Before I read this book, I checked out the first in the series so I wouldn't be lost. That actually wasn't necessary. The characters are connected, but still separate. The main characters in the first make a few appearances in this one, but just as supporting characters. I actually preferred this one over Repressed, but the first is still worth a read. Considering the series seems to be staying in the family, who is next? I'm thinking the next book may revolve around Kelsey!

A four year old girl is found wandering in a park. Alerted by authorities, Alec and Raegan rush to the hospital... hopeful that the girl is their missing daughter. She isn't. They're crushed... and no longer have each other to lean on. The aftermath of their child's abduction led to their divorce. Raegan continues to hope that Emma will return one day. Alec thinks that their daughter is dead and hit the bottle hard after her disappearance. She vanished while under his care, and while Raegan has never blamed him, he's not so kind to himself. He is sober now, but still struggles years later to hold onto it.

Their meeting at the hospital has a profound effect on them both. There we have the classic story of two people that are pretty clearly supposed to be together but fail at communication. Raegan talks Alec into helping her investigate the disappearance of other children and how they may be related to Emma... hoping to find answers once and for all.

This was a very engaging story, kept my attention really well and cemented my interest in the series. I will be looking out for the next! Quick, enjoyable read. I like the way the author connects the books. You can certainly read them alone, but it was great to get little glimpses at the characters from the first, as they're connected in a big adopted family. A nice mix of romance and mystery.

I was given an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Montlake Romance, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

Good tense read but I didn't engage with the characters apart from the parents involved. It's only one book in a series so may develop better as the series goes but just not for me.

I thought this book was just ok it lacked a fast paced story line. I read it , I finished it but I wasn't excited about it.

This book had me riveted to the pages, and kept me turning, feeling all the time the injustice. Then we find out that there are more, how could someone do what we happening, and how can it be stopped?
We find a couple very much in love, with the joy of a child in their mist, and then in the whisper of a second their lives are shattered. Their beloved child is gone, one thinks she is missing and the other she is dead, and thus the unit is shattered to the point of divorce.
What brings these two back together is the same thing that separated them to begin with. Now there seems to be even more danger, and their little one is still “Gone”.
The author had me on an emotional roller coaster from beginning to end, and let me tell you once you start reading; you have to get to the answers. This book will also linger with you, and make you think that maybe this is a true story.

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Montlake Romance, and was not required to give a positive review.

**** ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ****

Warning: This review/rating is based on my feelings, thoughts, likes and dislikes. You should read the book to form your own opinion/thoughts. Read on!

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Cover: I like it
Cliffhanger: Nope
Triangle: Nah

This is not my first Elisabeth Naughton and it won’t be my last.

Editing, it was very well written and there weren’t typos that bother me much.

This book dealt with a topic that brings nightmares for several days, losing a child, not knowing where he is and all those what ifs that surface, is every parent’s nightmare.

Alec was so drown in his guilt that he couldn’t get to the surface and take a breath, therefore he destroyed everything good in his life believing he needed to be punished.

Raegan, I felt for her, I don’t know what I would have done in her shoes, I would have had her hope too, I wouldn’t have lost it until I see it for myself.

The story, their child is abducted, and Raegan re-starts to investigate other kidnappings to help other parents, after a child reappears 3 years later, so she sees a pattern that tells a more gruesome tale. I can’t tell you specifics because then I would tell you all the twists and is a ride you should take on your own.

Elisabeth made me turn the pages like a deranged woman. It was a very good book, good story, and good characters.

One thing, I would have love to see more of Alec’s family, their thoughts, and their feelings after all these years.

This is the second book in the series, so I’m going to read the first, I can’t wait!

With their daughter's abduction, Alec and Raegan's life and marriage fell apart. Raegan held on to the hope her daughter was still alive and threw herself into her career as a newswoman. Alec, consumed by guilt, began drinking heavily and continued his journalism work all the while believing his scumbag, drug dealing dad is behind the abduction. As an unknown child is found, the hospital visit brings Alec and Raegan back together. Their love and lust burns just as strong. Raegan's investigation into a string of children's abductions throws the couple into danger as they struggle to uncover the truth. Fast-paced and action packed, the story pulls at the heart strings and ends with a well satisfying HEA that I would recommend for anyone who loves a good romantic suspense. My review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy of Gone by Elisabeth Naughton that I read and reviewed.
This book was off the charts excellent. I loved Gone the second book in the Deadly Secrets series from the first page.
This book centered around the disappearance of Emma, a one year old little girl, and how her parents Alec and Reagan are dealing with life three years later when they are now divorced but still believe their little girl is out there. This book takes you on their journey as they look into cases that could be related to Emma's and into Alec having to deal with his father who he believes was behind her abduction.
If you love emotional books that suck you in and pull at your heart this is a book for you. As a reader you start cheering for Alec and Reagan to work things and overcome all their problems and somehow beat all the statistics and find Emma alive so they can have another chance at their family. This is an excellent book you can't put down until you know exactly what happens.
I am giving Gone five out of five stars.

Gripping story about the aftermath of a missing child and the ongoing search to find her. This will be on everyone's to be read pile!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is the second in the series, but can be read as a standalone. That said, Ms. Naughton is so talented at this genre of books, that if you enjoy it, you should definitely check out her other stories.

This book delves into a world that every parent fears, and makes us see the impact on those parents, but also on what they can learn by talking to other parents in the same situation – that insight into how a problem shared is a problem halved is a message that could apply to many other issues too.

But the story is much bigger than two people who lost each other due to a moment of tragedy. It is an investigation into a series of kidnappings, the resolution of a crime spree, and revelations about Alec's past which change his life forever. And those two people... well they may just find each other again in the pursuit of justice.

If you like your romance to be within a good, strong storyline, then I recommend this fast-paced book, full of plot and intrigue.

I had mixed feelings about this book. Firstly, I had a hard time getting into this book, I found it really slow to begin with and then all of a sudden the last 20% of the story zoomed by in a flash. My next issue was with the main characters Reagan and Alec, it was difficult to connect with them. I struggled to like them as I felt they both seemed to give in so easily to the fact their daughter had been missing for 3 years. That in the time she had beeen missing they didn't seem to have been doing much to look for her. And when they do come together to search again, the majority of their time seemed focused on their relationship and feelings for each other rather than finding clues as to what happened to their daughter. This especially annoyed me as they were both journalists!
I've read other books by Elizabeth Naughton and have enjoyed them but this book was just an OK read for me.

A thought-provoking read that will leave you guessing as you keep the pages turning to figure out who exactly is behind all of these kidnappings... and why. LOVED it

Alec and Raegan had their little girl abducted and the horror tore them apart. Alec suspects that his biological father is responsible, but when other little children are abducted Raegen wants to investigate in her official capacity as a tv journalist. They want closure- but are scared what might be uncovered.

I took a little while to settle into this book- but absolutely loved the second half of the book and was gripped with the storyline. I'm now keen to read more by Elisabeth Naughton and the books in this series.

When their child had gone missing three years ago, Alec McClane and Raegan Devereaux parted ways and took matters in their own respective hands differently. While Alec’s faith faltered and wavered, Raegan didn’t lose faith and still held on to that tiny hope that their daughter Emma was still out there, alive.

After three excruciating years, another girl was found in the park where their daughter was taken, and Alec’s biological father John Gilbert was about to be freed from prison. Alec knew his evil father was involved in his daughter’s abduction, all he needed was to prove it.

As the case developed and progressed, the estranged couple found themselves cooped up under one roof during a snowstorm. Alec’s and Raegan’s feelings seemed to blossom again, but both were still haunted by their divorce.

With Alec and Raegan’s situation, everything was pretty messed up in the beginning, until they thought they finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel, only to get to the detour and realized, there’s still another tunnel they needed to unearth. Deadly secrets abound this novel indeed!

First thing that always come to my mind when I see a new book from Elisabeth Naughton?

“If it’s from Elisabeth Naughton, it must be great!”

And this latest offering from the Deadly Secrets series is another accomplishment! Gone was well-written, action-packed and teemed with scenes only Naughton can deliver. Issues about alcoholism, abduction, syndicate and revenge were discussed heavily in this book and it was all intense. Had to keep my eyes from shutting down, what with all the mystery and suspense in this book.

Elisabeth Naughton weaves stories that are compelling and thrilling and definitely unpredictable. Just when you thought you’ve already know the story after a few chapters, you’d be shocked once you get to the succeeding pages and you realized there’s still more. And the twists and turns will blow you away. This is definitely a must-read!

A second chance romance amid a heinous conspiracy…

This is the second book in the Deadly Secrets series which can be read as a stand-alone.

Everyone deals with traumatic events differently, sometimes it brings people closer in their shared pain but sometimes it tears relationships apart. For Alec and Raegan McClane the latter came true after their one year old daughter was abducted on Alec’s watch. Their child was never found and the presumption is that she’s dead. Overwhelmed by guilt Alec withdrew into himself and Raegan who needed to lean on the husband who was lost within his own misery suffered alone. Marriage is a partnership and theirs no longer functioned so it ended though not from lack of love of the partners but from the devastating pain of a loss that is a parent’s nightmare. One believes their child is dead the other holds on to hope.

This story opens up three years later; when a four year old female child is found similar to their lost daughter both Alec and Raegan are called in separately by the FBI to try and identify her. Anguish hits them again when it’s not their daughter but something does come out of the encounter, they still have strong feelings for each other and a deep need to reconnect. Raegan, a journalist is re-energized to look into missing children cases and asks Alec who’s a photographer by profession with a good eye for things to assist her, something he can’t say no to for he’s never made amends with her.

Finding similar patterns in some of the cases, connections worth looking into, their investigation begins. Though Raegan has held a steadfast belief in the possibility someday their daughter might come home she wants to do this because other parents are missing children, helping bring even one home would be a balm to her soul. Alec still believes his convicted father was responsible for their child’s abduction and death and worries that Raegan is letting herself in for more heartbreak but her unwavering conviction and the questions that arise as they delve into things make him wonder.

There are deadly secrets being kept that extend back years, a heinous conspiracy to be uncovered threatens the very lives of this couple. The closer they come to the truth the more dangerous the path becomes for people would kill to keep the truth hidden but there’s a strange thing about secrets, they always seek the light of day and this one will shock many. Working together reignites the passion that existed whenever Alex and Raegan were together that has lain dormant, no one else could take the other’s place. Will they get it right this time? Will they support each other when faced with overwhelming emotional pain again? Will answers, be they good or bad, bring them closure?

Wow, this book had an intense storyline with such intricate layers, it provided what I felt was a relatable look at the psychological and emotional responses to crushing loss and the depth of love under all the pain, never forgotten, just waiting for a second chance. Within these pages I found love, loss, betrayal, revenge, fear, acceptance, redemption and finally hope. This was a darker read due to the subject matter that felt realistically portrayed, this reader felt compassion for the characters and became invested in their outcome. The intrigue and suspense of the search for the horrendous truth of a mystery that spanned years kept this reader guessing until the very end. Nicely done!

An advanced reading copy was obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.

4.5 stars

Gone: Deadly Secrets Book #2 Review – 4.0 Stars – captivating and intriguing until the very end!

Elizabeth Naughton’s, Gone: Deadly Secrets Book #2 is the second novel in her Deadly Secrets series from this amazing author. For those familiar with her other series, the Eternal Guardians and the Aegis Series (which are personal favourites of mine), this a departure from those genres, and just like the first novel in the series (Repressed) every bit captivating and intriguing until the very end.

Three years ago, Alec and Raegan endured every parent’s worst nightmare when their one-year-old daughter was abducted from a park while in Alec’s care. This devastation and Alec’s guilt of not finding their daughter ends the couple’s marriage. Fast forward three years and a four-year-old girl matching their daughter’s description is found wondering a local park. Regrettably, this little girl is not their lost daughter, but this sparks unresolved circumstances and feelings between Alec and Raegan as they attempt to uncover the truth of their daughter’s disappearance and rekindle the spark that they once had.

I found this to be a more dark and edgy mystery/suspense/thriller even compared to her first novel in this series and understandably so with the storyline involved. The storyline was gripping, thought-provoking and at times heartbreaking and yet hopeful. As usual the characters are fully developed and complex making the reader ponder ‘what would I do in that situation’ which is every parents nightmare and recovering from such devastation. The relationship between Alec and Raegan is dynamic, gripping and intense. I also enjoyed the way Elisabeth weaves the secondary characters into the story line that help accentuate the plot.

This is a fabulous continuation to this series and can be read as a stand alone, but I would recommend reading the first installment from this author. Due to the subject matter, it is not always an easy read, but one that is well worth diving into. It does not disappoint!

Note: I would like to note that I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not, in any way, affect my opinion of the book.

This is a heart wrenching story of a mother's hope and a father's guilt that breaks up their marriage after their baby daughter is abducted from a local park.   When police find a four year old dark haired child in the same spot, it brings Alec and Regan back together even as DNA results prove her to be someone else's missing child.  Get ready for an adrenaline pumping heart wrenching race against time as Regan and Alec come together to uncover the truth behind their daughter's disappearance.
Alec has overcome all the odds of his childhood to find a foster home and siblings who mean the world to him. Unfortunately when his daughter is abducted from the park under his watch he drowns his guilt in the bottom of a bottle and loses every thing he holds dear.  Now three years later fate gives him a second chance to rebuild and regain all that he has lost.  Is he smart enough to hold on this time around?
Even though four years have passed after the fateful events that changed her life forever, Regan has never given up hope of finding her daughter alive and well and bring her home. When the false alarm brings her back into contact with the husband the chemistry that she's tried so hard to bury raises its head and soon finds her in more than a platonic relationship with a husband she never stopped loving.  
Alec and Regan pool their formidable skills together to begin investigating the events that took their daughter to gain closure and move on with their life.  The rising body count and attempts to hurt or injure Regan are a strong testimonial that some one does not want them to discover the truth.  The unfolding story will keep readers riveted as a murderer attempts to stay one step ahead of them by eliminating each link who might be able to provide them with answers on their path.

For reasons that aren’t fully clear to me, the second-chance/reunion romance trope is a really tough sell for me, so I approached Elisabeth Naughton’s GONE--the second book in her new Deadly Secrets romantic suspense series--with a fair bit of caution despite having thoroughly enjoyed the first instalment, REPRESSED. But all my knee-jerk apprehension was for naught, since in GONE Ms. Naughton delivers a perfectly believable and heartwarming reunion story between two flawed, three-dimensional, realistic ex-lovers who never stopped genuinely loving each other. The suspense subplot-- an ex-couple’s ongoing search for their long-lost infant daughter that leads them to uncover a much more sinister situation-- is executed with top-notch skill Ms. Naughton has honed through many romantic suspense & adventure novels and keeps the reader moving through the story at a rapid pace. However, GONE’s crowning jewel is the raw realism, emotional appeal, and growth of its protagonists-- self-destructive photojournalist Alec McClane and television journalist Raegan Deveraux-- whose crumbling relationship after their daughter’s abduction forms the story’s emotional lynchpin. Ms. Naughton does such a great job with these characters and their motivations that, even at their most unlikeable and despicable (particularly in Alec’s case), they’re so raw and believable that you see where they’re coming from and feel their pain -- and root for their well-deserved HEA.

Though GONE is technically the second book in a loosely-connected series, it can be read as a standalone (the first book’s protagonists make brief cameos, and their story has no actual bearing on this one). It’s a heartbreaking and heartwarming story of love, loss, and recovery wrapped in a well-written package of intrigue that will leave you wondering how humanity is capable of certain things. Looking forward to Ms. Naughton’s next RS book!

** ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

4 Wine Glass #Review for Gone by Elisabeth Naughton

Crystal's Thoughts:
Three years ago Alec McClane's one-year-old daughter was abducted from their local park and never seen again. Drowning in guilt and despair, Alec turns to the one thing that has gotten him through most of the nightmares of his life...alcohol. In doing so though, he closes out those that love him the most, including his wife Raegan. When a four-year-old girl is found in a park much like the one Emma disappeared in, Alec is forced to confront his demons head-on if he wants to help keep this tragedy from happening to any other parent, and if he ever hopes to reconcile with the love of his life. What Alec and Raegan uncover is bigger then anything they could have imagined though, and threatens not only their new-found love, but their very lives...

Fans of Cynthia Eden are sure to find themselves captivated with Naughton's newest romantic suspense offering! Fast-paced and thrilling, Gone is a second chance romance with a dark underside of loss and addiction. With a dynamic dialogue and engaging characters you'll find yourself transported to the front lines of a desperate search for answers and acceptance. Alec and Raegan never stopped loving each other, despite their separation and divorce, and their passion is palpable. With the tragedy of more children being taken, and a possible pattern, it gives Alec and Raegan an opportunity to finally acknowledge where they went wrong in their relationship, admit their faults, and explore the devotion that they still share for one another.

The story of child abduction was heartbreaking, maybe even more so as a parent myself. I couldn't help but emphathize with Alec and Raegan. I would literally be destroyed if one of my children were to disappear without a clue. These two characters are stronger then I, to keep going as they did and eventually find their way back to each other. The plot moved at a steady pace with plenty of twists to keep me guessing and several bad guys to dislike!

Readers can jump right into Gone, without reading Repressed prior. There is only a familial connection between characters, though those characters do play supportive roles in this story. However, both stories are wonderful so I suggest reading them together! Repressed is currently just 99 cents on Amazon. The bottom-line is; Gone, is a must-read for mystery and suspense readers who can appreciate a good dose of romance woven into the story. Pick up your copy today!

4.5 stars--GONE is the second installment in Elisabeth Naughton’s DEADLY SECRETS romantic suspense series. This is divorced couple Alec and Raegan McClane’s story line. GONE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. Dr. Ethan McClane and his fiancé Samantha (Repressed #1) play secondary and supporting roles.

Told from several third person perspectives including Alec and Raegan McClane GONE focuses on the search for the truth. Raegan has never given up hope that their now four year old daughter Emma is alive. Three years earlier Alex and Raegan’s then one year old daughter was abducted and in the ensuing time our couple’s marriage and relationship was destroyed. Fast forward to present day wherein Alec’s biological father begins to play a deviously, sick mind game with our story line couple that pushes Alec and Raegan to reopen the investigation into their missing daughter, and the whereabouts of several other missing children. What ensues is the hunt for Alec’s father, and the discovery that their daughter was targeted from the very start.

GONE is a heartbreaking, emotional and profound story line about loss, betrayal, revenge, and fear. A parent’s worst nightmare and the ensuing guilt that leads to the destruction of their marriage; two broken people who have never stopped loving one another; who will rekindle their relationship as the truth is finally revealed.

Elisabeth Naughton writes from the heart; a tangible, suspense filled, and intense story of loss and hope. The premise is complex and exciting; the characters struggle to live in the moment; the romance is a second chance love story. GONE is a romantic tale of betrayal, intrigue and suspense; of recovery and a happily ever after.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

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As a young boy Alec’s life was rough. Mother that abandoned him, father using him to deliver drugs. When his father was incarcerated, he finally got a break when he met the McClane family. A husband and wife that took in and cared for troubled youth and gave them a proper family upbringing.

Later in life Alec marries a beautiful girl named Raegan and they have a beautiful little girl named Emma. When Emma is just over a year old tragedy strikes. While playing in a park with her dad she is kidnapped. Alec was sure that his father was responsible for the abduction and convinced that he killed her. Raegan was sure she was still alive.

Alec had used alcohol in the past to block out bad memories. In a downward spiral Alec hit rock bottom, divorcing Raegan, drinking to hide the pain and cutting his family out of his life. Emma had been missing for 3 years when there was a discovery of a little girl, however it was not Emma. Raegan being a journalist had been keeping tabs on other missing children in the area trying to see if there were any ties to Emma’s disappearance.

With Alec’s help they find many clues that tie many of the abductions together. This leads to answers to many question for many parents.

This book grabbed me and pulled me in right from the beginning, I was consumed by it and had to know what was going to happen. It was truly that one more chapter before bed leads to hours, kind of read.

*** Advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review. ***