I never thought I would be brought to tears reading this type of genre but here we are. This book follows the story of college student Aubrey Adams and her roommate/ best friend Natalie. They come from very different backgrounds and values until Natalie talks Aubrey into working at Sanctuary Cove with her, where her financial issues change forever. This book is an escort/ age gap trope. I enjoyed reading it but it was a little difficult at times to follow the storyline.

Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing for providing me with an ebook to read in exchange for my review.

These are deeply flawed and selfish characters but as the reader, reading the train wreck- All the stars for impeccable writing.

We’re talking about cheating, lying, keeping secrets, being a sex worker while keeping it a secret from her partners. Those two partners weren’t aware she was sleeping with both men. AND then some. So many lies and secrets. One MMC is married. And it’s all a hot mess.

Aubrey is tired of struggling to make ends meet and wants to give her Grammy more than what she has. After all,Grammy is the one that raised Aubrey and now wants to take care of her .. and her cats.

Aubrey’s bestie and roomie admits she’s an escort and gets Aubrey to try it too.. and the downhill disaster starts.
Being a sex worker she’s meets many men. Some great, others not so but a silver fox James stands out. A married man. A flawed man. I honestly didn’t like his character. He never took No as an answer and became stalkerish.. and not the sexy kind.
Aubrey also starts dating an innocent doctor and strung him along keeping her second identity a secret from him. It was heartbreaking to see him fall for her and she was using him to feel “normal.”
Aubrey and James set up a deal to keep hooking up and they were catching feelings… alas.. Aubrey never dumped the boyfriend nor quit her job as a sex worker which James required.

I’m telling you these characters are all selfish assholes but the storyline and the writing was absolutely fantastic. I couldn’t stop reading. I had to see Aubrey’s world crash and boy oh boy. It does.

It’s a coming of age story. It’s about making mistakes. Learning to stop being selfish and messing with other peoples hearts and emotions. It’s about discovering yourself. Gotta lose it all to gain something new.
“Every day when I step out of the apartment to meet a client, I wonder why Jesus is walking next to me when the Devil is right behind me."

The Devil catches up to Aubrey and serves her a nice slice of humble pie.

As much as I thought the characters were pieces of shit (lmao) - I loved this book. I’ll be continuing the duet asap.

I was looking for a good spicy book, and this one did NOT disappoint! I was hesitant at first because some of the main characters dialogue seemed a little unnatural to me, but in the end I attributed it to the main character being young (21) whereas I'm a decade older and maybe that's why it felt off to me. This was a very quick and entertaining read with a great ending!

A smashing hit that leaves me yearning for more
The room temp just raised about ten degrees
Hush hush cuz I need to read this again

This book was amazing and I devoured this book in just a few sittings! I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

A new author to me I haven't checked out in the past Lucia Franco. Hush Hush which is book #1 in the Hush Hush Duet. The storyline of this book has very spicy streamy content so be aware. I enjoyed the storyline for the most part and some of the character.

Thank you Net Galley for a copy of this book!

Holy s*&t balls. What a ride this was!

4.5 stars.
3.5 spice.

This was my first escort/client and age gap book, and it did not disappoint.

I laughed, I was heartbroken, and there may or may not have been tears. Ok yes I had tears of joy and heartbreak!

This book started off with so much spice, a good friendship and laughs. I felt the middle just lacked something that i cant quite put my finger on. But, the ending, OMG. I couldn't have thought of a better ending.

Looking forward to reading the sequel.

I have posted this review on Instagram, Good Reads, and Amazon.

I first read Hush Hush a year and a half ago and I loved it even more the second time I read it. Lucia Franco does age gap / taboo better than anyone. Aubrey is a character fighting for her place in the world, coming from nothing with very few people in her life. It’s a story that sticks with you long after. I’m going to go follow it up next with Say Yes, I’m not done with Aubrey and James! Thank you so much for the ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op | Page & Vine.

This is a captivating romance with an age-gap dynamic. The story revolves around Aubrey, a young woman who joins New York City's high-stakes escort scene and falls for James Riviera, a man she shouldn't desire. Their secret relationship, characterized by passion and concealment, tests their loyalty and sense of self. I enjoyed how the book depicted the opulent and hedonistic lifestyle of the wealthy, and the chemistry between Aubrey and James was intense. The story is filled with unexpected emotional developments, making it difficult to stop reading. While some of Aubrey's choices are controversial, the book's authenticity and complexity kept me engaged. This is a must-read for fans of intense, forbidden romance.

This story had me hooked so bad and I loved every moment of it. I felt all the highs and lows of the characters and wanted to scream at a couple of them because I was just so sucked into this story. This had all the feels of a romance but with all the spicy that you could want and need from this genre.

This was my first book from Lucia Franco, but I’ve seen her books advertised with rave reviews and after reading the blurb for Hush Hush I was hooked. I mean Pretty Woman meets Fifty Shades of Grey! Why wouldn’t you want to read that mash up! Unfortunately, for me this book was one of those ones that just didn’t live up to the hype. I loved the premise of the story even though the age gap between the hero and heroine was a little too gappy for me, she was barely twenty one while he was knocking on fifty but he was a tatted up silver fox so I could make allowances but still, anything where the gap makes the man old enough to be the woman’s father is generally a big no and the more I read, the more he came across as being manipulative and slightly sleazy. But where this book really fell flat was with the heroine Aubrey. She was completely unlikeable with no endearing qualities whatsoever and went down the escort route because it was an easy option even as she told herself it was for her dear old grandma’s sake. If that was supposed to redeem the character in the eyes of readers, it didn’t work for me. Did I finish this book? Yes, but it was a struggle. I did feel it turned into a bit of sex fest and could probably have been condensed and concentrated a bit more on the actual story.

Absolute WOW!!!
Franco is a new to me author and I could not put this read down.

Full of emotion, angst and drama, it was a journey seeing Aubrey make the decision that could change everything.

The chemistry throughout this book was sc0rching hot! I adored the ride. It was unforgettable

Lucia Franco can write a book that grabs your attention and won't let you go. I laughed, gasped, and cried while reading this book. I didn't want to put it down and read late into the night, or rather early morning hours. The only thing is that I hated the cheating that happened by the main characters. Ugh. But I ugly cried for them. I was completely invested. Loved the ending and definitely want more. Hopefully I can read book two soon.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC. This is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Free spirited college girls get sucked into the world of high priced escorts, and one gets a lot more than she expected. Quite the rollercoaster of feelings and challenges. Some common tropes woven together, and not for the prudish. A definite spice-driven tale.

I ended up dnfing this about half way through. I went into it blind and had no idea it had cheating in it or I wouldn’t have read it. I liked most of it up until that point but I can’t get past the cheating.

I wasn't sure how much I'd like this going into it, but I heard nothing but good things. Franco did not disappoint! I loved Aubrey and Nat. Honestly their friendship at the beginning gave me life. Franco's writing is easy to follow but more so it's very personal and it's so easy to fall into the story. To root for the characters and want nothing but the best for our girl. Plus, it takes place in NYC and being born and raised there I love seeing authors write their stories there. It feels so personal to me. The spice was fantastic. I laughed out loud; I clutched my pearls. Hush Hush takes you on a damn journey and every good thing people say about it is true!

This isn’t the usual book I’m into as it is quite spicy. It has a pretty woman meets a much darker story kind of vibe to it. I can’t really say too much without giving it away. I liked that it did have a good story line to go along with the spice.

This book was okay for me. I struggled to remain focused on the storyline and the characters weren’t my favorite. It was a pretty good plot overall, so I will be recommending to my followers.

This book made me feel SOOO many emotions! The spice, had me almost crying In the end and then relief that the book ended the way I wanted it too! I absolutely loved it!

Wow! Where do I start with this book? Described as Pretty Woman meets Fifty Shades of Grey - they wasn’t kidding! I absolutely loved this, couldn’t put it down and can’t wait for another instalment. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Best friends Natalie and Aubrey are college students who come from very different backgrounds. Aubrey works two pitiful paid jobs alongside a scholarship to put herself through college following the death of her parents, she also takes care of her Grammy who raised her. Natalie has a lavish lifestyle, a huge trust fund and a well paid job to support her high end lifestyle.

Natalie opens the door to her secret job which Aubrey believed to be a shot girl. Through much persuasion and testing, Aubrey signs up to the agency and begins receiving the same pay checks as Natalie, but there are some rules - never reveal your true identity! A client changes this for Aubrey and compromises everything… her friendship, her relationship, her dream - is this really love or money.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for a copy of Hush Hush Published May 2024