DIRTIEST SECRET
J Kenner
Release Day April 19
From the New York Times bestselling author of such “racy, sizzling Stark novels” (RT Book Reviews) as Release Me and Say My Name comes the provocative first Stark International Novel—the beginning of the S.I.N. series.
It was wrong for us to be together, but it was even harder to be apart.
The memory of Dallas Sykes burns inside of me.
Everyone knows him as a notorious playboy, a man for whom women and money are no object. But to me, he’s still the one man I desperately crave—yet the one I can never have.
Dallas knows me better than anyone else. We bear the same scars, the same darkness in our past. I thought I could move on by staying away, but now that we’re drawn together once more, I can’t fight the force of our attraction or the temptation to make him mine.
We’ve tried to maintain control, not letting ourselves give in to desire. And for so long we’ve told ourselves no—but now it’s finally time to say yes.
Dirtiest Secret is intended for mature audiences.
EXCERPT
(WARNING: Graphic words/language)
Even by Southampton standards, the party at the nine-thousand-square-foot mansion on Meadow Lane reeked of extravagance.
Grammy Award–winning artists performed on an outdoor stage that had been set up on the lush lawn that flowed from the main house to the tennis courts. Celebrities hobnobbed with models who flirted with Wall Street tycoons who discussed stock prices with tech gurus and old-money academics, all while sampling fine scotch and the season’s chicest gin. Colored lights illuminated the grotto style pool, upon which nude models floated lazily on air mattresses, their bodies used by artisan sushi chefs as presentation platters for epicurean delights.
Each female guest received a Hermès Birkin bag and each male received a limited edition Hublot watch, and the exclamations of delight—from both the men and the women—rivaled the boom of the fireworks that exploded over Shinnecock Bay at precisely ten p.m., perfectly timed to distract the guests from the bustle of the staff switching out the dinner buffet for the spread of desserts, coffee, and liqueurs.
No expense had been spared, no desire or craving or indulgence overlooked. Nothing had been left to chance, and every person in attendance agreed that the party was the Must Attend event of the season, if not of the year. Hell, if not of the decade.
Everyone who was anyone was there, under the stars on the four acre lot on Billionaires’ Row.
Everyone, that is, except the billionaire who was actually hosting the party. And speculation as to where he was, what he was doing, and who he was doing it with ripped through the well-liquored and gossip-hungry crowd like wildfire in a windstorm.
“No idea where he could have disappeared off to, but I’d bet good money he’s not pining away in solitude,” said a reed-thin man with salt-and-pepper hair and an expression that suggested disapproval but was most likely envy.
“I swear I came five times,” a perky blonde announced to her best friend in the kind of stage whisper designed to attract attention. “The man’s a master in bed.”
“He’s got a shrewd head for business, that one,” said a Wall Street trader, “but no sense of propriety where his c*ck is concerned.”
“Oh, honey, no. He’s not relationship material.” A brunette celebrating a recently inked modeling contract shivered as if reliving a moment of ecstasy. “He’s like fine chocolate. Meant to be savored in very limited quantities. But so damn good when you have it.”
“More power to him if he can grab that much pu$$y.” A hipster with beard stubble and a man-bun wiped his wire-rimmed glasses clean with his shirttail. “But why the f*ck does he have to be so blatant about it?”
“All of my friends have had him.” The petite redhead who pulled in a six figure wife bonus smiled slowly, and the flash of her green eyes suggested that she was the cat and he was the delicious cream. “But I’m the only one of us to enjoy a second helping.”
“All your friends?”
“How much pu$$y?”
“At least half the women here tonight. Maybe more.”
“Man, don’t even ask that. Just trust me. Dallas Sykes is the King of F*ck. You and me? Mere mortals like us can’t even compare.”
“Man, don’t even ask that. Just trust me. Dallas Sykes is the King of F*ck. You and me? Mere mortals like us can’t even compare.”
Review
RATING:
As far as the taboo subject is concerned, I have a lot of books on my TBR shelf with this trope that I’ve yet to read. As far as what the characters went through, yes, I also have a lot of those books with that story line on my shelf, both read and unread. Apart, I suppose there’s a proliferation of them, but put them together, I guess now I can say I’ve read one, thanks to Julie.
Dallas and Jane should not be together for all kinds of legit reasons but the heart wants what the heart wants. Dallas and Jane together, no one should ever experience what they went through, but evil things do happen in the world.
Told from dual POV, you get into their psyche and understand why they feel the way they feel. How they dealt with their tragedy individually, there really is no way around their healing but with each other. Dallas created this persona to shield his feelings/struggles and the things he’s been doing. He’s got that billionaire-heir image perfected but underneath it all is a mission that is not only near and dear to his heart but also meant to provide closure. Jane is a broken woman trying to act normal and only a select few knows the real story. They’ve tried to stay away from each other until they no longer can’t.
Their attraction is magnetic in a convoluted yet fascinating manner. For all the heat between them, there is the added taboo aspect to it. I wasn’t sure how I’ll feel about that (which is why those other books I own continue to linger on my TBR) but I think Julie handled it well. To make me understand and buy the connection despite it all, it was so wrong yet so right on so many levels. Hot dang!
Add to that the mystery surrounding that horrible event, and Dallas’ and Jane’s attempts to get some answers to get their closure and hopefully move on for good, I was definitely hooked. There were some elements to the story that are not so new to me which may have shaved off some points in my rating; along with the fact that I didn’t realize that I was walking into another series which means another wait, again… sigh… Overall though, it was well written, therefore, a very good read. I just hope I’ll be fortunate enough to get my grubby hands on the rest of the series.
Told from dual POV, you get into their psyche and understand why they feel the way they feel. How they dealt with their tragedy individually, there really is no way around their healing but with each other. Dallas created this persona to shield his feelings/struggles and the things he’s been doing. He’s got that billionaire-heir image perfected but underneath it all is a mission that is not only near and dear to his heart but also meant to provide closure. Jane is a broken woman trying to act normal and only a select few knows the real story. They’ve tried to stay away from each other until they no longer can’t.
Their attraction is magnetic in a convoluted yet fascinating manner. For all the heat between them, there is the added taboo aspect to it. I wasn’t sure how I’ll feel about that (which is why those other books I own continue to linger on my TBR) but I think Julie handled it well. To make me understand and buy the connection despite it all, it was so wrong yet so right on so many levels. Hot dang!
Add to that the mystery surrounding that horrible event, and Dallas’ and Jane’s attempts to get some answers to get their closure and hopefully move on for good, I was definitely hooked. There were some elements to the story that are not so new to me which may have shaved off some points in my rating; along with the fact that I didn’t realize that I was walking into another series which means another wait, again… sigh… Overall though, it was well written, therefore, a very good read. I just hope I’ll be fortunate enough to get my grubby hands on the rest of the series.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
J. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.
Though known primarily for her award-winning and internationally bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and #1 internationally, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, "chicklit" suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal mommy lit.
JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a "flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations" and by RT Bookclub for having "cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swopn for him." A four time finalist for Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy).
Thanks for dropping by!
~Leftie
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