KEEPING SECRETS IN SEATTLE by Brooke Moss

Keeping Secrets in Seattle by Brooke Moss
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

NetGalley free read

I thought this was a really sweet story. Violet 'Vi' has been in love with her best friend Gabe since they met when they were in kindergarten. When they were sixteen, they tried dating, but something happend that cabe between them. Ten years later Violet is ready to tell Gabe she's always been in love with him when he announces at his family's Christmas Dinner that he's engaged to mean girl Alicia. Alicia doesn't like Vi because of her relationship with Gabe and his family. She's one way in front of Gabe and his family and another in front of her.

After a period of time wallowing in her own misery, Vi decides that its time to move on and while out with her friends and roommates Kim and Betsy (who are a couple), she meets Landon. Landon is a lot like Vi. He has his own style and lots of tattoos. He's a sweet guy who immediately falls for Vi and she wants to fall for him. Every time she thinks she's getting close to Landon, Gabe calls or texts her. They even have a few moments where there seems to be more between them, but Gabe inevitably is too busy to listen or someone, namely his fiance Alicia, interrupts.

Vi decides to tell Gabe what happened when they were sixteen when they broke up. He seems to think she slept with his other bet friend, Cameron, while he was upstairs at a house party. What he doesn't know is that his friend assaulted Vi. Her mother told her to not say anything and she didn't. She's been carrying it around for ten years and thinks that if Gabe knew it would keep him from marrying Alicia and be with her.

As Vi tries to be part of the wedding and serve in the capacity as the best man Gabe asked her to be, she finds out more from Alicia's friends that she's not who she says she is.

When Vi tries to tell Gabe about Cameron and Vi, he's doesn't want to hear it. He's more angry that Vi looked into Alicia then what she found out. That's when Vi decides she will marry Landon. But once in Vegas, she can't go through with the quickie wedding and they break up. But before she left for Vegas, she send Gabe her journals she's been keeping since she was raped. Upon her return, Gabe confronts her and can't believe that everyone he thought he could trust had lied to him, from Alicia and Cameron, to Vi herself. She can't believe he lumps her in with the others and is furious.

When Gabe asks for time to think out his life and his feelings, Vi decides its time for her to give up and move away so she won't risk running into him. But before she can do that, Gabe sends her an email telling her how much he loves her, has always loved her and will always love her. That even though she's moving, he will never give up on her. Vi decides to stay and fight for her life with Gabe.

This was a cute story. I liked Betsy and Kim, they were a funny. Alicia was awful and Landon was almost too sweet. I hate to say it, but we want our guys a little less wimpy.

Vi's mother gave her daughter terrible advice when she'd been assaulted and should have tried to talk things through before nine years had passed. I love that they were an unconventional couple. Gabe was of mixed race raised by successful and loving parents. Vi was a Caucasian, raised by a beauty queen mother, with an absentee father and several step-fathers through her life. Vi work ventage clothing and had tattoos up her arms and back and she was a full figured girl, where Gabe was very fit.

I liked how the author had journal entries form when Vi was attacked at the beginning of each chapter. That told some of the backstory without having an entire chapter dedicated to it and instead, parceled it out so you could grow to understand what had happened to Vi. Not the best book, but I like what it stood for. Love can concur all.

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