Will Baker was a jerk.A chiseled, green-eyed, hypnotizingly delicious jerk.And like a bad penny, he just kept showing up.Crashed my bike? There he was.Flat tire? One more time. And yet he thought I was the one stalking him.Seriously. How paranoid do you have to be?But the more I got know my intense new neighbor, the more his hard shell cracked, revealing a soulful man starved for affection.A man … soulful man starved for affection.
A man whose secrets were eating him alive.
Just like mine.
He was broken. I was broken.
But together we seemed whole.
Maybe, just maybe, we could fix each other.
If our secrets didn’t break us first.
Author’s Note
Hollywood Secret was originally published as Discreet, and now includes a BRAND NEW PREQUEL! This is a steamy, 120,000-word celebrity romance from USA Today bestselling author Nicole French
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Discreet by Nicole French is an epic, gut-wrenching journey of two broken souls. Beautiful, emotional, sexy, and full of life. Buy it. Read it. Fall in love. Can’t wait for the rest!!
Fabulous storytelling combined with heat, angst, and intrigue. Exactly what I’ve come to expect from Nicole French. I can’t wait for Indiscreet!
Wow! This story has me on the edge of my seat! And now I have to wait for the next part! What the heck is going to happen next?!?! I totally understand how Maggie feels! Being raised by an alcoholic, she just wanted to get away and see who she could be if she wasn’t having to take care of her mother. She just wanted to be loved! So she found herself with yet another abuser. Will really was driving me a little crazy with his back and forth actions. They have a very intense connection. The way she handles his mood swings is masterful! She doesn’t take his crap and even dishes some right back to him! I can’t wait to read more about these 2. I’m totally on edge about what will happen with Theo!!! I absolutely recommend everyone One-click this book now!!! I’ve been waiting for this story for a while and it’s been worth every single second I had to wait for it.
So well written! Great character development. I wish there was a third book!
Loved it! This story revolves on Maggie’s POV, she leaves NYC in disappointment & fear for home which seems to give her more disappointment, the Mother has issues then she meets Will by accident and Will is very secretive which at times causes friction between the two. The ending suited this book for it’s second half titled Indiscreet, which I already started.
One of those books I wish I hadn’t read so it would still be out there for me to discover
This book and then next one in this duet are a new favorite of mine. I can’t believe how fast I devoured this and moved right on to the next one, Indiscreet. The story of Will and Maggie’s beginning was unforgettable, LOVED IT, can’t say enough how much. So many elements make it one of the best romances I’ve read lately.
Read it right now! Wow!
The Discreet duet by Nicole French is a definitely must-read for 2018. I couldn’t put these books down!
Dangit!! Nicole got me again… right square in the feelers. Seriously one of the best writers out there in the indie community. Nicole can WRITE a book, I tell ya!
Discreet had me from the blurb all the way to the dang cliffy Nicole loves to throw in at the end! Will is amazing. He’s strong and quiet but has a way about him that instantly makes you a fan of his. Those green eyes, girl…….
Maggie is a wounded soul but finds a strong connection with the mystery man on the other side of the lake. A few “meet cutes” followed by some seriously sexy times and sprinkled with some surprises that will leave you wanting more – Discreet has it all!
This was a definite five fitz-tastic star read for me!!
5 Discreet Stars
Review by Lisa
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
Thank GOD this book is a duet and book 2 is coming out shortly!!! What an epic buildup for the duet! Discreet by Nicole French is amazing. The prologue is just WOW, what a way to start, then to jump right in and you don’t stop till you close the the book. The story line, the chemistry between the characters, the writing style it is all so well done. There is so much to this story that I am afraid to give anything away.
There is so many situations that are intertwined and the secrets that are being hidden have the potential for a big explosion. That being said I CAN”T wait for the second book.
I loved the the fact that through all the situations that make up this book there is a side of funny banter, laughable situations that bring a lightness to this story.
The story line moved at a pace that sometimes you wanted to smack the characters and be like….what the !!!! BUT in the end it made this story that much more enjoyable.
Life is not perfect and sometimes you have to take it into your own hands. Fitz Baker is done with being trapped in his fame and goes into hiding at Newman Lake.
Maggie returns home after her failed attempt in NYC to make it in the music industry.
But what happens when their worlds collide? Chemistry, secrets, tension, secrets, connection, secrets, magnetic attraction, and even more secrets.
The thing I absolutely love about this author is the complexity of her characters. It’s never as simple as being broken or scarred or wanting to hide it’s so much more. “Will” has hidden for years but starts giving pieces of himself to Maggie. Slowly but surely she gets to know him, well at least she thought. These two tell secrets and fears but nothing prepares them for the fall out. She’s recovering from a relationship and career that tanked and took all that she had with it. Her self-esteem which has taken a beating all of her life is truly in the toilet now. What is truth and what is the lie Maggie has no idea. All she knows is the man she gave her heart to and the one the media is screaming about can’t possibly be the same one. Now she will be more exposed than ever, how can she recover.
Yup this is a two book series. Yes there is a cliff hanger (be still my heart). Yes it takes all of this to get the story out and that is one thing this author can do, blow your mind with a story. She does it with a smile and nod and plenty of modesty but the girl has skills. The few books of hers that I have written have been emotional and all-consuming and this one was no different. I can’t wait to read the ending.
Where do I even start?? I Don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll just say that this book is one you NEED to read! Maggie and Will are two souls who have gone through so much in their lives, and desperately need a change. They run into each other while trying to escape their pain and their pasts. These two are such opposites, yet are perfect for each other. But, will it be enough? Will their love for each other be enough to save them? You’ll have to get this series to find out!
Meanwhile, I’m over here DYING for Indescreet!!!
this is a MUST READ!!
OMG! What just happened? I’m still in shock at the end. I love this book! Two damaged souls running from their pasts, while one opens up the other still keeps secrets hidden away. Is it to late for them now the truth has been leaked out. I found Maggie and Will were quite funny really. And the sexual tension from them was so hot it had my heart rate up. I’m left wondering how will their past define their future. To be honest I wasn’t sure how I felt towards Will through most of the story but towards the end he made my heart hurt for him. He grows on you and makes you love him without realizing it. Lily (aka Maggie) is such a strong character and she is so strong inside with everything she has put up with dealing with a mother like hers. This story and the characters are so good. I enjoyed reading this so much and can’t wait for it to continue. Highly recommend
My oh my…where do I begin?? This book was everything and more that I expected it to be!! I have never been disappointed by Nicole French before and I just knew that I wouldn’t be this time. I was right. Here we have a story of two broken souls, per se, who find each other, are drawn to each other, and in turn find what they have both been ultimately looking for in life. If you are wanting a book that will tear you apart, bring you to your proverbial knees, and yet leave you wanting more, you NEED Discreet in your life!
Ms. French is one of my all time favorites because she really knows how to bring her characters to life and make them relatable. You will find yourself swooning, screaming, laughing, yelling, and falling in love and you won’t even care that it is “just words on a page” because you will feel your way through the story in such a way that you will have actually lived it.
Wow! This book started out slow for me, but before I knew it I was sucked in. This is a story of two broken souls looking for a second chance. Their story is full of emotions that will grip you and the suspense will have you on the edge. I can’t wait for the second book to see if these two will get their happily ever after.
Happy Reading Everyone!!!
DISCREET is the first instalment in Nicole French’s contemporary, adult DISCREET erotic, romance duet focusing on recluse Will Baker, and musician/singer Maggie Sharp aka Lily Pad.
Told from first person point of view (Maggie Sharp) DISCREET follows the building relationship between recluse Will Baker, and musician/singer Maggie Sharp aka Lily Pad. One year earlier Maggie Sharp’s life spiralled out of control when the man that she loved destroyed her life. Fast forward to present day wherein our heroine has returned to her hometown of Newman Lake, Idaho in an attempt to stay one-step ahead of the man who ruined it all. With a mother whose reputation is tattered and torn, our heroine steps in to fix the family-owned B&B in an attempt to provide some stability to their lives. What Maggie never expected was to meet her future, and ultimately her past, in the guise of recluse ‘mountain man’ Will Baker, a man who stirs something deep inside our story line heroine. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Will and Maggie, and the fall-out as secrets and lies are about to be revealed, and in the process destroy them both.
Four years earlier famed Hollywood actor Fitzwilliam ‘Fitz’ Baker disappeared without a trace in a suspected boating accident off the coast of Maine. Fast forward to present day wherein our hero, in hiding and seclusion, keeps to himself on Newman Lake, until the fateful day chance and a pothole found Maggie Sharp injured with nowhere to go. Trying to hide from his past, Will Baker keeps secret his true identity, in an effort to live without the paparazzi and media beating at his door. Maggie Sharp knows success is ultimately followed by failure but, combine that with an abusive ex who continues to taunt, Maggie is desperate to remain one-step ahead before everything comes crashing back down.
The relationship between Maggie and Will is tempestuous. Will suffers severe anxiety and refuses to venture forth where anyone may recognize our story line hero. Maggie is desperate to help the man she believes is keeping secrets but she never expected those secrets to bring forth her own heartbreaking and painful past. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
The secondary and supporting players include the small-minded and racist townies who continue to rip at Maggie’s already fragile heart. We are introduced to Lucas Forster who is helping Maggie repair the B&B but Lucas is a man with ulterior motives, one of which is hoping for a shot at our story line heroine. Eloise Sharp, Maggie’s long-suffering, alcoholic mother, remains fixated on the past, a fixation that keeps Eloise at the bottom of a bottle, at the local bar.
DISCREET is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and trust. The premise is intriguing; the characters are broken, embittered and impassioned; the slow building romance is provocative and hot. DISCREET ends on a cliff-hanger, you have been warned.
Discreet is a soul gripping tale. It about broke me. As a newbie to Nicole, her talent blew me away. This lady can tell a story.
Grab a copy and fall in love with these broken characters.
My favorite kind of book.
I’m trying to find the words that won’t give anything away about this book!! Nicole French knows how how to tell stories that make your heart ache from the emotional rollercoaster you get from reading her books. This book literally chewed me up & spat me out, it’s an emotional page turner!
4.5 stars
“And here I was, flickering like a live fire under the gaze of some weird mountain hermit with a sharp temper, crazy hair, and a beard like Gandalf.”
After finishing this book I just thought I need some time to gather my mind for writing this review. Because my mind and my thoughts were all over the place. But now sitting here the day after, trying to get into words how Discreet made me feel: I still have no idea how to describe this properly.
“Sometimes you don’t know you wanted something until you have it. Sometimes you don’t know you need something until it’s there.”
Discreet is written only in Maggie’s POV. I’m a total sucker for dual POVs so I missed Will’s POV here. But Nicole did well in showing us Will through Maggie’s eyes. And oh my god did I fall for him. Will is this special man with a mystic aura, who radiates a self confidence that keeps drawing you into his space like a magnet. Will is the chocolate to my craving for sweets. He’s alpha where he needs to be and a lovingly caring on other occasions. He’s a chosen loner on his own terms for his own reasons.
“He kissed me like I was the key to his survival. Or maybe like he was the key to mine.”
Maggie is such a lovable character. But her whole live she got either limited to her parentage or to the boys/men she was together with. She never was really free or felt like she could be herself. Her dream to become a singer/songwriter got crashed through her horrible last relationship. No wonder she’s pretty self-conscious and hides wherever she can. But she’s different with Will, because he’s different with her. Together they are better versions of themselves.
“I stared for a moment, feeling more than ever as if Will were some kind of wild animal, desperate to be tamed, but terrified of being trapped.”
Maggie and Will hit it off right after their first encounter. It was quite obvious how affected they where by the other. Every of their encounters left me either smiling or panting. Their connection is something that just keeps your eyes glued to the pages. Even though we as reader know who Will really is and that shit will hit the fan soon enough, it was great getting to know Will only through Maggie’s POV.
“With Will, I was my purest song, a voice that sang much more than a simple melody.”
I really enjoyed reading Discreet and again the author could show off her talent in writing perfect couples with fantastic harmony, created of wonderful words as well as easy lovable and unforgettable characters. Discreet captures your attention from the first page to the last with hot chemistry and great character development.
Oh Will! This author sure loves to torture her heroes and heroines! I quickly fell for Will, his shy reluctance to let anyone in was so palpable and painful it triggered my mothering instinct and I just wanted to help him and fix everything for him. Its clear as we go though that Maggie is just the medicine he needs to soothe his troubled soul, but she is equally troubled, broken, reaching out for something to make her feel ‘whole’ as well. The author brings us in early enough we can see the bigger picture, pieces of their lives that broke them, hopefully they will get an equally rewarding conclusion, they have a firm foundation and I feel like this author is going to torment them a bit more before she lets them get the happiness they each deserve. I really love the whole tapestry she weaves with her words. She really puts you right in there so you really feel like you are there with them. Maggie is such a brave chick. I really admire her spunk and her self awareness. Not everyone has the ability to take themselves out of a situation to be able to see it objectively. I feel like Maggie has that in spades. I’m really excited to see the conclusion for these two! This is the reason Ms. French is one of my favorite one-click authors, the angsty goodness between these two is off the charts!