The Secret

I grew up on Georgette Heyer, and have long struggled to find anyone comparable. I have also often seen Julie Garwood books in stores but never felt any interest. However, in my search for readable material I finally decided to try this, my first. Read the first page and was horrified to find it was set in the 13th Century, And set it down. However an unread book is a torment to me so after a few days I gave it a try, and found myself reading into the small hours! Delightful well drawn characters, even the secondary ones, believable storyline, clever dialogue and a narrative style that is neither trite nor cliched. No wonder this author is popular! This stays on my keeper shelf. I shall now try the sequel!

The story begins with the formation of a friendship between two little girls who normally would have never been friends. Judith Hampton is Engish but her loving aunt and uncle live on the border between England and Scotland and take her to the border festival where she meets Frances Katherine Kirkaldy. A punishment rock and a vicious little bee forges the girl's friendship forever. Now it is years later, Frances Katherine is about to have her first child and Judith has promised to be there. Frances Katherine defies her husband's clan and requests that Judith be brought to her, despite the fact that they hate the English. Convincing the council of her bond with Judith, Iain Maitland, the clans laird and Frances Katherine's brother-in-law agrees to go to England and retrieve Judith. Besides, Judith is not only a woman but English, she will never keep to her word and agree to follow the barbarians into the Highlands. Judith Hampton is packed and ready to leave when Iain Maitland and his warriors arrive at her home. Shocking the warriors by leaving without any hesitation, Judith begins the long journey to the Highlands and into Iain's heart. As the book progresses Iain struggles with making Judith understand that he is laird and she should obey all of his commands. Judith has a hard time understanding all of the Highlanders rules. Once they reach the clan, Frances Katherine is overjoyed with Judith's presence. Fearing for her life with the birthing of her babe, Judith soothes Frances Katherine by telling her all of the knowledge she had acquired in the last few years about being a midwife. Her knowledge turns into the clans saving grace from the current evil midwife. Now Judith is finally making her place with the clan. Wait, did I mention her father is the Maitland's sworn enemy? Births, fights, a backwards Clan Council, one stubborn laird, and a kidnapping make The Secret a great read! Judith is a great heroine. She's tough, strong, self-assured but knows when things are too much and allows herself to lean on Iain for his strength and support. Iain is such a good alpha. He is stubborn, strong-willed and forceful. However, he knows that his defenses are no match for Judith. For series enthusiasts: The Secret has connecting characters with the book, Ransom, and The Secret should be read first.

I would give this book 10 stars if possible. The story of Judith and Iain is wonderful. I finally re-purchased this book after the 17 layers of tape could no longer hold it together. If you have not yet read Garwood this is a perfect one for you to start with. The story is touching, funny, romantic did I mention funny? It really is a love story between two people and a love story about a family. After you read this one pick up the sequal "The Ransom" you won't be disappointed I promise!

Wow! This book is definitely a keeper! I have reread this more than 5 times and still get the same reaction. It is excitingly a page turner. This book brings about all sorts of emotions, from the beginning to the end, no boring scenes whatsoever! The friendship of Frances Catherine & Judith is impressively well designed. The adjustment of Judith to the Highland ways & how the people reacted to her was surely a roller coster, mixed emotions-which I find utterly heart quenching. Of couse, not to forget the hero/heroine... The love story of Iain & Judith completely warms my heart, they are both different yet perfect for each other. Even the secondary characters, all uniquely described and well written. The friendships, trust & loyalty, the love and acceptance...all made this book a perfect 10. 5 stars rating is simply an understatement. J.G. have outdone herself this time! Sequel: RANSOM - Another perfect story. A must read after SECRET.Note: I would like to enumerate some scenes that makes this book a perfect 10 for me but it's not fair to mention only one or even two, as I find all situations/scenes, even the smallest of all.... interesting, hilarious, exciting, tear jerker & endearing in its own magical ways. This book is worth your time! READ IT.

All of Julie Garwood's books are wonderful - some of her books are classics - this is one of them! What exactly made this book stand out from all of the others? Easy I read it so fast I had to re-read the next day to enjoy the parts I missed. This book has everything: a friendship between two women that was part of the story not just a passing paragraph. I was able to read about a true friendship instead of a jealous rivalry. Most books pit one woman against another, it was refreshing in itself to read about Judith and Frances Catherine's relationship. Not to mention the friendships between the men. In my opinion, this is just one of the reasons that made this book special. Judith Hampton was a strong heroine, independent yet vulnerable. I loved her interaction with various characters and how her love for Iain became a part of her. But I have to admit one of my absolute favorite things about Judith was her reaction everytime she had to use her midwifing skills! LOL! Iain Maitland. Well, what can you say about a gorgeous highlander with a heart! He was breathtaking, strong, capable but most of all he was tender. The romance was a beautiful thing to read and their interaction together was hilarious! I laughed so much my sides hurt and I cried so much my head ached! The secondary characters made this book come alive. Brodick, Ramsey, Frances Catherine and Patrick were all part of the fabric of this wonderful story!

This book was exciting, funny and absolutely difficult to put down. I found myself trying to sleep but couldn't until I finished it. My family thought I was crazy from all the laughter they would here. I recommend it to EVERYONE! I can't wait to read RANSOM and see what happens to 2 other wonderful characters from this book. Julie Garwood is the BEST!