Riley's Secret by Christina Smith

By: Anonymous on Friday, January 04, 2013

Title:  Riley's Secret

Author:  Christina Smith

Series:  A Moon's Glow #1

Published: September 19th 2012
Page Count: 455
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Shelf: Review Copy
Rating:  ★★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Megan Banks feels like an impostor in her own life; she doesn’t belong with her friends or with her parents, who ignore her. After a fire she’s indirectly involved with, she finds herself with two hundred hours of community service. It’s the charity she volunteers at that finally makes her feel like she belongs. These people, with whom she has nothing in common, mean more to her than her rich, selfish friends.

But for some reason her supervisor, Nate Green, doesn’t want her there. He thinks she’s a self-centred rich girl who deserves to be in jail. After she’s threatened by the kids who started the fire, Nate and Megan form a strange friendship, built only for her protection. But the more she feels for him, the more he pushes her away.

As they become closer, Megan knows Nate is attracted to her as well, but she also believes that he is hiding something. But she could never guess what he really is. Before she realises what is happening, she becomes involved in a world she didn't know existed.

In this strange new reality, can she finally find a place where she belongs?


My Review

While I very much enjoyed reading Riley’s Curse, the prequel to this novel, I absolutely loved reading Riley’s Secret. Smith stepped it up a notch in all departments while writing this captivating story. She continues her vivid descriptions and fast paced action in this story. The writing also flows so well that at times you forget that you are reading the words on a page.

I love the character development in this novel. The development of the male protagonist continues from what is found in the prequel, making him a much more rounded and attractive character. The female protagonist is constantly fighting against the expected actions and demeanour for her station in society. You get to watch her learn to care for others and to teach herself basic skills such as cooking. It leads to many heartwarming and comical scenes. Also, even though this story is at its core a romance, I thoroughly enjoy the fact that there are no love triangles. It has been quite a long time since I’ve read a romance without at least the hint of one. The romance is also kept hidden from most other characters, giving it a thrilling, forbidden aspect. The concept of a mate is also taken to the forefront in this story, with a slightly different twist than what is seen in other werewolf stories. By the end I wanted to go and find a werewolf mate of my own.

There is also a moral story as the backdrop to this novel. Both of the main characters need to forgive themselves for certain past actions, albeit for very different things. They have the forgiveness of those around them and of each other, but are unable to forgive themselves. They learn (and we are left thinking about the fact that) the hardest thing to do is to forgive yourself.

I must say that every time that I read one of this author’s works I am more impressed than the last time. I definitely can’t wait to see what Smith writes next!

Buy your copy online here today!