What do you think?
Rate this book
Beautiful Bastard #4
Beautiful Secret
AN UPTIGHT BRITISH EXECUTIVE. AN ADVENTUROUS AMERICAN NEWBIE. A SEXY INTERNATIONAL SCANDAL IN THE MAKING.
New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author Christina Lauren’s Beautiful and Wild Seasons series hook up in Beautiful Secret for an erotic intercontinental romp that celebrates the best of both worlds!
When Ruby Miller’s boss announces he’s sending her on an extended business trip to New York City, she’s shocked. As one of the best and brightest young engineers in London, she knows she’s professionally up to the task. The part that’s throwing her is where she’ll be spending a month up close and personal working alongside—and staying in a hotel with—Niall Stella, her firm’s top urban planning executive and The Hottest Man Alive. Despite her ongoing crush, Ruby is certain Niall barely knows she’s alive…until their flirty overnight flight makes him sit up and take notice.
Not one for letting loose and breaking rules, recently divorced Niall would describe himself as hopeless when it comes to women. But even he knows outgoing California-girl Ruby is a breath of fresh air. Once she makes it her mission to help the sexy Brit loosen his tie, there’s no turning back. Thousands of miles from London, it’s easy for the lovers to play pretend. But when the trip is over, will the relationship they’ve built up fall down?
New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author Christina Lauren’s Beautiful and Wild Seasons series hook up in Beautiful Secret for an erotic intercontinental romp that celebrates the best of both worlds!
When Ruby Miller’s boss announces he’s sending her on an extended business trip to New York City, she’s shocked. As one of the best and brightest young engineers in London, she knows she’s professionally up to the task. The part that’s throwing her is where she’ll be spending a month up close and personal working alongside—and staying in a hotel with—Niall Stella, her firm’s top urban planning executive and The Hottest Man Alive. Despite her ongoing crush, Ruby is certain Niall barely knows she’s alive…until their flirty overnight flight makes him sit up and take notice.
Not one for letting loose and breaking rules, recently divorced Niall would describe himself as hopeless when it comes to women. But even he knows outgoing California-girl Ruby is a breath of fresh air. Once she makes it her mission to help the sexy Brit loosen his tie, there’s no turning back. Thousands of miles from London, it’s easy for the lovers to play pretend. But when the trip is over, will the relationship they’ve built up fall down?
358 pages, ebook
First published April 14, 2015
About the author
Christina Lauren
90 books79.7k followersChristina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners/best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced nineteen New York Times bestselling novels. Their books have been translated into 30+ languages. (Some of these books have kissing. Some of these books have A LOT of kissing.)
We don't respond to private messages here, so please contact us via twitter (@seeCwrite for Christina and @LolaShoes for Lauren) or our site. Thank you!!
We don't respond to private messages here, so please contact us via twitter (@seeCwrite for Christina and @LolaShoes for Lauren) or our site. Thank you!!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,625 reviews
August 11, 2016
"The problem was I became stupid when he was around."
I have to agree with you Ruby. What a disappointment! It shouldn't even be possible to mess up a book with Niall Stella as a main character. I was so excited to read this, because I fell in love with him in Beautiful Beloved. It's so sad, because his character and this book had huge potential.
First of all, the first 5 pages of the book was Ruby speculating with a co-worker about Niall's cock size. I guess I'm being picky, but is it too much to ask that some sort of character development or chemistry happens between the couple before we start talking about his cock? I've read crap like that a million times, it doesn't have any affect on me anymore, and I know these authors can do better. This book was boring, because if I am not invested in the couple, sex scenes become filler to me.
"In the past six months, I'd logged so many covert glances in Niall Stella's direction that if anyone was a qualified expert in the topography of his crotch, it would be me."
*insert the first of many eyerolls*
Ruby's obsession with Niall was awkward to listen to, I've never felt so much second hand embarrassment for a book character in my life.
Did I mention he apparently has a huge cock?
"He was thick, intimidatingly long, but where his cock felt nearly savage in its size and need, his hands were gentle in my hair."
*sigh*
Unlike Beautiful Player, this book had no chemistry, no interesting dialogue, and definitely didn't have a smart, enjoyable heroine. I love these authors, but this one wasn't for me.
April 20, 2015
*****THREE STARS*****
{BR with Lovely Alice}
His was the face I saw when I closed my eyes, when I needed to feel comfort or thrill, grounding or lust. Niall Stella's face felt like home to me.
After meeting Niall Stella in "Beautiful Beloved", I was truly over the moon excited to get his story. He was the highlight of that novella for me. So the book starts off pretty darn good. I love it when an American girl ends up finding love with a HOT BRIT!!! I liked Ruby. My twenty year old self would relate to this woman. I've been the one to to fall hopelessly in love with a co-worker and acted a love-sick fool. To me, she was too cute. Niall's lack of experience with women and his awkwardness was also endearing to me as well.
Niall and Ruby both work at Richardson-Corbett. Niall is a VP in the company and Ruby is an intern, who is hoping to get into a graduate course at Oxford. For months she's been carrying a torch for Niall, but he's been completely oblivious. He recently divorced his wife of fifteen years, who happens to have been his High School sweetheart. Their marriage lacked any sort of passion and his ex always made sex seem like a chore. She really did a number on Niall. He lacked confidence in his charms over the opposite sex. He was the complete opposite of his brother, Max.
They both end up going on a month long business trip to New York City. There things heat up pretty quickly between the two. But Niall doesn't want to have sex with Ruby until he knows for sure that he's in love with her. Meanwhile Ruby's about to combust from sexual frustration. I was totally feeling for the poor gal. I don't think I could have been as patient as she was.
Once back home in London, things progress pretty quickly between Niall and Ruby, but then Niall goes and fucks it all up. I was so very pissed at him and of course, so was Ruby. From the 80% mark till about 94%, the angst is painful.
You know there is going to be an HEA because that's how all the books have ended in this series, HOWEVER, just when things seem rosy, the story just FLIPPING ENDS!!!! The ending was so abrupt and there was NO EPILOGUE!!!!! That is a big fucking NO NO in my book!! Ok, but then I thought, hmm, maybe they are planning to write a novella for the two and there's where we will get a more in depth HEA!! Well I don't freaking see that there is another Novella listed!!
I found out this morning from my lovely Buddy Reading partner, Alice, that only the freaking Audio Book has the epilogue!!!! I think that is truly a rotten thing to do to us devoted fans of this series. These ebooks are not cheap and to make us have to buy the audio book to get the epilogue seems like a rip off to me. I will say that you can get the audio book for free if you sign up for a free 30 day trial of "audible", which I did, but I'm still pissed that the epilogue isn't available in all formats. AND why is there a monthly charge for audible anyway!!!??!!
I'll add a little note to this review once I listen to the audio book and will let you all know if it was worth all the trouble. :)
UPDATE:
So I downloaded a free 30 day trial of Audible and received the audio book for free as well, just so that I could get that Epilogue that I DESPERATELY NEEDED. It was nice, but I wanted more. It only gave us an insight into Niall and Ruby's life together a few months into the future. I like to see the couple a year or two later. I want the HEA that includes a marriage and beautiful babies.
In any case, this was still a good read. It's just not the best in the series and I still love Christina Lauren's writing style and will continue to read all of their stories because I always know I'm in for a treat when I pick up one of their books.
One of the best parts of reading this was my Buddy Reading partner, Alice. We always have a good time and even though there's a six hour time difference between us, we make it work!! Love you Alice!!!
Here's the link to her amazing review - Alice's Review
{BR with Lovely Alice}
His was the face I saw when I closed my eyes, when I needed to feel comfort or thrill, grounding or lust. Niall Stella's face felt like home to me.
After meeting Niall Stella in "Beautiful Beloved", I was truly over the moon excited to get his story. He was the highlight of that novella for me. So the book starts off pretty darn good. I love it when an American girl ends up finding love with a HOT BRIT!!! I liked Ruby. My twenty year old self would relate to this woman. I've been the one to to fall hopelessly in love with a co-worker and acted a love-sick fool. To me, she was too cute. Niall's lack of experience with women and his awkwardness was also endearing to me as well.
Niall and Ruby both work at Richardson-Corbett. Niall is a VP in the company and Ruby is an intern, who is hoping to get into a graduate course at Oxford. For months she's been carrying a torch for Niall, but he's been completely oblivious. He recently divorced his wife of fifteen years, who happens to have been his High School sweetheart. Their marriage lacked any sort of passion and his ex always made sex seem like a chore. She really did a number on Niall. He lacked confidence in his charms over the opposite sex. He was the complete opposite of his brother, Max.
They both end up going on a month long business trip to New York City. There things heat up pretty quickly between the two. But Niall doesn't want to have sex with Ruby until he knows for sure that he's in love with her. Meanwhile Ruby's about to combust from sexual frustration. I was totally feeling for the poor gal. I don't think I could have been as patient as she was.
Once back home in London, things progress pretty quickly between Niall and Ruby, but then Niall goes and fucks it all up. I was so very pissed at him and of course, so was Ruby. From the 80% mark till about 94%, the angst is painful.
You know there is going to be an HEA because that's how all the books have ended in this series, HOWEVER, just when things seem rosy, the story just FLIPPING ENDS!!!! The ending was so abrupt and there was NO EPILOGUE!!!!! That is a big fucking NO NO in my book!! Ok, but then I thought, hmm, maybe they are planning to write a novella for the two and there's where we will get a more in depth HEA!! Well I don't freaking see that there is another Novella listed!!
I found out this morning from my lovely Buddy Reading partner, Alice, that only the freaking Audio Book has the epilogue!!!! I think that is truly a rotten thing to do to us devoted fans of this series. These ebooks are not cheap and to make us have to buy the audio book to get the epilogue seems like a rip off to me. I will say that you can get the audio book for free if you sign up for a free 30 day trial of "audible", which I did, but I'm still pissed that the epilogue isn't available in all formats. AND why is there a monthly charge for audible anyway!!!??!!
I'll add a little note to this review once I listen to the audio book and will let you all know if it was worth all the trouble. :)
UPDATE:
So I downloaded a free 30 day trial of Audible and received the audio book for free as well, just so that I could get that Epilogue that I DESPERATELY NEEDED. It was nice, but I wanted more. It only gave us an insight into Niall and Ruby's life together a few months into the future. I like to see the couple a year or two later. I want the HEA that includes a marriage and beautiful babies.
In any case, this was still a good read. It's just not the best in the series and I still love Christina Lauren's writing style and will continue to read all of their stories because I always know I'm in for a treat when I pick up one of their books.
One of the best parts of reading this was my Buddy Reading partner, Alice. We always have a good time and even though there's a six hour time difference between us, we make it work!! Love you Alice!!!
Here's the link to her amazing review - Alice's Review
February 19, 2023
Ruby turns into a person that only knows one thing: Neil.
It’s weird.
The way she is sooo obsessed with someone at her work is disturbing. I would be scared.
On top of that the “love at first sight” from Neil’s side was hilariously bad. I’m sorry what do you even mean. There was no connection.
I am so confused on how he never noticed her until that one day lmao.
Also Ruby, you know I am awkward and say some weird stuff out loud to random people, BUT NEVER have I acted like this.
Some thoughts are meant to be secrets okay?
Also: the drama with the ex wife is very repetitive and when Neil called his EX WIFE while he had a girlfriend “LOVE” I actually gasped.
Are you fucking dumb???
Why are you calling your ex wife love after your girlfriend confessed her love for you???
Anyways even if he is clueless and doesn’t think at all about anything he does, both of them are the same amount of annoying throughout the entire thing.
It’s weird.
The way she is sooo obsessed with someone at her work is disturbing. I would be scared.
On top of that the “love at first sight” from Neil’s side was hilariously bad. I’m sorry what do you even mean. There was no connection.
I am so confused on how he never noticed her until that one day lmao.
Also Ruby, you know I am awkward and say some weird stuff out loud to random people, BUT NEVER have I acted like this.
Some thoughts are meant to be secrets okay?
Also: the drama with the ex wife is very repetitive and when Neil called his EX WIFE while he had a girlfriend “LOVE” I actually gasped.
Are you fucking dumb???
Why are you calling your ex wife love after your girlfriend confessed her love for you???
Anyways even if he is clueless and doesn’t think at all about anything he does, both of them are the same amount of annoying throughout the entire thing.
December 8, 2015
4.25 STARS
Who doesn’t love a hot, tall, sexy, intelligent, contained, man in a suit? Niall Stella is the stuff that book boyfriend fantasies are made from….
The heroine, Ruby Miller has been crushing for months on the VP and when circumstances send her to NYC with him for weeks of work he can’t help but notice her too. Ruby is a very likable heroine, at times her crush seemed to fall into fangirl terrority. However she did understand the man she was dealing with and/or did her homework on him.
What I loved about this story weirdly is the reasons why some readers didn’t love this book. Please be warned he isn’t anything like his brother Max Stella. Niall Stella has only ever been with his ex-wife, Portia. He honestly hasn’t had to use any sort of game on a woman ever. He messy up with Ruby and they slowly work their way around the bases as he too falls.
”I knew I had the ability to do something for her…I simply didn’t know how to start.”
The story is funny, sexy, and Niall can be my “agent of pleasure” anytime! Even Niall’s big mistake which for me was taking the call in the first place not the visit itself. I think the visit was important for him, however, taking the call at that time was very bad form. I liked how Ruby pulled back and in a way placed them on common ground. Still, her feelings were the worst kept secret.
[image error]
I enjoyed this story and thought Niall Stella was a breath of fresh air. He’s not the take what you want, say what you want, alpha but he is unique.
Where is the darn epilogue to this book? The buy the audio version for the epilogue deal is really annoying me… spent the money on this book, don’t think I have to buy another version. Hard to fully fall in love with the story since the couple hasn’t been together as a full couple yet… novella pretty please or perhaps actually print the epilogue? It’s the holiday season after all!
Who doesn’t love a hot, tall, sexy, intelligent, contained, man in a suit? Niall Stella is the stuff that book boyfriend fantasies are made from….
The heroine, Ruby Miller has been crushing for months on the VP and when circumstances send her to NYC with him for weeks of work he can’t help but notice her too. Ruby is a very likable heroine, at times her crush seemed to fall into fangirl terrority. However she did understand the man she was dealing with and/or did her homework on him.
What I loved about this story weirdly is the reasons why some readers didn’t love this book. Please be warned he isn’t anything like his brother Max Stella. Niall Stella has only ever been with his ex-wife, Portia. He honestly hasn’t had to use any sort of game on a woman ever. He messy up with Ruby and they slowly work their way around the bases as he too falls.
”I knew I had the ability to do something for her…I simply didn’t know how to start.”
The story is funny, sexy, and Niall can be my “agent of pleasure” anytime! Even Niall’s big mistake which for me was taking the call in the first place not the visit itself. I think the visit was important for him, however, taking the call at that time was very bad form. I liked how Ruby pulled back and in a way placed them on common ground. Still, her feelings were the worst kept secret.
[image error]
I enjoyed this story and thought Niall Stella was a breath of fresh air. He’s not the take what you want, say what you want, alpha but he is unique.
Where is the darn epilogue to this book? The buy the audio version for the epilogue deal is really annoying me… spent the money on this book, don’t think I have to buy another version. Hard to fully fall in love with the story since the couple hasn’t been together as a full couple yet… novella pretty please or perhaps actually print the epilogue? It’s the holiday season after all!
May 16, 2015
✭✭✭✭✭ 5 Lets-take-this-slow stars ✭✭✭✭✭
This book in a sentence::When your crush finally starts noticing you..
Gosh ! Where do I begin ? I Bloody LOVED this book.That's where!
I spent the whole first half of the book just desperately holding in my giggles and snickers as I watched Niall fall in love with our girl Ruby through the most embarrassing situations,you could imagine...(Especially that Airplane scene..Lol I would have just expired of embarrassment,if that was me ! )
While for the last 30%,I was desperately yelling at Niall through my eReader as he inevitably fucked things up between the two of them...Hence inevitably creating the drama essential for the crescendo of a book.
My Thoughts on the characters: I actually REALLY adored the heroine for one,which is very rare for me.Most of the times I find them either over hatd-headed or self sabotaging.
Ruby to be honest,felt almost felt like the written version of me...Her attitudes...her Reactions to different scenarios were so similar,I found it extremely easy to just be in her head as she dealt with her love-life page by page..So I enjoyed the exprience :)
Niall..Well he's Britsh..Need I say more ? ;)
My Thoughts on the plot:
Even though a LOT of people found the slow phase of the plot frustrating,(which is totally legit,mind you).I actually,for one could understand where Niall was coming from..After all he had been married for to his ex-wife for 11 years...That many years of feeling lonely & unhappy is a hard thing to move on from..
Is this book a stand-alone ?
Well,Yes....Even though, Beautiful Secret belongs to the Beautiful Bastard series,it can be read as a STAND-ALONE.
Would I recommend the read ?
Defiantly! In my opinion.This book was the best of its series ! Loved it ♥
Any warnings or possible triggers ?
If your NOT a fan of Hot-British guys ;) Then this book is defiantly NOT for you.LoL
This book in a sentence::When your crush finally starts noticing you..
Gosh ! Where do I begin ? I Bloody LOVED this book.That's where!
I spent the whole first half of the book just desperately holding in my giggles and snickers as I watched Niall fall in love with our girl Ruby through the most embarrassing situations,you could imagine...(Especially that Airplane scene..Lol I would have just expired of embarrassment,if that was me ! )
While for the last 30%,I was desperately yelling at Niall through my eReader as he inevitably fucked things up between the two of them...Hence inevitably creating the drama essential for the crescendo of a book.
My Thoughts on the characters: I actually REALLY adored the heroine for one,which is very rare for me.Most of the times I find them either over hatd-headed or self sabotaging.
Ruby to be honest,felt almost felt like the written version of me...Her attitudes...her Reactions to different scenarios were so similar,I found it extremely easy to just be in her head as she dealt with her love-life page by page..So I enjoyed the exprience :)
Niall..Well he's Britsh..Need I say more ? ;)
My Thoughts on the plot:
Even though a LOT of people found the slow phase of the plot frustrating,(which is totally legit,mind you).I actually,for one could understand where Niall was coming from..After all he had been married for to his ex-wife for 11 years...That many years of feeling lonely & unhappy is a hard thing to move on from..
Is this book a stand-alone ?
Well,Yes....Even though, Beautiful Secret belongs to the Beautiful Bastard series,it can be read as a STAND-ALONE.
Would I recommend the read ?
Defiantly! In my opinion.This book was the best of its series ! Loved it ♥
Any warnings or possible triggers ?
If your NOT a fan of Hot-British guys ;) Then this book is defiantly NOT for you.LoL
May 23, 2015
LIVE!! http://amzn.to/1CU3eoT
Beautiful Secret is a fantastic addition to this fun, sexy series. I have grown to love these men and couldn't wait to meet the another Stella man. Niall Stella is successful, driven and focused. He is also recently divorced, that may be why he failed notice a beautiful woman stalking/staring at him.
Ruby Miller is a transplant from San Diego living in the UK, completing her internship and hoping to be accepted to Oxford. She has also developed a slight obsession with Niall Stella. In the beginning she was impressed with his career, skill, and intellect. However, after seeing The Great Niall Stella in person it quickly turns to more.
For the past six months she observed Niall, but mostly remained the background. That all changes when she is asked to accompany Niall to the States for a month long business trip. During this trip things begin to change for both of them. After spending time with Ruby, Niall realizes he has been barely living since his divorce. He isn’t sure pursuing a relationship with Ruby is the right choice, but he begins to desire more.
Ruby is a complete mess when it comes to Niall. I loved seeing her fall all over herself and mix up her words due to the anxiety and butterflies she felt around him. Ruby's character is easy to identify with, we have all been the girl so into a guy that we humiliate ourselves just being in their presence. I was so excited for Ruby to get this chance to spend time with Niall. Then to see how things unfolded, it was perfect.
Like the other's in this series, I am in love, but for totally different reasons. I felt this story was so different, more, maybe it was because Niall isn’t a womanizer. Niall is unsure of himself and is afraid to put himself out there. I loved how he was real, honest and upfront. He was a perfect gentleman and cared about Ruby’s feelings, while he struggled with his own. But when it was time to get steamy he was ready, confident and more aggressive.
It was nice to see this scenario reversed, Ruby being the pursuer. Unlike when we see our hero’s chasing a woman Ruby’s pursuits weren’t flawless. They were humors and added a lightness to the story.
Christina Lauren does a perfect job of mixing steam, humor and romance. Beautiful Secret has the perfect level of angst to keep you intrigued, without things going over the top. I love how all angles of the story were developed and resolved. This story is definitely one of my favorites from the series, I highly recommend it!
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
Beautiful Secret is a fantastic addition to this fun, sexy series. I have grown to love these men and couldn't wait to meet the another Stella man. Niall Stella is successful, driven and focused. He is also recently divorced, that may be why he failed notice a beautiful woman stalking/staring at him.
'In the past six months, I’d logged more covert glances at Niall Stella’s direction that if anyone was a qualified expert in the topography of his crotch, it would be me.’
Ruby Miller is a transplant from San Diego living in the UK, completing her internship and hoping to be accepted to Oxford. She has also developed a slight obsession with Niall Stella. In the beginning she was impressed with his career, skill, and intellect. However, after seeing The Great Niall Stella in person it quickly turns to more.
For the past six months she observed Niall, but mostly remained the background. That all changes when she is asked to accompany Niall to the States for a month long business trip. During this trip things begin to change for both of them. After spending time with Ruby, Niall realizes he has been barely living since his divorce. He isn’t sure pursuing a relationship with Ruby is the right choice, but he begins to desire more.
'But too get what I wanted, I’d need to put myself out there and meet someone.’
Ruby is a complete mess when it comes to Niall. I loved seeing her fall all over herself and mix up her words due to the anxiety and butterflies she felt around him. Ruby's character is easy to identify with, we have all been the girl so into a guy that we humiliate ourselves just being in their presence. I was so excited for Ruby to get this chance to spend time with Niall. Then to see how things unfolded, it was perfect.
Like the other's in this series, I am in love, but for totally different reasons. I felt this story was so different, more, maybe it was because Niall isn’t a womanizer. Niall is unsure of himself and is afraid to put himself out there. I loved how he was real, honest and upfront. He was a perfect gentleman and cared about Ruby’s feelings, while he struggled with his own. But when it was time to get steamy he was ready, confident and more aggressive.
It was nice to see this scenario reversed, Ruby being the pursuer. Unlike when we see our hero’s chasing a woman Ruby’s pursuits weren’t flawless. They were humors and added a lightness to the story.
Christina Lauren does a perfect job of mixing steam, humor and romance. Beautiful Secret has the perfect level of angst to keep you intrigued, without things going over the top. I love how all angles of the story were developed and resolved. This story is definitely one of my favorites from the series, I highly recommend it!
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
July 9, 2017
3 Stars
Beautiful Secret was just an okay read for me. While I enjoyed the first parts of the book, the rest didn't totally pull me in. It doesn't mean that I didn't love it, though. The hottie British man Niall Stella is already enough for me to go on.
We have the characters Niall Stella, Max's (from Beautiful Stranger) younger brother and Ruby Miller, an intern from Richardson-Corbett-- the company where Niall is the VP. Although they work at the same company, these two are basically strangers. Well, except for Ruby's side, because she has been crushing on him ever since forever to the point where her obsession already leads her to become a borderline stalker. lol. When the two of them went to New York to attend an international summit for a month, that's when Niall finally noticed her. That's also the time when their sexual connection started. However, Niall has reservations when it comes to intimacy because of his post-divorce issues.
I couldn't explain the excitement I felt when I started this book. When I've read Beautiful Beloved where Niall was first introduced, I was totally charmed by this hot Brit so I immediately dived into this book after I finished the novella. The book started off great. I found both the characters' POVs entertaining and funny. Ruby's stalkerish abilities creeped me out a little bit but I was amused at the same time.
And Niall... Niall is one helluva man. I loved that he was not portrayed as most heroes in a book. He was the shy, quiet type of a man. Not arrogant and not a casanova, either.
What made me feel quite disconnected to the book, however, was Ruby's attitude when both of them were already in New York. I felt her character going downhill when she became sexually obsessed with Niall and all she thought about was sex... sex... sex... I mean, there's nothing wrong with it but ugh, she was sexually preoccupied all the freaking time and I don't know how she's able to handle her responsibilities in their business trip when she was horny most of the time. She was such a hot mess while she was with Niall and it's no longer amusing.
Thankfully, Niall made the book bearable. Setting aside his hot physical qualities, I loved the way he controlled his emotions and lust toward Ruby (Thank God!). When he said that he prefers to have sex with a woman only if he's in love with her, I admired his character even more. I loved the way he carried his work and personal emotions in a balanced way, unlike Ruby.
My vote for my favorite book of this series still goes for Beautiful Player up to this point. I wish this book was as good as the previous installment but as I mentioned, Niall Stella is enough so I still liked it as a whole.
Beautiful Secret was just an okay read for me. While I enjoyed the first parts of the book, the rest didn't totally pull me in. It doesn't mean that I didn't love it, though. The hottie British man Niall Stella is already enough for me to go on.
We have the characters Niall Stella, Max's (from Beautiful Stranger) younger brother and Ruby Miller, an intern from Richardson-Corbett-- the company where Niall is the VP. Although they work at the same company, these two are basically strangers. Well, except for Ruby's side, because she has been crushing on him ever since forever to the point where her obsession already leads her to become a borderline stalker. lol. When the two of them went to New York to attend an international summit for a month, that's when Niall finally noticed her. That's also the time when their sexual connection started. However, Niall has reservations when it comes to intimacy because of his post-divorce issues.
I couldn't explain the excitement I felt when I started this book. When I've read Beautiful Beloved where Niall was first introduced, I was totally charmed by this hot Brit so I immediately dived into this book after I finished the novella. The book started off great. I found both the characters' POVs entertaining and funny. Ruby's stalkerish abilities creeped me out a little bit but I was amused at the same time.
And Niall... Niall is one helluva man. I loved that he was not portrayed as most heroes in a book. He was the shy, quiet type of a man. Not arrogant and not a casanova, either.
What made me feel quite disconnected to the book, however, was Ruby's attitude when both of them were already in New York. I felt her character going downhill when she became sexually obsessed with Niall and all she thought about was sex... sex... sex... I mean, there's nothing wrong with it but ugh, she was sexually preoccupied all the freaking time and I don't know how she's able to handle her responsibilities in their business trip when she was horny most of the time. She was such a hot mess while she was with Niall and it's no longer amusing.
Thankfully, Niall made the book bearable. Setting aside his hot physical qualities, I loved the way he controlled his emotions and lust toward Ruby (Thank God!). When he said that he prefers to have sex with a woman only if he's in love with her, I admired his character even more. I loved the way he carried his work and personal emotions in a balanced way, unlike Ruby.
My vote for my favorite book of this series still goes for Beautiful Player up to this point. I wish this book was as good as the previous installment but as I mentioned, Niall Stella is enough so I still liked it as a whole.
December 3, 2016
From all the guys in this series Nial is my absolute favorite and I will tell you why in a couple of minutes, but I have to keep my enthusiasm at bay.
"Beautiful Secret" follows his story and Ruby's and for me it was an amazing read.
Nial is Max Stella's brother and the opposite of him. While Max is adventurous and thrilling to be around, Nial is more guarded, more serious and reserved. I liked the comparison between him and Mr. Darcy, being very appropriate for him and fitting his personality so well. Nial has a not so loving background when it comes to love. He was married to his only girlfriend and embarked on a marriage that wasn't satisfying from any point of view. After his divorce, he is let with a broken heart, but also with very little experience with women. His marriage lacked love and passion, and therefore he is not interested in this, or in another relationship what so ever. Also, he has some strong trust issues, not being able to fully understand how wonderful he is in and out.
I really liked him because he wasn't a player like the boys before him, he was a committing guy, with a lot of love to give. Sex also was not meaningless for him, he had to truly be in love with that woman in order to have a physical contact with her. Perfect, I know!!
Enter Ruby! She was hilarious, strong and independent. Totally opposite to Nial, but so good for him in the same time. She had a crush on Nial since forever and all her scenes in his proximity were so funny I think I will never forget them.
I liked this type of heroine, Ruby being a true example of determination. Her crush for him was consumed at far distance, but things changed when she has to accompany Nial in a business trip, where they spend a lot of time together. Slowly, Ruby manages to break his though exterior and give him an opportunity to love again. Her witty, sweet and funny behavior made him open up more about his problems, transforming him gradually into another man, a more confident one.
She was very patient with him, understood him and far more important, she didn't judge him.
As expected he also made an epic mistake, but he will learn from it and try to undo it, by proving Ruby he is worthy of her. The only minus I found in Nial was that I wanted him to figure out how amazing he could be with her a little faster, because that sexual tension was so frustrating, it was killing me.
The hot scenes we are accustomed are not so frequent in this book, their love story being more of a slow burn. But when those happened, they burned the house down!! I liked their chemistry in those moments, and I was surprised to discover a more layed back and steamy Nial, than the timid one we were used to. When love is concerned, he can let his feeling go and offer so much in return.
We also get to see the "pack" all together again! They are amazing and I missed them terribly, almost forgotten how funny and charming they all were.
5 stars for this book and for this series, it is one of my favorites and Nial made my read:D
For more reviews please check https://readwithloveblog.wordpress.com
"Beautiful Secret" follows his story and Ruby's and for me it was an amazing read.
Nial is Max Stella's brother and the opposite of him. While Max is adventurous and thrilling to be around, Nial is more guarded, more serious and reserved. I liked the comparison between him and Mr. Darcy, being very appropriate for him and fitting his personality so well. Nial has a not so loving background when it comes to love. He was married to his only girlfriend and embarked on a marriage that wasn't satisfying from any point of view. After his divorce, he is let with a broken heart, but also with very little experience with women. His marriage lacked love and passion, and therefore he is not interested in this, or in another relationship what so ever. Also, he has some strong trust issues, not being able to fully understand how wonderful he is in and out.
I really liked him because he wasn't a player like the boys before him, he was a committing guy, with a lot of love to give. Sex also was not meaningless for him, he had to truly be in love with that woman in order to have a physical contact with her. Perfect, I know!!
Enter Ruby! She was hilarious, strong and independent. Totally opposite to Nial, but so good for him in the same time. She had a crush on Nial since forever and all her scenes in his proximity were so funny I think I will never forget them.
I liked this type of heroine, Ruby being a true example of determination. Her crush for him was consumed at far distance, but things changed when she has to accompany Nial in a business trip, where they spend a lot of time together. Slowly, Ruby manages to break his though exterior and give him an opportunity to love again. Her witty, sweet and funny behavior made him open up more about his problems, transforming him gradually into another man, a more confident one.
She was very patient with him, understood him and far more important, she didn't judge him.
As expected he also made an epic mistake, but he will learn from it and try to undo it, by proving Ruby he is worthy of her. The only minus I found in Nial was that I wanted him to figure out how amazing he could be with her a little faster, because that sexual tension was so frustrating, it was killing me.
The hot scenes we are accustomed are not so frequent in this book, their love story being more of a slow burn. But when those happened, they burned the house down!! I liked their chemistry in those moments, and I was surprised to discover a more layed back and steamy Nial, than the timid one we were used to. When love is concerned, he can let his feeling go and offer so much in return.
We also get to see the "pack" all together again! They are amazing and I missed them terribly, almost forgotten how funny and charming they all were.
5 stars for this book and for this series, it is one of my favorites and Nial made my read:D
For more reviews please check https://readwithloveblog.wordpress.com
December 7, 2015
3,5-4 SECRET STARS
I really enjoyed Beautiful Player and I had big expectations for this one but unfortunately it wasn't as good as I wanted!Yes it was funny,very hot and in some part awkward in a good way but I still feel like something is missing!
Ruby is an intern at an engineering company.She has a crush on Niall who works with her,Niall and Ruby are going to NYC to work on an urban planning project!This trip will pull them together!The difference between this and the other stories in this series is that Niall was married and is now divorced but he doesn't have a lot of experience with women because his first was his wife...So you can understand how difficult is for him!But don't worry here comes Ruby who will change his life!!So be prepared for a lot of funny and awkward moments that light the story up!
Ruby is a really funny and strong heroine!!She is exactly what Niall needed in his life!I liked Niall's vulnerability and the fact that he wasn't so confident as the others! But behind all this there is a hot man that he just needed the perfect girl for him!There is sexsual tension and the sex scenes was very hot that make the book delicious!!
I love this series and I believe you should give it a try!!I don't know if there will be another book but I hope because I don't want to finish this series!!
April 15, 2015
“It’s yours, you know.”
“What is?”
“My heart, of course, but also my body. My hands, my lips, my cock. I trust you with all of it more than I even trust myself.”
My mind is still reeling because this book was my complete and utter undoing. I am writing this review while literally still hugging my now beloved paperback copy, secretly hoping that the beautiful words in it would somehow escape and infuse themselves into me forever. With one of the most phenomenal writing styles of our generation and flawless, iron-clad character development, this talented writing duo has given us once again an unforgettable, emotionally engaging storyline to become addicted to, this time with two incredibly intricate characters and a perfectly paced, meticulously crafted relationship that is never rushed, never even hurried, and solely driven forward by the characters’ emotional growth and self-awareness. I gobbled up every word, immersing myself into a story that had my attention from the get-go, and I fear I will never be able to fully express how much I truly adored this book.
“I’d been wrestling with my Niall Stella crush for six months, and I was pretty sure he still didn’t know that I was an employee at the firm rather than a regular takeout delivery girl.”
Ruby Miller is a twenty-three-year-old American intern at one of the largest and most successful engineering firms in Europe, now living in London. Attractive, smart, witty—Ruby’s open and honest personality shines through her every action, but is regularly stilted by her ongoing and downright distracting infatuation with her office crush—the very handsome but unreachable, Niall Stella. Fully aware that the object of her affections might not even be aware of her existence, she is happy to appreciate him from afar, relishing every moment spent in his presence, every stolen glimpse of the man who feeds her most intimate fantasies, but still secretly hoping that one day he’d notice her.
“What was it you said about repressed sexual energy?”
“Enough to power the whole bloody city, if you ask me. That’s where his real urban planning skill would come in—hooking himself up to the grid .”
Niall Stella is distinguished, reserved, his every step measured and poised, but behind that firm façade lies a man who is stuck in a rut of self-imposed boundaries and expectations, a man who struggles daily with regret and self-deprecation, his failed marriage having left a deep emotional scar that makes him question whether he could ever make a woman truly happy. His old-fashioned view on relationships and love in general is shaken from the moment Ruby enters his life, her vivacious and unrestrained personality, coupled with the kind of openness and honesty that is foreign to him, drawing him out of his shell and forcing him to push his own limits.
“Do you think I’m weird?”
“Yes, weird in the sense that you are unexpected and I am rarely surprised by people. I think you rather exquisite.”
When they find themselves together on a month-long business trip to New York City working alongside each other every single day, they quickly discover that their greatest difference lies in the way they perceive relationships and the way they each process the growing emotions they feel for one another. An extrovert by nature, Ruby’s honest and communicative disposition shakes the very foundations of Niall’s introverted, quiet reserve, making him feel adventurous, interesting, fun for once—sides of himself he never got to see during his decade-long marriage to a woman he barely knew. Everything he feels for Ruby is new to him, part of the uncharted territory of his inexpressive personality, thus forcing them to commence a carefully paced, open and honest exploration of what a sexual relationship between two such opposites might entail. And what it would take to overcome all the emotional hurdles standing in their way.
“If I wanted to make love to her tonight, I could. If I wanted to feel myself deep in her throat, I could. If I wanted limits, I would need to be the one to set them. But did I truly want limits, or did I think I should want them?”
What starts as a sexy, rather flirty storyline, quickly morphs into an even sexier but deeply emotional romance that is truly remarkable in its approach to the way these characters learn to discover one another, and themselves in the process. We hear both their voices throughout the story, that precious insight into both of these characters making us appreciate their deepest fears and hang-ups a lot more intimately.
I laughed, I cried, I felt my body burn from the sheer sexiness of too many scenes in this book to count, never knowing a guy merely touching a woman’s calf could make me literally combust in my own skin like that. And I felt every single emotion these extraordinary authors had expertly woven into this story. Their signature climax in the end carries that sweet punch of angst that we’ve become helplessly addicted to, perhaps even pricklier this time around as it left me a sobbing mess in its wake, only standing to show that there is no emotion these authors are unable to stir in their readers. A beautiful read, an astonishing love story, a couple whose journey I understood and felt from beginning to end—this is a book I would recommend with all my heart.
“And what if after the rush of conquest wears off, you’ll realize that I’m not what you’ve built me up to be?”
See this review on my blog! | Follow me on Facebook! | Follow me on Twitter!
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1niOJIU
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1tII9MD
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/10F1ALX
October 20, 2016
*** 3,5 stars ***
April 16, 2015
This divorced 30 years old hero is a doormat who seems to have a mental capacity of a teenager.
The heroine is a creepy/horny/unstable stalker:
“In the months I loved him afar and the four short weeks I loved him up close, he’d become more than lover; he was my new best friend.”
*Cough*, she is delusional as well.
In short, I don’t root for their HEA. No way.
The heroine is a creepy/horny/unstable stalker:
“In the months I loved him afar and the four short weeks I loved him up close, he’d become more than lover; he was my new best friend.”
*Cough*, she is delusional as well.
In short, I don’t root for their HEA. No way.
April 13, 2019
This book had so much potential for me, but there were some very uncharacteristic writing errors and choices that I've never encountered before in a Christina Lauren book that this book had. First and foremost, I LOVED the idea of a book where the guy is the person in the relationship who's inexperienced and nervous rather than the other way around. It felt so different and authentic, and truly embodied the soft boy movement that I'm here for. But this plot point was quickly overpowered by horrid instalove and melodrama. The characters really had no development of their feelings other than "he/she's hot," so the reason why they fell in love was superficial and hard to locate in the first place. Next, there was a lot of repetitive, melodramatic conversation about Niall's divorce and his awkwardness with women, and I swear they repeat the same convo like four times. Finally, the fight that drives the conflict at the end of this book just kinda tipped me over the edge because I was already questioning the integrity of their relationship based on how quickly they fell for one another, and for such seemingly flimsy reasons. The fighting at the end of this just felt unnecessary and childish. Still, this book had its cute moments and it had a slow build of romantic/sexual scenes. The pacing of this, in the end, just dragged down the best parts of this, unfortunately.
Want to read
June 13, 2014
OH MY GOD!! WHO WHO WHO WHO?!
April 20, 2015
A lot of us have been there...the crush that has you counting down the minutes of when you get a glimpse of him again. When you can't function and all of the sudden you aren't able to string together a full sentence and what does come out is totally ludicrous and something you normally wouldn't say.
Twenty-three year old engineer Ruby Miller is an intern at one of the finest engineering firms in London. Ruby is vibrant, smart, vivacious, friendly, and sweet. It just so happens that an executive has caught her eye and she crushes on him hard.
“In the past six months, I’d logged so many covert glances in Niall Stella’s direction that if anyone was a qualified expert in the topography of his crotch, it would be me.”
And for Ruby that crush comes in a form named Niall Stella. Niall is the exact opposite of his brother Max (from Beautiful Stranger). Where Max indulges in some of the wildest sex scenarios, Niall doesn’t want to have sex until there’s affection and love. He is Christina Lauren’s own version of Mr. Darcy.
“Restrained,” I insisted. “It’s like he’s stepped out of an Austen novel. He’s Mr. Darcy. Darcy is awkward and hard to read, but when you have his heart, it’s yours.”
Niall is refined, polite, and brilliant. What makes him so different is that he is not an alpha male character. He didn’t sleep around. He was married young to his one and only girlfriend. His marriage was cold, regimented and passionless. So the baggage that he carries around is his uncertainty with women and his lack of experience. To me it was very endearing to have such a different male character. Niall didn’t say anything without thinking it through, he didn’t do anything rash, and you know that when he does say or do something, it’s the absolute truth.
Ruby had no delusions that Niall even noticed her though to her coworkers, her crush was very obvious. It wasn’t until a work trip to New York that forced them together, did Niall noticed her. He was that oblivious about woman.
One of the hardest I’ve ever laughed in a book was in the scene of her in an airplane with Niall. From one scenario to another to another – it just got funnier and funnier. I had tears!!! Actual tears where I couldn’t wipe them off because they kept coming and I couldn’t inhale enough air in my lungs, I was cry-laughing so hard. One of the funniest scenes ever in all of the Beautiful books and that’s saying a lot because Christina Lauren writes with plenty of humor.
Ruby had a very good understanding of Niall’s reservations and tentativeness. She knew she was further along as far as feeling are concerned than he was. Ruby’s patience and understanding is what’s so great about her. She also has the ability to talk about things that she’s thinking or feeling and to not bottle it up. I just thought she was the perfect person to understand Niall. She was the counter balance to him. She was capable and willing and eager to bring out the side of Niall that’s never been able to come out – romantic, passionate, and desperate for adventure. Niall’s more of a slow burn. It takes him a bit to catch up in his heart and in his mind.
“Ruby seemed to enjoy every tiny instant of her life. There was something about her that made me want to be near her, put her on a pedestal, bask in her energy and uninhibited sweetness.”
Since they are waiting, the actual sex scenes aren’t until the end of the story but there are some steamy scenes of fooling around. But by the time they have the smexy times, I was more than ready for it.
There were definitely times where I wanted Niall to take charge. There were some frustration because he couldn’t always say what I wanted him to say to Ruby. I waited for him to take charge, especially about the work situation. Then he makes an epic mistake that hurts Ruby and I felt that he could have handled that better. I needed him to make a grand gesture, to make a bold statement, to act in a possessive and decisive and forceful way, but that would have been out of character for Niall ((sigh)). He respected Ruby’s wishes, gave her the space and time she needed and made sure to show her how much he loved her when she was able to finally forgive him.
Niall was sweet but a bit timid. Exact opposite from Bennett, Max, and Will. Though I still really really like him (perhaps not as much as I anticipated), Ruby was awesome. This may not go down as the top book in the series but this series as a whole is still a big favorite of mine. There were cameos of Bennett, Max, and Will in this book but it was minimal and I wanted more. Ha!!! I always want more of those awesome sexy guys!!!
October 7, 2015
** 3-3,5 “embarrassment in it’s finest” STARS **
“His was the face I saw when I closed my eyes, when I needed to feel comfort or thrill, grounding or lust. Niall Stella's face felt like HOME to me.”
~ RUBY
I don't remember EVER feeling THIS embarrassed for a character in a book. My God, Ruby, get a grip on yourself girl! Yes, Niall Stella is the sexy Brit in a tailored suit and seems to have a huge d*ck, I get it, but still...obsession and stalking are, sadly, NOT SEXY.
I have to admit, Niall was like a fresh breath, different from all the alpha males we have become accustomed to read in romance books, so...ME GUSTA, but he could be really tiring and rather boring (yes, I said it...) at times.
Also, where the f*ck was the epilogue, huh?!
OVERALL: Meh. Not what I've imagined it to be when I first read about Niall in Beautiful Beloved. Not at all...
July 19, 2015
When I found out that Max's brother, Niall, was getting a book...I could not wait! Especially when he stole my heart when he took care of little Annabel, (Max & Sara's baby).
So, imagine my surprise when he is ~almost~ nothing like Max! He is prim and proper and so awkward that parts were hard to read but...I loved every minute of it. There's just something endearing about him and it was just so sweet to see him cherish everything that he had missed out on.
Ruby was nice...I guess I can understand that it was hard for her to take things slow since she's had a crush on Niall for months. But at the same time, I wanted her to give him everything he's missed out on.
Naturally, there's the drama with Niall being a VP at the office and Ruby being an intern...and her creepy boss (He really needed to be punched in the face). And there's drama with Niall's ex and I. Don't. Blame. Ruby. One. Bit. for how she handled that! Even Niall pissed me off with the way he handled things! Luckily by getting his POV as well, we get to learn how much he suffered! ;)
So, I was thrilled with the way things worked out but WTH? No epilogue? And then I find out that yes, there is one but only if you get the audible edition...What's up with that? That is just wrong!
However, I did see an outtake that's pretty good. Here's the link:
http://christinalaurenbooks.com/2015/...
Next up is a novella about Will and Hanna called Beautiful Boss and it's release date is February 29, 2016.
Favorite quote:
♥ "When you want someone as much as I want you, giving pleasure is almost better than getting it."
So, imagine my surprise when he is ~almost~ nothing like Max! He is prim and proper and so awkward that parts were hard to read but...I loved every minute of it. There's just something endearing about him and it was just so sweet to see him cherish everything that he had missed out on.
Ruby was nice...I guess I can understand that it was hard for her to take things slow since she's had a crush on Niall for months. But at the same time, I wanted her to give him everything he's missed out on.
Naturally, there's the drama with Niall being a VP at the office and Ruby being an intern...and her creepy boss (He really needed to be punched in the face). And there's drama with Niall's ex and I. Don't. Blame. Ruby. One. Bit. for how she handled that! Even Niall pissed me off with the way he handled things! Luckily by getting his POV as well, we get to learn how much he suffered! ;)
So, I was thrilled with the way things worked out but WTH? No epilogue? And then I find out that yes, there is one but only if you get the audible edition...What's up with that? That is just wrong!
However, I did see an outtake that's pretty good. Here's the link:
http://christinalaurenbooks.com/2015/...
Next up is a novella about Will and Hanna called Beautiful Boss and it's release date is February 29, 2016.
Favorite quote:
♥ "When you want someone as much as I want you, giving pleasure is almost better than getting it."
October 18, 2019
O carte puțin diferită de restul seriei, tocmai asta făcând diferența!
Un tânăr care arată ca un gigant bine-făcut și sexy, cam timid, nesigur în ce privește femeile, acesta este Niall Stella.
Ruby, este tânăra care-l iubește din umbră și care, în sfârșit, și-a făcut curaj să facă primul pas.
Niall trebuie să treacă peste timiditate și nesiguranță, să-și pună la punct emoțiile; iar Ruby trebuie să aibă răbdare.
Totuși, sunt puși la încercare de un pas greșit pe care-l face bărbatul, fiind aproape de o despărțire definitivă.
O carte plină de emoții și momente fierbinți, cu multe răsturnări de situație.
Un tânăr care arată ca un gigant bine-făcut și sexy, cam timid, nesigur în ce privește femeile, acesta este Niall Stella.
Ruby, este tânăra care-l iubește din umbră și care, în sfârșit, și-a făcut curaj să facă primul pas.
Niall trebuie să treacă peste timiditate și nesiguranță, să-și pună la punct emoțiile; iar Ruby trebuie să aibă răbdare.
Totuși, sunt puși la încercare de un pas greșit pe care-l face bărbatul, fiind aproape de o despărțire definitivă.
O carte plină de emoții și momente fierbinți, cu multe răsturnări de situație.
April 16, 2015
ARC provided by publisher in exchange of honest review
[image error]
Move over Mr. Darcy because Niall Stella will steal your hearts with his beautiful soul. Be still my beating heart because I LOVED Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren. If there is one thing you should know about me is that I AM A BIG FAN of Christina Lauren. These amazing authors have captured the literary world with their sexy, brilliant, beautiful, sassy, fun, and sizzling writing and story-telling. Without a doubt, readers will also fall in love with their smart, fresh and modern romance stories. And in this latest installment of the Beautiful Bastard Series, these fabulous authors turned up the notch on swoon worthy hero when they introduced us to one beautiful man, Niall Stella. And did I mention that he is British!! Swoon. So yes ladies, be prepared to get the warm fuzzy feelings and fall in love with this beautiful, sweet, and endearing man as he gets his second chance at love.
If there is one thing for certain that Ruby Miller knows is that she is head over heels in love with Niall Stella. With one look from Niall, she is left a blubbering mess because this hot and sexy British is the man of her dreams. Yes, this young beautiful 23 year old has a big fat crush on Niall, the urban planning engineer executive. So when Ruby is informed that she will be accompanying Niall to New York City for a month long project, she couldn't be more excited. All she hoped for is that she didn't make a fool out of herself. After a few mishaps, Ruby took her embarrassment in stride since Niall was a true and proper gentleman.
Excuse my languge but all I got to say is that those Stella brothers are f*cking HOT and SEXY!!! Niall Stella is the complete opposite of his brother, Max. He is newly divorced and it has left him apprehensive in relationships and love. So when Niall leaves for a project in New York with Ruby, he finds himself finally seeing her in a whole new light. There is no doubt Niall wants her and is attracted to her. So will this prim and proper British finally loosen up and explore this new budding relationship with Ruby? Or will his fears and doubts ruin his second chance at love?
Ruby and Niall were absolutely perfect. I LOVE them. Ruby's vibrant and fun personality stole my heart. I loved how she embraced her sexuality and understood Niall in his want and need to go slow in their relationship. What completely surprised me with this book was that Christina Lauren did not give us the alpha male hero but instead they treated us with their own version of Mr. Darcy. And boy did they captured our beating hearts with this beautiful man. Yes, Niall Stella is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL inside and out. He was sweet, quirky, smart, lovable, flawed and my kind of perfect. Yes, Christina Lauren has ruined us all for Niall Stella.
As always, I have nothing but high praises for Christina Lauren. I bow down to their awesomnes and brilliant minds. There is not much I can say but go READ Beautiful Stranger because you will not be disappointed. And yes, we will be reunited with the Beautiful Men that stole our hearts so you don't want to miss out on the reunion with Bennett, Will, and Max. The slow burn and sexual tension of Beautiful Stranger was at an all time high and it was beautifully crafted. As much as I loved Max, I got to admit Niall Stella you have a big piece of my heart. I adore you.
Thank you Christina Lauren for writing this BEAUTIFUL BOOK and of course for Niall Stella.
Christina Lauren
[image error]
Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly...
[image error]
Move over Mr. Darcy because Niall Stella will steal your hearts with his beautiful soul. Be still my beating heart because I LOVED Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren. If there is one thing you should know about me is that I AM A BIG FAN of Christina Lauren. These amazing authors have captured the literary world with their sexy, brilliant, beautiful, sassy, fun, and sizzling writing and story-telling. Without a doubt, readers will also fall in love with their smart, fresh and modern romance stories. And in this latest installment of the Beautiful Bastard Series, these fabulous authors turned up the notch on swoon worthy hero when they introduced us to one beautiful man, Niall Stella. And did I mention that he is British!! Swoon. So yes ladies, be prepared to get the warm fuzzy feelings and fall in love with this beautiful, sweet, and endearing man as he gets his second chance at love.
If there is one thing for certain that Ruby Miller knows is that she is head over heels in love with Niall Stella. With one look from Niall, she is left a blubbering mess because this hot and sexy British is the man of her dreams. Yes, this young beautiful 23 year old has a big fat crush on Niall, the urban planning engineer executive. So when Ruby is informed that she will be accompanying Niall to New York City for a month long project, she couldn't be more excited. All she hoped for is that she didn't make a fool out of herself. After a few mishaps, Ruby took her embarrassment in stride since Niall was a true and proper gentleman.
Excuse my languge but all I got to say is that those Stella brothers are f*cking HOT and SEXY!!! Niall Stella is the complete opposite of his brother, Max. He is newly divorced and it has left him apprehensive in relationships and love. So when Niall leaves for a project in New York with Ruby, he finds himself finally seeing her in a whole new light. There is no doubt Niall wants her and is attracted to her. So will this prim and proper British finally loosen up and explore this new budding relationship with Ruby? Or will his fears and doubts ruin his second chance at love?
Ruby and Niall were absolutely perfect. I LOVE them. Ruby's vibrant and fun personality stole my heart. I loved how she embraced her sexuality and understood Niall in his want and need to go slow in their relationship. What completely surprised me with this book was that Christina Lauren did not give us the alpha male hero but instead they treated us with their own version of Mr. Darcy. And boy did they captured our beating hearts with this beautiful man. Yes, Niall Stella is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL inside and out. He was sweet, quirky, smart, lovable, flawed and my kind of perfect. Yes, Christina Lauren has ruined us all for Niall Stella.
As always, I have nothing but high praises for Christina Lauren. I bow down to their awesomnes and brilliant minds. There is not much I can say but go READ Beautiful Stranger because you will not be disappointed. And yes, we will be reunited with the Beautiful Men that stole our hearts so you don't want to miss out on the reunion with Bennett, Will, and Max. The slow burn and sexual tension of Beautiful Stranger was at an all time high and it was beautifully crafted. As much as I loved Max, I got to admit Niall Stella you have a big piece of my heart. I adore you.
Thank you Christina Lauren for writing this BEAUTIFUL BOOK and of course for Niall Stella.
Christina Lauren
[image error]
Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly...
April 16, 2015
Here's a partial review. Full review to come, once I'm able to get past my profound disappointment in both this novel & in my favorite authors.
Ruby is, by far, the WORST heroine that I've ever come across in a Christina Lauren novel. She's obsessed with Niall, & by the time the book opens, she's been stalking him for 5 months. (Her words, not mine). She's a self-proclaimed "Semi-Stalker" who dug up details on Niall's life. She learned and memorized EVERY piece of info on him that she could get her hands on: his birthday, where he grew up, his high school extracurricular activities, his professors in college, the kind of car that he owns (even though she's never seen the car b/c he doesn't drive it), specific details regarding his divorce, etc. She's even lurked closely enough to decipher & memorize his cellphone's passcode. Furthermore, Ruby is overbearing & clingy, & her repeated attempts to push Niall into having sex w/ her are uncomfortable to read about. At times, she nearly comes across as a predator.
Ruby: "I was acting like a twitching lunatic." Correction: You ARE a lunatic.
Ruby: "I'd felt like the needy, frantic girl..." Correction: You ARE a needy, frantic girl.
Ruby: “The Number of Times I Have Listened for Niall Stella’s Footfalls: infinite.” Even more proof that you're a STALKER.
Ruby: “I registered with horror that he was watching me eye-fuck him like it was my job.” Ruby's obsession leads her to act extremely unprofessionally at work. This creepy & unprofessional behavior is NOT a "one-time thing," but is instead habitual. During meetings (or whenever other employees are present), she is only ever focused on Niall.
Ruby: “My first thought wasn’t about my job or the fact that I was five thousand miles away from home. It wasn’t where would I live? How would I buy food or pay the electricity bill? It wasn’t about my fucking spot at Oxford, either, or how long and hard I’d worked, or how much I’d sacrificed to get there.... It was about Niall Stella.” We're supposed to believe that Ruby is intelligent enough to be accepted into graduate school at Oxford. However, she only employs her intelligence & intuitiveness in this novel when she's researching & memorizing personal facts about the guy that she's been "stalking"... or when she's scheming to seduce him.
Bottom line: RUBY IS CREEPY.
Cue the soundtrack to "Fatal Attraction"
Full Review to Come...
Tentative Rating: *1.25/5 stars*
Ruby is, by far, the WORST heroine that I've ever come across in a Christina Lauren novel. She's obsessed with Niall, & by the time the book opens, she's been stalking him for 5 months. (Her words, not mine). She's a self-proclaimed "Semi-Stalker" who dug up details on Niall's life. She learned and memorized EVERY piece of info on him that she could get her hands on: his birthday, where he grew up, his high school extracurricular activities, his professors in college, the kind of car that he owns (even though she's never seen the car b/c he doesn't drive it), specific details regarding his divorce, etc. She's even lurked closely enough to decipher & memorize his cellphone's passcode. Furthermore, Ruby is overbearing & clingy, & her repeated attempts to push Niall into having sex w/ her are uncomfortable to read about. At times, she nearly comes across as a predator.
Ruby: "I was acting like a twitching lunatic." Correction: You ARE a lunatic.
Ruby: "I'd felt like the needy, frantic girl..." Correction: You ARE a needy, frantic girl.
Ruby: “The Number of Times I Have Listened for Niall Stella’s Footfalls: infinite.” Even more proof that you're a STALKER.
Ruby: “I registered with horror that he was watching me eye-fuck him like it was my job.” Ruby's obsession leads her to act extremely unprofessionally at work. This creepy & unprofessional behavior is NOT a "one-time thing," but is instead habitual. During meetings (or whenever other employees are present), she is only ever focused on Niall.
Ruby: “My first thought wasn’t about my job or the fact that I was five thousand miles away from home. It wasn’t where would I live? How would I buy food or pay the electricity bill? It wasn’t about my fucking spot at Oxford, either, or how long and hard I’d worked, or how much I’d sacrificed to get there.... It was about Niall Stella.” We're supposed to believe that Ruby is intelligent enough to be accepted into graduate school at Oxford. However, she only employs her intelligence & intuitiveness in this novel when she's researching & memorizing personal facts about the guy that she's been "stalking"... or when she's scheming to seduce him.
Bottom line: RUBY IS CREEPY.
Cue the soundtrack to "Fatal Attraction"
Full Review to Come...
Tentative Rating: *1.25/5 stars*
April 20, 2015
3.5 stars!
This one was one of the most anticipated books for me, but unfortunately I didn't love it as much as the previous installments in the series.
I fell in love with Niall when I read the Beautiful Beloved novella, he came into scene and bam, I was a goner.
Unfortunately, the Niall I met in the novella wasn't the same Niall I met in this book.
Ruby works as a intern at Richardson- Corbett Consulting and Niall is the Vice President in the firm.
She has an enormous crush on Niall, but he doesn't even know she exists. When they're leaving for a month for a business trip to New York, just the two of them, things will definitely take a different turn..
This read started in a really good way and I was so excited about it. But after a while, things went downhill for me..
It may sound odd, but the reason why I didn't love this book was Niall. At first his behavior was kind of sweet and cute, but then it was dragged on and he got on my nerves. I usually have similar issues with annoying heroines, never thought I would have had them with the main male character..
Niall has been with the same woman for the past 16 years, so it was obviously hard for him to date and start again with another woman, but still I felt like he was 16 instead of thirty something.
On the other hand, I really liked Ruby.She was obsessed with Niall ( almost in a stalkerish way lol) , she was hilarious and cute.
For a good part of the book, I thought she was the man in the relationship. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, I liked the fact that she was so open about her feelings and trying to be there for Niall and help him loosen up, but I'm used to a different type of hero.
I didn't hate this book, I'm just a bit disappointed because each book in this series has been a winner to me.
Lastly, the ending was abrupt and there wasn't an epilogue. The epilogue is avalaible just in the audiobook version. I don't listen to audiobooks and this doesn't seem fair.
With that being said, it was a light and funny read. Overall, I enjoyed this book, I just didn't love it. I'd still recommend it to lovers of the Beautiful series!
BR with Patty <3 Patty's review!! LOVE OUR BRs!! <3
July 27, 2017
3.5 Stars
Overall Opinion: From reading reviews I went into this knowing that I probably wasn't going to be happy with the ending, but I still wasn't nearly prepared! I wanted more, dang it! It. Just. Ended. It was so abrupt, and it completely left me hanging. I was even hesitating calling this a HFN because it was so flipping abrupt. After 385 pages, I want some type of closure! Other than that -- I liked the characters, I liked their connection, and I was really happy with the maturity of their relationship.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Ruby and Niall's story. They have been working at the same engineering firm for about 6 months. While Niall hasn't noticed Ruby, she has been harboring a major crush on him. He finally notices her when he is informed that she will be joining him for a 6 week work project in NYC. The sparks fly, and they dance around their instant connection for a little while. There are some sexy times, some cameos from past characters, a few funny and sweet moments, and some drama...but they get a HFN ending.
POV: This alternated between Ruby and Niall's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good until the end (see closure section). I never skimmed, and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: Kind of. This takes place in a short period of time, so I guess one can call it instalove...not anything that felt unjustified though.
H rating: 4 stars. Niall. I liked him. He made a big mistake at the end, but he actually owned up to his mistake. I also liked that he was so inexperienced and hesitant about sex without love :)
h rating: 4 stars. Ruby. I really liked her confidence, and even though she was young -- she really had her head on straight and was mature.
Sadness level: Low. No tissues needed.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Moderate. They take a while to actually have sex, but they do some other hot stuff first.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: Kind of. Birth control is mentioned, but I don't remember any mention of previous practices or std statuses.
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had an extremely abrupt and what I would call a HFN ending. I still had a lot of unanswered questions, and we don't get any major commitments (other than sharing ILYs).
How I got it: I got it on loan through my public library.
Safety: I'd say this should be Safe for most readers.
Overall Opinion: From reading reviews I went into this knowing that I probably wasn't going to be happy with the ending, but I still wasn't nearly prepared! I wanted more, dang it! It. Just. Ended. It was so abrupt, and it completely left me hanging. I was even hesitating calling this a HFN because it was so flipping abrupt. After 385 pages, I want some type of closure! Other than that -- I liked the characters, I liked their connection, and I was really happy with the maturity of their relationship.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Ruby and Niall's story. They have been working at the same engineering firm for about 6 months. While Niall hasn't noticed Ruby, she has been harboring a major crush on him. He finally notices her when he is informed that she will be joining him for a 6 week work project in NYC. The sparks fly, and they dance around their instant connection for a little while. There are some sexy times, some cameos from past characters, a few funny and sweet moments, and some drama...but they get a HFN ending.
POV: This alternated between Ruby and Niall's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good until the end (see closure section). I never skimmed, and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: Kind of. This takes place in a short period of time, so I guess one can call it instalove...not anything that felt unjustified though.
H rating: 4 stars. Niall. I liked him. He made a big mistake at the end, but he actually owned up to his mistake. I also liked that he was so inexperienced and hesitant about sex without love :)
h rating: 4 stars. Ruby. I really liked her confidence, and even though she was young -- she really had her head on straight and was mature.
Sadness level: Low. No tissues needed.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Moderate. They take a while to actually have sex, but they do some other hot stuff first.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: Kind of. Birth control is mentioned, but I don't remember any mention of previous practices or std statuses.
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had an extremely abrupt and what I would call a HFN ending. I still had a lot of unanswered questions, and we don't get any major commitments (other than sharing ILYs).
How I got it: I got it on loan through my public library.
Safety: I'd say this should be Safe for most readers.
April 20, 2015
2.5-ish stars?
This one disappointed me, it really did. I think it was even more so because I built it up to be this amazing thing in my head. Or maybe I'm just making excuses here. IMHO, it didn't live up to the expectation that was surrounding it. It didn't follow the same formula as its predecessors. I can't blame just one character here, it was both of them and their actions. There were so maaaaaaaany times where I wanted to quit. So. Bad. But I didn't.
This one disappointed me, it really did. I think it was even more so because I built it up to be this amazing thing in my head. Or maybe I'm just making excuses here. IMHO, it didn't live up to the expectation that was surrounding it. It didn't follow the same formula as its predecessors. I can't blame just one character here, it was both of them and their actions. There were so maaaaaaaany times where I wanted to quit. So. Bad. But I didn't.
May 13, 2015
4 "I'm not very good at ... women." Stars
The Beautiful Bastard series by Christina Lauren has given me endless reading pleasure. When I heard Max Stella's brother was getting a book I was so happy because Max is my favorite from the series. Little did I know how completely different the two brothers really are. In this series I've come to expect explosive passion and chemistry from the couple being together right from the start. In Beautiful Secret the chemistry and passion are ever present but the explosiveness wasn't, for me, and it didn't grab me quite as hard as with previous books. This story is more of a slow burn as Niall navigates his life post-divorce and figures out the emotions he's experiencing with the vivacious Ruby, who's character I loved. I haven't loved a heroine in this series more than a hero until now. Ruby's a perfect combination of sassy and sweet wrapped up in total honesty. I loved how she was Niall and with the rest of guys from the series. Her confidence shines in how much she's willing to give this man and the choices she makes because of her feelings for him. I never felt put off by Ruby, she did everything totally right. And while their relationship develops slowly, there are some scorching hot "no touching" scenes in Beautiful Secret that are Kindle melty. So even though it's not my favorite of the series it's a great read. And like always the book comprises the flawless writing of dynamic duo Christina Lauren. I really enjoyed reading it and hope we get more from this cast of characters soon.
The Beautiful Bastard series by Christina Lauren has given me endless reading pleasure. When I heard Max Stella's brother was getting a book I was so happy because Max is my favorite from the series. Little did I know how completely different the two brothers really are. In this series I've come to expect explosive passion and chemistry from the couple being together right from the start. In Beautiful Secret the chemistry and passion are ever present but the explosiveness wasn't, for me, and it didn't grab me quite as hard as with previous books. This story is more of a slow burn as Niall navigates his life post-divorce and figures out the emotions he's experiencing with the vivacious Ruby, who's character I loved. I haven't loved a heroine in this series more than a hero until now. Ruby's a perfect combination of sassy and sweet wrapped up in total honesty. I loved how she was Niall and with the rest of guys from the series. Her confidence shines in how much she's willing to give this man and the choices she makes because of her feelings for him. I never felt put off by Ruby, she did everything totally right. And while their relationship develops slowly, there are some scorching hot "no touching" scenes in Beautiful Secret that are Kindle melty. So even though it's not my favorite of the series it's a great read. And like always the book comprises the flawless writing of dynamic duo Christina Lauren. I really enjoyed reading it and hope we get more from this cast of characters soon.
May 8, 2016
This is the fourth and newest release in the Beautiful Bastard series. Christina Lauren are slowly becoming some of my favorite authors. So as soon as Leah told me this was on sale at Target I high tailed it there! So glad I did too because I wasn't disappointed. Beautiful Secret follows Niall Stella and Ruby Miller. I was SO happy that Christina Lauren decide to mix things up on us a bit and to have the gender rolls a little flipped. A lot of times their books follow a guy chasing after the forbidden girl fruit. Even though these two writters always write strong willed female characters there was always something (in my opinion) I thought was missing from their leading ladies.... I got it from Ruby. She is my favorite female character of theirs so far. She was silly, comical, and strong without being over the top. She had me laughing so hard! When it comes to CLs men they tend to write very strong very outspoken guys. Guys that see what they want and then stop at nothing to get it. I liked that in Beautiful Secret it was more Ruby doing the chasing and Niall being a little more of the timid one. I liked the Ruby was the experienced one while Niall was still coming down from long term marriage turned divorced. I also found it great that Niall wasn't man-whoring it up and then found his special snowflake that helped him see the light. Two thumbs up on that!
"Are you going to kiss me? I fear I wouldn't be able to stop. Maybe I wouldn't want you to."
It was also refreshing for these two to have it so the characters took their time. We got a lot more back story than we usually get, and got a lot more character development as well. Nothing about their relationship was rushed. The plot plays out over a respectable timeline. The build up for the ending of this book was perfect. When I started reading it I was like "OK COME ON!!!! JUST HAVE THE BIG BANG HAPPEN!!!", but nope they keep you waiting and it is worth it. Was thinking that since this book was set up different than the others that I wasn't going to like it, but I really did. I enjoyed not just the timeline but also that this novel took place in England. The strong characters, a solid plot, and the anticipation for what would happen at this book won me over.
READ THIS REVIEW AND OTHERS OVER ON OUR BLOG:
http://southernbredsouthernread.blogs...
http://southernbredsouthernread.blogs...
http://southernbredsouthernread.blogs...
http://southernbredsouthernread.blogs...
http://southernbredsouthernread.blogs...
"Are you going to kiss me? I fear I wouldn't be able to stop. Maybe I wouldn't want you to."
It was also refreshing for these two to have it so the characters took their time. We got a lot more back story than we usually get, and got a lot more character development as well. Nothing about their relationship was rushed. The plot plays out over a respectable timeline. The build up for the ending of this book was perfect. When I started reading it I was like "OK COME ON!!!! JUST HAVE THE BIG BANG HAPPEN!!!", but nope they keep you waiting and it is worth it. Was thinking that since this book was set up different than the others that I wasn't going to like it, but I really did. I enjoyed not just the timeline but also that this novel took place in England. The strong characters, a solid plot, and the anticipation for what would happen at this book won me over.
READ THIS REVIEW AND OTHERS OVER ON OUR BLOG:
http://southernbredsouthernread.blogs...
http://southernbredsouthernread.blogs...
http://southernbredsouthernread.blogs...
http://southernbredsouthernread.blogs...
http://southernbredsouthernread.blogs...
February 1, 2016
3 - "There’s a lot of mileage between getting somewhere and enjoying the journey." Stars.
Mmmm, I'm kind of bummed about this one. I expected great things from Beautiful Secret and it just didn’t deliver the way all the previous books in the series did. I think the authors very much have had a definite recipe for the series so far, and to say they changed the ingredients up with Niall and Ruby’s book would be probably the best analogy I can come up with.
"I’m not very good with… women."
My main niggles were the fact that it was all about the fore/finger and mouth play up until around the 75% mark, and although I could see the point, it also isn’t what my expectations are when it comes to the characters in these books, sex, snark, sass and more sex are. The authors kept up with the usual banter and such especially while Niall and Ruby were in New York, but it lost a lot of its sparkle when they returned back to London.
"Come to me… when you’re ready."
My other peeve, is the somewhat sketchy Anglicization of certain thoughts and verbalization from Niall, initially it wasn’t a huge issue, but when you are bored (and I was for a lot of the second half) things like using nutters instead of nuts, and the phrase "That was some bloody good fucking," which felt more like a base translation of Chinese into English, it just stuck out all the more.
My last gripe. Ruby. Who came across as one of the most desperate women I have had the pleasure of reading for a while, and rather than feel that she was trying to work things through with Niall at his own pace, it just read like she was conceding every point to him, just to make sure he stayed happy and they could carry on with their growing (for the most part non) relationship. All of the previous women in this series have been strong of character, known their own minds and have definitely not been shy to call their guys out when they are being tools. Niall is completely different from Bennett, Max and Will, personality wise so yes I expected some differences in the communications and behavior of this couple, but none of it really gelled for me.
Entertaining enough, but it missed the mark if you take into account the arcs of the previous books in the series. Particularly on story line and character development, on this occasion I’m afraid Beautiful Secret just didn’t match up to its predecessors.
Mmmm, I'm kind of bummed about this one. I expected great things from Beautiful Secret and it just didn’t deliver the way all the previous books in the series did. I think the authors very much have had a definite recipe for the series so far, and to say they changed the ingredients up with Niall and Ruby’s book would be probably the best analogy I can come up with.
"I’m not very good with… women."
My main niggles were the fact that it was all about the fore/finger and mouth play up until around the 75% mark, and although I could see the point, it also isn’t what my expectations are when it comes to the characters in these books, sex, snark, sass and more sex are. The authors kept up with the usual banter and such especially while Niall and Ruby were in New York, but it lost a lot of its sparkle when they returned back to London.
"Come to me… when you’re ready."
My other peeve, is the somewhat sketchy Anglicization of certain thoughts and verbalization from Niall, initially it wasn’t a huge issue, but when you are bored (and I was for a lot of the second half) things like using nutters instead of nuts, and the phrase "That was some bloody good fucking," which felt more like a base translation of Chinese into English, it just stuck out all the more.
My last gripe. Ruby. Who came across as one of the most desperate women I have had the pleasure of reading for a while, and rather than feel that she was trying to work things through with Niall at his own pace, it just read like she was conceding every point to him, just to make sure he stayed happy and they could carry on with their growing (for the most part non) relationship. All of the previous women in this series have been strong of character, known their own minds and have definitely not been shy to call their guys out when they are being tools. Niall is completely different from Bennett, Max and Will, personality wise so yes I expected some differences in the communications and behavior of this couple, but none of it really gelled for me.
Entertaining enough, but it missed the mark if you take into account the arcs of the previous books in the series. Particularly on story line and character development, on this occasion I’m afraid Beautiful Secret just didn’t match up to its predecessors.
November 18, 2016
Beautiful Secret is the 4th book in Christina Lauren Beautiful Bastard Series. I really liked the first three books and I liked Niall Stella, Max Stella's brother, when he was introduced in Beautiful Bastard book #2 and I was rather looking forward to his own story.
To be really honest..........I felt a bit of a let-down!!! Niall Stella just never shone like the other 3 BB'S!!! He was beyond alpha...beyond beta!!! Hell, he was even scared of his own shadow!!! He couldn't make up his mind about anything if it wasn't related to his work!!!! Love, sex........man, did he run circles around those issues!!!
The heroine, Ruby didn't do it for me either.
I didn't feel the chemistry between the two.
It wasn't a horrible book but it just wasn't a great one for me either. However, I am happy I did read this as it continues a series I am still enjoying.
To be really honest..........I felt a bit of a let-down!!! Niall Stella just never shone like the other 3 BB'S!!! He was beyond alpha...beyond beta!!! Hell, he was even scared of his own shadow!!! He couldn't make up his mind about anything if it wasn't related to his work!!!! Love, sex........man, did he run circles around those issues!!!
The heroine, Ruby didn't do it for me either.
I didn't feel the chemistry between the two.
It wasn't a horrible book but it just wasn't a great one for me either. However, I am happy I did read this as it continues a series I am still enjoying.
July 27, 2017
Uno de los mejores de la saga ( y mira que con Will y Hanah me gustaron)... No he parado de leer, de sonreir y de sentirme un poco como Niall y como Ruby.....
Me ha encantado el cambio de tercio que dan las autoras poniendo a un hombre que no es tipico mojabragas ( y que lo sabe) y a una chica con dos ovarios que lucha por lo que quiere...
Las escenas Hot son buenas pero he disfrutado mas con la tension sexual no resuelta y los tiras y aflojas de los dos...
Un placer volver a reencontrarme con viejos personajes de los anteriores libros y ver como les va....
He disfrutado como una enana con un caramelito ( llamado Niall)....
Me ha encantado el cambio de tercio que dan las autoras poniendo a un hombre que no es tipico mojabragas ( y que lo sabe) y a una chica con dos ovarios que lucha por lo que quiere...
Las escenas Hot son buenas pero he disfrutado mas con la tension sexual no resuelta y los tiras y aflojas de los dos...
Un placer volver a reencontrarme con viejos personajes de los anteriores libros y ver como les va....
He disfrutado como una enana con un caramelito ( llamado Niall)....
February 10, 2015
CLo is back with the 4th full length (hee hee) installment in the Beautiful Series, BEAUTIFUL SECRET. Meet Niall Stella (you've technically already met him in BEAUTIFUL BELOVED) and Ruby Miller (she's briefly mentioned in DIRTY ROWDY THING as Lola's former roommate that just moved to London.)
The build up between these two is deliciously slow and oh-so tantalizing. Ruby reminds me of Hanna from BEAUTIFUL PLAYER, where she has a ridiculously awesome personality and has tricks up her sleeve that we don't see coming. Niall, unfortunately, is not a twin personality of his brother Max, but boy does this man really know how to pack a powerful, yet quiet, "punch". While not as obviously dirty like his fellow Beautiful men, there's something about Niall that makes me want to register for my own zip code in bed to keep him forever. In the words of Christina, "I want to take him home, bake him cookies, and watch him eat them."
In true CLo fashion, the sex scenes are HOT and aren't like any we've seen before, which as a romance reader, is so refreshing and keeps the reader on their toes. There's one scene between these two that I just HAD to put the book down and compose myself because GOD DAMN, DID THEY REALLY WRITE THAT? (Obviously in a really good, holy hotness kind of way.)
Another thing that I would like to point out is that if you're a fan of BEAUTIFUL PLAYER in terms of storyline and plot development, this is your book. We really get to know Niall & Ruby and their environment. This isn't BEAUTIFUL BASTARD where it's all like wham, bam, thank you ma'am -- it's about building a relationship and living realistically in a fictionary world.
Super proud of Christina & Lauren for this book. :)
The build up between these two is deliciously slow and oh-so tantalizing. Ruby reminds me of Hanna from BEAUTIFUL PLAYER, where she has a ridiculously awesome personality and has tricks up her sleeve that we don't see coming. Niall, unfortunately, is not a twin personality of his brother Max, but boy does this man really know how to pack a powerful, yet quiet, "punch". While not as obviously dirty like his fellow Beautiful men, there's something about Niall that makes me want to register for my own zip code in bed to keep him forever. In the words of Christina, "I want to take him home, bake him cookies, and watch him eat them."
In true CLo fashion, the sex scenes are HOT and aren't like any we've seen before, which as a romance reader, is so refreshing and keeps the reader on their toes. There's one scene between these two that I just HAD to put the book down and compose myself because GOD DAMN, DID THEY REALLY WRITE THAT? (Obviously in a really good, holy hotness kind of way.)
Another thing that I would like to point out is that if you're a fan of BEAUTIFUL PLAYER in terms of storyline and plot development, this is your book. We really get to know Niall & Ruby and their environment. This isn't BEAUTIFUL BASTARD where it's all like wham, bam, thank you ma'am -- it's about building a relationship and living realistically in a fictionary world.
Super proud of Christina & Lauren for this book. :)
September 19, 2016
- Audio Version –
4 British Stars
I got the audio version because of the British accent! Some people find it hard to listen to an accent, but I loved it. If you haven’t listened to an accent, you need to try it!
Beautiful Secret is a standalone and is part of the Beautiful B series. I didn’t read the spin-off, but I did read the first three books in this series. I’ve had my hits and misses with this one. I always give the series a shot, even if one of the books doesn’t hit the mark with me.
It’s Ruby and Niall’s story.
I love the way Beautiful Secret started. Ruby has a mega crush on Niall. Niall works in the UK office and Ruby is currently working there. I love listening to Ruby’s inner monologue, it was too cute! She crushes on Niall super hard and she acts like a cute little fool in front of him.
Niall is recently divorced and he’s not the typical alpha Hero. If you ever had a thing for sweet guys, then Niall is your man. He’s not very sexual and he doesn’t go around playing on girls. So when Ruby starts to show interest in him, it kind of throws Niall off.
I found Niall very different. I’m use to my alpha males, so when I met someone who isn’t very experienced and so like I said, it threw me off. In his relationship with his ex-wife, he only has sex once a week and it doesn’t change up much. Ruby kind of introduces him to the slightly kinkier side of sex. It’s nothing super kinky, so don’t think BDSM or bondage, just good old fashion BJ’s and butt slapping.
Beautiful Secret is super tame and it’s very different from the previous books. I found the relationship between Niall and Ruby very mature and realistic. I kind of like how older they are because well, I’m older and I like how relatable it was. I wouldn’t say they keep the relationship a mega secret, but it’s very low key. There’s plenty of steam to keep you entertain.
Overall, if you are a fan of the series, you will not be disappointed.
Audio Question
Where does Beautiful Secret rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
As an audio book, it’s a very good audio book. I thought the two main narrators were the perfect match. I thought the length of book was perfect as well.
Who was your favorite character and why?
I liked the main characters. I found Ruby very empowering and cute. I loved that she had a crush on Niall and she didn’t know how to act around him. I liked Niall even though he’s not “strong”, but he’s a good guy with good intentions. He’s not the typical Hero.
Which character – as performed by Charlotte Penfield and Jonathan Cole – was your favorite?
This is my first performance by Charlotte and I loved her. I thought she played Ruby perfectly. I loved her character transitions and she even spoke in a British accent when she was speaking as Niall. I felt her emotions as I was listening to her. This was my first Jonathan narration and I found his voice not as deep as I am use to when I listen to a male narrator. I did love his British accent and it was very easy to listen to. I know some people find accents hard to listen to, but that wasn’t the case for me. He also did the voice transitions very well too.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
A sexy British tale…
Series Order
REVIEW | AMAZON
REVIEW | AMAZON
REVIEW | AMAZON
AMAZON
4 British Stars
I got the audio version because of the British accent! Some people find it hard to listen to an accent, but I loved it. If you haven’t listened to an accent, you need to try it!
Beautiful Secret is a standalone and is part of the Beautiful B series. I didn’t read the spin-off, but I did read the first three books in this series. I’ve had my hits and misses with this one. I always give the series a shot, even if one of the books doesn’t hit the mark with me.
It’s Ruby and Niall’s story.
I love the way Beautiful Secret started. Ruby has a mega crush on Niall. Niall works in the UK office and Ruby is currently working there. I love listening to Ruby’s inner monologue, it was too cute! She crushes on Niall super hard and she acts like a cute little fool in front of him.
Niall is recently divorced and he’s not the typical alpha Hero. If you ever had a thing for sweet guys, then Niall is your man. He’s not very sexual and he doesn’t go around playing on girls. So when Ruby starts to show interest in him, it kind of throws Niall off.
I found Niall very different. I’m use to my alpha males, so when I met someone who isn’t very experienced and so like I said, it threw me off. In his relationship with his ex-wife, he only has sex once a week and it doesn’t change up much. Ruby kind of introduces him to the slightly kinkier side of sex. It’s nothing super kinky, so don’t think BDSM or bondage, just good old fashion BJ’s and butt slapping.
Beautiful Secret is super tame and it’s very different from the previous books. I found the relationship between Niall and Ruby very mature and realistic. I kind of like how older they are because well, I’m older and I like how relatable it was. I wouldn’t say they keep the relationship a mega secret, but it’s very low key. There’s plenty of steam to keep you entertain.
Overall, if you are a fan of the series, you will not be disappointed.
Audio Question
Where does Beautiful Secret rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
As an audio book, it’s a very good audio book. I thought the two main narrators were the perfect match. I thought the length of book was perfect as well.
Who was your favorite character and why?
I liked the main characters. I found Ruby very empowering and cute. I loved that she had a crush on Niall and she didn’t know how to act around him. I liked Niall even though he’s not “strong”, but he’s a good guy with good intentions. He’s not the typical Hero.
Which character – as performed by Charlotte Penfield and Jonathan Cole – was your favorite?
This is my first performance by Charlotte and I loved her. I thought she played Ruby perfectly. I loved her character transitions and she even spoke in a British accent when she was speaking as Niall. I felt her emotions as I was listening to her. This was my first Jonathan narration and I found his voice not as deep as I am use to when I listen to a male narrator. I did love his British accent and it was very easy to listen to. I know some people find accents hard to listen to, but that wasn’t the case for me. He also did the voice transitions very well too.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
A sexy British tale…
Series Order
REVIEW | AMAZON
REVIEW | AMAZON
REVIEW | AMAZON
AMAZONDisplaying 1 - 30 of 2,625 reviews