Rating: 4 Stars 

Publisher: Self Published 

Tags: Gay Taboo Romance, Warning tag spelt out below 

Length: 259 Pages   

Reviewer: Kazza

Purchase At:  amazon

Blurb:

I didn’t plan for him to come into my life. He came without warning. Without permission.
I didn’t want him there, and a small part of me loathed his very existence.
But then something changed.
Overnight, he became everything to me.
I loved him. I cherished him. He was mine. But they took him from me. They tore him from my life with such cruelty, my heart wept.
My soul cried.
For years I went without him.
Until… He was back. And everything had changed. Our bond was deeper. Our needs greater. He was my addiction.
But it was dangerous. Too dangerous to hold on to. Too dangerous to keep. Loving him like this wasn’t safe.
Loving him… was wrong.
**This book contains content of a taboo nature. Please heed warning**
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Review: 
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The blurb of this book is very ambiguous, so if you want to keep it that way then don’t read any further or listen to the podcast. I’ll say that I worked out that tagged “taboo” but I read these kinds of books, others may not be aware. “Taboo” is not enough of a warning tag. It’s subjective. What’s a hard(er) limit for me may not be for others, and vice versa. It needs to be clearer.
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This is the first time reading this entirely new to me author. I’m not so keen on jumping in to unknown quantities these days, I don’t care the plethora of glowing reviews, because I’ve been left disappointed more than a couple of times recently.
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Down to brass tin tacks, this book is made up of some clear parts. The younger years of the main characters, Rhyker at first, then Creed – and when I say young I don’t mean they’re both YA or NA characters at the same time. Then, when appropriate, both POV are on page. There is what I can only describe as the equivalent section of “Teen Mom” land, not my favourite… until it isn’t. The romance, lust, sex is a slow but incendiary burn. That was what I came for the, uh, taboo which is a favourite subgenre or trope of mine. It’s named below, so avert thine eyes if you want to be appropriately surprised and possibly shocked. Depends on your idea of romance and its limits.

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I’ve given Secrets & Lies 4 stars because it’s a pretty good damn read. The author can write and gives some oomph to this particular story. Overall, she made the MCs likeable and the story readable. I can’t ask for much more as a reader, if I see another of her books with an interesting blurb I’ll likely be grabbing a copy.

**Spoiler Warning From Now**
 Okay. So… 
1) If you’re under 18 or easily offended then you shouldn’t be on this site, we have a big entry sign you have to click on to enter…
and
2) If the idea of incest bothers you, because that’s the taboo, then turn back now and leave this review.  
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Podcast Note: I meant Creed (not Rhyker) says ‘this is okay, I really like you, it’s cool’ about wanting more in one part of the podcast.


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