Event Recap: S.E.C.R.E.T Shared Lunch

I was so excited to be invited to the Random House of Canada lunch to celebrate L. Marie Adeline's new novel S.E.C.R.E.T. Shared (it was released on the 15th and my review is here). I liked S.E.C.R.E.T. and was looking forward to the second book so of course I wanted to attend the event! I got an early copy and read the book the weekend before the event. I ended up really liking it so I was doubly glad I had decided to go to this event!

The table set up with swag bags * Lunch menu * Tasty dessert

It was a small group but that made the lunch so much better. We were able to chat with everyone with ease. Along with the author, Lisa Gabriele, there was the crew from Random House (Cass and Lindsey from the Online Marketing department, publicist Adria, and editor Nita) and eight bloggers (including myself). It was so great to be surrounded by intelligent and entertaining women. We had quite the conversation that ranged from the books we were reading (of course) to Miley Cyrus (who else?) to social media (we're all a little addicted).

If you follow Lisa/L. Marie Adeline on social media, you have probably seen that there was a woman selling her own S.E.C.R.E.T. inspired bracelets on Etsy (this is her shop link as she's sold out of the bracelets). Lisa passed hers around and also had one to give away! Wanda was the lucky winner. Isn't the bracelet pretty?

We had some delicious food to go along with the excellent conversation. They wanted to give us something New Orleans inspired so we had jumbalaya, following soup or salad and followed by an incredibly tasty cake (see the pic above!). 

I'm so glad I made the trip into the city (for the second time in one week! Madness!) because the lunch was so much fun. It was great to see the ladies from Random House again and to see and meet fellow bloggers. And, of course, it was amazing to be able to meet and chat with author Lisa Gabriele. She's awesome! 

Have you read S.E.C.R.E.T. or S.E.C.R.E.T. Shared yet? If you haven't and want a new erotica series to read, check them out! I cannot wait for the third book!

Review: S.E.C.R.E.T. Shared

I've been waiting to get my hands on a copy of S.E.C.R.E.T. Shared by L. Marie Adeline (aka Lisa Gabriele) ever since I read the last page of the first book in the series, S.E.C.R.E.T. Adeline left us with a hell of a cliffhanger - one that a lot of readers hated. I enjoyed the first book (you can read my review here) but I liked this second book so much more.

Here's the synopsis:

Still wounded from a recent heartbreak, Cassie Robichaud throws herself into service with S.E.C.R.E.T., the mysterious organization that changed her life last year by bringing her deepest sexual fantasies to life, one step at a time. Now, it’s Cassie’s turn to guide the group’s newest candidate, Dauphine Mason, recruiting men to execute a new set of fantasies. While it gets Cassie’s mind off Will, the man she truly loves, it also gives her the chance to help watch S.E.C.R.E.T. work its magic on someone new.
At thirty-one, Dauphine is the proprietor of a New Orleans vintage clothing store—the kind of buttoned-up career woman who has no idea how attractive she really is. In order to reignite her sexual flame and reawaken her dormant heart, she must leave behind her bitter past.
As both Cassie and Dauphine navigate the rocky path between their hearts and their passions, they discover what they truly want in life and in love. SECRET Shared is a liberating, passionate and sexually charged sequel to one of the hottest new series in erotica.

I liked how Adeline wrote this book (apart from the prologue...I didn't like that. Then again, I'm not a fan of prologues in general). The chapters alternated perspectives - one chapter was Cassie, the next, Dauphine - and that worked for a few reasons. It allowed us a fresh perspective into the world of S.E.C.R.E.T. What does Dauphine think of these women and what kind of fantasies will she have? I think the two perspectives allowed us to see how far Cassie had come since the start of the her S.E.C.R.E.T. journey by comparing her to Dauphine and how she was doing. It also kept things a little more exciting because there was just plain more going on. Having two stories happening at the same time allowed us a wider view into S.E.C.R.E.T. Which leads me to my next point...

Seeing more of the inner workings of the organization was great and I think that added layer is part of what helped me enjoy this book more. We got to read about how the S.E.C.R.E.T. men are recruited and trained (and hoo boy, that training session was HOT) as well as how the organization is funded and legally run. 

I liked Cassie so much more in this book. Seeing her (continuing) growth was great and she was a really fun and interesting character to read about. She's still a little timid but she's much more alive than she was when we first met her. Dauphine was also a lot of fun. I loved that she owned a vintage clothing store and how her S.E.C.R.E.T. journey also helped her professionally. 

I loved reading SECRET Shared. L. Marie Adeline has once again succeeded in writing an intriguing story with erotic elements woven in. There's another doozy cliffhanger (why, Lisa, whyyyyy???) so I'm once again anxiously awaiting the next instalment in the series - SECRET Revealed - which is supposed to be released next year. If you're looking for a new erotic series to read - check this one out!

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Random House of Canada, in exchange for an honest review.*