Secret Lives After Hours (The Kane Heirs #2) by Cynthia St. Aubin is a book about secrets. 
Since Charlotte Westbrook meets Mason Kane, she had some kind of crush on him that she hides. When Mason knows about her attraction to him, he starts to watch Charlotte closely, finding his father’s assistant very tempting. He knows she’s off limits; his father’s cardinal rule says any relationships between employees are forbidden. Plus, Charlotte is the happily-ever-after type.
“That girl in there is three parts Cinderella and one part Bambi. Now, I know you stepped in to help Arlie when the shit hit the fan with her and Samuel, and I appreciate it, but we both know that doesn’t make you Prince Charming.”
Charlotte, on her part, knows the rich playboy is out of her league. Everything is against them…but fate puts Charlie and Mason together in a totally unexpected place.
Both have after-hours secret lives they enjoy. Charlie writes romance books. Mason fights in an underground rich boys-only mixed martial arts ring called The League. Thanks to her research job for her upcoming book, Charlie gets the almost impossible chance to be in The League as a guest. That’s the moment they find out their respective secrets. Finding out Charlie’s adventurous vein, Mason invites her to a week in the French Riviera.
But what will happen when reality hits them? Charlie is a hard working girl, who deals with her mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. She doesn’t have the luxury to lose her very demanding job. Her escape route comes from her writing and researching job. Mason has the pressure of living by his father’s expectations. He doesn’t like his job and lives like a spoiled brat, experiencing everything a rich man can have access. As he introduces Charlotte in that life, he discovers a few things about himself: she need someone better than him.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he rasped, his voice tight and husky.
She explored him with her fingers, marveling at how it could be so silky, hot and hard all at once. “Why not?”
“Because one day you’ll stop.”
Against all odds, their HOT chemistry did wonders to them while they’re in the French Riviera. Their differences made them more likable to the reader, as well. And as reality comes back, all those obstacles will appear but they’ll find a way to overcome them.
As I mentioned before, Charlie’s mother’s illness and Mason’s family defines our heroine and hero’s personalities. We see Samuel and Arlie from book one of this series (now living their happily ever after), Marlowe (Mason’s sister) and Parker (Mason’s father) as this rich family with a huge social weight on their shoulders, too aware of what would people say and the consequences their scandals would bring to their reputations. (Speaking of scandals, Mason’s former mistress Madison shows Mason’s frivolous side in which sex and games have the key role, making him realize how superficial his life was comparing to Charlie’s.) On the contrary, Charlotte’s family (her mother Rebecca and her brother James) has normal people’s worries: how to get the best care for Rebecca’s degenerative illness.
I connected with the hero and heroine since book one—I really was dying to read Mason’s story!!—and found this book a very well written one, but with a few flaws. First of all, the ending is a bit open respecting Mason and Charlotte. Secondly, I wanted to know more about Mason’s childhood years, since he calls them “the psychological trauma of my childhood”. Getting a bit deeper in that moment of his life and the Kane family’s dynamics, maybe?
That said, Ms. St. Aubin’s storytelling is entertaining with funny and witty quotes mixing it with deep introspections from hero and heroine. Also, the suspense factor was something I didn’t expected in this book and I loved it. Especially when it could involve the third story of this series. Can’t wait until October to read Marlowe’s book!!
Book Info:
Publication: August 23rd, 2022 | Harlequin Desire | The Kane Heirs #2
A wealthy playboy plans to school his father’s shy assistant in the pleasures of the French Riviera, but she may teach him a thing or two in this The Kane Heirs novel by Cynthia St. Aubin.
“This is a match I can’t afford to lose.”
After two years of wanting billionaire Mason Kane from afar, shy Charlotte Westbrook is shocked—and thrilled—to find the polished executive boxing in an elite underground fight club. But her boss’s son may have learned her dirty little secret, too. Now Mason is offering to whisk her away for a glamorous vacation in the Cote d’Azur to explore each other’s secret sides. One unforgettable week of Mason unleashed. One week for Charlotte to prove she’s his equal both in bed and out… What could possibly go wrong?
From Harlequin Desire: A luxurious world of bold encounters and sizzling chemistry.
You’ll be swept away by this bold, sizzling romance, part of The Kane Heirs series:
Book 1: Corner Office Confessions
Book 2: Secret Lives After Hours
Book 3: Bad Boy with Benefits
