Member Reviews

An ever changing story which will make you laugh at first but then surprises you when all the sudden it takes a dark turn which gives you whiplash. The story is really cleverly written but almost disjointed in some places, nevertheless I reallly enjoyed it and was left genuinely baffled by the end. A really really unpredictable must read!

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I really enjoyed this book. It is a very unusual topic, looking at the life of sex workers and the difficulty in changing the job. The pressure on the main character while trying to move onto a more mainstream life is intense. I did think that some of her behaviours were unwise!
The behaviours of the "house guests" was unpleasant and unexpected - but the reasons for this were revealed later!
I felt that it was a fast moving story with many unexpected twists which I particularly enjoyed.
The final twist was certainly surprising!

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What an absolutely gripping read from Adele, she always seems to make her books better and better. It was such a unique story about Dora who is an escort but is very good at her job until she meets Daniel. She thinks she can have a new life and get married but things turn sour and a face from the past threatens to haunt her yet again, can Dora escape before it is too late? such a gripping and engaging read, I worried for Dora and it is a story about an escort that many authors probably wouldn't go there but Adele has pulled it out of the bag with this phenomenal masterpiece, I actually felt as though I learnt a little too. I enjoyed this book so much.

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I’ve not read any Adele Parks books before and I really enjoyed this book. It’s interesting from the start and really easy to get into. Dora is a character with a lot of secrets / issues but quite likeable. I’d rate it a solid 4 out of 5 as a couple of the twists are a bit far fetched but on the whole I would recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for my advanced reading copy.

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Plot: Dora works as a high end escort but decides to give up when she gets engaged. When a regular client asks her to accompany him on a week away to a chateau in France and pretend to be his girlfriend she decides one last gig cant hurt. She arrives to be faced with a familiar face from her past who is determined to teach her a lesson. How far will she go to keep her past hidden?

Review: This is a good thriller / suspense novel but i found it little confusing at times to read. I usually love Adele Park's novels but i just didnt feel that this book blew me away. I could see what was going to happen and was waiting for there to be a big reveal / twist but it just didnt really happen. It is a good book and i enjoyed the characters so it was worth reading.

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Teodora, known as Dora to her friend and since her name change by her own admission is a high class sex worker. Her close friend Evan, whom she has never had sex with, has many times offered her a life more like his if she wants it however Dora likes her independence. He is a trust fund baby and works for his fathers company, or at least allegedly so as he spends more time doing what he wants to than working. When Dora is attacked, Evan has a proposition for her, however Daniel who was one of her regular clients also has one- to spend a week posing as his girlfriend at a chateau for a celebration. She thinks it can do no harm as Evan is away. When they arrive the guests are rather strange and without knowing she is being paid have an aversion to Dora and at times she has no memory of things happening. She tries to leave twice to no avail as each time her plans are thwarted. What is going on and can she escape?
I quickly got into this- it has that Adele Parks skill of tension and of something not being quite right. I liked Dora as she came across as an honest tenacious person. Despite her trade (which is explained how she got there- I won’t spoil anything) she was doing her best in life and having seen the seedier side of things could rationalise things better than most. An interesting read with lots of twists towards the end- just how I like it. A brilliant entertaining read.


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A very different read for me and not what I expected. That being said it was a really good read. The saying is that you should never look a gifthorse in the mouth. Trouble is if the main character had done just that it would of been a very different story. Well written by a good author.

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Having been a fan of this author my entire adult life, I totally expected to be thrilled and shocked with this. However, it devastates me to say that it just didn't hit the mark for me. An incredibly punchy first few sentences got my attention, but the rest felt jumpy between back story and present, it didn't quite feel complete, I wasn't overly invested in the characters either. Sex work seems to be quite a prominent feature in a lot of books at the moment, and this one didn't seem believable.
Queen of the twists usually, I waited for that big gasp moment, but it never came.
Readable, but didn't captivate me like usual.

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This one of my favourite authors, I always enjoy her books and this one did not disappoint. At every turn there was a surprise. It kept the reader guessing. Highly recommended

Many thanks to netgalley and Adele Parks for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

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Dora is a complex character with a secret. The journey takes Dora to the South of France and keeps the reader guessing with the different turns. I liked the uniqueness of this book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

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Dora is a high class call girl who following a traumatic incident is leaving the profession to get married. A regular client pressured her to be his girlfriend for a week at a business event before she hangs up her hat, although it sounds like an idyllic getaway, it turns out to be a dreadful decision! I love Adele Parks and was thrilled to have the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. I thought it was a bit of a slow starter, but we needed to know all about Dora and what led her here. It’s when she decides to go to the business event that that story heats up and there are plenty of twists and turns right to the end!

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I'm not entirely sure why, but I just couldn't get into this book, it just made me feel on edge all the time, and I whilst I know it was thriller I just felt very uncomfortable and out of sorts with the story. I suppose the fact that I didn't like the main character didn't help either. I know she was an escort, that wasn't the issue as it was in the book blurb, but she made some really stupid choices especially after certain incidents. I thought it would get better as it went on, but then it started getting very weird - and then a dog died, and that was the final nail in the coffin for me.

It's like my Kindle didn't want me to read it either as every time I came back to reading it, it got stuck and I had to reboot it! Very odd as every other book worked fine. In the end it just wasn't for me, which was a shame as I really enjoyed Adele Park's last book 'Just My Luck' which is why I wanted to read this one. Hopefully it's just a blip and her next one will be much better suited for me.

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Dora used to work as an escort. That was before she got engaged to Evan.
But when her favourite client, Daniel, offers her one last job – playing the role of his girlfriend on a trip to France with his friends – Dora can't refuse. And no one knows where she is when things go horribly wrong ...
Adele Parks has allowed her vivid imagination to truly run amok with this one, but if you can suspend your disbelief and play along, you'll find it a highly entertaining and riveting read. Lots of twists and turns throughout!

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"One Last Secret" is a powerful story of the way in which women are treated in modern times. The lead narrator is Dora, an escort who has been forced into this line of work out of desperation. There are actually two secrets revealed towards the end of the book; one can be guessed beforehand but the other is a surprise. The tension builds throughout the novel, with flashbacks explaining how Dora got to where she is today.

Another great read from Adele Parks.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

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Wow, this was so different. I absolutely loved the fourth wall element. It really made me feel like Dora was talking directly to me and therefore involving me in her story!
I took a chance on this author as I’d never read anything by her before, but I kept seeing her other books being raved about. So, when I saw this on NetGalley, I decided to give her a chance and clicked request. I am happy I did as I thoroughly enjoyed this, and I think it is the fastest I have read a book in a long time. I read 20% in the first sitting and 80% in the second, pinning my eyes open with sticks to finish it!
Dora takes us on a journey of her life as a high-end escort. There are no details spared, and you really start to like Dora straightaway. When she is attacked, you feel for her and can even feel each blow she receives.
The book keeps you gripped and guessing where it could go. I didn’t reread the blurb before starting, so I had no preconceptions of what this book was about (it had been a while since I requested it, so I couldn’t remember what it said). So, for me, this really helped with the intrigue as I just didn’t know where this book was going to take me. There are a lot of twists and turns, and about 50% of the way in, you have to recalibrate everything you thought you knew about Dora. It was so brilliantly executed.
The ending is thrilling, and I didn’t know if she would get out alive. She really does fight for her life, and it keeps you glued to the page.
This is undoubtedly one of the best books that I’ve read in a while, and without a doubt, I will be reading more of this author’s work. If I could give it more than five stars, I would!

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Dora is a beautiful escort, who is nearing a change of career. After a dreadful event, she cannot resist one last job as an escort for Daniel to a beautiful French chateau. However, immediately upon arrival it becomes clear that Dora has stepped into a dangerous world. Secrets have a habit of coming back to haunt. An overblown read, this novel is gripping even if it does require a huge suspension of belief.

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Dora has a job that many would think they wouldn’t do, couldn’t even imagine agreeing to it. But ever pragmatic, she sees it as a means to an end – and it’s almost done. That said, she’s agreed to one final job… and what a location. A week at a beautiful chateau in the south of France is not to be sniffed at, plus there’s no worry about anything less than legal going on. All she has to do is to convince her partner’s friends that they’re dating. It shouldn’t be an issue; Dora is very used to persuading others to believe in what she’s doing. But things aren’t exactly picture perfect in France and she quickly realises that although this is the life of which many dream, for her it’ll become a trap… and a nightmare. This is transfixing; you’ll be pulled into another of Adele’s canny plots and it’s a fantastic read. One that’ll get the conversation flowing.

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Many thanks to NetGalley, HQ and Adele Parks for my ARC of One Last Secret for an honest review.

As a huge fan of this author, I was delighted to receive my copy and devoured it within two days. Another brilliant read.

Dora, a high-class sex worker, has built an independent life where she looks after herself as best she can in the sleezy world she operates in. One night it goes wrong and her friend, Evan, talks her into quitting and marrying him.

The narrative from Dora surrounding the lifestyle and events are brilliant and ending oozes class.

Highly recommended.

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Dora is a high class escort. The job can be dangerous, but she has all the strategies in place to deal with any eventuality, or has she?

I really enjoyed the start of this book, but as it progressed I found Dora to be very naive, especially in her line of work. Also, to take “one last job” because she had always had to be careful with money, seemed a little unrealistic being as she had just become engaged to a very wealthy chap!

The plot was very thorough, with some good twists and turns, but, even allowing for keeping the reader entertained, it was too far fetched at times.

I have read several books by this author and completely enjoyed them. Sorry but I don’t think this is anywhere near as good as others. I would recommend other books by this author rather than this one.

Thank you NetGalley.

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This did not go where I thought it would, not in the slightest! Now that isn't a complaint, but I like a vague idea of what I'm getting myself into.
I'm no prude, I loved reading about the tumultuous life of a high class call girl... but some things need trigger warnings.
There is intense sexual violence, drugging / spiked drinks and repeated gaslighting and that needed to be made very explicitly clear before reading.

It's well written for the most part, but a rather sudden and prolonged change in tense with little to no context was off-putting and took me out of the story a little.

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