Dirty Little Midlife Secret (Heart’s Cove Hotties) Paperback – January 18, 2022

Dirty Little Midlife Secret focuses on Lily, otherwise known as Iliana,the younger sister of Candice (who found happiness with movie star Blake Harding in Book 3) and Trina (who snagged biker/teacher/potter Mac Blair in Book 4). Candice co-owner the Four Cups Cafe, a local hangout where townsfolk exchange news and speculation about the goings-on among their neighbors. The girls' mother is one of those gossips.Candice has come home after years of globe-trotting because she is carrying two huge secrets: she's pregnant and she has breast cancer. She fully intends to tell her family but chickens out because she doesn't want their smothering sympathy. Meanwhile, she has met Rudy, grandson of the grumpy and intimidating bookstore owner, and she doesn't want to tell him because she's afraid of losing him.The twists and turns surrounding who knows which secret and how everything come to light contain some great comedy--a bar conversation between Rudy and the father of Lily's baby, neither of them realizing who the other is, provides knowing giggles, and a crash into a champagne tower gives the reader a laugh-out-loud moment as Monroe depicts Rudy's crabby grandma tearing into the obnoxious cousin who bumped into Rudy and caused him and Lily to fall into the tower in the first place. The makeout scene in the restroom where they to to bandage their glass-filled cuts forces Lily to tell Rudy why she freezes up when he tries to touch her there. She also swears Trina to secrecy after her sister finds a pregnancy-related document belonging to Lily and guesses the truth.The biggest problem with the book is Lily's reluctance to share her secrets with the people closest to her. Rudy knows one, Trina knows the other, and it's just a matter of time before everything is revealed. Monroe opens the book at Lily's obstetrician appointment but doesn't let her reveal the "other problem" or "everything else" until she tells Rudy. She should trust her readers more; I guessed it was cancer closer to 20 pages before she tells him, and I'm sure many others did the same thing.Overall, these problems are minor, and having read the first five books in the series I was prepared for a happy ending, even if I didn't know how it would come about. Monroe drops hints along the way that the three of them (Lily, Rudy, and baby) will end up living in Rudy's house, but it takes a later-term delivery scare and a brush-off of both Rudy and the baby's father from Lily to bring events to a satisfactory conclusion. I polished it off in three days, so it's a pretty fast read, and Monroe's smooth prose pushed me along from one page to the next. Highly recommended to readers who enjoy a fun rom-com with medium heat.

Blinking at my big sister, I let her words sink in. Then Fiona ambles over with a broom and leans it against the wall before putting her hands on her hips. “I’ll help. Grant has all kinds of tools in his workshop we can use to chop him up into itty bitty little pieces. He showed me how to use the table saw just last week. It’s kind of fun.” They look at me, completely serious, and I feel my lips twitch. Then the three of us burst into inappropriate, raucous laughter, and all the tension in me drains away. Nothing says friendship like homicidal intentions.

Light, sexy and fun reading. I’ve enjoyed reading books 1 thru 6. The women in these stories have been fun, quirky and like ably. This author can write.

Lily has secrets. Big secrets. But she needs her family now and she needs to put down roots near them. And she doesn't know how to tell them what's really going on in her life. Along the way she crosses paths with Rudy, and a single date is promised...a last might of pleasantly while she puts off her unwelcome new reality...only its not going to be just one date.A look at the real emotions of hard events that many women face. And choices, some good and some less good, that reveal how much more support and connection is out there for us if we'll only trust others and share honestly with those who care about us.Our HEA comes rapidly at the end, and it's brevity might be my only real complaint. It's all good though.

Is it just me? I get that the girls are into each others business but when is what happens inside the bedroom stays in the bedroom and really is no ones business, especially how big their partner's 'dong' is. The repetitive is getting on my last reading nerve. Gotta get to reading books 6,7,8,and 9 with the same forty plus insecure women nonsense. Goodness gracious, couldn't one of these heroines have their act somewhat together.

Phew, I was worried after the last book didn't appeal to me if this book would be the same. I'm glad to say it wasn't. This book was one of my favorites. I related to the characters because I've had friends that experienced both sides of the premise of this book. It was hard to see. Neither of them got the happily ever after of this one. However, this book gave me a "what if" they had.Loved seeing my favorite characters. Looking forward to Nora next.

I have been waiting for Rudy to get his own story! I was glad to see Lily was his love interest. I liked how sweet and growly he was. I actually would have liked more with his grandmother. Also the cousin never did get told that Rudy was not as bad as he assumed. Maybe he’s a future character? He was one of those characters I wasn’t sure I was supposed to hate. He did realize his own flaws later on. My only extra thought that it actually be nice to have a ex/dad who wants his kids and coparent with the characters. I love these stories because they have such a realistic vibes. I think it be great to have two exes who can’t be married, but love their kids passionately.

This book had me laughing and crying and and angry for everything Lily was going through! Even with all that Lily and Rudy are good together especially after they took down their walls!

Lily comes home with a secret (or two). She has spent her adult life traveling the world, but things are about to change and she’s come to Hearts Cove to be with her mum and sisters. Rudy has always lived in Hearts Cove and has a bit of a reputation as a ladies man. They are instantly attracted to each other, but Lily is in no place for a relationship and Rudy isn’t a relationship kind of guy, so that should be perfect, right? Lily’s life is so complicated even although she develops feelings for Rudy she thinks she can’t drag him in to her struggles. I saw one of her struggles coming after reading the epilogue on the previous book in this series, but not the other. Talk about tough! I got a little frustrated with Lily at points, thinking just tell them!! but understood a little of how she felt through experience with family and know that her fears were valid. Rudy didn’t think he wanted to open his heart again after a previous relationship, but his heart just wouldn’t give up on Lily. For me this was as much a love story of Lily and the women around her as it was with Rudy. Lily (and Rudy) definitely deserved their HEA.

These has been a nice series to read. Lily has come home to Hearts Cove after travelling the world needing her family to help her through what is going to be a difficult time. She has secrets that she has to tell but is reluctant to let them know. She meets the handsome Rudy in his grandmothers bookshop and her flirts with her. Rudy is the town playboy never having settled with any of the ladies but has had fun and Lily thinks that one last fling before she has to open up to her problems would be good. Rudy enjoys her company and he changes his mind about having just a fling. Lily backs off. The story does drag a bit when she is chopping and changing her mind about her secrets but it ended nicely.

Another fab addition to this series! I really felt for Lily. She was a brave woman facing up to her fears and trying to do the right thing by everyone. Rudy was just beautifully drawn - the perfect man! Well done, bring on the next.

Aww, this one was a bit of a tear-jerker! You couldn't help but feel for Lily, going through such a lot, and Rudy had a few issues to deal with. Loved it.

Fantastic, fabulous, fabulous, fantastic, brilliant, fabulous, fantastic, brilliant, loved it. Great characters brilliant story. I laughed and laughed and cried. Going to start the next one now.