This book felt like a soap opera. I don't think I will read the rest of the books after this one. Also, it's missing a synopsis.

CALLING ALL HOTELIERS:

César Ritz, slide aside; Conrad Hilton, pay homage. John Drake, take heed and recognize; Isadore Sharp and Murray Koffler, study and learn. Potter Palmer, bow down. John Jacob Astor, take many seats!

THE PATRIARCH.

Never has the hospitality industry known a groundbreaking baron quite like Harrison Marshall of Marshall International. Harrison Marshall is a billionaire hotelier, chef, restaurateur, winemaker, and gourmet foods manufacturer—not to mention a television network head, a nightclub owner, a cocktail bar owner, and a consumer of souls.

Head of the almighty (and all-powerful) Marshall clan, the seriously rich-and-wealthy Harrison is now lying in the hospital in critical condition following a near-fatal accident on the Pacific Coast Highway. Because he was not wearing a seat belt, the influential entrepreneur was thrown from his exclusive Bugatti after the lavish speedster hit a guardrail while traveling at a significant momentum. And as a result of the collision, Harrison Marshall sustained extensive injuries to his opulent person, including major head trauma, broken bones, and hand damage. Several other minor disfigurements to his body include a broken leg.
The prognosis is grave. And chances of Harrison surviving are slim to none. So, with such an unfortunate circumstance, there is only one thing left for the good-looking and prosperous proprietor to do: fall head-over-heels into the embrace of a coma.

I WILL NOW INTERLUDE.

On the sheets of this minted drama, Joss Wood, its author, works up a wet sweat channeling the legendary Jackie Collins: a premise centered around the rich, the famous, the surgically beautified, and the scandalously vile who scheme and cheat and lie and copulate their way onto the most sumptuously displayed playgrounds of the ultra-elite in California. However, in the fictional world of Joss Wood, those of the Jackie like are the feared and way-too-revered Santiago-Marshall clan: a centuries-old family unit of kingmakers—and king breakers—who share a perverse interest in maintaining the worldly status quo.

I will now resume.

THE MATRIARCH.

Mariella Santiago-Marshall, the Leona Helmsley of this transient tale—blended with just a touch of old-era Bianca Jagger—is a proud heiress of the Don Juan Santiago dynasty of California. A control freak of epic proportions and a hater of independent people, Mariella is the wife of Harrison Marshall. She is also the CEO of MSM Event Planning, the catering division of their hospitality empire. Mariella is enviable—as far as those who envy her are concerned. And she sits as queen on the throne of a two-clan ancestry: one by blood, and the other by marriage.

The undisputed empress of the sprawling Casa de Catalina, otherwise known as Casa Cat, Mariella serves two gods: her combined bloodline and her money. And it is in the names of Santiago and Marshall that she puts her unwavering trust.

THE FIRST-BORN CHILD.

Dr. Luc Marshall is a Mercedes-AMG-driving plastic surgeon (specialized in breast and buttock enhancement) and the arrogant eldest child of Harrison and Mariella. The significant other of Rachel Franklin—the nipped, tucked, unloved and needy woman-child of California Congressman Nicholas Franklin—Dr. Luc is the spit of his luxe environment and an idolator of his earthly father.

THE SECOND-BORN CHILD.

Rafe Marshall is the incredibly intelligent, albeit less ambitious, middle child of Harrison and Mariella. Rebuked by his father but fervently cherished by his mother, the wayward—and gay—Rafe serves as a figurehead consultant on renovations and designs for the Marshall International hotels and restaurant chains.

THE LAST-BORN CHILD.

Elana Marshall is the coitus-starved youngest child of Harrison and Mariella. Getting by on her looks, her renowned name, and her witty charm, the pitifully unmotivated Elana serves as a figurehead party planner for MSM Event Planning. The same is an important position that requires a tremendous level of talent and responsibility—both of which Her Highness lacks.
Good God, dahling, what would she do without Gabe?

THE COUSIN.

Gabriel "Gabe" Santiago is the beloved nephew of Mariella and a loyal first cousin to Luc, Rafe, and Elana. But despite having two degrees in business, the hardworking Gabe Santiago is reduced to doubling as both a babysitter to Elana in the MSM Event Planning division and basking, humiliatingly, in the more exalted shadows of his three extended family members, a spoiled trio of heathen, indeed.

THE ANCHOR OF THE SHIP.

Joe Reynolds is the Aston Martin-driving confidant, business partner, and dearest friend of Harrison Marshall. Considered by Mariella to be the rock and strong rope that connects her and Harrison to the ground, the impious Joe Reynolds also wears—in addition to his George Hamilton tan—the coddling hat of Marshall family advisor.

THE FIXER.

Whomever this mystery man may be, his well-paying job is to make sure that every disgusting opprobrium the crooked Harrison Marshall evacuates from his outrageously privileged entrails gets flushed immediately.

REMINISCENT OF JACKIE.

In Episode 1 of Secrets of the A-List, Joss Wood introduces her silk-stocking cast in a punch-'em-stomp-'em-bang-'em flair that is guaranteed to remind readers of the timeless tales of the one and only Jackie Collins.

Joining the top-billed cast is an equally haughty set of supporting players, including:

• Jerrod Jones, the Hollywood director upon whose mind-blowing erotica Elana finds herself dependent.

• Finola Jones, the gorgeous, tremendously talented, and Oscar-winning wife of Jerrod.

• Thom, the sexy and rich fiancé of Elana.

• Nora is a wealthy woman with questionable connections to Harrison Marshall.

The top-billed troupe puts forth every given effort to shine in their debut performances. And for the most part, they do not disappoint.

Indeed, the orgasmic fluid seeping out from the loins of this nauseating (62-page) quickie emits a musky potpourri of deception, pride, ego, and arrogance. Indeed, it frolics with false idolatry, lust, vindictiveness, and avarice. And I genuinely enjoyed the time I spent cuddled up with its cavorted plot. Now, if you fancy a ritzy thriller jet-set with the filthy rich who double dare comeuppance to interfere with their pompous paths in life, then you most certainly will also.

Five Champagne-wishing-and-Black-Beluga-caviar-dreaming stars.


REVIEWER’S NOTE: It is my kind pleasure to thank Harlequin Special Releases, as well as NetGalley, for the advanced review copy (ARC) of Secrets of the A-List (Episode 1 of 12) in exchange for my honest review.

Analysis of Secrets of the A-List (Episode 1 of 12) is courtesy of the Reviews by Cat Ellington book series.

Date of Review: Tuesday, February 13, 2018

I love books that are filled with secrets,lies and betrayal - all in a Hollywood setting! This book is jam-packed with drama and intrigue. It is an excellent start to a terrific, highly addictive series!

The Marshall family have it all, and they have worked hard to get it as well. When the patriarch of the family, Harrison is in a life threatening car accident, the family has to rally together. When someone calling themselves ,'The Fixer' enters the picture, letting them know they will be running all of the Marshall family businesses, it sets the whole family on edge. The Marshall Family includes: Mariella, the matriarch; Luc, the oldest child; Rafe, the middle child; and Elana, the youngest and the only girl. Also there is Gabe, who is Mariella's nephew, but have lived with the Marshall's most of his life. Will the family be able to come together to keep the family businesses alive, or will they succumb to 'The Fixer' whomever he or she may be.

Thank you to NetGalley & Harlequin for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Once I finished this Episode, I had to find out what was going to happen next, so I ended up buying the entire series. I will do a review for the first 4 episodes here.

Episode 1 starts with Harrison's car accident and Elana in bed with a man who is not her fiance, Thom. Once the whole family is gathered at the hospital, they learn about 'The Fixer'. But no one has any idea who it could be.

In Episode 2 we learn more about each member of the Marshall family. Decisions need to be made about whether or not to go through with Elana's wedding, but Elana doesn't want to get married with her father in the hospital.

In Episode 3, Thom finds out who 'The Fixer' is, but has a very important decision to make about whether to let the family know or to work with 'The Fixer'. Thom has secrets of his own and if he doesn't comply, they could be exposed.

In Episode 4, we find out who 'The Fixer' is. Rumors are that Harrison is out of his coma and Thom and Elana throw their engagement party.

I can't wait to find out what is going to happen next. Will Harrison wake up? Will Thom take the offer 'The Fixer' has offered? Will Elana and Thom get married? Will Luc and Gabe continue their long standing rivalry?

A good start to a series, but a really long series to go. The patriarch of the family is severely injured in a car accident As his family, gathers together, dynamics between the siblings heat up as tensions from years past rear their heads. Their mom is a strong women who is prepared to take over the family business while her husband recuperates, but is stunned to find out her husband is involved in another side business, leaving her with no control over the company. The book leaves us thinking that the accident may not be an accident at all. I'll give the series a look with book two as the plot is intriguing and the characters in the family are interesting. But 12 books int he series may be just too many. We will see....

Secrets, lies and betrayal in a Hollywood setting! This book is packed with drama and intrigue--a terrific series, addictive!

Interesting and well written. I personally don't care for installments

Wow, way to leave the reader hanging on the edge of their seat!!! I had no clue what I was getting myself into when I first started this book, now I'm thrilled that I picked it up. I can't wait to read the second book!

Harrison Marshall successful chef, hotelier, billionaire, was in a terrible car accident, driving to fast in his new sports car without wearing a seatbelt on the highway. His wife of 30 years, Mariella, and their 2 boys, Luc and Rafe, are there with their Mom. The only ones missing is their rebel of a sister, Elana and cousin Gabe.

Luc is the oldest, he's a plastic surgeon who never needed to rely on his parents wealth after college. Rafe is the middle brother, he's very artistic, he works for the Marshall hotels, restaurants, catering, etc. He has a natural flair of seeing something and immediately envisioning the end piece in seconds. Elena is engaged to her best friend, but she's sleeping with a married man. She claims to work at the Marshall party planning business, but she shows up late and does nothing. Their cousin, Gabe, who Mariella and Marshall took into their home when he was only 10 years old, because he was being neglected by his drug user mom. Marcella raised him as a fourth child, Elana looked up to him. But the boys resented him. He always had both of their parent's ears when it came to business decisions, and the boys didn't like that. Rafe and his Dad somehow weren't able to mesh after Rafe came out of the closet. Harrison supported his choice, but they just weren't as close. Mariella relished her relationship with Rafe, which left Luc on the sidelines.

With Harrison in a coma, Mariella needs someone to help her run the companies, make decisions while her husband is in a coma. The only person capable of doing so is Gabe, which has all 3 siblings fighting over that decision. Claiming that he's not even part of the Marshall family, but he is the only one who knows the businesses other than Harrison or Mariella.

But that becomes irrelevant when Harrison's best friend, Joe, tells the family who's REALLY in charge of ALL the decision making, while Harrison is unresponsive; shocked doesn't cover how they feel. Especially after Joe describes what the man does for a living, and how he scares the hell out of him.

An amazing read!!

This is the first episode/novella in a series of 12. First of all, there is a mysterious fixer introduced at the very beginning. Story involves an extremely wealthy family: dad is a hospitality/hotel mogul, mom comes from an important California family, oldest son is a doctor, youngest son hasn't settled on a career, and the daughter is engaged but fooling around on her fiance. When the dad is left comatose from a terrible car accident, the family gathers at the hospital. But they aren't all happy, and there is a lot of tension between them. What they find out at the end of this episode is mind-boggling to them. Time for the next episode.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I must say for a short book, this uses way too many words. It is overly descriptive and could be even shorter. The “Fixer” is a person that I don’t understand. The family is a mixed up mess of rich, entitled people who need to figure themselves out! If the father didn’t get himself into an accident, I don’t think they would even be in the same place at the same time! I just couldn’t get into the story and identify with any of the characters.

I'm not sure what I was expecting but I really liked it . And it definitely left me wanting to continue reading these episodes to figure out exactly what is going on and get to know the characters in more detail. The characters and their dynamic was all very intriguing . Great first read by this author !

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
The first episode in this 12-part series introduces to the main characters in the Marshall family. Harrison, the patriarch, has had a car accident and is in a coma. His wife and matriarch Mariella is trying to keep it together as her husband, the man she loves, is fighting for his life.

Their sons, Luc and Rafe, who are very different and don't get along well and as tensions run high they end up fighting. No one can get in touch with their sister Elana, who is busy with her lover. Gabe, their cousin, seems to be the only reasonable one even while he is being treated as an outcast by his cousins.

In the background we have The Fixer. The Marshalls will soon learn that Daddy had a side business they know nothing about. What that means for the family we don't yet know.

The first instalment of this series is fast paced, highly entertaining, and full of family and relationship drama. I am eager to read the next instalment to find out where they go from here. I can already tell I'm going to love this series. I'm very happy we only have to wait a week for episode 2. Bring it on.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the first of a dozen installments in the story – which will be passed around for different authors to complete, which I think sounds like a fascinating idea.

I have recently read a couple of slow release books, and much to my surprise found that there is something rather magical about repeatedly getting short bursts of information about an unfolding drama. I guess that should not be a surprise, given that Dickens, Thackeray, and many classic novelists shared their stories that way... but in this world of instant gratification, and even binge watching of TV shows, it provides a novel form of entertainment – and I would recommend that you give it a try at the very least.

We are given some heavy clues as to the nature of the family members of the seriously injured Harrison, and some of his associates, either private or business... Paris anyone? But there is something strange afoot, and we can only wait till the next installment to find out just what it may be!

Fun concept which gets off to a good start!

I look forward to reading more in this 12 installment book, when a car crash leaves Marshall Harrison in a coma it also brings out every secret he has. Great story that shows everyone has a secret.

3.5 stars

First off, I had no idea when I began reading this book, how short it was. I didn't figure out that it had 11 more episodes" as they call it, until I was done and wondering "what the heck". So now you know, this series is a total of 12 episodes. Each episode is written by a different author.

So this episode is focus on the Marshall family. The head of the family, Harrison Marshall, has been in a serious accident and is at the hospital when story begins. Harrison is dealing with life threatening injuries and the family is freaking out.

Due to Harrison's accident, we start to discover that he was involved in more than everyone thought. So when Harrison is transferred to a private hospital, and no one from the family authorized this transfer, things really heat up. They come to find out that a person going by the name "The Fixer"is who transferred him. Who is this Fixer and how are they involved with Marshall?

As far as the story itself, its a lot of information for a small book. You might understand it all and piece it together, but just when you think you know, the book ends. You almost feel cheated. I know I did. So if you like all the Hollywood drama of the rich, then this series will be your thing.

I received a free ARC in exchange for a honest review via NetGalley and the author.
This book introduces us to the Marshall family. A an affluent and private family. When The head of the family, Harrison Marshall ends up in a coma in the hospital we're introduced briefly to his family members and some trusted employees. It was a quick read but a lot of information. I would compare this to one episode in a soap opera. The author gave just enough to have you wanting to know more.
This is the first book in what I'm assuming 12 books. This was episode one. I've never read a book titled as an episode. I really enjoyed the book. The 'Episode' was short yet satisfying. I am looking forward to reading the following episodes. There are so many secrets I feel that need to be uncovered and I have a feeling there will be lots of twists and turns.

Intriguing! Like the Dallas soap opera, a powerful family with secrets and whose members have rivalry and competition between each other. The family owns an empire that started in the catering business, then branched out into hotels, restaurants, etc. The patriarch, Harrison Marshall, came from poverty and worked relentlessly to make a name for himself. He married into the Santiago family, whose pedigree dates back to when Los Angeles belonged to Spain. Part of the reason he worked so hard was to prove himself to his wife’s family. His wife Marissa, a force herself, has been his partner and collaborator during the thirty years they have been married. They have three children: Luc, a plastic surgeon, Rafe, an interior designer, and Elana, who “works” at the family corporation, but her attendance is just enough to justify her salary. Marissa’s nephew, Caleb, was taken to live with them as a child, because his mother was a drug addict, and he is loved by Hamilton and Marissa as if he was their own. The siblings, however, make sure to differentiate him as apart from the main family.

This is not a book, but the first of a series of twelve novellas. In this book, Harrison suffers a very serious car accident and his prognosis is uncertain. His wife, children, nephew and best friend rush to his side. Then there’s a mysterious character, named “The Fixer”, who has controls over Harrison’s life and his fortune. No one in the family had ever seen him nor heard of him, yet they are about to find out how much control The Fixer has, the hard way.
No romance plot seen at the time, but it seems like a very interesting read. Ends in a cliffie, BTW, so desperation for the next chapter rapidly ensued.

I was a bit confused.
I hadn't quite caught on this is a serial of books, I saw 12 parts and thought it was 12 different stories in the series but it's not so beware for those who like reading a complete story in one go.
This is well written. It's about a family and it is unique as it deals with so many people, a bit like a TV show.
I did get a bit confused at the start, it talks about 'The fixer'.
There is family dynamic or non dynamic as is the case with some family members and a bit of mystery.

Eli Ward knows someone is leaking information from his business until he could figure who he needs to lay low. He wasn't expecting to have a one night stand that was unforgettable and ending up in a small town, or interested in acquiring the building he is renting from.
Brooke is only interested in not being associated with her wealthy family she just want to live a life under the radar. She will fight for what is right and will always be there for her neighbors.
Both Eli and Brooke are not happy when they find out who the other one really is nor is she happy when she finds out how his plans will affect her life.
This story was cute as with most "billionaire Stories" I was expected much more in the heat department, however it still had a story line behind it and it was a fast read.

** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

A billionaire on the verge of death. And his family? In free fall…

The wealthy Marshall family is untouchable. Or so they thought. But when a car accident puts patriarch Harrison in a coma, cracks appear in the family facade. It seems Harrison had an awful lot of secrets, and he’s not the only one. His wife, Mariella, and children, Luc, Rafe and Elana, not to mention nephew Gabe, all have things they’d rather keep hidden.

Enter a mysterious figure called the Fixer… Who is this person, and what is the Fixer’s connection with Harrison? And with those cracks becoming ever wider, what sins will be revealed?

Super Rich. Super Sexy. Super Addictive.

Secrets of the A-List—read all 12 episodes!

Review:

So here is the skinny.

This is a 12-part serial releasing once a week until all are out, so if you are one who does not like this format, you could wait until the end. Each segment is written by a different Author or close to that. This was super short and took me a half an hour to read.

Because it is so short the blurb pretty much gives away what happens in the first part. You get the catalyst for the series, patriarch Harrison Marshall hurt in a car accident. You also get an introduction to the main characters and the mysterious Fixer.

I will be curious to see where the serial goes.

4Stars

*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher*