Cover Image: The Secret Poet

The Secret Poet

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Member Reviews

I mean … how can you go wrong with Beers?
story of Morgan and Zoe was sweet and freaking HOT, i would be lying if said i didnt re-read the ending in the rain many many times.

(+++) the two cats - Ross and Rachel - lol so good!
(--) the brother - Perry, damn you got on my nerves dude.

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Brilliant start! I loved Morgan's character and the combination of her internal dialogue and commentary for us. The enigma of Zoe was well captured and the hurdle of Perry added a small amount of angst, just enough to make sure you're rooting for the right team.

Perry's hetero cock-blocking was annoying and while I wished for better for him, not at the expense of Morgan's feelings.

While I thought the book had a great start, I found the middle section kind of flat and lacked interest. Even the 'black moment' seemed either too contrived or too simple to blow up over. A fair ending, but not one of my faves from Beers.

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Wanted and expected more from this sadly.
Quite disappointed by this novel. I have always liked Ms Beers' books very much (I read many in one sitting), even if their quality fluctuates.
On the other hand here, I did not find any real chemistry between Morgan and Zoe, as much as I tried and wanted. Their relationship and interactions, are bland, nothing special. I also thought Morgan would break free from the professional grip of his brother's medical practice. Only her daring in the face of her brother did not come from her, but from his forgiveness. Shame
As for the difference between Morgan and Zoe, about the author of the poems, I found it unconvincing and futile

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Once again Georgia Beers has provided us with a sweet romance. You have to love the black horse/underdog who rises up and gets everything she deserves.

The characters are sweet and very likeable. The brother/ sister relationship is so/so. I dont have a great relationship with my brother so i understand a few things.

Dont let that make you shy away from this great book.

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As always, Georgia Beers manages to transport me to that cozy fireplace dreamworld, where everything is warm and fuzzy and just...cozy. Her stories are always real and vurnerable, and The Secret Poet is not an exception. The characters are perfectly flawed and the pacing of the story is on point.

To be recommended!

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I love all books by this author, can highly recommend. Just wonderful. The main characters are well developed and its so well written you feel personally involved in the journey.

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I’ve read nearly everything Georgia Beers has published and I’ve always loved her writing style. She’s a top shelf romance writer and knows her craft. The words always flow so graceful and beautifully on the page, and readers fall effortlessly into her stories. Fans of Beers always know what they are getting when they crack open a Beers’ book, and that’s the way they like it. This, however, was a bit of a surprise for us all. When I flipped The Secret Poet open to the first page, I was jarred to a stop. This was written in first person.

Wait. A. Minute. Georgia doesn’t do first person. Why’s she changing it up?

Taking a breath and forcing myself to readjust, I began to accept the fact that Georgia had modified her writing style without consultation (mainly mine). I blinked my eyes and forced them back onto the page. Next thing I knew, I was reading the last lines of the epilogue and feeling melancholy because it was over. It was then that I realized nothing had really changed about Beers’ writing; it was still the same level of wonderfulness, just first person wonderfulness.

All kidding aside about the point of view, I loved this change in style. Georgia nailed it. First person works here. In fact, it enhances it and makes it more than it would have been otherwise. And, considering the premise of the story, it’s really the only way to write it.

As always, I loved Beer’s characters. Major and minor characters click together seamlessly and make this story work. They push the story in all the right ways and make the storytelling dynamic and compelling throughout. Beers has always been known for her interesting and engaging characters and this ensemble is no different. The leading ladies are gorgeously written and wonderfully developed. Their romance is sweet and endearing, making The Secret Poet quite a delight.

Finals remarks…

Beers builds this story on two of her most attractive strengths as a romance writer: she knows people and she gets how relationships work, especially familiar ones. Furthermore, she understands the bonds of kin and the language and rituals they share. This knowledge and understanding brings a level of realism and relatability to the story that readers can fully appreciate. Not only that, it heightens the emotions and engagement that’s necessary for a romance to be good, and this romance is definitely good. In fact, it’s quite fabulous, even in first person 🙃.

Strengths…

Well-written
Strong character development
Creative
Entertaining
Highly enjoyable

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This is a lovely story about two people looking for more and the one person that will get you. Both found each other, with obstacles in their way, still in the end they did one thing that makes sense., they ended up together. Of course their make up kiss in the rain is one of the best romantic ways to seal future.
I like they did the dating a bit backwards. Honestly the final result is the most important.
This book makes you feel very good and also if you are down, it will help lift your spirits.
Great read.

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I loved the Secret Poet.
Morgan works for her brother at his doctor office. Perry divorced recently and was having trouble getting back out there. In walks Zoe , a beautiful Pharmaceutical rep that catches his eye. Perry is not graceful with words so asks his sister, who also has a crush on Zoe to write some poems for him. We all know how well this is going to turn out. However, I think these are some Georgia Beers hottest love scenes ever.
I think that Georgia Beers keeps getting better with every book. I know she has a lot of books under her belt but she keeps her writing and subject fresh. She is a joy to read.

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I loved the chemistry between Morgan and Zoe.

Morgan loves her family, especially her recently divorced brother Perry. She is dedicated to helping him meet someone new. Morgan works as Percy's doctor practice running the admin side. In walks Zoe a pharmaceutical representative. Morgan is immediately smitten but keeps her crush secret when Percy lets Morgan know he is interested in Zoe.

Percy is convinced he has a chance with Zoe and keeps asking Morgan to wrote her poems for him. Until Zoe lets him know he is gay. Turns out Zoe is interested in Morgan. The two become friends first and then more.

Perry is having none of it.

Perry's character was a bit unlikable and totally a jerk in the middle of the book. Morgan being the good family daughter mostlty gets taken for granted by her family. Until she finally puts her foot down.


It's a nice story although I did feel for Morgan getting the brunt from everyone. I would have liked to se Zoe grovel just a bit more for how she overreacted to Morgan when she found out about the poems.

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Georgia Beers is always a hit or miss author for me, but what I can say is I greatly appreciate it when her characters' ages are closer to my own personal age. It makes the story so much more relatable in a sense, and that's what I felt while reading this book. As an avid book reader and writer of poetry myself, I enjoyed seeing a fellow (fictional) comrade go through the motions of life as a literary lover.

The main character, Morgan, was a delightful character. She is sincere and willing to help her family and others find their bit of happiness in their lives, even if some people don't quite appreciate it or misconstrue it (cough her brother). Zoe, the love interest of the story, was also fun to read about. She is definitely someone any book nerd or lover of desserts and wine would be glad to know. The chemistry between the two was instant and you can tell how much they respect and love one another. The angst that does occur to them was also tastefully done and I could feel at times my heart torn in two. If a book manages to wound me to the level of where I have to put the book down for a moment to take a break, it's a good read. There were some moments where I felt there was a bit too much telling and not showing, but in the end, the characters actions would make me forget all about those type of moments in the book. The book also inspired me with some of my own thoughts on my writing and relationships. Overall, I would recommend this book to others who need a nice slow burn with varying degrees of humor, angst, and love scattered throughout it.

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After reading Georgia Beers’ short story Triple Dog Dare at Christmas I was excited to read a full novel from her and I will definitely read more! The characterization was solid, everyone had their own personality and the flirting and romance was interesting and well done.

The conflict of the novel was generally believable and added a good amount of tension to the main relationship. The main character, Morgan, is very close with her family, working for her brother (which she even admits is weird) and frequently visiting her parents. When a new pharmaceutical rep, Zoe, comes to town both Morgan and her brother, Perry, who’s recovering from a divorce and therefore has the whole family’s sympathy, are blown away. Perry makes the first move but relies on Morgan’s skill with words to try to impress. When Zoe turns him down saying she’s gay, his automatic reaction is to tell Morgan that Zoe is off limits to her. She tries to respect this, but their attraction is undeniable. Eventually the family comes around and Morgan and Zoe have their support. However, this doesn’t happen before a lot of should we/shouldn’t we sexy moments.

If you’re interested in reading a happily ever after f/f romance with a Cyrano de Bergerac tilt, The Secret Poet is worth checking out.

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DNF @ 11%

The cats being named Ross and Rachel was one thing. The MC's identity being structured around being a (terrible, sorry to say) poet was another. But then I read a page where the protagonist describes for an entire paragraph about how she—now, this sounds super freaky but stay with me—sometimes reads books... This sets her apart. She even bought a cover for her Kindle. Her friend Adriana always rolls her eyes at her. I was also rolling my eyes at her but, I suspect, for a different reason.

I skimmed ahead and the MC proceeded to have several conversations with the LI at her workplace in which nothing at all grabbed me, I'm sorry to say. I'm on the hunt for trad pubbed F/F I like, but I think it's partially generational and partially an unfortunate tendency on my part to have little patience for contemporary romance's accepted stylings—I'm having trouble finding something that works for me. I imagine much of my age group may have better luck finding relatable lesrep through SFF. Hopefully the romance industry courts 30-something freaks who like to read—just like this protagonist!—in the nearish future.

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So lovely and cute!

Morgan isn’t against the idea of sharing her life with someone, she just isn’t actively looking. Content working for her brother, Perry in his medical practice, and with her cats for company, Morgan likes her life, until she meets Zoe. Zoe a pharmaceutical rep, catches Perry’s eye. With Morgan’s help, Perry tries impress Zoe. While trying to help her brother, Morgan finds the more she gets to know about Zoe, the more she wants to get to know Zoe for herself.

This was soooooo cute! The whole story had me sighing contently and loving every moment, even the more dramatic parts. Morgan is the kindest woman and she doesn’t hesitate to put the needs of others before her own, which especially true when she starts realising just how much she likes Zoe. I just loved everything about the story.

I haven’t read many books by Georgia Beers but I think this has to be my favourite. I am completely smitten and love Morgan and Zoe. Morgan was genuinely just the type of woman who you’d not only want as a best friend, but if you had to choose a girlfriend, she would be perfect. She’s romantic, sweet, and just lovely. Zoe’s personality is a little more confident and outgoing but you knew she had a vulnerable side, and when she showed it you just knew she was a lovely person too.

The way Georgia has written this from Morgan’s point of view provided the ultimate chance to intimately connect with her and understand all of her thoughts and feelings. (I also think we have a secret poet in Georgia! The poems were so sweet!) That light touch of humour from Morgan’s personality just brought her character to life and made her so special. I really hope we will see Morgan and Zoe in the future as I haven’t had enough of them yet.

I can’t recommend this story enough, just a lovely romance to capture your heart and with the most perfect moments between the two loveliest characters. I just know I’ll be reading this again and again as it has captured my heart and I just couldn’t help but fall in love with the story of Morgan and Zoe!

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Georgia Beers where have you been all this time? more importantly where were your books? ... I have to shake my ideas a bit to put in order everything I liked about the book.
.
The characters are very very good, completely real, the structure bothered me a bit because with those characters and that chemistry between them the situations did not come as fast as I needed.
.
I am so glad that the central dilemma was not a big bomb and that finding their way around was so natural, these are underestimated things but it really makes me want to reread a book.
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It is a story of love at first sight, lust, longing and finding oneself from love towards another person and not only Morgan and Zoe, but also with his brother and his family.
completely happy with this story, I will be reviewing more of her work
.
Thanks to Bold Strokes Book Inc. and Netgalley for give me this beautiful book in exchange for my honest opinion

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This book was fine. I have come to prefer either third person narratives or first person from both sides with romance novels because it’s nice to get a glimpse into both character’s mindsets, and of the two mains in this book I loved Zoe but wasnt crazy about Morgan, who’s head we were in the whole time. Overall a nice storyline but a bit boring at times when we were getting to know unimportant details of Morgan’s life.

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This is the first Beers novel I have read in a while. Super happy I picked this one up. This was a feel-good, easy read with very little conflict. I did feel the conflict was a bit forced, and perhaps a little exaggerated, but overall it was still a great read for me. I found Morgan and Zoe to be relateable and their relationship was one I found myself pulling for from the beginning. Actually made me want to pick up a few of the releases I have missed of Beers. Pick this one up, you will not be disappointed.

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I love Georgia Beers's work. When life becomes almost unbearable, I can count on her books to lift my spirits.

I also love poetry. When I started reading this book I loved that Morgan was in the same page as me when it comes to some Instapoets out there. However, it was very hard for me to get over the fact that Zoe's favorite poem is [author:E.E. Cummings|10547]'s "I carry your heart with me." Not only is it a cliché choice, but it is a parody of a sonnet!

I did not love this one. I had a hard time with the first person narrator, I hated that Perry put Morgan in that position, and I am not sure how Morgan's poetry could serve to woo anyone. I still finished the book in one sitting, but it just didn't work for me.

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7/10

If you’re into low angst and HIGH FLUFF I definitely recommend reading this light story.


Why I liked it?


// Useless adorable lesbians

// Zoe is such a cutie

// Well, Mo, too

// THEY ARE CO CUTE TOGETHER

// OH HOW THIS SWEET TORTURE TUGGED ON MY POOR LESBIAN HEART

// HOW CUTE ARE THEY FR

// I didn’t even know was I sweating because the story is making me stressed or if I really had a fever lol

// I kept blushing so hard and it’s been years since that happened

// Cuz DA SEXUAL TENSION D A M N

// Real chemistry between the characters

// Random but Stefan, Mo’s bff, made me laugh out loud a couple of times

// THIS WAS SO PREDICTABLE AMD CHEESY AND I
LIVED
FOR
IT


So - why not a higher rating?


// First POV is okay but I really have problems with someone breaking the fourth wall. This happens occasionally here and it always throws me off.


// Introducing things so directly it feels unnatural and too upfront eg

“so my name is yadda yadda” whole a*s paragraph

”let me describe the office...” whole a*s paragraph about a room that wasn’t even important (you could’ve easily imagined anything else you wanted)

All of it feels kind of like when they try to be quirky in the movies and they literally pause the scene just to tell you something. Always reminds me of YA films and too many of them do it now it’s gotten old. Never really been a fan of that as well.

This was really a shame, though, since I can see Beers can write much better than that and is fully capable of introducing you very subtly and more naturally to characters and situations but - oh, well. To each their own, I guess. It just didn’t work for me.

Luckily these things happened less and less the more I went on. Or I just got used to them. Idk.


// Do
people
around
40
really
use
instagram
???!

And
call
it
gram
?!

And post on IG pics with people they barely know and went on a first date with?*

That felt kinda forced but what do i know


// Just because of some way they talk (like they’re trying way too hard to sound h i p) and those IG moments felt like they were both more like in their late 20s or around 30 years old tops (and not one MC actually being almost 40)


// Having Zoe’s POV as well would’ve been so much better


// Kinda weak and not that believable conflict


// Love. Isn’t it maybe too - idk - soon? Then again lesbians - amirite? Just felt weird even though you knew it was coming


// Not really a bad thing b u t Perry’s name reminded me too much of Perry the platypus to get anything serious when he’s mentioned. Maybe not the best choice for the name too idk. Maybe it’s just me. Picky as always.


First book by G. Beers I’ve come across and I read it in one sitting. Looking forward to reading more of her books.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.


* idek anyone who does that much less people that age

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Morgan is a hard working woman who has fallen into a comfortable routine in life. One day the door opens to her brother's medical practice and in walks Zoe - the new-to-town pharmaceutical rep who is more than a little gorgeous.

Morgan is stunned, but so is her brother who asks for her help to write the words that will help him woo her. So begins the Cyrano-esque tale where they both want to woo the woman, but Morgan steps back because her brother made the first move.

This is another great read from Georgia Beers - by turns sweet, sexy, romantic and hopeful, if this is your genre, don't miss picking this one up.

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