I loved Declan and Finley’s story! Two very lost souls find each other and then heal each other. It’s a beautiful story of falling in love even when you don’t feel worthy. I loved Finley’s innocence and spunk and Declan’s determination. A true love story. ( )

So I feel like Ive been waiting for this story like forever and let me tell you it was definitely worth the long wait.
This was so much more than what I was expecting and I'm going to try and articulate my thoughts and impressions here without giving anything away so you get to experience this as I did blind.
So brief run through here this starts with Finley and her parents and the events that traumatised a little girl of seven on her birthday all those years ago.
The conclusion of this event was witnessed by a young Declan on the island with his father and the young boy never forgot the little girl and the look in her eyes as she was finally brought home to safety after her terrible ordeal.
Fast-forward a few years and a grown-up Declan needs space, somewhere to recover out of the spotlight and away from his baseball career that at this moment in time is hanging somewhat because of Declan's enslavement to his own personal demons.
Declan's family are patrons to Tristan da Cunha almost becoming honoured guests over the years so this remote island secluded and off the grid is the ideal place for Declan to lie low and recover.
This island I was fascinated to realise is actually a real place and this to me made this all the more of an interesting and real story to experience.



Enter Finley, prickly and tad oversensitive especially at first in regards to the resident red sox all-star and after the first encounter between these two is such a bust Declan is then playing catch up trying to win Finley around to his corner.
Now it's here that I thought I had Covet's number: I'm thinking romantic but funny enemies to lovers type scenario with maybe some sinful secrets to impart: but what I got was so much more.
Covet deals with some harrowing and realistic scenes of addiction and withdrawal and it doesn't gloss over this showing everything in all its unapologetic glory.
This gave us a window into the repercussions of dependence and its potential aftermaths.
We got to see Declan in such a stripped-back situation and this really showcased his vulnerabilities and internal shame as Finley got to see maybe unintentionally beneath the persona and outward veneer he usually projects to those around him.
I think this is really how she manages to slip and burrow beneath his skin replacing and becoming his new drug of choice.
There is just something about Finley that soothes his inner angst calming him slightly and giving him a break from all the external noise he is currently experiencing.
I do have a somewhat limited understanding of these battles: not for myself but for a very close family member so I really liked that the author didn't sugar coat this heavy topic: Covet basically hangs it all out openly to dry and I think this was what made this such a great story for me.
the scenes here were vividly intense and seemed to me, wholly authentic: they added a depth of feeling and emotion to the overall narrative that I was not actually expecting pushing this up to a whole new level of brilliance.
I felt so emotionally connected to both Finley and Declan and loved the slow burn pace that this took.
That first carnal scene between them was so hot and heavy that I could feel the sensual heat it projected, scorching me down to my very toes so great was the heat factor here: in fact, when this took off the intensity here was fiercely consuming.
There was so much here to recommend this twists and secrets from both sides that emerge out into the open, adventure and hardship it really was one hell of a read one that I really recommend highly.
It was a long read but one I enjoyed immensely and read in one complete sitting.
Covet definitely gets my seal of approval.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of Covet (Sinful Secrets, #3).
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com ( )

So I feel like Ive been waiting for this story like forever and let me tell you it was definitely worth the long wait.
This was so much more than what I was expecting and I'm going to try and articulate my thoughts and impressions here without giving anything away so you get to experience this as I did blind.
So brief run through here this starts with Finley and her parents and the events that traumatised a little girl of seven on her birthday all those years ago.
The conclusion of this event was witnessed by a young Declan on the island with his father and the young boy never forgot the little girl and the look in her eyes as she was finally brought home to safety after her terrible ordeal.
Fast-forward a few years and a grown-up Declan needs space, somewhere to recover out of the spotlight and away from his baseball career that at this moment in time is hanging somewhat because of Declan's enslavement to his own personal demons.
Declan's family are patrons to Tristan da Cunha almost becoming honoured guests over the years so this remote island secluded and off the grid is the ideal place for Declan to lie low and recover.
This island I was fascinated to realise is actually a real place and this to me made this all the more of an interesting and real story to experience.



Enter Finley, prickly and tad oversensitive especially at first in regards to the resident red sox all-star and after the first encounter between these two is such a bust Declan is then playing catch up trying to win Finley around to his corner.
Now it's here that I thought I had Covet's number: I'm thinking romantic but funny enemies to lovers type scenario with maybe some sinful secrets to impart: but what I got was so much more.
Covet deals with some harrowing and realistic scenes of addiction and withdrawal and it doesn't gloss over this showing everything in all its unapologetic glory.
This gave us a window into the repercussions of dependence and its potential aftermaths.
We got to see Declan in such a stripped-back situation and this really showcased his vulnerabilities and internal shame as Finley got to see maybe unintentionally beneath the persona and outward veneer he usually projects to those around him.
I think this is really how she manages to slip and burrow beneath his skin replacing and becoming his new drug of choice.
There is just something about Finley that soothes his inner angst calming him slightly and giving him a break from all the external noise he is currently experiencing.
I do have a somewhat limited understanding of these battles: not for myself but for a very close family member so I really liked that the author didn't sugar coat this heavy topic: Covet basically hangs it all out openly to dry and I think this was what made this such a great story for me.
the scenes here were vividly intense and seemed to me, wholly authentic: they added a depth of feeling and emotion to the overall narrative that I was not actually expecting pushing this up to a whole new level of brilliance.
I felt so emotionally connected to both Finley and Declan and loved the slow burn pace that this took.
That first carnal scene between them was so hot and heavy that I could feel the sensual heat it projected, scorching me down to my very toes so great was the heat factor here: in fact, when this took off the intensity here was fiercely consuming.
There was so much here to recommend this twists and secrets from both sides that emerge out into the open, adventure and hardship it really was one hell of a read one that I really recommend highly.
It was a long read but one I enjoyed immensely and read in one complete sitting.
Covet definitely gets my seal of approval.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of Covet (Sinful Secrets, #3).
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com ( )

Find this review and others at Carlene Inspired.

I am a longtime Ella James fan and I've been patiently waiting for the Sinful Secrets novels to be continued, so you can probably picture my excitement when Covet finally got a release date. I absolutely went into it with high expectations and I think EJ hit it out of the park. Just like Sloth and Murder, the characters and the sin they must work through are difficult and EJ does a fantastic job of describing it all. You can feel the ache of temptation, the pangs of loneliness, and the desperation of addiction. Like the previous novels, Covet is a standalone told from the perspectives of two main characters, Declan "Homer" Carnegie and Finley Evans. The only difference, for me, was the cover. Yes, the man on the cover of this novel has an incredible body, but am I the only one who misses the aesthetic of Sloth and Murder? Just me? Ok, I won't speak of it again.

Ella James, like many authors, has the task of creating an original story in a world of books, where authors have written it all. The Sinful Secrets standalone series focuses on the seven deadly sins. While coveting someone isn't new to the fiction world, the characters featured on this tiny island and storyline this novel follows is absolutely fresh. Declan may be the handsome baseball star, but rehab continues to fail him and this is his last shot with his team management breathing down his back. Finley is the girl who survived the worst, the girl who volunteers for anything on the island of Tristan da Cunha, and she's the only girl who wants nothing to do with Declan, at least she thinks that. Their attraction to one another is instant, part of the sparks flying is their natural beauty and part of it is the thoughts they've carried of one another for years. Secrets don't lend themselves to romance though and while the two are willing to shed their skin, they aren't willing to spill their truths, and when they do, the things revealed may be insurmountable.

I was incredibly impressed with how well Ella James described the different stages of grief, addiction, withdrawal, and even love. More than the emotional state of the characters, we see how their interactions change, we see the deep, physical ache that comes from both the known and the unknown, and we see the important memories in the characters that have shaped them. I didn't actually sort out how the sin of coveting played into the story for nearly half the novel though, so I will say that I was surprised with the reveal. The slow pacing of the novel does mean it takes time to warm up to the characters, to the setting, but I have to admit I loved the emotional upheaval I went through as the story, the puzzle pieces, clicked into place.

While I don't know what it's like to live on a remote island with very little outside interaction, I felt like I was right there alongside Declan and Finley, in the rain, in the dark, in the tiny homes hoping to remain undiscovered. It's a heart wrenching, powerful story and I love that the romance isn't glossy and perfect, rather filled with jagged edges and sharp points the characters must climb to conquer.

ARC provided. ( )

5 gobsmacked stars

I had to mentally prepare myself for this story because this author pulls no punches when it comes to decimating her readers hearts. I thought I had what this story was going to be about nailed down. Figured it would be a enemies to lovers romance or follow the path of Sloth (one of my all-time favorite books EVER). I was wrong. So very wrong. It is heartbreaking. It was poignant. It was slow burning angst at its best. Quite simply, it was captivating and why books hold power. It was truly sublime magic.

I won't get into the storyline of this amazing book, instead I suggest going in blind. Not everything is as it seems. Both Finley and Declan harbor secrets but it's how the deal with those secrets that makes the book. Ella James is a master at her craft and her pen (computer) is truly a sword that will cut to your very soul. She discusses issues that are painful but does so with grace and kindness. She doesn't sugarcoat but she also doesn't make them ugly.

Definitely in my best of 2019 and going into my all-time vault. I'll be thinking about this beautiful story for days to come. ( )