Her Other Secret starts off with a mystery and, to be honest, I was confused at first! We meet our heroine, Tessa, as she has called for the island handyman, Hansen. I was confused because she called a handyman to look at a boat that had been sitting in the water, unmoving, with no signs of life. Why would you call a handyman?
Regardless, I kept reading and discovered Tessa is so quirky! She insists that the man that walked out of the water was a merman and, despite Hansen begging her to stop, she continues to call him that. Whitaker Island was a bit of a refuge for Tessa, so she is a bit unnerved by this mystery man. Hansen is also harboring some secrets too. These two have chemistry for sure, but since they are both hiding things, they don't really act on it. Hansen, especially, feels that he simply cannot get a woman involved in his mess of a life.
Ok, so Hansen's secrets are literally turning up dead on the island and it all makes him look hella guilty. He tells the story of what happened to his sister, and I was like "I have heard this somewhere...". Y'all I watch a LOT of true crime stuff. A LOT. And when he tells the story of a husband who says his wife fell trying to take a picture while hiking, I was sure I had heard it somewhere. And I had! You can read the news article about Herald Henthorn and his wife Teri. So, anyway, knowing how that real life story played out, I was wondering if this fictional version would go in a similar way. Obviously Hansen things his sister's husband was responsible but why is he now across the country on the same tiny island?
The story is a bit of a whodunit mixed with small town drama. These people have nothing else to do but gossip and spy on each other! While the plot seems focused on Hansen and HIS secret, the story is called Her Other Secret for a reason. While I didn't find the characters to be the most engaging as a reader, the plot is interesting and if you enjoy mysteries with a hate to love you romance vibe, Her Other Secret is a solid pick for a weekend read!
- POV: 3rd
- Tears: no
- Trope: on the run, secret identity
- Triggers: none
- Series/Standalone: stand alone
- Cliffhanger: no
- HEA: yes
Stone Cold Heart by Laura Griffin, Hidden by Rebecca Zanetti, Ghost by Janie Crouch...then you will probably like Her Other Secret!
COYER: Read a book with water/ocean on the cover (3 points)See full review on The Book Disciple