Trading Secrets

02/07
M. K. French rated a book it was ok
Trading Secrets
by Rachael Eckles (Goodreads Author)
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M. K. FrenchM. K. French said: " Finance executive Celeste Donovan has a charmed
life until her boyfriend Theodore is killed in a mysterious accident. She soon
discovers that her abusive ex Omar is behind the death, and is willing to do
anything to get to her, even involve her in a financial scandal. There is a secret
society warring against Omar and his conspirators, and Celeste has to determine how
far she’ll go to avenge Theodore and save the ones she loves.

Following the prologue, which felt out of place, we’re introduced to Celeste and
her high powered friends, all male. There is a lot of name dropping, reinforcing
that she is wealthy, beautiful, and privileged. She has flings, not relationships,
and generally is abrasive and self-centered. That’s in keeping with the financial
world that she lives and works in, which is dominated by self-centered men who call
each other pricks as an endearment. In spite of that, she falls for Theodore and
regards him as the love of her life. Interacting with him definitely softens her
character, to the point that she actually talks to a therapist about it! Coupled
with their romance is the threat of her ex coming after her, which is a looming
specter that everyone talks about with Celeste and she doesn’t share with Theodore.

While this isn’t a world I know anything about or would be comfortable in, the
details really set the stage. I like how Celeste is a woman in her 40’s and knows
what she wants, then unapologetically goes for it. As soon as we meet Theodore,
though, we’re treated to an in-depth look at Celeste’s relationship with Omar, and
the demeaning way he treated her, nearly ruining her financially and tarnishing her
reputation. It also doesn’t help that Omar graphically raped and brutalized her
while drunk and high on cocaine, which leaves her with extensive injuries and
triggered a miscarriage. This is all potentially triggering for some people, and
the back and forth storyline means there was no warning for when it would happen.

The second half of the book goes into the takedown of Omar, but that’s not the end
of the trauma and abuse that Omar offers up. In addition, it sometimes feels like
scenes are missing when Celeste enacts her plan to frame him into a death sentence.
There is certainly a lot of tension interspersed with more high-end names and talk
of conspiracies. I don’t like Celeste any better; I had liked her when she wasn’t
berating everyone in sight or demeaning them, and that was lost in some of the
second half. I didn’t really enjoy her character or the story and found too many of
the people in the book to be unlikable. Maybe it’s a consequence of being an
international financier, but it’s a world I don’t enjoy any better getting to the
end of this book. There are two others in a projected trilogy after this one, and I
don’t plan on picking them up.