Customer Reviews

Naughty Little Secret

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lauren Southall has divorced her useless husband and gone back to work. Well, two years have passed since she left her husband and there is one thing keeping her from being deliriously happy. It's her handsome boss Noah Reeves. Noah puts play in the word "playboy" and she wants to take the place of the air heads he insists on dating. Too bad she doesn't think she has what it takes to compete with the Barbie dolls that drift in and out of his life. She needs to make changes but doesn't know how. Then she begins to be courted by a mystery man. He makes her burn and makes all of her fantasies come to life. Too bad every time she's in his arms she longs for Noah's. What's a woman to do?

Noah wants Lauren...has for years ten to be precise and he is done waiting for her to come around and admit that they are meant to be together. So he dons the disguise of mystery lover. When they are together it's magic but will she have the strength to admit that they belong together and that the past has no bearing on who she is or the future that they can share?

This story is brimming with sensuality and heart--a true treat for fans of erotic romance. Noah and Lauren are wonderfully crafted characters and the chemistry is evident from the beginning. Ms. Bradley is a fine writer and one I have little trouble recommending. This is steamy hot read for your summer reading consideration!

After divorcing her inattentive workaholic husband, Lauren Southall picked up the pieces of her life and found a job working for one of her ex's best friends, Noah Reeves. For the last two years, she'd donned the career woman persona working side by side with Noah all the while wishing she could be more than just his employee. She'd seen the stream of silicone filled young lovelies he'd date then drop and knew he couldn't possibly be interested in a 36-year-old divorcee with two young children.

Noah had been in love with Lauren since the day he'd met her. For ten years he'd been eating his heart out and for the last two he'd been biding his time to come up with a plan to make her his. By day he's her best friend, great pal and boss, but by night he's Mr. Mysterious a fantasy mind-blowing sex master pleasuring her beyond her wild imaginings. Now Noah has to convince Lauren that Mr. Mysterious is after more than just mind-blowing sex, and wants her love and commitment.

*** Both Noah and Lauren were characters one could relate to in believable real life situations. Bradley capitalized on this with an emotional tug for the pain of being rejected while both kept their naughty secrets to themselves of each secretly desiring one another's bodies for hot mind blowing sex. With humorously witty dialogs and some very graphic sex the readers are in for a very decadent treat as Bradley packs a wallop with this extremely sensual well done read. Additionally when you couple all that with the bonus of a tender love story you end up with a very stimulating and satisfying story. Bottom line - This is definitely a lusty read that should get most libidos kick started into high gear!

Marilyn Rondeau, RIO - Reviewers International Organization
for CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

This book has a great story, well rounded charachters and steamy sex. I was a little disappointed because Mr Mysterious could have done sooo much more, ( I wanted him to get just a little rougher and more kinky) and when the herione finds out who he is, it was really not believable that she rejected him... I mean c'mon! you find out the man you've been hot for for years is the one who's been giving you the best sex of your life and you're gonna have a problem with that? ummmm...no. But those were minor disturbances in an otherwise fun and steamy book... this is a must read if you ask me!

Noah Reeves has been in love with Lauren for ten years; ten long years during which he watched her strive to make a marriage work and raise children alone while her emotionally frozen husband ignored her. Now, two years after Lauren's divorce, Noah is unable to wait any longer and so he comes up with a plan. A plan to woo and seduce Lauren and make her understand that there is a man whom she can love and rely on to hold her throughout the night; him.

Lauren Southall has secretly been in love with Noah for years. She has been unable to look at other men since her divorce; all of her fantasies revolve around Noah, her friend and her boss. Knowing that relationships cause pain and heartache, Lauren is unwilling to risk her heart again; that is, until a mysterious note and gift are left on her desk at work. After reading the note, Lauren finds herself willing to go along with the instructions, much to Noah's supposed dismay. She and Noah exchange harsh words in which Lauren lets him know that under no circumstances should he interfere with her mystery man. Noah doesn't like her request but he agrees and Lauren leaves. She has to get home and set herself up to be seduced.

NAUGHTY LITTLE SECRET was naughty all right. I still don't think I have recovered! As a boss, Noah was fair, balanced, and extremely on task with his lists and strategies. As a lover, his actions were poignant and demanding. I thought his no-holds-barred idea of winning Lauren's love highly effective; I would not have been able to resist him. Lauren could be any woman who has gone through a tough divorce and is afraid to give her heart and love again. It was in Lauren's surrender that Ms. Bradley's talent as a writer shined.

NAUGHTY LITTLE SECRET by Shelley Bradley should come with its own warning label that states, "Warning! This novel may cause heart palpitations, sweating, and tears. Ice chips and a cold shower recommended!" It was just that hot and more. Shelley Bradley takes the reader on a whirlwind of emotions throughout NAUGHTY LITTLE SECRET. After having read it I could not be more satisfied. Highly erotic and extremely tender at the same time, this book made me smile, cry, and squirm in my seat. Congrats Ms. Bradley for writing a novel that will make the readers feel the emotions of the characters. Not only feel, but also yearn to BE the characters. This one is definitely a keeper.

This book had some good and bad things. The writing was one of the good things; Shelley Bradley is a talented author and does present her story with an easy flow of words. I also like the fact that the heroine, Lauren, is near my own age and on a journey to reinvent herself by reentering the work force after a disilusioned marriage. It's something I could relate to, currently doing the same thing myself.

However, the main bad thing I found seriously wrong with this book is how Noah goes about "seducing" Lauren. And I use the term lightly. As you've no doubt read about the story line, Noah dresses up in a ski mask, hand cuffs her to her bed, and then proceeds to have sex with her. Without a condom and without taking off the mask.

For most of the book, Lauren has no idea who Mr. Mysterious is who sneeks in her house, ties her up, and has sex with her without protection. As a mother, I found this seriously wrong, not only for the obvious reasons but also because it goes against Lauren's character as we've come to know her so far. The ending was also slightly annoying- once Lauren finds out Noah is masked man she pushes him away because she thinks he'll cheat on her, even though she has no cause to think like this. I really thought this was a bad way to prolong the story.

Here's why I gave this book three stars...the sex is hot. I have to admit this. Ms. Bradley writes very nice scenes. And because as a reader I know it's Noah behind the mask, it kept me reading the book. This book, in my opinion, is worth borrowing from a friend or buying used.

The premise of this story is a marriage which ended several years ago due to the husband not putting any effort in and the friend who has silently been in love with the now divorced single mom for years.

I thought the author did a good job of developing the characters, especially Lauren. The actions of the characters were very true to the personalities she developed and the story was fast paced. I read this in one sitting and will be looking up other books by this author.

For those used to reading traditional romance novels, be aware this is a Samhain published book, which means sensual and explicit love scenes.

After divorcing her absentee husband Tim, Lauren finds herself working and lusting for his best friend Noah. When she starts receiving attention from a secret admirer who promises to rock her world, she is intrigued. He seems to know her schedule, as he arrives masked and ready for sensual games. She works the fantasy by imagining that it is Noah who is her masked lover. As she and Noah spend more time together and he reveals that he has been in love with a woman who is now available, she offers him insight as to why the woman is not responding to his overtures, not realizing that the woman in question is her. Will she be receptive when she learns of his deception?

Though highly sensual, this story is sadly lacking in plot and character development when compared to her highly sensual mainstream paperbacks such as "Strip Search," making it just an okay read. I was a little disconcerted with the cover picture - the characters are 38 and 40, and yet the cover couple looks to be in high school. At a paltry 212 pages, it reads more like an entry in an erotica anthology -for the price, it just isn't worth it.

I enjoyed this book, however, the fact that it took Lauren to figure out Noah was her secret erotic admirer bothered me to no end. She even talks about how his voice is so familiar, but his ministrations drive her to forget that little detail. At first when I got through the first couple of chapters I thought he was going to sneak in and surprise her, or maybe this was exploring the more erotic side of their relationship, not a dimwitted blind female lead. I liked the book, I did, but Lauren's back and forth pity party of not knowing if she should end it or not was annoying and made me wish she was just dreaming up the whole thing. She never revisits that first inclination she had that HE sounded familiar, not really. I'd probably read this one again, just as a little night cap before bed...but that's about it.

I'd recently bought Naughty Little Secret because the reviews were decent and who hasn't had a fantasy about a person they can't have and used someone else to fulfill it? The idea of her wanting Noah yet playing with the stranger had a fun appeal. However, I found that immediately this book is beyond unrealistic when, in her opinion, someone not only breaks into her house after being somewhat stalkerish but then has sex with her, and she's not at all as disturbed as any normal person would be. I think there were a thousand other ways to introduce a stranger into the picture that any other person would have been able to stretch their imagination for, instead I found that I instantly didn't understand Lauren and therefor couldn't truly feel all her passion. I couldn't get over how terrified and angry I'd be if some stalkerish guy broke into my house and tied me up. There would be no sexual tension. I can't empathize with that. It was probably because of this fact that I found the sex scenes lacking. Yes, the were steamy and I think that, were I in a different frame of mind, they might have been arousing, but instead they were just weird. Overall, I found the book entertaining if I didn't think about it too hard and once I was into the book and accepted the situation I thought it got better. I found the book to be too short for what it was trying to sell and too out there in the thought process of the 'heroine'. I wouldn't have bought it, but getting it from the library wouldn't be bad.

Since this book is just over 200 pages, it is a really quick read.

I loved the entire fantasy that went along with the characters almost getting together. It was really hot and steamy. Really well written and it was a page turner. Very creative on the author's part.

The only reason I didn't give it a perfect rating because I found the reason for the characters not getting together quicker to be boring and really drawn out. I can get frustrated with some female characters and just wish that authors would come up with more creative ways for a relationship not getting together rather than the same old "previous bad relationship has doomed me to be with any other man again" syndrome. Ugh!

Huge fan of Shayla Black/Shelley Bradley just not a huge fan of this story.