Behind Closed Doors by Skye Warren

Skye Warren goes back to her Rochester series in Behind Closed Doors by focusing on Marjorie Dunn—a character we met in Beau and Jane's story. She was the kind innkeeper who took care of Paige and while I didn't think much of her before because she was a side character, I was pleasantly surprised and heartbroken to read about her past/backstory. Just like the synopsis states, Marjorie has been hiding in plain sight and keeping secrets of her own all this time. No one knows where Marjorie came from and there is a reason for that. I loved how the author made an unassuming character into so much more because Marjorie is my favorite type of heroine—sweet, passionate, loving, and forgiving. Marjorie's ordinary life is shaken when she meets Sam Brewer, another secretive person with a hidden agenda. After hiding for so long, Marjorie is afraid of people discovering her secrets and past.

"Every move she makes shifts the space around us. It pulls my heart towards her."

My favorite part about this book was the push and pull between Marjorie and Sam. At first, I wasn't sold on their relationship because he purposely sought her out and wanted to uncover her secrets. But then, he grew on me. I knew that Sam wasn't a bad person. He was starting to question everything, especially his handler and what he wanted in life. Despite his attempts at being distant and cold, Sam was similarly attracted to Marjorie. Sparks were definitely flying between these two and their chemistry burned up the pages. And when Marjorie finds out the truth behind Sam's true intentions at her inn, my heart broke for her because she was already in love with him.

"It feels like goodbye, and that hurts more than the cold or the fear. Goodbye always hurts the most."

In the end, Marjorie and Sam's story was action-packed, steamy, angsty at times, and truly expanded the world that Skye Warren has created. I'm really curious about "Ellen" and I wonder if she will have her own story down the road. Since I didn't read Emily and Mateo's story on Radish, I'm hoping that their book will be released at a later date because I remember them having a lot of chemistry and history. I'm glad to know that they're a couple now! I was also pleasantly surprised by the fact that that Marjorie and Emily Rochester were close friends. In any case, fans of Skye Warren and the Rochester series will really enjoy this short side story because it features some of the characters we previously met. I highly recommend this book to those who like the forced proximity and opposites attract romance tropes where the hero is considered the "enemy" but he ends up falling for the heroine and becoming her protector.

*This ARC was generously provided by the author and publisher for an honest review*

Rating: ★★★★☆