, And Alicia.........
I received this ARC Book from the author for a truthful review.
I don't know where to start. I loved this book to the point I was unable to put it down. I went to bed late after reading over half in one night AND getting up extra early to finish it the next day. While reading this book I was soooo conflicted for Vi. I know she loves Gabe but but but he loves a total mega, fake, phoney beeotch Alicia. Vi has loved him since she has known Gabe which is since Kindergarten. You get the feeling Gabe has some "feelings" for Vi but he isn't ready to admit them???? Anyway Vi finally meets an amazing guy (on paper) and Landon does a great job being her distraction. I was really torn...do I want Vi to move the heck on with Landon because he adores her and would be an amazing husband or does she risk everything to try and be with Gabe....seriously I think I was developing an ulcer.....I really didn't know what I wanted to happen at the end. I mean Gabe is GABE but Landon is LANDON........I know I am rambling and you people are like "So what the hell buy the book or not?" Trust me...BUY THE BOOK. I can't really talk about the story because if I do I will totally give away all the amazing excitement/stress/tension/ etc of the story.
My favorite scene was Gabe's bachelor party. I loved how well Vi knows this man. My least favorite scene was when Gabe announces his engagement. I thought it was pretty douchey of him to not share this news with his "best friend". I have to mention any scene with Vi's roommates are hilarious. They definitely show Vi what true friends are and support her like a real life friend would. Do they agree with her choices? Not all the time BUT they are there when she needs them no matter what. That is the definition of a good friend. Now Cameron...Cameron....Cameron.....Cameron.....lets just say I believe you will understand my reluctance to speak about him but YEAH GABE!!! Wanna know what the hell I am talking about? Read the book!!!
Ok so I know alot of people hate epilogues but I love them. To me they can complete a story and let you in on the HEA. This was a great epilogue and we even get a peek at what has happened to everyone....Cameron, Gabe, Vi, And Alicia.........
March 7, 2013
Violet and Gabe have known each other since they were in Kindergarten. They grew up together, their parents were good friends, they had traditions on special occasions, they were best of friends. For Violet, Gabe was the love of her life. Twenty years later, she was determined to let him know this time…..at Thanksgiving dinner. But before Vi has the chance, Gabe announces that he has proposed to Alicia, a girlfriend that Vi thought Gabe was over with.
Violet was hurt because of the fact that Gabe, her best friend did not even mention he was going to propose to Alicia. Then a bigger shock when he asks her to be his “best man”. How do you deal with something like that? Knowing you will have to involved with the wedding plans all the way. Violet has thought though that there was something about Alicia that was off. And from comments that Alicia’s bridesmaids have made, Violet was determined to find out, expose her and prove to Gabe that he is making a big mistake.
At the same time, Violet meets the very handsome and rugged Landon. At times he could just be the answer Violet is looking for to finally get over Gabe. Yet it seems that every time Violet has the chance to move on in her life, Gabe always comes into the picture. In the long run, what Landon had to offer was just not enough to for Violet to let the idea of Gabe, go.
Of course finding some interesting information about Alicia to convince Gabe she is not the right woman for him seems like the answer to her problems. But, Violet does not know that it was something that happened in their teenage years that had affected Gabe. Pain that Violet brought into his life. When the secret is known, Gabe and Violet struggle to get pass the lies and secrecy. Regardless of what Violet experienced in their past, there are a lot of sacrifices, healing, forgiveness and time before Gabe and Violet can start over.
Personally, the best part in this book was the Epilogue, I enjoyed the finally happy ever after from Gabe’s POV.
Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing the ARC.
™From My Playlist: Oasis - Wonderwall
Violet was hurt because of the fact that Gabe, her best friend did not even mention he was going to propose to Alicia. Then a bigger shock when he asks her to be his “best man”. How do you deal with something like that? Knowing you will have to involved with the wedding plans all the way. Violet has thought though that there was something about Alicia that was off. And from comments that Alicia’s bridesmaids have made, Violet was determined to find out, expose her and prove to Gabe that he is making a big mistake.
At the same time, Violet meets the very handsome and rugged Landon. At times he could just be the answer Violet is looking for to finally get over Gabe. Yet it seems that every time Violet has the chance to move on in her life, Gabe always comes into the picture. In the long run, what Landon had to offer was just not enough to for Violet to let the idea of Gabe, go.
Of course finding some interesting information about Alicia to convince Gabe she is not the right woman for him seems like the answer to her problems. But, Violet does not know that it was something that happened in their teenage years that had affected Gabe. Pain that Violet brought into his life. When the secret is known, Gabe and Violet struggle to get pass the lies and secrecy. Regardless of what Violet experienced in their past, there are a lot of sacrifices, healing, forgiveness and time before Gabe and Violet can start over.
Personally, the best part in this book was the Epilogue, I enjoyed the finally happy ever after from Gabe’s POV.
Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing the ARC.
™From My Playlist: Oasis - Wonderwall
March 19, 2013
Received from NetGalley for an honest review
My friend Amanda (Hootie) was raving about this book. So one day I was looking through Netgalley and saw that it was on there. Since she loved it, I thought I'd give it a whirl.
I did love it! Violet is so spunky. I felt bad for her. This is the classic fall in love with your best friend but he's with someone else story. And holy moly is his fiance a bitch. I thought maybe I just wouldn't like her because she was with Gabe, but wow.. you will see.
One of my favs about this book is Violets lesbian roommates. They are hysterical. I was dying at some of the stuff they said and did. But most of all, they were there for her like family, which made me love them even more
Gabe, what an asshat at times.. but you can so obviously see what Violet sees in him. Landon.. oh enter Landon, the new guy. I liked him.. I truly did, but man is this guy fast. It's not true what they say about women. Men are just as likely to get crazy and catch hella feelings. I wanted to reach in side my kindle and get the guys attention.. “dude... don't name your babies yet, Mmmkay?” lol.
The painful past.. well that wasn't a surprise to me.. for one, I stumbled onto a spoiler. Yes!!! that’s right!!!! for all of you who might not have known, androids goodreads app does not hide spoiler reviews. They show up hidden on the computer but not on my phone. So while I was innocently clicking onto the book to mark it as currently reading, what to I see. All caps right on the top. The very secret that's being kept. Nice, right!
It's all good though, it didn't ruin the story for me, you catch on pretty quickly anyway as to what she's keeping hidden.
Overall, awesome book. I will definitely have to read more from this author. :-)
My friend Amanda (Hootie) was raving about this book. So one day I was looking through Netgalley and saw that it was on there. Since she loved it, I thought I'd give it a whirl.
I did love it! Violet is so spunky. I felt bad for her. This is the classic fall in love with your best friend but he's with someone else story. And holy moly is his fiance a bitch. I thought maybe I just wouldn't like her because she was with Gabe, but wow.. you will see.
One of my favs about this book is Violets lesbian roommates. They are hysterical. I was dying at some of the stuff they said and did. But most of all, they were there for her like family, which made me love them even more
Gabe, what an asshat at times.. but you can so obviously see what Violet sees in him. Landon.. oh enter Landon, the new guy. I liked him.. I truly did, but man is this guy fast. It's not true what they say about women. Men are just as likely to get crazy and catch hella feelings. I wanted to reach in side my kindle and get the guys attention.. “dude... don't name your babies yet, Mmmkay?” lol.
The painful past.. well that wasn't a surprise to me.. for one, I stumbled onto a spoiler. Yes!!! that’s right!!!! for all of you who might not have known, androids goodreads app does not hide spoiler reviews. They show up hidden on the computer but not on my phone. So while I was innocently clicking onto the book to mark it as currently reading, what to I see. All caps right on the top. The very secret that's being kept. Nice, right!
It's all good though, it didn't ruin the story for me, you catch on pretty quickly anyway as to what she's keeping hidden.
Overall, awesome book. I will definitely have to read more from this author. :-)
February 20, 2013
ARC courtesy of Entangled Publishing via Netgalley for an honest review
In this book the story line is: girl loves best friend but said best friend has just proposed to his girlfriend and now girl thinks it might be too late to ever be with the one man she loves. Does this plot sound familiar? Probably because we have all seen it before in chick flicks and romance novels. I will give this the author her due because even with the same old plot the the story line is executed well because this ended up being a fast paced and enjoyable read.
Underneath what sounds like a flighty story line there is depth. The heroine, Violet, is hiding a nine year old secret that will shake everyone she knows to the core. Meanwhile, there is more than meets the eye to her best friend's fiance and she might be a gold digger just waiting to trade up and it is up to Violet to find out. Also, Violet must decide if running away easier than fighting for the man she loves.
I liked this story more than I thought I would even though I thought the ending was a bit cheesy the epilogue was a nice touch. I liked how when all the secrets were revealed and everything came out in the open it felt real how the characters dealt with the fallout. Gabe and Violet didn't automatically fall right into each other's arms and live happily ever after. No they needed to time and space to deal with the hurt and then find a way back into each other's arms because a secret like the one Violet is carrying around doesn't just go away and it doesn't heal overnight. I give this story four laser pistols because it was a quick and easy read filled with depth and emotion and sometimes I just like a good chick lit kind of story.
In this book the story line is: girl loves best friend but said best friend has just proposed to his girlfriend and now girl thinks it might be too late to ever be with the one man she loves. Does this plot sound familiar? Probably because we have all seen it before in chick flicks and romance novels. I will give this the author her due because even with the same old plot the the story line is executed well because this ended up being a fast paced and enjoyable read.
Underneath what sounds like a flighty story line there is depth. The heroine, Violet, is hiding a nine year old secret that will shake everyone she knows to the core. Meanwhile, there is more than meets the eye to her best friend's fiance and she might be a gold digger just waiting to trade up and it is up to Violet to find out. Also, Violet must decide if running away easier than fighting for the man she loves.
I liked this story more than I thought I would even though I thought the ending was a bit cheesy the epilogue was a nice touch. I liked how when all the secrets were revealed and everything came out in the open it felt real how the characters dealt with the fallout. Gabe and Violet didn't automatically fall right into each other's arms and live happily ever after. No they needed to time and space to deal with the hurt and then find a way back into each other's arms because a secret like the one Violet is carrying around doesn't just go away and it doesn't heal overnight. I give this story four laser pistols because it was a quick and easy read filled with depth and emotion and sometimes I just like a good chick lit kind of story.
February 24, 2013
Originally posted on What I'm Reading
When I started Keeping Secrets in Seattle by Brooke Moss, I wasn't sure what to expect. I have to be honest I went through array of emotion when I read this book. So, I might as well share my thoughts on this book.
During most of the book I was a ball full of nerves. I truly was worry with what the secret could be. There was so much tension as the story began. I think a lot of it had to deal with Violet Murphy keeping a secret bottled up for almost 10 years. Honestly that takes a toll on a person. It didn't help that her best friend, Gabe Parker, didn't tell her that he got back with his ex-girlfriend and propose to her. Watching her dream burn up in flames, as she sees the love of her life move on with Alicia.
I was feeling really wound up tight until she let the secret out and I was able to finally relax somewhat. By that time all hell had broke loose and I was feeling more calm and able to enjoy the book. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the book, but my emotion were everywhere. The subject of the secret of was extremely heavy, which tends to happen when sexual abuse is involve.
Overall, a marvelous work. I was amaze on how the author was able to tackle something that tends to get buried deep down in a dark corner. Through out most of the book was heavy, but worth the read. Most of all Violet and Gabe were able to find there happily ever after. Getting there was the challenge. So, if are looking for a change you might give Keeping Secrets in Seattle by Brooke Moss a try.
Copy provide by the publisher
When I started Keeping Secrets in Seattle by Brooke Moss, I wasn't sure what to expect. I have to be honest I went through array of emotion when I read this book. So, I might as well share my thoughts on this book.
During most of the book I was a ball full of nerves. I truly was worry with what the secret could be. There was so much tension as the story began. I think a lot of it had to deal with Violet Murphy keeping a secret bottled up for almost 10 years. Honestly that takes a toll on a person. It didn't help that her best friend, Gabe Parker, didn't tell her that he got back with his ex-girlfriend and propose to her. Watching her dream burn up in flames, as she sees the love of her life move on with Alicia.
I was feeling really wound up tight until she let the secret out and I was able to finally relax somewhat. By that time all hell had broke loose and I was feeling more calm and able to enjoy the book. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the book, but my emotion were everywhere. The subject of the secret of was extremely heavy, which tends to happen when sexual abuse is involve.
Overall, a marvelous work. I was amaze on how the author was able to tackle something that tends to get buried deep down in a dark corner. Through out most of the book was heavy, but worth the read. Most of all Violet and Gabe were able to find there happily ever after. Getting there was the challenge. So, if are looking for a change you might give Keeping Secrets in Seattle by Brooke Moss a try.
Copy provide by the publisher
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