Sinamen Reads Romance: BOOK REVIEW ❤ Storms Over Secrets by J.A. DeRouen

TITLE: Storms Over Secrets

SERIES: Over #3

AUTHOR: J.A. DeRouen

GENRE: Contemporary Romance

SOURCE: Netgalley

PUBLISHED: September 12th 2015

Promises are lies dressed up for the party.

Secrets poison the fairest of fairy tales.

Lies stain the purest of loves.

I've paid the ultimate price for my choices. The tendrils of those sins bind me to my past. The remnants of my love hold me captive.

Then he walks into my life and makes me believe in second chances. He awakens feelings in my I know I shouldn't have. I yearn for a future without guilt. With him, I dream of a love untainted.

Regret is a far reaching emotion. It barrels through time like a blazing comet, and its path isn't always straight. No matter what I feel, I cannot bring myself to regret the time I've spent with Cain.

But it doesn't mean I can have him.

My name is Celia Lemaire, and this is my story of broken promises.

Storms Over Secrets is the third book of The Over Series, a group of interconnected stand alone novels. This book is a new adult romance. It is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

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Oh, I don’t know. I think we need a good storm every once in a while. Maybe the heavens aren’t weeping— maybe storms are the angels washing it all away.

Storms Over Secrets is the 3rd book in the Over series by J.A. DeRouen and my FAVORITE. It is a beautiful, emotional story about moving on from the past, letting go of guilt and finding the strength to forgive yourself. I have long wanted to know Celia’s story because her history has been a bit of the mystery in previous books, but this uniquely written novel cleared up everything. Storm Over Secrets sent me on a merry go round of feelings, leaving me emotionally drained but satisfied when it all ended.

JA DeRouen does a marvelous job telling Celia’s story. The writing is effortless, and the story flowed perfectly. Storm Over Secrets is told in dual points of views alternating between past and present. The first half of the book the present is told from Cain’s point of view and the past from Celia’s. This method of storytelling is a very original and I loved it. Considering Celia’s present is based profoundly on her past, the switch of time and point of views made for a very interesting yet touching read.

You let one mistake lead you down the wrong path. It’s time to belong to yourself again, dear girl, instead of everyone else...

The alternating point of views also creates character building. While learning Celia's past and Cain's present, we realize a few things about our main characters. Celia is loving, trustworthy and faithful. Cain is reliable, entertaining and a self-described country boy with two moms whom he loves dearly. We also have an incredible supporting cast in Caroline, Marlo, Adam, Sara, Alexandra and West. They are amazing friends to Celia and Cain helping them to navigate life and love.

Hope is a dangerous thing, but living without it is unthinkable. I will always hope for Cain and the storms he awakens.

Ultimately, Storms Over Secrets is a fabulous read with two lessons. One of the consequences of keeping secrets and the second on the impact of mental illness. As the story progresses, you recognize the parallels of Cain's life now and Celia's past, how mental illness in different forms affect them both. Although the diseases are different, the effects are still the same. I loved how Ms. DeRouen displayed these two together. It is great writing at it's best. I would highly recommend reading Storms Over Secrets to any and everyone. It can be read as a standalone, but I think it's important to read the previous books in the series to see these two characters through the eyes of their friends. The next story in the series is Marlo's and with a few of her secrets revealed, I'm excited to learn more about her.