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But as the guests assemble, it becomes terrifyingly apparent that putting her past behind her is impossible. And one last secret could cost Dora everything, including her life… I won’t go any further, other than to say, that this clever, psychological thriller had me holding my breath with all the twists and turns. A highly entertaining and addictive read where the tension builds to a mind blowing conclusion. Dora quits her job but her old client Daniel she’s seen for 6 months need her help to attend a celebration party of his colleague at a chateau in South France. The girl he has a crush on for years who is also married will be there! He needs a pretending girlfriend urgently and Dora knows him so well, she’s the only one who can make his friends believe in their relationship! This is one of those books where you are screaming at the book telling the MC to stop for a second and PLEASE RECONSIDER!! It was so frustrating to see Dora doubting herself and doing things she really didn't want to, nor should be doing. It got her into a lot of trouble. It was an interesting (albeit potentially unrealistic) look at how the uber wealthy might live. There were lots of twists and turns, which made it a very enjoyable read! Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA, HCC and Netgalley for the gifted e-ARC to read and review.
Book review: One Last Secret by Adele Parks - Debbish
Overall though, I had a difficult time putting the book down because it's compulsively readable and I did want to know how everything was going to shake down in the end. There are some good twists and although I didn't always like Dora's choices I did like her and was rooting for her success. One Last Secret by Adele Parks is engaging and twisty, this psychological thriller will hold your attention that’s for sure! After she is beat by a client her best friend Evan asks her to marry him and quit the business. She agrees. He just wants to keep her safe. He is also very much in love with her and they have not slept together. He knows her in a way that no one else does. But she still has a couple of secrets that she will take to her grave. I can't say that I blame her though. Narrated by Kristin Atherton for 13 hours and 42 minutes (not sure why it says 10 hours and 45 minutes here?). She did a lovely job and showed proper emotion when necessary. Whip-smart protagonist, immensely satisfying"—Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of Girl, Forgotten
Member Reviews
Dora is an escort and gets paid for her services so a week at a beautiful chateau in the south of France sounds an excellent assignment. She is used to role play so when Daniel hires her to pretend to his guests that she is his girlfriend it sounds a straightforward booking. She intends to give up escorting so she sees it as a last time to act out with the wealthy. I thought the world of escorting was written about brilliantly with real emotion on how the main characters managed to compartmentalise her feelings to get through her life. Ever wondered what the classic film Pretty Woman would be like if it was actually a dark noir? Adele Parks provides the answer to that question in her latest thriller One Last Secret. Dora is a high end escort in London, and she is not ashamed of it. She makes good money and she is happy. Until she is beaten badly by a client in a hotel room. He threatens her and she is scared to leave her home. This is when her best friend Evan proposes to her. He has been in love with her for a long time, he is rich and handsome. Dora says yes and agrees to stop working as an escort. But she agrees to do one last job for a client while Evan is away, and flies to France. What could go wrong?
One Last Secret: From the Sunday Times Number One bestselling One Last Secret: From the Sunday Times Number One bestselling
Adele Parks has a very fluent, engaging style of writing that invariably makes for entertaining reading. Her latest offering, "One Last Secret" is no exception. This is now her 22nd novel and it has been noticeable that in recent years the content has tended to have a slightly darker tinge to it at times. That is, once again, the case here as we are introduced to a lead character in the form of Dora, who plies her trade as a high-end escort who also offers extra services to her well-heeled clients. I don’t want to give spoilers but plenty happens, some of it sad, some a bit silly. There are also some truly bizarre/problematic plot points that the author seems to just skim over. A week at a beautiful chateau in the south of France – it should be a straightforward final job for Dora. She’s a smart, stunning and discreet escort and Daniel has paid for her services before. This time, all she has to do is to convince the assembled guests that she is his girlfriend. Dora is used to playing roles and being whatever men want her to be. It’s all about putting on a front. At the funeral, Dora learns fiancé can swim and just let his dad die for torturing her. No one in super wealthy connected family is bothered that she’s a former escort so yay for her.One Last Secret by Adele Parks took me on quite a ride. I didn’t know what to expect at any given time, and I like that in a thriller. In fact, I usually don’t like super-gonzo twists, but in this case, the ones that occurred were just plausible enough to keep them from being too over-the-top. Dora was an interesting character, hardened by life but still caring enough to help a friend out – at her own peril. The author carefully chooses when to reveal another piece of Dora’s puzzle so that it coincides with what is occurring in the present narrative. She has found love, someone she loves and trusts and who she hopes will take her away from the escort world. When she arrives at the chateau she finds herself face to face with a man she has never forgotten, the one man who really knows her. Old secrets surface and it becomes obvious that this secret could put her in great danger. One Last Secret is definitely the type of book where you need to suspend some reality, stop questioning all the convenient coincidences and go along for the ride. Sometimes a review comes easy, sometimes you can’t find the right words to describe it to put over how you feel, for this book I am just going to list the words and feelings that came to mind when read the last sentence~ I thought the audiobook was nicely done, and Kristin Atherton was a great narrator who I thoroughly enjoyed listening to. Dora is in her early 30s and to me, Atherton sounded much older than that, but I also never would have guessed Dora's age unless it was said in the book. She felt like an older character to me and for that reason, I thought Atherton was the perfect fit voice-wise. This is a slow burner for the most part, but the story gets crazy wild, so hang onto your horses! I would recommend One Last Secret to readers that enjoy domestic suspense, revenge, and healthy doses of uniqueness. I couldn't get behind some of Dora's decisions which seemed silly compared to how she is in the rest of the book, but I was here for all the rest.
Reviews | NetGalley Member Reviews | NetGalley
I’ll drop anything for a new Adele Parks: she nails it every time"—Lucy Foley, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Apartment It was on the longer side and slow moving at times, but I was happy there were a few little zingers at the end. All in all, a pretty good story of revenge. Dora has found a way to make a comfortable living. She gets to travel, enjoy the finer things in life and not worry about where her next meal is coming from. While the life of an escort may not sound appealing, it has it's definite perks with the right client base. Even though this high end escort/sex workers name is the same at my sweet deceased grandma I'm happy to say I did not picture her face at all. Dora can’t resist taking one last job - escorting a regular to a French château and pretending to be his girlfriend. No sex allowed. Surely that’s fine?Dora is an high classed escort who happens to fall into a doting relationship with her friend Evan.
One Last Secret by Adele Parks | Waterstones
During her career Adele has lived in Italy, Botswana and London. Now she lives happily in Surrey, UK with her husband, son and cat. Perfect pacing… a clever plot with several jaw-dropping twists and a protagonist you’ll find yourself rooting for…’ My Weekly Dora is a high-end call girl desperate to put the life behind her, but decides to take one last job with someone she trusts. One final, luxurious week and she can leave the dangerous, difficult escort world, because Dora has fallen in love and is ready to embrace a better future.
Maggie Boyd
It was abrupt but absolutely necessary! I was about to give 2 stars to this book! But last third changed my mind: at least so many of my questions answered even though they were far fetched explanations! Adele’s latest novel is “One Last Secret,” a psychological thriller told from the perspective of a high-end sex worker who takes one last job before hanging up her garters for good. It’s about “power, sex, money and revenge,” and is filled with fabulous twists and turns.
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