Title: Deadly Secrets
Author: Angel Sefer
ASIN: B00K6PQW9M
Published: 13th May 2014
Pages: 226
Genre: Romance and intrigue
Oh, to be young and in love!
I must confess that although I’ve been reading more romantic books of recent (partly in my role as reviewer) it is not a genre I’m an expert in. I’ve probably watched more movies that fall under that label than read books, but it is rare to find books, movies and TV series, whatever the subject, where there isn’t a hint of a romance, even if that’s not the main driving force of the plot.
Deadly Secrets is the first book in The Greek Isles Series that I read, so I cannot compare it to the first one in the series (Spellbound in His Arms), that I’m aware has proven very popular and it is a favourite with many romance readers. This is a romance were the setting plays a very important part in the story. I’d say it’s a secondary character. Helena, the protagonist, is a girl whose father was Greek and she spent her early childhood in Mikonos. When her father disappeared under mysterious circumstances, her mother took her to the UK with her and her links with Greece and the island were severed. But she’d always felt the pull of her birthplace and had wished to go back. Helena, who is young and impulsive, when her mother dies, makes the decision to go back to the island, despite her mother’s warning.
Helena is presented as a passionate girl, a woman of strong intuition (not always right) and a particular sensibility. She is quick to like or dislike people and her judgement is not always the best. This is a case of a story where you want to grab the protagonists by the neck and shake them. Can’t you see what’s going on? Both her and Dimitris (there’s a story about them that goes many years back, although she is not aware of it. Poor Helena has been kept in the dark about many things) are blinded by their emotions and keep making the wrong assumptions and judgements. Yes, if this were a TV show, you’d be shouting at them.
There are mysteries that are eventually resolved, likeable and very dislikeable characters, confusion and misunderstandings, danger, and magic. Although there is a touch of the paranormal, when I refer to magic I’m talking about the islands. You feel as if you were there and it’s difficult not to go straight and book a ticket when you finish reading the book.
As in many romantic stories, the characters and their life-story and circumstances were completely alien to me and I can’t say I identified with anybody (although some of the self-doubts and hesitations are easily recognisable) but that is precisely the beauty of it. It allows us to escape into a life that’s completely different and live other adventures vicariously. It’s an easy read perfect for a holiday, or for a very cold and cloudy day.
Ratings:
Realistic Characterization: 3/5
Made Me Think: 3.5/5
Overall enjoyment: 4/5
Readability: 4.5/5
Recommended: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4/5
Buy it at:
Format & Pricing:
Paperback: $11.71
Kindle: $4.08
Olga Núñez Miret
@OlgaNM7
Lit World Interviews 
Reblogged this on Barrow Blogs: .
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Reblogged this on oshriradhekrishnabole.
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Thank you so much for your wonderful review, Olga. I appreciate and value the opinion of a wonderful person and very talented author like you.
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Thanks Angel. You have a talent not only to create great adventures but to transport us to wonderful places. And good luck with your new book!
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Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
A review of a romance novel by Angel Sefer by Olga Nunez Miret..set in the Greek Isles.
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Indeed. Here’s to vicarious adventures. They’re much less messy and stressful, not to mention expensive, than the real ones! Huge hugs!
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So true, Teagan! And one can travel in space and time too, as we do with your serial every week!
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Sounds like a summer reading possibility. I like series while not my genre – it is summer
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I know what you mean. It definitely transports you there. And it’s not a series in the standard sense. The novels are set in Greek islands but the adventures are completely different. And of course, Angel is writing from personal experience.
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An honest review, Olga. I like that. This is the second time I’ve read a review about this book and I confess it interests me. ❤ 😀
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Thanks Tess. It’s not for everybody (no book is), but it definitely held my interest.
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True enough. Each reader has a different take-away.
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Thanks Tess. Sometimes it’s worth to take a bit of a risk. I must share soon the review of a historical romance that I thoroughly enjoyed, although again it isn’t my usual reading matter.
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Anything’s worth sharing. I don’t do romance either but I don’t mind historical novels with just a touch of romance.
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That’s true. I’m reading a vampire novel in Spanish at the moment. It’s very good so far, although I have quite a while to go.
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I’m almost finished The Great Gatsby. I wanted to know how I’d feel reading it at this age. Some parts I’d forgotten. What a story! Have seen a couple renditions of the movie, but there’s nothing like the book. 🙂
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I love The Great Gatsby. I saw a very good ballet version a few years back, although I always wonder if somebody who doesn’t know the details of the story would quite get all of it. The movies get the plot, but not necessarily the feel of the book. And of course, the language…
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Sigh. The book always rules for me. Although some good movies are made, I don’t always like them as much as the book–probably because they can’t put everything on screen but also because they change the ending at times.
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I remember a story by Hemingway ‘The Snows of the Kilimanjaro’ not a very long story. They made a movie out of it. The whole point of the story (I hope I’m not spoiling it for anybody. It’s well-worth a read) was that the writer protagonist dies at the end. Guess what? In the Hollywood version, he didn’t (Gregory Peck, if I remember correctly).
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That’s what I’m talking about. No, I don’t mean this particular story but the ending / the changes. 😮
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Yes. They do take some big liberties with materials. 🙂
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Sigh.
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Thanks for the review, Olga. I love romances! And in Greece too!
swoon
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Thanks so much. I wanted to move by the end of it! Or at least go for a holiday! (I just hope everything gets sorted there).
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