Welcome to the carnal world of… His SecretYoung and innocent, Julia Ellis has no idea what awaits her at the manor, where she is to become the nanny for Mr. Jonas Fairbanks, a ruthless, yet devastatingly handsome entrepreneur. Julia’s only plan is to earn enough money to fund her studies of French cuisine in Paris.Julia falls in love with little Sidney, the ten-year-old daughter of Jonas, but … daughter of Jonas, but can’t help noticing the peculiar way the towns people talk of the little girl. An omen. The devil’s spawn.
Sidney is not the only young girl who will be groomed at the home of Mr. Fairbanks. What was taught as sinful, now, clouds her moral judgment of right and wrong. Julia fights with her innocence, giving into lust and a world all new to her. She loses all control, when she can no longer deny her attraction to Jonas. But no matter how much she feels love for this man, hidden deep in the house, tell a different story of his past…And what he’s capable of.
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An Omen. Black Crows. A Blind Woman Who Sees. Julia Accepts A Position As Nanny To Ten Year Old Sidney Fairbanks. Even As The Mystery Deepens, Julia Finds Herself Falling For The Handsome And Elusive Mr. Fairbanks. Jonas Wants Her, Too. But He Is Keeping Secrets And Asks For Her Trust.
This is the first book in The Secret trilogy.
Julia Ellis, twenty-one, has lived with the DeLuca family in Warsaw, Indiana ever since her parents died years ago (there is conflicting information – she was at least fourteen or she was twelve). Pastor Tom and Cathy took her in and provided her with a good life, and their daughters became like little sisters to Julia. She feels obligated for their kindness to her, but she also loves the family, as imperfect as it is. Today rebellious Natalie is sixteen and Paige is fourteen, and for the past two years Julia has homeschooled both girls. In fact, she practically runs the home for Tom and Cathy, leaving them to pursue their own interests – time at the club, golfing, shopping, etc. But Julia has a dream, and she is ready to pursue it.
Julia hopes to one day go to culinary school in Paris, study French cuisine, and work in an upscale restaurant. She has devised a plan that will allow her to accumulate enough savings to eventually go to Paris and live her dream. Based on her experience with Natalie and Paige, she is perfectly qualified to work as a nanny. She has a home instruction certificate, teaches swimming, plays piano, and knows how cook. She receives an interview and is immediately hired by a
Ms.O’Shea, but the circumstances are odd and mysterious. She is to be the nanny for ten year old Sidney, whose mother passed away when she was a baby and whose father is rarely home.
Julia leaves the religious DeLuca home and moves into the Fairbanks country manor in Fort Wayne, about thirty miles east of Warsaw. Everything about her situation is off. Little Sidney hardly speaks, and the locals aren’t at all ashamed to display their distaste of the girl. Her mysterious father, a handsome travelling businessman, returns home, and his behavior is just as odd. He is hot and cold, and seems to have no concept of what it means to be a father. He and Sidney have no relationship at all.
Even as the mystery deepens, Julia finds herself falling for the handsome and elusive Mr. Fairbanks. Jonas wants her, too. But he is keeping secrets and asks for her trust. She gives it to him even though she knows he is less than honest. He says it is for her protection, and Sidney’s. Julia finds love letters once written to an Eve, but Jonas has denied knowledge of an Eve and she doesn’t want to upset him further by bringing them to his attention. As Julia falls deeper for Jonas, the mystery deepens, requiring her blind trust in him. The story ends in a cliffhanger.
This dark romantic mystery will keep your attention throughout and have you reaching for part two of the story! There is a hint of the supernatural woven into it – black crows, a blind woman, a near-death experience, etc. Several questions arise during the story, and many remain at the close of this book. There are so many directions that the story can go that it is impossible to predict what happens next. There is a mysterious drug-addicted older woman. The calls from a prison. An omen that keeps the locals spooked. There are three women whose true identities, relationship to Jonas, and history remain unclear – Eve, Jenna, and Erin. If attention is paid to eye color, there are a few questions there as well. Jonas’s plans that supposedly caused him ten years of suffering change, but his original intention is yet to be explained – nor is his current plan understood. Both Jonas and Erin are liars, so it is impossible to determine truth from either. And finally, there is an implied murder, but the who and why are only implied.
There are a few very minor issues that merit mention. First is the discrepancy of the age at which Julia was orphaned. Next, she appears to own a car, but earnings while living with the DeLuca family are never mentioned. Finally, the passage of time seems to skip ahead in one spot without explanation.
Julia’s romance with Jonas is steeped in mystery. The couple has wonderful chemistry despite the secrets and lies. Their story is nicely written and is plot-driven. The plot is very complex. The characters are nicely developed, but to preserve the mystery there are gaps. It is written in first person primarily in Julia’s POV, with one chapter in an unknown POV, third person, and one in Erin’s POV, third person. I rate this book 4.5 stars.
OMG…what a story. OMG….what an ending. His Secret was filled with romance, secrets, mystery and suspense and will have you hooked from beginning to end. This story had some interesting characters,some hott, steamy scenes, some twists and turns you would not see coming and an ending that will leave you screaming for more. It was engrossing and well-written and will have you at the edge of your seat.
The audible version was narrated by Tracy Marks. I absolutely loved her voice. She was able to create different voices and personalities for each character and really brought the story to life.
His Secret was a fabulous story and I loved listening to it. I can’t wait to find out what happens in the next book
This story is full of twists, turns, upe, downs, in and outs it will confound you.
I had whiplash from shaking my head at the naïveté of Julia, so wanted to hate Jonas with his embellished, fabricated stories, will hold judgment for next story and had love, sorrow for the young vulnerable Sidney.
Captivating! Wow! This was my first Gina A. Jones’s book and won’t be the last. This is the first book in The Secret Series. I wish I could better explain why I love this story so much. I totally recommend it. This story is so much than what I have expected. This story is so well written and really captivating and suspenseful, filled with mystery and twists and turns. I was hooked from the first page to the end. I was wondering along my listening, what really happened to Jonas, but I never saw the end coming. This story ends with a cliffhanger and I can’t wait for the next book in the Series. All characters are interesting and intriguing. Julia is so young and innocent and so strong at the same time. Sidney is a so beautiful and wise little girl. Jonas is a really intriguing character. I wasn’t able to understand him after more than 10 hours of listening. The narration was absolutely perfect. Tracy Marks done a stunning performance for all characters. She’s one of my favorite narrators. I received this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.
What a page-turner with a cliffhanger ending. In His Secret, Julia Ellis takes a job as nanny for entrepreneur Jonas Fairbanks and his 10 year old daughter, Sidney and enters a house of secrets. Great read with a cliffhanger ending to leave one wanting more…now. 🙂 Great narration.
Audiobook: This story is filled with twists, turns, and plenty of deception. While I saw the revelations at the cliffhanger coming, it was interesting to see how the author got us there. The narrator did a good job once she warmed up. I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this audiobook.
I recieved this book free and I am voluntarily doing a review. I absolutely loved the authors writing style. Listening to it on audible just brought it even more alive and had my windows fogged up in no time lol The characters are sexy and the chemistry between them is off the charts. the storyline absolutely has you listening to the entire book on edge your seat
This audiobook was the epitome of romantic suspense! His Secret kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. From the fantastic twists and turns to the sizzling romance there wasn’t a moment that I wanted to stop listening. Gina A. Jones’ exhilarating writing made 10 hours seem like 10 minutes in the best way.
Narration by Tracy Marks was top notch. She’s one of my favorite narrators for a reason. Her ability to give each character their own ‘voice’ and being the story to life is always spot on. Definitely worth a listen.
His Secret: The Secret Series
By: Gina A. Jones
Narrated by: Tracy Marks
Series: The Secret Series, Book 1
Gina A Jones states that as a writer, she is not trying to change the world, but only wants to entertain your thoughts for a while. And that is exactly what she does in “His Secret”. The book is well written, the characters are deep, interesting and very developed. The storylines and twists not only keep the reader interested and entertained but also keep them thinking. Gina A. Jones that you for the awesome read.
I listened to the audio edition, Tracy Marks is an awesome narrator, she performs the voices of all the characters, switches voices effortlessly and tells the story in a perfect flow & dramatic flair. Thank you for a great listen!
His Secret (The Secret Series #1), my first read from author Gina A. Jones and the first in the Secret Series. Well-written and intriguing fiction. I was been given an Authors Direct copy of this book & am voluntarily reading & reviewing it. The narration adds to the book’s enjoyment. On to Her Secret (The Secret Series #2). (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).
I had read Love, Michael and fell in love with that story. I thought this story would be as enticing as that. So far I’m not getting it from this first part of the trilogy. There seems to be a lot of build up Jonas’s past. I was also a little surprised that the author took Julia who was a virgin and she sure moved into actions of a more experienced person a little too quickly. Since this is only a third of the story I can’t say that I’m hating or loving the characters. Jonas keeps acting strangely. Julia keeps getting more questions than answers and I feel she is not really comfortable about Jonas yet she gets deeply involved with him. I will say the author know how to throw in twists and make characters so indefinable that I have to read on to actually see where this is going. I’m reviewing the audio edition so I have to comment on the narrator. I feel Tracy Marks seemed a little stiff in her narration. Sometimes it was really missing the emotion of the story. I don’t know what didn’t seem to be compatible but I felt something was missing.
This book grabbed me from the start. I love Gina’s writing, and the narration was excellent.
So Julia is an innocent 21-year-old whose had a lot of responsibility growing up with the family that took her in after she lost her parents. Her relationship as a quasi-nanny to teen girls Natalie and Paige shows her warmth; her caring and her deep commitment to the family. But Julia longs to fulfill her own dreams, specifically, going to culinary school in Paris. And that is what she sets out to do by earning money as a live in nanny to a complicated millionaire who she later realizes, is the very man she had a “run-in” with only weeks before.
This man intrigues her, and his secrets intrigue her even more. But Julia finds herself on the precipice of disaster when she learns all is NOT as it seems to be! I’m on to Book 2!
I listed to the Audible version. This story started off slow with a lot of description, but also a lot of unanswered questions which have kept me interested. I got a little hung up on my dislike for pretty much every character over 18 and waiting for the very very predictable cliffhanger ending, but I still want to know what happens next.
Julia is extremely immature and comes across as foolish. Who agrees to be a child’s nanny without asking to meet the child? And who purchases a horse without considering how you might feed it? I was hoping she would mature over time, but she jumps to conclusions throughout the entire book. I also felt like other characters were taking advantage of that immaturity which made them less likable too.
The narrator’s voice was good, though it didn’t stand out from other audiobooks I’ve listened to recently.
I would recommend this book to listeners who have the 2nd (and likely 3rd) books available to complete the story, especially those who like stories that move at a descriptive pace.
#AudiobookObsession
This mystery romance was a roller-coaster ride! It was sweet, and steamy but had suspense, and intrigue as well. Julia is a naive, sheltered dreamer. She takes a live-in nanny position with an unknown family, to make money so she can move to France. She falls immediately for the adorable little girl named Sydney. But it is the mysterious father, Jonas, who really catches her eye. The family is surrounded by secrets and their relationship is very unusual. Julia feels protective of Sydney, and as her relationship with Jonas grows, so do her questions about his past. She wants to know the why’s of many things, but Jonas says he needs time before he can give them to her. This was intriguing but had so many holes a well. Tracy Marks narration is what really made this worth listening to. She has an easy way of pulling you in, amplifying the suspense, and making my heart race. The stunning ending to this first book in the Secret series has left me craving answers from the next book, Her Secret.
This is my first read by Gina and I’ve heard nothing but good things about this series. Wow, this had a huge build up and honestly I can only say continue to the end because you’ll only then want to pick up the next book in the trilogy. So many questions and trying to figure out where the story is going! Tracy did a great job narrating.
#AudiobookObsessionReviewer
Wow. This book was a whirlwind of emotions, I was so confused not knowing what to think, what to believe, who to believe.. I loved every minute of it!
Julia is so innocent and trusting. I love how much her and Sidney instantly love each other. Their relationship warmed my heart in so many ways. I was so confused by the way the town talked about Sidney and how she was a devil spawn and she was “beautiful despite everything.” I hope the answers are to come in book two.
Jonas was a mystery from the very beginning, he was hot and wonderful yet distant and secretive. He was a conundrum, a very interesting part of the story. His secrets knew no ends and his mystery was addictive.
This book was one I couldn’t walk away from, I was hooked. I had to know what was going to happen next!
Audiobook version:
Wow!!! This book is fan-freaking-tastic! It is the perfect mix of romance, suspense and mystery. It leaves you guessing the whole time on the edge of your seat. Gina has given us sweet romance, great characters, and a plot straight out of the movies! I have loved every second of it!
Tracy Marks does a fantastic job of narrating this one. Her performance brings these characters to life and keeps you emersed in this wonderful mystery. Great job!
AudiobookObsession