Two Sides of a Secret

With the thoughtful second Secret Lies romance (after A Kiss from the Past), Cain continues to probe into the spectrum of adoptee experiences. Lauren Steele, who is Black, is so grateful for the love and support of her white adoptive family that she takes over her parents’ floral business instead of following her passion and going into politics. When Ben Specter, who is white and Jewish, enters her shop claiming to be looking for work, Lauren happily hires him. But Ben is actually part of a crisis management company hired to investigate Lauren by a wealthy California politician who thinks that she may be his long-lost sister. Lauren and Ben bond quickly, and despite having a painful experience mixing business and pleasure in the past, Ben struggles to see Lauren as just part of a job. But will their budding relationship survive Ben coming clean about why he sought Lauren out? The prose itself is lackluster and occasionally repetitious, but Cain’s compassionate approach to examining Lauren’s relationship to her Black identity and to her family sets this apart. Despite the central deception, the couple are refreshingly good at communicating with each other, making it easy to root for their sweet romance. Series fans will not be disappointed. Agent: Amy Brewer, Metamorphosis Literary. (July)