• 29 November 2021
• Standalone
• M/M Age Gap Romance
I wasn’t supposed to want him.
The bronzed god lying by my pool in tight shorts
that left little to the imagination. But I was only human,
and with the temptation constantly within reach,
it was only a matter of time before I could no longer resist.
It was wrong. I knew that.
He was my son’s age.
Hell, he was my son's friend.
But even worse...I was his teacher.
Secrets & Lies is a standalone teacher-student
MM romance from USA Today bestselling authors
Brooke Blaine & Ella Frank.
ARC received for an honest review
Two songs were in my head the whole time I was reading Secrets and Lies.
This one here (who doesn't love Hot For Teacher by Van Halen??) and
Kissed The Teacher by ABBA (can we get two more different songs??)
I love the collabs that these authors do, and they are always
seamlessly written.
Ryder is such an old soul in a young body, and I would never
have guessed his age if I didn't know this was an age gap romance.
Now, I don't usually mind an age gap story, but the first time we find out
the difference I kind of gasped.
But their feelings are so true, so pure for each other that I couldn't
help but forget it most of the time.
I spent most of the book waiting for the shoe to drop,
waiting for someone to find out and for the excrement to hit the air con.
Each page I turned I was, is it happening now?
I loved how they pushed the boundaries of their taboo (but not illegal!)
relationship.
Ryder gives me vibes of Bash or Robbie from these authors
previous series - he is like sunshine after a storm,
and you can't help but love him.
Cute and sweet and adorable and just a great, low angst story.
Ash + Ryder
Ryder is new in town and as an artist his first mission is to join this
art workshop at the rec center.
That's where he meets Ash. This beautiful and über-talented older guy.
Early thirties maybe - not creepily old.
It's insta attraction on both sides.
But of course after an amazing night together we find out that Ash is
Ryder's new art teacher - in HIGH SCHOOL!
Ryder is 18 - legal - but it's still not right, right?
LET THE DIRTY FUN BEGIN ....
Well. I liked it. It was fun and sexy and sparky and adorable.
But I'm also not the biggest fan of age gap in the first place
and when one part of the couple is only 18 ...
that's a tiny bit too creepy for my tastes. Because it's way too close to 17 -
could be a week away from 17. Or 11 months. That's a huge difference,
but still. I hate it.
So, I'm not the best to review such an age gap book.
But I also still liked it.
Ryder fortunately seems like a very mature 18 year old.
We get some very sweet and adorable
moments and some verry sexy ones.
Poor Ash tries to fight it so bad, but he just can't resist Ryder.
I loved the epilogue! 😍
Two other things.
The cover. It's pretty hot ... but also so dark and vampirey.
That's not really the sunny Ryder from the story.
(But it's also still a part from the art-part of the book,
but you don't know that if you browse amazon and judge it
by it's dark vampirey ghosty cover!)
Also the blurb. Not really my thing either.
Ryder doesn't even meet the son until the middle of the book!
SECRETS + LIES was a very adorable and sexy
age gap teacher student romance!
↓ Links to the Book & Authors ↓
Dare to Try Trilogy Book #1
Book #2
Book #3
Ella's Prime Time Series:
Brooke's South Haven Series:
Book #1
Ella Frank:
and erotic fiction.
Some of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart,
J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Philips.
You could say Brooke Blaine was a book-a-holic from the time she knew
how to read.
She used to tell her mother that curling up with one at 4 a.m.
before elementary school was her quiet time.
Not much has changed except for the espresso I.V. pump
she nowcarries around and the size of her onesie pajamas.
Brooke enjoys writing sassy contemporary romance,
whether in the form of comedy, suspense, or erotica.
The latter has scarred her
conservative Southern family for life,bless their hearts.
If you’d like to get in touch with her, shes easy to find -
just keep an ear out for the Rick Astley ringtone that’s
dominated her cell phone for ten years.
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