The Secret

The Secret - Julie Garwood

The Secret had been on my TBR list for a long time and I was craving some good ol' historical romance, so I downloaded it blind (no sample) and gave it a try.

 

I can see what drew readers to this story. it's simple and sweet with a writing style that was easy to follow. I thought that it lacked the depth and conflict that I need to make it an entirely engrossing read. I read this one in three nights, picking it up off my bedside table before hitting the hay. I never opened it up during the day the following mornings because the story never drew me in enough to get that can't put it down feeling. I was happy to let it lie until the next evening when I could pick it back up and set it down easily when my eyes got tired from reading.

 

The main character (I can't even remember her name, that's how unmemorable it was for me) has it way too easy. Yes, there is talk about abuse in her past and a mother that wasn't there for her and left her for long periods of time. She was afraid of men drinking around her because her uncle was quick to strike out at her when he was drunk. All of these things are unfortunate for her, but everything we got during the story was too damn easy. There was so much room here for conflict with the people of the Highlands clashing against this English damsel, but with all of the hulking Highland warriors having her back and her best friend on her side through everything, I never felt like she had any obstacles to overcome. Any time one was presented, it was quickly fixed. I ended up finishing the read with a kind of eh feeling.

 

Overall, I'd give this book 2.5 stars and I would recommend it for people who want an easy, put you to sleep before bed read. I won't be moving on to any other books from this author, though.