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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION<br />

1. Cassie Robichaud and Dauphine Mason were both hurt by the men from their past. Both women<br />

isolate as a result. By partaking in S.E.C.R.E.T., how does Dauphine successfully leave those<br />

memories behind? How did Cassie? How does Dauphine’s journey differ from Cassie’s? How<br />

are they similar?<br />

2. When Dauphine Mason is on the shore of the Abita River for her first fantasy, she is nervous, selfconscious,<br />

and frozen, but she tells herself: “Stop thinking. Act,” and takes the plunge as she<br />

accepts her first Step. What are some other examples throughout the book where Dauphine stops<br />

thinking and acts? What results does she get? Have you ever had to “shake yourself free” this<br />

way?<br />

3. If you were a member of S.E.C.R.E.T., would you want to be a guide, recruiter or fantasy<br />

facilitator? Cassie experiments with all three roles—which do you think suits her best?<br />

4. “You did it. You gave up control.” For Dauphine, her journey in S.E.C.R.E.T. is a path leading her<br />

from a life ruled by control to one where she is finally able to let go. With each Step, she lets go<br />

of the familiar, routine and isolated life to which she finds herself increasingly clinging. What<br />

kinds of things do you control that you could benefit from letting go of? What steps have you taken<br />

to give up that control? What would freedom from those habits look like?<br />

5. What did you think of Matilda’s recruiting methods? How was she able to spot a willing and able<br />

recruit in Dominic? Where would you go to spot a recruit? And what is the answer to Cassie’s<br />

question: how did Matilda “get the hottest guy in the park” to come to her?<br />

6. As Cassie reflects on her relationship with Will, she marvels at the notion that she had known him<br />

for so many years, yet never allowed herself to see him as a potential lover until she was<br />

transformed by S.E.C.R.E.T. What other unseen gifts does she uncover? What are the gifts in your<br />

life that you might not be noticing?<br />

7. After Luke leaves Dauphine and writes his bestselling book, humiliating her, how does Dauphine<br />

continue to give him power? When Dauphine meets Mark, how is that relationship different from<br />

her relationship with Luke?<br />

8. Cassie’s experience with S.E.C.R.E.T. was successful in transforming her from someone<br />

withdrawn and timid to a confident, self-realized woman of action. But with Will, she feels stuck,<br />

unable to be with him. Matilda advises Cassie to get on with the business of life—not to let<br />

heartbreak get in the way of practical concerns. “Don’t give men that much power, Cassie. Get on<br />

with the task of living.” Do you agree with this advice?

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