booksmackedmel's reviews
2 reviews

The level at which I am obsessed with Lorenzo Caruso may require serious questioning. The things that I would let this fictional man do to me.........................................

Fractured Secrets is an enemies to lovers, brother's best friend, marriage of convenience mafia perfection. This book held me captive, it demanded I take my time with it. Not gonna lie I have been waiting not so patiently for this book after discovering Haley Jenner and devouring Virtuous Lies. It's been a hot minute since I've read a mafia book, I'm picky as hell with them. This series I can already tell is going to be a fave of mine and one that I can't get enough of.

I knew this book was a five star read mid way through it. I knew that I would fall in love with Bianca and Lorenzo's story. I have so many highlights in this book, so many. I physically couldn't contain myself while reading this with some of the scenes and some of the things the characters said. I squirmed in a good way, I slapped my thighs in excitement, I cursed at some moments.

I am still all giddy as I type this review, I feel like a young child hopped up on sugar who just got told they are going to disneyland wanting to run around and scream my excitement. LOL I loved this book. Ok ok I'll be back to add to this review once I come down from the high of it and can gather my thoughts in a more eloquent manner.

Let's be real i won't but i will add to this review with some more thoughts about the storyline the characters etc....

MUST READ, this will go on my top reads of 2023 I'm calling it already.

As soon as it hit Midnight on January 4th I immediately opened up my kindle to read this being as I'm a massive Kristen Ashley fan, she is probably my most reread author since her books and characters are some of my favs. She's got this way of sucking you into the story and connecting with the characters that make me feel like I would want to jump into the book and live there and Misted Pines is no different.

For me this was a bit of a departure from the KA I'm used to in terms of this read more like a Suspense/Thriller then it did a Romance. Yes it had romance and yes it had what I call the signature KA Hero/Heroines which is why I love her books so much but for me the suspense/thriller/crime part of this book was at the forefront and the romance kind of took a back seat. I found it refreshing as I only read romance and not a lot of romantic suspense at that so I throughly enjoyed that aspect of this book. There are multiple situations in this book that had me at the edge of my seat, wondering how things would play out, if they would find out who is taking these girls.

There were however times that I did find things a bit complicated in terms of what was going on, too many characters to keep track of in the grand scheme of things, that I found myself going back and rereading a couple parts as I got confused as to who was who at times especially when things unravel and things are revealed.

Now ok let's touch on the romance part of this book. I loved both characters, the Hero and the Heroine. Delphine was independent, had a good career, she was kind and while her character was in danger due to a crazed fan she certainly didn't play the damsel in distress and could hold her own.

That being said a KA book is not a KA book without that hawt alpha protective hero and Cade Bohannan, well he was that signature KA character I want when I open up a KA book. He is a man of few words, a head nod here and look a glance and one or two sentences and I was all about him. I find the way Kristen Ashley writes her males so fascinating because how do I love them when they barely talk. LOL I mean they talk but they could grunt and say you and I would be a puddle, she's just got this way of describing their actions that makes actual dialogue unnecessary. So yeah Cade Bohannan was a big heck yes for me, it's why I was dying to read this book cause I live for those KA men.

I wish we had more of the romance elements in this one however, I wanted more sparks more connection. This romance was a slow burn a very very slow burn and I don't mind a slow burn when the anticipation is at an all time high. I think I just wanted a bit more of that anticipation. I will say that when we finally get to the inevitable between Cade and Delphine it's Hot AF and did not disappoint.

Overall this story was intriguing, it had me playing the part of detective, it had me falling for the characters within in and I am so looking forward to seeing more from this new world.

Bonus points cause some of my fav Ashley characters are mentioned in this from her other series, I always love interconnected books with cameos. Just makes me want to go and reread some of my favs from KA.

Thoroughly enjoyed and can't wait for what Ashley has in store for us next with the Misted Pines gang.