It had been over a year since I read Just A Little Bet from Tanna Penske. But the covers of the Smokejumpers series are very recognizable, so The Best Kept Secret immediately drew my eye on Netgalley. Tanna has yet created another cute and funny story about one of the smoke jumpers team: Leo Sayre. Leo has been divorced for several years now. Raising his son, Seth, with his ex Mandi is sometimes challenging. But fortunately he can always rely on Nyla, Mandi’s sister and Seth’s aunt, to help out.

Her only flaw: She can’t keep a secret. So, when Leo spills a big secret during a post-surgery pill-induced hangover, Nyla feels she is holding a ticking time bomb. Because there is a reason, she can’t keep secrets. With their relationship altered for good, Leo and Nyla need to find a way out of the minefield of lies. Which creates a lot of funny situations, next to a lot of drama. In all, a great read. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

Nyla is a great friend, close to her family and always wants to help others as evidenced by her career as a nurse. When Leo, her best friend and ex brother-in-law, has surgery she decides to stop by and make sure that he is healing okay when the aftereffect of the medication causes him to share a secret to the one person who can’t keep them.

Leo is a smokejumper who would do anything for those he cares about and that includes keeping secrets to protect them from hurt. If he wasn’t under the influence, he wouldn’t have shared his secret with Nyla as he understands the position she finds herself in. In case that wasn’t enough turmoil both he and Nyla are trying to handle the changes in their relationship as their friendship escalates into something so much more.

Both Nyla and Leo are great characters as they take us on a humor filled, romantic and emotional journey filled with love, family and the challenges that go along with it.

This is a Romance, and this is the third book in the Where There’s Smoke series. I enjoyed the romance between the main characters, but there was a lot of family drama in this book. I have to say some of the family drama was not my favorite. I found this book easy to read, and it was fun to read. I laughed many times while I was reading this book. The characters where really good, and they came to live while I was reading this book. I cannot go into the part of this book that I did not love because it would spoil so of the book. I will say I did not love that the two main characters had a connection to each before they started their romance with bother me. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Entangled: Amara) or author (Tawna Fenske) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

As I started reading, I wondered if this story would be a bit slow, boy was I wrong!
A book jam packed with friendship, family and a brewing romance.
The build up to secrets being revealed and the perfect amount of spice ensures that you’ll be entertained and invested in the main characters until the end.
Nyla struggles to keep Leo’s secret, her emotions hidden from her family and to justify her new relationship!
I loved the warm characters with a genuine connection, a fantastic read!
I hadn’t heard of this author but will definitely look for her other books!
Thanks so much to Entangled Publishing, NetGalley and the author for a wonderful romantic gem!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a funny and quirky book! I was literally laughing out loud more than once a throughout this story, but it’s also touching family story filled with old secrets, new emotions and the ties that bind them together. Nyla is a hoot, I loved her so much! From her mangling of sing lyrics to her inner and outer dialogues, she was funny and enchanting. Above all else, she’s a loyal sister, aunt, daughter and friend. But she’s also a blabber mouth. The girl can’t keep a secret, which is ironic, considering she’s nurse. Leo is her former brother-in-law, and he spills a secret to her, while under the influence of pain meds. What he keeps hidden, at least at first, is his growing feelings for Nyla…even as her parents aren’t exactly subtle about pushing Leo and his ex, Mandi, back together. Can’t you say messy? Ms. Fenske’s signature humor runs rampant throughout this book, as well as her themes of family and engaging characters. There’s some great little Easter eggs throughout the book (love the mention of another favorite author!) as well. And was I the only one who had “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” running through my head as I read this book? Just me? Cool.

It was a bit hard for me to get into this story. It’s well written, but maybe not my cup of tea?
Nurse Nyla Franklin knows that no good ever comes from keeping a secret… So when her ex brother in law spills his biggest one ever, Nyla knows she’s not just holding a secret: she’s holding a ticking time bomb. Mr. Always Does the Right Thing Leo Sayre has been keeping a secret for two years and under the influence of pain meds he shares it with the only person who cannot keep one.
Secrets have a way of piling up, and it’s just a matter of time before someone lights a match. Because while the truth can set you free, it can also burn completely out of control.
The blurb about this one was a bit tricky. He is not his best friend, he’s her ex brother in law. That’s a plot that didn´t feel right for me and I wouldn´t have requested it. The sexy times are really good and Nyla is adorable, but the way these secrets are managed is a bit unreal for me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is the first book I've read by Tawna Fenske, and I found it to be enjoyable. It was an easy read, and I loved the characters she created. While this is the third book in a series it can be read as a standalone.

When Nyla checks on Leo after a minor surgery she never expected to have a life altering secret revealed to her. One that was never hers to know and could very well destroy her family if its ever revealed. And to make matters worse Nyla is known for not being able to keep secrets locked away. One secret is bad enough, but as Leo and Nyla grow closer more secrets are revealed and some are newly formed.

I really loved seeing how well the elements of humor, romance, and the secrets were brought together in a way that didn't over shadow each other. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book.

For me this story was just all right. I felt Nyla and Leo's connection some, but I would have liked to see more of that and a little less of the family stuff since they have a HUGE familial connection. It was a cutesy story that was a quick and easy read, but Nyla being unable to keep a secret felt a little over the top for me.

This is book 3 in the Smokejumper series and it can absolutely be read as a stand alone as I haven't read the previous books in this series. Based off the blurb alone, I really wanted to love this book. But there are a lot more layers to this book than what the blurb makes it seem like. And some, well I had a hard time with some. Leo and Nyla are best friends who also have an attraction to each other. They are cute and funny together, and I do like each of their characters. The writing itself is good, parts of the story were really good in my opinion. But there were a couple of things that I just couldn't get past. And it most definitely is something that I would have a problem with in real life, so I know I don't want to read about it in my fantasy worlds. But Leo...is also Nyla's ex brother in law. Yeah, I just couldn't get past that, no matter how much I tried. Especially when she is supposed to be so close with her sister, how do you sleep with your sister's ex-husband?? Yeah, I just can't get over that in my head. And then you throw in Leo's secret on top of that? It was all a little too convoluted for my tastes. Honestly, if he hadn't of been her sister's ex-husband-I probably would have loved the book. But I just couldn't get that out of my head and thinking how much it would hurt me if I had a sister sleep with someone I was married to. Some people may love this book, but for me-it was just ok.

Poor Nyla couldn’t keep a secret to save her life! It was funny that everyone knew it too and tried not to tell her any secrets. I loved how close Nyla and her sister Mandi were, but it also caused problems. Nyla had always been close to Leo, Mandi’s now ex husband. When Nyla went over to Leo’s house to help him after a dental procedure, Leo let out a big secret. I think this helped the two to grow closer together. Leo and Mandi’s son Seth was a preteen and a character. I loved him. As Nyla and Leo became closer, I kept wondering how that was going to affect the hole dynamics of the families, especially with Mandi and Mandi and Leo’s son Seth. There were some funny things happening throughout the book that had me laughing out loud! This was such a refreshing book because of the laughter. I encourage you to read the book. I was given a copy and voluntarily wrote a review.

Nyla Franklin can not keep a secret. When she finds out her ex-brother-in-law’s big secret, she fears she will blurt it out and hurt the people that matter the most to her. Then Nyla also realizes she is in love with Leo Sayre, her ex-brother-in-law, and the stress of both secrets causes her to spill the beans to her sister and parents in front of Leo.

I love the chemistry between Leo and Nyla. They seemed perfect together and for each other, with their witty banter, hot steamy sex scenes and sweet romantic gestures. I just couldn’t reconcile that this was the same man who’d been head over heels in love with her sister, Mandi in high school and throughout six years of marriage. Also, I can’t imagine how this situation would ever be smoothed over in real life, but I found this to be highly entertaining and a great read nonetheless.

This is certainly packed with family drama!
If you’re looking for a romance with a ton of drama and humor this is the book for you.
I have mixed feelings about the couple. On one hand I like the friends to lovers trope but I couldn’t get past the fact that the heroine’s love interest was her sister’s ex. Just felt a bit icky to me.
The family drama helps give the story a lot of angst. The writing was good and made this a quick read.
Overall this was okay but that’s mostly due to my own personal taste regarding the romance.

I think I’ve said this book is my favorite in this series for EVERY book in this series. However, this one is definitely my favorite! They just keep getting better. This book was funny with a cast of lovable characters! I loved how this book allowed me to escape from the real world for just a little while. Those are the best books. This book was well written with solid character arcs and all the feels. If you are looking for a fun romantic series, dive right in! Huge thank you to Entangled Publishing for allowing me to, yet again, read another one of their wonderful books! Thanks to Netgalley too!

Tawna Fenske always delivers a generous dose of heart, laughter and steamy goodness! With the third book in her Where There's Smoke series, Fenske once again had me at hello with her signature snark and laugh out loud moments. THE BEST KEPT SECRET revolves around Nyla and Leo and the family drama that will either make them or break them. We didn't really have interaction with the former couples in the series, but it felt complete even without it.

I loved Leo! He's kind, he's down-to-earth and most of all he's committed to the things and people that mean the world to him.

I highly recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone who enjoys a healthy dose of laughter mixed into your romance. Heartfelt characters plagued by serious issues still found time to be real.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for an e-arc of this book

The Best Kept Secret by Tawna Fenske is the third book in the Smokejumper series and could be read as a standalone. This is the first book of the author that I've read, it was an enjoyable read.

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. Nyla is also notorious for not being able to keep a secret to save herself. 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 drops his secret while high on painkillers, she doesn't know how she is ever going to be able to keep this from the most important people in her life. Especially the ones who are affected by this secret.Nyla and Mandi are both incredibly strong and empowered women and I really liked the focus on sisterhood.
This book also shows that families are messy and you don't need to be blood relatives to love someone or create a relationship with them.
I love the friends-to-lovers trope, but like other reviewers, I was uncomfortable with the fact that our protagonists were formerly inlaws
Trigger warning:parental death from cancer (past), divorce, infidelity, unplanned pregnancy

Secrets abound. Nyla has a secret crush on her ex-brother in law Leo. Leo has a secret - he knows that he did not father Seth, the child that he claims as his and he is having feelings for Nyla, his ex-sister in law. . Mandi had an affair that led to Seth's conception. Nyla, a nurse, can not keep secrets and the two that she knows are big ones.

Leo has always been very responsible, just like Nyla. But when Nyla finds out that she is pregnant with Leo's child, what will Leo do - go on the motorcycle trip he wanted to go on or stay with Nyla.

Good characters. Funny plot lines. Romantic and an enjoyable read.

The Best Kept Secret is the third book in the Smokejumper by Tawna Fenske. I enjoyed the romance between the main characters, but there was a lot of family drama in this book. The characters were really good, and they came to life while I was reading this book.

I admit I would have rated this higher if it weren't for the slight (personal) squick factor of hooking up with your sister's ex-husband.
Leo and Nyla make a great couple in terms of personality and actions, both seeming to understand and accept the other's quirks with no reservations. The fact that Leo is Nyla's ex-brother-in-law in a family that more or less keeps acting as if he and Nyla's sister are still married makes for some cringeworthy moments and adds to the already full drama plate of the plot. When the fact that there's such an awkward relationship as sleeping with a sibling's ex is the least of it, then you know it might have been better to take it down a notch in the drama department.
But even with that, Nyla's actions often lead to moments that made me laugh and I really enjoyed her interactions with Leo and her nephew. There are some very sweet moments in this book, from showing understanding for your partner's situation to being open to accepting the weird turns life can sometimes take. It makes for an overall very pleasant reading experience as long as you avoid looking too closely at the not-for-me part of the relationship.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Entangled: Amara for the early read!

I have to say, that when I started to reading this book, I didn't think I would like it, then everything changed and I couldn't put it down.
I enjoyed very much.
Loved Nyla and Leo..

Love and a family secret!

Everybody knows that Nyla Franklin can’t keep a secret when she finds out the biggest family secret that could devastate everyone when she drops off some soup to her former brother-in-law Leo Sayre after dental surgery. Nyla can’t tell anyone but in keeping the secret she starts to get closer to Leo as they figure out a plan to tell the family.

A story about dating your former brother-in-law without telling your sister originally wasn’t a book that I would read but reading the blurb and the reviews told me to take a chance. I’m so glad I did because The Best Kept Secret works because everything happens because of love for their family.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.