No More Secrets

I went into *No More Secrets* expecting a lighthearted fling of a rom-com, but Score delivered a story with surprising depth and a hero who’s more than just a grumpy-with-a-heart-of-gold trope. Carter Pierce isn’t your typical alpha hero—he’s a former Marine who’s traded combat boots for work boots, and his instinct to shut everything (and everyone) out feels earned, not just convenient. The way Score weaves his military past into his present—his hyper-awareness of threats, his discomfort with casual touch, the way he measures loyalty in sweat and sacrifice—adds layers to his character that most rom-coms skip. Lila Winters’ narration is a masterclass in balancing humor and heart. Her voice for Carter’s exasperated growls is so authentic I could hear the grit in his jaw, while her portrayal of the town’s meddling busybody, Mabel, is pure Southern chaos—equal parts gossip queen and accidental oracle. The pacing is relentless, with Score’s snappy dialogue and escalating stakes keeping the story moving at a clip that feels like a rom-com sprint. My only critique? The supporting cast sometimes steals the spotlight—especially the town’s collective antics, which verge on caricature at times. It’s fun, but by the halfway point, I wished we’d spent a little more time with the leads alone. That said, the chemistry between Carter and the heroine is electric, and the payoff is worth the chaos. By the final chapter, I was grinning like an idiot, already jonesing for the next book in the series.