Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: The Secrets We Whisper to the Bees

AUTHOR: Sam E. Kraemer

PUBLISHER: Kaye Klub Publishing

LENGTH: 242 pages

RELEASE DATE: October 31, 2021 re-release

BLURB:

What would you do to protect someone you love?

Would you give your life to save theirs?

Would you kill to protect them?

Whom would you trust with your secrets?
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Hilda Wickersham was the proprietress of the Wickersham Inn, a seasonal bed and breakfast located on the Delaware shore, and she needed assistance for the upcoming summer season. When a young man began squatting on her beach, she remembered her biggest regret in life. That memory stopped her from reporting him to the local chief of police to have him removed. As she observed the young man, Hilda could see the redhead was troubled, and her motherly instincts, which she thought buried long ago, nudged her to extend a helping hand.

Jex Ivers was running for his life. He’d managed to escape from a madman and found himself working for a kind old woman who owned an inn on the coast of Delaware. He could tell the widow was suffering from a broken heart, just like Jex, and she needed his help as much as he needed hers. The two of them found a natural kinship with each other, and Jex believed his life might just turn around if he could stay under the radar for a little while longer. When he met Elijah Moore, Jex hoped it was a sign that his bad luck was changing.

Elijah Moore, the chief of police of Haven’s Point, lived a quiet life. He had a job he loved, good friends, and a cottage on the beach. And…he was lonely. When a stranger showed up and caught Eli’s attention, something about the redhead triggered Eli’s protective nature. When he learned more about Jex’s situation, the chief determined he’d do whatever it took to keep the young man from harm.

An old woman looking for redemption. A young man looking for a new life. A lonely man looking for happiness. What would each of them do to protect the ones they loved? When everything was said and done, what secrets would be whispered to the bees?

***

Please Note: This book contains material which may be offensive to some readers. It includes graphic language, adult situations, and descriptions of sexual activity between two, consenting, adult males. TRIGGERS: There are references to human trafficking, child abuse, sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, and revenge. There are character deaths, but there is also love in many forms. If any of these things are a trigger for you, please be advised.

REVIEW:

This is a completely different type of book than my usual Sam E. Kraemer books but I’m thankful I gave it a try.

Jex Ivers is running for his life. The man who brutally beat him and made him his slave was going free on a technicality unless he testified against him again. But Bernie was going to make sure that the boy never had a chance. When Jex lands in the tiny town of Haven’s Point on the Delaware shoreline we is befriended by Lena at the diner and then the police chief. But is the woman who owns the property that he’s been camping on that gives him his first real chance at life in years. Now that he has a steady job and a warm place to live what is he going to do with the gorgeous top cop that has become friendly?

I think this particular book is going to stick with me for quite some time. This is definitely not some light, fluffy romance novel. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of love and romance between Jex and Eli. Eli made sure to be everything Jex deserved from his lover. He was almost over-the-top careful with the fragile yet resiliently strong young man he had quickly fallen head-over-heels in love with. But there are some very dark parts too. Jex’s life was not songs and flowers. It was heart wrenching and brutal from the time his mom died tragically when he was fifteen until he finally escaped his captor. And poor Hilda Wickersham’s life was just as tragic. Her poor, sweet son Michael’s death had Ben the point where her life changed so much. After what her husband’s mother did to her it’s no wonder she became a bit murderous. But the bees are always there to keep he secrets.

I loved that Jex found the love he so richly deserved in many different ways. The love of a mother figure was strong in the ties between him and Hilda. The friendship that developed between him and the townspeople that accepted him as one of their own. Especially Lena, Eileen and Dewey. And the true love from Eli, the man who wants forever with him.

This read like one of those suspense/murder mysteries my mom read when I was young. Mysterious deaths surrounding a quaint costal town with a new resident with a past. Many twist and turns until all was revealed. Great read for a story night. This was definitely not my usual type of read but it enchanted and mesmerized me with the ever changing plot.

RATING:

BUY LINKS:

Amazon