Beautiful Secret by Christina Lauren….ARC Review

Beautiful Secret releases tomorrow, April, 14!

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Synopsis:

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?

My Review:

Beautiful Secret is the 4th book in the Beautiful Bastard Series brought to us by the dynamic writing duo of Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. I have been a super fan girl to the extreme of this series since the very beginning and I know I’ve said it before, but these two gals just keep getting better with each book. Niall and Ruby totally go down as one of my favorite book couples of all time. With her spunky, fun personality and his buttoned up reserve, these two were an opposites attraction made in heaven.

California girl Ruby Miller was living in London and realizing her engineering dreams and life was pretty damn good. Making it even better was getting to see the tall, dark, and handsome Niall Stella in the office each day. She had stared from afar, with stars in her eyes while signing dreamily, for months now and when she gets the news that she’s to accompany him on a trip to NYC for a project, she’s all out of sorts and feeling too many things. He was recently divorced, and ripe for the taking, if she could just get up the nerve and not make an arse of herself while doing it. That, of course, would prove much easier said than done. Let the games begin…

Young and successful, Niall Stella at one time had had it all. Now, he wasn’t sure what that even meant anymore. Sure he had a great career and loved what he did but his life was lacking in the love department. And if he’s being honest with himself, it was lacking long before he and his ex-wife had split up. These last few months alone had him realizing maybe her never knew what real love had been. Maybe he never would? Lucky for him fate had thrown him a bone when he was paired with the bright and full of life intern, Ruby. Now he just had to realized the gift that’s been handed to him…

They are opposites in every way. She’s colorful and bright with a lust for life that oozes out of into facet of her life. He’s reserved and conservative making a stiff upper lip look damn good in a three-piece suit. But never before have two opposites fit more perfectly in every way that matters than the way these two do.

It’s at this point I just want to type “buy this book” repeatedly for the rest of this review, because really, you just need to trust me when I say you need this book. But alas, with so much to swoon over, I promise I’ll give you more than a phrase set on repeat (but seriously, get this book!).

This story, hands down, was the most emotional in the series for me. Niall is every woman’s dream. He’s successful, handsome, well-mannered, smart and kind. He’s got a reserved grace that would make any woman weak in the knees. Any woman except his ex-wife. Things had truly gone sour between them and even though they ended things amicably and on good terms, it ruined something in Niall. It left him doubting himself and his worth as a lover and as a man. God, my heart broke for him too many times to count. I wanted to reach into the pages and just hug him. Enter Ruby. If ever there was someone tailor-made for Niall it’s Ruby. If ever there was anyone able to build Niall back up to the loving and passionate potential he has buried deep within it’s Ruby. She is one of the best book gals I’ve read to date. Not only is she smart and sassy, she is funny as all get out and is filled with such honest passion that you can’t not love her. Together they are just…just…incredible.

Their journey in getting Niall to kick his doubt to the curb is a smoking hot one. Never had non-sex been so damn sexy! But then again, with Christina and Lauren writing it, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Their banter was delicious and their slow journey into intimacy was not only smoking hot, it was a thing of beauty.  Truly.

I felt so many things while reading Beautiful Secret. I laughed (a whole lot) and I cried (a whole lot). I ignored all responsibilities and read this book from cover to cover because Niall and Ruby were just that consuming…and I just adored every minute spent with them.

Thank you. Christina and Lauren, for once again writing an amazing couple on an amazing ride to an amazing relationship. You gals never cease to amaze me and I will continue to look forward to each and every release you put out.

5LovesRLB

Five Loves

 

Book Links:

Amazon  |  B&N  |  iBooks  |  Kobo  |  Target 

About the authors:

Christina Lauren author picLauren Billings (but everyone calls her Lo) has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and before she made writing her full-time job, would spend her days doing nerdy research-type things wearing a lab coat and goggles. She is silly Mommy to two littles, wife to one mountain biking homebrewing scientist, bestie to a shoe-stealer, and an unabashed lover of YA and romance.

Christina Hobbs (but you’ll always hear Lo call her PQ) used to spend her days in a junior high counseling office surrounded by teenagers. These days you’ll probably find her on tumblr. She is married and absolutely not old enough to be the mom of a 14 year old (right??), thinks she’s the luckiest person in the world to write books with her best friend, and is an unapologetic lover of boy bands and glitter. She also likes to steal Lo’s shoes.

You can follow their shenanigans at:

@lolashoes (Lauren) & @seeCwrite (Christina) on Twitter. On Tumblr! where we post kissing gifs and writerly stuff and Wattpad for short stories and sneak peeks!

For official information about their books, events, interviews, movie news and more, follow @christinalauren.

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