SECRETLY HERS (Sterling Canyon #2)

SECRETLY HERS                      JAMIE BECK

On her thirty-first birthday, hopeless romantic Kelsey Callihan has all but given up on happily ever afters, which is why she agrees to a risqué proposition from Sterling Canyon’s notorious playboy, backcountry skier Trip Lexington. After all, every girl needs a little fun, and with Trip, there are no mixed signals or risks of a broken heart. And if his tips can help her land a husband in the process, all the better.

Trip couldn’t be happier with his secret, no-strings fling with sweet and sexy Kelsey until she calls it quits after meeting a man she believes could share her dream of marriage and family. His jealousy turns to outrage when he discovers that the man is his estranged half brother and lifelong rival.

Now Trip must decide whether the fire in his gut is due to sibling rivalry or something much more dangerous…like love.

MY REVIEW:

When you know nothing but fear and a life of scorn can you ever trust anything but especially love?  Especially love when the two people that you love more than anything in the world have abandon you?  As an adult he can now reason it out logically but as a child it was one of sheer fear, pain, and utter devastation.

     You see Trip Lexington’s mother had an affair with his father who turned out to be a married man with a new baby boy at home who seemed to be getting all his wife’s attention.  Feeling neglected he found it someplace else and with Trip’s mom.  It was never about love just a strong like.  Since Trip’s mom knew this she planned never to tell Trip’s dad about his son.  The only problem with that she never expected to be passing away from pancreatic cancer.  Truly a game changer.

     Trip had never missed having a father for he had the best grandfather ever.  He never had a son and he would do the male outdoor bonding adventures needed with Trip.  Giving him a love for the great outdoors.  He even carried his granddad’s last name.  When the time drew near she called his father to explain that he had a son and that she was dying.

     Once he was legally adopted by his father he went to live with the three of them.  Yet, he was made to feel like he was the one who committed the crime in the marriage not his father.  All he wanted was his mom and granddad not to be supposedly taking the place of his spoiled step brother like he thought.  When all he’s ever wanted was his mother and grandfather to be alive.  (His grandfather has now passed on also.)  Also to be in a home where there is love and things are real and not expensive gifts given to show love instead of given love.  Where it is all fake.

     Then he moves to this small mountain community and meets this sexy-voluptuous Kelsey Callihan.   That is until his friend and business partner Grey calls her Boomerang because she keeps coming back.  You see she was gunning for a husband and she had her sights set on Grey.  Until he started dating her best friend Avery.  Then she backed off.

     You see Kelsey grew up in a family of Happily Ever After.  You know the ones where the fairytales match the real world in the world she grew up in.  Even extended out in a lot of the families her parents and family members they associated with so at thirty-one Kelsey’s time clock was ticking and she was getting nervous.

     She had her career on the right path as she saw it but her personal life was not anywhere near that point.  At the present she now had her sights on Wade Kessler the one she is helping negotiate a project.  Yet, as Trip watched she was trying way too hard and Wade was totally not interested.  On the other hand, he was, since the day he had arrived eight months ago.  Grey had warned him off though because he knew him and his policy on no repeat dating or dating, no marriage, and since she’s both he did want her hurt which could cause his relationship problems.  He got it but it did sting.

     On this day he couldn’t keep quiet so he told her she could do better and that he could help because he had overheard her say she hadn’t had sex in a while.  He was just the man for the job.  Kelsey had to admit she was intrigued by his offer for she was attracted to him since the day he arrived.  Yet, she wasn’t attracted to all the women he had bedded since he arrived.  Yet, she wasn’t attracted to all the women he had bedded since being in the town.  She told him too.  He at least had the good sense to be embarrassed.

     So he came up with a bet that they could get her a man if she followed her rules and he could get hers and his itch met with no strings if she was game.  She said sure if he put up the cowboy hat she had taken from him the night he played the gentleman.  You see she had gotten a little tipsy on her birthday and he carried her home and his hat was in the way and she put it on her head and forgot to take it off.  The hat means the world to him for it belonged to his granddad. 

     At first he said, “NO!”  Because that was his granddad’s and means so much.  So then she says, “No Bet.”  But for some reason he really wanted to have her in his bed.  So he said, “Yes!” 

     See how this fairytale unfolds.  Will true love win out or will fear take over and put a choke hold on a romance doomed to fail from the beginning?  I loved how they bantered all through this book but it was all done with humor.  But I really enjoyed how Kelsey never forced him into anything.  Yet, at the same time I feel sorry for her that when she really was feeling unsure that she could use her voice to really tell him what she was feeling for fear he would bolt.

      I give this 5++++ stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at: www.1rad-readerreviews.com.