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The Secret (Highlands' Lairds #1)

4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 · rating details · 16,388 ratings · 488 reviews

It is the late 12th century and lovely Lady Judith Hampton is making plans to leave her home in England for a dangerous journey to Scotland. She is keeping a childhood promise to attend her dearest friend, Frances Catherine, in childbirth. But Judith has a private reason for visiting the Highlands: to locate the father she has never known.

Nothing has prepared Judith for t...more

Paperback, 379 pages

Published May 1st 1992 by Pocket Books

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Jul 02, 2011 Dina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, dik

This book grabbed from the Prologue, filled with both endearing and funny moments. In a few pages, Ms. Garwood had me loving Judith, the heroine, and her friend Frances Catherine. By the end of Chapter 2, I was also in love with Iain, the hero, and smiling like a silly girl. What a nice way to start a book!

Judith and Frances Catherine met as children and formed an unlikely friendship. Judith was English and Frances Catherine was Scottish, and everyone knew that English and Scottish hated each ot...more This book grabbed from the Prologue, filled with both endearing and funny moments. In a few pages, Ms. Garwood had me loving Judith, the heroine, and her friend Frances Catherine. By the end of Chapter 2, I was also in love with Iain, the hero, and smiling like a silly girl. What a nice way to start a book!

Judith and Frances Catherine met as children and formed an unlikely friendship. Judith was English and Frances Catherine was Scottish, and everyone knew that English and Scottish hated each other... Well, everyone but Judith and Frances Catherine! Their friendship lasted through all the years, and now Frances Catherine was pregnant and wanted Judith by her side as promised years before, to help her with the birth of her child. Iain was the laird of the Maitland clan and Frances Catherine's brother-in-law, and the idea of having an Englishwoman as a guest in his lands didn't particularly sit well with him but he agreed to fulfill his sister-in-law's request - after all, he was an honorable man and he always put his family first, no matter what. So he set to England to fetch Judith and escort her to her friend's side, even though he expected her to dishonor her childhood promise and not go to Frances Catherine's. She was English, hence her word didn't mean anything, right? Well, Iain was more than surprised to find out his preconceived notions about Judith were wrong, not to mention a bit disturbed to see how she managed to enchant not only him but all of his men in no time. But she had a secret - yeah, the one the titles refers to - that could complicate a relationship between them, so she was determined to fight her attraction to him. Not that would make any difference, once Iain had his mind set on keeping her... ;)

Iain was just wonderful! Honorable, protective, caring and, oh yes, arrogant. He didn't ask, he demanded. His marriage proposal to Judith made me gasp, then laugh. It was so delicious and outrageous. "Judith, I'm keeping you." How could she argue with that? (LOL) And yet, he couldn't find a way to get her to understand the "chain of command" to be followed in his clan. But he was no fool when it came to Judith and didn't waste time trying to keep her at arm's lenght.

Judith was as great as Iain. Honorable, kind-hearted and smart. Stubborn too, because that was the only way she could meet Iain's arrogance. She wasn't afraid to stand her ground but she never acted like those stupid heroines who pick a fight with the hero just to show how "feisty" they are. She was above that. Seeing her argue her cases in her particular ilogical way of thinking was too funny. No wonder everyone always ended up agreeing with her.

Iain and Judith's love story was funny and sigh-worthy at the same time. I lost count of the times I laughed out loud - thankfully, there was no one else around or they would think I was crazy - or simply smiled in contentment. There were also a few angsty moments near the end of the book, but I never doubted that Iain would make everything right.

Now, I need to comment on the feeling of déjà vu that bugged me a little while I was reading it. In one particular sequence of events, I was reminded of A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught: when the little boy threw some stones at Judith, she protected him, settled the matter by herself and, in the process, gained the boy's mother's allegiance and respect. That had enough similarity with some events in McNaught's book to make me raise an eyebrow. Going further, Judith and the heroine in A Kingdom of Dreams also had some similar characteristics: both were somewhat mistreated by their own families, their fathers were their heroes' enemy and they only found their "place in the world" in their heroes' clans. Of course, there were several differences that kept the books apart, and The Secret was a very enjoyable read by its own merit. I already see myself rereading it over and over again in the future.
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Mar 15, 2009 Eastofoz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Readers looking for a medieval with a strong hero & smart heroine

Shelves: favourites, highlander

4.5 stars and it could’ve been 5 if there was just a smidge more “unglossed” steam, otherwise it’s beautifully written and the characters bounce off the pages. It’s the type of story you can lose yourself in and forget where you are –despite the annoying microscopic print!

Garwood does a fantastic job with the language in this book. She twists and turns simple things to make them all complicated and in the end it’s hilarious. There are so many parts left vague or unsaid and you keep on reading be...more

16 likes · like · see review

Jan 06, 2013 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, highlanders, aar-top-100, julie-garwood, 4-star, sweet-romance, fabulous-characters, fabulous-secondary-characters

Delightful 4 stars

The Secret was a delight to read. I was easily swept into Julie Garwood’s world of witty dialogue, enchanting characters, and feel good romance.

I did, however, find it difficult to feel the connection and chemistry between Iain's and Judith's characters during the first half of the book. In fact, at times I felt there was more chemistry between Judith and Brodick than between Judith and Iain. Fortunately, by the end of the story I was a firm believer in Judith's and Iain's rela...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Susanne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: everyone-should-read, best-heroes, giggles, perfect-for-me, genre-medieval-romance, comfort-reads

*Still dancing happy dance*

I am so grateful to my GR friends; otherwise I might have missed this gem! I don't know what to write. It was funny, heartwarming, charming, and romantic and amazing all wrapped in one. JG’s highland romances are quickly moving up on my favorite list.

Lady Judith Elizabeth is a wonderful (English) heroine and Iain is a clueless, arrogant Scottish lair who doesn't think he will fall in love – but of course he does *happy sigh* It might have been quite similar to The Bri ...more

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Feb 02, 2011 Kaity rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, medieval, highlanders, ebook

Review originally posted on Bitten Books and given 5 stars.

I couldn't have even begun to imagine a more heartwarming and amusing story than Judith and Iain's. Everything about this book was absolutely perfect. I loved all of the characters and loved to hate the villains. I'm amazed at how quickly each character stole my heart. Many of the minor characters, who only had their say for a few characters, manged to carve a place for themselves too.

The relationships were really what made this book. My...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Rowena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: re-read-in-2013, read-in-2013

Each and every time I revisit this book, I fall a little more in love with it. This is the Julie Garwood that I love. This is where my Julie Garwood heart lays. Julie Garwood knows how to write around my heart with her Highlander stories. I love her Highlanders. Each and every single one of them, well except the bad guys anyway. In this story, we're introduced to a bunch of Highlanders that will always hold a special place in my Highlander loving heart.

Iain Maitland is the newly made Laird over...more Each and every time I revisit this book, I fall a little more in love with it. This is the Julie Garwood that I love. This is where my Julie Garwood heart lays. Julie Garwood knows how to write around my heart with her Highlander stories. I love her Highlanders. Each and every single one of them, well except the bad guys anyway. In this story, we're introduced to a bunch of Highlanders that will always hold a special place in my Highlander loving heart.

Iain Maitland is the newly made Laird over his clan and because he's new to all of this Laird business, he's running the clan with a counsel there to assist him. This counsel is going to be the death of him and he's going to be the reason for his brother Patrick's death. You see, his brother Patrick made his very pregnant wife a promise and that promise was that he would send for her best friend once her time drew near. It doesn't sound like much of a promise except for the fact that his wife's best friend is English. She lives in England. These Highlanders hate the English so Patrick now has to go to England to fetch his wife's best friend and because his wife's time to deliver is so near, Patrick won't leave his wife's side.

Enter Iain.

Because this is a family matter, Iain takes it upon himself to go himself for Patrick. He selects some of his men and off they go, riding into bloody England to get a woman that they don't even think is going to come. Iain has prepared to bulldoze his way into England and drag this Judith Elizabeth out of her home by her hair if need be.

He didn't expect her to be waiting in front for them, ready to go and from the moment they set off back to Scotland with best friend in tow, Iain's life is changed.

Iain is a favorite hero amongst the Julie Garwood fans and I can totally see why because straight up, Iain is the man! He's one of those alpha male heroes that make women swoon with delight the world over. He's the man in charge and he is that dominant hero that people remember. I loved when he realized that he would walk through fire for Judith, it's one of my favorite moments in the book. Iain was a fantastic hero, one that I'm sure all women everywhere will fall in love with.

Judith was a great heroine too. She was funny, quirky and just flat out great! She was also incredibly strong as well. Her loyalty to Francis Catherine was totally admirable and her interactions with everyone totally won me over. I wanted her to be my best friend and her friendship with Frances Catherine was my absolute favorite part of this book. I mean, they haven't seen each other for so long and for her very first words to Frances Catherine upon seeing her to be:

“ I specifically remember we both promised never to drink form any man’s goblet of wine. From the looks of you, Frances Catherine, I’m thinking you broke your word.”

It's frickin' great! I thought it was hilarious and the perfect thing to break the tension that was evident all over that room. This book is another reason why I was such a huge Julie Garwood fan. It made me laugh, it made me sigh and it even made me tear up a little from time to time. Julie Garwood thrives in writing these Highland tales and I wish she wrote more of them. Iain and Judith's story is one for the books. It introduced some fabulous characters who went on to get their own stories and really, how could you not like this story with the fantabulousness that is Iain, Judith, Ramsey, Brodick, Patrick, Graham and on and on and on. So much greatness in this book and if you haven't read this book, what are you waiting for? This book is definitely a keeper of mine and I know that it will definitely be one for you.

Read this book!(less)

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Jun 14, 2011 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

It feels so good to be back in the Highlands. I don't know what it is.....the stark beauty, the remote locations, the castles and keeps, the lairds and their warriors. All of the above, I believe. This time, the year is 1200 and I'm on Maitland land, with the MacLeans and the Dunbars close by, always ready to ignite a feud with the lifting of a sword. But what has me very excited is the devastatingly striking Laird of the Maitland clan, Iain, a rugged warrior whose muscular body and piercing gra...more It feels so good to be back in the Highlands. I don't know what it is.....the stark beauty, the remote locations, the castles and keeps, the lairds and their warriors. All of the above, I believe. This time, the year is 1200 and I'm on Maitland land, with the MacLeans and the Dunbars close by, always ready to ignite a feud with the lifting of a sword. But what has me very excited is the devastatingly striking Laird of the Maitland clan, Iain, a rugged warrior whose muscular body and piercing gray eyes are enough to fell any lass, much less a 21st century, modern day woman such as myself. Well, if you won't take my word for it, listen to what our heroine, Judith, says upon laying her eyes on Iain for the first time.

"She didn't think she'd ever seen such a magnificent sight in all her life. The man fascinated her. He was certainly the biggest of the lot. His broad shoulders fairly blocked out the sun shining down behind him, and only the rays of light surrounded him, giving him an invincible, magical appearance. He was only a man, a ruggedly handsome man at that, and surely the most muscular warrior in the group. The plaid he wore had opened on the side of his left thigh. The bulge of sleek muscle there looked as hard as roped steel. Lord, she thought, she could be content to stare at the warlord for the rest of the day. His hair was a dark, rich brown in colour, with just a little hint of curl to it. His bare arms were as bronzed as his face. He had a striking profile. Oh yes, he was a fit one all right, but in truth it was the colour of his eyes that held her interest the longest. They were a beautiful, brilliant shade of gray."

Mmmmmm......oh, I'm just visualizing. (You know visualizing is a comprehension strategy used by good readers and I consider myself a very good reader!) The plot of this novel is a different one for me. Judith Hampton had promised her best childhood friend that she would be at her side for the birth of her child. Judith's journey from England to the vast Highlands of Scotland becomes an adventure, not only for herself, but also for her escort, Laird Iain, and his loyal warriors. An Englishwoman welcomed on Scottish land was unheard of at the time. But Judith is not your typical lass. She is fiercely loyal to her friend, independent, outspoken(my favourite trait!), and very beautiful. This is a mixture that even the strong-willed Iain cannot ignore. He is captivated by her, but of coarse, he denies any feeling he has for Judith other than a physical longing. Yet, he finds himself wanting to be her protector. And after one kiss, he cannot think of anything but this feisty Englishwoman. Little does he know that Judith is holding on to a secret that could shatter his world and that of his clan's.

I really enjoyed this tale. There are many layers to these characters that the author unfolds throughout the telling. The hero and heroine's attraction to one another is palpable and their playful bantering had me laughing out loud. I loved how Judith could show her vulnerabilities to Iain, but she always mustered the courage and strength to do what she believed was right, even in the face of fear. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the fight for women's rights was woven into the story, but was not preached to the reader at any point. This is a story where prejudices are overcome and love, loyalty and security are found. It is a story filled with inspiration and life-long lessons, such as the one Iain shares with Judith, and she with he at the end of the book.

"I was railing against all of the injustices in this world, and I specifically remember your suggestion to me. You said that if I didn't like something, I should work to change it. One whisper, added to a thousand others, becomes a roar of discontent."

If you don't like something, change it. And she does. And so should we all.(less)

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Jun 26, 2011 Audrey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical

Love those Highlanders! (And Garwood writes them without a silly amount of "Och!"s and "wee lassie"s, too.) Iain and Judith are just great characters who make a great couple. Laird Iain is a delicious combination of protective, possessive, dominant and aggressive, yet at the same time tender with Judith. An "outsider" from England, Judith is spunky and has a strong sense of integrity and independence, which can sometimes lead her into some unusual situations when challenging the traditional view...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Kathie (katmom) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-books-ever

I read this in the hospital today...it kept my mind entertained to a huge degree.

Judith has been friends with Frances Catherine since they were very small. She promised her that when FC got with child she would be there to help her deliver. The time has come and a group of Highland warriors cart her home with them.

Iian didn't want to fall for her, how could he? She's, gasp, ENGLISH....and he's Scots.

But this woman is so sweet and determined and such a steadfast friend to Frances Catherine that n...more

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Jul 22, 2010 Slavena rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-romance-books, historical-romance

I loved this book and it is now part of my favorites and best written by Ms. Garwood imho. The story grabbed me from the start with the background of a friendship which springs between 2 little girls and never dies down through the years to come.

Both h/h were great and I couldn’t put the book down until it was finished. The chemistry the dialogue, everything was very good.

One thing that I have never read in a historical before and really enjoyed in this book is having the main heroine help seve...more

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Sep 30, 2012 ETA: soon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-fav, feel-good-read, humour-lol-moments, z1-reviewed, 4-rom-historical, hist-medieval

"The Secret" opens with a memorable line in a memorable Prologue describing certain points of their childhood friendship, and then quickly moves into the present time as Frances Catherine's husband seeks to make good on his wedding promise to go into England and bring Judith back in time to help deliver Frances Catherine's baby.

This is another light-hearted, mostly humorous Garwood book which is a reliable feel-good read. It's not the most original of storylines and certain standard tropes are u...more "The Secret" opens with a memorable line in a memorable Prologue describing certain points of their childhood friendship, and then quickly moves into the present time as Frances Catherine's husband seeks to make good on his wedding promise to go into England and bring Judith back in time to help deliver Frances Catherine's baby.

This is another light-hearted, mostly humorous Garwood book which is a reliable feel-good read. It's not the most original of storylines and certain standard tropes are used. Also, Garwood's writing style and quickflash POV changes require getting used to. But all that fades away because the story has heart—namely, the friendship between two little girls who "became friends before they were old enough to understand they were supposed to hate each other", a friendship which endures over time and distance until their lives intersect once again as adults and impact the people around them.

Admittedly, the story becomes almost too comical and saccharine-sweet at times, especially when plucky Judith somehow always finds a way to win over the resentful Scots (even the cantankerous council members). And sometimes, the lively supporting cast of characters feel as if they exist solely to bolster Judith's image. But such moments are balanced by little gems interspersed throughout the book such as:

"I thought you hated the English, Brodick," Iain remarked after several minutes of silence.
"I do," Brodick answered. "But when I look at her, I forget. Her eyes... it's an affliction..."
"Get over it." Iain's voice had gone hard.

And when an awkward moment develops as the two friends are reunited, Judith breaks the tension by recalling another childhood promise: "I specifically remember we both promised never to drink from any man's goblet of wine [so to not get pregnant]. From the looks of you, Frances Catherine, I'm thinking you broke your word."

And finally, there's the situation involving the other clan and amidst the turmoil, and angst, and resentment, I ended up feeling bad for the supposed villian! (You'll know when you get to the relevant part—it's a heart-tugger.)(less)

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Dec 30, 2010 D.G. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, reviewed

This is my first book by Julie Garwood and it may be my last.

Yes, I enjoyed this book but I found it too cutesy and simplistic. I think that if it had been either a funny book or a dark book I would have enjoyed it more, but this mix of funny banter with very dark topics didn’t do it for me.

On one hand, you have very serious topics: dangers and fear of pregnancy (which is the first time I have read in a historical so I give the author kudos for that), battles between clans in Scotland, the hatr...more

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Jul 06, 2010 Trang Nguyen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, medieval, own-read, read-in-2010, highlander, favorites

Sigh... I am so loving all the Lairds I have read so far from Garwood.

A wonderful book which starts off with the friendship of two little girls who don't know they are supposed to hate each other, but become the best of friends. When Judith best friend is about to give birth she honors her pact and goes with the Highlanders, who have come to pick her up from England to take her to awaited best friend. What no one but Judith and her best friend know is Judith is really the daughter of a Laird wh...more

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May 05, 2009 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-historical, medieval, highlanders, favorites, read-own, read-in-2009, ebooks

Judith and Frances Catherine were too young to realize they should be enemies when they met during an annual festival and instantly became friends. Despite the animosity between the Scots and English both girls remained friends through the years and looked forward to the three weeks they would spend together every year. Frances eventually married a Scot and moved to his land ending the girls’ yearly tradition but Judith made a promise that when the time came to the birthing of Frances’ first bor...more

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May 24, 2011 Beleth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

Es el segundo libro que leo de esta autora y me ha gustado, aunque eso sí, tiene algunos típicos-tópicos de Highlanders (y alguna espadilla menos de las que me hubiera gustado xD). El tema del odio eterno ingleses vs escoceses está presente en cada página y casi se puede palpar en el ambiente y, aunque está bien que quede claro, igual se repite un poquito demasiado.
La parte del final es ligeramente predecible porque siempre tiene que aparecer ese "algo" que hace que la pareja sea incompatible de...more

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Nov 13, 2010 Ren rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 3-stars, highlander, historical, scottish-people, borrowed

Sudah lama ga baca HR, dari 3 buku yang ada (Sherry Thomas, Julia Quinn dan Julie Garwood), mutusin buat baca ini dulu, cos penasaran ma latar belakang Skotlandia.
Ceritanya cukup bagus, walaupun alur awalnya agak lambat. Cukup menghibur juga (adegan pernikahan Iain dan Judith yang ga seperti pernikahan sesungguhnya), sayang saat rahasianya Judith terungkap, malah berasa hambar ceritanya.
Dari cerita ni Q bisa menyimpulkan bahwa persahabatan dan keluarga itu tidak mengenal batas bangsa dan suku :)

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Jun 06, 2013 Andrea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Bravo! I've always enjoyed Julie Garwood's writing since I first read her "For the Roses" series of books. I thought about trying this book to find out if it was still worth to admire her so much, and I wasn't disappointed. Her writing was exquisite. I couldn't find one single thing I didn't like about the story, everything was put up nicely enough for my taste.

I saw adventure, I saw enough conflict to make me feel interested all the way through the story, but not so much I felt it was a torture...more

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May 25, 2013 Lenore A. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book. Funny, charming, steamy and lovely, a wonderful combination to spend a couple of hours.

Judith and Frances Catherine were supposed to be enemies, one being English and the other Scot, but their friendship survived along the years of the war and hatred.
When Frances Catherine married Patrick Maitland she made him promise that when she was with child she wanted her friend Judith with her. This was not an easy task because the Maitland clan hated almost everyone, especially the En...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Kris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, highlanders

4.5 STARS At four years old Frances Catherine and Judith became friends before they even knew they should be enemies. English born Judith makes a promise to Frances Catherine that should she ever become pregnant Judith would be there by her side during the childbirth. Judith vows to keep this childhood promise when Frances Catherine's brother-in-law Iain Maitlain a Scottish Laird comes to fetch her. On the journey to the Highlands Iain and Judith's wills and morals seem to clash at every turn. T...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Kimberly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, romance, ebook, reviewed

this is my 3rd book by Julie that i read consecutively (it's really a total of 6)
As always I have a problem w/ her sudden shift of characters when she narrates. Also after reading her books, as I said, consecutively, I finding it a bit boring and unsatisfying. It seems that Julie isn't resolving all the problems in the book (I think she did for some of her books but mostly not)

Like for this book, she didn't settle the affair w/ his uncle and mother at all. I had the feeling that his mom won't wa...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Jillian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historic-romance

Judith’s best friend is getting ready to have her baby and Judith made her a promise to be there no matter what. Going against her drunken uncle and her selfish mother she leaves England with the Laird of her friends’ clan. On the journey she and Iain become close, when they get to Scotland Judith makes friends with the rest of the clan. When Iain decides he wants to keep Judith they get married, but Judith has a secret, his birth father is her husbands enemy. When Judith and some of the clan ge...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Carrie Penney rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, historical-romance, scotland, medieval-romance, highlanders, favorites, friendship, 1st-in-a-series, best-friends, bookshelf-battle-r3, fantasyland, covers-purple, covers-green, tower-team, pots

**5 amazingly wonderful stars out of 5**

I knew from the very first line, that I was going to treasure this book. There are many books that I have loved and cherished, and have put on to my favorites list. But then everyone once and awhile a you stumble up on a book that you want to hug into yourself, this was one of those for me.

This was my first Julie Garwood book and I don't think I could have started with a better one. I am looking forward to many more adventures with her.

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Apr 30, 2012 Regan Walker rated it 3 of 5 stars

Entertaining until the wedding...

This is the story of two girls, one Scottish and one English who become friends as children and remain friends notwithstanding that their two countries are antagonistic to each other. The heroine, English Judith promises her friend she will be with her for the birth of her first child as her friend is worried she'll die (her mother and grandmother died in childbirth). So Judith learns all she can about new childbirth methods and travels to Scotland when her frien...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Srisurang rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

(อ่านเล่มแปล ชื่อ ปริศนารัก ของแก้วกานต์ค่ะ) เรื่องน่ารักเบาๆ อ่านแล้วอิ่มใจ สบายใจ นึกถึงนิยายสมัยเก่าๆ ที่อ่านแล้วยิ้มได้และรู้สึกหวานๆ แบบนี้ เหมาะกับการพักสมองหนีเรื่องเครียด ช่วงที่ผ่านมา แนวนิยายเข้มข้นแบบตื่นเต้นลุ้นระทึก หนีคนร้าย ชิงไหวพริบหรือบีบคั้นหัวใจ อ่านแล้วเหนื่อย พออ่านเรื่องนี้แล้วสบายใจดีค่ะ จำได้ว่าเคยอ่าน เชลยบาป หรือ Ransom มาแล้ว เป็นชุดเดียวกัน ชอบมาก เรื่องน่ารักอ่านเพลิน แนวเดียวกันนี้ (ไม่เห็นจะบาปเข้ากับชื่อเรื่องตรงไหน) เรื่องนี้ พระเอกน่ารักมาก นางเอกก็เช่นกัน ชอบต...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Soycazadoradesombrasylibros rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: finish

Julie Garwood, con dos libros que me he leído de ella, ha sabido como llegar a mi corazón y a mi estantería, el primer libro que leí de su extensa colección fue : "La novia rebelde" y tanto me gusto que me decidi leerla en otra saga/serie,y este ha sido el caso con el primero de la serie "Secretos".

Conforme iba leyendo, me he sorprendido con varias cosas que tienen en común estas dos joyas: Las protagonistas de ambos libros son mujeres inglesas con secretos o cualidades que no quieren que se sep...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Joy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, ebooks

This is the first Julie Garwood book I've read and I don't know if she has a book titled "The Promise", because this could've been titled as such. They were always asking for promises every now and then!

The first line caught my attention. I've always been interested in reading medieval novels, especially about the Scots. There's the usual animosity between the Scottish and English peoples, that it's really annoying and narrow-minded. The elder Scots were really set on their old ways they have di...more This is the first Julie Garwood book I've read and I don't know if she has a book titled "The Promise", because this could've been titled as such. They were always asking for promises every now and then!

The first line caught my attention. I've always been interested in reading medieval novels, especially about the Scots. There's the usual animosity between the Scottish and English peoples, that it's really annoying and narrow-minded. The elder Scots were really set on their old ways they have difficulty adapting to change.

I loved the friendship between Judith and Frances Catherine, no land or nationality broke them apart. Judith suffered a great deal of poor upbringing by her mother who doesn't have a maternal instinct. Her Aunt Millicent and Uncle Herbert were there for her half of the year and it's better to have influential figures while growing up, but I felt for her when I read about the physical abuse she suffered from the hands of her Uncle Tekel, the drunk.

Judith was very likable and she even charmed the most brutish Scot, namely her escorts Brodick, Alex, Gowrie, and most surprising of all, the Maitland Laird Iain. Her innocence, naivety, and candidness were refreshing. She speaks her mind and the best part I loved about this novel is the theme of women empowerment. Judith gave voice to the unappreciated women in all the clan.

Iain is the usual dominant hero, but his intimidation tactics didn't work on Judith, he's still tender toward her, and this bothered him because he doesn't like being vulnerable. Their arguments were sound and Judith bore the brunt of the hostilities when she first arrived.

The big secret she's hiding, the one she confided to her friend, wasn't the issue exactly. Iain already figured it out when he saw the warrior's ring Judith wore around her neck, and I wasn't exactly tied up in knots about it. Judith wanted to come clean even before the marriage but Iain won't let her. From that alone, I figured he already loves her, like that Backstreet Boys song "As Long As You Love Me". I confess it's my favorite song of theirs because the lyrics were meaningful.

Going back, I liked the MacLean laird, and I was amused by Douglas, Judith's older brother. It's touching to be accepted instantly and I laughed how Judith recoiled when her brother made an incestuous remark, before knowing about their relationship of course. I'm going to read "Ransom" next.

An added after thought: love scenes were tame.(less)

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Apr 16, 2011 Elise Wilson rated it 4 of 5 stars

I purchased this book because I was interested in reading historical romance, but ended up loving it because of the endearing friendship between two of its main characters, Frances Catherine (Scottish) and Judith (English). Their friendship reinforces for us the lesson that race, ethnicity or class differences need not keep us from respecting or even loving one another. Frances and Judith were young when they met and bonded in friendship -- a relationship that lasted through adulthood despite th...more

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Feb 07, 2011 Jenny rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was written so well that I talked about it with my husband. I just had to tell him the story. He isn't into romance novels of course and is more into cars, computers, and gaming. I couldn't help myself though. I love historical romance and I love Scotland. This was very well done and it not only entertained me but also educated me on some things I didn't know about clan life. For instance there is part in the book where he explains what the threads in his plaid mean. You can tell what...more

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Sep 26, 2010 Jane Stewart rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance-prior-to-wwll

Sort of ok, but not recommended.

I've read three Julie Garwood novels which were similar: The Secret, Saving Grace and Ransom. All three have an English heroine going to Scotland and falling in love with a Scottish laird. All three women were too saccharine for me. They bring some changes and knowledge to the Scottish people by telling them not to commit certain crimes, to be polite and to have better manners. For example one heroine says never steal horses, just borrow them and return them later...more

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Feb 23, 2010 Sarai rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-historical

From Publishers Weekly: Ever since they met as children at the annual summer festival on the border of their two countries, Judith Hampton of England has been fast friends with Frances Catherine Kirkaldy of Scotland. Despite the enmity between the two lands in this period (the late 12th century), Judith is determined to attend the birth of Frances Catherine's first child and find her father, a Scottish laird she has never seen (when they finally meet, it is not in the fashion she had anticipated...more

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About Julie Garwood

Julie Murphy was born in 1946 in Kansas City, Missouri to a large Irish family. At the age of six, Julie had her tonsils removed and complications from the surgery resulted in a long period of recuperation. She fell hopelessly behind in school and never caught up. "I was a slow, slow reader," Julie says. "I hated it." At the age of 11, her mother discovered her daughter's secret and promptly enrol...more

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Quotes from The Secret

“He shrugged. "I was...thinking."
"About what?"
"The fires of purgatory."
She had to sit down. He wasn't making any sense now. "What does that mean?" she asked.
"Patrick told me he would walk through the fires of purgatory if he had to in order to please his wife."
She went over to the bed and sat down on the side. "And?" she prodded when he didn't continue.
He stripped out of his clothing and walked over to her. He pulled her to her feet and stared down to her.
"And I have only just realized I would do the same for you.” — 39 people liked it

“I'll stay away from you and you'll stay away from me. I'm already over this insignificant, puny, inconsequential attraction. I don't even remember kissing you."
They had reached the cluster of trees in front of the courtyard leading to Frances Catherine's cottage when she told him that outrageous lie.
"The hell you have forgotten," he muttered. He grabbed hold of her shoulders and forced her to turn around. Then he took hold of her chin and pushed her face up.
"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.
"Reminding you.” — 16 people liked it

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