A second chance romance amid a heinous conspiracy…

This is the second book in the Deadly Secrets series which can be read as a stand-alone.

Everyone deals with traumatic events differently, sometimes it brings people closer in their shared pain but sometimes it tears relationships apart. For Alec and Raegan McClane the latter came true after their one year old daughter was abducted on Alec’s watch. Their child was never found and the presumption is that she’s dead. Overwhelmed by guilt Alec withdrew into himself and Raegan who needed to lean on the husband who was lost within his own misery suffered alone. Marriage is a partnership and theirs no longer functioned so it ended though not from lack of love of the partners but from the devastating pain of a loss that is a parent’s nightmare. One believes their child is dead the other holds on to hope.

This story opens up three years later; when a four year old female child is found similar to their lost daughter both Alec and Raegan are called in separately by the FBI to try and identify her. Anguish hits them again when it’s not their daughter but something does come out of the encounter, they still have strong feelings for each other and a deep need to reconnect. Raegan, a journalist is re-energized to look into missing children cases and asks Alec who’s a photographer by profession with a good eye for things to assist her, something he can’t say no to for he’s never made amends with her.

Finding similar patterns in some of the cases, connections worth looking into, their investigation begins. Though Raegan has held a steadfast belief in the possibility someday their daughter might come home she wants to do this because other parents are missing children, helping bring even one home would be a balm to her soul. Alec still believes his convicted father was responsible for their child’s abduction and death and worries that Raegan is letting herself in for more heartbreak but her unwavering conviction and the questions that arise as they delve into things make him wonder.

There are deadly secrets being kept that extend back years, a heinous conspiracy to be uncovered threatens the very lives of this couple. The closer they come to the truth the more dangerous the path becomes for people would kill to keep the truth hidden but there’s a strange thing about secrets, they always seek the light of day and this one will shock many. Working together reignites the passion that existed whenever Alex and Raegan were together that has lain dormant, no one else could take the other’s place. Will they get it right this time? Will they support each other when faced with overwhelming emotional pain again? Will answers, be they good or bad, bring them closure?

Wow, this book had an intense storyline with such intricate layers, it provided what I felt was a relatable look at the psychological and emotional responses to crushing loss and the depth of love under all the pain, never forgotten, just waiting for a second chance. Within these pages I found love, loss, betrayal, revenge, fear, acceptance, redemption and finally hope. This was a darker read due to the subject matter that felt realistically portrayed, this reader felt compassion for the characters and became invested in their outcome. The intrigue and suspense of the search for the horrendous truth of a mystery that spanned years kept this reader guessing until the very end. Nicely done!

An advanced reading copy was obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.

4.5 stars

What an emotional rollercoaster.. Best book I've read thus far.

Amazing and you won't regret reading it, I couldn't put it down.

This book is about a little girl's parents whos daughter gets kidnapped while being with her father at a park. Other children have been kidnapped from the same park and Emma's parents try to figure out who kidnapped the other kids and find love again along the way. It's a fun read and youll be trying to figure out how these kids could just disappear... Highly recommend!!

Gone: Deadly Secrets Book #2 Review – 4.0 Stars – captivating and intriguing until the very end!

Elizabeth Naughton’s, Gone: Deadly Secrets Book #2 is the second novel in her Deadly Secrets series from this amazing author.  For those familiar with her other series, the Eternal Guardians and the Aegis Series (which are personal favourites of mine), this a departure from those genres, and just like the first novel in the series (Repressed) every bit captivating and intriguing until the very end.     

Three years ago, Alec and Raegan endured every parent’s worst nightmare when their one-year-old daughter was abducted from a park while in Alec’s care.  This devastation and Alec’s guilt of not finding their daughter ends the couple’s marriage.  Fast forward three years and a four-year-old girl matching their daughter’s description is found wondering a local park.  Regrettably, this little girl is not their lost daughter, but this sparks unresolved circumstances and feelings between Alec and Raegan as they attempt to uncover the truth of their daughter’s disappearance and rekindle the spark that they once had.

I found this to be a more dark and edgy mystery/suspense/thriller even compared to her first novel in this series and understandably so with the storyline involved.    The storyline was gripping, thought-provoking and at times heartbreaking and yet hopeful.  As usual the characters are fully developed and complex making the reader ponder ‘what would I do in that situation’ which is every parents nightmare and recovering from such devastation.   The relationship between Alec and Raegan is dynamic, gripping and intense.   I also enjoyed the way Elisabeth weaves the secondary characters into the story line that help accentuate the plot.

This is a fabulous continuation to this series and can be read as a stand alone, but I would recommend reading the first installment from this author.  Due to the subject matter, it is not always an easy read, but one that is well worth diving into.  It does not disappoint!

Note: I would like to note that I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  This does not, in any way, affect my opinion of the book.

This is a heart wrenching story of a mother's hope and a father's guilt that breaks up their marriage after their baby daughter is abducted from a local park.   When police find a four year old dark haired child in the same spot, it brings Alec and Regan back together even as DNA results prove her to be someone else's missing child.  Get ready for an adrenaline pumping heart wrenching race against time as Regan and Alec come together to uncover the truth behind their daughter's disappearance. 
Alec has overcome all the odds of his childhood to find a foster home and siblings who mean the world to him. Unfortunately when his daughter is abducted from the park under his watch he drowns his guilt in the bottom of a bottle and loses every thing he holds dear.  Now three years later fate gives him a second chance to rebuild and regain all that he has lost.  Is he smart enough to hold on this time around?
Even though four years have passed after the fateful events that changed her life forever, Regan has never given up hope of finding her daughter alive and well and bring her home. When the false alarm brings her back into contact with the husband the chemistry that she's tried so hard to bury raises its head and soon finds her in more than a platonic relationship with a husband she never stopped loving.   
Alec and Regan pool their formidable skills together to begin investigating the events that took their daughter to gain closure and move on with their life.  The rising body count and attempts to hurt or injure Regan are a strong testimonial that some one does not want them to discover the truth.  The unfolding story will keep readers riveted as a murderer attempts to stay one step ahead of them by eliminating each link who might be able to provide them with answers on their path.

For reasons that aren’t fully clear to me, the second-chance/reunion romance trope is a really tough sell for me, so I approached Elisabeth Naughton’s GONE--the second book in her new Deadly Secrets romantic suspense series--with a fair bit of caution despite having thoroughly enjoyed the first instalment, REPRESSED. But all my knee-jerk apprehension was for naught, since in GONE Ms. Naughton delivers a perfectly believable and heartwarming reunion story between two flawed, three-dimensional, realistic ex-lovers who never stopped genuinely loving each other. The suspense subplot-- an ex-couple’s ongoing search for their long-lost infant daughter that leads them to uncover a much more sinister situation-- is executed with top-notch skill Ms. Naughton has honed through many romantic suspense & adventure novels and keeps the reader moving through the story at a rapid pace. However, GONE’s crowning jewel is the raw realism, emotional appeal, and growth of its protagonists-- self-destructive photojournalist Alec McClane and television journalist Raegan Deveraux-- whose crumbling relationship after their daughter’s abduction forms the story’s emotional lynchpin. Ms. Naughton does such a great job with these characters and their motivations that, even at their most unlikeable and despicable (particularly in Alec’s case), they’re so raw and believable that you see where they’re coming from and feel their pain -- and root for their well-deserved HEA.

Though GONE is technically the second book in a loosely-connected series, it can be read as a standalone (the first book’s protagonists make brief cameos, and their story has no actual bearing on this one). It’s a heartbreaking and heartwarming story of love, loss, and recovery wrapped in a well-written package of intrigue that will leave you wondering how humanity is capable of certain things. Looking forward to Ms. Naughton’s next RS book!

** ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

4 Wine Glass #Review for Gone by Elisabeth Naughton

Crystal's Thoughts:
Three years ago Alec McClane's one-year-old daughter was abducted from their local park and never seen again. Drowning in guilt and despair, Alec turns to the one thing that has gotten him through most of the nightmares of his life...alcohol. In doing so though, he closes out those that love him the most, including his wife Raegan. When a four-year-old girl is found in a park much like the one Emma disappeared in, Alec is forced to confront his demons head-on if he wants to help keep this tragedy from happening to any other parent, and if he ever hopes to reconcile with the love of his life. What Alec and Raegan uncover is bigger then anything they could have imagined though, and threatens not only their new-found love, but their very lives...

Fans of Cynthia Eden are sure to find themselves captivated with Naughton's newest romantic suspense offering! Fast-paced and thrilling, Gone is a second chance romance with a dark underside of loss and addiction.  With a dynamic dialogue and engaging characters you'll find yourself transported to the front lines of a desperate search for answers and acceptance. Alec and Raegan never stopped loving each other, despite their separation and divorce, and their passion is palpable. With the tragedy of more children being taken, and a possible pattern, it gives Alec and Raegan an opportunity to finally acknowledge where they went wrong in their relationship, admit their faults, and explore the devotion that they still share for one another. 

The story of child abduction was heartbreaking, maybe even more so as a parent myself. I couldn't help but emphathize with Alec and Raegan. I would literally be destroyed if one of my children were to disappear without a clue. These two characters are stronger then I, to keep going as they did and eventually find their way back to each other. The plot moved at a steady pace with plenty of twists to keep me guessing and several bad guys to dislike! 

Readers can jump right into Gone, without reading Repressed prior. There is only a familial connection between characters, though those characters do play supportive roles in this story. However, both stories are wonderful so I suggest reading them together! Repressed is currently just 99 cents on Amazon. The bottom-line is; Gone, is a must-read for mystery and suspense readers who can appreciate a good dose of romance woven into the story. Pick up your copy today!

4.5 stars--GONE is the second installment in Elisabeth Naughton’s DEADLY SECRETS romantic suspense series. This is divorced couple Alec and Raegan McClane’s story line. GONE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. Dr. Ethan McClane and his fiancé Samantha (Repressed #1) play secondary and supporting roles.

Told from several third person perspectives including  Alec and Raegan McClane GONE focuses on the search for the truth. Raegan has never given up hope that their now four year old daughter Emma is alive. Three years earlier Alex and Raegan’s then one year old daughter was abducted and in the ensuing time our couple’s marriage and relationship was destroyed. Fast forward to present day wherein Alec’s biological father begins to play a deviously, sick mind game with our story line couple that pushes Alec and Raegan to reopen the investigation into their missing daughter, and the whereabouts of several other missing children. What ensues is the hunt for Alec’s father, and the discovery that their daughter was targeted from the very start.

GONE is a heartbreaking, emotional and profound story line about loss, betrayal, revenge, and fear. A parent’s worst nightmare and the ensuing guilt that leads to the destruction of their marriage; two broken people who have never stopped loving one another; who will rekindle their relationship as the truth is finally revealed. 

Elisabeth Naughton writes from the heart; a tangible,  suspense filled, and intense story of loss and hope. The premise is complex and exciting; the characters struggle to live in the moment; the romance is a second chance love story. GONE is a romantic tale of betrayal, intrigue and suspense; of recovery and a happily ever after.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

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B&N: posted

As a young boy Alec’s life was rough.   Mother that abandoned him, father using him to deliver drugs.  When his father was incarcerated, he finally got a break when he met the McClane family.  A husband and wife that took in and cared for troubled youth and gave them a proper family upbringing.

Later in life Alec marries a beautiful girl named Raegan and they have a beautiful little girl named Emma.  When Emma is just over a year old tragedy strikes.  While playing in a park with her dad she is kidnapped.  Alec was sure that his father was responsible for the abduction and convinced that he killed her.  Raegan was sure she was still alive.

Alec had used alcohol in the past to block out bad memories.  In a downward spiral Alec hit rock bottom, divorcing Raegan, drinking to hide the pain and cutting his family out of his life.  Emma had been missing for 3 years when there was a discovery of a little girl, however it was not Emma.  Raegan being a journalist had been keeping tabs on other missing children in the area trying to see if there were any ties to Emma’s disappearance.  

With Alec’s help they find many clues that tie many of the abductions together.  This leads to answers to many question for many parents.

This book grabbed me and pulled me in right from the beginning, I was consumed by it and had to know what was going to happen. It was truly that one more chapter before bed leads to hours, kind of read.

*** Advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review. ***

I really had problems rating this book. Maybe it was me, but it felt nothing like reading a thriller. Not the first 10 chapter into the story. The focus was more on the relationship between Reagan and Alec. And it was page upon page about, how they still love each other and that they still wanted each other. Too much drama about them and too little information and progress on Emma. I wanted to know more about Emma and what had happened the day she got taken. At this point I wanted to give 2 stars, it was an okay read. Then things started to change and the last 6 chapter were so well written, that it was hard to stop reading. Finally, there was the suspense I'd waited for. And in the end everything fell into place. Happy end. Believable? Well....maybe not. But still, I liked the ending. And after finishing the whole book I think, 4 stars are an fair rating and if I would have thought about it more of a romance book instead of thriller, it would have got a higher rating.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley and Montlake Romance!

4.5 stars 
Gone is the second book in Elisabeth Naughtons Deadly Secrets series.  Children are going missing and when one of them was your own it can cause devastation. Alec McClane and his wife Raegan couldn't recover from the loss of their missing child. He turned to alcohol and she held onto hope. After the divorce they still carried deep feelings. 

As a parent myself this book twanged my heart strings. The families of the other missing children did as well. This was a page turner with a steady pace. The author really painted a clear picture without cutting corners. I want more of Alec and Raegs even at the conclusion of the book. 

I received a copy from NetGalley for an unbiased review.

Gone by Elisabeth Naughton.....Oh my, this is a Gripping, page turning story that pulls on your heartstrings. Three years ago Alec and Raegan's daughters is kidnapped and their marriage can't take the heartache. This story is a romance suspense thriller that hits all the emotion buttons. Elisabeth Naughton is one of my favorite authors, she know how to connect the readers to the story. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Elisabeth Naughton books are always on my “must read” list because each one just gets better.  This is the second book in her Deadly Secrets series but can be read as a stand-alone. It had a complex, emotional storyline, intriguing, somewhat damaged but likable characters, intense situations, and surprise plot twists, which made for another great read from beginning to end. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Alec and Raegan are living a parent's worst nightmare. When their toddler is taken from a playground on Alec's watch the sheer guilt and grief send them spinning out of orbit. Unable to overcome what he feels are his shortcomings, Alec pushes everyone as far away from him as he can. He's sure his father is the one responsible for what happened to his daughter and he can't afford for his vengeance to touch any of the people he loves.

But when a four year old girl resembling his Emma is found, hopes rise once more. And this time Raegan is determined not to allow him to push her away. As she digs deeper into the bevy of child kidnappings a distinct pattern appears. The only case that doesn't match is Emma's. Alec and Raegan are the only ones who understand what the loss of these children means to their parents. But the ones behind the missing children are ruthless and have power that far reaching. And they both must be prepared to risk everything to uncover the truth.

Gripping, emotional read! 

Elisabeth Naughton had me hooked from the first chapter. I enjoy books that grip you from the start and are not long winded. The twists, the emotions that you feel, the urge to read more... Gone has it all. The story has a true feel to it as children do get kidnapped and it was an emotional journey through the eyes of 2 parents. 

Definitely worth a read and I will buy this when published!

I would like to thank Elisabeth Naughton, Montlake Romance and Netgalley for giving me an advance copy for my honest review.
Review By Stephanie
Alec and Raegan's 3 year old daughter was abducted from a park when Alec looks away for a meer second. Their reality is every parents nightmare. I must admit I was totally on the fence about requesting this book since the topic is horrific to parents. But I love the author so I requested it.

Their daughter Emma was presumed dead since she was never located. This forced so much guilt and pain on Alec and ultimately ending the marriage. 
Then a 4 year old little girl matching Emma was found in their park but sadly it was not Emma. Another blow to these heartbroken parents. This sparks their need for closure so their start investigating the disappearance again. 
The hurt unravels some nasty stuff and has Alec looking in his biological father's direction. 

What a thriller this book was, I was glued to my kindle until the last detail was revealed!

This is my only my second book from this author (Wait for Me being the first) and I had forgotten just how wonderful a writer Elisabeth Naughton is. She takes her time in telling the heartbreaking story of Raegan and Alec and how their love and their life fell apart one sunny day at a park.  When their sweet daughter Emma was stolen from them and how their hearts went missing right along with her. Told in the 3rd person, we get both sides of the story. How their world was suddenly destroyed and how despite everything since, they still are drawn to one another.

But this is so much more than just a slow burning second chance romance. Raegan and Alec find themselves deep in the mystery of other missing children and with the sinister John Gilbert (Alec's presumed birth father) smack dab in the middle of these crimes, it seems the drive to find Emma all these years later becomes even more urgent. The author does a great job combining a love story with unsolved mysteries and it makes the book that much more intriguing.

There is great passion between Alec and Raegan and watching their hard-won reunion was beautiful! I loved that it didn't happen quickly and the author allowed their passion to simmer just below the surface. There are also some wonderful secondary characters, whether loving or diabolical, and they all add just the right touch.

It's a good read for a Sunday afternoon and I'm hopeful we get more from this series.

A solid 4 stars!

Gone is a romantic suspense second chance romance that has a really heartbreaking premise.  Three years ago Alec and Reagan's one year old daughter disappeared from the park.  It was just for a few seconds that Alec lost sight of her and since then she has never been found.  He spiraled into alcohol and depression while Reagan felt helpless in trying to reach out to him at the same time holding out hope that they can find their daughter again.  Three years later, a four year old child in the same park where their daughter disappeared is found.  After all these years both Alec and Reagan face each other again and this time they both try to solve the mystery of disappearing children while they work through their own relationship.

Gone features characters that are definitely broken in different ways. Alec feels like a failure, while Reagan can never really move on.  The plot is well executed, the tone and pacing excellent,  the ending satisfying, the characters are memorable and they feel very much three dimensional.  The chemistry between them just sizzles not just physically but very much emotionally.  You know they belong together and even the tragedy that they have experienced can never really keep them apart.  Gone is the second book in a series but it can definitely stand alone.  It also makes me as a reader want to pick up the previous and the next books as well.

A copy of this novel was provided through NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.
 
Returning to Elisabeth Naughton's Deadly Secrets series, Gone is perhaps the first of Naughton's work that I actually couldn't put down and felt intrigued by. I enjoyed it far more than anything I've read by her thus far. Unlike Repressed, there was this pull in the writing that keeps readers on the edge of their seat in the ever-present mystery. This isn't typically my cup of tea; the way the story unfolded, but I found it much easier to get into than the previous release in the series. I still had my problems with it--which is why the rating stands at only 3 stars--but I appreciate it and thought it was a very solid release.

You do not need to read Repressed to fall in with this story--it's virtually unconnected to it and can be seen as a novel outside of a series. 

First of all, oh man, there's just something about Gone that will pull on your heartstrings and will resonate with something in you.

There's this underlying sense of tragedy right from the start; sometimes these wounds never close and will open up again at even the briefest of mentions. It goes without saying that it is impossible to describe the feeling of a pain that radiates from a parent who's lost a child--sadly, cruelly, three years ago, the main characters in Gone lost their one year old daughter.


Somethings you never fully recover from and in this instance, it's quite easy to sympathize with Alec and Reagan, who are now divorced. There's that huge sense of loss that weighs down both of them, and a guilt that cannot be easily rationalized. This makes them very deeply human and fascinating. A lot of novels that deal with the loss of a child--the mystery, the fall out--can't seem to get the emotional aspects down path but Elisabeth Naughton does so with beauty and grace. I found it easy to get invested in these two and that's not an easy task given the topic at hand.


Overall, Gone is passionate and poignant; heartbreaking and dark, it has a little bit of every genre in each chapter and will keep readers questioning what had actually happened. Complex relationships, betrayal and a chilling tone set this novel apart for me and while I am in no hurry to read it again, it's definitely a novel worth a second glance from lovers of the genre.

Gone
Deadly Secrets, Book 2

by Elisabeth Naughton

Description
Three years ago, Alec McClane and Raegan Devereaux lived every parent’s worst nightmare: their one-year-old daughter, Emma, was abducted from a park when Alec turned his back for just a moment. Emma was never found, and presumed dead. The crushing trauma, plus Alec’s unbearable guilt, ended the couple’s marriage.

Now a four-year-old girl matching Emma’s profile is found wandering a local park. Alec and Raegan are heartbroken to discover she’s not their daughter but are newly motivated to find closure…and each secretly feels desperate to be in the other’s presence again.

Alec suspects his vengeful biological father is behind Emma’s disappearance. But as Raegan investigates other abductions in the area, she sees a pattern—and begins to wonder if Emma’s kidnapping is actually linked to something more sinister.

As Alec and Raegan race to uncover the truth, a long-burning spark rekindles into smoldering passion, and they realize they need each other now more than ever.

A few thoughts about this book going into it was that I wasn't going to like it. I just had that vibe that it was going to be like Adam Walsh all over again with some romance thrown in and I'd hate it but I was surprised.  I loved it. It was fast paced and the characters had depth. You hurt for them and you felt what they were feeling. It's a hard task to take on something about child abduction and how it tears a family apart but I felt like the author did an awesome job tapping into the family dynamics of it. It doesn't just affect the parents but everyone involved. 

The sexual content had some heat to it but it wasn't so intense that you needed keep flipping pages cause it was excessive and unnecessary.  It was enough without being over the top. You have a very flawed hero who knows he's got his flaws and owns up to it - which to me, I found way sexier than the alpha male persona that is so over done nowadays. The heroine is strong but she isn't afraid to show that she wants a second chance...I just like the fact that it wasn't angst with these two. Yes, there was sorrow but there wasn't the angst that you see so much in books today that just make you want to throw your kindle at the wall and scream "why are you doing this to me?" So, yes this was a book that was finished in 5 hours because I wouldn't allow my family to bother me and when they did, I just ignored them. Is it worth the time and money? Yes, it is. It's worth spending an evening with some cocoa and kicking back on the chaise lounge and blocking out the rest of the world.

I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions.

An edgy, chilling, romantic suspense that is a must read! I enjoyed the first book of the Deadly Secrets series, but this one is so much more. It had the perfect blend of intrigue, suspense, mystery, passion, and romance, which created a fantastic story. I was pulled in right from the start, and it kept me on the edge of my seat till the very end. This is a book that you won't want to miss! 

Alec and Reagan have been through an unimaginable hell, a parents worst nightmare, since their child was kidnapped 3 years ago. They each choose to believe different outcomes, because it was the only way they could survive and stay somewhat sane. Because of this, and other things, they ended up in divorce shortly after the kidnapping, but neither of them are happy, nor have they stopped loving one another. 

When they see one another for the first time in a while, they can't seem to forget about the other. Reagan has been looking into other child abductions, hoping that it will lead her to their daughter, but what she finds is a whole lot more. Finally getting Alec to agree to help, they start investigating, and are shocked at what they uncover. However, others are determined to make them stop their investigation, no matter the cost. 

What will they discover, and will it lead them to the truth about what happened to their daughter? Did Alec's real father have something to do with her abduction, like Alec has always believed? Will Alec be able to keep them both safe while they look for answers of what happened to those children? And will Alec and Reagan get their hearts broken again, or will they finally get the HEA they both deserve? You'll have to read it to find out! 

I strongly recommend this book, series, and great author. 

I received an arc from the publisher via NetGalley. I voluntarily reviewed this book.