She’s a good girl. He’s a very bad boy. Sparks will fly when fate brings them together in this fiery romance by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L.A. Casey.Ashley Dunne is a bad boy, a notorious member of Dublin’s most ruthless gang. But when privileged daddy’s girl Ryan Mahony finds herself living on an urban estate they control, she can’t help feeling he’s not that bad at all… feeling he’s not that bad at all…
Ryan and Ash were never meant to cross paths: she’s always been sheltered by her successful barrister father. But when he’s unexpectedly sent to prison, she’s forced to move in with estranged relatives in the city, where a chance encounter with Ash sends sparks flying. He’s the one man she’s been warned to avoid, but fate seems determined to bring them together…
While her head warns of danger, her heart tells her to be reckless for the first time in her life. She knows there’s more to Ash than his gangland reputation. But when he starts to rethink his future and attracts the wrong kind of attention, Ryan has to ask herself: is her life going off the rails—or has she finally found the right track?
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I’m a huge fan of LA Casey’s Slater Brothers series, and Until Harry made me cry a bucket load, I was quite eager to read My Little Secret. Full of action, drama, secrets, romance and suspense I was intrigued by these characters and their story.
I thoroughly enjoyed Ash and Ryan’s story. Ash is a bad boy, but a survivor. He was recruited to a Dublin gang as a teen, determined to provide for his younger brother and desperate to give him a better life, he sees no other option or escape.
Ryan’s father is in prison, and her life has done a drastic one eighty. She was raised in the lap of luxury, home schooled in a small country town. With her fathers incarceration she moves in with her aunt and cousin in a rougher part of Dublin.
This pair are inexplicably drawn to each other, despite their different backgrounds. I enjoyed their witty, fun and flirtatious banter and the honesty they have with each other.
Although the ending was a tad rushed, the twists and turns were surprising and kept me completely captivated. I highly recommend this title if you enjoy a slow burn romance, and I will be eager for more of LA Casey’s work in the future.
My Little Secret by L.A. Casey is the story of Ashley ‘Ash ‘ Dunne and Ryan Mahony.
Ash at a early age ended up in a gang and is still there. Ash is trying to build a better future for his little brother knowing it probably to let for him. Ryan’s father is in jail which has made her move where she meets Ash. Although she been warn away from him..she see something more to him then others do. Enjoyed their story!
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads, so here is my review.
3.5 to 4 stars
This story started out kinda slow and I was wondering if it was going to get any better. But then it began to turn around and ended up being a really good story.
Ryan’s life has fallen around her, since her father was sent to prison last year but she is going to live with her aunt and cousin that she hasn’t seen in years. So basically she is moving in with strangers. She has to adapt and move forward until she can figure out how to help her Dad.
Ash Dunne is the bad boy that Ryan is warned to stay away from. He is part of a gang the runs drugs and just about anything else bad going on in town. He would like to change his life to help his brother with a brighter future instead of him ending up in the gang.
When Ryan meets Ash she doesn’t realize who he is and proceeds to chew him out. While Ash thinks it’s funny and wants to get to know her better. Ryan is horrified when she finds out who he is but she can’t stay away from him. They seem to drawn together and only see the good in each other. While Ryan is innocent, Ash has done some bad things.
Can Ryan forgive the things Ash has done to be with him? Will Ash let her go instead of ruining her life? Will they survive life together? Will they prove her Dad is innocent? And who is after someone Ash loves?
I really liked this story, it just started slow but after a few chapters it picked up and moved along well. I L.A. Casey and her other series are great too. Looking forward to more from her in the future.
**Wicked Reads Review Team**
*3.5 stars* This was an enjoyable book. Very well written with lots of Irish sass. Ash and Ryan are the ultimate bad boy/ good girl couple. He grew up on the streets of Dublin and now he’s leading a division of rough Irish gang. She is the only child of an overprotective barrister and has led a very protected life. When Ryan’s father is sent to jail Ryan is forced to go live with her aunt and cousin in a very rough part of Dublin. Although they warn her to keep her head down and work hard Ryan can’t resist the pull of Ash. This is the part of the story I couldn’t quite feel. I would have liked a little more chemistry between these two but it just wasn’t there for me. Overall though it’s not a bad read and one I would still recommend.
L.A. Casey is a great storyteller and I really enjoy most of her books. This one was probably my least favorite, but I still enjoyed the story, the romance, and the characters. A good escape from reality.
Loved this book. It truly was great from page one all the way to the end. I had a very hard time putting it down. Ry, Ash, Anto and Eddi had me laughing. A book is always better with a few laughs.
I would recommend that you read it.
3.5 stars. My Little Secret is the story of bad boy Ash and good girl Ryan. Ash isn’t all that bad, he’s just a victim of crappy circumstances and doing the best with what he has been given. Ryan has grown up sheltered and privileged. Her life is turned upside down after her father is sent to prison.
The flow of the book was a bit off to me. It was a little slow in the middle, but yet the chemistry felt rushed. There is an air of mystery through the whole book that surprised me when it was resolved. The ending was action packed and enjoyed that everything came full circle.
Opposites attract in this one. It was refreshing to see that Ryan liked Ash for who he was…even if she was warned to stay away. The thing about bad men is that they love too: family, friends and their woman. Ash wasn’t all that bad. He just had no choice to do what was asked of him and Ryan could relate to that. This book made me think. I liked it.
So did I enjoyed reading this book yes it was funny and with ok characters. It just that I had a feeling the book is more for a younger audience. The whole story about the gang and everything it was not solid or too much believable. But Ash and Ry had a cute little relationship, there are funny things in the book and there are some steamy scenes. The story starts as a big tragedy but in the ends, everything ends so perfectly and too sweet.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly
Family, Fear & Intrigue. Gorgeous Romance!!
(Read using Kindle Unlimited)
A lovely & intriguing read. I really liked all the characters & how the females were prepared to grow and make amends with each other
The romance was really sweet I did feel the storyline was wrapped up really briskly, the ending was just there out of nowhere, which was a shame!! The rest of the book was great though
Debbie, 1970, UK
As soon as possible I read this book without so much as a pause. Another wonderful standalone from L.A. Casey. I really enjoyed the development of several character relationships. From strangers to lovers, from annoying acquaintances to having sparks fly, from foe to family. Wasn’t as much action as most of the books had, but the last quarter of the book certainly made up for it with a big boom of surprises! Thank you for the read and can’t wait to read more soon.
This book had kind of a rough start. It did do a good job though of showing how different Ryan’s life was from her norm. It got totally upended. Her cousin Eddi, was really hard to like and gave Ryan a totally undeserved hard time in the beginning. And Ryan had almost zero street smarts going for her because she had been so sheltered. Her aunt though might be poor but she was kind and nurturing.
The nickname that Ash gave Ryan made me grin. “Nightmare” was funny but also based on some klutzy moments from Ryan.
Two people played a big part in Ash’s life. His best friend Anto and his younger brother, Sean.
Anto was a really loyal friend and a hoot as well. He added quite a bit of humor to the story.
There were some really unexpected twists towards the end of the story. I really enjoyed not only that but also the meanings of why this book title has it’s meaning.
There was a good ending and good Epilogue that pulled all the threads together.
In my mind, the characters drove the story. While it took a bit of time to get into it, I did get invested in how in the world would they ever catch a break.
“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
I am upset or more like sad because I have so many books to read and catch up on and unfortunately for me I picked this one and have to say that it was not what I expected..I disliked the main characters and couldn’t get into the story mainly because I could not get the feeling that these two had much interest in each other. I love opposites attract and that was the only thing that I could agree on, I also could not understand why we got a descriptive sex scene with one of the main characters that was not with the other main characters, yeah that should have told me that I should have stopped from there, lesson learned..
Rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) Voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions
The story develops slowly but hang in there because it gets sweet and interesting. It has a mystery that Ash needs to solve to make sure the people he cares about are safe. And in the process you will notice one main topic in this book, appearances can be deceiving. Every character here is surprisingly different than what they portray. They have real feelings, worries and responsibilities. They are in the middle of the worst situation they could have but they work hard to change that. And it is admirable. Something I loved about the story is that Ash is a protector and a family man. I love that Ryan is understanding. That she gives opportunities for others to show their true selves. Using communication as a key. And more than anything, she teaches others to better themselves by giving chances. An open mind and heart works wonders for their happiness. It’s a story that starts sad but develops into something beautiful full of opportunities.
My Little Secret is actually a huge life changing secret but you will never know if you don’t read it. This sweet romance is between a naive young woman and a worldly troubled man. It’s a case of opposites attracting. Set in Ireland, My Little Secret has the dreamy accents and lingo to back it up. ( Please excuse the puddle of drool, I can’t help it.)
You will be happy to know, all your questions will be answer by the time you finish. Enjoy the journey, love the lingo, and find some friends worth having around. It’ll be our secret!
Got to be honest, I wasn’t feeling the first few chapters, and then, BAM, I fell head over heels in love with bad boy Ashley Dunne. Ash was not selling drugs and breaking legs because he wanted to, no, Ash was stuck in a life of crime because his younger self was trying to provide for his mum and brother. A victim of circumstance trapped in a life of crime, he was considerate and kind with a lethal edge. I loved his interactions with Ryan, who he was besotted with from the very first time he saw her. Two people from entirely different worlds, both knowing that a relationship was impossible. Wonderful writing (dual POV), a story that I truly didn’t want to end. It’s been a long time since I’ve wanted to go straight to the beginning of a book and read it again, I wanted to do it that with My Little Secret. I loved the characters, Ash, Ryan, and all the misfits in and amongst made for an emotional and passionate story, with a few twists. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest review.