Dirty Little Secrets is book two of this series and turned out to be just as sexy and intrigueing as the first book. Just when you think you know what's going to happen Ms. Nuest throws you a curve so the pages fly by. Great story.

Xander and Charlie are on separate missions that could come back to haunt them. They have known each other for a long time and Xander has loved her from the beginning. Coming together after Malcolm’s death is a perfect time to reveal your feelings for each other, but it may come at a cost. Someone is after Charlie due to her latest heist and someone wants revenge against Xander. Could they be connected? Can they help each other? Will love prevail? As they race against time to find out who is after them, their connection grows stronger and it’s beautiful to watch.

AJ Nuest can weave a story that hooks you from the first page. She has a way of bringing each character to life in a way you feel like you know them. You root for Xander and Charlie to not only bring down the bad guys, but to realize their feelings for each other. This is an awesome story that is beautifully told. I always look forward to hearing AJ has a new book coming out. This is the second book of the series and so far it’s my favorite one. There is a third book to this series, and if it’s half as good as this one, my day will be made!

This is a steamy love story with danger lurking around the corner. The chemistry between Xander and Charlie is strong and happens fast. These two will do anything for each other. I really enjoyed reading this story and did not want to put it down. This is the second in a series but the books stand alone although characters come and go from the other book. I look forward to the next installment.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.

3 1/2 stars

This was a very enjoyable edge-of-your-seat thrill-fest with engaging characters and a riveting plot!

The central couple knew one another as adolescents but haven't seen one another in a decade. Their reunion is sparked by the aftermath of events that occurred in the previous book in this series, Dirty Deeds (these events are smoothly and concisely explained so you don't have to have read it).

I liked an awful lot about this story. In all honesty the only thing stopping me from giving it 4 stars is the rather heavy handed way that Nuest constantly has Xavier referring to himself in computer language. This seemed forced and annoyed me quite a bit in the beginning. But as the story progresses either I became desensitised to it or it happened less frequently because I didn't notice it nearly as often.

I look forward to reading the next in the series.

*ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review *

Xander and Charlie, a computer hacker and secrets all come together in this second of the series to keep the reader engrossed in this tale. Page turner to the end to see how the tale unfolds.
Ebook from netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

Dirty Little Secrets by AJ Nuest
Likely Story #2

Xander is a hunky nerd and his business is to get revenge and makes things right for those who have been harmed. He has been trained by the best and has a small group he is close to although he doesn’t see them often. The book begins with him doing what he does best before hightailing it off the premises before having to deal with authorities. Shortly thereafter he is contacted by one of his friends about the death of their mentor, given a funeral time and told to notify Charlie – a woman he has not seen for a decade but has always cared for. There is a relationship to cement, bad guys to deal with, a funeral, meeting up with old friends and more in this thrilling suspense-filled romance that ends with HEA. I liked all of the characters, kept reading without stop and now want to know about Adder – who did not appear in this story – and wonder how he is doing. I also want to hear more about Trey and hope to hear more about him in book three.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books-Lyrical Underground for the ARC. This is my honest review.

4.5 Stars

I hadn't read a book by this author until I read Dirty Deeds, book 1 & a must read, but I really enjoyed that story so jumped at the chance to read this book.

It certainly didn't disappoint! I love a romance story with a healthy dose of suspense thrown in & that's exactly what you get with this book. I loved that the female lead wasn't your typical skinny minny & the chemistry between the characters just poured off the page. So glad I found this series, can't wait for more

this is the second book in the a likely story series, but having not read the first one i can assure you that it stands alone. however, there are events that happen in this book that are influenced by things that happen in the first book, and some things in dirty little secrets might be a spoiler for the first book if you haven't read it at all. so if that bothers you, read them in order.

xander dade has been in love with charlie mcgovern since he was a skinny tech-savant kid out on the streets. they were a team. she took care of him, protected him, comforted him. but when she was forced to leave their benefactor's care he felt incredibly guilty and stayed away because he was so sure he'd done her wrong.

charlie was always a master thief. so when she steals a chemical formula from an evil pharmaceutical mastermind that the government is watching things go south pretty quickly. when xander shows up on her doorstep out of the blue, ten years after she last saw him, she's thrilled, but also she wants to keep him out of her problems.

she's also kind of overwhelmed because the awkward teenager she remembers is a hunk of a man. and she's a fat blonde to most people. xander thinks she is gorgeous. and his opinion is really all that matters. these two are in their heads a lot of the time, xander stepping in it because he has no idea that charlie doesn't immediately know where his mind is at. he's loved her always, he'll love her always. that's clear to him from the start. how he makes it clear to her is another matter.

for a time i was worried that there was going to be a lot of outside meddling and advising, something i really detest in romance novel series is when there are know-it-all characters. but it helps that while this person is right, to a point, she isn't fully right. and xander is able to figure stuff out on his own. i like relationships without a sideline coaching section, and xander and charlie have all the love, they just need to figure out the trust in it bit.

What a wild and thrilling ride Ms. Nuest takes readers on in this second book of her Likely Story series, which was full of twists and turns that had me completely glued to each page; resonated the perfect amount of emotion for me to be able to feel along with the characters; and had two incredible main characters that drew me so much into this story due to their back stories and everything they go through that I could imagine myself as the characters, as Ms. Nuest's writing was so thoroughly bona fide and evocative. The way this story started with what Xander was doing made this story an automatic page turner for me, as I was determined to discover the outcome of his mission and whether it would come back to haunt him further down the track. Would he be able to handle what was thrown his way if he ended up in trouble? Since I had a sneaking suspicion that his target would be difficult.

As for the dialogue, it was well-written, gripping, a tad emotional due to the heroine's back story and had me on the edge-of-my-seat due to the danger closing in around the heroine as she does everything in her power to fight back against those that love to take advantage of people when they're sick. Seriously, I could understand why she was so driven in her mission, because of what happened to her brother. No way could she allow other kids to suffer what he did and not want to do something about it. Moreover, the heroine is strong, brave and I liked how determined she was to win against the bad guys, even though she knew things could get very dangerous.

While Xander, he's good for the heroine and it shows as they re-establish the tight bond they had years ago, even though she doesn't open up to him as much as she should. I also liked how he wins her over when it comes to her giving him a chance at a relationship between them. He shows her how beautiful he thinks she is through his words and his actions, which was heartwarming. Since she has serious self-esteem issues, which is proven by what happens in the beginning. Why do people have to be so cruel? Luckily, she knows how to kick butt and make people understand that harsh words can't hurt her as much as they used to.

Overall, this was a marvelous second book for this series where the chemistry was explosive, immediate the moment the hero and heroine come face-to-face and spills over onto the pages splendidly. Certainly, Xander knows how to treat Charlie right and shows her she's the only woman for him. The way this story ended totally blew my mind, because of the twist. I did not see it coming. It also had me worried for the heroine, as she goes through quite an ordeal. Will the main characters come out on top against the bad guys? I would recommend Dirty Little Secrets by AJ Nuest, if you enjoy romantic suspense, the friends to lovers trope, the sexy protector trope or books by authors Cate Beauman, Kelly Moran, Diana Gardin or Laura Griffin.

A good mystery suspense romance story.
Good characters, drama suspense mystery intrigue and romance.
Enjoyed reading.

This book really grabbed me from the first page. The characters were larger than life and very engaging. I cared enough about them to not want to set the book down so I read it in one sitting instead of sleeping. LOVED and related to Charlie, I wanted to be her friend. This was a great romantic mystery, loved the twist at the end. I did not read Dirty Deeds but will now. Thanks for the preview

Xander is learning that Charlie is full of surprises, "he jerked to a stop as their eyes met across the room, and even from that distance, it would’ve been hard to miss the way his pupils dilated so fast they nearly swallowed his irises whole. The front of his towel tented, and she rolled her lips to hide a smile as he dragged a long, slow perusal down the blankets, back up her legs and chest to her face. “Are you naked in my bed?” Xander is a confused man at times when it comes to his woman, "Jesus, women were confusing. “All right.” Tossing his hands in the air, he cried uncle. “What’s the problem?” I enjoyed this book, I loved Xander.

Dirty Little Secrets is book two in the Likely Story series and it is another great addition. I really enjoyed these characters and loved the story bring on book 3.

a good well-rounded suspenseful romance. Kept me guessing. Liked it a lot.

AJ Nuest’s lastest book DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS is a scorcher! I was given an advanced ARC of this book from Netgalley and boy-oh-boy am I glad I was! Characters that jump off the page; dialogue that’s quick and witty; sensual scenes that are hot enough to burn. All these things are wrapped up in the pages of this book.

Xander ( X-Ray) has made a career of hacking bad guys. A secret from his past weighs heavily on him, though. When he’s made aware his mentor and one of his old friends has been murdered, he rushes back to his old life – and his first and only love – to make sure she isn’t in the same danger. She is, just not from the people who killed his mentor.

Charlie McGovern is a top notch thief, loaded with body and self image issues and an abusive past that she can’t forget. She’s the kindest person you’ll ever meet – giving you the shirt off her back, literally – but she’s never felt adequate enough. When Xander comes back into her life, she can’t believe the scrawny teenager she knew ten years ago is now the hunkadoodle standing on her doorstep. And all her insecurities about her looks and weight stand straight up at attention, because she knows there’s no way in hell he finds her as attractive as she finds him.

Of Charlie! If only you knew the truth….

Charlie’s most recent theft has a bunch of bad guys tailing her and when Xander discovers the reason why, his alpha instincts kick in, because no one is going to mess with the woman he loves. No. One.

I loved DIRTY DEADS so I knew I’d love DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS just as much…and I did. Hopefully, this series will continue on for some time because there are plenty of characters who need to find HEA’s beyond the doors of the Dirty Deeds agency.
5 well deserved stars!

Xander Dade is an IT genius. He has made a living doling out justice with his hacking ability. Once a living on the streets, scrawny, geek, he is now a very wealthy, muscled, MMA badass.

Charlie McGovern is a curvy (love this!) blonde bombshell. Since leaving Malcolm’s house, she has gotten by the best she could. Now she has stolen from the wrong person and finds herself being followed by multiple people.

Xander and Charlie connect again when he goes to tell her Malcolm and Viv are dead. Xander has loved Charlie since they were teens. He’s decided it’s time to make her his since he can now take care of her the way he thinks she should be taken care of. When he discovers she’s in trouble, he turns all alpha, insisting he isn’t going anywhere and will help her solve the problem. Charlie has self-esteem issues from things her stepfather said to her growing up and finds it difficult to believe someone who looks like Xander could possibly want someone who looks like her.

We get both Charlie and Xander’s POV throughout the book. I saw the twist at the end coming but loved how it came about. I loved that Charlie refused to give up no matter what her circumstances.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS:
I struggled with the fact that Xander has supposedly been in love with Charlie since they were teens but he has been out of her life for 10 years. I also thought it unlikely the mere sight of him sent the guys in the black SUV running off. Same with the scene where Charlie kissed him the first time as a distraction. The first third of the book we get to listen to Xander think in computer terms. For someone like me who isn’t all that computer savvy, it grew old and sometimes confusing, even though it fit his character.

This is a very well written romantic suspense with great character development. Everything flows well. Kelly is still my favorite. I loved seeing Kelly and Eden again, as well as the other characters from book one. Still looking for Archer and Tanner’s story! Mocha is as entertaining as ever. I look forward to the next book in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley.

I was completely blown away by this book and these characters. The story is full of intrigue that kept me guessing until the very end, and the way things played out felt (painfully) realistic instead of contrived. But my favorite thing was the characters. They have the kind of backstory that I love, and they are both so likeable. And the chemistry...it gave me actual chills. I am so excited to have found this new-to-me author. I enjoyed this story so much that I went to Amazon and bought the first book in the series, and I sure hope there are more to come. Surely Archer and Tanner are next; I can hardly wait.