Beautiful Secret (Beautiful Bastard, #4) by Christina Lauren
Series: Beautiful #4
on April 14, 2015
Genres: Contemporary
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FINAL DECISION: This book was okay, but disappointing compared to the other books in this series. I quickly got annoyed by Ruby who seemed immature and annoying for pretty much all the book.

THE STORY: Ruby Miller has had a crush on Niall Stella for months. When she is sent to New York with Niall for work, Ruby worries that she will embarrass herself because she can’t think when Niall is near. But soon the two are flirting with one another. Niall is finding his feet after his divorce. He doesn’t know how to deal with women, but there is something about Ruby that brings Niall out of his shell. But time spent away from real life in London might not last when they return.

OPINION: I think this book would have benefited from giving this couple some time to live their relationship. Ruby comes across too aggressive emotionally toward Niall. If the roles had been reversed, he would be excoriated as being an alpha jerk. This is Ruby. She’s pushing a man who is just divorced from his wife of fifteen years and plays the victim when he doesn’t act as committed as her.  Just because she has been “stalking” him for months is no reason for her to not give him real time in their relationship. Parts of this book made me cringe because I kept thinking — just give the guy some time to breathe.

Despite this, I did enjoy this quieter man who has been keeping himself so under control for years finding his sexual groove. I also enjoyed the two different characters finding a middle ground for their lives together.

Niall was adorable in the prior novella where he was introduced, but I wish he was more adorable and less neurotic here. He is still recovering from his relationship with his ex-wife, the only woman he has ever loved or ever had a relationship with. He is tentative and unsure about how to move forward. This seemed a reasonable position to me.

I had mixed feelings about this story. I would greatly enjoy portions as the two got to know one another and then I would feel uncomfortable at points. I wanted to like this more and thus I was disappointed.

Things seemed to finally be getting better when the two returned to London and then we had the big problem and that was resolved in a few pages. I left this book not feeling confident about this couple.

WORTH MENTIONING: The heroine here, Ruby, was mentioned in a very, very minor way in DIRTY ROWDY THING.

CONNECTED BOOKS: BEAUTIFUL SECRET is the fourth book in the Beautiful series. This book can be read as a standalone although there are some overlapping characters.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.