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Secrets: Serenity Series by Dawn Kirby
Note: Book is not published as of yet.

Synopsis: Secrets is the first book in the Serenity Series by author Dawn Kirby. The story follows twenty two years old, Leah Phillips. She leads a perfectly normal life: graduated from college, moved back in with her mother and working at her mother’s store. But Leah is nothing close to ordinary. Able to hear long distances, see perfectly in the dark, smell scents no one else is capable of picking up and seeing hazes of colors around people that help indicate their mood and character, Leah is only normal on the outside. Leah’s lineage has always been a closely guarded secret but one heartbreaking, tragic night changes her life forever! Leah’s mother is murdered and the secrets her mother had tried to hide from her, for the past twenty-two years come pouring forward one after another. Leah’s father returns to her life, a father she was told disappeared before she was born. Along with him, comes some of his friends who turn out to be just as extraordinary as Leah. Leah is set on adventure to not simply find the truth of what she really is, but to also help her father stop the woman responsible for not only her mother’s death, but the reason her father had had to disappear in the first place. Throw in some werewolves, shifters, and vampires and you’re in for one hell of a ride! Leah must fight against an enemy not only older, but much stronger and deathly more conning than she has ever met.

Once you get passed about the first one hundred pages or so, Secrets gets better. The book starts off slow. Takes a bit of time to really get interested in the story but once the secrets start to come forward, your curiosity will peak.

The book is a bit predictable. I knew the secrets Leah was going to learn before she ever managed to pick up on them but that didn’t take away from how much I was able to enjoy the other elements of the story. The suspense is written pretty well. Some of the descriptions dragged for too long, as well as each chapter being ridiculously long! I didn’t really care to read every little detail Leah paid attention to. I got bored in some parts and just skipped them entirely. The writing could use some work but was still pretty decent. Both Leah and her best friend Drew’s acceptance over everything was too casual and too quick, it was too unbelievable. I also could have done without the explicit sexual encounter between Leah and Raine, wasn’t needed in the book. *frown; disappointed* Plus, the relationship that developed between Leah and Raine happened WAY to fast. There was no time to actually appreciate their connection or sense of love story. In a book over 400+ pages, you figured the writer would develop the love story better. Overall, Secrets has potential.

Leah is so much fun to read! Leah’s character development is rough around the edges but I still liked her. She is strong and determined. She faces her fears head on and fights for those she loves. She has the potential of being a character girls can look up to (minus the sleeping with a guy you just met two days ago part! Seriously?!) I also loved the character of Raine. Raine carries himself with a quiet strength. He has such a pure and open heart.

Leah’s gifts are very interesting. I would love to be able to hear long distances and see clearly in the dark! I would have a lot of fun scaring the hell out of my friends *wink*

The world of vampires and werewolves has been told many times throughout human history, but Secrets is a whole new take on both those worlds.

With some much needed editing and maybe some good rewrites, Secrets has the potential of becoming a very good book.

For more information on Dawn Kirby (the author), check out:
Inside Secrets
Facebook : Secrets
Twitter : SecretsWriter