Title: Her Secret, His Surprise
Author: Paula Altenburg
Author: Paula Altenburg
Publication Details: April 11th 2016 (Re-release of newly edited version) by Entangled Publishing
Special sale price! Her Secret, His Surprise will be on sale for $.99 for a limited time only!
Conflict of interest is an understatement…
Since being disowned by her strict father, Cass Stone has spent her adulthood trying to prove him wrong. Her drive has led to more success than her family ever thought she’d achieve, and life is looking great. Not even an incredible and mysterious one night stand that leaves her a single mom can trip her up...until the father of her baby stumbles back into her life, as sexy as ever.
Logan Alexander hasn’t forgotten the night he spent with Cass two years ago, but he never expects to end up undercover as her assistant. His job saves lives—like it should have saved his brother—and he can’t afford complications. It’s difficult enough to maintain his cover as a carefree wanderer when he realizes his attraction to Cass hasn’t faded...and then he meets Cass’s daughter.
**Note: this title was originally released July 14, 2014 and has been updated to be a closed door Bliss.
Plot
Her Secret, His Surprise is a short read that revolves around Cass and Logan as they try to figure out each other and move forward despite their past and secrets- for their future, and most especially for their daughter Olivia.
Though this was my second read about a female protagonist giving birth to a child, the father being out of the picture, and entering again after some time, I still find the story entertaining. The espionage case thrown into the story made it especially a bit more interesting and complicated.
Some events are quite predictable, especially in the beginning. But as the story progresses, I found myself wanting to know how things will turn out for the main characters. The pacing was quite hurried but for a less than 300-page book, the author was able to provide a smooth flow of events and was able to reconcile everything in the end.
I also had a difficult time understanding some technical terms about engineering and machines, but nevertheless I did have an enjoyable reading experience.
Characters
Cass is easily relatable because she's an independent woman. She may have flaws (aren't all we?) but I liked that she's dedicated and smart. She struggled during her youth, and it has influenced her as an adult, but I liked how she used it to her advantage. And though moving on can be difficult, I liked that she's doing her best not to let the past limit her.
Logan is a smart, hot, gentleman whose job I cannot really understand. Haha! I just know that he does investigation for the military. What I really liked about him is how he can be objective and professional, but at the same time prioritizes the one he loves. And, did I mention he's hot?
Overall, I liked the dynamics between the characters. Their interactions were fun to read, and no dragging part.
Writing
Her Secret, His Surprise is written in an omniscient third person perspective. The style of writing is okay, as I was able to understand the story, except for some technical terms I am not familiar with. As I have mentioned, the pacing was quite hurried but the flow of events is still smooth.
-o-
Overall, Her Secret, His Surprise is a short, entertaining read. There is nothing too deep going on but it's more than a love story as it is also about trust, forgiveness and acceptance. I definitely recommend this one! And I am looking forward to reading more of the author's works.
Multi-published author Paula Altenburg has written short contemporary romance, as well as fantasy and paranormal romance, for publishers Entangled, Tule, and Tor. Her Spy to Have, the first book in her new and exciting Spy Games series, marks her 13th published work of fiction. She lives in rural Nova Scotia, Canada, with her husband and two sons. Once a manager in the aerospace industry, she now enjoys working from home and writing full-time.
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review, and as part of the blog tour.