Best Kept Secret

By: Elsa Joseph

Narrated by: Katie Walmsley, Connor McFarlane

Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Natasha Dawson is a lucky woman. Her career as a fashion photographer has taken off magnificently. After her imminent marriage, she will have a stable future to look forward to and a loving husband in the funny and generous Luke Stevens. Everything is very nearly perfect.

But her ex-boyfriend has disappeared, and, try as she might, she can't forget about him. Some part of her feels she's about to marry the man of the wrong person's dreams.

The other man in her life is handsome, engaging and passionate, and Natasha is deeply in love with him. But he also has a terrible secret, and Natasha may have to risk everything if she wants to uncover it....

©2012 Elsa Joseph (P)2017 Elsa Joseph

Not to be quickly forgotten

I listened to this audiobook non-stop on a nearly 10-hour journey. The time flew by listening to this very well written love story with an unexpected turn. It isn't a story that you'd forget quickly. I have enjoyed it very, very much and learned a thing or two doing so.

What a book!

I was kindly given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I couldn’t keep this book a secret. So far, I’ve told everyone I know about it, my classmates, my family and even strangers on the internet! 😊 It’s a book you can’t keep a secret.
The book starts from the present and then dives into the past then back to the present, it shines light on the characters and their growth within the 4 years that came in between.
I listened to it two times to get a strong hold on the events and not miss a single thing.
I'll start first by compliment Elsa Joseph’s incredible delightful writing style and the voice actors who perfectly narrated this book that at one point I wasn't just sitting on my chair, I was travelling with Natasha and Tony to Paris, I was partying with their families, I was their invisible guest watching and observing them as they went on their daily lives reading through every and each movement they made.
This is a beautifully written book, dazzling and uplifting, with a hint of mystery. Full of secrets that will turn your head around, no doubt!
I did love this book; I do love this book so much that a part of me believes its characters are alive somewhere and they’re breathing and having their tea peacefully as I’m typing these words right now. Natasha reminded me so much of myself, being the strong woman, she has always been, ever moving forward, giving so much of herself to others. I did get mad at her for using Luke, lying to him then leaving him, but by my second time listening to the book I realized that the heart wants what it wants and can’t be questioned or blamed. In a love triangle someone always loses.
This story really hits me hard because of two reasons. The first is the concept of everlasting love, seeing how deeply Tony and Natasha felt for each other, it made me wonder if anyone will ever love me like that, wait for me and help me get though my inner battles that I don't let anyone witness. Will I ever find someone who I will love so deeply that I'd run away with the day I give my oath to another man? The relationship between Tony and Natasha is so precious and idyllic, something I could never imagine myself having.
The second idea was how well portrayed Tony's struggle with Bulimia nervosa was, it reminded me of my own battle with it. How he used to vomit after every meal, how he hid his sickness and never wanted anyone to know about it or see him struggle even his soulmate. It all hit me way too deep and made me feel so grateful for winning the battle against it, having to deal with the pain no more. This novel is one of the very few novels I read that acknowledges Bulimia and do it justice. I really hope the people who read this book become more aware of how dangerous Bulimia can get and how badly it affects one's well-being, relationships and health.
I felt so much for Luke, but -even though this might sound selfish in a way- I’m glad Natasha has finally found her happiness.
-Sadpun

Impressive

I am a fan of science fiction and I tend to listen to science fiction audio books mostly, and I was looking for a change so decided to pick this audio book from suspense thriller, and must this book impressed me a lot, the story is thrilling and Natasha the protagonist is a character that I would be glad to see on a movie screen, for any suspense thriller the writing skills of the author plays an important role, because even if the story is full of suspense but if the author cannot contain the suspense for the right moment then the story does not impress, but I must say that Elsa Joseph was able to write in a way that she was able to contain and release the suspense at the right moment, which made the story suspenseful and made this audio book an impressive listen.

Enjoyed

I started this intending to listen a little on my morning commute but got so wrapped up in the story that I finished it in one listen. The author tells the story succinctly, which allowed me to get wrapped up in the story but left me wanting more. Now I know who to turn to for my next listen! The narrator's interpretation were also wonderful, Katie Walmsley and Connor McFarlane's voices were clear and crisp, letting the author's words truly shine.

WOW!

What made the experience of listening to Best Kept Secret the most enjoyable?

Love. Real. Intriguing.

Any additional comments?

I really loved the Best Kept Secret by Elsa Joseph! I found the story to be extremely relatable, and that is one of the biggest things I look for in a novel. I think struggling with love is so common. Not just that but mental health is something so many people struggle with all around the world. Not only was it relatable and interesting, but the ending was unexpected! The author did a great job. It was well edited (from an audio standpoint) and the topic was well researched. She did justice to all the characters and their struggles. The only thing I didn't like was when the narrator tried to do an accent it came off kind of cheesy sounding. Overall, I highly recommend this book!

Easy to listen to

I am a big fan of this genre and this genre never fails to impress me, this audio book got my attention and five minutes into the book and I was impressed with story premise and the narration, the main narrator Katie Walmsley speaks calmly which made the audio book easy to listen to.

That's exactly what I'm looking for!

Very interesting and well decorated! I enjoyed the audio-book. Wish there were more! The author has a more sophisticated pace that keeps the listener solidly engaged with the plot line. I'd have to recommend this audible to anyone.

Brilliant story

I was really surprised how quickly engrossed I became in the story. It starts off really quickly and keeps the pace going until the end. Brilliant story - keeps listeners guessing all the way through. I will look out for more from this author. Narrators Katie Walmsley and Connor McFarlane were able to narrate the book nicely, the character of Natasha Dawson is interesting and listeners can feel for Natasha.

The story is amazing

The story is amazing. plenty of twists and enough of a pull on your heartstrings to make you fall into it, Every time I thought I knew where the author was going he surprised me. I was absolutely entranced by this book at the end and that’s really high praise. The narrator was also good and I appreciated that.

Kept me enthralled pretty much from the beginning

Kept me enthralled pretty much from the beginning. story-line was good with some good twists along the way, one of my favorite audio book already, the story is gripping and I couldn’t stop listening the narration was also done nicely by both the narrators.