Best Kept Secret (Rochester Trilogy)

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I didn't expect Beau and Jane's epic ending to hit me with so much angst! Best Kept Secret by Skye Warren was intense, heartaching and heart stopping. A hint of darkness. An edge of suspense. The all consuming soul deep love with electrifying chemistry. This trilogy is perfection!

After that initially terrifying moment though, Best Kept Secret started off with a bang, with the supposed villain having been revealed. But in true Warren style, there is always this lingering suspense about who the real villain is, and that is what makes the author’s writing so intense and unputdownable. After having read and gotten invested in Jane’s and Beau’s world in Private Property, I was curious to see how it will all end. I thought it was a decent conclusion.It was just too predictable I the sense that you know what’s going to happen from 2/3’s of the way through book 2. It also feels like the author loses the focus on the storyline and just starts pushing an agenda. There’s absolutely no effort to create plot twists and to maintain the essence of the story that the series begins with. In the original, what makes their final happiness so deeply touching is that Rochester has redeemed himself without Janes help - he was so sure she would be his redemption because he was “rescuing” her, but when she left he had to save himself instead - it’s what makes him truly worthy for Jane to return to him. I don’t really see a parallel redemption in Beau Rochester.

Well, my synopsis above does make it feel like it is only Beau Rochester’s story when it is clearly not. Narrated from both Jane and Beau’s POV in the first-person, the story beautifully concluded the Rochester trilogy. I don't know where I got the idea that I wouldn't be enough for him. He's more than enough for both of us, even at his most broken." I absolutely loved the ending so much! The story was perfect and it left me wanting more of these characters. Definitely recommending this book to all the dark romance loving people out there! Beau is the dark, broody, silent type Alpha male. He is used to the party and playboy life. That is until his niece came along. Jane on the other hand is innocent and has a very low self esteem. Her issues were problematic throughout the book when it came to her doubting Beau's feelings left and right. But she is fiercely strong and brave. After the cliffhanger that the previous book ended in, I started reading this with literally my breath held in. It was silly maybe, but I felt so scared for Jane, especially after all she went through in life already. Why does Skye Warren make her protagonists suffer so much? But I do love all the wonderful things that happen after, so it’s okay, I guess…

And I don't think I will ever stop complaining about that child🙃🔪- The number of meltdowns and crying actually gave me a headache. The best thing was the chemistry between Jane and Beau though, as the level of hotness between them was off the charts. And of course, when it is accompanied with a declaration of love (finally!) and what a “sir, yes sir!” kinda declaration it was. I was laughing out loud the entire time. Okay, not the correct emotion, maybe… Apart from the repetitive monologues, and random drama (that really was not explained/ fleshed out properly), one of the main things I didn't like about this book was the actual plot itself/ reveal to the series as a whole.

She then abandons her daughter and blames the hero for not helping her with her marriage (to his brother), despite not telling him anything and just magically hoping he knows all of her problems.My love was dangerous for so long. To me. To everyone else. I never thought I'd feel this kind of obsessive love again, but it's here." I don’t know what happened. It had so much potential. Or maybe I had unrealistically high expectations? That must be it because everybody else seems to have loved it. to put it simply, it was boring. Boring in a way that kept you reading anyway because you kept thinking, it’s going to get better, but it never did. I’m still not sure what exactly Beau was brooding over. What the hell his secret was that made him the antichrist.

Warning: This is Book Three of the Rochester trilogy and continues the story from Book Two, there may be spoilers from the previous books. There was so much that could have done, with a good fleshing out, the drama written out properly, so it takes the reader along. Instead, if felt more narrative. I didn’t feel part of the story at all. I hated how Jane didn’t change either. I know Skye, I have read a lot by her, I’m confident in her story telling abilities, I trust her to guide me into dubious situations where dark and light cohabit. So I didn’t esitate to embark on this adventure, besides Jane Eyre has always been one of my favourite classics, what more could I ask for? Yet, this felt like it dragged, after all has been said and done I’m inclined to assert a trilogy wasn’t really needed. It’s just another book where the characters use sex as a weapon (Chapter 7, Chapter 18). They treat sex like having a work out as punishment after having a meal. It’s good for your body but not good for your soul. Having sex, like eating, and working out should be enjoyed. People with BDSM lifestyle enjoy punishment and pain in their sex because they communicate what they want. These people barely talk. Should we, as readers, believe what Jane and Beau are thinking about each other based on their assumption during sex, a moment where people usually lose their minds? This is why sometimes I hate dual POV. It’s a too convenient way, I even dare say, lazy way, for authors to tell their stories. And the drama is so repetitive. They get insecure, then they have sex, they say something dramatic during sex, then they get insecure again, then they have sex again. It’s further proof that something you say during sex is not reliable. Oh my God, in chapter 7, they didn’t even say anything, they only assume what each other are thinking.

Both Beau and Jane struggle with annoyingly low self-esteem (“I’m not good enough for them, they deserve so much better than me! Not being with me is what’s best for them”) and never seem to be listening when they point blank tell the other I WANT YOU AND ONLY YOU (this happens repeatedly. Ad nauseam.) This is my personal preferences showing here, but I hate this trope. Sorry not sorry lol. I loved this final book in Beau and Jane's story. They were as explosive as ever together. Beau's angst was a palpable entity - he was desperate and needy for her, yet intense fear made him send Jane away. When she returned, I felt the sharp keenness of his feelings for her and his desire to keep her close and never let her go. Jane was courageous, loving and patient. I pitied her self-doubt, which made her blind to Beau's feelings and motivations when it came to her. My heart thumped resoundly at the level of Beau's devotion and desire for Jane. He was the epitome of tortured, alpha hero. The whole trilogy was a compelling read, with echoes of the original Jane Eyre adding to the gothic feel of the story. This story had drama, raw sexuality, suspense, and stunning tenderness. A wonderful, absorbing read!