Painting Her Fate

Tell All Secrets, Book 1

By: Layla Lochran

Narrated by: Joe Arden, Stella Hunter

Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Liliana: I'm a lass from London setting my life on track. My past left me trapped inside my mind, screaming. Can you hear it? I thought I'd be this way the rest of my days, then I found my passion. To make the world a better place. This artist is ready for new adventures; only just as things are set in play, they spiral out of control, and the one person who means the most may not survive. As my world careens, strong arms envelop me the same time sweet whispers lend their comfort. Only now monsters lurk within the shadows waiting to strike. Will I come out unscathed?

Alexander: Coming home from a war I could not win left me wounded, weak, and misplaced in my small town. This marine is a far cry from who he once was. I have accepted my fate and thought I could move on. If only it was that easy. Now two years home, I know this isn't the man I'm meant to be. War changes a person and this one is on the brink of losing it all. Until one cry for help. A fiery vixen with a mean reflex. She's perfect, too pure for me. Lili deserves much better than this broken shell I have become. Only once I have her, I can't let her go.

Painting Her Fate is the first novel in the Tell All Secrets series with Battle Born for You as a duet. Book one ends in a cliff-hanger.

CW: military retellings. Minor childhood trauma scene/not in detail. Dark themes. Tragic pasts. Many secrets.

©2022 Layla Lochran (P)2022 Layla Lochran

A hauntingly beautiful story of survival and love!

Author Layla Lochran has woven a romance GOLD tapestry with her new “Tell All Secrets” series!

Book 1, Painting Her Fate, is a beautiful, haunting, and heart-wrenching romance about Lili (Liliana), a Scottish lass and artist living in London, and war veteran turned bar owner Zander (Alexander).

When Lili and Zander’s worlds collide, their attraction and connection are immediate, and their desire for each other burns so deep that it will leave you positively breathless.

Will Lili and Zander win the fight to keep the tragedy of their past hidden, control the nightmares threatening to consume them, and find a way to each other?

Well, that’s a “Tell All Secret” I won't share!

As a military spouse, this book hit extremely deep for me. The story was all-encompassing, so I could not put it down and listened to the audiobook twice. (Ok, it was three times because it's THAT good!)

If you're an audiobook romance fan, you'll immediately recognize Joe Arden (Zander) and Stella Hunter (Lili) - talk about narration royalty! Together they deliver a magnificent performance, navigating the emotional gravity of the content with grace and sincerity.

This book will deliver all the feels and take you on an emotional journey of truth, love, and honor. It does end on a cliffhanger, but it's not too tough (honestly), and book 2 in the series “Battle Born For You” will be released on Oct 24th. Not long to wait!

A special thank you to Layla Lochran for tackling the sometimes terrifying realities of life and love while weaving in hope for her readers. You're appreciated.

Fantastic story so well written ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶🌶🌶🌶

Loved the story of Lili & Zander and can’t wait to find out where their story goes from here. If you love a military, friends to lovers romance this book is for you. The audiobook narrated by Joe Arden and Stella Hunter is amazing. Stella’s Scottish accent is perfect. They really bring Zander and Lili to life!!

Phenomenal Story and Stellar Performance!

This story is phenomenal. And it’s told in a very thoughtful and empathetic manner by the author, who does an admirable job of tackling some very dark and potentially triggering issues with both sensitivity and understanding. I fell in love with this couple and with this story. This book does end in a cliffhanger, but thankfully we don’t have too long to wait for the release of book two in the series.

Joe Arden and Stella Hunter both do a tremendous job of bringing this story to life. Their emotional performances will leave you breathless… in more ways than one. And Joe Arden’s teaser performance of the prologue for book two, Battle Born For You, was so good it gave me chills. I cannot wait for the next book!

A Humane Story

This book has a sad start, and it peaked my attention. This start along with the writer's introduction make me think that it could be a portrait of the writer. As the book progresses, Lili becomes more animated and forward. Both, Lili and Alexander bring a grim past to their relationship. By the end, the book becomes more interesting and the sudden end, a cliffhanger, leaving me wanting. Joe Arden and Stella Hunter were great, bringing the story to life!

Cannot Wait for Book 2!

I knew about halfway through the book that this one would be hard to let go. Layla Lochran has left me very anxious to hear the rest of this story!

Lili and Zander are two people with many demons in their past and painful secrets. They meet at a time in both of their lives when they need each other most. Through their pain they find love and security. However, Zander's need to know her past may have cost him.

"I can’t do this. He is never going to speak to me again. He will be disgusted by me. I thought I could tell him my secrets, but I can't."

Although full of pain, this is a beautifully written love story, that is brought to life by the narration of Joe Arden and Stella Hunter who are nothing less than perfect!