Secrets… they can make or break you.I would know. I’m hiding the biggest secret of all. My scars are so much more than skin deep. They consume me, control me. Then I meet him. Clark Jefferson. Cocky jock. Popular, greek god lookalike with a smile that’ll make your panties disappear. He wears a clear warning label: Heartbreaker. And if I was smart I would stay away from him. With my past, my …
With my past, my secrets, nothing could ever come of being with a man like him. He frightens me and excites me. He makes me want to break free of the suffocating fear that claims my heart.
He sees me, really sees me, and so we strike a deal. He’ll be my fake boyfriend, he’ll try and help me overcome my fear, my anxiety.
But secrets can’t remain secrets forever and as I grow closer to Clark my feelings for him grow too. Soon the line between fake and real blurs and when the past I’ve been running from finally catches up with me I’ll have to confess to Clark the truth or let go of a love that was only ever supposed to be fake.
This is book three in the North Woods University Series. It can be read as a complete standalone and contains NO cliffhanger, NO cheating, and a HEA. Please be advised this series contains sensitive material not suitable to all readers. This is NOT a YA series.*
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Rating:
New Adult Angsty Romance!
The first two books in this series are bully romance books and Amazon markets this one as a “friends to lovers” romance. However it really isn’t either of those. I generally don’t like the friends to lovers trope because I really like the first meeting between the Hero and the heroine. And we do get to see that in this story even though part of this story was introduced at the very end of the last book, “The Dare”. Clark is the best friend of Vance from that book and is the love ‘em and leave ‘em type, even more than Vance was before he met Eva.
This is the story of Clark and Emerson. As you can probably guess by those names, they both have rich fathers. They meet at a work event thrown by Emerson’s father. Emerson has terrible social anxiety and is trying her best to blend in with the shadows in the far corner of the room when a partially drunk and very bored Clark spots her and asks her if the wants to get out of there, *wink *wink.
Clark doesn’t notice that she hasn’t answered him (since girls never turn him down). So he takes her hand and walks her outside where she proceeds to have a panic attack. He finally notices and sobers up immediately, and holds her and talks her down while making her feel safe. And as soon as she does, she runs into the house like Cinderella without even giving him her name.
Clark, who has never been with a girl longer than it takes to throw a condom away, can’t stop thinking about this girl. Then a few weeks later his father with whom he has a strained relationship, tells him that one of his business associates has a daughter with some issues that will be starting school at his college in a few weeks and is moving in with them so Clark can show her around and help her meet people. But he is not to lay a hand on her.
It just happens to be Cinderella girl. Clark is drawn to her and Emerson feels safe with Clark from the start like she never has with anyone else. Clark wants to find out what happened in her past to make her so sad and anxious all the time because he feels he failed his mother who had similar issue and ended up committing suicide, but also because of his growing feelings for Em.
I really liked this story, it is always nice to see a reformed bad boy who used women for sex come to love and cherish one woman so much. Especially when he is so gentle with her and he so obviously is putting her needs in front of his own. He is giving up his gratification and focusing on what she needs emotionally. And the hand holding and keeping her close, pulling her in with his arm around her to protect her, just awesome.
Another amazing story by these two authors!! Loved it ! Clark and Emerson’s story was so beautifully written, I was immediately sucked in from the beginning to the end .
Emerson has a dark secret and it literally controls her life until she meets Clark a sexy playboy who wasn’t set in changing his ways anytime soon until he meets sweet shy beautiful Emerson who is literally afraid of everything . Will he be her knight in shining armor?Can she risk letting him close to her and healing her heart and soul?
Clark and Emerson’s story was a sweet slow burn romance that I truly enjoyed ! Can’t wait to read about Sebastian in the next book! So intrigued about this super sexy dean of North Woods University! Another 5 amazing steamy stars!!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced complimentary copy of this book
The Secret is the third book in the North Woods University series and as the book before I loved the story! I was hooked from the beginning and read it within a day because it was so good!
You can read this book as a standalone, but I would recommend to read the other books as well.
I love the story of Clark & Emerson and the development of their relationship. A five star read for me!
I could not get enough of this book. I love this series so much. I love friends to lovers romances and these ladies are so good at writing this. Amazing.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.
As soon as I started reading this book I was hooked. I couldn’t put my phone down from reading this book. The chemistry and connection between Clark and Emerson was off the charts. It was the main reason that made the book so good. They just had a very strong bond.
Her secret was dark and scary and horrible and should never happen to anyone. I ended up figuring out part of her secret before it was revealed and who did it too. There were a few surprises though that I didn’t see coming that I was happy about and so was Emerson. Also the ending was a little weird and made me think that maybe the next book will explain why that ended like that. I don’t know if the book was supposed to have a special meaning behind the ending or not.
Other than that this book was great. Emerson and Clark were both brought out of their shells when they were together. They made each other a better person. They really kind of mended each others hearts together. I really liked this book and I plan on reading the other two books when I have the time.
A captivating read from beginning to end! An exciting storyline that leaves you breathless wanting more! Sexy steam filled chemistry! Emotionally heartfelt, enjoyable and fun! One heck of a twisted, intense rollercoaster ride! An amazing must read!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
“Secrets as deep as the ocean reside inside of her, and though I’ve only known her for a short time, it feels like I’ve known her my entire life.”
Emerson met Clark in an unusual way. Being present at a party, trying to remain imperceptible, she ends up bumping into a drunk boy, and it’s only a matter of seconds before a panic attack occurs.
Clark can’t forget the frightened girl at the party, who brings back memories of a past he prefers to forget. But not knowing her identity makes it hard to find her again. Open the door to greet the daughter of his father’s friend, who will spend a season with them while attending college, he runs into the girl he can not get it out of his head. At the same time he curses the promise he made to his father not to be involved with the guest.
Can a girl terrified of her own shadow who suffers from panic attacks and hides serious secrets trust a handsome stranger with a conquering reputation and an amazing smile? Without understanding why, Emerson feels safe with Clark, and maybe trusting him is beneficial to her.
In a delicate plot, addressing a serious subject, we will have the journey of a girl who suffered violence and shut herself up, avoiding the world around her, and a guy who tries to help her, seeking a second chance at redemption, while trying to change his image and allow himself to feel for the first time.
As their relationship progresses, Clark gains Emerson’s trust by showing her that by his side she will always be safe. And with Ava as a friend, she is slowly gaining confidence, to impose herself and never feel disadvantaged again.
But some jealous girls, clueless guys, their parents, and Emerson’s big secret will get in the way of these two. In fact, Emerson’s father is obnoxious. With the twist at the end, and revealing the girl’s past, the book features a hint of drama, testing the characters and pushing them to their extremes.
I liked the support of Clark’s father, although I found the conclusion of the problem a bit extreme, even if I didn’t condemn it.
A more dramatic, tense romance, but with well-written characters. A good read.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest Review *
So this is book 3 in the North Woods University and have to say we see a lot more about Clark than we ever did before. We have Emerson who is like any college girl but so much more she is hiding. Then we have Clark who is like any frat boy getting his oats sowed in every way. By far they have nothing in common but when they come together they well complete each other in their own way. I loved that one look at Emerson and Clark is hit with instant love right away something he has never experienced until now. The attraction is all there but this is more than just puppy love at first. J.L. Beck shows us that even a girl that is broken can have it all with trust and faith that justice will be served and love when you least expected. All in all this is one series worth getting and cannot wait to see what J.L. Beck does next with North Wood University.
“I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.”
This book was great. It re-confirms that there are great guys out there, who are willing to help and protect a girl simply because. This book is a slow burn. All problems can’t be dealt the same way as in this book but that’s the beauty of a book and fantasy and wishful thinking. How I wished my problems with a similar issue could gave been dealt with similarly but the reality is to move on, living on.
OMG Clark and Emerson are so wonderful. I fell in love with this book from the beginning. Clark starts out in the very beginning with the typical turd butt qualities seen in the bully romances but then something amazing happens. (dun dun dun )He meets Emerson AKA Em. Swoon. I love how this author turns our Clark into Superman. Sigh. He is protective and alpha in the most beautiful of way when it comes to his Em. Yes they have an insta-love to their story but it fits when you understand Clark’s wounds.
Em breaks my heart from page one. You know something awful has happened to her and wonder how her dad could fail her so. I felt that way even before knowing what caused all the turmoil, depression and anxiety. As someone who has experienced panic attacks all my adult life, well it felt realistic is all I have to say. Some tears might have come to my eyes.
This story has some really dark elements that kept my intrigue high. Getting the answers was so emotional and frequently caused heart palpitations. Eek. SO GOOD!
I have to admit the side characters from the two previous books intwined throughout this story made it a requirement that I go back and read them as well. Yes all three books are stand-alones but I had to know all. Haha.
I loved how this book really had Clark’s dad redeem himself. In this series, it does seem that most of the parentals are selfish and lacking in parent skills. WTH!
My only critique would be sometimes I wanted more information especially with Em. What was the outcome of her relationship with her dad? What was more of her journey with anxiety and depression? No matter who is there to rescue you, that doesn’t just disappear unfortunately. As I was reading this book I thought some might also criticize the insta-love but I didn’t. I felt that Em was able to trust her gut and see that Clark was safe. I LOVE THAT! It showed what a true survivor she is. GO GIRL!
Ugh I could discuss this book all night but I don’t want to give anymore storyline away. Yikes I need a good book club. Hee hee. If you are looking for angsty, intense, sexy, and romantic then this is the book for you. Happy Reading Everyone.
I read this as a standalone, I now want to read the previous books to the series. Clark and Emerson story is amazing. Clark is the hot manwhore that meets Emerson, her father’s business colleague daughter. Their story is not easy, she is broken, he wasn’t looking for a girlfriend, they will discover secrets and will have to fight their demons. A 5 star read.
The Secret is book 3 in the North Woods University Series but was easily able to be read as a standalone. This was my first time reading a book by these authors but I am curious about some of the other characters I got to meet in this book so it will not be my last.
I was so drawn into this story! I was literally on the edge of my seat dying to know how everything was going to work out. I was instantly in love with these characters and thought that the instant chemistry between them was off the charts. Even though Emerson was scared and didn’t want to be close to anyone the way Clark was able to break through the walls she had put up was amazing.
This is a must read book for sure! By Alisa
Wow! JL Beck and C Hallman have delivered an explosive tale with The Secret. It captured me from the very first page and I had to finish in one sitting. The characters were amazing. I loved Clark and Emerson. I loved watching Emerson find her strength. And I loved seeing how Clark changed his ways and was so patient and loving with her. The storyline was fast paced. I was very happy with the way everything played out. I will definitely be recommending this book to everyone!
Clark and Emerson’s relationship is unexpected, but they mash so well together. She brings the good in him, she makes him feel. What happens when their world collide makes for a beautiful written story about love, strength and HEA. This newest addition to the series was different from the previous books, but it does bring more to the series that I didn’t know was missing. This is a definite must read.
Emerson has anxiety/panic attacks in crowds, around people, outside or when she is not alone in her room. During a party of her father’s, she was being a wallflower, until a man walked over to try and talk to her. But when he got close, she felt something else, but when they went out back and she was starting to really panic, he calms her in a way she has never felt, which scares her more. After the near panic attack, they part ways, but will that be the end of their story? Will Emerson get to see him again?
While we met Clark in previous books, we meet a different side of Clark that is only reserved for him and those closest to him. But after the near panic attack calming Emerson, he has not stopped thinking about her. He wants to protect her, love her and so much more. But he didn’t get her name and hasn’t seen her since. But when his father demands he play nice with a friend’s daughter coming to stay with them, Clark has no intention of doing anything, until he opens the door and finds her…on his doorstep!!! His need to protect comes back! But can he protect her from life, his father and so much more? What won’t he do to protect Emerson?
This is such a great story of healing and learning to love again and in the right way. It does have some triggers, so be warned. The chemistry between Clark and Emerson is off the charts and Clark and Emerson both see that and want to develop their relationship further and further. But when life gets in the way, will they be able to stay together? This is an emotional roller coaster of healing, happiness and finding your person!!! I can’t wait for more and more!!! I received an ARC of this book from the author.
Emotional, beautiful story about love that helps to heal and conquers darkness.
With this story the amazing duo of the authors stole my heart…, again. It is beautiful, heart-warming with perfect dose of darkness. Clark is exactly as I pictured him. I knew he had the golden heart but very well covered by all the layers. And Emerson is sweet girl with the deepest darkest secret. Troubled and broken. I connected with her from the first page of the book.
I really like the plot itself and how the story unravelled. It was very captivating and I found myself reading late into the night. It was very hard to put the book down and not finish it in one sitting.
And the ending, just… now I can’t wait for the next book.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie’s Book Reports.
Secrets…they can make or break you. I would know. I am hiding the biggest secret of all. My scars are so much more than skind deep. They consume me, control me. Then I meet him, Clark Jefferson. six foot two inches of gree god hotness, with a smile that’ll make your panties disappear. He wears a clear warning labe: Heartbreaker, and if I was smart I would stay away from him. With my past and secret nothing good could ever come of being with a man like him. Still I cannot ignore the feeling he stirs iside me. He frightens me and excites me all at once. He ames me want to break free of the suffocating fear that claims my heart. Our meeting isn’t fate though, he needs me as much as Ineed him, and so we strike a dea. He’ll be my fake boyfriend and I’ll help him get out of trouble with his dad. But secrets can’t remain secrets forever and as I grow closer to Clark my feelings for him grow too. Soon the line between fake and real blurs and when the pasat I”ve been running from finally catches up with me i’ll have to confess to Clark the turth or let go of a love that was only ever supposed to be fake.
This is the third book in the North Woods University Series. It can be read as a standalone. This is Clark and Emerson’s story. Clark, well you see Clark like the women and isn’t ashamed for people to know this. He’s not into relationships. He is more a wham bam thank you ma’am kind of guy. However when he meets Emerson he has these feelings pop up that are foreign and a undeniable pull to her. Emerson is quiet and shy and so the oppposite of what Clark usually goes for, she is a scared girl if ever there as been one. Clark is determined to figure out her secret and the best way to get ot know them is to get her to trust him. He just doesn’t know that this secret is not a little on that doesn’t matter. this one is massive and weighs on Emerson day and night. These two begin to make some progerss with each other and then bam the bottom falls out as the huge secret is revealed. Will this be the end of them? You have to read and find out. I will say that you will not want to put this book down once you ahve started it so make sure your not short on time. J.L. Beck and Cassandra Hallman do such an amazing job writing together. Their worlds seemslessly flow and I enjoyed ever second of this book.
Disclaimer: This review contains potential spoilers. I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author. All opinions in my review are my own.
Wow, this book was so much more emotional than the first two books. I was completely engrossed in this story from the very start. The authors have an incredible talent for bringing their characters to life in the pages, and I think that this book is the best that I have read yet for this.
Out of all three books in the series so far, I think that Clark and Emerson are my favorite characters from the series. There is just something about them that really speaks to me. I definitely related to Emerson since I share her struggles with anxiety and PTSD. She was such a genuinely good soul and it was heartbreaking discovering the horrible injustices that she had to endure in her youth. I was rooting for her during the entire book. I really wanted her to have her happily ever after. I really liked Clark in the second book of the series, even though he was an unapologetic manwhore. I loved getting to know him better in this book. If I am honest, his manwhore reputation still kind of bothered me in this book but I was also impressed by how caring and accepting he was when he fell for Emerson. He never pressured her for anything she didn’t want to give and he always wanted to make sure that she was comfortable and safe. He was protective of her in all the best ways. I love that when he met her he made a connection between her and his mother who had passed away when he was 12 from suicide after suffering from the same conditions that Emerson has. He just wanted to help her since no one helped his mother. Along the way, he fell in love with Emerson. Both Emerson and Clark have some great character development and they are both characters that are full of depth. I also liked seeing the characters from the first two books. I can’t wait for Sebastian’s story in book four!
As mentioned above, the romance was just darling. Considering Emerson’s fragile nature, they didn’t really have a traditional courtship. If I had any bone to pick about the romance, it is that the romance was a little sudden. They hardly know each other for any real amount of time before they are head over heels and they feel like they can’t live without the other. That felt a little unrealistic, but the romance itself was so heartwarming. The way they come together is beautiful and fills me with so many feels.
I really loved the representation of anxiety and PTSD. I live with both of these myself and reading about Emerson while she navigates these issues in her life was really an emotional experience for me. More so than usual, I would say. The authors did a fantastic job of portraying the reality of these conditions and the adverse effects that they can have on a person trying to live and manage their symptoms.
The plot of this book felt very different from the other books in the series. It was very character-driven and all of the stressors and conflict stem from events that took place in the past. There is more of an internal conflict in this one as opposed to events or actions by characters that set things into motion. While this did make the story very emotional and absolutely impossible to put down, it also felt a little lacking at the same time. I still think that there should have been more external conflict. The overall plot just didn’t feel as strong in this book, which is hard for me to say. It was overly predictable (apart from that epilogue) but it was also compelling in its own way. The characters really drive this story forward. It’s odd because I really enjoyed this book more than the last book. I enjoyed the characters much more in this book as well. I suppose that the plot just wasn’t as convincing as those in the previous books.
And I can’t help but mention that this book has one heck of an epilogue. I can honestly say that I was adequately shocked at everything that occurs in the epilogue. It even made me giggle when it was all over.
This book does contain potentially triggering subject matter, but it tackles these things with grace. If you are sensitive to stories involving anxiety, PTSD, rape, lack of consent, miscarriage, assault, and suicide then please proceed with caution with this book.
Overall, this is an emotional story that really packs a wallop on your feels. This is a raw story about fear, regret, and putting the past behind you and conquering your own demons. It’s also a beautiful love story about acceptance, trust, and finding your happily ever after. I am so excited to read Sebastian’s story in book four of this series once it is released!
This is the 3rd book in the North Woods University Series. JL Beck and C Hallman are word machines. They knock these books out left and right without sacrificing the content.
Clark and Emerson are my favourite characters in this series so far. I’m sure it will change as I enjoyed all the previous characters in the first 2 books. I love how Clark was such a manwhore and never believed in committed relationships until he sets eyes on sweet Emerson.
My heart hurt for Emerson but I love how Clark helped her see the strength she possessed inside of her. Sometimes it takes that one person to help you see and truly believe that you aren’t alone and are stronger than you think.
All the books in the series can be read as standalones. Grab your copy now and check out this amazing duos backlist!
The author did a great job of bringing you characters that are well developed and are able to sink your teeth into. The storyline flees easily page to page.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.