ISBN: 1-55166-657-X
Publisher: MIRA Historical Books
On the night before her wedding to Michael Trend, the Earl of Westhampton, Rachel Aincourt tried to elope with another man only to be unceremoniously returned to her fiance by her father. What a start to a marriage! Rachel sees Michael as a cold, bookish man who has saved her from scandal. What she doesn’t realize is that Michael agreed to marry her even though she tried to elope as he had been in love with her for years.
Our story starts 7 years after the failed elopement and subsequent marriage. Rachel and Michael have co-existing for the past 7 years each having formed their own lives. Rachel spends most of her time in London surrounded by her friends and parties. Michael spends most of his time in the country. Rachel still views Michael as bookish and consumed by running his estate. What we find out is that Michael has been an investigator for many years and is drawn into one of Bow Street’s toughest cases. When the case turns to murder and Rachel is at risk, Michael turns to his mastery of disguise to win the heart of his wife. The first third of this book is a bit slow, but the story really takes off after that! It keeps the reader turning pages, guessing at the “who done it” aspect to the mystery, cheering for certain characters and laughing out loud at times. The Romance Reader says: “Secrets of the Heart is a tale that is slow to start, has an intriguing mystery, and requires a major suspension of belief, but if you can buy it, there is entertainment to be found.”
I found this book to be a wonderful story about two people who certainly start a marriage off on the wrong foot, but grow and develop into the ideal partners for each other. The mystery aspect of this story is well told. The reader is kept guessing for some time. The dialogue and the reaction of the various characters are well thought out and appropriate. The story progresses beautifully. This book serves as a wonderful conclusion to a heart warming trilogy about Devin & Miranda and Richard & Jessica and finally Michael & Rachel!
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