Book Review: Ugly Secrets

 

“I hate you. But I still f*ckin’ want you.”

Olivia:

I never wanted to come back to Little Hope. But I’m here. Trying to build a life for my son and myself. He and my bakery are all I want to focus on.

Until the Bad Boy of Little Hope shows up on my doorstep. Multiple times.

He’s hated by almost everyone, feared by the rest. But not by me.

He’s different with me and my son. I just wish the town would see him this way too.

Jake:

I could easily take the cake for being the most hated man in town. And deservingly so.

My own family thinks of me as a lost cause, disregarding me on holidays and family gatherings.

They all think I’m a villain. And I might be. But none of them know what made me this way. That is, until she comes to town and crawls under my skin.

She’s the sister of the man who hates my guts, and yet she might be the only person who doesn’t hate me. She claws me out of the darkness I’ve created for myself.

Until everything changes…


A bad guy whose secrets have their own secrets. A single mom who has a few of her own. What do they share? The dark past they both hide.

They say villains are irredeemable. But what if there’s someone who can read between the lines?


This book is part of a series of interconnected standalones. This slow-burn, single mom-bad guy, enemies-to-lovers, contemporary romance is filled with angst, secrets, and finding peace. Each book contains a story about a different couple. No cheating. No cliffhangers. HEA.

Author's the drama and tears are back.

TW: there are quite a few. Please refer to the author’s note for the full list.

My Review

First off let me say that reading this book is bittersweet. This is because it is the last of this series. One where I have grown very close to the characters and the town of Little Hope. In fact, everyone is family to me. Yet, Ariana did us faithful readers and her characters justice with this book. This series will always hold a special place in my heart. 

This book may be the darkest in regard to the struggles that Jake goes through. Yet, it is necessary. My heart went out to him. All I wanted to do was hug and hold him. Yet in the end, Jake did get his redemption. Jake's story took me on an emotional rollercoaster. 

Instantly, I fell in love with Olivia and her son, Brodie. He is such a cutie pie. All of the homemade treats that Olivia made had me mouth watering. While this book only had a few romantic scenes between Olivia and Jake, I savored each of them so much.