Naughty Little Secret

Two years after her divorce, Lauren Southall is ready to get back into the swing of things...kind of. She's not ready for love and commitment, but she might just be ready for some romance and excitement. Especially if it involves Noah Reeves. Not only is he smart, sweet and rich, he's six-foot-three and sexy as all get out! But he's also her ex-husband's friend, her boss and he is notorious for having a long line of short relationships. When she receives a mysterious note promising naked skin and sexual fantasies, Lauren can't help but feel thrilled. Will she be able to live out her fantasies with Mr. Mysterious or will thoughts of Noah chase him away? Having been in love with Lauren for over ten years, Noah knows it's now or never. He believes she's ready for a relationship but he'll have to convince her. Planning her seduction as he would a corporate takeover, Noah decides to romance her as himself during the day and creates a mysterious stranger to dominate her at night. Naughty Little Secret by Shelley Bradley is utterly fantastic! I fell in love with the characters; from Lauren who is too afraid of being hurt to open herself up to any kind of happiness, to Noah and his relentless pursuit of the one woman he truly loves. One secondary character, Lauren's sister Kay, particularly shined. She is funny, outrageous and totally straightforward with Lauren which is just what she needs. The whole premise of a mysterious stranger and sex could have been creepy but Ms. Bradley manages to make it unbelievably arousing instead. With its fast pace, engaging plot and super sizzling sex, Naughty Little Secret is an indulgence you won't want to miss. Georgia reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Noah Reeves has been in love with Lauren for ten years; ten long years during which he watched her strive to make a marriage work and raise children alone while her emotionally frozen husband ignored her. Now, two years after Lauren's divorce, Noah is unable to wait any longer and so he comes up with a plan. A plan to woo and seduce Lauren and make her understand that there is a man whom she can love and rely on to hold her throughout the night; him. Lauren Southall has secretly been in love with Noah for years. She has been unable to look at other men since her divorce; all of her fantasies revolve around Noah, her friend and her boss. Knowing that relationships cause pain and heartache, Lauren is unwilling to risk her heart again; that is, until a mysterious note and gift are left on her desk at work. After reading the note, Lauren finds herself willing to go along with the instructions, much to Noah's supposed dismay. She and Noah exchange harsh words in which Lauren lets him know that under no circumstances should he interfere with her mystery man. Noah doesn't like her request but he agrees and Lauren leaves. She has to get home and set herself up to be seduced. NAUGHTY LITTLE SECRET was naughty all right. I still don't think I have recovered! As a boss, Noah was fair, balanced, and extremely on task with his lists and strategies. As a lover, his actions were poignant and demanding. I thought his no-holds-barred idea of winning Lauren's love highly effective; I would not have been able to resist him. Lauren could be any woman who has gone through a tough divorce and is afraid to give her heart and love again. It was in Lauren's surrender that Ms. Bradley's talent as a writer shined. NAUGHTY LITTLE SECRET by Shelley Bradley should come with its own warning label that states, "Warning! This novel may cause heart palpitations, sweating, and tears. Ice chips and a cold shower recommended!" It was just that hot and more. Shelley Bradley takes the reader on a whirlwind of emotions throughout NAUGHTY LITTLE SECRET. After having read it I could not be more satisfied. Highly erotic and extremely tender at the same time, this book made me smile, cry, and squirm in my seat. Congrats Ms. Bradley for writing a novel that will make the readers feel the emotions of the characters. Not only feel, but also yearn to BE the characters. This one is definitely a keeper.

After divorcing her inattentive workaholic husband, Lauren Southall picked up the pieces of her life and found a job working for one of her ex's best friends, Noah Reeves. For the last two years, she'd donned the career woman persona working side by side with Noah all the while wishing she could be more than just his employee. She'd seen the stream of silicone filled young lovelies he'd date then drop and knew he couldn't possibly be interested in a 36-year-old divorcee with two young children. Noah had been in love with Lauren since the day he'd met her. For ten years he'd been eating his heart out and for the last two he'd been biding his time to come up with a plan to make her his. By day he's her best friend, great pal and boss, but by night he's Mr. Mysterious a fantasy mind-blowing sex master pleasuring her beyond her wild imaginings. Now Noah has to convince Lauren that Mr. Mysterious is after more than just mind-blowing sex, and wants her love and commitment. *** Both Noah and Lauren were characters one could relate to in believable real life situations. Bradley capitalized on this with an emotional tug for the pain of being rejected while both kept their naughty secrets to themselves of each secretly desiring one another's bodies for hot mind blowing sex. With humorously witty dialogs and some very graphic sex the readers are in for a very decadent treat as Bradley packs a wallop with this extremely sensual well done read. Additionally when you couple all that with the bonus of a tender love story you end up with a very stimulating and satisfying story. Bottom line - This is definitely a lusty read that should get most libidos kick started into high gear! Marilyn Rondeau, RIO - Reviewers International Organization for CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Lauren Southall has divorced her useless husband and gone back to work. Well, two years have passed since she left her husband and there is one thing keeping her from being deliriously happy. It's her handsome boss Noah Reeves. Noah puts play in the word "playboy" and she wants to take the place of the air heads he insists on dating. Too bad she doesn't think she has what it takes to compete with the Barbie dolls that drift in and out of his life. She needs to make changes but doesn't know how. Then she begins to be courted by a mystery man. He makes her burn and makes all of her fantasies come to life. Too bad every time she's in his arms she longs for Noah's. What's a woman to do? Noah wants Lauren...has for years ten to be precise and he is done waiting for her to come around and admit that they are meant to be together. So he dons the disguise of mystery lover. When they are together it's magic but will she have the strength to admit that they belong together and that the past has no bearing on who she is or the future that they can share? This story is brimming with sensuality and heart--a true treat for fans of erotic romance. Noah and Lauren are wonderfully crafted characters and the chemistry is evident from the beginning. Ms. Bradley is a fine writer and one I have little trouble recommending. This is steamy hot read for your summer reading consideration!

The premise of this story is a marriage which ended several years ago due to the husband not putting any effort in and the friend who has silently been in love with the now divorced single mom for years. I thought the author did a good job of developing the characters, especially Lauren. The actions of the characters were very true to the personalities she developed and the story was fast paced. I read this in one sitting and will be looking up other books by this author. For those used to reading traditional romance novels, be aware this is a Samhain published book, which means sensual and explicit love scenes.