The Secret

Single in Seattle, Book 1

De: Kristen Proby

Narrado por: Erin Mallon, Tim Paige

From New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Kristen Proby comes a forbidden romance. The Secret is the first in the Single in Seattle series!

Vaughn is everything I’m supposed to stay away from. Sexy. Cocky. And famous.

Ultra-famous.

I grew up in a family full of wealthy celebrities. My father, Luke Williams, is the celebrity of all celebrities. A superstar actor and producer, my father knows the downside of living in the spotlight. And because of that, he sheltered my siblings and me from everything Hollywood entailed. We didn’t attend premieres. We weren’t photographed. There were no friendships with other celebrities’ children.

The limelight couldn’t touch us.

But now, at 25, I’m ready to start my life, working for my father’s production company in downtown Seattle—until Vaughn Barrymore walks through the door.

He can’t keep his hands off me. He’s completely forbidden, but I can’t help falling for the sweet, complicated man.

When—and it’s when, not if—my family finds out that I’ve been keeping this secret, will I have to choose between the man I love and those who mean the most to me? Or, by some miracle, can I have both?

©2024 Kristen Proby (P)2024 Ampersand Publishing, Inc.

Delighted and Surprised by this Next Gen Series!

I thought I knew what to expect going into The Secret, but this story delighted and surprised me page after page.

Before we get into the meat of the review let me say to the With Me in Seattle fans- Yes the Montgomery's are definitely present, and even the Mafia cousins have their nod. One of my favorite things about Kristen Proby's books are the Easter eggs and how seamlessly the stories are interconnected.

Olivia and Vaughn are magic on the page! Olivia is such strong independent woman she is talented, creative, fun and loving. She has a big family and a career she loves. She is a costume designer for her father's production company, however she does all she can do distance herself from her Dad's last name and make her mark on her skill and hard work. Vaughn is an actor from a celebrity family and is starring in the movie Olivia is starting to work on.

I expected Vaughn to be a bit of a playboy, self centered, jerk, but his true character was affectionate and attentive and upfront. I loved the communication between these two for the majority of the book, secrets, paparazzi and the cost of celebrity is definitely a part of this book, but it doesn't fall into one of the major blunders of the trope which was refreshing.

In true Proby fashion, Olivia has a strong girl group, but more than that she has a strong cousin group, all genders. It is fun to see how the kids of WMIS have grown up and what directions their lives are going. The cousin chats and parties are fun and funny with great banter.

This book had me feeling good from start to finish. I was worried that i wouldn't love the next generation as much as the original Montgomery crew. I shouldn't have bothered though, Kristen Proby gives us the stories that need to be told.

The audiobook is narrated by Tim Paige and Erin Mallon. They both do an excellent job bringing these characters to life. Erin's performance in particular sucked me into the story she really captured Liv and all the characters in her chapters.

Absolutely perfect

Olivia and Vaughn are absolutely perfect together. Undeniable chemistry that is off the charts from their first fitting and every encounter is absolutely perfect. Sometimes secrets are to protect the ones we live and other times they can nearly rip your world apart.

Sweet Romance

Costume designer meets movie star. Sparks fly. A few misunderstandings along the way. Nice story. Great narration.

Back To Seattle

The Secret is a leap forward in time and centers on the children of the characters from the With Me in Seattle series. This first book features Olivia, the daughter of Luke and Natalie. It was so much fun to dive back into this world and find out what is going on in the lives of all the older characters that I love so much while still feeling fresh and new.

Olivia gets in a crash course in all the reasons why her dad had sheltered her and her siblings from the limelight when she meets Vaughn, a very popular movie star. I liked that she was willing to draw the line on what she was comfortable with, and that Vaughn was willing to compromise to accommodate her. The story was engaging and as with any Kristen Proby story, was also full of great characters and strong female and family friendships.

This story had low angst and conflicts are resolved quickly and realistically. The story really felt like I was hanging out with an old friend and I’m looking forward to more in this series. It’s good to be back in Seattle!

Great narration from Erin Mallon as always. This is my first listen with Tim Paige, not my favorite, but not bad either.

Love it!

Love that we are able to follow the lives of our favorite Williams-Montgomery-McKenna families through new storues of their children.

It’s nice to listen to these families’ stories. Olivia’s story is nice, making sure she works hard for the position she is in and does not take advantage of her father’s famous name.

Looking forward to listen to stories of the rest of the clan’s children.

Wow!

How fun to finally get their kids stories and it’s not a disappointment! I loved Olivia and Vaughn’s story and can’t wait for the others!

Wow!! A incredible next generation series with an alluring plot line!

Just when I thought I couldn’t love the With Me In Seattle series more, Kristen Proby comes out with a next generation series!!!! OBSESSED! The series kicks off with Olivia Williams, the daughter of the couple who started it all in Come Away With Me, Luke and Natalie. Within Olivia’s story you’ll also get so many glimpses of characters you love in the first series combined with all of their amazing children! A magnificent combination

This book lived up to every expectation I had for a next generation of characters and then some!! Kristen crafted the plot of this story so incredibly well as it was intriguing, entertaining and had alluring chemistry between all the characters! The storyline showcases the vast difference between two worlds when it comes to being famous. Olivia Williams is the daughter of Luke Williams but he worked hard to shield his children from any limelight or attention. On the flip side, Vaughn Barrymore was also born into a famous family but public attention was every part of his upbringing and even helped him with his career as a super famous movie star. What happens when these two meet and both worlds collide? It’s a book that will be making you yearn for more from this family! Easily a 5 star read and listen!

The narration for this book was very well done! The female’s male voice wasn’t my favorite and is the only reason I gave it 4 stars for performance. Otherwise it was fantastic!

They’re back!!

I am a sucker for a multigenerational series and The Secret is the beginning of the next generation for Kristen Proby’s With Me series. I love that we get to check in again with a lot the couples from the original series and now are seeing their children as adults and finding love themselves. You don’t have to have read the originals to enjoy this book or I’m sure this new series, but it brings a depth of understanding and familiarity that you don’t get if you start here. The setting is again in Seattle and the family still plays a big role in the storyline. Low angst, average heat, and plenty of heart make this a comfortable and enjoyable start to this new series. Erin Mallon and Tim Paige were great and made this audiobook fly by. Looking forward to the next installment.

❤️ the continuation of the Seattle group

I love Kristen Proby!
I like seeing the continuation with the rest of the family!

First book in second generation is a great start

When I read a Kristen Proby book I feel like I'm visiting family. The characters that are all connected and the swoony love story always hits the spot. I love being back in Seattle with my extended family. If you've read the With Me in Seattle series, you're going to love the next generation. But don't worry if you're a newbie. I think this book is just perfect on it's own, but you will get a taste of the parents.

The Secret sets up this new series and I'm here for it. The first book focuses on Olivia and Vaughn. Olivia is the daughter of Natalie and Luke. Luke was a big time movie star and he shielded his family from that life. Olivia is now a young woman working in the film industry as a costume designer, but she does not use her dad's name to get ahead. She is talented in her own right. When Vaughn Barrymore walks in for his fitting a day late, Olivia is not a fan. He's a reminder why she will never date an actor. A little hate to love??

But that hate quickly dissipates and they make friends real quick. ;)
Vaughn is intrigued with this talented designer and Olivia likes what she sees when Vaughn lets down his protective walls.

This was a fast paced love story of two different people that were raised in the industry, but in very different families. Olivia comes from a very loving and protective family and they are all around in Seattle. And Vaughn comes from a name, but not from love. His family is dysfunctional. Where Proby excels is creating such a wonderful family environment that's always there to support and have family gatherings with. You feel part of the family. Even when there was drama between these two, it didn't last long with both of their knowledge of the acting industry. I loved that they understood each other and didn't let the little things get in the way.

As for the audio, you gotta love when Erin Mallon takes the helm of the heroine. She made Olivia sexy and funny and your best friend that you want to hang with. And Tim Paige just nailed that Hollywood actor persona in Vaughn.

I'm definitely excited to get more in this world and to be back in Seattle with the gang!