Blog Tour, Book Review, Contemporary, Grey's Promotions, Romance, Second Chance

The Truth About Secrets by L.P. Dover

ABOUT THE BOOK

Clara and Zac thought they were headed for their happily ever after, until a break-up slathered in betrayal left them both jaded and vindictive. 

Twelve years have passed since they left Wyoming, and during that time Clara found her calling at a prestigious PR firm in California while Zac moved to New Orleans to join his Broussard cousins at River Enterprises. They thought they could forget each other and move on… until a local charity auction in their hometown of Snowy Creek sets Zac up for the ultimate revenge. If he wins, Clara will be at his mercy, forced to work for him for one full week. Tantalized by the sweet taste of revenge, he eagerly ups the ante to claim his prize. 

But what starts out as a week of filthy manual labor and bitter rivalry leads to a shocking revelation. Someone has been plotting for over a decade to keep Clara and Zac apart. Can the pair band together to uncover who? Or will their rift from the past continue to ruin their chance at a blissful future?

MY REVIEW

Second chance romances are one of my favorite tropes. I mean who doesn’t want to learn to love again, especially after being cruelly separated from each other? Clara and Jack are meant to be…it just took 12 years for fate to bring them together again.

Clara is a successful celebrity publicist living in California who returns home to Snowy Creek, Wyoming to spend time with her father who has stage 4 cancer. It’s the first time she’s been home in 12 years since her high school boyfriend Zac ghosted her while she was away in Paris. The two of them were deeply in love and planning to attend university together in New Orleans, but unfortunate circumstances tore them apart. At a work services charity auction in Sonny Creek Clara is auctioned off to the highest bidder and guess who happens to be in town to buy her services?

Zac is living the life as a successful architect for one of the largest firms on the East Coast.  He is back in Wyoming when he finds out his ex is being auctioned off at the local annual charity. What better way to make her pay for ghosting him so long ago than to make he shovel his shit for a few days?

Clara and Zac have been left adrift for the time they have been apart as they have worked hard to become successful and had little time for relationships. Clara was brought up in wealth, but she hated the privileged life and worked hard to be kind and generous like her father. Her relationship with Zac was a point of contention between her and her mother, the famous model, who thought Clara deserved better. Zac grew up in a loving family and was devastated when Clara disappeared, so he put all his heartache and anger into going to New Orleans as he planned and becoming the best architect he could be. At first, he is a real douche to Clara as he makes her clean out the horse stalls, etc., but Clara takes it like a champ with some hilarious revenge techniques of her own. They are definitely made for each other and their story is wrapped up in a lovely HEA.

From the beginning, the reader feels there is something up with the way these two are kept apart and in my opinion, the people who are responsible need to swing in the wind much longer than they are given.  Luckily for them, Zac and Clara are the forgiving types. Besides Clara wants to make her sweet father as comfortable and happy as possible for as much time as he has left.

Speaking of which, I love Clara’s father who is her rock and her best friend. He is so down-to-earth and loving and my tears welled up when he just wanted to live long enough to walk his daughter down the aisle. Clara’s mother, on the other hand, is a controlling snob who didn’t win any points with this reader. Clara’s friend, Trina, is another one I didn’t warm to.  Zac’s friends are so much more relatable and pleasing. It speaks volumes about the difference in support Zac and Clara had over the years.

I highly recommend this heartwarming story with compelling family dynamics about love conquering all even when two lovers’ lives are sabotaged early on.  

Thank you to Ms. Dover for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

BUY THE BOOK

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Dover is a southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Everything’s sweeter in the South has always been her mantra and she lives by it, whether it’s with her writing or in her everyday life. Maybe that’s why she’s seriously addicted to chocolate.

Dover has written countless novels in several different genres, including a children’s book with her daughter. Her favorite to write is romantic suspense, but she’s also found a passion in romantic comedy. She loves to make people laugh which is why you’ll never see her without a smile on her face.

Follow L.P. on Facebook, Amazon, Bookbub, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok.

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