Scandalous Secrets by Synithia Williams

 

Welcome Back,  Booklovers! I am back with another review from the soapy Jackson Falls series. You can check out my reviews of Book 1 and 3. You don't have to read them all but I highly suggest you do! 

This story centers around middle child Byron who is running for Senate. After someone attempting to sabotage his campaign blackmails him he has to face a secret he's kept hidden for years. Back in college he had a crush on his friend, Zoe who found herself pregnant while trying to escape an abusive relationship. In order to help her, Byron agreed to let her name him as the father of her daughter. Now when Byron tracks down Zoe he find out someone has been threatening her. They decide to come together for both their sakes.

Byron's pushy father Grant and campaign manager Roy can't wait to spin this inconvenience to win favor with voters. Byron has a pushy fiancée who is doing her best to play the role of committed senator's girlfriend and future stepmother. They're relationship of convivence is threatened by Byron's very real past feelings for Zoe that have resurfaced. While Byron is fighting feelings that never went away; Zoe is finally seeing him in a new light.

It was interesting to read a romance where the man had to fight harder for the relationship because the woman was reluctant. Zoe was still working through trauma from her past relationship and the relationships she grew up seeing. Her concerns about relying too much on a man to take care of her felt very valid. Byron was super sweet and supportive the entire time welcoming her daughter Lilah into his life. That scene where he showed them around town was one of my favorites.

I also enjoyed seeing Zoe bond with Elaina and work with her to steal one of Grant's companies behind his back. I liked how unapologetic Zoe was about helping too. Elaina took to the auntie role very quickly with Lilah. 

This story amped up the drama with twists I didn't see coming. Though Byron's campaign causes friction this isn't a story full of politics. Southern family drama is definitely at the forefront but Zoe and Byron's love for each other still shines through. 

Careless Whispers by Synithia Williams

Welcome Back, Booklovers! Ever since reading Forbidden Promises I knew I needed Elaina's story next. She basically stole the show in that story as she and Grant went back and forth and we saw a glimpse into her relationship with Alex. While each book in the Jackson Falls series stands on it's own because it's a family saga the characters appear across books and you get pieces of their stories.

Elaina is a smart and savvy business woman with a reputation for being no nonsense and more than a little brash. The family business, Robidoux Holdings is her life and she's fighting her father, Grant for that CEO position. Alex, who works in Research and Development is her workplace nemesis. They've been struggling to get along in the workplace for months. After a misunderstand over a cancelled meeting and a very public outburst Elaina ends up fired and Alex is chosen as her temporary replacement. 

Elaina's ice queen persona isn't all there is to her. Underneath is a very vulnerable woman who has grown up under her parent's thumb. They drilled into her head business before all else and strong-armed her into a loveless marriage. Everyone in the family is so used to Elaina being the cold one they don't even try to see past it anymore. But she's had to be the strong and in charge one while her younger sister India was able to escape and run off and live away from the family. Granted some of her past blowups have played a role in that. And she hasn't had the best relationship with her India since she married Elaina's ex husband, Travis. Daddy Grant is still trying to pull the strings even after her firing by sabotaging her attempts to establish clients for her new business venture.

When the two meet up again neither can deny the chemistry between them. Exclusive hook ups sounds like a plan and Alex is eager for whatever Elaina offers him. And the more time that Elaina spends with Alex the more her guard comes down. 

Alex had a heart attack a few years prior so he's all about taking things slow now. Professionally he has no interest in being CEO and is not taking his new role well. Grant may be grooming him to be his replacement to get back at his daughter but he sees right through the games. Elaina is busy severing her ties to her father by moving off the family estate and establishing her own business alongside her sister-in-law Zoe. 

Family plays such a big role in this story not only on Elaina's side but also on Alex's as he and his father consider doing business with her. I liked that both had their family members so heavily involved in their daily life from siblings to parents. There's this really sweet scene in the story where she takes Alex to her private hideaway and she introduces him to her ancestors and asks them to bless their relationship. Alex's family has a less animus relationship than Zoe's so he's able to be her sounding board when it comes to reconciling everything she's learned about relationships. 

I loved Elaina! I didn't mind that's she's a bit of a bitch. She owns it and she gets things done. And I don't always need my romance heroines to be super saccharine. Alex was the sweet laid back one willing to take care of her and show her she's worthy of love. I can't wait to see what comes next in the Jackson Falls series. It's now a must read series for me.

Forbidden Promises by Synithia Williams

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I'm working on reading at least one book I own from the backlist a month and this was one I got as a free download last year. It sounded messy from the synopsis so I was intrigued.

Youngest daughter India Robidoux has returned just as her brother Byron is kicking off his campaign for senate. She's in between jobs and visiting her family for the first time in awhile. Papa Robidoux is the patriarch dead set on controlling the family image and running his children's lives. It's business before everything else and he wants India to stick around and help make her brother's image look good. The only problem is India will have to work with her brother's best friend Travis who also happens to be her sister's ex husband and her first love. 

As someone who used to watch soap operas on and off from age 11 or 12 up until a few years ago you can tell how much Synithia is a fan. I gave up on soaps because I got tired of the lack of diversity and I ran out of couples to root for. And ironically dove further into romance books to give me what I needed. But I was always more invested in individual couples vs family dynamics. If you watched soaps for the complicated family drama than you'll love this one.

This one is set in The South and Grant Robidoux was giving me Black JR while this book was giving me Dallas vibes remake vibes(the original was before my time but I did see some of it in reruns). Between Grant's constant meddling in his children's love lives and his mistress' presence, Byron getting engaged to strengthen his image for the election, Elaina's drinking problem and trouble at their family's tobacco company, and Travis' complicated relationship with his parents; there's no lack of drama.

It's not uncommon at all for couples to get together after being related through marriage or even sharing half siblings. That type of set up isn't really something I've read in books so I was curious to see how she'd tackle it.

This was actually a very slow burn second chance romance. India and Travis tip-toed around each other for much of the book fighting the pull to be together because they didn't want to hurt her sister Elaina. At first I wasn't rooting for them to be together. It was clear Elaina hadn't emotionally moved on from the marriage even though she and Travis constantly stated they never loved each other. And there still seemed to be a bit of spark between them. It also didn't help that they were married for five years. I felt more could've been explored with why they stayed together for so long. 

But then closer towards the end of the story after an out of town getaway they finally clicked for me. I felt the chemistry while they bonded doing fun activities and started to believe in their love and friendship.

I did listen to some of this via audiobook so I could listen on work breaks and the narration was killing me softly. Those "Southern" accents especially for the men weren't it! She would do this deep raspy gravely voice. 

All in all this kept me entertained with the constant moving pieces and was a fairly quick read.