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Secrets of the Heart
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Plot Summary of Secrets of the Heart
"

Mira, Feb 2003, 6.99, 416 pp.
ISBN: 155166657X

Seven years ago, her father arranged for her to marry an Earl, Michael Trent, but she loved another. So Rachel Aincourt eloped with her beloved Anthony Birkshaw, but Michael and her father catch up the duo before she is compromised. Michael marries a heartbroken Rachel.

Michael loves his spouse when he married her and still does, but he hides his feelings because he knows she still cherishes another. He also hides from her his work as a Bow St. runner behind the face of a quiet aristocratic gentleman. Starting with her carriage being stopped by a highwayman who acts like a friend of her husband to being led by Anthony into the London slums, Rachel enters her husband's other life. When they meet with him in disguise, Rachel finds herself attracted not knowing that the stranger is her spouse. While she works through her feelings, someone else has other plans for her and the men in her life.

SECRETS OF THE HEART is an exciting Regency romance that hooks the audience from the moment Rachel's coach is stopped. The story line is fast-paced and readers will fully appreciate Michael, a sort of Scarlet Pimpernel though not a dandy, and wonder about Rachel's immaturity, mindful of Marguerite though no Citizen Chauvelin pressure. Fans of an electrifying historical romantic suspense will want to read Candace Camp's pleasant thriller.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Secrets of the Heart
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story - Regency era
Marriage/Married Yes
Marriage subplot: - married off against wishes - marriage of convenience spurring real love
Hidden Identity/Secret Motive Yes

Main Male Character
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King
Age/status: - 20's-30's
How sexual is this person? - very picky
How romantic is this person? - somewhat romantic
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Female Character
Age/status: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King
How sexual is this person? - very picky
How romantic is this person? - somewhat romantic
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
What % of story is romance related? - 60%
Focus of story - equally on him and her
How much dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Secrets of the Heart
Wicked Cousin by Zabrina Faire
A Seductive Offer by Kathryn Smith
The Prince's Bride by Victoria Alexander
Slightly Married by Mary Balogh
No Man's Bride by Shana Galen


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Candace Camp Resident Scholar Profiles

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