Confession: After reading Him, Us, and Epic – I had unrealistically high expectations for Top Secret. While it was nowhere near as enthralling as the Him Series, it was entertaining enough that I sought out the book to see what happened next. My mistake for reading it directly after the series. It just didn’t have the same humor and heart that I experienced with Jamie and Wes. Granted, this book was written by the duo three years after (2019) but I had hoped it would possess the same side splitting humor and gut wrenching heartache that made me fall in love with the Bowen/Kennedy pairing.

Top Secret revolves around two frat brothers who cannot stand each other. Opposite ends of the spectrum, Luke Bailey and Keaton Hayworth III couldn’t be any more different if you tried. One birthday wish accidentally brings them together as Keaton’s girlfriend Annika declares she wants a threesome for her birthday. Shying away from anyone in his social circle, Keaton turns to an app called “Kink” to find the anonymous third party. Unbeknownst to him, Luke is a frequent user of Kink and what starts off as an exploration of interest and compatibility for a birthday gift turns into an expected connection – on and off screen. 

The turbulent background of Luke and Keaton is what drives the book. Luke’s family is a piece of work and Keaton’s “old man” doesn’t know the meaning of the word boundaries. You start to see how alike these two actually are once you take away the money, privilege, and “showmanship” for the outside world. 

Again, I wanted to love this book – I really did but I was just too in love with the Him Series and this book didn’t come anywhere close to providing the same intense feeling of satisfaction. 

Side Note – there is a bonus epilogue so make sure to grab that off, I believe, Bowen’s website!