Her Dirty Secret (The Safeguarded Heart #4)

Warning: While this book can be read as a standalone, it is part of a series that is recommended to be read in order if you wish to avoid spoilers. The following also contains spoilers for the previous books in the series.

Emily Hoyt is often referred to as a “free spirit,” but she knows that’s just a nice way to say “flake.” Thick-skinned and stubborn, she doesn’t let it bother her -- she simply does what makes her happy. It’s a hard thing to pull off living in the shadow of her perfect big brother, who does everything right. So when big brother Bryce unexpectedly announces he’s married his perfect match, Emily once again feels the pressure to be more than the meandering musician she is.

At exactly the moment she needs it, an opportunity presents itself in an unforeseen way. Alessandro Giordano is the lying, selfish bastard who once hurt her brother’s now-wife. Emily had him pegged as bad news. But when they meet at the engagement-turned-wedding celebration, they’re both looking to escape, and the instant chemistry they have pushes them together.

Is their attraction just a diversion, or could it really be more? Is Alessandro truly capable of the selflessness committing to one woman requires? And will that really be the deal-breaker for Emily, or is it the idea of being tied down that will get in her way? The pursuit of love can devastate us, or it can liberate us -- if only we can get out of our own way.

Note: This is a novella and the fourth book in a steamy contemporary romance series. This book includes mature content, and as such is not recommended for readers under 18 years of age, or those who might be offended by such material.