The Best Kept Secret is another delightful book by Tawana Fenske. I love that her books are part of a series but can also be enjoyed on their own. Great characters quirky pets, snappy dialogue and I love how she gives you deep dives into different professions with her character development. Definitely looking forward to the next installment! Ireceived an ARC from the publisher and this is an honest review.

The Best Kept Secret was a cute and easy read. However, I couldn't help but think the whole time how way too unrealistic it was - all of the family messiness but only half the drama. If this were to happen in the real world it would have NEVER gone that smoothly. BUT, that is why it is fiction. Overall, I loved the two main characters and their chemistry was great and that saved the book for me! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

This is a friends-to-lovers book with a super complicated family dynamic. Leo and Nyla have been friends for a long time. Their friendship even survived Leo's divorce from Nyla's sister. They've maintained a close friends and family dynamic for a very long time. Until everything changes when Leo has dental surgery and shares a big family secret with Nyla while he is high on painkillers.

Nyla is a terrible secret keeper - she literally cannot and (truthfully) doesn't want to keep secrets. She's a nurse and extremely dedicated to her family. So when she hear's Leo's secret - everyone knows its a ticking timebomb. The secret also seems to unlock something between Leo and Nyla that brings them closer together.

Leo is a really good guy and excellent father. He's been through a lot - and has never really had a moment just for himself. He's spent most of his life giving everything to everyone. Now he is in a place where he is ready to take some time for himself and open up to Nyla - despite that complexity.

Overall - I really enjoyed so much about this book. From Nyla's wide open mouth - to the relationships between the families involved. It all felt very relatable and real. There was just one thing that held me back...

<spoiler>I could have 100% done without the "surprise" pregnancy at the end. (a) You could see it coming a mile away and (b) I'm not sure that was the push they needed or the catalyst to bring Nyla and Leo together for real. I absolutely hated the way Nyla dealt with the whole thing. Obviously it was all a shock to her and she was trying to handle her own desires with what she wanted for Leo, but seriously now. At one point she thinks something like "I'm going to love and raise this baby on my own - even if Leo wants nothing to do with the baby." Um Nyla - that's clearly not even an option here - he has a kid with your sister for goodness sake. You see each other all the time and live in the same small town. How is that even an option? It was like the book made an attempt to veer into soap opera territory. It made me really mad - because up until that point the book was great. In this situation, Nyla wouldn't let Leo even talk about things. Her sister was right - she was trying to push him away. She was also 100% projecting her own insecurities on to him. She never really owns up to that either - which is always a problem for me. Leo basically comes back and tells her everything she needs to hear - and its never mentioned again. But pregnancy hormones and wackiness aside - she probably needed to apologize more than she did.</spoiler>

Overall though - I did enjoy the book and all its small town family goodness.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

This was around a 3.5 for me. Overall, the writing was good and I like the way the author tells a story (I've read some of her previous stories and enjoyed them as well) - but, the one hang up I have with this story is the forbidden love interest plot line. The love interest is literally the main character's ex-brother-in-law. There's a whole lot of messy family drama involved, and while it was more or less executed okay, it's just not my favourite tropes.

However, will say, besides the messy family connections, the two main characters were great! I did like them for each other and their chemistry (despite the little bit of insta-love and pregnancy added on top).

I usually love Tawna Fenske's books. She's got a lovely, light touch, and her characters get into some hilarious scrapes, even as they deal with serious issues. That sense of exuberant joy was missing from The Best Kept Secret, the newest in her Smokejumper series.

Nyla is still close with her sister's ex-husband, Leo. After all, they've known each other since high school, and Nyla adores her tween nephew. When Leo reveals a big secret (under the influence of painkillers following a dental procedure), he and Nyla have to deal with the fallout and try not to tell anyone else in the family. Unfortunately, Nyla is terrible at keeping secrets, and knows it's only a matter of time before it comes out at the worst possible time. Meanwhile, she and Leo are experiencing a mutually inconvenient attraction.

This just didn't work for me. I did not buy the insta-love here, or their family's reaction to several big revelations. Do yourself a favor and go read her Juniper Ridge series instead.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

This was a really cute story. There were a lot of family elements that really showed how close they all were. I kind of thought it was funny how Leo's mom did not like his ex-wife, Mandi, and was upset that he was still involved with her family, but was fully ok that Leo and Nyla (Mandi's sister) were together. It was a cute family moment, because after the statement was made, Mandi agreed. I will admit that at first I thought it was kind of weird that Nyla got involved with her sister's ex-husband, but when you get to really know the characters you see that they fit, they are good for one another. I thought that the Epilogue was especially cute, as you got to see what was happening five years in the future. I always know when I read a Tawna Fenske book I am going to like it, and this is one is no exception. Another great book!

Received ARC in exchange for voluntary honest review.

A little too in the taboo category for me, The Best Kept Secret is not my favorite Fenske book. I liked the premise, with the love interest being a firejumper -- a job that is common here in the rural parts of Oregon! A local author, I'm always willing to give these books a try, but unfortunately this one did not hit the mark for me.

The Best Kept Secret is the third book in the Where There’s Smoke series, and, like the others, is a standalone. I found this book hard to review. I thought it was well-written, and the characters are dynamically developed and layered. I also like a lot of the themes. However, there are a couple of things that just weren’t for me.

Leo and Nyla are layered and interesting main characters. Leo is a wonderful man. Kind, generous, and caring, he is also really brave and a great dad. He has a lot of admirable qualities and is everything I love in a romantic hero. Nyla is great too. Fun, giving, loving, and a bit awkward, she can’t keep a secret to save her life. Both go through a lot over the course of the story, most especially dealing with the secrets they both carry.

I like Leo and Nyla’s chemistry and that they have a strong friendship as a foundation for their budding romance. Even before they admit their feelings, they show each other in so many ways how much they care for each other. And I like them together. They make a great couple. However, I struggled to get past the fact that Leo is Nyla’s sister’s ex-husband. This is one of my least favorite tropes, and I probably wouldn’t have read the book if I had known those were the dynamics. It makes for such complicated situations, especially with kids involved. How do you fall in love with your sister’s ex? It feels like such a betrayal, especially considering how close Nyla and her sister seem to be.

There is another part of the story that involves a secret Leo has been keeping. This further complicates an already complicated situation and adds so much more to the family drama. It’s interesting to see how each character deals with and faces the truth. It threatens to change everything, and there is a lot on the line for all of the characters.

Overall, The Best Kept Secret is an engaging story with likable characters, and I think this book will appeal to readers of contemporary romance even though it wasn’t the best fit for me. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for giving me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

All smiles 😃

Leo and Nyla - both sweet and selfless and made a sweet pair.

I like Ms. Tawna Fenske's humor and though this book had a bit of 'feel heavy' aspects, I liked it a lot!!

The book was well written, but I must say i was a little duped. I hate reading novels where ex in-laws get together. To me that's just weird, and borderline incestous. However I am cognizant enough to realize this might just be my hang up, so I cant completely punish the writer. I just wish that had been in the blurb. I thought I was reading a best friends to lovers novel before I began. but was surprised to see her best friend was her sisters ex? Just seemed weird to me. Also the secret that Nyla found out was revealed way too early in the book for my taste. The book was not my cup of tea, but I cant say its a bad book. I can only go 3 stars, because as I said I thought the relationship just didn't work for me, and it moved way to quickly.

I haven't had a good couple of reading weeks so the relief I felt as I found myself grinning like a fool while I reading this book was enormous. Nyla is incapable of keeping a secret but suddenly she finds herself trying to keep more than one-and they not small secrets. Both of them involve Leo, her ex-brother-in-law, father of her adored nephew, and the man she cannot seem to stop checking out. Nyla is incapable of keeping a secret, so what will happen when she spills them all?

There is a lot packed into this romance. The family dynamics are complicated to say the least but at the heart of it all is a lot of love. Nyla had me laughing out loud more than once (one scene in particular had me giggling the whole way through) and Leo a steady, caring hero who was a good dad and a good man. I was instantly smitten with this book and am already looking forward to my first reread,

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So I guess she's blabby. Who isn't?

Ha, Loopy Leo is funny.

Dr. Parker needs to work on his bedside manner.

Aw, he keeps her favorite drink around.

What the heck was the big secret from her childhood? Is it related to her transplant?

Funniest dinner party scene ever.

Why did she stick around for nine years?!

Oh. My. God. Who knew moving a couch was so dangerous?

Why is everyone feeling bad for Mandi?

Sheesh, does his mom want him to have an acrimonious divorce?

Haha! That poor, confused neighbor.

Ooh, more intrigue.

This poor kid has been holding on for a year?

I think 3 stars is a fair review. The main character's arc was very abrupt. I didn't really have time to get to know them and then all of the sudden they were saying "I love you"... it threw me off plus there was a lull in the end. I don't think I would recommend it, personally. Overall there were some funny bits and it wasn't the worst book I've ever read but I thought it lacked substance.

Nyla and Leo have know each other for years. He is her ex brother in law, so when their feeling change towards each other she is not sure what to do. Will they have a chance together or will the past keep them apart?

A great read

Thanks for the publisher for this ARC, which I read in exchange for my honest review.

Content warning: parental death from cancer (past), divorce, infidelity, unplanned pregnancy

Nyla is nurse, an aunt, a devoted sister and daughter; she’s always doing for others, including dropping in to check on her ex-brother-in-law after surgery. Leo is an ex-smokejumper, a pilot, a devoted father and son, and he always puts others first, including delaying the big cross-country motorcycle trip that was his late father’s dream. When Leo lets slip a big secret to Nyla—the worst secret keeper ever—it sets off a chain of difficult conversations, but also brings Leo and Nyla together in a new not-sibling-y way.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Leo is generous and sweet, but not a martyr; Nyla is awkward and bumbling, though she always means well. I could have done with a bit less self-flagellation and guilt from Nyla over the secrets she’s holding on to—that part seemed to drag out a lot.

Best kept secret is right! A few twists and turns for Nyla and Leo. A really heartwarming read with some cute humor but much less than the “normal” Tawna. Both characters were definitely very lovable. Good to see when peoples’ dreams come true. For a honest review, I received this Advanced Reading Copy.

I first heard about Tawna Fenske in August of 2015 when her book "About That Fling" was featured as a "Kindle First." I have fallen in love with the way that she tells a story. Her characters are fun, and even ones you may not like at first tend to grow on you. Since then, I have read anything that I have found by Tawna.

I really liked Leo in "Just A Little Bet," so I was excited to get a chance to know more about his story. Like that book, while there are comedic aspects, it has serious aspects as well. I ended up being just as torn as the characters were in this story.

Not to give too much away, but I truly understood the struggle that Leo went through in regards to Seth due to my own complex family relationship. Although my older brothers have a different biological father than my sister and I, I know that my Dad never made them feel like he loved us more than them. It takes someone special to commit to raising a child that is not biologically theirs.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. I am really glad I got to get a front row seat to Leo and Nyla’s story. It was very complex, and so worth the wait!

**A received an advanced reader copy for my honest review**