Review: Suspicions by Kate Brian

CONTEMPORARY TEEN FICTION
Forbidden fruit...

Reed, Noelle, and former Billings Girls Kiran and Taylor have been living it up on St. Barths over winter break. The tropical sun has melted away all the tensions of last semester, and for the first time in months, Reed is happy. She's got her best friends by her side, she has a palatial suite with an ocean view, and she's landed Upton, the most sought-after guy on the island.

Reed's falling in love.

But dating Upton makes reed St. Barths'  highest-profile guest--and not in a good way. Upton has a dark past, and he's broken a lot of hearts. One of his exes still wants him. And she'll do whatever it takes to get Reed out of the picture.

Oh my God! After two four-star Private books in a row, I was desperately hoping this one would raise the bar yet once again for this incredibly unputdownable series. And boy, were my prayers answered! Suspicions is one of the most suspenseful, mysterious, dramatic, and intensely glamorous Private novels yet.

Now, the summary's got you introduced to the basics, but Upton and Reed are starting to fall in love, which means Upton is sharing more than just a few secrets with Reed. They ask each other about their first time, the moment that sealed their virginity, and Reed shares her memories of the sweet, precious, reverent time she had spent with Thomas. And it's a perfect confession, until Upton breaks his own news--his first time was an older lady, with an ornate, golden-leaved, sharp necklace that kept cutting his face. And Reed doesn't know who it is, but she doesn't really have a chance to find out because she's kidnapped, by all people, the police! They take her on a boat and drift her away from the island, until she can't see anyone or find her way back, and she's left all alone. For six days, all she does is drink a little bit of water, roam around, and go crazy speaking to herself. Until Upton comes and rescues her...

The drama here was unbearable. I could feel it slowly peaking, peaking, peaking until the story burst--but the best kind of explosion. Secrets came unveiled, dark pasts were shed light upon, and confusing stories finally started to make sense. I know I'm being kind of vague, but I can't give it away, or the book won't be worth reading. But let me tell you, it most definitely is.

First of all, it was great to see all the familiar characters I had met last time, in Paradise Lost, here back again on St. Barths, this lovely tropical island where the Billings Girls are spending their Christmas. Crazy exes, bitter psychos, and a good ol' dose of the faithful sunshine...definitely a recipe for intrigue and mystery. Reed unearths the biggest secret yet in this book simply because of her character, which is what makes her so special as a main character. I would never want to read a book about a lameass protagonist, and Reed is the exact opposite of that. She goes out, finds love on her own, deals after her heart is broken, and narrowly escapes death threats, all the while trying to be a fair and not-shallow Billings Girl. That takes some serious strength and courage, and this girl's got it all.

But...that's not even the best part. By now, I've sorta realized that the Private series has a knack for ending with a bam that makes me want to grab the next book and rip through it like a tornado. But in this one...OMG. I had not seen that one coming from a mile away, and I can tell you, your mouth is going to be hangin' wide open like a donkey when you come across it too. Damn is all I can say.

Now, make sure you read the rest of my Private reviews. Plus, I told you this in my last review, but after the Private series, Kate Brian wrote a spinoff based on the psychotic Ariana's point of view--the Privilege series. And the amazing thing is, I've got that series too! Hooray! Make sure you stick around for those reviews, because the most intense book of the series yet--Suspicions--receives a very well-deserved five stars!