Lies, Love, and Deadly Secrets: One Last Secret by Adele Parks

My librarian pressed One Last Secret by Adele Parks onto me. I think he’s noticed that I have a strong appetite for thrillers, and he wanted to introduce me to a new author.

About the Book

One last client
A week at a beautiful chateau in southern France should be a straightforward final job for Dora. She’s a smart, stunning, discreet escort, and Daniel has paid for her services. 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.

One last chance
It will be a last, luxurious look at how the other half lives before Dora turns her back on the escort world and all its dangers. She has found someone she loves and trusts. With him, she can escape the life she’s trapped in. But when Dora arrives at the chateau, it quickly becomes obvious that nothing is what it seems.

One last secret
Dora finds herself face-to-face with a man she has never forgotten, the one who knows her. And as old secrets surface, it becomes terrifyingly apparent that one last secret could cost Dora her life.

~ Synopsis from GoodReads

Review: One Last Secret spoilers ahead

So, my librarian guy usually is on the ball with his recommendations. But this was not one of them. Let me say; this was probably the worst book I read this year so far.

I am going ahead boldly with spoilers because I think I will be doing a good deed by steering you away from this book. I am a little stunned by all the four-star reviews on GoodReads, I can’t explain how this book is so well regarded, or rather I can, but I don’t want to speculate over here.

So, where do I start?

• Unlikeable characters. I have never met a more poorly-written heroine. Dora is a high-end escort who definitely doesn’t have a heart of gold. She decides to marry her best friend (a millionaire’s son) in a decision that seems based on love, but mostly just calculation. Dora and her fiancé Evan could be siblings – they have so little chemistry! The rest of the characters in the book are all stereotypes.
• Stupid heroine. Dora’s supposed to be smart and savvy, but ughh! She is as dumb as a box of rocks. She switches suddenly from a strong, independent woman to someone clueless who keeps making ridiculously bad decisions. Spoiler: Why would Dora go away with Daniel after becoming engaged? It makes no sense. Why doesn’t Dora leave when she realizes who Jonathan is? Again Dora’s behaviors feel nonsensical and manufactured. She’s a sex worker but is drinking while working and in an unsafe situation. Seems like a sex worker that relaxed would have been seriously harmed long ago if her preservation skills were that poor.
• Pacing. The pacing is ridiculous. The book starts with a bang and then goes into a long, super-extended flashback that almost feels like a second book. The flashback is supposed to enlighten us about how Dora got into prostitution. But she still doesn’t come across as sympathetic. Spoiler: She turns to prostitution because she got pregnant by her married lover and needs to support her baby. Umm, sorry, not feeling any sympathy still. Also, the flashback was way too long for what was essentially a cliché.
• Implausible. We are supposed to believe that many well-paid actors spiked her drink and raped her. We are supposed to believe that Evan’s dad concocted this super-elaborate plot at his house!!! just to avoid her marrying his son. This was all just so OTT, and yes, also deranged and unbelievable.

I will say that the suspense was good enough to keep me reading. The book also definitely surprised me (I could never have guessed all those twists and turns coming). But overall, yeah, I was hate-reading it most of the way.

Do not recommend it! In case this is still in doubt 🤣 🤣 🤣