Is it possible to keep a life-changing secret from your family and friends when it is burning you alive from the inside out?
One week.
It didn’t seem possible that a person could change in one week yet after only seven days spent with the mysterious Frenchman in Los Cabos, Mexico, Giselle was moving to New York City a changed woman. Confident, sexy and in charge, Elle is ready to take on the … ready to take on the challenges she knows await her when she reunites with her family and begins her career as an artist in earnest. If she is a little heartbroken at the prospect of never seeing the cool and dominating Sinclair again, she’s braced for it.
That is, until Sinclair shows up in her mother’s kitchen and Giselle discovers just who his ‘darling’ girlfriend really is.
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Rated: 4.5/5
Heat: 4/5
Angst: 4/5
Holy hotness!! Giselle and Sinclair and scorching!! Tearing through life in a chaos that demands all attention. Anger, angst, lust, longing, fear and sadness all made this one brilliant!
This is part two of the Evolution of Sin trilogy. My mind was racing with all the possibilities and…what?! Wow, the characters that were introduced will just beautifully add to the story! I was not disappointed. Having been through somewhat similar types of situations within my family (different members throughout my life) I was not at all deterred and found myself intrigued and relating to what Giselle and Sin we’re dealing with. Thanks again, Giana!!
Elle comes back from vacation and the unimaginable happens. The man of her dreams, the man she spent a week on vacation with in a steamy affair is standing right in front of her.
What does she do when she realizes who this man’s woman is? Does she follow her heart and risk hurting those around her or does she suck it up and deal with the pain in silence.
Keep reading it gets better.
The Secret begins when two worlds collide and the will they or won’t they go for it is the big question. The beginning of this book came with quite a shock and the angst and drama that followed were quite the read. Can’t wait to see what happens after that cliffhanger ending!!
The Secret picks up where The Affair left off and it got really good really fast because of it. The whole things goes crazy because neither Giana or Sinclair expected to see each other again and he was beyond upset because she left the way she did. Now they BOTH had something to lose. It was such a great story where she took them, but there are inconsistencies in the timeline and ages that things happened with the characters. I really wish she would’ve paid for a good editor or had some good betas to catch them. regardless it is a great story and I’m off to the conclusion in The Consequence.
Just like in the first book of the series, Giana really has a way to make you addicted to her writing and wanting to read more and more.
To be completely honest, it’s still kind of hard for me to read cheating trope specially because of the family relationship between the characters and because I love Elena so much, it breaks my heart to read about how almost everyone knows or have a hint about what it’s going on and she is the only one in the dark, even if there’s some hints about the problems in the relationship or the fact that maybe it was never love but some infatuation between them.
At the same time, I really like how Giana developed Giselle and Sinclair’s story and you can see how they really are a good match so at the same time, it kind of breaks my heart to see how hard of for someone to fall in love and have to hide their feelings because of other people.
I really love to read outside my comfort zone and I’m happy I’m doing it with Giana’s books. Can’t wait to read the end of this story and I really can’t wait to see the rest of the Lombardi family (specially by girl Elena) stories in the future.
Elle and Sinclair’s story continues in book 2 where they come face to face again and revelations are made.
This book introduces Elle’s family, who were all such great characters, I hated Elena though, super bi**h and stuck up. I did feel sorry for Elle and the relationship she had with her sister, my guess is it comes from deep rooted jealousy.
Like book 1, Darling captures your emotions and heart, with the push/pull between Elle and Sinclair fighting their feelings to save everyone else, it’s thrilling, however, the heart wants what it wants and although there will be consequences, their strong love for each other will bond them together.
I liked reading about the change in Sinclair’s character and how he was now being seen by others and was a happier man. It goes to show what we do to ourselves when in the wrong relationship. Although I loved Elle’s strong character in book 1, I didn’t feel like that through this book, there was something missing.
Just like book one, this book consumed me just as much and I devoured it, reading it in one sitting. It’s just as steamy along with light BDSM and I’m looking forward to the conclusion of the story in book 3, especially after that cliffhanger!
Bring on the steam with this one, phew! This book had steam coming from the pages. I liked the first book but I didn’t love it. This book though, I loved it! It is a continuation from “The Affair” so you need to read that first before this one. This definitely is not a standalone. The Secret brought out more development, feeling, and just raw sexuality. PHEW The angst factor in this book was top notch. I will say, once you get from the first book to the second book, you can see where the story is going to go. But even when you know, the angst and shock is still there.
Again, if you are not a fan of a book with cheating it in, this book will not be for you. HOWEVER, if you like to live on the wild side, this book will definitely be on your to be read list!
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I loved Elle and Sinclair, and everything about their love story. It’s a page turner of a series that’s filled with angst, heartache, mystery and intrigue not to mention the red hot sex scenes! However, what would have been for me a 5 star series was spoiled by the serious lack of editing. By book #3 there were errors on practically every page as well as a few inconsistencies, and the continuous describing of hair colour which I’m still confused about.
If i could give this book more than 5 stars I would. It absolutely fabulous. I love how it’s written, the characters, the storyline, the hotter than hot sex scenes, the constant burn going on throughout the book. And the cliffhanger! Of course I’m going to continue reading…right freaking now!
The Secret: What a beautifully heartbreaking book!
Oh My Gawd!! What a book! What a beautifully, heartbreaking book! It was so hard to read, but so very hard to put down. My heart broke so many times for Sin and Elle. It was the absolute worst of circumstances, but to watch from the sidelines all of the heartache they both are going through was so hard on the reader. Some of the best angst I’ve ever read!
The Secret is book two of the captivating Evolution of Sin trilogy and picks up immediately where the first book ended. Sin and Elle kept my emotions dancing all around throughout the whole book. The angst, forbidden attraction and the deep connection these two had kept me mesmerized. What Sin and Elle have is not something that should be ignored nor denied. The author did an amazing job of developing such complex characters whose struggles were ones that made my heart ache right along with theirs. Emotionally riveting, raw and honest this story has burrowed it’s way into my heart and become one of my favorites.
There are NO words!! I’d give 10 stars!
This book is overwhelming! The love, the hate, fear, sex, everything! Giana Darling digs to the heart of what people desire, what they fear, what they cannot stay away from.
Elle and Sin trying to figure out if they can survive their love or if they’ll go down in flames. The side stories are just as amazing. Why does Elena hate Elle so much? Who is Cosina with, and does she really want to be? Who is Savannah, and why are she and Sebastian apart if they love each other so much?
Giana explores the choices we all have to make, how do we keep from hurting everyone, and still retain our souls? A masterpiece of swirling emotion on every page.
An intriguing follow-up to The Affair, we find that Giselle and Sinclair have more in common that they first thought when they met in Mexico. Elle & Sin are wrought with guilt of their affair and what it means to keep things between them, but so full of one another that they cannot stay away. How do they handle the situation they’ve put themselves in and not hurt the one’s they love? They have to work out what they really mean to one another in this second installment. Sin and Elle still burn up the pages and their chemistry gets even hotter than in the beginning.
Omg! The Secret sucked me in to Sin and Elle’s story even worse than The Affair! As this story continues, the lines become even blurrier and the web is tangled tighter and tighter. I am loving this story so much! I can feel every emotion and it is so beautiful even when it hurts. This is one of the sexiest series I’ve ever read! I can’t wait to finish it!
This book is an emotional rollercoaster you never want to get off of! You will swoon, laugh, cry and be ready to throw the book across the room. Be ready for a huge cliffhanger ending!
If you’ve made it through The Affair, you can’t stop now! C’mon- read this book, cuz for real- this is where ish goes down. Elle and Sinclair get into some stuff… And that’s on top of more of Darlings’ signature hot sex scenes and dirty talk. I read this a year ago and I’m STILL recovering from the bomb Darling drops in Chapter One. Chapter One!!! You’ve barely cracked the spine and your jaw will be on.the.floor.
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The Evolution of Sin completely changed my view as a Romance reader. DO NOT be put off by the cheating warning. If you don’t read this bc of cheating, you are cheating yourself out of an AMAZING story. This series is about Sinclair and Elle finding each other, but also their respective journeys of self-discovery and sexual awakening. And it. Is. Hot. No one writes sexy times like Giana Darling. Recommend this book to everyone- esp readers who appreciate a little BDSM/kink.
“No one has ever made me feel so safe and so inspired to push past my comfort zone. He was handsome and intelligent and just remote enough to make him seem mysterious.” I laughed at myself and shrugged. “So, obviously, I fell in love with him.”
I thought I experienced having my heartstrings pulled at enough with The Affair, but reading The Secret amplified my already erratic emotions tenfold. While the former almost romanticised the notion of having an affair, the latter depicts the harshness of living with immense guilt and the ramifications of one’s actions when reality rears its ugly head.
Overflowing with fierce angst and abundant in forbidden attraction, The Secret will fill you with equal parts apprehension and excitement. Being left with a bruised, aching heart wasn’t enough for Giana Darling—your emotions will be chaotic and your thoughts in neverending conflict while continuing this heartrending, sordid affair.
“Art had always been the medium of my sublimity. My love for Sinclair was devastatingly similar, dangerous because it did not recognize right or wrong.”
Despite my reservations on cheating, I couldn’t stop myself from feeling conflicting emotions—of wanting Giselle and Sinclair to pursue a relationship in lurid detail, even though it will destroy others happiness; but also wanting them to maintain a semblance of friendship in sacrifice of finding contentment together because it is ‘right’.
It is written so beautifully, their struggles, that it is near poetic. You can feel the inner turmoil they experience, sense that they are weighed down by misconduct and bound by expectations, though the inexplicable chemistry they have can’t be denied or ignored. GD handled the tangled mess of relationships and confronted morality with delicate poise and accurate portrayal, making me fall deeper in love with this narrative.
“This lifestyle is not always about pain and restraint,” he explained. “It is about worship.”
Both characters have immense character growth—specifically Sinclair, whose change is such a treat! Who knew a seeming detached, emotionally stunted businessman could possess so much dominance, romance and intrigue beneath the hardened surface? And Giselle continues to blossom into this wonderfully self-assured and sexually confident woman with so much grace and wonderment, despite the conundrum surrounding her, and she embraces this newfound woman with open arms.
Raw and emotionally captivating, The Evolution of Sin series leaves me bursting with anticipation and overflowing with emotions and continues to leave my heart aching and fracturing into tinier pieces. I’m in awe of this tragic, heartfelt series that is quickly shaping up to be a favourite.
“You’re more than the reason behind one smile. You hold the lease on my happiness.”
Giselle and Sinclair’s torrid romance continues in The Secret, the second book in The Evolution of Sin trilogy by Giana Darling. Secrets are kept. Friendships are tested as everything that took place in Mexico between Sin and Elle is called into question. Again written from Elle’s POV, readers will walk through the highs and lows of the pair’s continued romance. Everything is on the line, and ultimate happiness is all but guaranteed if Elle will just hear the things Sin has said and listen with more than just her mind. Sin’s actions speak volumes even if his words tell Elle something else. The story is unfolding with an outstanding combination of sexy, sweet, angsty and emotional. I couldn’t put this book down if I tried.
“This is going to kill you, this has been killing you all along, but I’m going to pull you out of this hellish situation and I’m going to love you more than anyone ever has every day after to prove to you how much that pain was worth it. We are going to resurrect each other.”
As the story of Sinclair and Elle progresses I fall more in love with each of them. They struggle and fight with themselves and try to make the right choices for everyone but their inexplicable pull to each other can’t be forgotten. I love how he brings out the person she wants to be and it’s an amazing story!!!