3.5 Stars

This book started in a different place than I was expecting...which is not a bad thing, but it did mean that I went into it not sure what I thought was going to happen, which was a fun surprise.

I liked the characters, and I liked the storyline.  And, I am not really able to say much more about the plot itself without revealing what can only be considered as spoilers, especially in a romantic suspense, where things I thought were obvious will surprise others, and vice versa.

Alec and Reagan were compelling and 3 dimensional.  You see them as people, as parents and as romantically involved, all at the same time, so you really are left with the idea that you have gotten to know them, which is both great and a risk as an author, as when your readers feel they know the characters, there will also be more opportunity to have them act out of character, which was not an issue with this book.

The only issue I had is that I thought the first 25% was a little slow and then it picked up, which made it a little difficult at first to fully engage with the book and the events.  However, once the book got going, it was an excellent and believable ride.

I do recommend this book.

4.5 stars

I have been a fan of this author since I read her first Eternal Guardians story, and I continue to enjoy her new works no matter which series or romantic niche they fall into! Alec was introduced in the first book of this series, and while Repressed is definitely worth reading on its own, you do not have to have read it to enjoy Gone.

For the last 3 years, Alec has been living a nightmare.  His daughter was kidnapped while he was at the playground with her, and the weight of that guilt caused him to spiral into a self destructive depression that nearly cost him everything.  Although his wife Raegan did not blame him and never lost hope that Emma would be found, Alec couldn’t get past his own self-worth issues and self-hatred that he had been struggling with for most of his life, and it eventually led to the loss of his marriage as well.

Raegan still continues to hold out hope to this day that Emma is alive somewhere, so when she receives news of a child about Emma’s age being found wandering in the park where Emma was abducted, she rushes to the hospital only to finally Alec waiting to cushion the blow of disappointment.  Despite their divorce and the time that has passed, her feelings for him are still as strong as ever.  Alec won’t admit it but he feels the same. Her optimism and hope that Emma still lives is the exact opposite of his determination to believe that his acceptance of her death is accurate; in fact, it is a matter of survival for him at this point. Unfortunately he has hit rock bottom once and had his family’s help to pull him back from the edge, but he knows he won’t survive it a second time if he gives in to his feelings to give his relationship with Raegan another try.

Raegan can’t give up hope and she begins to dig into the disappearances again, searching for new abduction reports and any link between them.  The man who raised Alec can’t really be called a father in my opinion after discovering the details of Alec’s childhood in this story, and the despicable excuse for a man is currently in prison but still trying to mess with Alec’s head.  He is only too willing to try to scare Raegan away from her search when he is approached with the job, and Alec knows he has step in to help and protect her.

My heart broke for both Alec and Raegan so many times over the course of this story as their search for the truth ramps up and they have to face old hurts head on if they have any hope of moving forward.  Their feelings for each other were both clear and stronger than ever, but the added weight of the events in Alec’s life since their divorce have them both walking on eggshells. As their search for Emma led them deeper down the rabbit hole, Ms. Naughton provided us with many poignant moments of insight as they met other families who experienced the same heartbreaking fear, loss and devastation but had less resources to try to pursue justice or assistance.  The twists and turns kept coming right up until the last page, and I couldn’t put Gone down for wanting to find out exactly what the heck had happened! I definitely recommend grabbing yourself a copy of this well written and engaging story.

“Gone” is Elisabeth Naughton’s latest novel and it more than delivers a fast-paced storyline about a parent’s worst nightmare.  Alec McClaine and Raegan Deveraux were once happily married with their beautiful daughter Emma until one fateful misstep in a local park and their lives were changed forever.  Alec blamed himself for Emma’s disappearance and pushed Raegan away by telling her that they only married because she had become pregnant with Emma, but he lied.  Raegan never gave hope that her daughter was alive and using her connections as a journalist she begins to find similar cases of child abductions.  Raegan reaches out to Alec and with his help, they investigate the cases while rekindling their love for each other. This novel is intense and will leave the reader guessing until the very end. I was given an advanced copy of this book, and all of the opinions expressed in this review are my own

Elisabeth Naughton's newest book, Gone, in her newest series, Deadly Secrets, is a must read. I've long been a fan of her Eternal Guardian books, but I must begrudgingly concede that this series is every bit as good. 

I love that she has chosen to write about a family unit, the first book featuring Ethan McClane and now Gone featuring brother Alec McClane. Alec is a rough,  tough guy, who battles his inner feelings and must find a way to be rescued himself before he can rescue his own loved ones. 

There are many villains in this book, both major and minor, as there are in real life, which helps to make Gone so gripping. There are also many heroes who do their part along the way, each day, trying to make the world better, or at least more sane. 

As always, Ms Naughton's characters are fully fleshed and well developed which I think is her true talent. Her storyline for Gone will reach into you and gnaw at you. As with book one in the Deadly Secrets series, once I started Gone, I could not put it down and read deep into the night to finish it in one sitting. 

Elisabeth Naughton is one of my favorite authors and Gone one of my favorite books by her. The book stands alone well so you do not have to have read the previous book in the series to enjoy Gone. Please give it a try and you'll be pleased.

Great book a real roller coaster ride.characters  are well developed

3.5 Stay Strong Stars. 

Every parent’s worst nightmare is turning around for a split second and then finding out your child is gone. This is what happened to Alec McClane and since then he struggles every day. After all this time it isn’t much better. He. Lost. Everything. And most of it was his fault no not losing his daughter but everything else that came after that. 

Alec received a call from the FBI that a child has been found, a child that resembles is missing daughter Emma. It isn’t Emma. 

Imagine experiencing that hope of a phone call every time and then it being torn away from you. 
Raegan McClane lost everything that her daughter was missing. All she wanted was for her husband to choose her and not the bottle. Raegan never doubted that Emma was killed. She still firmly believes that Emma is alive. 

Although three years have passed they still have strong feelings for one another. Receiving the call from the FBI she runs to the hospital and finds out that it isn’t Emma. But she sees Alec. The feelings are still the same and in the end she digs deep with other missing kid cases. Alec helps her and patterns start to develop. They see that there was more to everything. The outcome at the end? Cracked me heart open a bit. 

I enjoy Ms. Naughton’s books very much and this worked very well for me even though it is a second chance romance under these conditions of their main characters split and them getting back together is bittersweet. The rollercoaster ride of emotions and for the fact is that being tasteful about writing about missing children isn’t always a feat but in this case it is perfect. 

IMO better than the first one in the series. But different strokes and all that.

GONE (Deadly Secrets, #2) by Elisabeth Naughton
It is a good thing I didn't know a thing about this book when I started reading it. If I knew this was about an abduction of a child, I know I would have skipped this one. I am so glad I read it because it wasn't depressing or bleak. I ended up loving this book. There is so much more to this book than children being abducted. Having two likable parents for main characters really gave this book many dimensions. By adding the narrative of Alec and Raegan as the parents, along with the way they both love each other really helped make for an uplifting story. I will explain how this book stands out from your typical missing child story. The story also incorporates the themes of deep love, understanding, forgiveness and the power of two adults who can turn towards each other to help them deal with their loss.

This book was very enjoyable despite the child abductions because of all of the positive dynamics. Alec, in the beginning of the book is closed off to his emotions because he was the one who turned his back for a second and his daughter Emma disappears. Alec blames himself for many reasons and instead of turning toward his wife for love and support turned to the bottle. Raegan who is Emma's mother is a very positive person who never gives up hope. When Alec realizes that he still really loves Raegan and looks to her for strength and support he realizes that the alcohol just temporarily numbed the pain. Raegan and Alec discover that relying on each other and being able to be there for each other helps them endure their loss. When Alec and Raegan turn towards each other for love and support they begin to search for Emma. 

I really loved Raegan and Alec's ability to grow as individuals and as a couple. Their ability to get back together enriched this story. This story had elements of love, trust, forgiveness and stability. It was very suspenseful and a pulse pounding read. I stayed up all night to read it because I couldn't put it down. I hated to reach the end of the book. It was written very well and I know when I am mesmerized and not saying to myself when is the book going to end, that the book is well worth reading. This was the second book in a series. It can be read as a stand alone. I enjoyed this book so much I am going to read the author's other work. This story was interesting and has many positive messages. 

Thank you to Net Galley, Elisabeth Naughton and Montlake Publishing for providing me with my digital copy for a fair and honest review.

When I began reading this book, I remembered why I quit reading books labeled "Romance."  All the pulling and pushing away seems to go on forever.  Luckily, Ms. Naughton knew when to quit and got on with the story.  It turned out to be an interesting book about a couple's relationship after their child went missing and about their attempt to find out what happened to their daughter.  I felt like the characters were well developed and the plot was good.  It held my interest after the "iffy" beginning and was well-written.  I would recommend this to anybody who enjoys suspense novels.

Gone is a story about Alec and Reagan.  Their daughter was abducted 3 years ago when she was 1 years old while Alec was watching her.  The story follows how Alec and Reagan are 3 years after the abduction and how they rekindle their relationship in the hopes and search for their daughter, Emma.  
I had a hard time getting totally into this story.  Maybe it was because of the subject of child abduction, child trafficking or possible child murder that gave me such a hard time getting into it.  I did like how the main characters, Alec and Reagan interacted and did get into quite a few parts of the story.  
Unfortunately the story just wasn't for me.  I usually love everything that Elisabeth Naughton writes and hate to not write a great review but I can't.  I give it an overall score of 3 stars.  The writing was still good although I did not care for the subject matter.

Wow, what a roller coaster of mystery and suspense! The story is one that could have been taken out of today's headlines. The characters are very relatable and believable. The book is hard to put down, with wanting to know the outcome. Highly recommended!

GONE, the 2nd book in Deadly Secret Series., by Elizabeth Naughton.
Story jumps in with Alex and Reagan, at the hospital, a girl has been found. But it isn't Emma, their girl that was kidnapped 3 1/2 years ago. 
Alex believes that John Gilbert  is involved in it. Yet, Reagan, has discovered the link to something even more sinister. The kidnapping tore them apart. Feelings and hope still connect them. An emotionally book , of dealing when your child is abducted. Good reading and another winner for Elizabeth Naughton. Given ARC by Net Galley for my voluntary review and my honest opinion I have given.

With a second book in this powerful series of uncovered secrets, Elisabeth Naughton brings us the heartbreaking story of a kidnapped child and the fallout for the parents afterward.  It's sad, it's powerful and it's intense.  Great characters and story line!

Alec McClane and Raegan Devereaux were living the happy family life until tragedy took it all away from them over 3 years ago.  Their one year old daughter went missing from the park, never to be found and Alec's guilt ate him alive and made him end their marriage, abandoning Raegan just when she needed him most.

More than three long years have passed, and they've existed separately, with each still secretly yearning for the other.  When the FBI calls each of them notifying them a 4 year old matching their daughters description has been found, they each rush to the scene, only to be heartbroken again when they discover it's not her.

Forced to have contact again after all of these years makes a lot of feelings rise to the surface again.  When Raegan stops to look at the details of the little girl that was found, she sees some eerie similarities to other missing children cases.  Alec agrees to help her look into it to try to get some closure, but he's still sure that his evil biological father was behind Emma disappearing, and is sure he killed her just to spite him.  Will they find the answers they are searching for?