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BEST KEPT SECRETS - Rochelle Alers Harlequin Kimani/Sepia
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SYNOPSIS: In Alers's most ambitious and sensual novel to date, she reaches back into the rich history of Florida and Cuba to tell the story of a family destined for greatness--and haunted by secrets that could destroy them all.
MAINSTREAM FICTION: |4+| Keren Childers
REVIEW: Marguerite Josefina Dia,or “MJ” as she preferred to be
called, is the toast of Havana. She’s beautiful and educated and comes
from a wealthy family background. She is never at a lost for man
companionship, but she could take them or leave. MJ disgraces the
family, but she is determined to pursue her goals in life and not follow
proper protocol. Her love for Sammy comes at a cost. She endured his
drive to become a wealthy entrepreneur, his stubbornness and most of all
his deceptions. Through this, she remains a strong, dedicated woman who
would do anything to protect her family.
Samuel “Sammy” Cole returns from Europe after the Great War determined
to become a rich man and sets out to do just that. He’s determined to
prove to his family, especially his father that he can become
successful. Sammy could pass for Cuban, but he is an American and
endures the prejudice of being American. This flaw gives him the
determination to achieve wealth even more. He travels to Havana and
meets with several businessmen to launch his business. He, however,
stumbles upon the beautiful MJ whot definitely gives him a run for his
money, but eventually agrees to marry him. His business drive is
uncanny. His love for MJ is renowned, but his unfaithfulness becomes
destruction in their relationship, but he refuses to let go, let alone
give up all he’s fought to have.
The relationship between Sammy and MJ is intriguing mainly because of
the love between them. Their backgrounds are so different yet they
offset each other. MJ suffers through a lot of pain and misguided
promises that Sammy brings into their relationship. His arrogance and
deceitfulness catches up with him. Even a man of his caliber can be put
to the test when he is faced with losing the one person he knows he
can’t live without.
The supporting characters to me played a significant role in this story.
Everett Kirkland is a man who becomes a strong source in Sammy’s life -
as his business partner and also his escape goat. This man was cunning
and callous at times. Teresa, Sammy’s lover and eventually Kirkland’s
wife, is sexy and mysterious and goes after what she wants, even if it
isn’t hers. The old saying “If you play with fire you’ll get burned”
comes immediately to mind. In BEST KEPT SECRETS several characters get
burn and Teresa is one of them.
Author, Rochelle Alers definitely gives readers a history lesson. I
found learning about the different cultures, their religions and the
prejudices totally captivating while the vivid descriptions of the
countries and the homes made me want to visit them.
Ms. Alers must be commended on laying the foundation of the Cole/Diaz
family dynasty. BEST KEPT SECRETS is the perfect beginning to The
Hideaway Saga. I’ll advise readers who haven’t read this series to start
with this recent addition first and then the others in the series. Ms.
Alers, I’m sure your fans will salute you for a job well done.
reviewer@romanceincolor.com |23rd February 2006