This book definitely won’t be for everyone - but if you’re open to a story about regrets, pain and growth then I definitely recommend.

There’s cheating in this book (obviously) and it’s brutal, but for me it wasn’t my focus in the overall story. I loved how raw and vulnerable both characters were. How honest and broken they allowed themselves to be.

There’s exploration of desires and kink and two people in love trying to re-find their HEA.

I was unaware that there was a previous book even though it says it could be read as a stand alone book so I was lost a few times during reading it. Had I known I would have read the first and most likely given a higher star rating for Shame. I would recommend reading this book but read the first one before starting this.

I was a little disappointed with this one from Ainsley Booth, which was a first for me. The description described it as a "stand alone" book in a series. My problem with this one was that I think I needed to read the first book, "Tempt". There were enough references to things that happened that I was unfamiliar with that had I known would have given the story greater depth. Or Ms. Booth should have expounded on those details rather than glossing over them. The characters lacked depth, another thing I was not used to with Ms. Booth's books. This was a very short read done in one evening and the story just felt lacking to me.

I read this is one night, am still thinking about it days later, and I'm still not sure if I liked it.
I think my reaction speaks to how polarizing marital infidelity is and how hard it is to make me love main characters that get to an HEA after that experience.
It also speaks to the quality and skill of this author that I was completely engrossed in characters and a situation that I'm not sure I actually enjoyed.
Bottom line, if this is a trope that you want to see explored with skill, empathy and reality, this book should be at the top of your list. If you cannot stand cheating, try the first book in this series that does not deal with that and still lets you experience how good a writer this author is.

I have read most of Ainsley Booth's books and was intrigued to see how she would handle the touchy subject of infidelity.
This is the story of Grace and Luke and starts with Grace's discovery that Luke is having an affair. It deal in great depth of the aftermath and how they can try to repair their marriage. It is written from both POV, although the focus (understandably) is on Grace's thoughts and feelings and how mixed her emotions are.
Luke states at one ppoint about being 'strapped on to a rollercoaster he didn't want to be on' and I thought that analogy was spot on. It shows us that the journey from discovery to being at peace with it and putting it behind you is not at all smooth.
Whilst they work through the problems that caused Luke's infidelity, Grace decides she needs to be honest about her long hidden secret interest in kink and they explore this together. Although this book is not as steamy as Ainsley's others, there are some hot moments and was not what this book was about.
Top marks to Ainsley for how she handled this trickiest of subjects for a romance novel!
FOOTNOTE - I did find that there were quite a few typos and missing words which should be rectified with another proof read.

This was my first book by Ainsley Booth and I wasn’t sure what to expect. You see, I’m a HUGE fan of this author’s other alter ego - Zoe York. I LOVE the Zoe York storylines, the characters, the realism she brings into those books. I LOVE Zoe York books.

I knew the Ainsley Booth books are a little edgier, a little grittier. More sexy. When I saw Shame available on NetGalley, I took it as a sign that it’s time I finally get around to reading one of my favorite author’s alter egos!

How did it go? Well...it was a mixed bag.

The storyline for Shame is a touchy one - the hero has cheated on his wife and knows he made a big mistake, the heroine has to decide if she can move past her husband’s betrayal. It’s an incredibly nuanced situation that can’t - shouldn’t - be handled flippantly and I was curious to see how author Ms. Booth would handle it (because I KNOW Ms. York would do a magnificent job with it).

How do I think it went?

Well…

The writing was good. Really good. And I liked the characters.

But…

I feel like the gritty part of this story was glossed over. I feel backstory is crucial in having empathy with both the person who cheated AND the person who makes the choice to forgive the offender, and we get only glimpses of the hero and heroine's pasts. Infidelity is awful and there are LOTS of thoughts and emotions that need to be waded through before you get to the other side...before you can even think about working to get to the other side. We get hints of it here, but I feel like the depths of heartbreak - both for the wife who was cheated on, and the husband who comes to regret the hurt he caused - and the hard work they put into healing their marriage, took a third-row back seat to their reconnecting physically through role play.

To be fair, role play and other kink isn’t really my storyline cup of tea. But Ms. Booth is completely transparent in her synopsis about what you’re going to get in this book. However, I’m always going to be more interested in the backstory - what led to the infidelity, and the aftermath - what they do to find their way back to each other. And I didn’t feel like those issues were developed enough for me to truly enjoy this story and find it compelling. I feel like the purpose of this book was to write a steamy story (mission accomplished on that front), instead of really delving into how the infidelity happened and how they rebuilt their relationship after the colossal breach of trust.

If you’re going into this just wanting a quick, steamy book, you’ll like this story. Ms. Booth is an excellent writer. But if you’re wanting a meaty story that really dives deep into issues, like I was, you’ll probably find yourself wanting more.

Will I read more Ainsley Booth? Probably! I’ll just go in with different expectations and leave the heavy lifting to Zoe York.

* thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This is book two in The Secrets and Lies series and it is Grace and Luke's story. Grace and Luke have been through so much during there marriage of twenty years and now Grace has found out that her husband Luke has had an affair and she is devastated, heartbroken and so angry especially after helping and supporting him for so many years and now she doesn't know if she will ever get over his betrayal. Luke can't believe that Grace has found out about his affair and the look on her face has just gutted him and he has asked himself how it has all happened and what has he done to Trace especially as he loves her so much and always will but how can he make things right because he can't live his life without her. How do you come back or to forward from something like this and how do you ever trust that person again, my heart absolutely broke and I cried so much while reading Grace and Luke's story that I was an emotional wreck and in so much pain but I just couldn't put this book down as it kept your attention and on the edge of your seat right from the first page and until the last one and it was so addictive. The characters and storyline pulled you in and just didn't let you go and you had to keep turning the pages to see what would happen and if they would get a second chance and a happy ending or will this be the end of there marriage. Omg this book was absolutely amazing and I loved it so much and Ainsley Booth is an amazing author and writer and I definitely look forward to reading many more of her books in the future.

I Voluntarily Reviewed a Arc Copy of this Amazing Book.

3 1/2 Stars for this quick read!

This is the first book that I have read that is a romance about a wife and her husband (who cheats) where the wife actually doesn't leave him or kick him out right away ... which made it very realistic because I'm sure that happens. Luke is such a jerk! He doesn't realize what's he's lost until after he gets caught and it makes me wonder if he hadn't got caught would he ever realized what he had with Grace. I really felt sorry for Grace because she just wanted the relationship they had at the beginning ... where they actually loved each other and spent time together. I really enjoyed this book until the kink factor ... I really thought that took away from the story.

I received a copy from Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Ainsley Booth’s Shame took me back to the year I lived in a friend’s house while she and her husband were grappling with his infidelity. I was not the person harmed, of course, but it was a strange situation navigating the intense emotions and trying to be supportive without being a prop. Reading Shame was a catharsis I didn’t know I needed. It’s angsty, painful, and very messy, but ultimately kind and healing.

Booth prioritizes Grace over Luke, though they both have POV sections. Throughout Shame, Grace is allowed to have whatever feelings she is having. She’s allowed to be angry, sad, mean, vindictive, compassionate, embarrassed, and horny. She gets to feel the way she feels and it’s clear that she has not been allowed to do that for a lot of the marriage. We do see Luke work on himself, because Grace deserves a partner who will fix themselves and not make her do all the work. But even when we are in Luke’s POV, the focus is Grace.

There are a couple of moments that made me want to hug my kindle since I can’t teleport to Canada and hug the author. In one Luke is trying to tell her he wants to fight for their marriage with her. She tells him he’s going to have to do the fighting on his own because she has fought for their marriage by herself for so long. In another moment, Grace tells Luke that she doesn’t want him to be gentle, she wants him to be safe. She wants him to truly be the person she can be herself with in any situation, not just a performance of being supportive. Luke has been overly concerned with appearances and Grace is no longer interested in the appearance of a good marriage. If Luke can’t give her substance, she doesn’t want it. She doesn’t need gentleness, or to orgasm first, she needs a partner who will accept, love, and desire her as she is and as she may become.

Shame is the driver of Luke’s self destructive behavior. Because he can’t deal with his own shame monster he becomes the monster in the lives of his wife, brother and best friend. He stopped seeing other people as their full selves and was used anger to enforce their roles in his life. Part of undoing that damage is Luke creating the space in his life for Grace to be sexual in the way she wants to be sexual. The book gets into some kink, and it’s a mark of Luke’s progress when he allows himself to be uncomfortable and turned on. If you are looking for a grovel that pays off with forgiveness, you won’t find it here. Luke tries a grovel, but Grace isn’t interested. Instead he has to be present, invested, and willing to let Grace go.

I could write at least five essays about the layers in Shame. It’s an enjoyable read with a rich text, which is exactly my kind of thing. I loved this one for everything it was and for the many things it could have been but chose not to be. It’s a redemption story that focuses on the harmed.

I received this as an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The blurb of this new book by Ainsley Booth has a few warnings: it is about infidelity, there are kink and fantasy references that may not be for everyone. So having said that and gotten it out of the way here are my thoughts on this book.

It is profound.

As I read through I found myself highlighting passages and reading them many times over, not because I needed clarification, rather I needed to re read that sentence or paragraph because it was that profound. It touched me deeply.

We first meet Luke and Grace in Sam's book Tempt. You need not have read that book to read this one. There is continuity in the 2 stories as the timelines overlap and I liked the consistency.

Shame starts off with the deepest cut, Grace finds out that Luke has been cheating on her.

As Grace and Luke deal with repercussions of this betrayal that rreverberates in their marriage I found myself asking why, why did he do this and I wanted to know more about her, the other woman, ....but then as I continued to read through I realized it didn't matter, she did not matter, what mattered was how Luke and Grace were going to deal with the here and now and possible future. The repairs that needed to be made went beyond an affair, there are secrets and half truths that needed to be revealed so that a true relationship can grow safely, in the arms of acceptance.

Obviously, when we meet Luke, he is not a likeable character and when we travel through Grace's memories some of his actions were not very nice (the whole implant question pissed me off). But he does feel the shame of his actions and works hard in trying to repair his relationships, with himself, Grace and his brother and as he grows and develops as a character, he grows on the reader.

Grace is someone that you can't help but feel deeply for and her pain and anger is, at the risk of repeating myself, profound and gut wrenching. I took a roller coaster ride with her and she was so vividly written that I could clearly envision her walking the streets, getting her coffee, in her studio....

As they both work towards understanding, growth and repair I found myself wanting more .....this book could have gone on longer for me and I would have devoured it. That would be my only critique, I wanted more and the ending was a little

I hope that we have an opportunity to meet other characters from the books and learn more about a certain club.

An honest look at a marriage in crisis

I'll start by saying that as a rule, I don't read books with cheaters and while I believe there are exceptions to the "once a cheater, always a cheater" rule, those are few and far between. However, I have read quite a few of this author's books and trusted her to handle this topic respectfully and honestly. And wow, she did not disappoint.

There is no on-page cheating in this book. The story starts with Grace finding out about the affair, which prompts Luke to realize what he's risking. He immediately ends the affair and dedicates himself to repairing himself, his relationship with his wife, and her trust - even when she's not sure that's what she wants.

Their long-term marriage was already on the rocks and they both were keeping secrets, though the author is careful to never lay any blame for Luke's affair at Grace's feet. The book chronicles their careful steps toward first identifying then changing the habits, attitudes, and priorities that were slowly killing their marriage long before Luke's infidelity.

This is a sometimes heartwarming, sometimes gut-wrenching examination of how couples have to grow with each other and constantly work at making the marriage their top priority. There's a HEA, of course, but the journey to get there is a cathartic process that strips back all their self-protection patterns until they're down to the primal elements of what joined them together in the first place. It's a masterful study of what makes a marriage work, and I was so engrossed I read it in one sitting. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Great story on forgiveness after an affair and opening up to your partner about your wants needs .Great story dialogue and an realistic story.

Shame is a short but very intense read dealing with the breakdown then restoration of a marriage.
Grace discovers her husband of twenty years is having an affair, this is especially well described, you feel her devastation and rage, but you also feel Luke’s horror and guilt, he knows full well what he has done is wrong and all he wants to do is save the marriage and earn Graces love and trust.
This is their journey, a voyage of discovery and commitment, one of discovery of how events had made them grow apart.
There are some sexual discoveries that some readers may feel uncomfortable with, but works for them, I could have enjoyed this book without them, but that is mainly personal taste.
Different from previous books I have read from this author, but good different and entertaining.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

This story tackles one of the biggest taboos in romance, cheating. It does it as realistically as can be done in a book, in that, it recognizes that things aren’t always black and white. Life really is lived in the varying shades of grey, and that is where Grace and Luke are for this book. Sometimes, you can feel the darkness enclosing them, and it may be comforting, or it may be overwhelming, but it is that same darkness for both. Other times things are so bright, they are blinding, and again, it is either in happiness or stark pain. The rest of the time, you feel the shadows and the murkiness that is hanging over, and around, our characters, and their story. Sometimes it is heavy and dank, other times it is light and sparkles, but it is always there. I loved Grace and Luke’s story because it didn’t have villains or heroes, it was a story about two people who had flaws. It was a love story that was made over time, fell apart over time, and had a breaking point. I loved Grace and Luke because of their commitment to themselves, their own betterment, and their own wants and needs after that break. That path took them where they needed to be, and that ended up being with each other <3

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

This book is not as explicit as you would think by the cover and the description. It does cover some real relationship dynamics that I thought the author handled very well. That being said, there is some discussion about kink and role-playing so if that bothers you, I would definitely skip this one. Overall, it was entertaining and a quick read (finished it in a couple hours).

"You have a right to break him, as he has broken you, and maybe from the ashes something new and good will come."

Shame by Ainsley Booth is a stand alone romance but there is a companion book called Tempt that I have not read and I did not feel lost with the characters at all.

I appreciate that the author and publisher put content warnings very clearly before you even begin reading. I believe this is something more books need. Kudos for that right off the bat.

I went into this book knowing nothing and I was pleasantly surprised. Books that explore BDSM/Kink can be hit or miss and this one is definitely a hit. Grace and Luke's relationship from the beginning is thrown through the ringer with infidelity and marital neglect. We watch them work through the fallout of that affair as well as introducing kink to their marriage as they try to rebuild. Grace is a strong woman who knows what she wants and I am happy she gets the HEA she deserves.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I would usually go into a book that starts off with cheating with a lot of trepidation, but this is an author I have come to trust with topics that are difficult, unusual, uncomfortable, or taboo. With Shame, Booth brought out the humanity of a husband living through his worst mistake and a woman who needs to decide how she wants to move forward. Ainsley Booth writes with compassion for both of them and weaves an erotic romance into a story that is raw and sincere and intimate. It takes a confident author to do this, and rightfully so, because she pulls it off beautifully.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.