Exposed by Brighton Walsh (Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads)Also by this author: Captive, Second Chance Charmer
Published by Macmillan on July 21st 2015
Genres: Fiction, New Adult, Romance
Pages: 256
Format: eARC
"Walsh combines erotic heat with a dark, mysterious hero that will leave you begging for more." -Reading Diva's BlogLove can be lost but never forgotten....Beautiful, sophisticated, and engaged to the son of a Senator, Evie Masterson has the perfect life. Except for one thing: it's all based on a lie. Five years ago, she created a new identity for herself and cut all ties to her criminal past. But she can't run forever, because something she witnessed years ago comes back to haunt her. And the only person there to help is the man she thought she left behind forever-the one man she's never been able to forget.Devastatingly gorgeous and just as ruthless, Riley Everett is the criminal for hire who once stole Evie's heart. Years have gone by, but he's never been able to forget her either. Now her life is in jeopardy, and even after all this time, he'd still do anything to protect her, even if that means breaking into her mansion and stealing her away.As they hide from the world, their long-lost passion reignites. But despite their undeniable chemistry, Evie can't give up the perfect life she's been working toward...and Riley has no part in it.
We’re super excited to have Brighton on the blog today answering some of our hard-hitting questions! She’s one of our favorite authors for good reason – if you haven’t read any of her previous titles, go. Now. Read them and then come back here and tell us how much you adore her heroes and love her heroines because that is exactly how we feel about them. Check out what Brighton has to share about her latest, Exposed, and we even find out a bit about what she has coming down the road!
Describe Exposed in 5 words.
Emotional, raw, sexy, suspenseful, and hopeful
We loved Riley from Captive and were so excited to get more of his story in this book. What was your favorite scene to write? What was the most difficult scene to write?
I loved Riley, too. He was a lot of fun to write—not quite as serious as his big brother. My favorite scene to write was the sparring scene. I got to explore five years worth of sexual tension and then *ahem* see it through. Most difficult scene was The Reveal, I’ll call it, and that’s all I can say about it because spoilers!
Were there any scenes that had to be cut that you wish would have stayed in?
I’m a pretty sparse writer, so I rarely have to cut whole scenes. I do, however, tend to have to add more in.
Did any of your characters surprise you by doing something you didn’t expect?
I don’t get surprised a lot by my characters because of how in depth I go before I start writing with the questionnaires. That’s not to say they don’t go in a direction they’re not supposed to (hello, early sex), but I’ve usually got a solid grasp on them as characters by the time I start writing.
Do you have any strange writing habits?
I guess it depends on what you call strange. I think it’s pretty normal: plug my earbuds in, tune in Pandora, and write.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
People who misuse literally.
When you read a real book, what do you use as a bookmark?
All books are real books. LOL But in the case of reading paper books, I generally use whatever I can find—a scrap of paper, an old receipt, or when all that fails, I grab one of my own bookmarks.
What are you currently reading?
I’m not currently reading anything, because I’m in draft mode. Siiiiiigh.
Any advice for aspiring writers?
Make friends in the industry. Writing is so solitary, so those writer friends you make will help you keep your sanity. And keep writing. Don’t give up after an influx of rejections. All it takes is one yes.
What’s next for you? Are you working on anything right now that you can tell us about?
I just wrote The end of a book I can’t talk about just yet, and now I’m diving into my 90s novella that will be published this fall! After that, I have lots up my sleeve. It’s just picking the right project to work on first.
Favorites
Favorite Song (right now)
Night Changes (DON’T JUDGE ME)
Favorite Book (right now)
How to Kill a Rock Star (forever and ever, amen)
Favorite TV Show/Movie
Of all time? FRIENDS. Close runners up: Gilmore Girls and Angel
Favorite Word
Fuck
Favorite Color
Red
Favorite Curse Word
Still fuck
Erin’s Thoughts
When I found out that Brighton Walsh was going to be writing a book about Ghost’s brother Riley I have to admit, I was so excited. We got a small glimpse of him in Captive but in Exposed, Walsh gives us so much more! Honestly, he had me at “Calm your tits.”
This book picks up shortly after Captive ends and I loved that we still get bits with Ghost and Madison. I always love seeing where characters are after the story ends. With that said, this book is about Riley and the one person he has yet to get over, even though she has been gone for 5 years, Evie. And when I say gone, I mean, he has thought she was dead.
In a desperate attempt to get away from the man who tried to kill her (their boss), Evie works with Ghost and another member of their crew to create a new identity and say goodbye to everything she has ever known…including the boy she loves, Riley. When her cover is blown, Evie is pulled back into a world where she is fighting to not only protect herself, but also the only people she has ever really trusted and loved.
As Riley finds out the truth, he doesn’t stop to think. He just gets on his bike and goes to get Evie because he knows she needs him. I loved seeing that side of him but as he realizes that Ghost was in on the secret, the betrayal he feels is overwhelming. Unfortunately for all, Max is again after Evie and in order to protect her until they can come up with a plan, Evie and Riley have to hole up in a friend’s apartment.
There are a number of layers to this story. The first being the thing that Evie knows that put her on Max’s radar to begin with. I won’t say what it is but all you need to know is that in order to get out of the trouble she is in, she has to find out more and come up with some leverage.
There is an aspect of this story that won’t be for everyone but I thought Walsh did a wonderful job of conveying the impact it had on the character’s story without making it the focal point. The past plays a huge role in this story and Evie has something in her past that makes it not only difficult for her to trust, but also difficult to give up control. This is something that creates some challenges in the relationship that Riley and Evie have. That wasn’t always the case but Riley is a different person than he was 5 years ago and that is an adjustment for them both.
A good portion of the story takes place with these two in a confined space and I loved seeing them get to know each other again as well as realize that they are still very much in love with each other, regardless of what they have been up to for the time they have been separated. As secrets are revealed and things begin to come to a head with Max and the crew, Riley, Evie, and Ghost have to come up with a way to survive.
Overall I thought this story had a great mix of suspense, action, and romance. Walsh always does a wonderful job of developing characters and mixing in the sexy times with a great story. If you are looking for a story with all of this, definitely check it out. If you haven’t read Captive, don’t worry. I read both and while there is overlap on the characters, the stories are separate. With that said, you should definitely read it, and everything else Walsh writes, when you can.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!
About Brighton Walsh
Brighton Walsh spent nearly a decade as a professional photographer before deciding to take her storytelling in a different direction and reconnect with her first love: writing. When she’s not pounding away at the keyboard, she’s probably either reading or shopping—maybe even both at once. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and two children, and, yes, she considers forty degrees to be hoodie weather. Her home is the setting for frequent dance parties, Lego battles, and more laughter than she thought possible. Visit her online at brightonwalsh.com.
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