This was a sultry, suspenseful read. It is quite slow to get going but the tension builds to unexpected revelations at the closing. The novel builds well, there is tension and suspense though disbelief suspenders are required on occasions but hey, it’s fiction! There are several twists and turns although one is easy to figure out but not entirely the reasons behind it. The end twist is good. She has found love, someone she loves and trusts and who she hopes will take her away from the escort world. When she arrives at the chateau she finds herself face to face with a man she has never forgotten, the one man who really knows her. Old secrets surface and it becomes obvious that this secret could put her in great danger. Adele Parks MBE is one of the most-loved and biggest-selling women's fiction writers in the UK. She has sold over 4 million books and her work has been translated into 30 different languages. Told from the POV of a savvy escort/sex worker, this powerful, pulverizing, and twisty tale of love, revenge, and despair is dark, chilling, and mesmerizing.....all at the same time.

I don’t want to give spoilers but plenty happens, some of it sad, some a bit silly. There are also some truly bizarre/problematic plot points that the author seems to just skim over. A week at a beautiful French chateau should be an easy final job for Dora. She’s smart, stunning and discreet. She only needs to convince the other guests that she’s Daniel’s girlfriend. This one wasn't too bad. There were moments in the middle that were slow and some things were a little fat fetched. Overall it was a decent thriller and there are a bunch of times that I totally wasn't expecting and the ending was well done. I say if you like thrillers, you may want to give this a try! Whip-smart protagonist, immensely satisfying"—Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of Girl, Forgotten What unravels is predictably dark and dangerous but bizarrely hyperbolic and unbelievable. It’s also really, really repetitive. The characters are all stereotypes (including Dora’s Serbian mother) and the ending feels forced.

Narrated by Kristin Atherton for 13 hours and 42 minutes (not sure why it says 10 hours and 45 minutes here?). She did a lovely job and showed proper emotion when necessary. Although there were some eye-rolling moments, overall, the book was compulsively readable, entertaining, and unputdownable. As the story developed, I could not believe some of the surprise revelations that Parks includes. At some points I was gasping in disbelief, finding myself re-reading some paragraphs in case I had missed something! There were some clever plot twists that come in the final chapters, so this is definitely a book you need to see through to the end to truly appreciate Parks thrilling narrative. Here Dora’s told us of her manager Elspeth, who books clients and the screening process… so she’s at ease about her work, even referencing the ‘workplace health and safety’ measures in place. It’s a surprise then when she’s beaten and threatened by a client. So when she’s offered a lifeline by her best friend, and she decides the time is right to get out of the industry.

No more needs to be said on the plot as it’s better going in blind but my heart was racing for Dora and the life and death situation she gets herself into. One final, luxurious week and she can leave the dangerous, difficult escort world because Dora has fallen in love and is ready to embrace a better future. But as the guests assemble, it becomes terrifyingly apparent that putting her past behind her is impossible. And one last secret could cost Dora everything, including her life…It didn’t take long for me to invested in Dora’s story. As a ‘lady of the night’, Dora’s frank, blunt narrative is very honest and it felt like she was talking directly to me as a reader. Like a confessional, Dora makes it clear that her life is not glamorous and that she accepts the criticisms behind her profession. However, money is the driving force and Dora shows she is not embarrassed by what she does: she is embarrassed because she does not know what she would do instead with her life.

Her best friend/ trust fund baby Evan sees her condition, trying to convince her to quit her job as like he did before but when he realizes, Dora has no intention to leave this life behind, he does something unexpected, he PROPOSES! I saw the big reveal coming a mile away, but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment. It is slightly OTT, which I know some readers don’t like, but it worked fine for me. One Last Secret by Adele Parks is engaging and twisty, this psychological thriller will hold your attention that’s for sure! Dora can’t resist taking one last job - escorting a regular to a French château and pretending to be his girlfriend. No sex allowed. Surely that’s fine?In our conversation, Adele talks about why she chose a sex worker as her main character, the research she did, and why that character can sometimes be confrontational with the reader. She also shares how she transitioned from writing romantic comedies to psychological thrillers, how she avoids stereotypes, spidergrams, and so much more. Then, she treats us to a reading from “One Last Secret.” This is one of those novels where its best to go in blind. Dora is a glamorous high end escort. She has finally found someone to settle down with and move away from working in the sex industry. Before she retires for good, she will complete one more job. Sounds simple right? All I’m going to say, is its anything but that. One Last Secret is definitely the type of book where you need to suspend some reality, stop questioning all the convenient coincidences and go along for the ride.

This book took too long to catch my attention. The beginning is a primer to sex work. I think it’s an honest one – and a respectful one – but the ABCs of sex work do not an exciting thriller make. Parks gets better and better"—Gillian McAllister, New York Times bestselling author of Wrong Place Wrong Time However… she’s (far too easily!!!) coaxed into one last gig for a regular customer and it’s then her life is threatened. The first part of the book started slow for me, but once Dora was in France, things took off and went down a path that was equally fun and frustrating read with an emphasis on the fun. Though I did keep wanting to shake her and yell "LEAVE THE HOUSE. JUST LEAVE," but of course that would have ruined the fun.I wasn’t really sure about this one at first but the more I read the better it got. Not at all what I normally read but once I got into it I really enjoyed it. Dora is a sex worker. Or a ‘hooker’ or ‘whore’ - words that are littered throughout the text���not sure that was necessary. When she’s beaten by a dangerous client, she’s more than a little shaken and her millionaire boy best friend offers her an out. I don’t know how I exactly feel about this book! It really made me confused! It was smart but there are so missing pieces for me to enjoy it completely! This was an intriguing read. I was pulled in right from the start. I found it easy to follow and though at times it felt over the top, I still enjoyed it and couldn't wait to read what would happen next. Lots of good twist and turns. We learn about her lifestyle and how she came to work as a high classed escort until one encounter leaves her bloodied and bruised. And terrified out of her wits.