Best Kept Secret (Rochester Trilogy)

Product Information

Best Kept Secret is the intense finale of the Rochester trilogy, which concludes Jane and Beau’s story. 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. 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 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.

The Hero(s): Beau Rochester - He is falling for Jane and regrets sending her away for himself and for his niece Paige. 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!

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! You don't understand how badly I wanted to DNF this one- but a part of me was actually pretty curious about how the series would end- and the disappointment I feel is genuinely worrying 💀. You definitely have to be in a particular mindset to read a romance story that’s heavy on tragedy and heartbreak, and be prepared for it to seep into your own emotions. I easily got affected by Jane’s insecurities, Beau’s indecisiveness, and especially Noah’s battered heart. It hurts to be this hard. Hurts more than I can explain. The hurt rises through my abs to my chest. I'm one long chain of need for Jane Mendoza." This final book in the main Rochester Trilogy wraps up Beau and Jane’s story arc nicely - and leaves the door open for a spin-off or two - but it also left me feeling a little annoyed by certain plot choices. Portions of this review can apply to the entire trilogy, and I’m looking at it through the lens of a Jane Eyre retelling as well as judging it on its own merits as a contemporary romance.

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… Once again, I’m in the minority. I’ve been sitting on this review for a few days now going through a catalogue of emotions over it. You ask if I liked it? sorta, kinda. Did I hate it? no, not exactly. 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! Warning: This is Book Three of the Rochester trilogy and continues the story from Book Two, there may be spoilers from the previous books.Emily's justification was horrible- I'm sorry but you cheated on your bf with his brother, got married to said brother- and still managed to act as if it wasn't your own fault? And then she went ahead and cheated on her husband too. Skye Warren is an absolute wizard with a pen. There are very few authors, that I have read, that continuously take me surprise or vest me in their storylines and Skye is probably one of the best. It is so ridiculously thrilling to get lost in one of her stories. One minute you think you know what’s happening and the next … not even a little and everything has turned upside down and sideways and somehow, she brilliantly brings it all together in a HEA to beat all HEAs. I mean the woman outdoes her own work every single time! We’re here! This is where it ends right where it all began, with Jane and Beau. This journey was long, filled with grief and pain but a glimmer of light finally came up on the horizon, hope wasn’t lost and family love eventually won.

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. 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. 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. 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. 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.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." And I don't think I will ever stop complaining about that child🙃🔪- The number of meltdowns and crying actually gave me a headache. This book literally feels like an end result of the current political climate in the USA and the author just wanted to highlight her perspective in light of it all (the whole anti police agenda). It just felt forced.

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." 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. The bright side was Jane’s development as a character. She’s grown and matured over the course of the trilogy which I liked. Oh and there’s a HEA. A predictable one but a HEA nonetheless. The first half of the overall story was very much inspired by the classic tale, Jane Eyre, but Warren has given the final leg of Jane’s and Beau’s story her own. 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.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. From the beginning, Skye has woven a story that is atmospherically consuming- evoking the gothic tone and tenor of Bronte’s original in a way both nostalgically referential but clever and fresh. The unsettling and complicated and long buried family secrets, dark secrets, a imposing manor-type house precariously isolated on a misty cliff, the subtle moments of terror embused in the suspense, and cast of brooding and perplexing characters has given the Rochester Trilogy the same gothic flair that made Bronte’s work so maddeningly transfixing. And as I’ve said before, Skye Warren’s take on romantic suspense is perfectly poised to deliver on a story that embodies that tone, she’s an author who has excelled at atmospheric, romantic and suspenseful story telling. The story did feel a bit anticlimactic but the sweet epilogue made up for it. Especially considering how serious and brooding Rochester still is regarding everything, especially Jane. It felt special, their kind of love. The Finale for Beau and Jane's story is here! I have been waiting so long for this book, especially after that crazy ending of book 2. That was a cruel cliffhanger 😂🥺