I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Secret Places by Vivian Kay
on 11/3/2015
Pages: 322 pages
After many years of happiness, Moni Badmus's marriage is falling apart. Unwilling to lose her only child, a self-proclaimed daddy’s girl, to her husband in a custody settlement she goes along with his suggestion of an unconventional marriage intervention. Will Moni’s fear of losing what she holds dear take her to dark places she never imagined she would go? Sam Badmus has lost his thirst for the things of God. For a while, his extramarital activities seemed to be a cure for his unsatisfying home life. But soon his risky behavior exacts a steep price and Sam has to turn to the God he left behind to save his family and maybe even his life. Debo Ajala and his wife Adele are living the golden life or so it seems. Debo is a respected church deacon and Adele, a mother to their four adorable sons. Their lives couldn’t be better, that is until Adele’s feelings for another member of their church surface. Adele’s confession unleashes a series of events that Debo never expected. He escapes his troubled life by accepting a pastoral position in a city on the other side of Canada, but soon his twisted past catches up with him. In this emotionally charged tale of sacrifice, temptation, and redemption, two couples learn sin has consequences and there is no place they can hide from the presence of God.
There are times when I read an excellent book, and then find it hard to put my thoughts into words. This was the case when it came down to writing a review for Secret Places by Vivian Kay. One of the many reasons it was hard writing a review is I had to be very careful not to give out any spoilers. Plus, I don’t think writing – THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD – BUY IT! would be a good enough review for my blog subscribers and potential readers of this author’s work.
So now to the story… Sam & Moni are having problems in their marriage. Ok! Scratch that! Sam & Moni has been going through the motions in their marriage for years, and now it’s getting to the point where there’s no easy fix. That’s when their close friend, Debo suggest they attend a private social function to help save their marriage. Debo tells Sam how attending these “social functions” has helped his marriage, and it could do the same for him.
It turns out that some of the members of their church get together for a game of “Switch a Roo with the spouses”. Yes!!! It’s that kind of party. Moni reluctantly goes along with it because she sees how “excited” Sam is to “work” on their marriage. Plus, at this point, she is willing to try anything to save her marriage.
Things begin to take an ugly turn when lines become blurred. To be honest, things took an ugly turn when someone decided to form these “freakin’ with the deacon” meetings, but I digress. Readers also witness the effect it has on their teenage daughter. Lawd knows there were times I wanted to shake some sense in that kid.
From the outside – Debo & Adele has the perfect family – loving kids – perfect house – but is it too good to be true? Did these meetings save Debo’s marriage or Is there something his wife is keeping from him? What he finds out will spin his World out of control. Can Sam & Moni’s marriage survive the extramarital activities that were meant to help strengthened their marriage? What changes lies ahead for Debo & Adele?
Author Vivian Kay is truly gifted when it comes to telling an unforgettable story. The author tackles the subjects of temptation, adultery, faith, & forgiveness head on. Anytime a reader gets invested in the characters and the outcome of their actions – the writer has accomplished their goal. This story and the lessons learned will stay with readers long after they have read this book.
Highly Recommended!
Reviewed by: Orsayor
