Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: No More Secrets

SERIES: Zone Defense #2

AUTHOR: Becca Seymour

PUBLISHER: Rainbow Tree Publishing

LENGTH: 284 Pages

RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2022

BLURB:

Some things you can’t just blurt out… right?

When you’ve shared a kiss with your best friend and it blows your mind—and other parts of your body—it’s inevitable that everything changes.

That’s the way it now is with me and Jayden Moore, my best friend who thought he could rock my world with no consequences, all while throwing me his signature grin.

But this is Jayden we’re talking about. He gets himself into unexpected trouble no matter what, and when visiting Australia, I’m compelled to make sure he doesn’t get eaten by a croc or try to steal a kangaroo. Like the glutton for punishment I am, I follow him.

And that’s all great until my desperation and big mouth send our worlds spiraling. Apparently, we’re now officially a couple. And because of course it goes one step further, I’ve now got my very own fake fiancé.

Being in the media is one thing, but being inspiration for others creates a whole new set of guilt and problems. But we’ll tackle it together and find our way back to how things were.

And if that’s not possible, just maybe Jayden and I can find ourselves with a brand-new label. One that’s real, and one I don’t run from. That’s the thing with Jayden: he has a way to extract my secrets. Whether he’s prepared for them or not.

REVIEW:

Sutton and Jayden are best friends. However, at the end of book one, events in Vegas are the catalyst for mixed emotions that send them spiraling. For two men used to goofing off, life has become complicated.

No More Secrets is book two in the Zone Defense Series. Each story features a specific couple whose journey is completed within the covers. However, there is an element of crossover. A nugget of a beginning in one book gets continued and finished in the next. And what a delicious read No More Secrets turned out to be.

Love Bytes was provided with an un-proofed copy and, therefore, I will not be commenting on any grammatical aspects. However, there are still some parts that I can observe. The story is told in the first person with alternating chapters on viewpoint. No matter the novel, whenever the format is like this, I get lost with whose point of view I’m reading. Also, although a technicality, autonomous body parts, when used, tends to be a writing habit, and there are quite a few here. In this case, sentences such as, ‘my fingers dipped,’ should have been ‘I dipped my fingers…’. Editorially, seemingly independently working body parts (without qualification) are a no-no. Readers get the meaning, but I’ve been to several conferences where the concept has been discussed and vehemently frowned upon.

Anyhoo, back to the tale.

I love me a bit of angst in a story, and this has just enough to keep me on edge. It was delicious. The boys are adorable. Sutton is the sensible one that attempts to keep Jayden out of trouble. Jayden has a talent for being oblivious to the obvious. Hence, this story is a slow burn that contains second-guessing – hell first, third and fourth guessing, too. Through a process of engaging mouth before brain, the boys end up living a lie – but wanting the lie – when it wasn’t a lie (I hope that makes sense). Hearts must catch up where fate got there first. There’s so much to say; yet, it will leave spoilers if I do, and I’m not going to do that.

I found the basketball background, summer camps, and coaching beautifully described. The banter between the characters, especially Sutton and Jayden, was a slam dunk, with plenty of grassroots toilet humor. The opening chapters, and several after, were real page-turners – especially when spanners were thrown in the works. In all, a cracking, engaging read.

RATING:

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